Chapter 1195: Extremes (6)

While the American researchers were making their way into King Sejong Station, Eric Kimmer could not tear his eyes away from the scene before him.

How strange.

He was a penguin researcher.

The beach around King Sejong Station was mostly occupied by seals. There were only a handful of gentoo penguins.

Then what in the world was this?

A colony of penguins had claimed new territory and was happily sunbathing there.

Something must have happened.

"I don't understand."

"Hm?"

"The gentoo penguins living around here shouldn't be capable of taking on the seals. Were there a lot of penguins when they fought? Or was there an unusually aggressive and powerful individual among them...?"

As Eric muttered to himself, his colleagues placed their hands on his shoulders.

"Eric, we understand how much you love penguins, but we're starving right now. I feel like I could eat a horse alive. Can't we hurry inside?"

"She's right. You can just ask Doctor Penguin."

"Ah."

Eric nodded.

Come to think of it, Doctor Pang is here.

Doctor Pang Gwiin of King Sejong Station was a local celebrity known throughout the area as Doctor Penguin.

-Have you heard about that crazy Korean researcher? Apparently, he conducted an experiment with penguin droppings smeared all over his clothes.

Moreover, among penguin researchers, he was regarded as a "true penguin expert."

Eric accepted the suggestion.

"I suppose I can ask him. Let's go inside."

"Yeah."

Just before entering, the American researchers turned toward one person.

"Amy."

"Yep."

"We'll give you the honor of going in first."

The red-haired paleontologist breathing heavily was a well-known Souffle even at the American station.

Her room was plastered with NewBlack and Tyrannosaurus posters.

For a paleontologist who studied dinosaurs, placing something on the same level as dinosaurs meant it was truly precious to her.

"Oh, my."

After holding a hand over her chest for a long moment as though her heart were trembling, the researcher opened the door to King Sejong Station and stepped inside.

At that very moment.

Shalalala-

Flower petals drifted through the air from somewhere.

Bathed in radiant light, five men in chef uniforms stood striking poses.

"Welcome."

"Welcome to Penguin Restaurant."

At the sight of NewBlack smiling and winking at her, the Souffle looked ready to faint.

Shalalala-

Flower petals scattered through the air once more.

The American researchers picked up the petals that landed on their shoulders and blinked.

A space heater?

Lights?

When they saw NewBlack standing beneath a light while using a space heater to blow petals into the air, they burst out laughing.

The five members, all wearing penguin headbands, welcomed them.

"Welcome!"

"Waaaaaaaaah!"

The American researchers smiled bashfully at the enthusiastic greeting.

They might have been skilled at socializing, but this was their first time meeting stars of this caliber.

Seeing the faces they had watched on television talk shows standing directly in front of them felt both fascinating and strangely embarrassing.

Fortunately, the King Sejong Station researchers appeared behind NewBlack, allowing them to relax.

"You made it."

"Come on in."

The American researchers clicked their tongues in amazement as they looked at the people filling the dining hall.

"It looks like we're the last ones."

"Yes. You're our final guests. China, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Brazil... The people from the other stations on King George Island arrived first, and then people from more distant stations came too."

"It's practically the United Nations."

Everyone laughed at someone's joke that they could hold an international academic conference here, then took their seats.

Someone whispered to a colleague.

"Look at Amy's face."

"I've never seen her smile that shyly before. Usually, she roars and causes a scene like a T. rex."

They could see the paleontologist speaking with NewBlack.

Amy Parkins, who looked ready to burst into tears as she repeatedly nodded with one hand over her mouth, said something, and Ri Hyuk walked over and hugged her.

She promptly began sobbing.

"I think they call it a bias? I'm not sure, but apparently Ri Hyuk is her favorite member of the group."

"I thought she liked sturdy people built like a T. rex. Someone like Junghyun over there."

Just as they said that, the youngest member teased Ri Hyuk about something. His face turned bright red, and he let out a furious screech.

The researchers nodded in understanding.

"He does look like a dinosaur when he's angry."

"Not a carnivore or an herbivore, though. You know the one? That tiny, nasty dinosaur from Jurassic Park 2 that attacks children."

"So she did like dinosaur-like men after all."

Throughout all of this, none of the American researchers noticed anything strange.

Without realizing it, they had begun naturally pronouncing the Korean names of NewBlack's members, names that should have been difficult for them to say.

After finishing their welcome, the NewBlack members stood before the guests from various countries seated throughout the dining hall.

Wooju grinned and waved.

"Thank you for waiting, everyone."

"Waaaaaaaaah!"

"We sincerely welcome all of you to NewBlack's Penguin Restaurant, established today at King Sejong Station."

The researchers applauded and cheered enthusiastically.

"Now, allow us to introduce today's menu. First, our main course is NewBlack Hamburger Steak."

Biju, wearing a chef's hat, brought out a hamburger steak with hot steam rising from it.

When he poured sauce from a curry pot over the steak, exclamations erupted throughout the room.

This is insane.

I'm eating food like this in Antarctica...

Ri Hyuk, standing beside him, smiled and said,

"We have also prepared mushroom steaks and tofu dishes for our vegetarian guests."

"Waaaaaaaaah!"

As they introduced a variety of other dishes, including Argentinian milanesa, the researchers swallowed hungrily.

NewBlack's youngest member smiled adorably.

"We'll bring out your food as soon as it's ready! We'll serve you in the order you arrived. And..."

Jiho turned toward the Souffles gathered together at a separate table.

"The Souffles go first!"

"Boooooooo!"

Researchers from around the world playfully booed them, but NewBlack merely giggled.

"See you again in a little while!"

As NewBlack immediately returned to finish the dishes they had prepared in advance, the guests applauded and looked around.

Fascinating.

Some of them had visited King Sejong Station once or twice before.

They had come to interact with the other Antarctic research stations, but the place was far more lavishly decorated than it had been then.

Decorations filled every corner.

LED candles.

And then...

Clink- Pour-

The researchers blinked when they identified the person using tongs to place chunks of glacial ice into wineglasses before filling them with water.

"Doctor Pang...?"

"Ha ha."

Doctor Pang Gwiin was filling their glasses.

The researchers looked bewildered.

"Doctor Pang, why are you serving tables...?"

"We're short-handed, so I ought to help."

"..."

Now that they looked, the Korean researchers were walking around in shirts, serving food like waiters.

Some of them were senior researchers like Doctor Pang, leaving the Americans with no choice but to blink.

Is Korean culture different from ours?

People from other countries often regarded Americans as informal, but hierarchy within American academia was strict as well.

And yet a renowned penguin researcher was doing this sort of work here...?

"By the way."

Eric Kimmer, a fellow penguin researcher, asked Doctor Pang,

"Come to think of it, I witnessed something strange near the station. Do you happen to know what caused it?"

"What phenomenon...? Ah, you mean the penguin colony."

"Yes."

Professor Eric Kimmer adjusted his glasses and offered his opinion.

"From what I saw, the gentoo penguins appear to have defeated the seals in a territorial dispute. It is an extremely rare phenomenon. The seals around here may be relatively small, but they are still unquestionably higher on the food chain."

"That's true."

"Do you know the reason?"

Doctor Pang nodded.

"It has something to do with Wooju over there."

"Wooju? Ah, you mean Sunny."

"That day, part of the gentoo colony seemed to recognize Wooju as their first penguin."

First penguin.

Penguins lived in groups and dove into the ocean to hunt. The term referred to the leader-like penguin that took the first plunge.

Professor Eric Kimmer blinked.

"Sunny led the penguins in a charge?"

"No. I suppose you might call him their last penguin instead. They seemed to regard him as some sort of powerful backer."

"..."

"I'll explain later. There are things I need to tell the other penguin researchers."

When Doctor Pang mentioned teaching them certain gestures, Eric Kimmer tilted his head.

What does that mean? Did a human become the penguins' alpha? Is that even possible?

With those thoughts in mind, he closely observed the NewBlack members.

Snap, snap-

Wooju snapped his fingers, and Junghyun hurried over at once.

Junghyun listened carefully as Wooju gave him some sort of instruction, then swiftly began organizing the dining hall. Meanwhile, NewBlack's leader leaned over and whispered something to Doctor Pang.

Then the instruction was relayed again.

Didn't they say NewBlack only arrived yesterday?

Watching Wooju take command of everyone like an experienced restaurant owner after a single day, Professor Eric Kimmer stroked his chin.

...I don't know about the penguins, but he has certainly won over the humans.

It made a little more sense now.

He definitely possesses the qualities of a first penguin.

Though it was a rather strange conclusion.

NewBlack's Penguin Restaurant had opened for business in Antarctica!

Just as they had done during Goblin Restaurant, dish after dish was sent out, with Bulgogi Steak as the main course.

"Biju. Someone at table three has a seafood allergy."

"Okay~"

We confirmed everything the head chef, Biju, needed to know and provided various services to soothe the starving guests waiting in the dining hall.

Jiho, who was vigorously stirring a sauce, said,

"This is still way easier than when we did it in Gurye."

"Right?"

The people at King Sejong Station had worried that it would be too much work for us, but we found it perfectly manageable.

Compared to when we had served hundreds of customers a day, we were more than capable of handling this number of guests.

It might have been difficult if every person from every station had come, but that was not the case.

I smiled at the camera as I cooked.

"Can you see us, viewers?"

"Thanks to how tough you raised us, we're running this restaurant with ease. Hahahaha."

"Those days bring back so many memories. I want to go back..."

My voice trailed off.

"...No, I don't."

"Memories are best left as memories."

I nodded at Junghyun's soft chuckle.

Then, once the final table had been served, I finally took a moment to breathe.

One of the kitchen staff said,

"We'll finish the desserts, so all of you should take a break. You're sweating buckets."

"Thank you."

Fanning ourselves with our hands, we stepped out of the hot kitchen.

As soon as we entered the dining hall, the foreign guests who had finished eating stood and offered us handshakes.

"Thank you for inviting us. I'm Paul Beckmann."

"Ah..."

The German researcher responsible for this entire situation smiled warmly and expressed his gratitude.

All we could do was swallow our tears and smile back.

Next time, I will never make an empty offer to a German.

Remember this. These people don't understand jokes...

Researchers from Germany and various other countries greeted us in English, their common language.

There were researchers from the Chinese station, as well as South American researchers from Chile, Argentina, and elsewhere.

"We brought gifts for NewBlack. I heard Korea celebrates the new year according to the lunar calendar?"

They gave us food from their respective countries and various other gifts, and we thanked them with smiles.

Doctor Pang Gwiin spoke beside me.

"This makes me feel strangely proud."

"Pardon?"

"Our country was something of a latecomer to Antarctic development. There were all sorts of complications when King Sejong Station was first established. But looking at this now... it feels as though we've become the center of Antarctica."

"Ah..."

"Hohohoho. Becoming the center with the help of NewBlack's power isn't so bad."

"..."

I did not know why the colony of penguins charging at the seals yesterday came to mind, but it seemed like a good thing regardless.

"All right! Dessert is ready!"

The kitchen staff brought out finely shaved Antarctic glacial ice at the perfect moment, drawing cheers from all around.

"This is our member Ri Hyuk's recipe, his special Seori Shaved Ice, everyone!"

Seori Shaved Ice decorated with fruit syrups and various toppings.

As praise came from every direction, the dining hall grew as lively and cheerful as a festival.

Researchers from different countries began discussing their fields of study, while others laughed with flushed faces as they tried whiskey with chunks of ice floating in it or Korean raspberry wine.

"Yes. This is it."

While Producer Gu Jaeyoung eagerly captured the footage he had been hoping for, my underlings and I were enjoying dessert with the Souffles.

We asked the Souffles, who shyly accepted signed CDs from us,

"Is there a song you'd like to hear?"

"Yes..."

The American paleontologist who introduced herself as Amy answered, and I raised my eyebrows with a smile.

"Really? What song would you like to hear?"

"Well..."

"Hm?"

"All of them..."

The other Souffles nodded in agreement, and we burst into laughter.

Amy said,

"Honestly, I love every song. Being able to see NewBlack this close is really..."

"I never imagined it. Seeing NewBlack in Antarctica when I couldn't even see you in my own country..."

"I'm so jealous of Suyeon right now. We're leaving today, but Suyeon gets to keep seeing you."

Suyeon, the Souffle from the Korean station, adjusted her glasses with a quiet laugh while the other fans looked at her enviously.

Ri Hyuk asked,

"What song are we going to sing?"

"Hmm."

We had already decided on the songs and set list we would perform for the people at King Sejong Station, but we had not chosen anything to sing for an audience made up of so many nationalities.

"Hmm. What should we sing so everyone goes around saying we were amazing~~?"

"...I told you to stop doing that. It makes you sound old."

At that moment, a good idea flashed through my mind.

The people of King Sejong Station and the researchers from various countries were engaged in an animated discussion about Antarctica before us.

Their many nationalities and the dishes laid out in front of us passed through my mind, and a plan lit up in my head.

"Come to think of it..."

I asked my younger members,

"We released the Overcooked album, but we've never actually performed any of its tracks before, have we?"

"No."

"Let's contact Seokhwan. I just had a good idea."

As I explained it, the members' eyes lit up in delight.

We immediately called Seokhwan in Korea, discussed the matter, and finalized the details.

As we prepared the stage, Doctor Pang Gwiin approached us with a little bounce in his step.

"Wooju?"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Producer Gu just told me NewBlack is going to hold an SNS livestream while performing. So..."

A group of scientists from various countries had gathered closely behind him, fidgeting as though they had a request to make.

The scientists said,

"We heard that a great many people gather whenever NewBlack goes live."

"If you have some time left after the livestream, could we appear with you?"

"We thought it might be a valuable opportunity to tell people about Antarctica."

We readily nodded.

"We'd be happy to."

Since we were already performing live, it seemed like a good idea to use the opportunity to spread awareness about Antarctica as well.

As we said that, we rubbed our palms together.

"All right, underlings!"

"Yesh!"

"From this moment on, we begin the Souffle summoning ritual!"

"Yes!"

All that remained was to lure in the Souffles.

It was the dark age of content drought.

The Souffles drifted across the sea of content with bored expressions.

Hmm. There's no content.

When they said there was no content, they meant there was no real-time content being provided by NewBlack.

After scrolling through everything from prerecorded NewBlack TV videos to various other pieces of content, they turned to the news.

-NewBlack visits Antarctica to film a television program.

Apparently, they had gone there to cook for the Koreans in Antarctica, but Souffles from other countries found it difficult to understand why they had traveled all the way there.

Not every fan was well versed in Korean news, including the ratings promise NewBlack had made in Korea.

"Ah~ I'm so bored~"

What mattered was that there was no content.

As though someone had sensed the Souffles' boredom, a notification appeared.

Ding-dong!

It was a livestream alert from the SNS accounts they followed, including the Y app and MyTube.

The thumbnail looks strange.

A completely dark, empty background.

-???? what

-i cant see anything

-I can't see a thing;;

-what is this

Then, at that very moment.

Flash-

Dalbong's light glimmered in the darkness, revealing five silhouettes.

Huh?

Huh...?

Plump bellies.

Luxurious fur.

Bobbing footsteps.

Amid the cheers of the crowd, an emperor penguin and its penguin underlings struck seductive poses.

"..."

The fans' mouths fell open.

Longtime fans were familiar with the mascot costumes, but the huge influx of recent newcomers was bewildered.

Wh-What is this?

I opened a NewBlack livestream.

Just as they stared blankly at the screen...

Swoosh-

The penguins raised their wings and perched sunglasses over their beaks, then snapped their fingers.

Flash, flash-

Beneath Wangbong's light, glittering like a mirror ball, the penguins in sunglasses began to dance.

While the newcomers remained bewildered, the veteran Souffles smiled fondly.

Our boys never forget where they started...

A single tear rolled down their cheeks.

Though I think it would be fine if they finally forgot...