Mingrin, who had been waiting at the site, greeted us wearing the class T-shirt.

Mingrin’s slogan was “Bare face suits you well!”, and the one who wrote it for her was Kwon Rena.

For reference, Kwon Rena’s slogan was “Cheering for any Rena,” written by Mingrin herself. It showed that she cared for Rena regardless of her last name or background.

Even though the slogans were chosen by random draw, the two ended up writing slogans for each other.

Looking around at the classmates, Mingrin said,

“Is everyone here? I heard Daeseok said the association would see him off... What about Baekho?”

“He can’t come. Still, he’ll enjoy the picnic in his own way.”

The White Tiger, who couldn’t leave the silver light zone, naturally couldn’t join the Hongcheon picnic.

According to Gung-gi, the mastermind was blatantly trying to lure the beastmen out from Shinyeok, but they couldn’t respond to that.

As Hwang Ji-ho said, by now Baekho was probably enjoying the picnic through me in real time.

Maybe he’s even wearing the class T-shirt?

The slogan on the tiger’s T-shirt was “Ask me if you want to know!”, written by Sawol Seyum.

Because I kept talking about things no one asked about, even the kids who initially found it funny began to get tired of it, resulting in that phrase.

At least it was handled kindly by Sawol Seyum; if it had been Hwang Ji-ho, Cheongho, or me, who all had a lot bottled up, the slogans would have been harsher.

“The slogan selection was made through a very fair lottery.”

Cheongho and the White Tiger thoroughly monitored Hwang Ji-ho so he couldn’t manipulate the results, and as a result, the outcome was completely random.

Hwang Ji-ho actually seemed eager to take all the slogans for his close friends this time, but it didn’t work out that way.

The lottery results assigned Hwang Ji-ho the slogan for Yong Je-geon’s T-shirt.

Although he showed open dislike, the result didn’t change.

Hwang Ji-ho honestly wrote “Don’t want to write this” on Yong Je-geon’s shirt, which amused Yong Je-geon, who enjoyed seeing his emotions on display.

“Ah, Daeseok’s here! Wow, there’s so much writing on the T-shirt...”

“Tough luck. He got paired with Teacher Yong, of all people.”

Unlike the unmotivated slogan “Don’t want to write this,” Yong Je-geon was enthusiastic about writing slogans.

The victim was Song Daeseok, and Yong Je-geon wrote a long phrase that would scratch the victim the most.

The phrase read, “It’s really a shame and regret that I couldn’t see Green in person on the day of Bimuyeon. She looked so good.^^”

It referred to the moment Mingrin took off her AR glasses to watch Bimuyeon, a moment Song Daeseok missed and would likely feel pain over.

But Daeseok himself seemed distracted by something else.

“Daeseok?”

“Ah, sorry.”

When Mingrin approached and asked, Daeseok finally reacted.

Was he tired from working at the association until just before coming?

But judging by his expression, it didn’t seem so.

“I met a horse on the way...”

Daeseok couldn’t finish his sentence properly.

He seemed to have a lot on his mind about whatever he had seen.

“We had a chance to see a white horse while moving. Its mane was magnificent, and its coat was well kept!”

“There’s also horseback riding experience on today’s schedule. Even if there’s no horse as wonderful as that one, there should be at least one horse that suits us. Let’s hurry!”

Excited about the picnic day, Ong Gildong and Guseulbi, two attention seekers, walked ahead.

They were wearing identical T-shirts with the phrase “Eye-Catching” and decorated with badges, fresh flowers, and fallen leaves of various sizes and shapes, making their outfits stand out.

Maeng Hyo-don chose the slogan; since Song Daeseok was absent at the time, he also drew slogans on his behalf and ended up responsible for the two.

Maeng Hyo-don probably wanted to write something like “Attention Seed,” but despite his rough speech, he wasn’t lacking in common sense or consideration for the class, so after consulting with others, they settled on that slogan.

The two thought of themselves as attention-stealing presences and were not at all unhappy with the slogan.

Especially Ong Gildong, who was delighted that the word “stealing” suited a phantom thief, and Guseulbi was happy to have the same slogan as her partner.

“Looks like Daeseok also met those white horses.”

“They were looking at us just a while ago. Why? Did they have some connection to our class?”

“Daeseok is from this area, but Maeng Hyo-don saved a black horse’s divine beast. Still, they probably paid more attention to us than the class kids.”

At the back, Hwang Ji-ho and Cheongho exchanged low voices.

Cheongho wore the T-shirt that Kim Yuri wrote for Dokgo Miro, reading “Taeho Kwon Champion ٩^▽^۶,” which gave off a strong aura.

Meanwhile, Hwang Ji-ho wore the T-shirt written by Guseulbi, who had grievances with the tiger gang, bearing the phrase “Class Average Suppressor,” which looked ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) funny.

Aside from the humor, Hwang Ji-ho’s words caught my attention a bit.

“If I get a chance, I should ask directly through the black horse.”

We would have more opportunities to meet anyway in preparation for the demon world scenario.

Soon, we also joined the classmates’ conversation, whose main topic was the events that happened when Mingrin, Daeseok, and I visited Hongcheon before.

We couldn’t reveal the story of Dosihu’s reckless attempt causing a commotion, but we shared everything else we could.

The main topic was how Mingrin decided to meet the painter Hong Gyeong-baek again and the process involved.

Of course, it also included Daeseok’s past when he didn’t trust the classmates and couldn’t adapt, feeling like an outsider.

“Ah, that bastard talked more nonsense back then than now.”

“More tactless remarks than now?”

“What to do... can’t deny it...”

“Rena, there’s no need to deny the facts.”

Daeseok couldn’t argue, and Mingrin didn’t really stop him.

Thanks to that, the conversation included a story not from Hongcheon but about the day when Daeseok carried a sleeping Mingrin out of Kim Yuri’s house after studying for exams.

Unlike before, Daeseok, now socialized, blushed and felt embarrassed and sorry.

“That story again? Ah, sorry...”

“No need to apologize! It was fun then.”

While chatting, we soon reached our destination.

Players’ steps were much faster than ordinary people, allowing us to cover more schedules.

Following Mingrin’s guide, we saw some of Hongcheon’s nine scenic spots, walked through the ginkgo tree forest path, and at lunchtime, ate grilled food, buckwheat noodles, and potato dumplings.

Meanwhile, I compared what I saw at Plumago and now to organize my thoughts.

“It really is different seeing it in person. Even if population density isn’t high, there are quite a few houses and people passing by here and there. I have to take this into account when making plans.”

Even after arriving at the Mugunghwa Arboretum, my thoughts continued.

Although the experience program wasn’t running due to the season, we could still hear the explanations.

While listening to the guide, I reviewed the terrain and locations of man-made structures in my head.

The last destination was Hongcheon Ski Resort, where Mr. Ham Geun-hyeong had established a legend.

We couldn’t ski in November, but we chose this place because of the horseback riding club experience, gondola, and a giant swing at the mountain peak.

Before heading to the riding club, Hwang Ji-ho suggested,

“We still have time. How about a snack before going?”

“Using my powers to move makes me hungry. I’m cutting back though...”

After the single release, Dokgo Miro’s official activity period was over, but entertainment filming and events remained, and she was worried.

Dokgo Miro’s class T-shirt slogan, chosen by In Seon-oh, was “Maze Echoes.”

It was also the title of her debut song, roughly meaning “Echoes of the Maze,” fitting well.

“Then should we split one and share?”

“Yeah, I’ll share it with Han!”

Dokgo Miro’s short dilemma was quickly resolved.

The two stood happily in front of the showcase of the Dal Rabbit Rice Cake Tea House, located in the ski resort plaza, choosing rice cakes.

Even Hwang Ji-ho, who looked like a rice cake fanatic, was picking carefully.

His resentment toward Oktoyeon seemed to fade somewhat in front of the rice cakes.

“Still, it’s surprising the Dal Rabbit Rice Cake Tea House chain already opened here; business must be doing well.”

The Dal Rabbit Rice Cake Tea House in front of Eunkwang High School was always crowded, and here was no exception.

The rice cakes and traditional tea we took to go were delicious, justifying the crowd.

Actually, compared to the Dal Rabbit’s main store, this place was cheaper but didn’t offer the best value compared to other franchise cafes. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Still, the cups and rice cake packaging had a nostalgic, sentimental feel, and the taste was so good that paying that price was worth it.

Using a franchise tea house in a region outside Seoul was a bit odd, but they sold potato rice cakes as a Hongcheon limited menu, making it worth a try.

Even Yong Je-geon behaved quietly while eating the rice cakes.

“When will Mr. Ham Geun-hyeong, who we heard is joining us here, arrive?”

As snack time was ending, In Seon-oh asked.

Then Kim Yuri checked her device messenger and said,

“He finished his business but met someone he knows nearby. He’ll come as soon as they finish talking!”

“Then let’s buy some rice cakes for him too.”

“Better to choose together.”

I suggested, and Hwang Ji-ho immediately agreed.

There was no problem with Hwang Ji-ho picking, but since everyone recommended their favorite rice cakes, the amount increased.

Everyone liked Mr. Ham Geun-hyeong and hoped he’d eat a lot.

When it was time, we headed to the outdoor riding arena.

“Ah, that is...”

Though far away, Cheongho recognized someone and trailed off.

Then the kids who recognized Mr. Ham Geun-hyeong reacted warmly and approached him.

Hwang Ji-ho frowned.

“The black horse seems to have a lot of free time. I didn’t tell him to come here.”

The person Mr. Ham Geun-hyeong knew must have been the black horse.

Maeng Hyo-don, who had once received a precious gift from the black horse, seemed unsure at first.

With dark skin, long hair, and a three-piece suit, his appearance was striking and unforgettable, which made Maeng Hyo-don amazed in a way.

When the black horse noticed us, he stopped talking to Mr. Ham Geun-hyeong and came over.

“Hello.”

When the black horse spoke, I checked the cufflinks I was wearing today with the shirt.

There was no reaction.

Throughout the day in Hongcheon, whenever I was a little away from Yong Je-geon, I felt the demon tribe’s eyes, but not here.

Maybe Yong Je-geon was nearby and wary of being detected by the black horse.

After a brief greeting, the black horse came straight over.

Maeng Hyo-don was standing next to me.

“I heard the benefactor was coming, so I came myself. You want to try horseback riding? I’m the best teacher, so I’ll personally teach you.”

“Benefactor...?”

At the word “benefactor,” everyone reacted differently.

Somehow, everyone’s gaze turned strangely toward me.

The black horse kindly explained.

“These two are the benefactors.”

His finger stopped once on Maeng Hyo-don, once on me.