ABSRFITLHOI Chapter 96

REVE finally received an offer for a full-group appearance on a variety show.

It was for a terrestrial variety program called “Survive on 20,000 Won.”

It used to go by another name before being canceled, but a few years ago, it was revived with a slightly tweaked title.

The selling point of the show was supposedly watching celebrities get by on a small amount of money in hilariously pitiful ways.

Due to inflation, surviving on 10,000 won for a week, as in the original version, was no longer feasible, so the amount was doubled, and the period shortened.

The mission now required participants to survive for three days on 20,000 won, essentially guaranteeing three days of suffering for the cast.

Moreover, the program was infamous for its 24-hour surveillance, making it impossible to sneak any food late at night.

“This is definitely a job for Yehyun hyung,”

“Me? Why?”

“Because the team’s face should take on these kinds of missions.”

“There’s no way you’re complimenting me. Just tell me the truth.”

“Wow, did you see that? Guys, did you see that? I try to say something nice, and this is how he reacts. You say I’m too harsh, but how can I say nice things when he ignores my goodwill like this?”

I raised my voice dramatically, glaring at him, but the maknae, who was scrolling on his phone, revealed the truth with an indifferent tone.

“Eden hyung said Yehyun hyung should take it because he can survive for days with just one lettuce.”

At that, Seo Yehyun smirked triumphantly, lifting his chin.

“See? There was a motive all along.”

“Jaehee, this is betrayal.”

Betrayed by the maknae I had trusted, I slumped in defeat. Truly, there’s no one you can trust in this world.

“Stuff like this is the leader’s job.”

“You only look for the leader when it’s convenient for you.”

“That statement only applies when the leader hasn’t asserted their authority regularly.”

“No, that’s not true.”

“Wow, is this really the kind of conversation 22- and 21-year-olds should be having?”

“Just wait until you’re this age. People don’t grow up dramatically all at once.”

Of course, I had already hit 27 and traveled back in time, but it was too annoying to explain, so I just settled on being 21 again.

If I included my age before the regression, Seo Yehyun would have to call me hyung.

“By the way, who’s on the opposing team?”

At that, I voiced the cause of the uneasiness I’d felt ever since we got the offer.

“Altair.”

They were a group that already seemed to be keeping an eye on REVE with a sense of rivalry.

So far, the only one who had openly shown it was Cha Yeonho, but based on what I’d heard before the regression—more specifically, the gossip from the KICKS members—their hostility toward rising groups was quite intense. The others were likely no different from Cha Yeonho.

The fact that this was the second overlap in variety show schedules after “Love Manual” was either a coincidence or influenced by them.

To top it off, Cha Yeonho had caused some trouble for me on “Love Manual,” which Altair’s fans had turned into a backlash against me.

Thankfully, the refreshing way I handled things on the show overshadowed the issue, so it didn’t escalate further.

“Wow, thank goodness it’s not KICKS. If it were KICKS, no matter who the participant was, Eden-hyung and Hajun-hyung would’ve made sure they couldn’t spend a single won and starved completely,” said Kim Dobin, blatantly relieved as he made a show of wiping his chest.

“Hey, Jun might, but I’m not that ruthless.”

“Isn’t it the other way around?”

“Well, our Jun does go wild whenever KICKS is involved.”

Hajun chuckled and nodded at my words.

“Can’t deny that.”

Anyway, we had to decide on our participant and notify the production team by the end of today.

“Things like this should go to the leader.”

“The team’s visual should do it. We need the exposure for promotion.”

“Maknae, do you want to take it on?”

“I’ll generously yield to my hyungs.”

“Dobin, you do it then.”

“I’d spend the whole 20,000 won in one day. Self-awareness is my specialty.”

“Hajun, how about you give it a shot?”

“Hyung, why would you make the guy who’s already in charge of meals suffer through food restrictions too?”

“…Sorry, Hajun.”

In the end, after a fierce game of passing the responsibility around, the chosen participant was…!

“Just buy one lettuce and survive on that for three days. Then we’ll win. Got it, hyung?”

“This is insane. I may diet, but I can’t live on just that.”

Our eldest took on the role with a spirit of self-sacrifice.

REVE’s entry point and face of the team, fighting!

***

“Survive on 20,000 Won” – Altair vs. REVE Edition

A three-day survival project with just 20,000 won!

With the participation of Altair, a six-member boy group firmly established as a first-tier act, and REVE, a rising rookie five-member boy group, the episode drew significant attention.

—

[Altair Team Introduction]

[Cha Yeonho: Hello, I’m Yeonho, the mission participant for Altair.]

[KJ: Yeonho was unanimously chosen as our mission participant because he’s the biggest penny-pincher in the group. After some deliberation, we realized it would be more advantageous to let a penny-pincher handle this directly rather than coaching from the sidelines.]

[Cha Yeonho: Penny-pincher? Can’t we call it “frugal and resourceful” instead?]

[Joo Hyungjin: Exactly. Yeonho-hyung is incredibly resourceful. He always uses discounts and coupons, grabs free gift cards whenever possible, and compares all the benefits before applying for credit cards.]

[Kim Seogyun: I really respect Yeonho. I could never live like that—it’s too exhausting for me.]

[Kwon Taehyuk: Honestly, I’m confident that Yeonho-hyung can save at least 5,000 won.]

[Lee Sumin: But what if he saves too much and the leftover balance gets swapped with the other team?]

[Cha Yeonho: Let’s worry about that once I’ve saved that much, okay? I already feel the pressure mounting.]

Meticulously prepared after watching every past episode, Altair entered with a solid plan.

—

[REVE Team Introduction]

[Seo Yehyun: Hello, I’m Yehyun, the mission participant for REVE.]

[Yoon Eden: Why did we choose Yehyun-hyung as our mission participant? Because he’s the most fuel-efficient. He eats the least in our team. Hey, why are you laughing, Dobin?]

[Kim Dobin: Sorry, it’s just hilarious. The reason isn’t that he’s frugal or good at saving money, but that he’s “fuel-efficient.” It’s like we’re talking about cars.]

[Jaehee: Saving on meal expenses is half the battle. So this is definitely an advantage in this competition.]

[Gyeon Hajun: We can help him with the rest.]

[Jaehee: By the way, does anyone in our group actually keep track of discounts or memberships?]

[Yoon Eden: Nope. Apart from delivery app coupons, we don’t bother with that stuff.]

[Seo Yehyun: You guys are so unreliable…]

[Yoon Eden: Honestly, apart from food expenses, I don’t trust you either, hyung.]

[Seo Yehyun: Can I still change the mission participant now?]

With no clear plan beyond saving on food expenses, REVE entered the game cluelessly.

—

After watching each other’s introductory videos, the two teams reacted in polar opposite ways.

[KJ: What’s with these guys…? Are they planning to save only on food expenses?]

[Cha Yeonho: I’m confident. There are essential purchases to consider. This isn’t a game you can win by saving on food alone.]

While KJ looked dumbfounded at the juniors’ audacity to focus solely on meal costs, Cha Yeonho confidently expressed his determination to win.

[Yoon Eden: Let’s face it, we can’t save money anywhere else. None of the five of us are the type to track discounts or memberships. So let’s just save as much as possible on food.]

[Seo Yehyun: To save that extremely, we’d have to eat only one meal a day. But the rules say we have to eat at least two meals a day.]

[Yoon Eden: Don’t worry, we’ve got this! Haha.]

[Seo Yehyun: No, we don’t. We’re doomed. Can’t we change the mission participant now?]

Even after hearing about their frugal opponent, Yoon Eden stubbornly insisted on focusing solely on meal expenses, while Seo Yehyun, sensing impending doom, despaired.

—

The shared rules and this episode’s mandatory purchase items were then revealed:

Rules:

1. Skipping meals is strictly prohibited! Participants must eat at least two meals a day!

2. Any food provided by others must be priced at a minimum of 500 won! To eat homemade meals, participants must use the assigned lunchbox (lunchbox cost: 1,000 won).

3. Mandatory purchases must be paid for by the participant—no substitutes or using connections!

4. Midpoint checks will be conducted on Day 2!

 

Mandatory Purchases:

Day 1: Coffee

Day 2: Treat someone to a meal

Day 3: Movie ticket

As lunchtime on the first day approached, participants had to use their 20,000 won budget for their meal expenses.

—

[Cha Yeonho: I’ll pack lunches to save money. Two meals a day for 2,000 won means 6,000 won for three days. I’ll set aside 1,000 won for the lunchbox.]

[Seo Yehyun: I bought a 2,000 won head of lettuce. I guess this should last me about two days… Hah.]

Day 1 Lunch Expenses:

Cha Yeonho: 1,000 won

Seo Yehyun: 2,000 won

Is Seo Yehyun a rabbit? Can he really survive four meals on just lettuce without dressing or toppings?

He’s hardcore, seriously LOL.

While some participants tried to stretch their meals by splitting food at 500 won per portion, this was the first time anyone attempted to survive two days on just a head of lettuce.

—

Next, they were tasked with purchasing the mandatory item for the day: coffee.

[Cha Yeonho: My credit card offers a 50% discount at this franchise. That’s why I insisted on coming here.]

[Seo Yehyun: There’s a café near our dorm where a takeout Americano costs only 1,500 won.]

Day 1 Mandatory Purchase Completed:

Cha Yeonho: 2,250 won

Seo Yehyun: 1,500 won

Seo Yehyun’s luck is amazing LOL.

It’s wild that the guy who walked 30 minutes to get a 50% discount still spent more than the guy who bought coffee from a cheap local café.

 

—

[Altair Team Side Commentary]

[Kwon Taehyuk: Yeonho-hyung, do you want some snacks? I’ll sell them to you for 500 won.]

[Cha Yeonho: Sure, I’ve been saving a lot today, so why not?]

[Kwon Taehyuk: Exactly. Honestly, no one can save more than you, hyung.]

Without knowing the other team’s spending, Altair remained confident.

—

[REVE Team Side Commentary]

[Kim Dobin: Hyung, aren’t you hungry? If I open a bag of snacks, would you be willing to share it with me for 500 won?]

[Seo Yehyun: No eating after 6 PM.]

Unbothered by tracking expenses, REVE continued to wing it.

—

As the first day ended with both participants spending the bare minimum, the second day arrived, bringing the first real challenge: treating someone to a meal.

[Cha Yeonho: I firmly believe my Altair members will be considerate and not overburden me.]

[Seo Yehyun: I can already picture my teammates draining my wallet and insisting on swapping balances afterward. Sigh…]

With the cost of the third day’s mandatory movie ticket in mind, every penny counts!

 

***

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