Once Part 2 began, the background switched to a clean shared kitchen. Spark, dressed in navy aprons, stood waiting beside a table piled high with pumpkins.
『Seongbin: At last, we've gathered the ingredients needed to make jack-o'-lanterns!』
『Giyeon: There really are no easy things in this world.』
'Wouldn't things have been easier if they'd just gone to a supermarket...?'
Then again, it probably would've been less shocking and less entertaining. Spark always showed Sparklers only the weirdest possible versions of themselves. At this point, nothing my idols did could surprise me anymore.
Using small saws, Spark cut open pumpkin lids and diligently scooped out the insides.
『Cheonghyeon: There's way more to hollow out than I expected.』
『Giyeon: Juu hyung is basically an excavator at this point.』
『Juu: Maybe I should change careers....』
『Jeho: Into what? Construction work?』
The members' nonstop chatter was just as overwhelming as the arm muscles flexing from all their hard work. It was hard deciding whether to focus on the visuals or the audio.
『Seongbin: Jeong Seongjun would've been good at this kind of thing.』
『Juu: No, Seongbin, you too....』
『Giyeon: Why can't you finish the sentence, hyung?』
『Cheonghyeon: Even Juu hyung can't bring himself to lie.』
In the end, Park Juu completely failed to comment after seeing Jeong Seongbin's sketch. Everyone was shocked once it was revealed that Seongbin had simply drawn an utterly normal pumpkin face.
A visual reference popped up in the corner of the screen showing melon and grape art supposedly made by Jeong Seongjun. Unlike his explosively artistic spirit, his actual skill level was outstanding.
『Iwol: Jeho, how did I tell you to separate the seeds and flesh?』
『Jeho: Seeds on the left, flesh on the right.』
『Iwol: Then what exactly is happening on your plate?』
『Jeho: Ah.』
Choi Jeho saved time through sheer brute strength, only to spend all of it resorting the mixed-up ingredients afterward. He still had energy left over too, enough to help hollow out Jeong Seongbin's pumpkin as well.
『Giyeon: Does anyone like pumpkin-dried sirutteok? I used to eat it a lot as a kid.』
『Cheonghyeon: You put pumpkin in sirutteok?』
『Giyeon: You slice and dry pumpkin, then steam it in.』
『Iwol: People also hand it out a lot as opening gifts or thank-you rice cakes.』
『Seongbin: Hyung, are you secretly part of some entrepreneur networking group?』
All the pumpkin dish talk made me hungry too. Won Chaehui immediately searched pumpkin-dried sirutteok on a portal site. Bright yellow pumpkin pieces sat layered between the red bean rice cakes.
"Shopping cart...."
Things like this needed to be saved immediately before they got forgotten. Otherwise, once the self-produced content ended, she'd definitely end up going, "Ah... what was I thinking about earlier again?" while wandering the sea of forgetfulness.
After adding a highly rated frozen rice cake set to her cart, Won Chaehui focused on the video again.
Tempered through brutal training, every single Spark member managed to hollow out their pumpkins without complaining once about being tired.
Then they entered the detailed stage requiring delicate craftsmanship, and the audio became...
『Cheonghyeon: Why did I think making firework-pattern lighting would bring me wealth and glory?』
『Iwol: Cheonghyeon, was your love for the team really fragile enough to collapse over something like this?』
『Cheonghyeon: You're seriously so annoying.』
『Jeho: .......』
『Giyeon: (the maknae staring nervously at the suddenly silent hyung)』
『Jeho: What do I do if I accidentally pierced all the way through this?』
『Giyeon: What do you mean what do we do? The light'll just shine through brighter. More importantly, hyung, didn't you punch through your desk mat last time too?』
『Jeho: (tries fitting the pumpkin chunk back into place)』
『Iwol: Do you really think that'll stick back on?!』
...None of it decreased in the slightest. Neither the pumpkin filling nor the amount of talking. It was almost strange that pumpkin smell wasn't leaking out through the screen itself. Watching Spark chatter endlessly without pause, Won Chaehui wanted to give them the title of masters of multitasking.
After countless twists and turns, six giant pumpkin lanterns were finally completed.
But the playback bar had only just barely crossed the halfway point.
An icon reading "Spark's Cooking Class" popped up in the corner of the screen, and with bright sparkling effects, the mountain of pumpkin flesh Choi Jeho had painstakingly sorted appeared piled across the table.
『Iwol: We will now be taking some time during the intermission to make gluten-free pumpkin muffins and cookies.』
『Juu: Couldn't we make pumpkin porridge too....?』
『Iwol: ......And we'll also be making pumpkin porridge!』
The recipe followed an old cookbook Jeong Seongbin had brought from his family home. Additional explanation revealed it was a venerable book that had existed on the bookshelf since before Seongbin was even born.
『Seongbin: Ever since becoming an idol, my baking skills have improved a lot.』
『Iwol: The more skills you have, the better.』
『Seongbin: That's true. They say technology is national power too.』
『Juu: Hyung, your pumpkin looks kind of unhealthy....』
『Jeho: Why?』
『Cheonghyeon: Didn't you torture it too much while extracting the insides?』
『Iwol: Juu, your knife skills improved.』
『Juu: I can cut anything now....』
『Giyeon: ......? That's actually kind of scary.』
Either way, the muffins came together effortlessly in Spark's hands.
Really effortlessly.
So effortlessly that freshly baked muffins ended up piled in endless rows, while yellow cookies waited behind them for their turn in the oven.
After insert shots of the golden-brown muffins and cookies came a dangerously addictive packaging montage. The word "ASMR" appeared in cursive as soft crinkling sounds tickled the ears. Six pairs of hands rapidly packaged snacks in double speed.
The reason Spark — who supposedly only ate desserts once they'd forgotten what sugar tasted like due to strict management — had suddenly become so passionate about baking was soon revealed.
The screen slowly blurred out, and small subtitles explained that the snacks Spark baked had [N O V E L I G H T] been sent to nearby welfare centers and children's playrooms.
Even after the subtitles disappeared, the focus kept blurring further. Multicolored shapes melted together into a warm glowing orange.
From the speakers came bubbling sounds.
Beyond the gradually sharpening focus, something resembling magma... boiled furiously.
『Part 3. Throwing a Party』
『Juu: It's done....』
What boiled inside the pitch-black pot was pumpkin porridge. A pale hand with black-painted nails lifted a ladle and scooped the porridge into hollowed mini sweet pumpkins.
『Iwol: Ghosts, come get your snacks.』
『Cheonghyeon: Yes~!』
Won Chaehui blinked repeatedly in disbelief. Any Sparkler would've reacted exactly the same upon witnessing Kim Iwol — wearing a gat and black durumagi like a grim reaper — handing a mini pumpkin bowl to Lee Cheonghyeon, who wore fox ears.
Beside them, Park Juu had draped himself in a tattered white cloth with a hood. His face looked paler than usual, and his fingernails were painted blue. Jeong Seongbin approached carrying an ornate silver tray loaded with pumpkin bowls, dressed in a sparkling navy wizard hat and a cape decorated with golden stars.
Jeong Seongbin and Lee Cheonghyeon carried the pumpkin porridge away. As the camera slowly panned after them...
『Giyeon: Isn't it hot? Here, let me take that.』
『Jeho: Anything else we need to bring?』
...Choi Jeho appeared in a suit with silver hair and a long black cape, while Kang Giyeon showed up covered head to toe in green stains like he'd been splattered by paint rounds.
Apparently cosplay had experience points too. No wonder companies always preferred experienced hires. Watching the incredibly natural makeup and high-quality costumes — beyond merely looking believable — Won Chaehui couldn't help but admire them.
『Seongbin: Should we explain our characters first for the confused Sparklers?』
The kind leader even took the time to soothe Won Chaehui's startled heart. Thanks to that, she managed to calm down enough to properly appreciate Spark's new looks.
『Iwol: As you can see, I'm a grim reaper. The dark circles are painted on! I don't normally look like this.』
『Jeho: I'm a vampire.』
Choi Jeho lifted one corner of his lips with a finger. Sharp fangs filled the screen in close-up.
『Seongbin: I became a dark wizard. I even have a staff!』
Jeong Seongbin fumbled around behind his chair before pulling something out. It was a large plastic rod painted with a red eye. If they hadn't explained it was made by dismantling the dorm's broken vacuum cleaner, it genuinely looked like a professionally manufactured prop.
『Juu: I'm a little ghost. People said regular ghosts might give nightmares... so I tried to make it as approachable as possible.』
Won Chaehui both desperately wanted and absolutely did not want to know how realistic the original draft had been. She felt relieved that Park Juu had made a wise decision. His pale complexion already looked cold enough even while wrapped in rags.
When Lee Cheonghyeon introduced himself as a desert nine-tailed fox, she briefly thought the older members had at least given the younger ones cute concepts.
Then Kang Giyeon's deep backstory reminded her exactly how relentless Spark could be.
『Giyeon: I'm a zombie. Luckily, I came back to life, so now I live forever.』
The green liquid covering him turned out to be the blood of other zombies. Only then did the exhaustion and hardship of survival become visible within Kang Giyeon's ragged outfit.
Ghosts and monsters gathered together and happily ate pumpkin porridge. Even during snack time, nobody broke character.
『Cheonghyeon: Jeho hyung, didn't they say you were originally a tiger back during the founding myths? How'd you become a vampire?』
『Iwol: Around the time Korea hit 100 million dollars in exports, he got shipped overseas and exposed to foreign culture, so his species changed.』
『Cheonghyeon: So even after evolving, you still can't eat garlic.』
『Giyeon: Sharing a meal with a hyung I never thought I'd meet in my lifetime... it's an honor.』
『Iwol: You never showed up in the underworld registry.』
『Giyeon: Oh, I definitely did. I just secretly erase my name with correction tape every time.』
『Seongbin: You've become a master at it now....』
『Jeho: Jeong Seongbin really looks like a real wizard stirring porridge like that.』
『Juu: "Looks like"? Seongbin is a wizard.』
『Jeho: Right. True.』
After thoroughly stealing the sanity of every Sparkler watching, Spark themselves simply enjoyed a cheerful little snack party together. They even turned off the kitchen lights and took sentimental Polaroids in front of the glowing jack-o'-lanterns.
『If you don't forget us and keep waiting, we'll come back again next year!』
The video ended on that playful handwritten message.
With a heart warmed through, Won Chaehui immediately opened PhotoFlat faster than anyone else.
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