“Ara, there’s a saying like this.”
“???”
“Myeong-gyeong-ji-su.”
“Myeong-gyeong-ji-su?”
“It means having a clear and calm mind. When fishing, you should always think of this Myeong-gyeong-ji-su and watch patiently.”
“Oooh, Myeong-gyeong-ji-su….”
Ara nodded as if she had learned something new, admiring it with a sigh.
She, dressed in a children’s swimsuit with snorkeling gear, began to quietly stare at the sea.
Ara had been tasked with collecting seafood by Kyu-seong, and so, with a Myeong-gyeong-ji-su mindset, she crouched down and stared endlessly at the water.
If Kyu-seong had seen her, he would have sighed and thought, “She’s learning something strange again,” but he wasn’t here right now.
Tadadak!
“Got it!”
Just then, Lee Hyun-woo’s fishing rod shook. The line and the rod tightened.
Seeing this, Ara spoke with half-closed eyes.
“It’s Myeong-gyeong-ji-su, Grand Lord.”
“Yes! Myeong-gyeong-ji-su! Heave-ho! Oh, oh!”
It seemed as if a massive fish had bitten the hook, and Lee Hyun-woo looked like he might get pulled in.
Seeing this, Ara quickly stood up and grabbed his fishing rod together.
“Myeong-gyeong-ji-su!!”
“With the heart of Myeong-gyeong-ji-su!!”
Grandfather and granddaughter joined forces. Soon the fish began to draw closer.
Their teamwork looked practiced, and before long, the fish was pulled ashore.
“Hahaha! It’s a big catch again! A jackpot!”
“It’s Myeong-gyeong-ji-su, Grand Lord.”
“Yes, Myeong-gyeong-ji-su. Never forget this mindset.”
Lee Hyun-woo, who had been excited, quickly regained his composure and wore a serious expression.
Ara, satisfied, nodded and then turned back to gaze at the sea once again.
Strict, solemn, serious. Now with Myeong-gyeong-ji-su added to the mix, Ara’s “look cool” project was not yet finished.
At that moment, a portal flickered, and someone emerged.
When Hyun-woo and Ara checked, it was Kyu-seong, Jae-seong, and Seon-ah.
Surprised by the arrival of the three siblings, the two quickly ran toward Jae-seong, whom they hadn’t seen in a long time.
“Lee Jae-seong Jae-seong!”
“Jae-seong, what brings you here? Work?”
“I took a short vacation to come out. Hi, Ara. How have you been?”
Jae-seong, smiling warmly, lifted Ara up in a hug. Ara, about to burst into a joyful laugh, quickly hardened her expression.
“Ara? What’s wrong?”
When Kyu-seong asked with concern, everyone turned their attention to Ara.
“It’s Myeong-gyeong-ji-su. I must remain clear and calm.”
“Myeong-gyeong-ji-su? Oh, you mean Myeong-…”
“Oppa, don’t correct her. Just leave it,” Seon-ah quickly covered Kyu-seong’s mouth and shook her head. It seemed she liked Ara’s pronunciation.
“But where did she learn something like that…?”
As Kyu-seong was about to speak again, he glanced at Hyun-woo.
There was no need to ask. The answer was right there.
Whenever Ara went fishing with Hyun-woo, she would return having learned a new word. This time, it seemed to be Myeong-gyeong-ji-su.
Although it wasn’t a word Hyun-woo used often, Kyu-seong thought, “It’s him again.”
“Jae-seong came, so we’re here to greet you. Also, people from the guild have arrived.”
“Weren’t the guests supposed to come tomorrow?”
“They came to help. It’s hard for us to prepare on our own.”
Nodding at Kyu-seong’s words, Hyun-woo pointed to the fish they had caught.
“Take it.”
“Sure. Jae-seong, let’s prep it in advance.”
While the Dungeon of Gluttony was bustling with activity, at the airport, unexpected individuals were crossing paths.
After receiving a sudden call from Junichi, Choi Young-seong headed to Incheon International Airport.
Despite being busy with the by-products Kyu-seong had brought in, Young-seong went to greet Junichi, who had arrived without prior notice.
“Haha, you’re here! I was a bit surprised since you said you’d come all of a sudden!”
Young-seong greeted him warmly, to which Junichi scratched his head with an apologetic expression.
“Well, I just couldn’t resist. It seems I’ve been visiting Korea frequently lately.”
“But Junichi, did you come because you heard the news?”
“What news?”
“I’m talking about our guild’s gathering.”
“A gathering?”
Junichi’s confused reaction made Young-seong realize that he wasn’t aware.
As Young-seong pondered whether to explain, a commotion suddenly broke out at one corner of the airport.
“Ryu-cheon? Is that Ryu-cheon?!”
“Wow! It’s Ryu-cheon! From the Skyscraper Guild!”
“Wow, she’s so beautiful! Even celebrities can’t compare!”
Ryu-cheon?
At the sudden noise, not only Choi Young-seong but also Junichi and the chefs who came with him were all surprised.
“Ryu-cheon? Could it really be that Ryu-cheon?”
“Let’s go check it out.”
As Junichi and Choi Young-seong headed towards the commotion, the people at the airport went wild.
“Is that… Ino Junichi?!”
“What’s going on today? Is there a special event?”
“They didn’t come together, did they? Did they plan to meet in Korea?”
They couldn’t answer the crowd’s questions. After all, they had also coincidentally arrived in Korea on the same day, at the same time.
When they finally reached where Ryu-cheon was, they saw Yu Bihong clearing a path.
“Ryu-cheon?”
At Choi Young-seong’s voice, Yu Bihong reacted.
“Oh? Manager Choi?!”
“No way, what brings you to Korea… no, let’s just get out of the airport first.”
They barely managed to get through the crowd and finally boarded the Ara Hongryeon’s vehicle.
“I called for a car, but I feel a bit sorry.”
“It’s fine since we paid the fare. But I didn’t expect you to come to Korea so suddenly.”
“Ahaha… Yes, it was a sudden decision. I’m sorry for not notifying you in advance.”
As Yu Bihong awkwardly apologized, Ryu-cheon was simply gazing blankly out the window.
Despite her dazed expression, her enduring beauty couldn’t be hidden, prompting Orie, who had come with Junichi, to ask him a question.
“Who is she?”
“Ryu-cheon from the Skyscraper Guild in China, the youngest Level 8 awakened.”
“Oh! Ah, yes! Now I remember. I thought I’d seen her somewhere before, and it turns out it was her. I didn’t expect to meet her in Korea.”
After that, the Japanese and Chinese sides started formally introducing themselves. While they knew of each other’s existence, it was surprisingly their first time meeting in person.
“I’m Ino Junichi.”
“I’m Yu Bihong from the Skyscraper Guild, and this is…”
“I’m Ryu-cheon.”
The Chinese and Japanese were communicating in Korean, while the Koreans watched from the side.
Choi Young-seong couldn’t help but smile as he tried to hide the corners of his mouth curving upwards.
What kind of situation was this?
Through the ensuing conversation, it became clear that both Junichi’s group and Ryu-cheon were in Korea because of Lee Kyu-seong.
“A grand unification.”
“It’s amazing what Kyu-seong has brought together.”
As Yu Bihong and Junichi found themselves aligned, their conversation soon turned to Kyu-seong.
Meanwhile, Ryu-cheon was muttering to herself.
“Ara, wait for me. I’ll come to you.”
With a resolute expression and voice, it was as if she were a knight going to rescue a princess trapped in a demon castle.
Choi Young-seong immediately called Han Seok-jun.
With such a complicated situation, how would things unfold?
***
“Here’s a snack!”
Seafood pancakes fresh off the grill were served to the two teams and staff who had arrived earlier.
Following the instructions of their mother and Jae-seong, they had been helping with various tasks, and since they were likely getting hungry, food was served.
“Wow, seafood pancakes?!”
“Where did you get the seafood?”
They couldn’t hide their surprise at the sight of dozens of seafood pancakes.
The aroma from the batter made with toasted sesame oil was incredible. Adding to that was the enticing smell of cooked seafood, making everyone’s mouth water.
All the seafood had been gathered by Ara herself.
Clams, small crustaceans, and cephalopods resembling squid were all included.
“Oh, Ara! You’re back! Hahaha!”
“Oh! Brother Hanul! Long time no see! Hehehe!”
“Hahaha! That swimsuit suits you well, and so does the snorkel!”
“I caught all of this! Everything in these seafood pancakes, I caught them!”
“Wow! Really? You’re just like my heir!”
“Yes! I’m Brother Hanul’s heir!”
Who said you could make Ara your heir?
As I listened to their cute conversation, I set the table.
“Please, start eating.”
“Let’s finish eating first, and then we can continue.”
At the encouragement of Mom and Jae-seong, everyone gathered around and sat down.
Soon, they began tasting the seafood pancakes.
“Wow!”
“It’s hot! But it’s so good I can’t stop!”
“Hmm! This is amazing!”
Seeing their enthusiastic reactions made me feel happy. I sat down next to Ara and tasted the pancakes myself.
“Mmm!”
The rich flavor of the crustaceans blended perfectly with the toasted sesame oil in the batter, creating a magnificent harmony.
Crunchy and savory—an unbeatable combination.
The firm clam meat and chewy squid enhanced the experience, prolonging the savory taste and texture.
Once the initial wave of savoriness passed, the flavor of the seafood began to shine, filling my mouth with the sweetness and scent of the ocean.
It felt like the sea had passed through my taste buds, lingering for a moment before drifting away.
“Delicious.”
Indeed, seafood is the best.
Of course, there are people who don’t like seafood, but as someone who loves it, this was a flavor you couldn’t easily buy.
‘But the highlight is still left.’
That was the soy sauce!
Dipping seafood pancakes in soy sauce is the key. This soy sauce was made by Jae-seong using the soy base I had brewed myself.
Dip, and eat.
The crispy edges and softened parts soaked in the sauce created an incredible bite.
“Hmph!”
I let out a strange noise without realizing it.
But instead of feeling embarrassed, I focused on devouring the pancakes.
Dip, eat, dip, eat.
This soy sauce was divine.
It wasn’t too salty, and the subtle sourness and the rich flavor of the soy stood out beautifully.
The umami was undeniable.
‘I should start making pancakes more often.’
Before that, I’d better ask Jae-seong how he made this sauce.
“Hmm?”
Before I knew it, the mountain of seafood pancakes had almost disappeared.
Considering the large group and the fact that Ara and the other kids had eaten a lot, I thought I had made enough, but they ate far more than expected.
Well, it makes sense.
Even I had eaten four pancakes.
Normally, one would have been enough to satisfy me.
“Anyone want more?”
“Uh, um…”
“Ahem, me too…!”
People raised their hands hesitantly.
In the end, Jae-seong smiled and went back to grilling more pancakes.
I decided to take this opportunity to step out for a bit.
I considered taking Ara with me, but she was firmly seated at the table with no intention of leaving.
“Myeong-gyeong-ji-su, Myeong-gyeong-ji-su…”
She mumbled as if reciting a spell.
It seemed she was quite fond of the word Myeong-gyeong-ji-su.
Thank you, Ara, for playing so well with Dad.
“I’ll be stepping out for a moment. I’ll check my messages and be right back.”
“Sure, take your time.”
With their greetings, I stepped outside.
Since the gathering was tomorrow, I had been periodically stepping out every hour or two to check my messages.
“Huh?”
That’s when I saw a text from the guild.
But the content was…
“Ryu-cheon and Junichi?!”
What? Are they really in Korea right now?
Cliche Novel 