What did JR mean when he said they would have to figure out the story?

• A. The story should be published immediately.
• B. They should abandon the climb.
• C. They should switch to a documentary format.
• D. At the end of the climb, the outcome could change what the meaning of the story was; it could become about friendship between Peak and Sun-jo or about Josh and Peak or Sun-jo and Zopa.

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is that the meaning of their climb isn’t fixed until the end; the story they live will reveal its true message based on what happens and who they become to each other. JR means that as the climb unfolds, different outcomes could cast the events in different lights—perhaps the real story becomes the friendship between Peak and Sun-jo, or the bond between Peak and Josh, or between Sun-jo and Zopa. That dynamic focus on relationships and outcome is what makes this interpretation the best fit. The other options shift the question to what to do with the story (publish now, abandon the climb, switch formats) rather than what the meaning of the experience itself will be, so they don’t capture what JR is signaling.