Chapter 96
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: The Monsters of Orchaise
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“So this is Orchaise.”
Seojun and his parents arrived in the city of Orchaise. The Halloween festival hadn't even started yet, but the streets were already filled with people and their children. Many were lightly costumed, unable to hide their excitement for the festival.
Seojun and his parents checked into their accommodations and went back outside. They had already eaten lunch in Paris.
Looking at the time, Lee Minjun spoke. It was almost time for his appointment.
“I’m going to head to the square first. Seojun, do you want to look around with Mom?”
“Can’t I go with you?”
“Hmm. They’ll be busy right now. It might be dangerous with them moving things around. Let’s go later.”
“Okay!”
“We’ll be at the wine museum. I’m not sure where we’ll go after that, but call us when you’re done.”
“Alright. You two be careful.”
After parting with Seojun and Seo Eunhye, Lee Minjun headed toward the square where the Halloween festival was to be held.
The Orchaise square was bustling with festival preparations. A boundary line separated the square from the road, and security guards were preventing people from entering.
Inside the square, the organizers' large tent and booths for participating shops were being set up.
The sight of cardboard boxes, chairs, and tables scattered everywhere reminded him that he was here to work, and Lee Minjun rubbed the back of his neck.
“Kim Heesang. Just you wait.”
He could see people carrying luggage back and forth. At the entrance, security guards were checking for entry passes. Lacking one, Minjun took out his phone and called the team leader.
The phone rang.
“He’s here!”
CEO Lee Minjun’s name filled the screen. Although he had said he would visit around 2 PM, the team leader had been waiting, staring at his phone since 1 PM. He shot up from his seat.
The other employees watched with pity as their team leader ran toward the square's entrance.
“Our company is great, and our CEOs are good people, but…”
“Honestly, bosses are always intimidating.”
“Good luck, Team Leader.”
They all cheered for their team leader.
Here was one person stressed about his boss arriving, and another who had come to work during his vacation.
The team leader and Lee Minjun exchanged awkward smiles and greetings. The team leader handed Minjun the entry pass he had prepared.
With the pass around his neck, Lee Minjun stepped into the square.
“This way, sir.”
“Yes.”
The team leader gave Minjun a pamphlet with the event schedule provided by the organizers and guided him through the square.
Stage events would be held on the large central stage currently being set up, while food and souvenirs would be sold at the booths arranged in rows.
He greeted the Orchaise city hall employees and looked around the lost child center and the first-aid station.
‘I should remember where this is.’
In a large crowd, even a place this big could be hard to find.
“This is the food truck zone.”
“There are a lot of vendors.”
“Yes. It’s gotten more popular with each event. At first, they only used about half the square, but now they use the whole thing.”
Lee Minjun nodded.
“Shall we head to our booth, then?”
“Yes.”
The team leader walked ahead and explained.
“On the pamphlet, the food stalls are marked by color. Blue for drinks and green for food.”
“I see.”
“And the souvenir shops are scattered around, but foreign or larger companies are all grouped in one area. Our booth is over there, too.”
On the map in the pamphlet, Minjun saw the logos of toy and doll companies he recognized—some he had even considered ordering from overseas for Seojun. Among them, the Monster Company logo stood out.
“Here we are.”
The staff at the Monster Company booth were busy arranging dolls, stationery, and metal badges.
The employee carrying a cardboard box of dolls and the one neatly arranging them on the shelves both stood up awkwardly, staring at CEO Lee Minjun, who had appeared with their team leader.
“Don’t mind me, please continue.”
Lee Minjun quickly waved his hand. At his words, the employees bowed and returned to their tasks. Standing at a distance, Minjun surveyed the booth's sign and interior before speaking.
“Is there anything you need?”
“The Orchaise city hall has been very helpful, and the other companies with booths are helping each other out. It feels less like a competition to sell the most products and more like a fun festival for the participating companies, too.”
The team leader, who knew well that Lee Minjun and Kim Heesang were good people, just found the title of CEO burdensome, said with a smile.
“Still, if you run into any trouble or need me, please call me right away.”
“Yes, I will.”
“Well, I’ll be on my way then.”
“Ah, already…?”
The team leader blurted it out without thinking. *It hasn’t even been 30 minutes, has it?* The employees, who had been diligently working while keeping an ear on the conversation, screamed internally. *No, not ‘already’! You can’t say that!*
Lee Minjun chuckled and said.
“I just stopped by during my vacation. It looks like everyone is doing a great job. I’ll trust you all and be on my way. Keep up the good work. Oh, and this is a little bonus. Go get something delicious and expensive after you’re all done.”
“Yes, thank you…”
After handing the team leader an envelope, CEO Lee Minjun disappeared like a storm. It was over so quickly that all the tension felt pointless. The team leader let out a sigh of relief and sat down on a nearby chair.
An employee who had gone to the warehouse to get more supplies returned to the booth and looked around for CEO Lee Minjun, who was supposed to be there. Noticing this, Choi Yeseul spoke up.
“The CEO left.”
“Already? He really left?”
“Yes. More importantly, Team Leader. Did you hear what he said just now?”
“?”
Choi Yeseul smiled awkwardly.
“That the CEO is on vacation right now.”
“Come to think of it, the articles did say he was on a family trip…”
“I thought he came on a family trip that doubled as a business trip, but he actually took vacation days to come here?”
Working during a vacation—that was truly unfortunate.
It made sense why he had left so quickly.
***
While Lee Minjun was at the square, Seojun and Seo Eunhye visited the Orchaise Wine Museum. A large map of France hung on one wall, marking vineyards outside of Orchaise.
“That’s a lot of vineyards.”
“It is. No wonder French wine is so famous.”
Seojun and Seo Eunhye slowly toured the museum. Small dolls were arranged to show the different types of wine, the origins of their names, and the winemaking process.
As they enjoyed exploring the museum and chatting, they soon reached the end.
“Would you like to try some wine? We also have a children’s version.”
At the staff member's suggestion, Seojun and Seo Eunhye nodded. As expected of an Orchaise specialty, the grape aroma was strong.
Sweet and rich with grape flavor, it was more delicious than any grape juice he had tasted in Korea. Seo Eunhye also looked satisfied, clearly enjoying it.
“Should we buy some wine for Dad?”
“Yeah!”
On the staff’s recommendation, they bought a bottle of wine and some children’s wine—that is, grape juice—for Seojun to drink.
As they left the museum with their hands full, they saw Lee Minjun standing at the entrance.
Seeing their dad's bright smile, Seojun and Seo Eunhye’s eyes widened. Then, without realizing it, they broke into radiant smiles of their own.
“Dad! You’re back so fast!”
“Everyone was doing a great job. They must have a plan from start to finish. If I interfered and messed things up, it would be a disaster for both the employees and me.”
“That makes sense. They’re holding a concert just up ahead. Let’s go see it.”
“Sure. Is this wine?”
Lee Minjun naturally took the paper bag filled with wine from Seo Eunhye.
“Dad, this is super yummy! They have kids’ wine, too.”
“Kids’ wine?”
“It’s grape juice.”
Lee Minjun burst out laughing at that. Seojun and Seo Eunhye laughed along as they headed to the small theater where the concert was being held.
Quite a few people were heading to the small theater. It was a mix of tourists and Orchaise residents.
The admission fee was low, and seating was first-come, first-served. Seojun and his parents found some decent seats and sat down.
“Can you see, Seojun?”
“Yep!”
Despite being a small theater, the tiered seating allowed even those in the back to see well. As they waited quietly, a side door on the stage opened, and two people entered: a pianist and a violinist.
The audience applauded as the two bowed. Seojun and his parents clapped as well. The pianist sat at the piano and warmed up his hands, while the violinist raised her violin into position.
The two musicians played famous classical pieces. A piano solo, a violin solo, and a duet. The performance was beautiful. They might not have been famous musicians, but it was a wonderful performance.
When the music ended, applause erupted. Normally, the performance might have continued a bit longer, but the Orchaise Halloween festival was about to begin.
The violinist picked up a microphone.
“Thank you all for visiting Orchaise. Please enjoy the Halloween festival to your heart’s content, and I hope it will be a happy one for you all.”
***
When they came out after the concert, the people on the streets looked completely different from just a few hours ago.
Children were draped in black cloaks, carrying witch’s brooms, or wrapped in bandages, pretending to be mummies.
Adults wore everything from simple costumes like headbands with devil horns or angel halos to full-blown getups like mascot heads.
Seojun and his parents’ eyes widened.
Sometime during the concert, monsters had taken over the streets of Orchaise.
Seeing such a sight for the first time in this life, Seojun’s face flushed with excitement as he grabbed his parents’ hands.
“Mom, Dad! Let’s hurry!”
“Seojun’s costume is back at the hotel. We’d better hurry.”
Seojun and his parents quickened their pace. The hotel entrance, the lobby, even the hotel staff—everyone was in costume, no matter how small.
The hotel decorations, which had been stylishly arranged for Halloween, now met the colorful hotel lights, creating a completely different scene from the one they had seen during the day.
“It’s like we’ve entered another world.”
“Maybe the theater door was a portal to another world.”
“This is so cool! It’s a real Halloween!”
Children were shouting “Trick or Treat!” everywhere. Adults handed them candy one by one from their pockets.
“Let’s go!”
“Okay.”
Back in their room, Seojun opened his suitcase. The costume Kim Heesang had made was neatly folded inside. Seo Eunhye put down the wine and asked.
“Can you put it on by yourself?”
“Yep! What are you and Dad going to wear?”
“We’re going to wear the headbands Heesang made.”
“Ehehehe.”
Seojun took out the denim jacket. The wolf head was rounder and cuter than it had been in the drawings. The perky wolf ears and fangs were small, and its eyes were round.
Uncle Heesang had told him that he’d gotten so carried away with making it that he hadn't considered the weight, and the wolf head had turned out too heavy. It was heavy enough to give an adult a stiff neck, so he said it would be too much for Seojun and made a simpler one.
“Well, can’t be helped.”
Careful not to mess up the wolf head, he put on the denim jacket, followed by the black pants with a tail attached. Then he slipped his hands into the gloves at the ends of the sleeves.
With both gloves on, his hands looked like chubby wolf paws. The backs were fluffy, while the palms had paw pads.
“Ooh, jelly beans!”
He clenched and unclenched his fists, admiring the cute, round, and squishy pads. The claws on the gloves were also small and soft.
Finally, Seojun put on the wolf head hood. As he moved his head around, it felt about as heavy as wearing two hats.
“It’s light! And I can see just fine.”
He looked in the mirror. The wolf’s snout covered his forehead. The wolf head in the mirror looked like a baby wolf.
*Hmm. I wanted to be a cooler werewolf, but if it’s because of the weight, I guess it can’t be helped!*
“Seojun, are you all dressed?”
“Yep! Ta-da!”
“Oh! How cute!”
“Really! So adorable! The gloves even have jelly beans.”
“Kim Heesang is amazing. Are there no shoes? I thought he would’ve made wolf paws, too.”
“He said to just wear sneakers. He was worried I might trip and fall if he added decorations to them.”
“That makes sense. Ah, make sure you take this bag.”
Lee Minjun slung a small bag over Seojun’s shoulder. It was a wolf-shaped bag for candy and snacks, and it also contained some emergency money.
“Shall we go down now?”
“Yeah!”
Seojun smiled brightly and took the hands of his mom and dad, who were wearing headbands with wolf ears. The wolf family was all together.
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