361: Chapter 337 updated today (4)

The sea breeze of Jeju Island carried the unique salty and humid scent of summer, gently brushing across the beach. The sunlight was just right, neither too intense nor too dry, spilling onto the seaside homestay that had been meticulously renovated by the TG Logistics Department.

At this moment, the six members of (G)I-DLE were lying side-by-side on the beach, atop soft mats thoughtfully laid out by the TG staff. According to the "script outline discussion" before the show started, they were told that the first episode would have a "special opening setting" that required them to "lie down and wait" on the beach first. As for what exactly would happen, Zhiyu's original words were—"Just lie there, leave the rest to post-production and your on-the-spot reactions."

So, they really just lay there.

Sea breeze, sunlight, fine sand. If not for the several cameras mounted overhead and the production crew watching like hawks nearby, this would practically be a vacation on the company's dime.

"Mm... so comfortable..." Song Yuqi squinted, her whole body sprawled out in a starfish shape. "Can I just fall asleep like this?"

"Wake up, we're recording," Cho Mi Yeon reminded her in a low voice, though her own voice was tinged with laziness.

Ye Shuhua rolled over and buried her face in her arms. "Whatever, President Jiang said we just need to lie here..."

Jeon Soyeon maintained a final shred of vigilance, her eyes half-open as she scanned the surroundings, trying to read something from the expressionless faces of the staff—to no avail. The TG people were well-trained; their expression management was stricter than that of an idol.

Xu Suizhen lay quietly, staring at the sky in a daze, rarely finding a moment not to think about those troubling matters.

As for Kim Minnie...

The sound of even breathing came from her direction.

She had actually fallen asleep.

She had stayed up until three in the morning binge-watching a drama last night; the Jeju Island sunlight and the perfect sea breeze were practically natural sedatives right now. She slept soundly, a hint of a content smile even hanging on the corner of her mouth, completely unaware of what was about to happen.

—

The footage began with a warm, orange-yellow tone.

In the hand-drawn style animation, a brightly colored kindergarten appeared on camera, with a crooked sign hanging at the gate—"Rainbow Kindergarten." The sun was shining, and a group of children were playing on the slides, in the sandpit, and by the swings; the scene looked harmonious and beautiful.

The camera zoomed in. On the slide, a little girl with twin ponytails was obediently sliding down, her smile radiant. But as she reached the ground, the camera panned behind her—at the top of the slide, another little girl with a similar hairstyle was squatting there, holding a small bottle, quietly pouring something onto the slide's handrails.

Captions appeared: [Song Yuqi (5 years old) · Specialty: Prank Planning]

The child below the slide got halfway down and suddenly screamed, unable to slide further—the handrails had been coated with sticky glue at some point.

The scene switched.

In the classroom, a quiet and beautiful little girl was sitting upright at her desk, seriously drawing. The camera zoomed in; on her paper was a cute little cat. But when she turned slightly, revealing her desk drawer—inside was a small "explosive pack" device wrapped in colorful paper, the fuse sizzling with sparks and connected to a rubber band.

Captions appeared: [Cho Mi Yeon (5 years old) · Specialty: Gap-Moe Demolitions Expert]

With a muffled "boom," the scene cut to the teacher's office. A balding, middle-aged male teacher chased someone out while clutching his head; his toupee was drifting slowly outside the window.

The camera turned again.

During nap time, a little girl pretended to be asleep, her eyes narrowed to slits. As soon as the teacher turned around, she quietly climbed up, fished a box of chalk from under her pillow, and began using a rubber band to "snipe" the child in the opposite bed.

Captions appeared: [Ye Shuhua (5 years old) · Specialty: Deadshot Slingshotter]

The sniped child rolled over, drooling as they continued to sleep, completely oblivious.

In the play-house area.

Two little girls were busy around a small stove. One was pouring white powder into a pot, muttering, "Sugar! Add sugar!" The other was pouring the same white powder into another bowl, nodding seriously: "Salt! Add salt!"

The screen flashed back to a panoramic view of the kitchen—two seasoning jars, labeled "Sugar" and "Salt," but the lids had been swapped at some point.

Captions appeared simultaneously: [Jeon Soyeon (5 years old) · Specialty: Kitchen Destroyer] [Minnie (5 years old) · Specialty: Taste Subverter]

After lunch, all the children in the kindergarten were chugging water with distorted expressions.

The final scene.

On the kindergarten perimeter wall, a little girl was trying to climb over to "escape." Her clothes got caught on the barbed wire at the top of the wall, leaving her dangling in mid-air. Her little face was flushed red from the effort, yet she stubbornly refused to call for help.

Captions appeared: [Xu Suizhen (5 years old) · Specialty: Silent Man of Action]

The frame froze.

A narration sounded, carrying a hint of a playful, educational tone: "In the far-off Rainbow Kindergarten, lived six 'problem children' who gave the teachers endless headaches. They were innocent and romantic, lively and cute—and their talent for wrecking the house was equally outstanding. Finally, their special talents caught the attention of a certain 'fond of teaching' alien race in the universe..."

In the sky, a weirdly shaped UFO slowly descended, its bottom projecting six beams of light that precisely enveloped the six little girls at their various "crime" scenes.

The scene shifted to the interior of the UFO.

The six little girls were locked in transparent chambers, yet they didn't look afraid at all. Song Yuqi was using a hairpin to pick the lock, Cho Mi Yeon was studying the material of the chamber walls, Ye Shuhua was collecting scattered parts to assemble something, Jeon Soyeon and Minnie were whispering in a corner, and Xu Suizhen was quietly watching the alien at the UFO control console.

The alien had octopus-like tentacles, wore glasses, and looked like an academic. It was recording data on a screen: "Sample collection successful, beginning 'Problem Child Correction Education Project'..."

Before it could finish, alarms blared inside the UFO. Thick smoke billowed from the control console, the doors of the six chambers popped open simultaneously, and the six little girls rushed toward the console from different directions. The small device Ye Shuhua assembled accurately hit the alien's tentacle, Song Yuqi pried open the power cell, Cho Mi Yeon detonated the "emergency fireworks" she had discovered earlier, Jeon Soyeon and Minnie took control of the operation panel, and Xu Suizhen—stood silently behind the alien, holding a fire extinguisher.

The alien slowly turned its head, meeting her calm gaze, then looked at the absolute mess inside the UFO. Its tentacles hung limply as it let out a desperate wail: "Heavens! I've never encountered such difficult problem children! No, I have to send them away! Immediately! Right now!"

The frame froze.

The UFO lost control and plunged into a wormhole.

The narration sounded again: "The journey of the six 'problem children' has only just begun..."

The animation ended, and the screen switched to live-action.

—

The white light faded, and the screen switched to live-action.

The azure coastline of Jeju Island stretched out in the morning light, white waves licking the beach layer by layer. The sunlight was gentle, the sea breeze slightly salty, and a few seagulls circled in the distance.

On the beach, six figures lay in a row in a starfish shape.

The first to open her eyes was Ye Shuhua. She blinked, stared at the azure sky for two seconds, then slowly sat up, looking around blankly.

"Where... is this?"

Cho Mi Yeon next to her also woke up, rubbing her eyes and saying dizzily, "I remember I was just watching a cartoon..."

"We weren't watching a cartoon," Song Yuqi sat up with a flip, her hair full of sand. "We were lying here; the staff told us to lie down." She recalled the instructions before filming started, "They said they wanted to film a waking-up shot and told us to lie down and wait for the director to yell start."

"So has it started?" Ye Shuhua asked.

"I don't know..."

Xu Suizhen sat up quietly, tidying her hair that had been tousled by the sea breeze. Her gaze fell on someone next to her who was still completely motionless: "Minnie hasn't woken up yet."

Everyone looked over.

Kim Minnie—the Thai member known for her ability to stay up late and her difficulty getting out of bed—was currently sleeping like a log, her chest rising and falling regularly, a happy smile even hanging on her lips as if she were in the middle of a beautiful dream.

"Minnie Unnie!" Ye Shuhua leaned over and called softly.

No reaction.

"Minnie!" Song Yuqi increased her volume.

Still no reaction.

Cho Mi Yeon reached out and poked her face; it was soft and warm, and she was sleeping like a baby.

Jeon Soyeon took a deep breath and decided to give up for now. "Let's go, let's get moving first. Minnie... she'll wake up on her own when the monsters arrive."

Just then, a loud, slightly mechanical voice suddenly rang out over the beach:

[Problem children, welcome to the world of "Deep Sea Invasion"!]

The six of them looked up simultaneously and found that the voice came from a giant LED screen suspended in the sky—at some point, a drone had flown over their heads carrying the screen.

Captions began scrolling on the screen:

[You are the "Problem Child Squad" from Earth, transported by a mysterious force to this seaside cottage on a lonely island.]

[Your mission: Protect the cottage and repel the invaders from the deep sea!]

[The invaders will attempt to occupy the cottage and turn it into their first stronghold on land. If you fail, the whole world will become slaves to the Krabby Patty!]

[Mission Rules:

1. You can earn points by completing various mini-games; points can be exchanged for weapons, building materials, and special items.

2. Various supplies and rare materials are scattered around the cottage, requiring you to explore and collect them yourselves.

3. The invaders will launch multiple rounds of attacks; hold the cottage and hold out until the end!]

[Now, the mission begins!]

—

[Special Note: The invaders will arrive on the battlefield in ten minutes. Countdown begins—]

The numbers on the screen began to jump: 09:47 09:46 09:45...

The mini-game area was set up under the porch to the right of the homestay entrance, with a small table and a few chairs. A tablet and a red button were placed on the table, and an A4 sheet of paper was taped to the wall with three words handwritten on it:

[Press It]

Ye Shuhua pulled Xu Suizhen into the house first and happened to see this paper. Without hesitation, she reached out and pressed it.

The tablet screen lit up, popping up the game interface:

[Maintain Proper Sitting Posture for Three Minutes]

Description: Keep your back straight, hands on your knees, eyes forward. No talking, no laughing, no moving. Complete this to earn 50 points.

Ye Shuhua: "..."

Xu Suizhen: "..."

"What kind of kindergarten-level game is this?" Ye Shuhua looked speechless. "We're supposed to be 'problem children,' yet they want us to sit properly for three minutes? Isn't that too easy?"

Despite saying that, she still sat down, her hands obediently placed on her knees.

Xu Suizhen sat down next to her, her movements as quiet as ever.

The two maintained a proper sitting posture, motionless.

The seconds ticked by.

30 seconds.

60 seconds.

90 seconds.

120 seconds.

It was too smooth. So smooth it made Ye Shuhua's skin crawl.

She couldn't help but glance at Xu Suizhen out of the corner of her eye—Xu Suizhen also happened to be glancing at her.

Their eyes met, and both saw the same confusion in the other's gaze.

It was too easy.

It completely contradicted the "Problem Child" setting.

This wasn't at all the same style as the "crazy missions" they had seen in the script outline—

Wait.

The script outline.

Something seemed to be taking shape in Ye Shuhua's mind.

What if—

What if these seemingly simple tasks were just a smokescreen?

What if the real "Problem Child test" didn't lie in the tasks themselves, but in how they reacted to these "overly simple" tasks—

"Time's up! Congratulations on earning 50 points!"

A cheerful electronic chime from the tablet interrupted Ye Shuhua's train of thought.

She stood up, just about to say something—

"Wuuuuuuuuuuuuu—!!!"

That piercing siren, sounding like a ten-thousand-ton ocean liner setting sail, rang out again! And this time, it was closer! Louder!

Ye Shuhua and Xu Suizhen looked toward the window at the same time—

Through the glass, they saw Song Yuqi and Cho Mi Yeon, who were searching for materials on the beach, stop what they were doing and look toward the ocean.

Cho Mi Yeon's peripheral vision seemed to catch something.

She slowly turned her head.

And then—

Her mouth fell open, wider and wider, until it was big enough to fit an egg.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH—!!!"

A scream pierced the air over the beach.

—

Let's rewind three minutes.

Cho Mi Yeon was being dragged along the beach by Song Yuqi, running wild and picking things up along the way.

"This seashell! Looks like it could be a slingshot bullet!" Song Yuqi stuffed it into her pocket.

"This stick! Can be a weapon!" Into the pocket it went.

"This seaweed... uh, this seems useless."

"This plastic bottle! Can be filled with water and used as a weapon!"

Cho Mi Yeon followed behind her, forced to accept all sorts of junk being stuffed into her pockets. She wanted to cry but had no tears: "Yuqi-ah... do we really need this much stuff?"

"The more the better!" Song Yuqi said without looking back. "This is a survival game! Who knows what will happen later!"

Just then, the siren sounded.

The two of them stopped simultaneously and looked toward the sea.

Waves lapped at the beach; everything seemed normal.

But Cho Mi Yeon suddenly felt something was wrong.

She narrowed her eyes, looking carefully at the distant wave line—

There, something was moving.

It wasn't a wave. It was something larger than a wave, clumsier, slowly "crawling" out of the sea...

What on earth was that?!

She rubbed her eyes.

It didn't go away.

She looked closer—

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH—!!!"

Cho Mi Yeon's scream echoed through the sky.

Song Yuqi jumped in fright: "What's wrong, what's wrong?!"

"Look!! In the sea!! There's something!!!"

Song Yuqi looked in the direction she was pointing.

Then, her expression went through a five-stage leap from blankness to confusion to shock to absurdity to excitement.

"That's..."

The waves receded, revealing six... let's call them "creatures" on the beach.

Leading them was a Muscle SpongeBob—yes, you read that right, that yellow, square guy who lives in a pineapple house, SpongeBob SquarePants. But this SpongeBob was different; his body was rippling with muscles, his biceps were bigger than Song Yuqi's head, his chest muscles could crush a coconut, and his eight-pack abs were gleaming. Right now, he was staring forward with those iconic big eyes (the distance between them twice as wide as a normal person's), his two buck teeth flashing white in the sunlight.

Beside him, a pink Patrick Star wearing swimming trunks was struggling to pull himself out of a sand pit—his belly was simply too big, and he was stuck in the sand.

Next to him was a mechanical Mr. Krabs—his bright red metal shell reflected the sunlight with a piercing glare, and two giant claws opened and closed with a mechanical "clack-clack" sound. His eyes were two red LEDs, currently scanning toward the small house.

Behind Mr. Krabs, a gray squirrel in a Karate gi was warming up—Sandy Cheeks, that's right, the Karate-fighting squirrel from Texas. She was kicking, punching, and spinning, every move accompanied by shouts of "Ha!" and "Hi!", full of momentum.

Finally, and most bizarrely—

A robot with a glass dome head was slowly walking out of the sea. Inside the glass dome, a cheap plastic Plankton doll was staring forward with wide eyes, while the entire body was being operated by a staff member in a black bodysuit. The mechanical limbs moved clumsily, leaving deep footprints in the sand with every step.

Cho Mi Yeon's scream turned into an excited cry: "Ahhh~~!!! It's SpongeBob SquarePants!!! Patrick Star!!! Mr. Krabs!!! Sandy Cheeks!!! And Plankton!!!"

She grabbed Song Yuqi's arm in excitement, her nails nearly digging in: "Yuqi, do you see them!!! SpongeBob!!! For real!!!!"

Song Yuqi was also stunned, but she maintained a shred of sanity: "So... these are the 'Invaders from the Deep Sea'?"

The alarm was too loud.

No matter how well Minnie could sleep, she was woken up.

She opened her eyes groggily. First, her vision was filled with blinding sunlight, then a face—

A yellow, square face with two giant buck teeth.

That face was less than thirty centimeters from hers. And it was smiling at her.

"Hey, little girl," the face spoke, its voice gruff (the voice actor was very dedicated), "awake? Want a Krabby Patty?"

Kim Minnie blinked.

SpongeBob SquarePants also blinked.

She blinked again.

SpongeBob SquarePants blinked again and even waved at her with one yellow square hand.

Then, in an extremely calm, extremely detached tone, as if confirming "what's for lunch today," she muttered to herself:

"I must still be dreaming—right?"

She closed her eyes and rolled over, trying to go back to sleep.

Muscle SpongeBob froze for a moment, then turned to Patrick Star beside him: "Patrick, she doesn't seem to believe we're real."

Patrick Star scratched his head and said sillily: "Then should we prove it?"

"How do we prove it?"

Patrick Star thought for a moment, then suddenly crouched down and shouted into Minnie's ear with all his might:

"GOOD—MOR—NING—!!!"

That sound was louder than the siren alarm from before. Minnie practically bounced off the sand, scrambling backward with her eyes wide as saucers.

"I'm awake, I'm awake, I'm awake! Stop shouting!"

Muscle SpongeBob nodded in satisfaction and reached out with a muscular yellow arm to help her up from the ground: "Very good, then we can begin announcing our plan."

Minnie was pulled up with a blank face, her mind still racing: This is a dream, this is a dream, this must be a dream. SpongeBob SquarePants can't really exist in a dream.

Then she saw Mr. Krabs, Sandy Cheeks, Patrick Star, and that Plankton in the glass dome who was currently digging in the sand with a mechanical leg.

In that moment, a corner of her worldview quietly collapsed.

—

The sun was intense, the sea breeze was salty, and the atmosphere was... bizarre.

Muscle SpongeBob took a step forward and cleared his throat—the action looked just like a bodybuilder about to start a speech—and then announced in a rhythmic cadence:

"We—are the—Deep Sea Conquerors—from—Bikini Bottom—!"

He paused every few words, flexing a muscle as he spoke.

"Our goal—is—to occupy the land—!"

He flexed his biceps.

"To turn—the whole world—into—slaves for Krabby Patties—!"

He flexed his pectoral muscles.

"This seaside cottage—will be our—first stronghold—!"

He flexed his abs.

Patrick Star raised a trident beside him and shouted in coordination: "Hey-ha!"

Mr. Krabs' mechanical claws hissed twice in agreement.

Sandy Cheeks struck a Karate kick pose.

Plankton tried hard to stand on tiptoe inside the glass dome (though he had no feet), wanting to look taller, but the robot body just wobbled, nearly falling over.

The six members of (G)I-DLE: "..."

Jeon Soyeon took a deep breath and was about to speak when Song Yuqi beat her to it. She stepped forward, hands on hips, head tilted back—though she had to look way up to meet Muscle SpongeBob's big eyes—and said loudly:

"You want to take over our house? No way!"

"That's right!" Ye Shuhua chimed in from behind. "We're 'Problem Child'! House-wrecking experts! Are you sure you want to mess with us?"

Muscle SpongeBob blinked, exchanged a look with Patrick Star, then turned back with an even brighter (and more annoying) smile:

"In that case—let's—have a—competition—!"

He flexed his muscles again.

"Best of three—if you win—we go back—if you lose—"

He paused intentionally, making everyone hold their breath.

"—you'll obediently—make Krabby Patties—for us—for the rest of your lives—!"

Patrick Star waved his trident: "That's right! For life! I love Krabby Patties!"

Sandy Cheeks nodded: "I'll be supervising your form!"

Plankton finally stood up tall: "I'll be in charge of seasoning! I'm the best at stealing secret recipes!"

Mr. Krabs' mechanical claws hissed: "Cost control... profit maximization... hehehe..."

The six members of (G)I-DLE: "..."

Song Yuqi whispered to the person next to her: "So the ultimate goal of this plot is to make us slave laborers in an underwater fast-food restaurant?"

Cho Mi Yeon whispered back: "That's worse than just dying."

Ye Shuhua raised her hand: "Can we refuse?"

"No," SpongeBob said with a smile. "Round one—'Eat Your Vegetables'!"

Jeon Soyeon's face went pale instantly.

"One of the things children hate most—green peppers!"

Yuqi took a step forward and took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound powerful: "What's the challenge?!"

Sandy's eyes lit up. She suddenly took a deep breath, clenched her fists, her whole body tensed with muscle, and then—

"HA—AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

A standard Saiyan transformation roar.

After the roar, she produced a green pepper from nowhere, held it out in front of her, her right hand poised like a blade, her gaze sharp.

"Hi!" "Ha!"

Two strikes. Her hand fell like a blade.

The green pepper shattered into several pieces and fell to the ground.

Patrick Star clapped: "Wow! So cool!"

SpongeBob continued: "The rules: Bikini Bottom's greatest chef—that's me—will prepare a green pepper dish. Your team will send out one chef to also prepare a green pepper dish. Then, the remaining members of both teams will have an eating contest to see which team can finish their dish first."

He paused, revealing his trademark buck-toothed grin: "The fastest team to finish wins."

All of (G)I-DLE: "..."

The six of them looked at the green pepper remains on the ground simultaneously.

The distinct, pungent smell of green pepper began to waft through the air.

Jeon Soyeon's face could no longer be described as just "pale"; it was a nearly transparent greenish-gray, creating a subtle harmony with the green pepper fragments on the ground.

She hated vegetables.

This was something (G)I-DLE's fans knew, the company knew, and even artists from other companies would occasionally joke about. Every time they had a group meal, the green vegetables in her bowl were always "taken care of" by her teammates. If there was really no one to help, she would grit her teeth and force them down, her expression as pained as if she were swallowing poison.

And green peppers—they were what she hated most among all vegetables, bar none.

Now, someone was telling her she had to compete in eating green peppers? And the entire dish would be green peppers? And if they lost, they'd have to work in an underwater fast-food restaurant for the rest of their lives?

Jeon Soyeon felt her soul drifting out of her body.

"Unnie! Unnie, pull yourself together!" Ye Shuhua supported her. "We haven't even competed yet! We can send a chef! We can make a delicious green pepper dish! We might win!"

Jeon Soyeon's vacant gaze slowly focused, looking at Ye Shuhua, her voice faint: "Will... will you help me eat it?"

Ye Shuhua: "...Well, about that..."

Song Yuqi had already stepped out. She strode forward and shouted at SpongeBob: "Fine, let's do it! Who's afraid! Who are we sending as our chef?"

She turned back, her gaze scanning her teammates, finally landing on—

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

Everyone followed her gaze.

The TG Logistics Department's on-site chef, Master Huang Huifeng, was standing at the entrance of the cabin, holding a spatula with a bewildered expression.

He had been roped in last minute by Jiang Zhiyu, who said, "In case the girls need help, you can lend a hand."

He thought it was just standard outdoor shooting logistics support, but he didn't expect...

Song Yuqi pointed a finger and shouted at the top of her lungs: "I choose you! Master Wong Fei-hung!!!"

Chef Huang: "..."

The others: "..."

Cho Mi Yeon whispered: "It's Huang Huifeng... and Wong Fei-hung is the one with the Foshan Shadowless Kick..."

Song Yuqi pretended not to hear, continuing to look at Chef Huang with an "I choose you, Pikachu" expression.

Chef Huang wiped the sweat from his forehead and helplessly corrected her in Mandarin with a thick Fujian accent: "It's Huang Huifeng... not Wong Fei-hung..."

Song Yuqi smiled with the satisfaction of a successful scheme: "Got it, Master of the Foshan Shadowless Kick! You can definitely make a world-class delicacy with green peppers, right?"

Chef Huang: "..."

He looked down at the spatula in his hand, then looked up at the strange-looking "Bikini Bottom bullies" in the distance, and finally looked at six pairs of eyes filled with anticipation (and a hint of schadenfreude).

He took a deep breath.

"...I'll do my best."

Muscle SpongeBob tied on an apron, took out a giant wok, and twirled the spatula in his hand with impressive speed.

"My signature dish—the Green Pepper Krabby Patty! Made with fresh deep-sea green peppers from Bikini Bottom, topped with secret crabby sauce, and sandwiched between 100% all-natural sponge buns! The perfect combination of deliciousness and health!"

As it spoke, it began its performance.

Slicing green peppers, mixing sauces, frying patties, toasting buns, assembling... its movements were fluid, and it even managed to squeeze in a few backflips.

Finally, with a "thud," a complete Green Pepper Krabby Patty landed on the plate, emitting an alluring aroma.

(Of course, it only looked alluring. As for how it actually tasted... God knows what sponge-made bread tastes like.)

On (G)I-DLE's side, Huang Huifeng's movements were much more down-to-earth by comparison.

He washed his hands, took the green peppers handed over by Song Yuqi (fresh ingredients prepared by the production team), and with quick knife work, sliced the green peppers into uniform strips.

He heated the wok, poured in oil, sautéed minced garlic, added the green pepper strips, and stir-fried them quickly.

He added salt, a little sugar, a dash of light soy sauce, and finally poured in beaten eggs, tossing everything together quickly—

Three minutes later, a steaming plate of stir-fried green peppers with eggs was ready.

"Just a home-cooked dish," Huang Huifeng said, wiping away sweat. "I don't know if it's to your taste."

The mouth-watering aroma made the stomachs of all six girls growl in unison.

"This is perfect!!!" Song Yuqi gave a thumbs up. "This is what human beings are supposed to eat!!"

The competition began.

On the Bikini Bottom side, Muscle SpongeBob sent out the Mechanical Mr. Krabs, Karate Sandy Cheeks, and the Glass-Helmet Plankton Robot as their "big eater contestants."

On (G)I-DLE's side, the contestants were: Song Yuqi, Cho Mi Yeon, Ye Shuhua, Kim Minnie, Xu Suizhen, and—

Jeon Soyeon, who looked pale and resigned to her fate.

The leader stood at the very front, holding that plate of Green Pepper Krabby Patty (Bikini Bottom version) and a small dish of stir-fried green peppers with eggs (human version), ready to accept the arrangement of fate.

"Rules!" Muscle SpongeBob held up a giant timer.

"Both teams start eating at the same time! You must eat the food made by the opposing team! Team Bikini Bottom eats the stir-fried green peppers with eggs made by Team (G)I-DLE! Team (G)I-DLE eats the Green Pepper Krabby Patty made by Team Bikini Bottom! The first team to finish all their food wins!"

"What?!" Song Yuqi's eyes widened. "We have to eat the one made by the sponge??"

"For the sake of fairness!" SpongeBob SquarePants flashed his signature buck-toothed grin. "We have to eat what you made too! Mutual damage!"

Everyone: "..."

These Bikini Bottom bullies actually had quite a sense of sportsmanship.

"Start!"

The timer gave a "beep."

Song Yuqi closed her eyes and took a bite of the Green Pepper Krabby Patty—

The texture... how should I put this...

The bun was indeed sponge-textured, soft but a bit chewy, like chewing on some high-end dishcloth.

The green peppers inside were real green peppers, but after being soaked in crabby sauce, the flavor had become strange and complex.

But, it was edible.

At least better than imagined.

Cho Mi Yeon took small bites, and although she tried hard to maintain her composure, the corners of her eyes were already twitching.

Ye Shuhua ate quickly, her cheeks puffed out like a hamster, muttering indistinctly as she ate: "It's okay, it's okay... I can endure it, I can endure it..."

Xu Suizhen ate without changing her expression, looking as calm as usual, making people wonder if she had lost her sense of taste.

Kim Minnie was still slow, but she ate quite earnestly, even savoring the taste, then frowned slightly, as if pondering some profound question.

As for Jeon Soyeon—she stared at the Green Pepper Krabby Patty in front of her, her eyes as complex as if she were looking at her lifelong nemesis.

"Soyeon Unnie! Hurry up and eat!" Song Yuqi urged. "They're almost finished!"

Opposite them, the Mechanical Mr. Krabs' mechanical claws were swiftly picking up the stir-fried green peppers with eggs and shoving them into its mouth, Karate Sandy Cheeks was using chopsticks more skillfully than a human, and the Glass-Helmet Plankton Robot simply opened its glass dome and dumped the whole plate inside.

Time waits for no one.

Jeon Soyeon took a deep breath, closed her eyes, opened her mouth, and took a bite—

At that moment, her expression looked as if she had lived her entire life.

From the shock of the green pepper entering her mouth, to the pain of chewing, to the struggle of trying to swallow, to the relief of finally getting it down...

"She ate it! She ate it!!!" Ye Shuhua clapped excitedly.

But the next second— "Ugh—"

Jeon Soyeon covered her mouth, her complexion turning from green to white, from white to pale blue, her whole body trembling violently, as if a world war was raging in her stomach.

"I can't... I really can't..." she said with difficulty, her voice hoarse. "It's physiological... I really... can't control it..."

Another bite, she forced herself to take it.

Another bite, she threw up.

After throwing up, she ate again.

After eating, she threw up again.

The other five members of (G)I-DLE watched her, feeling heartbroken and helpless, but they could only eat their own portions desperately, hoping to help share her burden.

However, a competition is a competition.

When the Mechanical Mr. Krabs swallowed the last bite of the stir-fried green peppers with eggs and raised its claws in a victory cheer, Team (G)I-DLE still had half a Green Pepper Krabby Patty in Jeon Soyeon's hand.

"The winner is decided!" Muscle SpongeBob raised both arms. "First round, Bikini Bottom wins!"

All of (G)I-DLE deflated.

Jeon Soyeon slumped on the beach, her face deathly pale, her gaze hollow, as if she had just experienced a horrific torture session.

"I'm sorry..." she murmured. "I really... tried my best..."

"It's okay, it's okay!" Song Yuqi rushed over to hug her. "Unnie, you were already very brave! Being able to eat two bites is a victory!"

The others also gathered around, comforting her in a flurry of voices.

Over there, the Bikini Bottom bullies had already started celebrating.

Muscle SpongeBob did a muscle dance, Patrick Star giggled along to the rhythm, the Mechanical Mr. Krabs' claws clicked a beat, Karate Sandy Cheeks did a few backflips, and the Glass-Helmet Plankton Robot's red light flickered as if it were at a rave.

"Give up! You brats!" SpongeBob SquarePants gloated. "Be good and make Krabby Patties for us for the rest of your lives!"

"Krabby Patties!" Patrick Star echoed.

"For the rest of your lives!" the Mechanical Mr. Krabs emphasized.

"Woohoo!" Karate Sandy Cheeks cheered.

"..." The Glass-Helmet Plankton Robot was still flashing its red light.

The six members of (G)I-DLE looked at their arrogant behavior and were furious.

"There are two more rounds!" Song Yuqi stood up, hands on her hips. "It's not over yet! What are you so proud of!"

"Right!" Ye Shuhua stood up too. "What are we competing in for the second round? We'll see this through to the end!"

Muscle SpongeBob and its companions exchanged glances and once again revealed that ominous smile.

"Second round—"

It pulled a new poster from behind its back (?), which depicted another green, lush, and stomach-tightening vegetable.

Bitter melon.

"Cold tossed bitter melon!"

The expressions of everyone in (G)I-DLE twisted in unison at that moment.

Green peppers were at least barely edible, but bitter melon???

Is that thing meant for humans to eat???

Especially Song Yuqi; she had detested bitter melon since she was a child and didn't even want to look at it.

Cho Mi Yeon also made a bitter face; although she wasn't a picky eater, she truly couldn't accept bitter melon.

Ye Shuhua shook her head directly, Kim Minnie frowned for once, and although Xu Suizhen's expression didn't change, her eyes clearly spelled out "refusal."

And Jeon Soyeon, who had just crawled out of the green pepper hell, froze on the spot as if struck by lightning upon hearing the words "bitter melon."

"Bitter... melon..."

Her voice sounded like it was squeezed out from between her teeth, carrying deep despair.

"No... I can't do it... I really can't do it..."

All six turned their heads simultaneously, their gazes shooting straight toward the balcony on the second floor of the homestay.

There, a slender figure was sitting on a rattan chair, holding an iced Americano, with a faint, detached smile on the corners of his mouth.

Jiang Zhiyu.

He even waved at them, as if greeting them, or perhaps saying "fighting."

The sunlight shone on him, the sea breeze blew through his hair, and that face was handsome enough to be in a pictorial.

But in the eyes of the six (G)I-DLE members, that face was no different from a devil at this moment.

"He's doing this on purpose!!!"

Song Yuqi was the first to explode, pointing at the second floor and roaring: "Jiang Zhiyu!! You are absolutely doing this on purpose!!!"

"Green peppers! Bitter melon! You specifically picked the ones we hate the most!!!"

"And you say this isn't malicious targeting!!!"

On the second-floor balcony, Jiang Zhiyu took a leisurely sip of his iced Americano, the curve of his lips seeming to rise just a little more.

He did not deny it, nor did he explain.

He just smiled like that, watching the six people on the beach who were furious, despairing, and supporting each other as they prepared to face the second "torture session."

The sea breeze blew past.

In the distance, the Bikini Bottom bullies had already started preparing the ingredients for the second round.

And the "brats" of (G)I-DLE were standing on the beach of Jeju Island, facing the biggest challenge of their lives—

Not aliens, not monsters. It was green peppers. It was bitter melon.

And the "Demon PD" sitting on the second floor, looking as leisurely as if he were on vacation, while actually having single-handedly orchestrated all of this.

"Jiang Zhiyu, you just wait!!!" Song Yuqi's roar drifted away in the sea breeze.

On the second-floor balcony, someone raised his iced Americano in a distant salute.

The sun was just right. The sea breeze was gentle. The afternoon on Jeju Island had only just begun.