254: Chapter 235 "Prisoners of the Demon King's Castle" On-set: Weapon Upgrades and Continuous Shame

The childish music box background music continued to play cheerfully, but in the pink and blue corridor outside the "Candy Warehouse," the atmosphere was already "tense."

"I insist!" the Golden Retriever Corporal, played by Shin Yuna, waved her furry paws (gloves) forcefully. Although her face under the headgear was probably blushing to the point of exploding, her dubbed-style accent was becoming increasingly proficient, even carrying a hint of passionate oratory. "A piece of high-quality beef rib, marinated with a secret sauce, then smoked slowly over fruitwood! The richness of its layers and the mellowness of its flavor are far beyond what those flat-bodied creatures from the salty, fishy seas can compare to! If served with a touch of fresh rosemary and honey glaze, oh! It is simply a symphony on the taste buds!"

General Kitty Cat, played by Lee Chaeryeong, crossed her arms (the mascot suit made this action look a bit clumsy), and the eternal sweet smile on her headgear seemed to reveal a trace of mockery at this moment. "Narrow-minded! How narrow-minded!" Her voice rose as she tried to overpower the other. "The dried fish I speak of is selected from the king of deep-sea silverfish, bathed in the first sun of three days, seasoned with nine kinds of secret spices and fleur de sel, and naturally air-dried on a jade bamboo tray for forty-nine days! The meat is as firm as amber, and the salty fragrance contains the rhythm of the waves and the grace of the sun! If ground into powder and sprinkled on freshly toasted, crispy buttered bread... that is the delicacy that even the gods would covet!"

The two argued more and more "intently." Although the lines were off the charts in terms of embarrassment, perhaps because they had given up all hope, or perhaps they had sparked a strange competitive desire in their "rivalry," they actually started to "argue" with great seriousness, adding various "culinary terms" that sounded high-end but were actually nonsense. Their bodies also cooperated with the lines, starting to gesture exaggeratedly—the Golden Retriever Corporal waved her paws to simulate gnawing on a bone, while General Kitty Cat pinched the air with her paws, as if elegantly holding an invisible piece of dried fish.

The onlookers and several members of IZ*ONE (Choi Yena, Lee Chaeyeon, etc.) were already holding back laughter to the point of internal injury, their shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

"Stop! Cut!" Jiang Zhiyu's voice came from behind the monitor.

The shooting of the "Candy Corridor" came to a temporary pause, and Lee Chaeryeong and Shin Yuna gained valuable "cool-down time for line-induced shame." The two slumped in the corner on rest chairs, their headgear set aside, faces red, breathing heavily as if they had just experienced a mental marathon.

"I feel like... my soul... has been washed by those lines." Shin Yuna said, her eyes unfocused.

"The dubbed accent... 'Oh~ my dear'... 'Oh~ you foolish'..." Lee Chaeryeong covered her face. "I will have PTSD whenever I hear similar things in the future."

However, before they could fully recover from the previous round of shame, the assistant director walked over with a few new pages of the script, wearing an expression that said, "I'm sorry, but you have to accept this."

"Chaeryeong-xi, Yuna-xi, thank you for your hard work. This is the supplementary script and prop description for the escalating argument part." The assistant director handed them the script. At the same time, two props staff pushed over a small cart covered with a cloth.

An ominous premonition rose in both of their hearts simultaneously.

Opening the new script, sure enough, the level of embarrassment soared again.

The original debate topic [Is fish delicious or are bones delicious] was upgraded to [Is fish delicious or are bones delicious, and what dream ingredients should be added to reach the peak of deliciousness!]

Golden Retriever Corporal (Shin Yuna): (Eyes glowing, tail wagging like a propeller) [General! I have gained enlightenment! Pure bones are certainly delicious, but if one could inject golden honey, illuminated by the first ray of morning sunlight, into the bone marrow, and then slowly roast it with acacia wood fire, allowing the sweetness of the honey and the fragrance of the collagen to blend perfectly... that would be the 'Golden Honey Bone' that would make even the moon drool! It is the highest level of tribute to the Dog God!]

General Kitty Cat (Lee Chaeryeong): (Snorting with disdain, elegantly stroking non-existent whiskers with her paws) [Superficial! Sunlight honey? Childish! A truly ultimate dried fish should be made from 'Starry Cod' from ten thousand meters under the deep sea, marinated with the tears of a mermaid at dawn, and then air-dried in the Arctic aurora for eighty-one days! The finished product will emit starlight, melt in your mouth, and the lingering charm will be the sigh of the entire ocean! This is the 'Galaxy Fish Crisp' that our feline supreme should enjoy!]

Golden Retriever Corporal: [Honey is the soul!]

General Kitty Cat: [Tears are the essence!]

Golden Retriever Corporal: [Bones are immortal!]

General Kitty Cat: [Dried fish is eternal!]

(The two argued more and more excitedly, starting to dance and gesture, the paws of General Kitty Cat and the Golden Retriever almost touching.)

(Then, the script was marked in bold red font: At this point, General Kitty Cat, unable to win the debate (or so she thought), becomes angry and decides to use the "ultimate method"! )

Seeing the words "ultimate method," Lee Chaeryeong's eyelids twitched. She looked up at the assistant director, who silently lifted the cloth on the small cart nearby.

On the cart lay a prop that could be described as "absurdity opening the door for absurdity"—a plastic rocket launcher painted pink and white with an exaggerated General Kitty Cat ribbon pattern. Of course, it was a toy rocket launcher. But the point was, the "launch chamber" of the rocket launcher was transparent and stuffed with dense, individually packaged small dried fish.

"What... what is this?!" Lee Chaeryeong finally couldn't help but point at the "dried fish rocket launcher," her voice rising an octave.

Shin Yuna also leaned over, eyes widened: "Wow... this... is so... so creative?" She held back for a long time, squeezing out a complimentary word, but her face clearly showed an expression of holding back laughter.

Just then, Jiang Zhiyu strolled over, holding a walkie-talkie. He looked at the prop, nodded with satisfaction, and then said to Lee Chaeryeong as a matter of course: "Oh, this. This was originally designed for Yena, the 'Pisces Saintess,' to use later to fight against the 'Candy Demon King'—the 'Deep Sea Fish School Roaring Cannon.' However," he changed the subject, looking at Lee Chaeryeong with a smile, "Chaeryeong, you are General Kitty Cat, after all, with a high rank, so your combat power should be stronger. I think this weapon is very suitable for you to use first. It will be very effective for 'persuading' the disobedient Golden Retriever Corporal."

Lee Chaeryeong held the heavy (mainly because the dried fish had weight) plastic rocket launcher, her expression changing from shock to confusion, from confusion to speechlessness, and finally, she was actually amused. She pulled out an extremely perfunctory fake smile and said to Jiang Zhiyu: "Hehe... thank you, PD Jiang. So 'thoughtful' to 'upgrade my equipment'."

She deliberately emphasized "thoughtful" and "upgrade my equipment," the sarcasm obvious.

However, Jiang Zhiyu seemed to not hear it at all, or rather, he heard it but didn't care. He accepted this "thanks" readily, and even nodded very "kindly," patting Lee Chaeryeong on the shoulder (through the mascot suit): "You're welcome! Use it well, and try to hit the bullseye with one dried fish!"

Lee Chaeryeong: "..."

(Roaring wildly in her heart: Ya!!! Jiang Zhiyu!!! I am not praising you!!! I am being sarcastic! Can't you hear the sarcasm?! Who wants this kind of 'upgrade'?! Holding this thing and launching dried fish at Yuna? Just imagining this scene is embarrassing enough to explode the universe, okay!!!)

However, she could only hold these words in her heart, and she still had to maintain that crumbling fake smile on her face.

Shin Yuna was already unable to hold back her laughter on the side, her shoulders shaking. She even began to imagine herself being "shelled" by dried fish...

"Okay, familiarize yourselves with the props, and we'll shoot this scene in ten minutes." Jiang Zhiyu gave the instruction and strolled back behind the monitor, hiding his merit and fame.

Lee Chaeryeong studied the "dried fish rocket launcher" with a lifeless expression. She discovered that it was actually a catapult device. Pulling a certain mechanism would cause the dried fish in the transparent chamber to be ejected in a fan shape with a "poof" sound at a not-so-fast speed. It had no lethality, but the visual effect... was very stupid.

"Chaeryeong Unnie," Shin Yuna leaned over and whispered, "Later... hit me lightly."

Lee Chaeryeong looked at her and suddenly showed a "kind" smile: "Yuna, for the sake of dramatic effect, Unnie will 'fiercely,' 'with all her might,' 'persuade' you." She emphasized the words "fiercely," "with all her might," and "persuade."

Shin Yuna immediately felt a chill down her back: "Unnie... I was wrong..."

Ten minutes later.

"Action!"

The music box music played again.

Lee Chaeryeong (General Kitty Cat) and Shin Yuna (Golden Retriever Corporal) began a new round of ridiculous arguments about "honey bone marrow" and "tear fish crisps." Both were immersed, and although the lines were embarrassing, they became smoother as they spoke (perhaps they had given up on shame).

The argument reached a fever pitch, and the "angry" point indicated in the script arrived.

Seeing General Kitty Cat, played by Lee Chaeryeong, suddenly stop dancing and gesturing, she paused (brewed) for a second, and then with a solemn expression of "it's time to show real skills," she suddenly brought out the "dried fish rocket launcher" that she had been carrying on her back and shouldered it (the posture was a bit crooked because the mascot suit and props were bulky).

Shin Yuna (Golden Retriever Corporal) cooperated by showing an exaggerated expression of "shock," "fear," and "don't mess around," and even took a step back, her tail stiffened with fear.

"Golden Retriever Corporal! Accept the judgment from the deep sea! Dried fish justice, fire!" Lee Chaeryeong let go, using all her strength (and shame) to shout this line she added temporarily, which was even more chuunibyou, and then pulled the trigger of the toy rocket launcher.

Bang! (The sound effect was added later; there was only a slight mechanical sound on the scene.)

Whoosh—!

A large patch of individually packaged dried fish sprayed out from the rocket launcher in a fan shape, hitting Shin Yuna's Golden Retriever headgear, face (at the opening of the headgear), and body softly and squarely. Some dried fish packaging bags even stuck to the furry mascot suit.

"Ah!" Shin Yuna let out a "scream" in cooperation, stumbling backward, waving her paws randomly, trying to block the "attack," but the scene looked more like a happy puppy stunned by a rain of snacks.

"Cut! Very good!" Jiang Zhiyu's voice came from the walkie-talkie, with obvious laughter, "The expressions and reactions are all very on point! Especially Chaeryeong's last line, it was added well! Very 'General'-like decisiveness! Yuna's 'panic' is also very real! This take passes!"

The staff on site couldn't help but let out low laughter, the picture was indeed both stupid and cute.

Lee Chaeryeong put down the heavy rocket launcher, looked at the dried fish hanging on each other and scattered on the ground with Shin Yuna, listened to the director's praise and the laughter around, and fell into silence again.

Embarrassing? Of course.

But... it seems... also quite fun?

The two looked at each other, sighed at the same time, and couldn't help but laugh at the same time.

Forget it, since we are here, after being embarrassed for a while... we'll get used to it, right?

At least, this experience is absolutely unique.

Behind the monitor, Jiang Zhiyu watched the comical interaction between the two "animals" in the playback, a genuine smile flashing in his eyes.

This comedic effect, purely born from the collision of absurd creativity and the actors' efforts, was exactly the medicine he needed at this moment—a way to briefly forget his troubles.

He picked up his pen and quickly scribbled on the side of the script: [The daily 'food battle' between General Kitty Cat and the Golden Retriever can be considered as a post-credits scene or a special web short.]

The creation continued. The embarrassment continued as well.

The set changed, shifting from a candy-colored fantasy corridor to a room that was equally vibrant but slightly more enclosed and oppressive—"Dessert Prison."

The four walls of the room featured a pink and white chocolate wafer texture (made of spray-painted styrofoam), and the floor was covered with a soft mat printed with twisted donut patterns.

In the center of the room stood a "soft bed" piled high with giant "nougats" and "marshmallows," even "sprinkled" with some icing sugar (sequins).

Choi Yena had changed into a slightly disheveled yet still gorgeous "Pisces Saintess" prisoner uniform. It was still in shades of blue and purple, but the hem of the skirt had traces of being "torn," and her hair accessories were slightly askew.

She lay on the "nougat bed," eyes tightly closed, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath her eyes.

"Action!"

The camera zoomed in.

Choi Yena's eyelashes fluttered gently, and her brows knitted slightly, as if she were having an uneasy dream. A few seconds later, she slowly opened her eyes.

Those eyes, usually filled with a touch of confusion or joy, were now brimming with the bewilderment of just waking up and a lingering trace of fear.

She blinked, seemingly not realizing where she was for a moment. Then, memory returned, and she sat up abruptly, the movement tugging at her "wounds" (pretend), causing her to gasp slightly.

"Where... is this?" she muttered to herself, her voice husky and confused from just waking up.

She tried to recall, her brows knitting slightly, "I remember... I was caught by those strange dolls... Eunbi Unnie! Lee Chaeyeon Unnie! Everyone..."

A look of worry appeared on her face; she had truly immersed herself in the role of the Saintess who was separated from her companions and trapped in a demon's lair.

Her gaze was quickly drawn to the only exit of the room—a "door" inlaid with colorful jelly beans and framed with thick "chocolate sticks."

More precisely, it was drawn to the giant, exaggerated "lock" on the doorknob.

That lock was dark brown all over, with delicate textures, and it looked... exactly like a super-sized milk chocolate bar!

Choi Yena wore a look of confusion and absurdity. She struggled to get off the soft "bed," cautiously approached the door, extended a finger, and tentatively poked the "chocolate lock."

Hard? Soft?

She turned back and asked the director with her eyes—what should I do about this lock?

Behind the monitor, Jiang Zhiyu held the walkie-talkie and gave a concise prompt: "Eat it!"

Choi Yena: "...Huh?"

She suspected she had misheard, subconsciously turning her head as if to confirm the voice in her earpiece. But Jiang Zhiyu did not repeat it; he just watched her quietly from behind the monitor.

Choi Yena looked at the ridiculously huge "chocolate lock" in front of her, then looked at the camera, her face instantly turning bright red. In front of the camera, to bite a "lock"?! What kind of embarrassing operation was this?!

But the director's instruction was law. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and with a sense of tragic resignation, opened her mouth and took a small, incredibly embarrassed bite of the edge of the "chocolate lock."

"Snap."

A very slight, crisp sound of breaking. The hard sensation she had expected did not appear; instead, a familiar, silky, and slightly sweet taste melted on the tip of her tongue.

She opened her eyes in surprise and looked at the spot where she had bitten—a small tooth mark was left there, revealing the light-colored filling inside.

It was really chocolate! And it was good quality milk chocolate at that!

Choi Yena's expression shifted instantly from embarrassment to a mix of laughter and absurdity. She licked her lips and looked at the "lock" again, unsure of how to react. Was this prison... even reliable?!

"Clack, clack, clack..."

Heavy (deliberately created) footsteps came from the hallway outside.

Choi Yena immediately got into character, stepped back cautiously, and looked toward the door.

"Hehehehe~~~~"

A burst of laughter, deliberately affected and sounding both arrogant and slightly comical, came first.

The giant gingerbread door was pushed open with a "clatter" (though it was actually very light). The scatterbrained General Kitty Cat (Lee Chaeryeong) strode in swaggeringly, carrying her signature dried fish rocket launcher (though it wasn't used in this scene), walking with a gait that didn't recognize anyone.

Her Kitty headgear still wore its unchanging smiling face, but through her deliberately raised chin and exaggerated body language, she managed to project a silly, cute aura of "I am the best in the world."

Even more eye-catching was the goofy Golden Retriever Corporal (Shin Yuna) who followed behind her.

On Shin Yuna's Golden Retriever headgear, several pink, bulging "swelling" props (made of sponge) were conspicuously attached, and a few ridiculous "scars" (grease paint) were drawn on her face (at the opening of the headgear).

She limped (acting) as she walked, but her tail was still wagging happily, forming a strongly contrasting comedic effect.

As soon as the two furry "jailers" appeared, the previously tense and confused atmosphere instantly turned absurd.

General Kitty Cat stopped, its eternally smiling cat face "staring" at Choi Yena. Then, from inside the mascot suit, came a cackling laugh that Lee Chaeryeong tried hard to hold back, deliberately lowered, and slightly trembling (from suppressing laughter or embarrassment), attempting to sound evil:

"Hehehe... you foolish Saintess~~" (the laugh cracked a bit from overexertion)

It gestured pretentiously toward Choi Yena with its paws behind its back, "Seeing the arrival of the most elite guards of our great Star Demon Legion (self-proclaimed)—that is, this General and the Corporal—you actually dare to show such an expression? Are you looking down on us? Meow~!"

When the goofy Golden Retriever Corporal heard the "General" speak, she immediately straightened her (round) body, trying hard to look serious, but the bulge on her head made her look even more comical.

She nodded vigorously, echoing in Shin Yuna's energetic voice, which she was currently trying to suppress into a "fierce" tone: "That's right! Woof! We saw it! When you were caught, you were tightly clutching that 'Sacred Grilled Sausage' in your arms! (Pointing to the non-existent prop in Choi Yena's arms) That is a tribute for Lord Star Demon! You actually dared to hoard it! Woof, woof, woof!"

Choi Yena looked at these two "jailers" with their bizarre style and straight-faced nonsense, her mouth twitching uncontrollably.

She tried hard to hold back her laughter, forcing herself into the state of the "unyielding Saintess," puffing out her chest, wearing a serious and guarded expression, her voice filled with anger and determination:

"What exactly do you want to do! That grilled sausage is my... it is something important to me! (Almost slipped up) I will not hand it over to you!"

"Meow-hahaha~!" General Kitty Cat let out an even more exaggerated (and embarrassing) laugh. It stepped closer (clumsily), pointing its furry paws (almost touching Choi Yena's face) in the air, and said in Lee Chaeryeong's dubbed-movie-style voice mixed with cat language—a performance she had completely given up on and just went all out with:

"What to do? Meow~ it's very simple, meow~!" It tilted its giant cat head, its voice filled with self-righteous calculation, "We are going to keep you, forever~ forever in this sweet prison, meow~! Specifically to provide us, oh no, to provide Lord Star Demon, but mainly us... with a constant supply of delicious, sizzling-hot Sacred Grilled Sausages! Meow, meow, meow, meow~~"

By the end, it was even proudly wagging its short tail, letting out a series of joyful (and silly) "meow" sounds.

Shin Yuna (the goofy Golden Retriever) seemed to be infected by General Kitty Cat's "grand plan." She stood there blankly for a few seconds, then as if she had finally understood this "wonderful" idea, she also began to laugh "happily."

She didn't make cat sounds, but goofy, breathy dog laughter: "Woof! Woof, woof! Haha~ woof, woof, woof~(≧∇≦)ﾉ" While laughing, her tail (prop) wagged happily and uncontrollably, completely forgetting that she was supposed to maintain the image of a "fierce guard," and the bulge on her head trembled along with her.

For a moment, the prison was filled with the joyful (and childish) sounds of "meow, meow, meow" and "woof, woof, woof."

Choi Yena looked at this absolutely absurd scene: a silly cat general attempting to enslave a Saintess with grilled sausages, and a Golden Retriever Corporal with a bulge on her head happily echoing her... she felt that her serious face was about to break.

But she still took a deep breath, trying hard to suppress her laughter, put on an even more determined and unyielding expression, and said clearly and loudly, word by word:

"I! Will! Ab-so-lute-ly! Not! Sur-ren-der! To! You!!"

Her voice echoed in the sweet, cloying prison, creating a stark and hilarious contrast with the "meow" and "woof" sounds.

Thus, in the Dessert Prison, an extremely bizarre scene unfolded:

Choi Yena, wearing a gorgeous Saintess dress, had an absurd expression that said, "Are you guys sick?";

A pink Kitty Cat stood with hands on its hips, letting out a villainous meowing cackle;

A yellow Golden Retriever with a large bump on its head stood to the side, tongue lolling out, goofy and happily woofing.

The background was the eerily sweet chocolate walls and the marshmallow bed.

"Cut! Very good!" Jiang Zhiyu's voice rang out at the right moment, "The emotional contrast is very strong! Yena's seriousness and the comical nature of Chaeryeong and Yuna create a great contrast! This take is a wrap! Prepare for the next scene, Grilled Sausage Temptation and Counter-Temptation!"

Choi Yena let out a sigh of relief, collapsed onto the "nougat bed," and finally burst into laughter, pointing at Lee Chaeryeong and Shin Yuna who were still posing there.

Lee Chaeryeong and Shin Yuna also took off their headgear; both of them were red-faced and sweating, and after exchanging a glance, they also burst into laughter.

"Yah! Lee Chaeryeong! What was up with that 'meow, meow, meow' of yours! It was so embarrassing!" Choi Yena teased while laughing.

"Look who's talking! Isn't your 'woof, woof, woof' the same!" Lee Chaeryeong retorted.

"But Unnie, the 'hehehe' laugh was really... quite unique!" Shin Yuna added, twisting the knife.

The set was filled with an air of joy (and embarrassment).

Behind the monitor, Jiang Zhiyu watched the wonderful interaction of the three in the playback, especially Choi Yena's efforts to maintain her "Saintess dignity" in an extremely absurd situation, and the "jailer" performances where Lee Chaeryeong and Shin Yuna had completely let themselves go. The smile in his eyes was genuine and relaxed.

Perhaps this pure, slightly silly creative joy was the best way to combat the complex gloom within his heart. At least in this moment, he was immersed in it.