Next to the stadium where the Outdoor Event was held.
The audience members who had come down on the Bucket Lift followed the guidance of the Shinsomis and walked along the embankment path.
After walking through the flower fields for a short while, they came across persimmon fields that were already empty after the harvest.
Along the path between them, a Food Market appeared, lined with tents that resembled the flowers of Western Heaven.
“Welcome! Have some refreshing flower tea!”
“Come and taste the sweet and crispy fried black locust flowers~”
“Flower pancakes! We drizzle plenty of honey on chewy flower pancakes!”
The air was filled with delicious scents from various Western Heaven dishes, each boasting its own unique character.
The Shinsomis were grilling flower pancakes decorated with pink petals and promoting the taste of Western Heaven with beautifully colored flower tea.
“Hello! Please give me one flower pancake too!”
Mujae, holding a Selfie Stick, ran over with his eyes sparkling. Seeing his innocent face, the Shinsomi who was grilling the pancakes broke into a wide smile.
“Why only one? Aren’t you giving any to Hallakgoong?”
“No, no~ You shouldn’t say it like that!”
Mujae waved his hands in surprise. Standing next to him, Hallakgoong shrugged his shoulders.
“We have to go around this entire place. Even if we just take one bite of everything, our stomachs will burst.”
“That’s right! We’re sharing, so you Flower Keepers shouldn’t misunderstand!”
“Hohoho! Still, I’m going to give you a lot, so what should I do?”
A small tray was piled high with beautiful pink flower pancakes. The Shinsomi drizzled plenty of glittering honey over them.
“Enjoy your meal. Take a cup of flower tea from over there as well.”
“What kind of flower is this?”
Hallakgoong picked up a pink flower tea that was a similar color to the pancakes. As soon as Mujae received the flower tea filled with ice, he gulped it down, making a refreshing “Kaa~” sound.
“Cockscomb flower!”
“Cockscomb flowers taste like this?!”
“I added a bit of special syrup.”
The Shinsomi laughed pleasantly. Mujae showed the honey-dripping flower pancake to the Phone Camera.
“Then, I’ll try eating it. Ah~”
“…Hmm, it’s chewy.”
Hallakgoong muttered his impression dryly while munching. On the other hand, Mujae closed his eyes and described the taste with all his might.
“It’s savory yet crispy, sweet yet salty… and on top of that, the slightly bitter taste of azalea flowers! No, you put mugwort in here too, didn’t you!”
“…I’m glad you’re here, kid.”
Hallakgoong nodded as he checked the Comment Section, where messages were scrolling up at a rapid pace in response to Mujae’s review.
Before they knew it, Zack, with his Camera slung over his shoulder, had found the two of them. Seeing him, Mujae shouted happily.
“It’s Zack!”
“Eat this.”
As soon as Zack arrived, Hallakgoong stuffed a flower pancake into his mouth. Having accepted it reflexively, Zack jumped in surprise at the heat of the still-hot pancake.
“…!!”
“Oh dear, that must be hot. Drink this.”
Zack, who had almost burned the roof of his mouth by eating it too quickly, emptied a cup of flower tea in an instant. Then, he cooled his face with a small fan offered by the Shinsomis.
“Ahem! Ahem!”
“Zack, you can’t handle hot food, can you?”
Hallakgoong offered another cup of flower tea, feeling apologetic. However, instead of drinking the tea, Zack pointed toward the far side.
“You want to go over there?”
A nod. Seeing Zack’s face full of certainty, Mujae and Hallakgoong moved their feet.
“We enjoyed the food! I hope you sell a lot~!”
“Thank you!”
The Shinsomi who had been grilling pancakes also waved her hand. Then, as she turned her head, something she hadn’t seen before caught her eye.
“…What is this? A price tag…?”
Before she knew it, price tags she hadn’t seen before were placed in front of her flower pancakes, tea, and sweets. They were blank.
And then, the Shinsomi also discovered a Note placed on top of her kitchen tools.
“…Fill in all the price tags…?”
When she looked up, she realized she wasn’t the only one confused.
People to her left, right, and front were all looking around at the price tags that had suddenly appeared.
Mujae and Hallakgoong followed Zack. Soon, they were able to see what Zack had been so sure about.
“Yuksugwi!”
A different world was unfolding, separate from the charming Seocheon Flower Garden cuisine.
-Whoosh!
A flashy fire show, intense heat, and a thick, mouth-watering scent… The Mukbang star with a massive body and delicate cooking skills, Yuksugwi, had taken over a tent.
“Just one bite will replenish a thousand years of energy!”
“Mr. Yuksugwi!”
Upon recognizing the Seocheon Flower Garden Promotion Team, Yuksugwi’s eyes curved into crescents. He was wearing a mask that covered half of his face, but it couldn’t hide his joy.
“You’ve come! I was waiting for you, wondering when you would arrive.”
He flipped a massive skewer in front of the Promotion Team with his thick forearm. Immediately, flames soared as if they would pierce the ceiling!
“Whoa!”
“I have prepared a special menu for the Flower Keepers today!”
Before long, the flames vanished, and delicious-looking meat sizzled.
“Wooooow…!!”
“It’s meat! Real meat!”
Mujae busily moved the Selfie Stick in his hand. Zack also focused on getting attractive insert shots by zooming in with the Camera.
“Kaa~ Flower Keepers, even the smell is different! What kind of sauce is this?”
“It’s a special sauce made by blending various spices.”
Yuksugwi raised his nose high, looking very proud.
“Chili pepper, thyme, mint, cumin, turmeric… seventeen kinds in total!”
“Kyaaa!”
With a noisy clamor, Shinsomis also came running to the side of the Promotion Team. Mujae, recognizing them, happily turned the Selfie Stick toward them.
“Oh! You’re the athletes who participated in the match earlier, right!”
“Gasp, yes…”
The Shinsomis bowed their heads slightly and laughed shyly. However, Mujae did not miss the opportunity and proceeded with an interview.
“What did you come here to eat?”
“The Spicy Rib over there!”
“You used a lot of strength earlier, will that be enough?”
Yuksugwi placed a large rib on a silver tray.
-Thud!
And more barbecue was piled on top.
“It’s on the house!”
“Kyaa!”
The Shinsomis screamed in excitement at the sight of the unfamiliar dish. Hallakgoong poked Mujae and whispered.
“Hey, let’s go over to the table area together and get some interview footage.”
“Okay.”
Naturally, Mujae moved with the Shinsomis to the area where the tables were gathered. Zack was about to follow them when someone grabbed his sleeve.
“?”
“Boy Operator?”
It was Clear Brightness, dressed in a neat robe but with a face that looked anything but neat.
Unlike when he first arrived at Seocheon Flower Garden, his hat was disheveled and his face was covered in sweat.
He lowered his voice and spoke to Zack.
“By any chance, do you have the power of Ground Elevation?”
“…?!”
“Just a little will do. Just a little.”
Clear Brightness gave a strained smile to the bewildered Zack.
-Rumble…!
In the middle of conducting the interview, Hallakgoong, startled by a strange sound, turned his head. He then spotted Zack walking back sluggishly.
“Where did you go?”
‘I was caught for a moment.’
Zack quickly explained the situation to Hallakgoong using Sign Language while tilting his head.
‘Suddenly, someone grabbed me and asked me to make the ground rise.’
“The ground? Where?”
‘Yuksugwi’s tent earlier… He said the cooking fire shouldn’t touch the roof. Something about it being a violation of the Hygiene Security Law?’
Hallakgoong’s sharp eyes flew open. He had been sitting quietly next to Mujae, who was conducting the interview, but he stood up abruptly.
“Hallakgoong?”
“What did that person look like?”
‘A blue robe, wearing a hat…’
“I’ll be right back!”
Without any further explanation, Hallakgoong dashed away.
Mujae and Zack were flustered by this rare sight, but they couldn’t stop the live broadcast.
As the Shinsomis, who had been happily tearing into the meat, looked on tentatively, Mujae naturally continued the conversation.
“Ah, don’t mind him. He probably went to prepare for the next schedule…”
However, Hallakgoong did not return for a long time.
It wasn’t until the next match was well underway that they would meet Hallakgoong again.