Chapter 370
It was a time when we could have a truly precious experience.
"Wow, this is the first time I've ever seen such a large animal in my life."
"This is a sight I've never seen even in a zoo."
"Isn't my fortune already good this year?"
"......It was really cool when the water splashed."
After successfully meeting the dolphins and humpback whales, we returned to the port.
Everyone was still excited from earlier, and even after getting off the ship, they kept talking about the scene where they saw the humpback whales.
Now that we've properly experienced the nature and marine ecosystem that are famous in Dana Point, it's time to fill our bellies.
The lobster dishes we ate on the ship were really delicious, but sfter laughing and talking excitedly for a long time while watching the humpback whales on the deck, it felt like we had already digested it.
So we all excitedly headed to a nearby restaurant that the captain strongly recommended.
"Is it shaped like a ship?"
"It looks like it was remodeled from an actual ship?"
"It really looks unique!"
The port restaurant made of brown wooden planks was shaped like a ship halfway out of the sea.
As it turned out, it was true to Song Hyung-bin's words that they had used a part of a discarded ship to make the exterior of the restaurant.
"Wow......."
"The atmosphere is really nice."
The interior of the restaurant also seemed to be perfectly optimized for the image of a port.
Old life tubes were displayed along the wall, and a large model of a bluefin tuna was hung right above the entrance.
There was even a large iron anchor, which was not commonly seen, on display, which made us strongly feel that this was a port restaurant.
We looked at the menu and wondered what dishes we should order.
Soon, Yoo Min-ha came to a fiery conclusion.
"Why don't we just order everything we want to eat?"
Yoo Min-ha's opinion was quickly agreed upon by everyone.
We ordered appetizers, main dishes, and desserts, and kept glancing toward the kitchen with great anticipation.
"Honestly, I'm most excited about the clam chowder."
Heo Yu-bin shook his whole body from side to side, showing his excitement.
It was like a puppy excited about going for a walk.
"Aside from other dishes, you're most excited about the soup?"
"If it's clam chowder, isn't it something you can sometimes see in Korea?"
"I looked it up, and everyone said that Dana Point Clam Chowder is really the best."
"Hmm....."
Chae Eun-gyu seemed somewhat skeptical about Heo Yu-bin's words.
"But no matter what, it's not a dish, it's a soup, so I don't know if the taste will be that different."
"The ingredients will be the same. Cream base with clam meat."
"Oh my, these idiots."
Heo Yu-bin shook his head at Chae Eun-gyu and Song Hyung-bin.
"You'll know when you try it."
"......Hyung, haven't you tried it yet?"
"Ugh, ugh! I've already read it all in writing!"
"......You probably won't be able to taste it in writing."
Ji Yoon-chul's few words that hit his bones made Heo Yu-bin 'go to sleep' in an instant, but he didn't give in thanks to his strong obsession with clam chowder.
As if he knew his will, the first menu, clam chowder, came out steaming hot.
Kang Si-yoon made a face like a judge on
"Okay, let's evaluate how delicious this is and how it differs from Korean soup. Is what Heo Yu-bin said true or is it just an exaggeration?"
"Isn't Si-yoon's speech a bit like that of a program like 24 Hours of Tracking?"
"Hyungbin, don't exaggerate. If he continues with that kind of tone, he'll be cut off as an MC."
I was also curious about how delicious this was that Heo Yubin, who usually doesn't overdo things about food, would talk like this.
First of all, the visuals and smell were amazing.
It was really different from the typical clam chowder you can find at buffets in Korea, starting with the concentration of the smell.
I stirred the spoon a few times and could see a lot of soft clam meat inside.
Now it was time to check the truth.
'Hmm.'
I closed my eyes and savored the clam chowder.
The sweet and deep taste of the cream.
The savory taste from the clams that were full of the scent of the sea.
And the fantastic flavor from the harmony of the mushrooms and breadcrumbs.
"It's delicious."
I exclaimed reflexively.
Actually, I don't have much of an appetite, so I don't really express the taste unless it's really delicious.
This was inevitable.
"Haah...."
Across from me, Kang Si-yoon put down his spoon and let out a short breath.
I looked at him, wondering if he didn't like it, and sure enough, he was acting in that short moment.
"Really......…. Really, this is the first time I've ever had such a delicious soup."
Sniffing and speaking in a sobbing tone was also a real talent.
However, we, who had become accustomed to Kang Si-yoon's fleeting jokes, didn't react properly.
"Si-yoon, stop sniffing and eat quickly. If you do that, your snot will get into the soup."
"Oh, yes."
Due to Song Hyung-bin's sharp blocking, Kang Si-yoon's acting battle ended 15 seconds after it started.
Everyone burst into laughter, but as they continued to eat the clam chowder, they were all becoming more and more like Kang Si-yoon.
"...…I feel like my body is rising a little."
Heo Yu-bin, who had been wanting to eat this so badly, had a confused look in his eyes like someone experiencing an out-of-body experience.
It was like a character in a cooking comic who ascended to heaven after eating an incredibly delicious dish.
Everyone ate the soup in less than 5 minutes.
Heo Yu-bin quickly became proud and said to Chae Eun-gyu and Song Hyung-bin.
"What did I say, hyungs, that it was completely different?"
"I thought you were lying again."
"Me too."
"W-was my trust level that low?"
The other dishes that followed also boasted a special taste made from the excellent seafood resources caught at Dana Point.
At first, I didn't have any great expectations because it was an unfamiliar place I had never heard of before.
A day at Dana Point seemed to bless our new year.
***
We passed through California, Arizona, and the central region, and arrived at our final destination, New York, the center of transportation and economy in the eastern United States.
Los Angeles is also considered one of the largest cities in the United States with a large population, but it generally has many low buildings and a strong image of using a lot of land.
However, New York was the complete opposite, with its impressive tall buildings and congested roads.
"Driving here must be really hard, right?"
"You guys finally understand my struggles."
The manager, who was behind the wheel, pretended to wipe away tears at Song Hyung-bin's words.
I had heard on the internet that traffic in New York was congested, but I never imagined it would be this bad.
I don't know how the locals can endure such severe traffic congestion.
Before the last concert in New York, Seleste's special anniversary came.
It was a joint birthday party for me and Kang Si-yoon.
Our two birthdays are only two days apart, and February 10th and 12th are both days when we're on schedule, so we're having a celebratory party and StarUs Live in advance.
In fact, it was just a party, just the members having fun together.
"This is really awesome!"
"Hyung, I'm dizzy!"
"There are handrails in front of you, so why are you holding my arm?"
"Isn't it because you're trustworthy?"
The view of the Empire State Building against the night sky was amazing.
I felt like I was going back to New York after living in California with unforgettable memories.
After finishing such a busy day, we went back to the hotel and washed up and rested in our respective rooms.
Kang Si-yoon and I, who were the birthday Starus Live participants, gathered in the room I shared with Chae Eun-gyu.
"Eun-gyu hyung is washing up?"
"Yes. We have to turn on the broadcast, so I gave in and told him to wash first."
"From the beginning, Eun-gyu hyung was slow at washing, so he had to wash later."
It's been two years since we've done Star Us Live.
We skillfully set up the camera and checked if the screen was showing properly.
After confirming that there were no problems, the broadcast finally started.
"Seleves, can you see us well?"
"Can everyone watch the broadcast well now? Oh! There's a lot of people coming in!"
The time difference between Korea and New York is 13 hours.
Since we turned on the broadcast at 12 AM, it was 1 PM in Korea, when everyone was busy working.
So I thought there might be fewer Seleves coming to watch the live than usual, but our fans always exceed our expectations.
I smiled as I saw the numbers of 30,000 to 40,000 people, just like usual.
"I know you all are busy, but thank you for coming to see us."
"Let's see, let's see....... 'It's Sushiz's birthday, how could ee not come!' Ha, really.... As expected, we only have Seleves."
It's a StarUs live to celebrate our birthday, but it's too early to start with a cake.
So we talked lightly about the events that happened during our US tour.
"Seleves, did you see the picture we posted on Instagram? I never thought I'd see a whale up close in my life, and that was in the middle of the ocean."
"Your expression when Hyungbin hyung asked me to take a picture was really something to see."
"Ha....... No, Seleve, objectively, do I take better pictures, or does Karis take better pictures? Seriously, objectively! Honestly, a student can beat a teacher! I think so! But not yet."
Then the conversation naturally turned to the amazing clam chowder we had in California.
"Honestly, when Yubin shouted soup! soup soup, I just thought, oh, he's starting again. Wow, but it's really so delicious."
"If I may speak my mind, I still can't forget the taste of that clam chowder, more than the hamburgers that are so popular in New York."
"That's right, Seleve! Karis and I are talking like this, so it is really delicious. If you ever go near LA, you should definitely try the Dana Point Clam Chowder. We're not getting paid to advertise there! It's really delicious!"
While we were talking like that, Kang Si-yoon's phone rang.
A message notification from Heo Yu-bin.
The moment I saw 'Youngest than the youngest' on the screen, I suddenly burst out laughing.
"Did you save each member's name like that?"
"Oh, of course. I always save each name with personality?"
"I wonder how you save them."
Kang Si-yoon furrowed his eyebrows as soon as he heard me.
"You're finally asking me that!"
"Your eyes look like you've been waiting for this."
"Of course."
Kang Si-yoon coughed loudly and spoke into his phone.
"Luxia, call 'Seleste Visun Silse'." [*unelected (political) power, which is usually working behind the scenes.]
"What......?"
It was ridiculous that he saved me as 'Seleste Visun Silse'.
What was even more ridiculous was the answer that came from Kang Si-yoon's phone.
"I can't find 'Seleste Visun Silse' in the contacts. Please try again."
"Huh?"
"What is this?"
"Huh? Huh huh?"
I glared at Kang Si-yoon with eyes that demanded an explanation.
Kang Si-yoon couldn't help but quiver, realizing that something was seriously wrong.
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