Festival (2)

"You don't seem to like crowded places much."

Se-jin's question broke the silence that had briefly settled between them. Choco glanced at her before answering.

"I am not particularly fond of them."

"Afraid someone might see through you?"

"That is part of it, but..."

Choco paused, weighing her words. The true reason was something else entirely — but that belonged to Yoo Jinwoo, not Choco, and she could not speak of it so freely.

When no answer came, Se-jin went on.

"I don't like crowded places either. Especially festivals like this one."

Choco chose not to say she'd already guessed as much. Anyone who walked around radiating an aura that kept people from coming too close would naturally dislike crowds — it would be stranger if she didn't. As that thought crossed Choco's mind, Se-jin crossed her legs, rested her chin on her hand, and muttered.

"It's loud, it's chaotic... and then you've got the men who get drunk on the atmosphere and start creeping up on you. It really makes my skin crawl."

"And yet I heard it was thee who suggested Yeon come see the festival."

"It's not that I hate festivals themselves. I actually like them, as long as there aren't any leering idiots around. Besides..."

Se-jin hesitated, then spoke carefully.

"I felt sorry for her. Ah — I don't mean I suggested it out of pity. It's just... I remembered something Yeon said."

The conversation from that room — one Choco hadn't even realized she'd overheard. The story of how Yeon, her body weakened by an incurable illness, had started playing Al Fantasia in search of something she could still do. It had stayed with Choco, refusing to fade.

Hearing Se-jin speak those words while staring wistfully at the tips of her shoes, Choco felt an inexplicable prickle of irritation. Why was she the one worrying about that? Even if Se-jin hadn't said a word, Choco would have taken Yeon around the festival the moment Yeon asked.

But instead of voicing the complaint, Choco turned her head away with a huff. Whatever her feelings, Se-jin had been thinking of Yeon. That much was true.

"Well then. I thank thee for thinking of Yeon."

"Don't mention it. More importantly, what do we do now?"

"Of what?"

"We've gotten separated from the other two. We never even decided where to meet up."

"Ah."

The belated realization made Choco press a hand to her forehead. In any other game, they could have simply messaged each other and found their locations that way. But Al Fantasia had no such feature.

There were messenger owls that could deliver news no matter how far apart you were, but that was a function you could only use after reaching level one hundred — and it consumed magical tools besides. Naturally, none of them had anything of the sort. Just as Choco was wondering if they'd have to comb through that seething mass of people to find the others...

"Hm?"

Choco tilted her head at the sudden notification, then shifted her gaze toward a presence she could feel somewhere in the distance.

"Choco?"

"It seems I have found a way. Follow me."

"Ah, wait a second—"

Before Se-jin could finish, Choco sprang up from the bench and strode quickly toward the plaza.

The square still swarmed with festival-goers, but Choco slipped through the crowd with practiced ease. Her small frame helped, but more than that, she shoved people aside with walls of air whenever they threatened to brush against her.

"Ugh, what the—?"

"Hey, don't push!"

"I didn't push anyone..."

The resulting ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠misunderstandings kicked up a few commotions, but that was none of the two girls' concern as they pressed onward.

After pushing through several more clusters of people, they finally found them.

"She actually came."

"Choco! Over here!"

Ho-jin muttered in disbelief while Yeon waved both arms overhead. Se-jin murmured in surprise.

"You actually found them?"

"So it would seem."

Choco muttered this as she approached Yeon.

"Didst thou use a taming skill?"

"I thought it might work..."

"Well done."

Choco nodded as Yeon grinned sheepishly.

The skill Yeon had activated — Call Signal — was almost certainly one that summoned a tamed monster to her side. The moment the notification appeared, Choco had been able to sense Yeon's direction through her instincts.

"Where were you two? I thought you were right behind us."

"I was going to follow, but Choco said she felt dizzy. We stepped out of the plaza for a bit so she could settle down."

"Choco? Are you all right now?"

"I am fine. There is no need to worry."

Choco answered in a voice that made it sound like nothing at all. The dizziness had only hit when she first laid eyes on that scene, and it always passed quickly enough. Hearing the certainty in her voice, Ho-jin scratched his head.

"So where to next? From the looks of it, things are starting to wrap up."

"Already? We only got to see one thing..."

"Can't be helped. We came at a bad time."

It was the last night of the last day of the festival. Most of the attractions had long since ended.

The storytellers who'd been recounting the tale of Hero Kazan — the ones Yeon and Ho-jin had been watching — had packed up just a short while ago. All that remained in the plaza were tourists lingering in the festival's afterglow and merchants hawking souvenirs at them.

Seeing the disappointment written so plainly on Yeon's face, Choco spoke as if it were no great matter.

"There may be no more performances, but the scenery remains, does it not? We can take a leisurely stroll and look at the souvenirs."

"Choco's right. I saw them selling food over that way — want to try some?"

"Food? They sell that too?"

At the mention of food, Yeon's eyes lit up as if she'd never been disappointed at all. Choco, on the other hand, grimaced at the memory of that unbearably sour ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠drink from earlier. Se-jin saw the look and pretended not to notice, nodding along.

"Yeah, I bought a drink and tried it. The texture was pretty decent."

"Texture? You can't taste it?"

"It's like how we don't feel pain when we get hit, but we can still feel the impact. You can feel the texture of chewing, that sort of thing. Not that many people bother enjoying it."

"I still want to try it!"

Even after Ho-jin's explanation, Yeon spoke with eager anticipation.

Not being able to taste it was one thing — being able to eat at all was something else. She hadn't been able to consume solid food in a very long time, or even liquid food for that matter. For someone who barely managed to get nutrients through an IV drip, the inability to taste was a small price to pay. She was grateful just for this.

Watching Yeon beam with anticipation, Choco quietly asked Se-jin,

"Surely thou dost not mean to give her what thou drank earlier?"

"She won't be able to taste it anyway, unlike you. And the texture was actually pretty good."

"That was...?"

Choco muttered faintly, recalling that drink — the one that had been neither quite liquid nor solid, with its squishy, slightly chewy texture. But her feet kept moving regardless.

They arrived at the stall where Se-jin had bought her drink. The vendor looked up at the approaching group with a bright smile.

"Welcome, welcome! What can I get you?"

"Three Sourfruit Drinks, and... whatever's the sweetest thing you've got."

"Coming right up!"

Sourfruit Drink. The name itself advertised that it was made from sour fruit.

Choco stared at Se-jin in disbelief, but Se-jin couldn't read the Chinese characters and had no idea the name meant "sour fruit."

Meanwhile, the vendor's hands moved quickly, and soon four cups of liquid were passed to the group. Three orange-colored sour drinks, and one white drink that sloshed with a thick, viscous motion.

"What is this..."

Choco eyed the yogurt-colored drink she'd been handed, then cautiously brought it to her nose. She sniffed, then blinked.

Unlike the sourness that had flooded her sinuses last time, this one had a distinctly sweet scent. It practically screamed that it was a sweet drink. Without suspicion, Choco brought it to her lips.

And the moment the liquid slid down her throat with a gulp, something happened. She'd intended to take just one sip and pull away — but her hand kept tilting the cup, and gulp after gulp followed in succession.

Unaware that the other three were watching her, Choco kept drinking until the cup was empty.

"...Haaah."

Only after draining it completely did she let out the breath she'd been holding and lower her hand.

Her cheeks were faintly flushed from drinking without pausing for air. She sat there in a daze for a moment, then seemed to realize what she'd just done, startling and glancing around wildly.

But it was already too late. Yeon asked with a smile,

"Was it that good?"

"It was... delicious, I confess..."

Choco tried to come up with an excuse, then realized none of them would land. She hung her head and mumbled in a small voice.

But it couldn't be helped. From the very first sip, it had been so sweet and delicious she couldn't pull her mouth away. It was the first drink of her life that had tasted like that. Ho-jin looked at Choco, whose ears had gone bright red, and muttered enviously.

"I'm jealous. I've always wondered what the food in this game tastes like whenever I see it. But you can actually experience it."

"I wish I could taste things like Choco too—"

Yeon, who had been saying this as she tilted her own cup to her lips, suddenly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠froze as if time itself had stopped.

Ho-jin, who had been drinking as well, looked at her in confusion as she cut herself off mid-sentence.

"Yeon? What's wrong— Yeon?!"

"What is it? What has happened?!"

Yeon's eyes darted around wildly, welling with tears, her mouth still pressed to the cup. Ho-jin and Choco asked urgently, but she could only stamp her feet, unable to get a word out.

As the two of them stood ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠there bewildered, Se-jin — who had been watching quietly — let out an "Ah" of realization.

"Don't tell me... she can taste it?"

"What? No way. Yeon's a player — that shouldn't be possible... Wait, is that true?"

Yeon nodded frantically. Ho-jin muttered in disbelief, but the expression was all too familiar to Se-jin. After all, Choco had worn that exact same face the first time she'd drunk that stuff. As Se-jin ordered another of what Choco had been drinking from the vendor, Choco spoke in a daze.

"She can taste it? Truly?"

"...!"

"Never mind the tasting — why won't she put the cup down?"

Yeon nodded at Choco's first question, then squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head at Ho-jin's. As they tilted their heads, not understanding, Se-jin returned with a cup in hand.

"She's probably too overwhelmed by the unexpected sourness to do anything. Here, drink this."

"—Pwah! It's so souuur—!"

The moment they pried the cup from her mouth, Yeon let out a scream-laced cry and snatched the cup Se-jin offered, gulping it down desperately.

Then she exhaled a long, relieved breath.

"Thank you, unnie. I thought I was going to die from how sour it was..."

"No, I should be the one apologizing. If I'd known you could taste things, I never would have given you that..."

"Mm, I didn't know I could taste things either. How were you supposed to know?"

"But Yeon's definitely a player. How can she taste anything?"

Ho-jin asked, but there was no one who could answer. They'd all assumed it was simply how things worked. Then Choco spoke up abruptly.

"But does the reason truly matter?"

"Huh?"

"I know not why she can taste things. But if she can, that means she may enjoy the festival foods as she eats them. Is that not a good thing?"

"Well, that's true, but..."

No — it really was true. Being able to taste things didn't cause any particular problems.

I'm jealous.

Choco was an NPC, so that made sense. But Yeon was a player, and she could taste things too? Ho-jin wondered if Se-jin could as well, but fortunately she seemed to be the same as him. She was sipping away at the drink Yeon had been hopping around over, completely unbothered... She didn't actually like sour things, did she? As Ho-jin pondered this, Choco spoke.

"This has worked out well. At the very least, she can enjoy the food now."

"Now that you mention it, you're right."

The sights they could come back and see next year. But the food — that was something no player had ever experienced.

Yeon's eyes went wide. Then she broke into a bright smile, grabbed Choco's hand, and said,

"Let's try everything here!"

"I shall not eat anything sour."

"Neither will I?!"

Choco let out a small laugh at the indignant reply.

"Very well. Let us go."

"That stall first!"

Watching the two of them run off, Ho-jin muttered,

"If only I could taste things too... sniff."

"Just enjoy this."

"Thank you..."

Ho-jin sniffled at Se-jin's consideration as she handed him a Sourfruit Drink.