[TS] Became a Peach Saint – Chapter 218

“Ugh─ Haa.”

I stuff Baekseol, who’s sprawled by the pillow, into my pocket and step outside, greeted by the cool morning air.

─Chik, chik.

“Hoo─”

“Already up?”

While smoking a cigarette, the camera director, who’s gotten closer lately, strikes up a conversation.

“Yep. Good morning.”

I turn on my phone and see viewers already chatting early in the morning.

[Room Masterㅎㅇㅎㅇ]

[Morning~]

“Yeah, my babies, come on in.”

[Lololol it’s not a private room though]

[Where’s Baekseol, Lady Autumn?]

“Baekseol’s still in dreamland.”

I slightly open my pocket, and inside, a white fluffball is curled up, breathing softly.

“This kid was either dreaming or causing chaos last night.”

[LOLOLOLOL]

[I wonder what kind of dream it was]

“I got groomed for an hour before bed.”

[So cute LOLOLOL]

Looking around, not just the camera director but other staff are bustling about.

Quite a contrast to the cast uncles still lying in bed.

“Our uncles drank heavily yesterday, should I make hangover soup?”

[Ahhh, travel life is good, we get to see the Room Master cook often]

[Those uncles were just drunk messes yesterday LOL]

[For real LOL, who’d think they’re award-winning actors?]

“Hoo─”

The table is still a mess with leftovers from yesterday. Even after cleaning, it’s chaos.

I pick up a stray carrot and toss it, and someone catches it perfectly.

“Good morning, Deer friend.”

Whoosh!

“Yep.”

The staff watching this go wild again.

The camera director, full of professionalism, swings the camera from me to the deer.

“The deer was that big?”

“Wow, look at those antlers.”

[It looks huge in the light]

[If you hit that, you’re done for]

“He’s a kind and cool friend.”

[First time hearing that LOL]

[If he were any kinder, he’d be in heaven by now]

[This guy’s fearless]

I toss another carrot from the table, and it’s caught perfectly in the mouth.

“Alright, people are about to get active. Go play where your friends are.”

This time, the deer nods slightly and disappears gracefully, showing its back.

“Hoo─”

[LOL this person’s character is really unique]

[The deer’s kinda charming]

[Does it understand human speech?]

[Seeing how it communicates with Baekseol, maybe the Room Master’s a druid?]

It’s about time to start cooking, so I head to the fridge in the lodging. Thankfully, the ingredients I bought yesterday are still there.

[Room Master, what’s for breakfast?]

“Pollack soup.”

[Ahh, sounds delicious]

[Add some eggs too]

“Okay. I’ll add eggs.”

[Yesss]

After cutting the dried pollack and soaking it in water, the main ingredient is ready.

Since the staff drank a lot yesterday too, a big…

Boil water in a pot, and meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients.

The pot is big, so it takes a long time for the water to boil.

Meanwhile, stir-fry the expanded dried pollack in sesame oil. This makes it even more delicious.

Finally, just dump the ingredients into the pot and boil it.

“For seasoning, use soup soy sauce as a base. If you want to enhance the umami, you can use salted shrimp paste. If you don’t have it, use salt. No need to buy it, just use what you have at home.”

[O_K]

[Hehe, now all you need to do is marry me]

[Please get rid of that jerk]

[I learned it from the last cooking show]

As the soup starts to boil, the hungover uncles stagger out to the outdoor table.

“Uncles, please sit down for the meal.”

“Uh…”

Their responses have no energy at all.

“Did you ask for the eggs to be cracked?”

[Absolutely]

[It’s going to be really delicious]

Crack the eggs and swirl them around in the boiling soup, and it’s really done.

“Autumn…”

“Yeah.”

Uncle Gwak Jin presses his temples as if his head is throbbing.

“Can’t you make something spicy?”

“Spicy food actually puts a burden on the liver. After drinking, the liver breaks down ethanol. When it breaks down, acetaldehyde remains as a byproduct, which is the cause of hangovers. Spicy food doesn’t help at all, and in dried pollack soup, asparagine acid…”

“Ugh… I’m dying, you nerd.”

“It’s you. So stop talking nonsense and eat this.”

“Thank you.”

“Autumn, I like dried pollack soup.”

Uncle Woo-hyuk adds a word, and whether it’s because he’s annoying, Uncle Gwak Jin glares at him for no reason.

“Eat a lot, Uncle.”

“Thank you.”

Slurp─

Uncle Woo-hyuk, who ate the dried pollack soup with a spoon, opens his eyes wide.

“Wow. Why is it so delicious?”

“Of course it’s delicious, I made it.”

“Hahaha. I see. Now you really need to get married. Should I introduce you to some smart guys from our company?”

“Our company has a lot of smart guys too.”

[Medal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

[Kill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

The uncles are talking nonsense since morning.

“I’ll pass.”

When I put my hand in my pocket and pull it out, a melted and flattened rice cake comes out with it.

Ding!

“Pposiraegi, let’s eat too.”

“Bap…”

“Yeah. Eat with your eyes open.”

“Yeah.”

With the cool morning breeze, eating hot soup with rice feels smooth.

Maybe because everyone is tired, even though the camera is rolling, only the clinking of spoons is heard.

“Autumn, give me more soup.”

“Yeah. There’s plenty, so eat a lot.”

“Thank you.”

After finishing the meal, we need to decide the next destination, but even if it’s the Grand Canyon, there seems to be a clear limit.

Even though it’s a famous landmark, it’s not good since we’re filming a broadcast now.

“Where are you going next?”

“Huh? Should we explore the Grand Canyon more?”

“No?”

“If we go a little further, there’s an observatory. You can go up there and see the rocks from a high place. Or go trekking and see the rocks from a low place. Or go down with a professional using ropes and see the rocks up close. What do you want to do?”

“…..”

It seems even the uncle who was asked the question realized what the problem was.

The biggest issue with the Grand Canyon is that it’s all just rocks.

“There’s also the option of seeing the rocks from a helicopter.”

[LOL]

[The rock obsession is a bit…]

“I mean, it’s grand and all, but it’s just rocks?”

“Right.”

It’s a place where you can feel the overwhelming grandeur of nature with your whole body, but it’s limited to just rocks.

“There’s also taking photos with pretty rocks, or going on a rock tour by car.”

Geologically speaking, there’s no place more amazing, but we’re just ordinary people.

“Or, you could go to Walnut Canyon or Antelope Canyon to see the rocks. If you don’t like that, you could also see the rocks from a hot air balloon.”

“Manseung, what do you think?”

“Hmm….”

Even Director Kang seems to be at a loss for an answer.

“Or, we could drive around a bit and then head back to Flagstaff.”

“Go back? Why there?”

“There’s an observatory in Flagstaff where my grandfather is. We don’t have to be so fixated on the name ‘Grand Canyon.'”

“Ah, that’s right!”

Uncle Kwak Jin claps his hands.

It seems he just remembered the conversation we had at the airport before we left.

“That place is quite famous. From what I know, Pluto was first discovered and announced at the Percival Observatory.”

“Wow, really?”

“Yes. Although it was later demoted.”

“Hmm… Yeah.”

[LOL]

“We’ll drive around and show the viewers some viewpoints, then head down as the sun sets.”

The uncle and staff who were eating North Korean-style soup all nod in unison. It seems like nothing is decided, and the travel plans keep changing with just one word from me, making it all feel a bit overwhelming.

Originally, the vegetation in the West is sparse and barren, so there’s not much to see beyond the grand natural scenery.

“Baekseol, you need to open your eyes and eat.”

“Okay.”

She sits slumped on the table, eyes closed, only moving her mouth.

I wonder if the petals are going into her nose or her mouth, but she’s quite the eater for a rabbit.

Clink.

As we chat and eat, the bowls are already empty.

“The last one to finish does the dishes!”

Clink! Clink!

With that sudden remark, the table suddenly becomes busy.

Even the small chatter disappears, and only the sound of dishes clinking echoes.

***

“Our Ga-eul looks awkward now that she’s wearing proper clothes after always wearing loose ones.”

“Right. She always wore something as comfortable as pajamas.”

There’s a reason people keep talking about the Grand Canyon.

The breathtaking grandeur of nature. No matter how many times you see it, there’s no other way to describe it.

“Ga-eul, I’ll take a photo of you. Look here.”

“Okay.”

[Wow, the room master’s figure is so refreshing!]

[The proportions are absolutely insane.]

[Seriously, this is a feast for the eyes.]

[What’s this? Give us back our hikikomori-like room master!]

***

“Grandfather!”

“Hmm?”

Running towards the grandfather, who was inspecting something, with arms wide open, the grandfather also spreads his arms to hug.

“You must have had a hard time coming here.”

“Yep!”

As the grandfather strokes my head with his time-worn hand, I feel a ticklish sensation in my chest.

“Has Baekseol been doing well too?”

“Yes!”

“That rascal.”

After exchanging greetings with Baekseol, Grandfather Arthur slowly meets my gaze.

“You, kid, you should play pranks in moderation. Herman was really worried about you.”

“Ah! I’m doomed. Grandfather, please save me.”

“What strength does an old man who stares at stars have? Go and apologize properly.”

Despite the wrinkles, his eyes sparkle, filled with the knowledge of the stars.

Facing such a profound issue, I feel like a tiny star in the vast universe.

“That Herman guy is going to die of lung cancer, but he might die of shock because of you first.”

The hand stroking my head tightens slightly.

His personality is still as blunt as ever.

***

[Arthur Wellington, the embodiment of the stars]