The stage set up in Orce Square was larger than expected. Even though the performance was still an hour away, some people were already sitting in good spots to get a better view.
"Didn't it look smaller in the Nertube video?"
"Last year, more people came than expected, so they made it bigger this time."
"I see. That's great!"
Charlie's answer made Seojun nod. In the center of the square stage, which was lit by lights, there was a straight runway extending out, similar to a catwalk for a fashion show, but it was a bit wider and shorter.
'I'll walk out this way.'
Seojun, satisfied with the unexpectedly large stage, nodded as he mentally mapped out his path.
"This way leads to the back of the stage."
Following Charlie's guidance, the area behind the stage was bustling. Contest participants were receiving numbers and handing over papers with the timing for their music and stage effects to the organizers.
Seojun also handed over his paper and received a number. After a short wait, an employee who was checking the applications started the draw. Seojun was the last of the 13 teams.
"This way. The performance teams prepare further inside because they have a lot of props."
Following Charlie, two groups were seen enthusiastically rehearsing and practicing their routines. At a glance, one group was clearly vampires, and the other was werewolves. The vampires were dressed in elegant suits, while the werewolves had their wolf masks off, showing their human faces.
"Uncles! Dad!"
"Charlie!"
"Looks like the tailless little wolf has arrived."
The vampires and werewolves who were practicing greeted Charlie. Charlie's appearance caused a brief pause in the practice. As everyone took a break to drink water, a stranger walked up to Charlie and hugged him.
"Dad!"
"…Dad?"
Seojun blinked. For a moment, the face and title didn't match. Oh, right. Charlie is human, and Charlie's dad is human too.
The wolf mask was so impressive that only the wolf face remained in his memory. Even his parents, who had only seen them briefly, looked surprised.
The man who hugged Charlie tightly spoke.
"Thank you for taking care of Charlie."
"No problem. We really enjoyed it."
"Charlie knows a lot about the festival."
Praising the couple, Charlie's dad smiled and patted Charlie's head. After exchanging greetings with others, Seojun's group headed outside.
"Participants can sit in the front row. This way."
Charlie led the way.
"But are they all actors?"
"No. My dad runs a restaurant right here. The beef bourguignon is the best, but everything else is delicious too. You should try it later."
Seojun and the couple blinked. So Charlie's dad is a chef.
"The vampire leader makes wine, and the other uncles have their own jobs."
"Why are they performing?"
"Orce is known for its wine, but there are many places in France that are famous for wine. They thought about how to attract more people to Orce and came up with the Halloween festival. The festival has been around for a long time, but there weren't many participants. Since there are many Halloween festivals, they wanted to make it special. They decided to create a setting that people could really immerse themselves in and stick to it. Among the various events they started, the vampire and werewolf showdown was the most popular."
Seojun nodded.
"Dad suggested extending it to a performance. The first performance was a bit clumsy, but everyone loved it. More tourists came, and that's why everyone is so enthusiastic. Even if they can't do anything else, no one can match our uncles in acting as vampires or werewolves."
Seojun shrugged at Charlie's words. Acting as a monster, huh? There was someone here who could do it better than anyone.
"I can do it too."
"My dad has been doing it for 10 years."
"I can do it that well too."
In this life. Seojun swallowed the rest of his words and chuckled. The couple also smiled at Seojun's words.
"Sit here for a good view. After the awards ceremony, Dad's performance will be here, so we can all watch it together."
Seo Eun-hye put her bag on a chair and decided to wait for the contest with Seojun behind the stage, while Min-joon decided to film Seojun's performance from the audience. Charlie decided to watch the contest with Seojun behind the stage.
* * *
As the performance time approached, the area in front of the stage became crowded. People dressed as various monsters took their seats.
The Monster Inc. staff, who had finished setting up their booths, and Grace and her family, who had finished dinner, also found seats with a good view of the stage.
"Is Jun going to come?"
"I forgot to ask for his phone number."
"Let's meet him after the performance."
Grace, who was with her family, looked lively. Her family also felt relieved by her energetic mood.
After a short wait, announcements in French, English, and several other languages were made.
[The Monster Contest is about to begin. Please take your seats.]
Grace straightened her back and looked up at the stage.
[First participant. Dance of the Fairy!]
Upbeat music played. A beam of light fell on the stage, which had been dark. Something was on the stage.
As the lights gradually turned on, the stage brightened. Something that had been curled up like an egg in the center of the stage slowly rose.
It stood up and stretched out its arms. At the same time, wings unfolded from its back. A fairy with iridescent wings began to dance.
"Wow!!"
"Is she a ballerina? Amazing!"
Grace, who had been clapping with the crowd, stopped.
"No. I need to cheer for Jun."
Seeing her daughter clench her hands, Grace's parents laughed.
The first participant left the stage, and the second participant came on. This time, it was a funny concept with a participant riding a Pegasus model.
The front legs of the Pegasus were a puppet, and the back legs were the participant's. Of course, the legs of the person on top of the Pegasus were also a model.
"Yah!"
With cheerful music, the participant ran around. Laughter erupted from the audience. The participants watching on TV behind the stage also burst out laughing.
The participants, who had been intimidated by the fairy's performance, decided to enjoy themselves.
"Anyway, I applied to have fun!"
"I worked really hard on this, so I have to go on stage!"
The participants regained their energy and one by one took the stage.
A performance of witches and wizards casting spells. A performance of Jack O'Lantern choosing a new pumpkin head from a wardrobe. A performance of a vampire dancing with a beautiful woman and biting her neck.
After several short performances, it was Seojun's turn. The previous participant left the stage, and Min-joon, who knew it was Seojun's turn, started filming.
The music Seojun prepared was a drumbeat, a heavy sound like a temple drum.
Dong!
Smoke rose from both sides of the stage. It was a device provided by the organizers. Among the various effects, Seojun chose smoke.
Dong! Dong!
The audience's hearts beat in time with the drumbeat. Seojun, standing at the side of the stage, put on a wolf cap and growled very low and softly.
[(Skill) The wolf transformation of the shadow werewolf is activated.]
A long shape appeared from Seojun's shadow. It was a shadow wolf. Seojun bent his knees and bowed, stepping onto the stage with soft paws. The shadow wolf stood next to Seojun, and their images overlapped.
The fake wolf ears and tail on Seojun, who was wearing the shadow wolf, moved as if they were alive.
Using his right hand, left hand, right foot, and left foot, Seojun moved his body for a moment. Once he got used to the quadrupedal movement, he activated another skill.
[(Skill) The fog of the cloud whale is activated.]
[(Skill) The fog of the cloud whale - Intermediate]
Fog rises from the blowhole of a whale flying in the sky.
The density and thickness of the fog can be controlled.
Fog flowed out from Seojun's body. The two hands and two feet that touched the stage were filled with strength. Seojun and the shadow wolf entered the thick fog.
* * *
The stage was filled with smoke. It was the strongest effect provided by the organizers so far. Nothing could be seen. As the stage filled with fog like a cloud, the organizers checked the smoke machine.
"Hmm. The machine seems fine?"
"Maybe it's the weather."
While the organizers were puzzled, the audience was looking for the thirteenth participant on the stage. The smoke was so thick that nothing could be seen on the stage.
"What can you see?"
"Nothing, I can't see anything?"
At that moment, something brushed past in the smoke. People who saw a dark shadow tilted their heads.
Dong! Dong!
The drumbeat sounded, and a dark shadow crossed the stage again. More people saw the shadow this time. It looked like something with four legs.
"Dog? Wolf?"
"If it's a wolf… is it a werewolf?"
"But it was walking on four legs?"
Dong! Dong!
The shadow passed by.
Dong! Dong!
The shadow brushed past.
"But…."
The audience swallowed hard.
"…Isn't it getting bigger?"
The four-legged creature was gradually growing in size. It moved very quickly, hiding its body as if hunting, and was approaching the audience in a zigzag pattern from the back of the stage.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
While the drumbeat was fast, the shadow began to move slowly. The blurry shadow created by the lights and smoke really looked like a wolf.
The wolf slowly sauntered from the right to the left of the stage. At the one-quarter point of the stage, the wolf slowly raised its upper body.
[(Skill) The majesty of the young lion king is activated.]
Step by step, the wolf in the smoke gradually became human. Bright lights shone from behind Seojun, making it look like a real halo.
With the halo and the heavy atmosphere emanating from the skill, the audience was speechless, staring at the stage.
"Wow…."
Each step was filled with power. The smoke from the machine was gradually disappearing in the wind.
The wolf, who had fully stood up, stopped his sideways steps and turned to walk slowly to the front of the stage.
As the smoke cleared, the wolf's face was revealed. It was a cute, round face, but it felt powerful. The ears twitched, and the tail swayed.
Charlie and Charlie's dad, who were watching on TV, were amazed. It seemed that the audience's exclamations could be heard even behind the stage.
"…I didn't know you could express a transformation like this, little wolf. You used the lights and smoke well, like a shadow play."
"Amazing!"
Not everyone could do this. Even just walking on the stage, it looked like a wolf's movement. Charlie's dad, who had studied wolves to act as a werewolf, could see this.
Sauntering. The audience didn't know the details, but they felt it.
The movement of the shadow wolf in the fog earlier was also felt in the bipedal werewolf.
It was a strange phenomenon. The movements of quadrupedal and bipedal were different, but the atmosphere was similar. It was so natural that the being on the stage felt like a human who had been a wolf just moments ago.
Dong dong! Dong dong!
A fast drumbeat sounded. Seojun, who had reached the end of the runway, turned around. A gray tail with a blue tinge swayed.
Dong dong! Dong dong!
Smoke rose on the stage. Seojun, who had been walking slowly facing the audience, gradually sped up.
The lights on the ceiling shone like a full moon. Fog rose from Seojun, creating a shadow.
In the smoke, Seojun, who had been running on two feet, bent his knees and waist. He touched the ground with his hands and became a wolf again.
The shadow wolf that sprang from Seojun's shadow covered his body. The wolf tail swayed.
The audience only watched the wolf, which was becoming a dot in the smoke.
Dong!
A very loud drumbeat sounded, and all the lights went out. Soon, the lights came back on. The fog and the wolf were gone. The clean stage was momentarily silent, and then the audience jumped up and started clapping.
Wow!
Wow!
Grace, who had been clapping enthusiastically, realized something.
"Ah! It's Jun!"
"What?"
"Dad! It's Jun. The werewolf who found me!"
Hearing Grace, her family recalled the child they had seen at the lost and found center. The child with a wolf head puppet on his head.
"Oh? Now that you mention it, the clothes are the same."
"Really Jun?"
"Wow. I didn't expect a kid to participate in the contest…."
At the time, they thought the costume was well-made, but seeing it now, it was really impressive.
"Did Jun act? Like modern dance or something."
"Hmm. I don't know."
"But it was really amazing. Just running and walking, but it was incredible."
"Will he win first place?"
"Of course!"
Grace and her family clapped enthusiastically. It was a contest where no one could argue against the first place.
When Seojun returned to the back of the stage, Seo Eun-hye handed him a bottle of water. As he drank, Charlie's eyes sparkled.
"You're amazing!"
"I guess I am."
Seojun smiled at Charlie's praise. Charlie's dad, the vampires, the werewolves, and the other contest participants were all clapping for Seojun as he returned to the back of the stage.
"The little wolf is amazing!"
"We have to work hard too!"
An organizer appeared to calm the cheering audience, announced the awards ceremony to the gathered contestants, and informed Charlie's dad and uncles about the start of the performance.