Chapter 97
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: The Werewolf and Vampire Showdown
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After leaving the hotel, Seojun and his parents followed the pumpkins, called jack-o'-lanterns, toward the plaza.
Jack-o'-lanterns were lined up along the path like streetlights. People were taking pictures with them everywhere.
“Should we take one, too?”
“Yeah!”
Seojun and his parents snapped photo after photo.
At the end of the jack-o'-lantern path was the Orches plaza. The festival hadn't even started yet, but the plaza was already bustling with noise. The booths were brightly lit, and children and adults were laughing joyfully.
“Aren't you hungry?”
“Nope! I’m okay. I’ll eat later.”
Seo Eunhye asked Seojun as she watched children walking around with sausages. Seojun shook his head. Lee Minjun looked at his watch and spoke.
“Looks like it’s about to start.”
*Bang! Bang!*
The Halloween festival began with colorful smoke rising into the sky and everyone shouting "Trick or treat!" in unison.
The words "Trick or treat" echoed from the speakers set up in the plaza.
Once the Halloween festival started, Seojun and his parents first stopped by the organizer's tent to submit his application for the contest. An employee handed them a piece of paper and explained.
“You can choose several of the effects listed here. But if you choose too many, the timing might be off, so it's best to pick just one or two. Please look at this guide and write down which effect you want to use on stage and when. The lights are numbered, so you can look at the stage and choose. If it's too difficult, you can just turn off all the lights and use only a spotlight, or turn them all on. That’s fine too.”
There were various colored lights, fog effects, bubble effects, and more.
“The timing should be based on the music you've prepared. If you don't have any music, you can choose from our selection.”
“I have music!”
“Great. Then, after choosing your effects, come backstage an hour before the contest to get your number. We’ll be drawing lots, so you have to be on time.”
Seojun nodded repeatedly.
“This is more serious than I thought…”
“I know. I thought they just picked whoever looked the best. Did you know about this, Seojun?”
“Yep! I saw it on N-tube. I even practiced at the studio at my uncle’s company.”
So that’s why he was going out with An Daho so often, even when they weren't filming. Seojun and his parents put the guide in their bag and left the organizer's tent.
Outside the tent, the plaza was already filled with monsters. People who had attended the Halloween festival many times before expertly began to act like monsters.
Even those who were awkward at first soon got used to it and fully immersed themselves in their roles.
“Grrrr!”
“Hahaha!”
When a man dressed as a werewolf growled, children giggled and ran away. A mummy wrapped in bandages and a blood-soaked zombie stared at each other in silence, while little witches and wizards showed off their brooms and wands.
Without a script or anyone's direction, the festival blazed with excitement.
“They’re really going all out.”
“They really are.”
“Can I go play over there?”
Seojun pointed to a spot where werewolves were gathered. There were adults in fluffy costumes like the wolf from a fairy tale, just as Seojun had first drawn, and children wearing simple wolf-ear headbands. They were all complimenting each other's costumes and chatting happily.
“You have to stay right there. Don’t go far. Mom and Dad will be here.”
“Okay!”
Waving to his parents, Seojun headed toward the werewolves.
“Oh, another one of our kind has arrived.”
“What a cute wolf.”
“Hello!”
Everyone welcomed Seojun warmly. The children dressed as werewolves approached him.
“You look so cool. Where’d you get your costume?”
“My uncle made it for me!”
“Your paws are so cute. They look like my Max’s!”
“Max?”
“He’s my dog. He’s huge.”
Some of the children spoke English and some didn't, but they all laughed and talked as if they were having the time of their lives.
“The vampires and werewolves are fighting over there!”
“What?! Where!”
At someone’s shout, the adults shot to their feet. Seojun, who didn't understand French, tilted his head, and a boy who could speak English translated for him.
“He said the vampires and werewolves are fighting.”
“Huh?”
Vampires and werewolves were supposed to be natural enemies, but was it serious enough to fight over at a festival?
As Seojun stood there dumbfounded, the boy pulled him along. The other children were already running toward the scene of the fight.
“Let’s go, hurry!”
“Wait! I have to tell my mom and dad!”
Seojun quickly ran to his parents, who were chatting with a couple who said they were from America.
“Mom, Dad! Someone’s fighting over there.”
“What? A fight?”
“Should we report it?”
Unlike the startled Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun, the people who were attending the festival for the second time laughed and said.
“It’s not a fight, it’s a showdown.”
“A showdown?”
“Last time it was a beer-drinking contest. I wonder what it is this time.”
“The werewolf faction and the vampire faction have been rivals since this festival began, so it’s a huge deal. The showdown between the two monsters is one of the highlights of this Halloween festival.”
No wonder. So that’s why the kids ran off to watch. He turned his head and saw the boy who had translated for him gesturing impatiently, stomping his feet.
“Mom, Dad, can I go?”
“Let’s go together. We’re curious too.”
“Okay!”
They said goodbye to the couple they were with and headed to where the werewolves and vampires were having their showdown. The boy who had waited for Seojun came along.
The blond-haired boy was only wearing a headband with wolf ears. He didn't even have the wolf tail that everyone else wore.
“I’m Charlie!”
“I’m Jun!”
“Jun, you look just as cool as my dad! Are you going to be in the contest later?”
“Yep! I’m going to win first place!”
At Seojun’s words, Charlie chuckled and shook his head.
“For the monster contest, you have to be really good at acting, not just have a good costume. Last year’s winner was a vampire, and when he appeared, smoke billowed out, and it was so cool. He was a great actor, and it turned out he was a theater actor.”
Charlie spoke without hesitation. Seojun’s eyes widened as he asked.
“Do you live here? You know so much.”
“Yeah! This is my tenth time at this festival!”
“How old are you?”
“Ten! I’ve been coming since I was a one-year-old baby. I dressed up as a jack-o'-lantern back then, but now I’m a werewolf like my dad.”
“That’s amazing. You’re so cool!”
“Ahem!”
Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun let out a small laugh at the children's conversation. As they talked, they arrived at the place where the vampires and werewolves were facing off. It was a sausage stall.
“...I can’t eat anymore.”
“Alright. Time to switch!”
A vampire in a black cape and a shirtless werewolf were sitting in two simple chairs.
In front of them were piles of well-cooked sausages. The vampire with a bulging stomach got up, and another vampire took his place and started eating sausages.
Charlie shrugged and said.
“It’s sausages today.”
“Today? Is it different other times?”
“The fight between the vampires and werewolves is chosen at random. The year before last it was steak, and last year it was beer. That’s why the start time and location are different every time.”
“I see.”
This time, the werewolf stood up. Another werewolf who had been standing nearby sat in the chair and began to eat a sausage.
“Do you have to sign up to participate?”
“Nope. Any vampire or werewolf can join. A person—I mean, a monster—who has already taken a turn can’t go again. Only new monsters can join the showdown. It keeps going like this until the last monster standing wins.”
“But why do they call it a fight?”
That’s what had startled him earlier, making him think a real accident had happened. At Seojun's question, Charlie grinned and answered.
“Since we're dressed up as monsters, calling it a 'showdown' or a 'contest' sounds too weak. It has to be a 'fight' or a 'battle' between vampires and werewolves!”
“...You guys really take the setting seriously.”
“That’s what makes it so much fun.”
Seojun grinned at Charlie’s words. Right. That’s what makes it fun!
“Can I fight too, then?”
“Oh, you catch on quick, huh? Sure. Dad! He wants to fight too!”
Charlie raised his arm and waved. A werewolf who was organizing the line of participants for the werewolf side turned his head.
“Whoa.”
Seojun and his parents gasped without realizing it. A man wearing a wolf mask strode toward them.
He looked like the Egyptian dog god, Anubis, but with the head of a wolf instead of a dog. His head was entirely wolf-like, and his neck was covered in wolf fur.
*Can he even see? Where are his eyes?*
Seojun blinked. Still, he looked incredibly cool.
“Little wolf. You want to participate?”
“Hello! I’m Jun! I’d really like to participate!”
“Good. A fellow pack member is always welcome. Charlie, what about you?”
“I’ll go too!”
Charlie and Seojun held hands and headed for the line. The realistic-looking werewolf looked at Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun.
Hmm. For some reason, the two of them suddenly felt self-conscious about their wolf-ear headbands.
“Don’t worry. We’ll just let them eat a little and then send them back,” Charlie’s dad said.
His voice, which had been rough just a moment ago, softened. The change made the couple smile.
“Yes, thank you.”
“Our son loves monsters. Please take care of him.”
“It seems so. It must be his first time at this festival, but he’s playing so well with Charlie.”
They could see the young wolves playing and joking around even in the line. The parents smiled at their bright faces.
“Alright, sit here.”
The werewolf in front of Seojun raised a white flag. As Seojun took a seat, his parents took pictures, and a new sausage arrived in front of him.
It was a kid’s sausage, not too salty, and smaller than the adult-sized ones.
“You can add sauce, and eat slowly. Just eat three and come down. You need to save room for other tasty snacks.”
“Okay!”
Charlie’s dad went back, and Charlie, who was waiting on the side, gave a thumbs-up. Seojun picked up his fork and speared a sausage. Three sausages disappeared in an instant.
“So, how long does this showdown go on?”
Charlie had also eaten three sausages and come down. They were now on their way to a shop Charlie frequented to buy drinks.
“The year before last, we ate steak, and it ended when they ran out of steak. Last year was the beer drinking contest, but there was a limit per person—I mean, per monster—so it ended when they ran out of participants. This year, it’ll probably end when they run out of sausages or participants.”
“I see.”
Charlie, a native of Orches, knew a lot of people. As they walked, people working at the booths and passersby would call out to him. With every name called, they received more snacks. Since Seojun was Charlie’s friend, he got a lot of snacks too.
Both Seojun and Charlie walked around with their arms full of treats.
“We haven’t even gone trick-or-treating, and we already got this many snacks.”
“They’re all delicious. Should we sit over there and eat?”
Charlie pointed to a place full of children. There were playground-like things such as a slide and swings, as well as toys and dolls. Around the children, their parents sat and rested.
“What is this place?”
“This is the playground, a place for kids to play. Only kids are allowed in. It’s easy for kids to get lost over there where it’s crowded, so they made a separate space.”
“I see.”
“Let’s go!”
At Charlie’s words, Seojun looked back. Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun waved.
“Mom and Dad will be here.”
“Okay!”
Seojun beamed and headed to the playground with Charlie. As Lee Minjun stood up, Seo Eunhye asked.
“Are you going to check it out?”
“Yeah. I feel like I should go take a look.”
“Then I’ll watch Seojun. Be careful.”
“Alright.”
Lee Minjun started walking. Charlie had guided them all over the plaza, but he hadn't seemed interested in the corporate booths, so they hadn’t gone in that direction.
The corporate booth area was also crowded. Lee Minjun slowly walked toward the Monster Inc. booth they had visited during the day.
“Oh, isn’t this the same pin Seojun Lee wears?”
“Yes! He often wears this one and this one.”
“I didn’t buy it online because I was worried it would get lost in shipping, but to think I’d get to buy it here!”
Lee Minjun couldn't help but smile. Most of the adult customers at the Monster Inc. booth were Seojun’s fans. After buying pins or dolls, they would chat happily with the customers next to them, whom they had never met before.
“Have you seen ‘Naeuiwon’?”
“Of course. I cried so much!”
My goodness. To think a foreigner would say ‘Naeuiwon’ in Korean. The power of media was truly amazing.
“Mr. Lee?”
“Ah, hello.”
“Are you here to enjoy the festival? The wolf ears suit you.”
At the team leader’s words, Lee Minjun smiled awkwardly and adjusted his headband.
Just then, Choi Yeseul, wearing a flashing LED angel halo headband, walked past them. The white halo changed to red and then blue. Her eye-catching appearance made the team leader smile and say.
“The employees came fully prepared, too.”
Unfortunately, they couldn’t participate in the festival because of work, but they found a way to feel like they were a part of it. Lee Minjun looked at the Monster Inc. booth. He was relieved to see the bright faces of the employees.
“You’re all working hard.”
“Not at all. I never imagined a festival like this could exist. It's fun just watching.”
“I agree. If nothing comes up, we might participate again next year.”
“That would be great.”
“Well, I’ll be on my way.”
The team leader watched as Lee Minjun walked away. A flashing light appeared behind him. It was a presence quicker than a voice. Choi Yeseul’s eyes sparkled as she asked.
“The CEO came again?”
“Yes. It seems he’s here at the festival with his family.”
“Wow, then…”
Choi Yeseul’s face lit up, and she lowered her voice.
“Actor Lee Seojun must be here too!”
“Ah… right.”
Why couldn’t they connect the CEO with Actor Lee Seojun? The team leader, who had wanted to meet Seojun, let out a small sigh.
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