Chapter 247
Let me tell you upfront, my memory of toast stops at the 1,000-won cabbage-loaded egg toast from a street vendor in front of my school in my past life.
Egg toast: 1,000 won, ham toast: 1,500 won, ham and cheese toast: 2,000 won, special toast: 2,500 won.
The moment you take a bite, the corn kernels in the egg pop in your mouth—that’s the taste that’s etched in my memory.
Honestly, since those kinds of places disappeared, I haven’t had any memorable toast from a store.
Even if I eat toast now, it’s just some half-hearted sandwich I make at home with store-bought bread.
Anyway, inside the store, blending in with the crowd of people having bread for breakfast.
The moment I step inside, what catches my eye is…
[Mr. Egg 3.9]
[American Ham Cheese 4.9]
[Ham and Cheese French 4.9]
[Garlic Bacon Cheese 5.4]
[Beef Teriyaki 6.5]
[Avocado Bacon Street Toast 5.9]
[Beef and Cheese Street Toast 6.5]
‘Holy crap…’
The price tags are brutally assaulting my beautiful memories.
The cost of a measly slice of bread is on par with a decent hamburger.
Even though times have changed, the basic menu is now four times the price it used to be.
Well, I did find some cheap menu items that reminded me of the old days…
[Brioche 1.0]
[Garlic Butter 1.3]
[French Toast 1.4]
But those are just plain bread with no filling.
I used to not understand adults who reminisced about the days when ramen cost 10 won, but now I’m feeling that sentiment with my whole body.
While muttering curses under my breath, Siyeon, who’s far from that old-timer mindset, excitedly asks,
“What should we order? What do you want to eat?”
“…Looking at the prices, I’m already full.”
Half-serious, half-joking, I say that.
Some might say, “Come on, how much do you earn to be complaining about that?”
If they did, I’d reply, “Would you pay 60,000 won for a single chicken?”
This is the emotional gap between the “price you know” and the “actual price.”
No matter how much you earn, it’s just a physiological rejection from your brain and body.
Eventually, the cheapskate in me can’t help but blurt out,
“With the money for four or five of these, we could just get chicken…”
“Oh, come on! We came all the way here.”
Siyeon slaps my back, shutting down my nonsense.
It’s true, though. We came here to eat, so we should order something.
Time to pick what to stuff into our cramped morning stomachs.
“Then… garlic bacon cheese and Mr. Egg?”
I choose one basic menu item and one slightly fancier one, keeping it under 10,000 won—my mental limit.
“I’ll have the beef teriyaki and ham and cheese French!”
Meanwhile, Siyeon casually blows past the 10,000-won limit I thought was sacred.
Adding milk to drink, the total for two people ends up being the price of a whole chicken from an expensive brand.
Even though I’ve already been scolded by Siyeon once, I mutter to myself again,
‘With this money, we could’ve just gotten chicken…!’
Anyway, the order is in, and the toast starts being made in the kitchen.
The part-timers take the orders and move quickly.
Four orders at once—no wonder their hands are busy.
The long, black iron griddle, a rare sight in street restaurants these days.
A lump of yellow butter drops and quickly melts, sizzling.
Bacon, bread, and eggs dance on the heat, divided into sections on the griddle.
The three savory smells combine into an indescribable aroma that fills my nose.
For a moment, even the near-30,000-won price is forgotten by the nostalgic smell of street toast.
“Smells amazing—”
“Yeah…”
Sitting quietly, waiting for our order, when suddenly, pressure presses against my thigh from inside my thin pants pocket.
“Huh?”
Ignoring the pressure, thinking it’s just the chair, but then it presses again, confirming it’s not a mistake.
I glance at Siyeon, who’s looking at me with slightly anxious eyes.
She’s pinching my pants, tugging lightly.
The worst timing—our food is just being prepared.
‘What do I do…?’
My brain, which I barely use even during exams, starts spinning.
If I ask for the food to be packed and leave first, there’s no point in coming together.
What if Siyeon leaves first to handle things, and I pack the food and follow?
A brilliant division of labor flashes in my mind.
“I’ll pack the food and catch up, so you go ahead and handle it.”
“Ah…! Okay!”
After giving the order, we both get up and head to our tasks.
Siyeon heads outside, and I go to the counter.
Leaning on the counter, I ask the part-timer across from me to change the order.
“About our earlier order, can we change it to takeout?”
“Yes, that’s possible.”
“Then, please do that.”
Sitting alone near the counter, waiting for the packing to finish, I tap my feet impatiently.
The longest few minutes of my life.
The creatures that disrupted the cozy breakfast of magical girls will soon face the longest few minutes of their monster lives.
After what feels like an eternity, two plastic bags that are clearly ours are placed on the counter.
Neatly stacked inside are the toast and milk.
“Mr. Egg, garlic bacon, beef teriyaki, cheese French, and two milks for takeout.”
“Thank you, have a nice day.”
Grabbing the bags like someone might steal them, I bow slightly and head outside.
Looking around, I search for a secluded spot.
Meanwhile, the alarm starts ringing.
Where did Siyeon transform and fly off to?
‘Ah, here’s good.’
After some wandering, I find a tucked-away alley.
With a bag in each hand, I can’t run, so my transformation is unavoidably delayed.
“Sun.”
Even after transforming, I’m cruising at a steady speed in the sky.
What looks good tastes good, after all.
I couldn’t risk ruining the beautifully made toast.
Anyway, the reason I came out with Siyeon today was because we needed her binding abilities.
Flying over, I arrive at the scene to find it’s already over.
‘It’s done?’
The monsters are frozen in place, trapped in ice that’s spread like a flood on the street.
Their awkward postures suggest they were trying to scatter but got frozen mid-movement.
Siyeon, holding her magic wand in one hand, makes a V-sign with her thumb and index finger, showing off to me.
“Did I do well? I told you to expect great things, right?”
“A bit flashy, but you tied them up neatly. Good job.”
Her eager eyes seeking praise, I comply.
Our transformed heights make it the perfect setup to pat her head.
After placing the neatly packed toast bags on the roadside, I pat her head and then stroke her cheeks.
Thanks to the transformation, her cheeks are as soft as well-risen pizza dough.
It’s a chewiness you can’t feel on a high schooler’s cheeks.
“Muhihi.”
“Alright, let’s get started.”
After letting her enjoy the praise for a bit, we get back to our magical girl duties.
Stepping on the ice-covered street, I approach the monsters, their body parts sticking out of the ice.
“Y-you brats… how did you know!?”
One of the monsters, in a somewhat fancy black suit, vents his frustration as I get closer.
Among the various monster forms, his is somewhat unified.
Judging by their appearance, these are the monsters who came for the suitability assessment.
They don’t seem to know about the latest mascot radar.
“We have our ways. Now then…”
Wait, maybe they weren’t told because they weren’t welcome on the ship?
Whatever, I’m just here to do what I was asked.
“The Nightmare Torture Chamber is now open—”
What follows is a one-sided torture session.
Melting only parts of the monsters’ bodies, letting the sensation return bit by bit before heating them up again.
The sizzling sound of their skin burning.
Any creature with pain receptors would naturally scream.
“Kreeeaaak—!”
The suit’s surface can’t hold up, melting away to reveal the flesh beneath, now thoroughly roasted.
I don’t know what it tastes like, but it’s cooked enough to eat with a dab of ssamjang.
“Here, cool it down again.”
“Okay!”
Following my instructions, Siyeon indifferently places an ice block next to them, making a sizzling sound.
The concern she showed earlier for the monsters on the ship, worrying about returning the transmission device, is nowhere to be seen.
Or maybe she’s genuinely worried about the monsters on the ship getting hurt?
Freezing, burning, freezing, burning.
“Kreeeuuugh…!”
By the time their skin is necrotic and they’re somewhat relieved, we move to another body part and repeat.
Anyone who’s experienced pain knows this:
It’s much more painful to shift the pain around than to keep it in one spot.