Chapter 97
Chapter 97
Jack-o-lanterns were lined up along the street like streetlights. There were people taking pictures with jack-o-lanterns everywhere.
Should we take some too?
Yeah!
Seo-jun and his parents also took pictures non-stop.
The end of the jack-o-lantern road was the square of Orche City. The festival had not even started yet, but the square was bustling. The booths were brightly lit and children and adults were laughing happily.
Are you hungry?
No, Im fine. Ill eat later.
Seo-eun-hye, who was watching the children walking around with sausages, asked Seo-jun. Seo-jun shook his head. Lee Min-joon opened his mouth after looking at the clock.
I guess its about to start.
Bang! Bang!
The start of the Halloween festival was marked by colorful smoke rising into the sky and everyone shouting trick or treat together.
A voice saying trick or treat came out of the speakers installed in the square.
As the Halloween festival began, Seo-jun and his parents went to the organizers tent first and submitted their contest application form. The staff handed them a piece of paper and said.
You can choose several effects from here. But if you choose too many, the timing might not match, so its better to choose only one or two. Look at this guide and write down what effects you will use and when on the stage. The lights also have numbers on them, so you can choose them by looking at the stage. If its too hard, you can either turn off all the lights and shine only the spotlight or turn on all the lights.
There were various colors of lights, fog effects, soap bubble effects, and so on.
Please match the standard to the time of the music you prepared. If you dont have music, you can choose and use it from here.
I have music!
Then, choose the effects and come to the back of the stage an hour before and get the order sheet. Were going to draw lots, so you have to come on time.
Seo-jun nodded his head repeatedly.
Its more serious than I thought
I know. I thought they would just pick who suits the best. Did you know, Seo-jun?
Yeah! I saw it on YouTube. I went to uncles company practice room and practiced.
No wonder, he thought. He went out with Anda-ho often even though he wasnt filming. Seo-jun and his parents put the guide in their bag and left the organizers tent.
Outside the tent, the square was already full of monsters. People who had attended the Halloween festival several times before skillfully imitated the monsters.
The people who were awkward at first soon got used to it and immersed themselves in their roles.
Roar!
Ha ha ha!
A person dressed as a werewolf growled and the children ran away laughing. A mummy wrapped in bandages and a zombie covered in blood looked at each other silently. Little witches and wizards boasted their brooms and wands to each other.
Without a script, without anyones instructions, the festival burned hot.
Theyre really doing it right.
I know.
Can I play over there?
Seo-jun pointed to where the werewolves were gathered. From adults wearing wolf-like doll clothes like the picture Seo-jun drew for the first time to children who only wore wolf ears headbands. They were happily complimenting each others costumes and chatting.
You have to play only there. Dont go far. Mom and dad will be here.
Okay!
Seo-jun waved his hand to his mom and dad and headed for the werewolves.
Oh. Another fellow has come.
What a cute wolf.
Hello!
They all welcomed Seo-jun warmly. Children dressed as werewolves approached Seo-jun.
Youre awesome. Where did you buy your clothes?
My uncle made them for me!
Your palms are cute. Theyre like our Max!
Max?
Our dog. Hes huge.
There were children who could speak English and those who couldnt, but they all laughed and talked as if they were having fun.
There are vampires and werewolves fighting over there!
What?! Where!
Someones scream made the adults jump up. Seo-jun, who couldnt speak French, tilted his head and a child who could speak English translated for him.
Vampires and werewolves are fighting.
Huh?
Vampires and werewolves were enemies in the setting, but was it enough to fight at the festival?
The child pulled Seo-jun, who was blankly standing. The other children were already running to the place where the fight broke out.
Lets go quickly!
Wait a minute! Ill tell mom and dad and come back!
Seo-jun quickly ran to his mom and dad, who were talking with a couple who said they came from the United States.
Mom and dad! Someone is fighting over there.
What? Fighting?
Do we have to report it?
Unlike Seo-eun-hye and Lee Min-joon, who were surprised, the people who attended the festival for the second time laughed and said.
Its not a fight, its a contest.
A contest?
Last time it was beer drinking. I wonder what it is this time.
The werewolf faction and the vampire faction have been rivals since the festival started. The duel of the two monsters is one of the best events at this Halloween festival.
I see. Thats why the children ran to watch. He turned his head and saw the child who had translated for Seo-jun waving his hand and rolling his feet.
Mom and dad, can I go?
Lets go together. Mom and dad are curious too.
Okay!
They greeted the couple they were sitting with and headed to the place where the werewolves and vampires were dueling. The child who had waited for Seo-jun was with them.
The blond boy only wore a wolf ears headband. He didnt have a wolf tail that everyone was wearing.
Charlie!
Im Jun!
Jun is like our dad! Cool! Are you going to the contest later?
Yeah! Im going for first place!
Charlie chuckled and shook his head at Seo-juns words.
The monster contest is not only about costumes, but also about acting. Last years winner was a vampire, and when he appeared, the smoke was billowing and it was awesome. He also acted like a vampire very well, but it turned out he was an actor who was on the theater stage.
Charlie talked without hesitation. Seo-jun opened his eyes wide and asked.
Do you live here? You know a lot.
Yeah! This is my tenth time participating in this festival!
How old are you?
Ten years old! Ive been participating since I was a baby. Back then, I dressed up as a jack-o-lantern, but now Im following my dad and becoming a werewolf.
Thats amazing. Cool!
Ahem!
Seo Eun-hye and Lee Min-joon chuckled at the childrens conversation. As they chatted, they headed towards the place where the vampires and werewolves were having a showdown. It was a sausage booth.
I cant eat anymore.
Good. Switch!
On two simple seats, there was a vampire with a black cloak and a werewolf with no shirt on.
In front of them, there were piles of well-cooked sausages. The vampire with a bloated stomach got up from his seat and another vampire took his place and started eating sausages.
Charlie shrugged his shoulders and said.
Today is sausage day.
Today? What about other times?
The fight between vampires and werewolves is randomly decided. Two years ago, it was steak and last year, it was beer. So the start time and the fight location are different every time.
I see.
This time, the werewolf got up from his seat. Another werewolf who was standing next to him sat down on the chair and started eating sausages.
Do you have to make a reservation to participate?
No. Anyone can do it if they are a vampire or a werewolf. Once someone comes down, I mean, a monster, they cant do it again and only new monsters can participate in the showdown. It goes on like this until the last monster left wins.
But why do you call it a fight?
He was startled by that earlier and thought there was a big accident. Charlie grinned and answered Seo-juns question.
If youre dressed up as a monster, a contest or a bet would look too weak, right? It has to be a fight or a battle between vampires and werewolves!
You really care about the setting, huh.
Its super fun that way.
Seo-jun smiled at Charlies words. Yeah. Thats what makes it fun!
Can I fight too?
Oh. Youre quick to adapt. Sure. Dad! He wants to fight too!
Charlie raised his arm and waved his hand. The werewolf who was lining up the participants on the werewolf side turned his head.
Wow.
Seo-jun and the couple gasped without realizing it. A man with a wolf mask flipped over his head walked over.
He looked like the god of dogs in Egypt, Anubis, but with a wolf head instead of a dog. His head was completely wolf and his neck was also covered with wolf fur.
Can he see? Where are his eyes?
Seo-jun blinked his eyes. He was still very cool.
Little wolf. Do you want to participate?
Hello! Im Joon! I really want to participate!
Good. We welcome participation from our kind. Charlie, you?
Me too!
Charlie and Seo-jun held hands and headed towards the waiting line. The real werewolf looked at Seo Eun-hye and Lee Min-joon.
Hmm. The two people felt embarrassed by their wolf ears headbands.
Dont worry. Ill feed him a little and send him down.
Charlies dad opened his mouth. His voice, which had been rough until a moment ago, softened. The couple smiled at the change.
Yes. Thank you.
Our son loves monsters. Please take good care of him.
It looks like it. This is your first time at this festival, right? Youre having fun with Charlie.
The young wolves were playing and joking around even in the waiting line. Their parents smiled at their bright faces.
Come on, sit here.
The werewolf in front of Seo-jun raised a white flag. As Seo-jun sat down, his mom and dad took a picture and a new sausage arrived in front of him.
It was a kid-friendly sausage that was not too spicy and smaller than the adult-sized ones.
You can put some sauce on it and eat it slowly. Just eat three and come down. We have to buy some other delicious snacks too.
Okay!
Charlies dad went down and Charlie, who had been waiting next to him, gave him a thumbs up. Seo-jun picked up a fork and stabbed a sausage. The three sausages disappeared in no time.
But how long does that contest last?
Charlie also ate three sausages and came down. Now they were heading to the store where Charlie often went to buy a drink.
Two years ago, they ate steak, but it ended when the steak ran out. Last year, it was beer drinking, but there was a limit per person, or monster, so it ended because there were no participants. This year, it will end if the sausages run out or there are no participants, right?
I see.
Charlie, a half-orc, knew a lot of people. Whenever he walked by, people working at the booths or passing by called out to him. Snacks piled up every time someone called his name. They also gave Seo-jun a lot of snacks, saying he was Charlies friend.
Seo-jun and Charlie walked around with a pile of snacks.
We got this much snacks without doing trick or treat.
Theyre all delicious. Do you want to sit over there and eat?
Charlie pointed to a place full of kids. There were playground equipment like slides and swings, and toys and dolls. Around the kids, their parents were sitting and resting.
Where is this?
This is a playground, where kids play. Only kids can enter. They made a separate space because its easy to lose kids over there where its crowded.
I see.
Lets go too!
Seo-jun turned around at Charlies words. Seo-eun-hye and Lee Min-joon waved their hands.
Mom and dad will stay here.
Okay!
Seo-jun smiled brightly and headed to the playground with Charlie. When Lee Min-joon got up from his seat, Seo-eun-hye asked him.
Are you going to check it out?
Yeah. I think I should take a look.
Then Ill watch Seo-jun. Be careful and come back soon.
Alright.
Lee Min-joon moved his feet. He had followed Charlie around the square, but he didnt seem interested in the corporate booths and didnt go that way.
There were a lot of people at the corporate booths too. Lee Min-joon walked slowly to the Monster Company booth he had visited earlier in the day.
Oh. This is the badge that Seo-jun Lee used to do, right?
Yes! He often does this one and this one.
I didnt buy it because I was afraid it would get lost in the delivery, but I didnt expect to buy it here!
Lee Min-joon said with a laugh. Most of the adult customers of Monster Company were Seo-juns fans. They bought badges or dolls and had a pleasant conversation with the next customer they had never seen before.
Did you watch My Doctor?
Of course. I cried so much!
My goodness. I didnt expect a foreigner to say My Doctor in Korean. The power of the media was amazing.
Mr. President?
Oh. Hello.
Did you come to have fun? The wolf ears suit you well.
Lee Min-joon smiled awkwardly and adjusted his headband at the team leaders words.
Just then, Choi Ye-seul, wearing a sparkling LED angel ring headband, passed by in front of Lee Min-joon and the team leader. The angel ring, which had been white, changed to red and blue. The team leader smiled and said, seeing her eye-catching appearance.
The staff also came well-prepared.
He felt like he was participating in the festival, even though he couldnt attend because of work. Lee Min-joon looked at the Monster Company booth. He was relieved to see the staffs bright faces.
Thank you for your hard work.
No, its fine. I never thought there would be a festival like this. Its fun just to watch.
I agree. If nothing happens, we might participate again next year.
That would be nice.
Well, Ill go then.
The team leader watched Lee Min-joon walk away. A flash of light appeared behind his back. It was a sign of popularity faster than his voice. Choi Ye-seul asked with shining eyes.
Did the president come again?
Yes. He probably came with his family.
Wow, then
Choi Ye-seul, who had been blushing, lowered her voice.
Actor Lee Seo-jun must be here too!
Uh yeah.
Why couldnt he associate the president and actor Lee Seo-jun? The team leader sighed softly, wishing he could meet Lee Seo-jun.