I was Thrown into an Unfamiliar Manga

We decided to cook lunch using the fish we’d caught from the sea.
Normally, I would’ve taken on the cooking duty, but just for today, I handed over the head chef’s spot to Minami.
It was only natural—while I had only picked up cooking by watching my dad over the shoulder, Minami was a seasoned expert with a full arsenal of culinary certifications.

With barely a year or two of experience under my belt, I had no business competing with her.
As expected, Minami flaunted her incredible cooking skills and took command of the yacht’s tiny kitchen.
Thanks to that, she whipped up an amazing spread in no time.

We started with freshly sliced sashimi, the classic delicacy of sea fishing, followed by aji fry—fried horse mackerel—and then namero, made by finely chopping the leftover sashimi and mixing it with miso, green onion, and ginger.
Considering the limitations of cooking on a boat, the sheer variety was impressive.
We set up a table on deck and sat around it for our meal.

Cool ocean breeze, delicious food, and people you enjoy being around—everything tasted that much better.
As we were eating, the President pulled something out from under the table.
It was a small container holding some side dishes.

“President, what’s that?”
Looking a little flustered, the President replied:
“It’s kimchi I made myself. I heard that Koreans feel like something’s missing when there’s no kimchi at the table. I didn’t even know Minami had secretly packed it.”

…It felt like she had some strange misunderstanding about Koreans.
Yes, I do feel something’s lacking without kimchi, but I’m someone who values how well flavors pair—so I don’t just throw kimchi onto every plate.
Still, since it was made with care, I couldn’t not try it.

I took a piece of kimchi from the container the President shyly offered with her chopsticks.
Crunch!
It wasn’t made with fermented napa cabbage—it seemed like regular fresh cabbage, making it more like geotjeori, or fresh kimchi. The texture was still crisp.
The more I chewed, the more the mild sweetness, spicy red pepper flakes, and the salty depth of kanari fish sauce came through—it was perfect, authentic Korean-style kimchi.

“Where’d you learn to make this? It’s legit.”
“I’m just glad it suits your taste. I only followed Minami’s instructions, really.”
Minami, sitting beside her, lifted her chin proudly.

“I’ve got a Korean cuisine license too. Making Korean food is super trendy among high school girls these days.”
No wonder it tasted so authentic. So this was her doing.
Anyway, the kimchi was genuinely good, so I decided to give honest praise.

“It’s delicious. You’ll make a great wife.”
The President flinched, muttering, “W-wife?!”
Minami, unimpressed, commented dryly:
“People still say those old-fashioned compliments these days?”

“Really? I just meant it.”
Her usual vibe might be that of a villainous noblewoman, but objectively speaking, she checked every box for an ideal bride.
It still baffled me how someone like her didn’t even place in the original manga’s popularity polls.

Well, in most rom-coms, characters like the President end up used as comic relief, so maybe it couldn’t be helped.
“Th-thank you, Yu-seong-kun. I wasn’t expecting such high praise.”
“It’s a meal you made entirely for my sake—of course I should be thankful.”

I said that and took another bite of kimchi.
Eating it with the slightly greasy aji fry made it an unstoppable rice-thief.
After our late lunch, we lay on sunbeds on the yacht’s deck for some sunbathing.

I had put on sunscreen, but still—if I got too tanned, I’d probably be mistaken for a delinquent, so I made sure to limit it to about an hour.
We enjoyed our luxurious yacht vacation to {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} the fullest and decided to return to the island before it got too late.
That’s when the problem happened.

“…Young Miss, we have a situation.”
“What? What happened?”
“We’re low on fuel.”

Minami came out onto the deck and pointed to the gauge inside the cockpit.
The red needle hovered just above empty.
But it wasn’t completely out yet.

I asked urgently:
“What about spare fuel? Surely there’s backup stored somewhere?”
Minami shook her head with a grim expression.

“Looks like the previous users used it up and didn’t refill it.”
“No way…”
The Vice President, listening in beside me, spoke up.

“What about a radio? There should at least be an emergency transmitter, right?”
“We’re too far out at sea. The signal can’t reach from here.”
We’d probably have to move the boat closer to land to send a distress signal.

“Hmm…”
The Vice President frowned, contemplating Minami’s explanation.
Then the President, having quietly listened to everything, asked calmly:

“Minami, with the fuel we have left—how far can we go?”
“At most, 50 kilometers. It could run out even sooner.”
“Is there an island nearby?”

Minami paused for a moment, thinking—then suddenly clapped her hands.
“Now that I think about it, I did spot an uninhabited island on the way here.”
“Can we reach it with the fuel we have left?”

“Yes. Easily.”
The President crossed her arms and declared:
“Then let’s do that. We’ll head to the island and wait for rescue. If we’re not back by evening, Mr. Meguro and the staff at the mansion will surely raise an alert.”

The Vice President nodded in agreement.
“I think that’s a wise decision, Young Miss. Better to make land and signal for help than to drift aimlessly at sea. We do have emergency rations, but you never know.”
“Then it’s settled. Let’s head for the nearest uninhabited island.”

“Understood!”
Maybe because it was her mistake, Minami was unusually serious as she answered. She went straight into the cockpit.
After that, the white yacht we were on began speeding along the route we had come.

***
Eventually, the yacht arrived at a lush, uninhabited island.
Tall palm trees stood here and there, making it feel like a tropical paradise.

At the very least, we wouldn’t need to worry about drinking water.
Splash!
“Ugh!”

“Young Miss, the water’s cold—please be careful.”
“You should’ve told me sooner, Shinji!”
“You jumped in before I could say anything, Young Miss.”

Since the yacht couldn’t get close to shore, we had no choice but to disembark in deeper water.
For me, it barely reached my waist, but for the President and Minami, it nearly submerged their upper bodies.
As a result, I ended up being the only one who could carry the backpack containing emergency rations and the portable radio safely.

The Vice President offered to help if it was heavy, but I wasn’t about to start whining over something like this.
What’s the point of all these muscles if I don’t use them now?
After making landfall, we stood on the sandy shore and surveyed our surroundings.

Thick forest, wide beach, and a low mountain spread out before us.
Under any other circumstances, we would’ve been in awe of the view.
“There’s no one around.”

“It’s a deserted island.”
The Vice President replied to the obvious with the obvious, then kicked off his sandals and shook the water off before turning to Minami.
“Only we can protect the Young Miss here. So stay sharp, Minami.”

“Yes, sir!”
Both of them were clearly on edge—more serious than I’d ever seen.
The first thing we did was check if the radio could pick up a signal.

Static… crackle crackle!
But the radio was still dead. Minami set it down with a frustrated face and explained:
“We’ll probably need to climb to higher ground. The signal’s not reaching from this low elevation.”

“The highest point nearby would be…”
The Vice President scanned the area, then pointed to a small mountain in the island’s center.
“There’s nowhere else.”

“What should we do?”
When the President asked, Minami paused for a bit, then said:
“Onii-chan and I will take the radio and transmitter up the mountain. In the meantime, Young Miss, would you be able to prepare a shelter just in case we need to spend the night?”

“We’ll also need someone to keep watch over the ocean. A ship might pass by while we’re gone.”
Their plan was solid. Logically airtight—except for one thing.
“Shouldn’t I go instead of Minami?”

Minami shook her head.
“This happened because of my mistake. If there’s tough work to be done, it should be me doing it.”
“And Minami was raised like a ninja since childhood. Her stamina is better than most adult men.”

With the Vice President backing her, Minami made a determined face and insisted.
At that point, I couldn’t argue any further.
“Alright. Then the President and I will stay here and hold down the fort.”

The Vice President pushed up his glasses with his middle finger and said:
“Take good care of the Young Miss, Yu-seong.”
“Don’t worry. If anything dangerous happens, I’ll stake my life to protect her.”

I said that and struck a pose, flexing my right bicep.
The Vice President nodded in relief, slung the transmitter bag I handed him over his shoulder, and set off with Minami toward the mountain in the center of the island.