196: Chapter 194 Today I encountered a group of Hakimi guardians

The bus drove steadily through the streets of Seoul, the city's night view unfolding like a flowing scroll outside the windows. The members of IZ*ONE were initially immersed in the joy of the "BBQ restaurant perk," but soon, their attention was drawn to the scenery outside.

"Wait a minute... This isn't the way we came, is it?" An Yujin frowned as she looked out the window. "We were just near Myeong-dong, but now... are we heading toward Namsan Tower?"

Kwon Eunbi also noticed something was wrong. "It's definitely not right. The BBQ restaurant shouldn't be that far from Myeong-dong."

Jang Wonyoung stared intently at the streets flying by outside, and a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Could it be... we're taking a detour?"

Just then, the bus passed near Namsan Tower, and its speed slowed down significantly. The members were shocked to find that the giant stickers on the side of the bus were exceptionally eye-catching against the backdrop of the Namsan Tower night view—they were the shameful photos of them wearing their Star Envoy battle robes!

"Wow! Someone's taking pictures!" Kang Hye-won pointed out the window; several passersby were holding up their phones to photograph the bus.

Kim Chaewon covered her face. "Oh my god... this is practically a mobile exhibition hall of shame."

To their even greater dismay, the LED screens inside the bus suddenly switched screens and began playing "highlight clips" recorded today—Kwon Eunbi wearing a Lion headgear while dancing to "i love bathing," Jang Wonyoung walking through the market with a water bottle on her head, Sakura shouting "Rice Cake Ball Instant Kill Array" with her eyes closed...

"Ahhh! Don't play that!" Choi Yena screamed, trying to bury her face in her seat.

Jo Yuri smiled bitterly. "Is this... a looping public execution inside the bus?"

The bus continued forward, crossing the Han River Bridge. The river breeze drifted in through a slight crack in the window, carrying the cool night air. Outside, the lights on both sides of the Han River twinkled like stars; it should have been a romantic sight, but the members were in no mood to appreciate it.

"Where on earth are we going?" Honda Hitomi muttered softly. "It feels like we've been driving for a long time."

Lee Chaeyeon checked her watch. "It's already been forty minutes. Does a normal BBQ restaurant require such a long drive?"

Yabuki Nako suddenly pointed out the window. "Look! That's the KBS building! We've looped around to Yeouido!"

Sure enough, the bus was traveling along the Han River, with the buildings of TV stations like KBS and MBC clearly visible in the night. To their further embarrassment, when the bus stopped at a red light, passengers in a car next to them rolled down their windows, pointed at the side of the bus, and laughed while taking photos with their phones.

"This is definitely an advertisement, right?" Kim Minju analyzed. "Detouring through Seoul's major landmarks to let more people see this 'ad bus'."

Miyawaki Sakura sighed. "PD Jiang's style... he would definitely do something like this."

An Yujin suddenly thought of something. "Wait, if it's really for advertising, then we..."

Before she could finish, the bus's broadcast system suddenly rang out—it wasn't Jiang Zhiyu's voice, but a cheerful female voice recording for an advertisement:

"Hello everyone! Welcome aboard the twelve star envoys exclusive sightseeing bus! Right now, you are seeing IZ*ONE member Kwon Eunbi—the Lionheart Sovereign! She is using a Brand XX toy hammer to repel the Star Demons Claws! Buy the same toy hammer, and you too can have the power to protect your companions!"

"Next is Jang Wonyoung—the Star Spring Guide! The 'Crown Aquarius' on her head is actually a YY Brand 400,000 KRW limited-edition mineral water! Pure as a star spring, it brings you a top-tier drinking experience!"

The members collectively turned to stone.

That wasn't all; the ad recording continued: "Don't go away! Next, you will see Choi Yena—the Pisces Sausage Saintess! Her sausage stall uses a ZZ Brand smokeless grill, which is both eco-friendly and delicious! Call the number at the bottom of the screen now to order and enjoy a 20% discount..."

"Shibal!" Choi Yena couldn't help but curse. "Even my sausage stall is getting an ad?!"

The ad recording seemed able to hear their complaints, as it continued: "Think there are too many ads? Don't worry! As long as you follow the twelve star envoys official channel and participate in the interaction, you'll have a chance to win a constellation headgear signed by an IZ*ONE member! Spots are limited, first come first served!"

A deathly silence fell over the bus, broken only by the nonsensical "meows" and "woofs" coming from the doll area in the back—those dolls seemed very interested in the ads, and Hello Kitty even swayed along to the rhythm of the ad music.

Jang Wonyoung closed her eyes in despair. "I believe it now; this is definitely an advertising bus..."

Kwon Eunbi shook her head with a bitter smile. "Looping around Seoul, letting everyone see our shameful photos, the looping execution videos inside, and the real-time ad commentary... PD Jiang, you win."

The bus continued on, passing through the busy streets of Gangnam District. When it passed the SM Entertainment building, the members could almost imagine the expressions of the people in the company seeing this bus. Then, the bus headed toward Mapo-gu, and finally—

"Hongdae! It's Hongdae!" An Yujin shouted, pointing at the familiar street scene outside.

Sure enough, the bus slowly pulled over near the main gate of Hongik University. This is a popular spot where young people in Seoul gather; even at night, the streets were still bustling with people.

To the members' further dismay, the bus stopped right in front of a large electronic billboard currently playing a cosmetics ad. Their bus, covered in shameful photos, sat there abruptly in such a conspicuous position.

"Why Hongdae?!!!" several members wailed simultaneously.

This place had the most young people, which meant the highest probability of being recognized and the greatest likelihood of being photographed and uploaded to social media!

Just as everyone was falling into despair, Jiang Zhiyu stood up from the front row, adjusted his red baseball cap, picked up the microphone, and wore that signature, unsettling smile on his face.

"Alright, everyone!" His voice rang through every corner via the bus speakers. "Everyone, get off the bus. Today, we've spent a fortune to book the entire BBQ restaurant! Everyone, eat your fill! ᖰ⌯'▾'⌯ᖳ"

"Meow meow meow!!!"

"Woof woof woof!!!"

"Awoo—"

The doll area erupted in enthusiastic cheers (if those nonsensical cries could be counted as cheers). The dolls waved their arms excitedly, and the Golden Retriever doll even tossed its bone toy into the air, nearly hitting the Hello Kitty in front of it.

In contrast, the members of IZ*ONE looked like they had lost all will to live.

"In... Hongdae?!! Booked the entire BBQ restaurant?" Kim Chaewon's voice was trembling. "Getting off here, wearing these silly clothes, and walking into a BBQ restaurant with a bunch of dolls?"

Jiang Zhiyu acted as if he hadn't heard their wails, smiling as he pulled a small flag from under his seat—the flag was printed with the TG Entertainment logo and the words "twelve star envoys Special Episode filming in progress."

"Alright, please have the Star Demon Group get off first, lining up from the first row," he directed. "Saintesses, you can also get ready. In a moment, we will have a flash mob activity in front of the BBQ restaurant. Please prepare your catchphrases; they must fit the variety show setting!"

"Absolutely not!!!"

Twelve voices shouted in unison, the volume so loud it even drowned out the noise from the doll area.

However, the protest was ineffective. Under Jiang Zhiyu's direction, the staff began to guide the dolls off the bus. The scene was quite chaotic: Hello Kitty tripped over her own yarn ball while stepping down the stairs and almost fell; the Golden Retriever doll was the first to rush off the bus excitedly, barking "woof woof" at the pedestrians; the Zang Zang Bao doll's movements were clumsy and hilarious due to its bulky body...