Healing Castle | TXT Fantasy Novel ft. BTS

12 - Yeonjun

The food of Gwangjang Market spreads before Yeonjun like a vision of ecstasy. He loves all sorts of food—pho and ramyeon being his favorites—but Korean street food hits the spot in a different way. He could eat all day, sampling from every stall, until the market's crowd thins and the cooks chase him away.

Seeing so much food in one place gives him happiness beyond measure. Green pea pancakes, gimbap, mandu, and even sundae—a blood sausage he finds tastes good combined with everything in the market. Above the aromas and colorful dishes, the marketplace is full of wandering tourists and vendors attempting to sell their hottest items.

Yeonjun should probably be learning how to defend himself more properly—he still doesn't have a handle on his magical skills. Still, he deserves the time to enjoy food, right?

Does the Black Mage have to eat too?

Yeonjun shakes his head. After the vacation, he had plans to work hard on TXT's fourth studio album. A few of his original raps were approved, along with other melodies and lyrics. Right now, he and the members should be in the studio or dance room. He once dreaded those long hours repeating choreography until it burned into his memory. But now he wishes he could return to that routine.

But the Black Mage showed up out of nowhere. Now, Yeonjun wants nothing more than to forget about that evil being with a shadowy robe and staff

"Let's find somewhere to sit," Yeonjun suggests. Honestly, he's excited that their disguises are getting better. He could get used to walking the streets of Seoul and sitting in crowded restaurants.

They sit on a long bench with a bunch of street food displayed in front of them. Taehyun orders way too much food from the ajumma, more than enough to feed a group double their size. She gives them strange looks as they devour each dish.

After they eat a few stomach-fulls of their famous green pea pancakes, Yeonjun is ready to go home to rest.

But they're in a little too deep now—they need to stick to their training routine. At the spa, Yeonjun managed to form a few throwing stars to launch against the sauna's walls. Despite his fear of continuing onward, he suggested to the team that the spa should become their little dojo. They'll go there to practice their fighting abilities. That way, they'll be completely prepared once the Black Mage shows himself next.

Huening Kai buys a few bags of honey butter almonds, and Beomgyu buys a few CDs from a little music shop just outside the market. Soon, the sky darkens and most of the shops of Gwangjang Market close down. Yeonjun is surprised at how quickly the store owners can pack up and leave. They complete the tasks as easily as shifting dust with a finger.

"I don't think the Black Mage will show up now," Yeonjun says. "Maybe he knows we're more prepared this time. After all, it'll be five against one once he comes back."

Taehyun speaks bluntly. "The Black Mage isn't scared of any beginners. Don't you remember the game? Even the best players with the highest levels couldn't beat him."

"We're not complete beginners," is Yeonjun's first response. "We played the game before. We know the tricks."

"A throwing star isn't going to beat the Mage," says Taehyun.

As always, the smartest in the group proves his point. But yeah... they're going to need much more than a few simple abilities.

"I think Taehyun is right," says Soobin. "We need to practice much more. You guys saw what the Mage can do. He can take the form of any human being in front of us. That's the scary thing. He could come at us whenever he wants to, without us even knowing."