-Crash!
Dust billowed, and the music and laughter of the Night Market came to a sudden halt.
Then, after a brief silence, screams erupted.
Mujae closed his eyes tight.
He had spent all day doing everything possible to keep the mood from being ruined.
To think a hole would be blown right in the middle of the Night Market road!
Even worse, the culprit was one of the most popular members of the Operations staff.
“Isn’t that the Promotion Team over there?”
“Is that Zack?”
People who recognized them whispered amongst themselves.
As Mujae and Hallakgoong grew anxious, the Security Team came running.
“What is going on!”
A group of sturdy-looking Security Team Shinsomis rushed over.
Mujae and Hallakgoong quickly stood up.
“We’re fine, but…”
-Clang!
Unaware of Mujae and Hallakgoong’s desire to keep the situation from escalating, Zack pulled hard on his chain.
The Security Team Shinsomis surrounded them, preventing guests from approaching the sinkhole.
In the meantime, Mujae and Hallakgoong approached Zack.
“Zack, what on earth… what happened?”
-Clang! Clang!
Unable to use his hands to answer Hallakgoong’s question, Zack shook the chain violently again.
Something was pulling the chain leading down into the sinkhole with immense force.
Even Zack, who was quite strong, seemed to be struggling, planting his feet firmly to hold his ground.
Watching this, Mujae reached out.
“Should I hold it for a moment?”
Shake, shake.
Zack shook his head firmly.
It seemed to mean that no one but Zack could withstand the pull of this chain.
Mujae and Hallakgoong exchanged troubled glances before…
…peering into the sinkhole.
Mujae swallowed hard, imagining a scene where that strange old man from earlier was tangled in the chains, screaming, ‘Save me!’
Pushing back the fear that the abyss beneath the earth might swallow him as well, Mujae shouted.
“Hello—! Are you okay—?”
Not a single sound could be heard.
At that, Hallakgoong quickly went to a Security Team Shinsomi.
“Excuse me, may I borrow a flashlight?!”
As the quick-witted Hallakgoong brought back a flashlight, the darkness was finally illuminated.
Upon seeing what was inside, Mujae and Hallakgoong couldn’t help but be shocked.
“Zack!?”
Only then did Zack, having confirmed what was below, lose his strength.
The old man was gone; what was caught in his chain was…
“…A grapevine.”
It was a withered tree branch.
As Hallakgoong examined the branch and spoke, Zack pressed a hand to his forehead.
Ultimately, Zack had no choice but to fill the sinkhole back up with the cooperation of the Security Team.
[There was a brief moment of confusion at the northern entrance of the Night Market, but our Security Team has confirmed it is safe. Guests, please enjoy the Night Market with peace of mind…]
With the announcement, the atmosphere of the Night Market became lively once more.
However, as Mujae and Hallakgoong looked around while listening to Zack’s explanation, they encountered another unexpected sight.
The empty persimmon fields surrounding the Night Market.
The trees, which had clearly been nothing but bare branches, were now suddenly heavy with clusters of purple grapes.
It had turned into a grape field that was excessively lush, completely different from the dry piece of wood they had seen earlier.
Hallakgoong and Mujae turned their gazes toward Zack.
In the end, Zack had to come clean.
The empty chains fell from his Hand to the ground with a clatter.
After a brief pause, he threw out a single sentence in Sign Language.
‘I have a crazy stalker.’
“…This guy is like an onion.”
Hallakgoong muttered, looking fed up.
Mujae’s jaw also dropped.
“…Zack, what is that supposed to mean?”
His friend had far too many secrets.
Morning arrived, while the chill had not yet dissipated.
Most of the guests were still asleep, having stayed up late into the dawn even after the Night Market ended.
The accommodations prepared by the Seocheon Flower Garden for the guests were clean and cozy.
The Integrity Priest, who had woken up early and even tidied his bedding, looked around.
Then, looking at the Notebook—which was actually an audit evaluation form—in his hand, he began to check.
————————-
1. Cleanliness
Are the room and bedding clean, and is the scent fresh?
Is there any impure energy present?
2. Etiquette
Is the attitude toward welcoming guests polite?
Is the ritual formality well-maintained?
————————-
After flipping through several pages and taking diligent notes, he began walking again.
A Shinsomi already sweeping the yard greeted him warmly.
“Guest! You’re up early~”
“Yes, I slept well thanks to you.”
“Are you heading out to wash up? Shall I bring you some water?”
At her beaming attitude, even the stoic Integrity Priest gave a slight smile.
“It is fine. More importantly…”
Opening the Notebook again, he wrote down another quick note.
————————-
Notes: Overall very diligent and friendly attitude.
Maintains an attitude of considering what the other person might need and offering it first.
————————-
“…I would like to take a walk. Could you recommend a good place to go?”
“It’s still early, so there might not be much to see…”
The Shinsomi, momentarily flustered, soon broke into a wide smile.
“Then head over to the east! The Farming Team works their way from there toward the west.”
“Why do they do it that way?”
“Because the sun rises in the east.”
The Shinsomi’s eyes went wide as if he had asked something incredibly obvious.
As the Integrity Priest stepped back, slightly embarrassed, the Shinsomi waved her hands in surprise.
“I mean, the Farming Team starts working in the dawn before the sun even rises.”
“They start their work very early, then?”
“Yes. It gets hotter as it gets closer to noon. That’s why they start in the east where the light hits first. I guess you could call it their way of avoiding the sun?”
The Shinsomi added proudly.
“The sunrise you see from there is absolutely magnificent! If you hurry now, you might be able to see it, guest.”
“Thank you for the valuable information.”
The Integrity Priest, after bowing politely, picked up his Notebook again.
————————-
Notes: Overall very diligent.
Considers what the other person needs and offers it first.
Even if there is a mistake, the quick explanation and honest attitude are good.
————————-
Finishing his quick evaluation, the Integrity Priest stepped out of the main gate.
It was a rural dawn where the sun had not yet risen and the darkness had not fully faded.
Although it was a dirt path, it was fine enough to walk on barefoot, and flowers were in full bloom along every embankment.
While working as a civil servant at the Heavenly Tourism Promotion Agency, he had visited many places in the Otherworld, but the Integrity Priest had never seen a place this peaceful.
‘Though it wasn’t very peaceful yesterday…’
The moment the small hole appeared at the Night Market last night, the Integrity Priest had been hidden among the crowd.
Recalling that dizzying sight made his head feel like it was starting to ache again.
‘The fortunate thing is that the Operations staff here have good quick-thinking skills.’
The Security Team had blocked off the accident site while stopping the movement of civilians, and even provided an announcement.
While the accident itself was regrettable, as an Integrity Priest who knew exactly who provided the cause, he felt like applauding.
‘Why did a person like that get involved?’
It was a massive blemish on the Operations staff of the Seocheon Flower Garden, whose scores were nearly perfect in every other category.
The God of Wine and the God of Frenzy.
He should have known from the moment such a character requested entry to the Oriental Tourism Promotion Institute from the distant West.
There wasn’t a single thing he didn’t interfere with, and his demands were obscenely numerous.
However, this was merely what the Integrity Priest, who handled the practical work, felt.
‘Even if I report what happened yesterday…’
It wouldn’t even reach the ears of the higher-ups, who were only interested in the unprecedented results being achieved.
After walking for a while, he saw the Shinsomis working in the Field in the distance.
As he drew closer, a Shinsomi who spotted the Integrity Priest greeted him warmly.
“Hello! Was your accommodation comfortable?”
“It was comfortable, thanks to you.”
The Shinsomis of Seocheon, encountered everywhere, offered bright greetings to everyone.
That warm attitude seemed to resemble the overall atmosphere of this place.
Perhaps that was why the guests yesterday had felt more familiarity at the Night Market than at the Food Market; he had witnessed them speaking first and naturally exchanging greetings.
Because of that, even the Integrity Priest found himself smiling naturally after just one day.
“What are you doing now?”
“This is called the Bone Rebirth Flower…”
the Shinsomi stroked a plant that was still thick with nothing but leaves.
The touch was as gentle as if she were caressing her own child.
“Among the Flowers of Rebirth, this is the one that grows the slowest. It’s very sensitive, so you have to diligently remove weeds and bugs to keep it from getting sick.”
“Aha…”
“But later, this turns purple, you see?”
The Shinsomi showed him the underside of a pointed leaf.
She seemed pleased that it was clean, without a single blemish from bugs.
“Then the stem becomes stiff and turns just like a real bone. At that point, it becomes very healthy and you can stop worrying.”
“That is fascinating.”
The Integrity Priest stared quietly at the Bone Rebirth Flower.
And then, he made a suggestion that surprised even himself.
“Would it be alright if I tried it as well?”
“Pardon??”
The Farming Team Shinsomi nearly screamed, she was so surprised.
Fortunately, another Shinsomi listening nearby replied with a bright laugh.
“It’s a bit difficult, will you be okay? Then go over there, put on a hat, boots, and Gloves!”
“……”
The Integrity Priest hesitated for a moment before walking toward the warehouse the Shinsomi had pointed to.
He decided to tuck his Notebook into his sleeve for a while.
‘I feel like I might discover some other kind of possibility.’
For the first time in a long while, the feelings he had as a newcomer were resurfacing.
Something that couldn’t be evaluated by documents and regulations alone.
The Integrity Priest wanted to find out what that was.
Just then, the rising sun enveloped him in golden light.