Chapter 13: Artificial Eggs
The trainees formed a circle and sat on the ground.
"I can't believe this our last night here."
"We can finally go home tommorow!"
"I'm craving fried chicken..."
There was a huge bonfire in the middle of the circle they formed.
"Wahh! Sitting here while staring at the bonfire made me feel like I'm really out here, camping-- not just participating in a survival show. I'm glad I met friends like you, guys." Jang Haru said with a smile on his face.
"You're flattering us, bro."
"Yeah, yeah. You're so good with your words."
Jang Haru.
If the trainees were asked who he is...
"Balanced."
He is good at singing, dancing, and rapping.
He is also good-looking.
And above all of these, his personality is great.
Jang Haru; the definition of balance and maturity.
"Okay, everyone!" Kang Sejin's voice thundered with the crackling bonfire.
"Since this is our last night camping here, we have to make the most of it!" He continued.
"I saw how your relationships with each other improved in the span of 3 nights we were here." Kang Sejin smiled, a hint of evilness seeping through his eyes.
"We enjoyed, suffered, and laughed in these 3 nights we stayed here. We learned a lot about ourselves and our competitors." Geon, who was listening to all of these, quickly realized where Kang Sejin's speech would lead to.
"Oh, yeah. I just remembered that we're currently participating in a survival show."
"I was too busy dancing in the mud to remember."
"Yeah, we really suffered because they only fed us leaves and rice!"
The trainees, who were suddenly reminded of the reason why they were here in the first place, murmured.
"Competitors." Kang Sejin trailed off, building up a tense atmosphere in the process.
"Now, I'm really curious if there's anyone you find, "unpleasant", or, "undeserving", of being part of [Cap-Teen-Vating]." The trainees' minds fell into chaos at Kang Sejin's words.
'Damn. So cruel. Survival shows definitely loves drama and tension.' Geon that as he tried to stop himself from smirking.
A few staffs approached the trainees, distributing a pen and a piece of paper to each of them.
"In groups and collaborations, skills and popularities are very important, but all of these falls in vain if there's no teamwork between the parties. And usually, things like these happens due to one's unsatisfaction with a certain teammate." Kang Sejin explained.
The trainees nodded their heads in understanding.
"So today, I want everyone to be honest to themselves and the people beside them. Who's the trainee you find troublesome? Skills, personality, etc. List down his name in the piece of paper given to you and provide a simple explanation why. " Kang Sejin said with a smile.
Geon fell into a deep thought.
Who's the trainee he found troublesome?
•••
"While the staffs are reading what you wrote in the pieces of paper distributed to each of you, let's play a game." The trainees groaned at Kang Sejin's words.
"Cheer up, guys! You will find yourself enjoying this moment." Kang Sejin smiled.
"The staffs hid a total of 50 artificial eggs in the campsite. All you have to do is find them. One artificial eggs is equivalent to..." He trailed off.
The trainees gulped.
The moment was nerve-wracking as the trainees waited for Kang Sejin to continue his explanation.
He did.
But he changed the topic.
"Good luck, everyone!"
A trainee suddenly raised his hand.
"Yes?"
"May I ask what the artificial eggs are equivalent to?" The trainee asked.
"Well," Kang Sejin smirked a little.
"You'll find out in a week."
•••
"I think, it's better if we look for the artificial eggs in a group." Jang Haru told his friends.
"Yes, I agree with you."
"It would be less scary that way."
"Yeah, it's already dark in here." Jang Haru's friends agreed with him.
"Where will you look first?" A Japanese trainee approached them.
"Oh, we're forming a group to hunt down those artificial eggs." Jang Haru smiled at the Japanese trainee.
"Can I join?"
"Of course!"
'A burden.' Everyone except Jang Haru thought.
•••
"Woah, the air in the campsite is very different at night." Geon talked to himself.
The campsite was located in the middle of a forest full of tall trees.
The air was cool.
The mood was perfect.
Geon's mind suddenly drifted to the past.
He remembered how, "camping", was defined differently in [Family].
20+ kids get sent to a remote forest every week.
They were given resources worth for one day.
The rest was up to them.
Geon remembered how he got his first kill there.
[To survive], that was [Family]'s motto.
Kids who were able to get out from that remote forest got promoted to the, "candidates", position.
Geon remembered.
Dancing in the mud, singing with a lemon and chilli pepper inside one's mouth-- none of these came close to his experiences 3 years ago.
A 14-year-old boy witnessing 3 kids about his age eating a dead body-- raw.
A 14-year-old boy hitting a younger kid to death with a stone.
All in order to eat.
All in order to survive.
All of that happened in a remote forest.
'Dammnit. I feel so free right now.' Geon closed his eyes for a moment.
He took a deep breath.
His mentality could have never survived if it weren't for the perks of having the [System Window].
Long story short, he's back in the middle of a forest, "camping".
Both's goal was to survive.
But this time, no one's dying.
Anyway, he still miss the old [System Window].
•••
Jang Haru, his 3 friends, and the Japanese trainee walked in the secluded part of the campsite.
There weren't any cameramen present here-- only hidden cameras planted everywhere.
"I feel it. There must be a lot of articial eggs hidden here somewhere." One of Jang Haru's friend stated, earning the other's nods of approval.
"B-but guys..." The Japanese trainee gulped.
"This place is a little creepy. There are only trees in here. This place is also pretty dim."
Jang Haru's 3 friends tried their best to show a mocking smile.
'A scaredy-cat.'
'His accent is trash.'
'His pronounciation is worse than a toddler's.'
They thought.
"Umm..." Jang Haru trailed off.
"Do you wanna die?" A creepy voice echoed in their ears.
"Who..."
"Was..."
"That...?"
Crack!