I was Thrown into an Unfamiliar Manga

‘So far, everything’s going according to plan.’
As he walked with his younger sister Minami toward the prearranged base camp, Akagi Shinjiro thought to himself.
In truth, all of this had been orchestrated by him.

Project S.U.V.
An operation designed to firmly tie the Young Miss and Kim Yu-seong together over summer.
The reason they even came this far out on a yacht, the perfectly-timed fuel shortage, the conveniently selected island—all of it had been plotted inside his head.

After all, isn’t it only natural that two grown teenagers, stranded alone on a deserted island, would inevitably grow closer?
It was the perfect radical remedy for the Young Miss, who despite having met Yu-seong earlier than anyone else, had yet to muster up the courage to confess.
He’d told Kim Yu-seong the yacht was «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» rented because the Young Miss hadn’t had enough fun the day before, but in truth, the yacht had been prepped from the start—and the excuse was just slapped on later.

Of course, without the Young Miss’s prior approval, he wouldn’t have been able to pull off something this big on his own.
For the record, the island they had landed on had already been scouted in advance, and a cave halfway up the mountain contained a full day’s supply of rations.
“Onii-chan, can’t you drop the transmitter bag now? It’s just for show anyway.”

Minami, walking beside him, posed the question. Shinjiro shook his head.
“There’s no transmitter inside.”
“Then what is it?”

“A much more valuable treasure.”
He unzipped the bag and revealed its contents.
He had told Kim Yu-seong it was a transmitter, but in reality, what the bag held was two handheld game consoles, a high-capacity portable charger, and snacks and drinks to enjoy while playing.

Minami’s face immediately hardened.
“You came all the way here… to play games?”
Shinjiro proudly pushed up his glasses with his middle finger.
“We’ve got nothing to do inside the cave anyway. Besides, I brought yours too, so don’t get mad.”

He handed one of the game consoles to Minami as he spoke.
“…You have Tetris and Puyo Puyo, right?”
“Of course I do. What do you take me for?”

“Fine. I’ll let it slide this once.”
The sibling spat that almost derailed the plan was quickly resolved.
***

Left behind with the President at the shoreline, I followed their instructions and began looking for a place to stay the night.
Honestly, this was my first time doing anything like a survival scenario on a deserted island.
At best, I’d done a bit of camping, but starting completely from zero—this was a first.
Even in the military, we were issued tents and rations.

Still, standing around doing nothing wasn’t an option, so I started by opening the toolbox we had brought from the yacht.
Inside were a portable hand axe, a shovel, a knife, and emergency flares.
The flares were to be saved for emergencies, and since it would definitely get cold once the sun set, the priority was starting a fire.

Fortunately, it was summer, and the days were long.
“President, could you gather some dry twigs from nearby?”
The President, looking like she’d been waiting for a task, rolled up her sleeves with a bright expression.

“Of course!”
“Then I’ll start building the shelter.”
After dividing roles, we got to work.

The President wandered the beach gathering dry branches, while I chopped nearby trees with the axe to create a frame for the shelter.
Once the frame was complete, we needed something to cover the roof. Since there wasn’t anything suitable nearby, I brought out a waterproof sheet from the yacht and draped it on top.
Luckily, the yacht had pretty much everything we needed, so the work never stalled.

I just couldn’t understand how they prepared this thoroughly yet forgot to check the fuel.
“Yu-seong-kun! I’ve gathered all the twigs!”
The President returned with a bundle of dry branches, looking like she wanted praise.

She reminded me of a puppy wagging its tail, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“W-why are you laughing?”
“It’s nothing. You’re just… cute, President.”

“Mmph!”
She puffed up her cheeks in a slight sulk, but even that expression was adorable—was I the weird one for thinking so?
Anyway, she had returned at just the right moment, so I stacked the twigs in the pit I’d dug earlier.

Then I surrounded the pit with large stones, and used the matches from the boat to light the fire.
Viva modern civilization. Viva safety matches.
“With this, we’ve secured shelter and fire.”

The President stood beside me, looking excited.
“I’ve never done anything like this—it’s making my heart race.”
“Your heart’s racing?”

“…Is that weird?”
“No, when I think about it, that makes perfect sense.”
The President had been raised in comfort her whole life, so this was probably a totally new experience for her.

As for me, I’d done plenty of this kind of stuff during my military days.
Anyway, I was starting to get thirsty from all the activity, and I reached for the bottled water we’d brought—only to pause.
“President, have you ever had coconut before?”

It must’ve sounded like a random question, because she tilted her head and replied:
“Once, in Hawaii?”
“Is it edible?”

“Personally, I didn’t mind it.”
I remembered the canned coconut drinks I’d had long ago and hesitated for a moment, but since this was a genuine deserted island survival scenario, I figured I should at least try eating a real coconut once—so I put the bottle down.
“I’ll be back in a bit.”

The President gasped.
“Wait, you’re going to get coconuts?!”
“We don’t have much drinking water. If we can save some, we should.”

Besides, I genuinely wanted to try…
Fresh coconut juice.
“I’ll come with you!”

Apparently worried, the President rushed after me.
I grabbed the axe in my left hand and the knife in my right, then headed toward the nearest palm tree.
***

Up close, the palm tree was massive.
Even a rough estimate put it at at least five or six meters tall.
“How do people usually harvest coconuts?”

The President crossed her arms and answered.
“When I was in Hawaii, I saw locals use long poles to knock them down.”
“I see.”

But we didn’t have a long pole.
And climbing the tree with bare hands wasn’t an option either—there was nothing to hold on to.
In the end, the only choice was to cut the tree down. But with just a hand axe, it would take forever to chop through the base.

I turned to the President, who was curiously watching a coconut crab scuttling nearby.
“President, could you step back for a moment?”
“Huh? What are you going to do?”

“It’s not dangerous or anything.”
With that, I planted my feet shoulder-width apart.
Hssssss─

With a deep breath, I circulated my yang qi throughout my entire body.
Ever since receiving instruction from Li Mei Ling at Mt. Fuji, this was the first time I was channeling this much energy again.
The energy rotated once through my body, then focused in both arms and legs. I sank into a mabo stance and lunged forward, punching straight out.

Boom!!
A Chongchui of Bajiquan.
One of the most basic techniques—but when combined with Jingak, even a thick palm tree couldn't withstand the strike.

The blow tore through the trunk, and unable to support its own weight, the palm slowly tipped and fell in the opposite direction.
Thud!
“Awa-wa-wa-wa-wa…”

The President let out a strange noise behind me, stunned by the sudden event.
Brushing wood chips off my knuckles, I asked:
“Are you alright, President?”

“Y-yes…”
She nodded, still dazed.
Once I confirmed she was okay, I began picking up the fallen coconuts.

***
The coconut harvest was a success.
Maybe cutting down the entire tree had been worth it—we now had enough coconuts for the two of us, and even enough to share with the Vice President and Minami if they returned.

And as a bonus, some coconut crabs that hadn’t escaped in time were crushed under the tree—free food.
Dinner was now settled.
By the time we returned to the shelter with our bounty, the sun was starting to set.

I pulled out my phone to check the time—it was already past 7 PM.
Coconuts were great and all, but we had to start dinner before it got any later.
“President, please have some of this for now.”

I lopped off the top of a coconut with the axe, stuck a straw in the flesh, and handed it to her.
“What about you, Yu-seong-kun?”
“I’ll eat after I finish this. I need to prep dinner.”

When I lifted one of the dead coconut crabs to show her, the President hesitated for a moment—then offered the coconut back to me.
“Take a sip first. You worked hard to get it.”
“Huh? No, I’m fine—”

“Come on!”
With the President insisting, I couldn’t refuse any longer. I took a quick sip—just one mouthful—and handed it back.
She held the coconut up to her lips, but then hesitated.

“Ah, should I swap the straw for a new one?”
The President quickly turned her head and shouted in panic:
“No! I’ll drink from this one! We’re on a deserted island—why waste anything?!”

Then, flustered, she shoved the straw into her mouth and began sipping the coconut juice.
Watching her from the corner of my eye, I began preparing the coconut crab for cooking.