The two had just left Aideen Park and hadn't gone far when Stelle heard a rough voice. "…Tch, if it weren't for Micah stopping me, I'd show these blind fools a thing or two today!"
Stelle: ?
What's making that noise?
Stelle looked around and spotted, not far away, a muscular clock-headed man in an Araki-line art style standing with a frustrated expression, muttering angrily to himself.
Notably, if it weren't for the Araki-line style, this clock-headed muscleman looked almost identical to the "Clockie Daddy" statue she'd seen earlier.
Stelle: …
The dreamworld is just too wild.
"Hm? What's wrong?"
Seeing Stelle suddenly freeze, Firefly asked softly.
Stelle's mouth twitched. "I saw 'Clockie Daddy.'"
Firefly blinked, following Stelle's gaze, her beautiful eyes fluttering. "Where? How come I don't see him?"
Because only those with Stands can see Stands… Stelle silently quipped to herself.
"Hm? You can see me?"
Clockie Daddy suddenly turned to Stelle, striding toward her with an imposing presence. "Dear lady, were you just talking about me?"
Stelle struggled to keep a straight face. "I'm just a powerless weak girl who can only gossip, watch drama, and say nice things—nothing else."
Clockie Daddy looked astonished. "Oh, oh, oh—you can actually see me! That's great, that's great! Micah is saved!"
"Tick-tock! Oh, I forgot to introduce myself!"
Clockie Daddy flexed his exaggerated muscles. "I'm Clockie Daddy, the big star of Penacony's Sweet Dreams Town—you've probably seen my posters, right?"
Stelle nodded. Posters? I've seen your solid gold statue.
"Tick-tock! My good friend Micah is in danger. Please help save 'them'! I beg you, I beg you, I beg you!"
Honestly, Stelle had heard this kind of plea plenty of times before, but those were usually from people acting cute or coy. Hearing it from this burly, muscle-bound clock-headed man felt incredibly jarring.
"I must be sick or something. I knew the clock-headed muscleman was an animated character, but I didn't expect the dreamworld to…"
Hearing Stelle's muttering, Firefly asked thoughtfully, "You said a clock-headed muscleman? Clockie Daddy?"
"You're saying you're talking to an animated character?"
Stelle nodded, her expression hard to describe. "You can't see him?"
"Uh…" Firefly scratched her head sheepishly. "Sorry, I really can't see him…"
"Tick-tock!"
Clockie Daddy did a flip on the spot. "I bet only honest, pure, and childlike people can see me. After all, I'm one of the embodiments of Penacony's sweet dreams!"
"Gray-haired friend, since you can see me, please, please help me out, okay? Pretty please?"
Clockie Daddy flexed his muscles again. "If you agree, I'll do anything you ask."
Stelle felt like she might throw up. "Just tell me, but let me be clear: I'm a powerless weak girl. I don't fight, argue, or mediate—only gossip, watch drama, and drool."
"Alrighty, gray-haired friend, follow me!"
As Clockie Daddy turned to lead the way, Stelle looked at Firefly with an apologetic expression. "Sorry, I want to help this Clockie Daddy with something. Could you stick with me for a bit?"
Firefly nodded obediently. "Of course! You're so kind, Stelle, I'll definitely support you unconditionally!"
"We've got plenty of time, no rush."
—"Tick-tock! Friends, we need to move fast!"
Clockie Daddy was doing warm-up exercises ahead. "Time is tight—we need to be super, super quick! Faster than workers' vacations!"
"Time is money!"
…
Ten minutes later.
The two—er, no, three—arrived at a window on a commercial street, where a massive crowd of onlookers had gathered, eagerly gossiping and watching the drama unfold.
To avoid being separated by the crowd, Stelle and Firefly held hands tightly, fingers interlocked, and struggled to squeeze into the center.
There, a purple-haired woman in a suit—Acheron, the head of the Annihilation Gang, whom Stelle had seen at the real-world hotel not long ago—stood alongside a boy resembling Mikhail and a group of uniformed company employees.
Notably, the leader of these employees was none other than Skott, whom Stelle had met recently.
Stelle: ! Why is it this guy again? He's like a lingering ghost!
—"Hey! Are you picking a fight on purpose or what?"
In the center of the crowd, Skott pointed at Acheron, furious. "You jerk! Do you think our company is made of clay? You're going too far!"
Acheron's expression remained blank, not even sparing a glance or a change in her demeanor. She silently pulled out a bag of Kitco snacks and started munching away.
Skott: ?!
Skott's chest heaved violently. This was the first—er, no, the third time he'd been so blatantly disrespected, subjected to such humiliation!
"What's wrong with us selling our products here? Did we eat your rice or something?"
"Who are you? What gives you the right to stop us from selling our noodle stew? Don't you know this is Annihilation Gang's brand—a big name! If you don't get it, don't embarrass yourself here!"
Acheron crossed her arms. "The Annihilation Gang's noodle stew isn't this quality. You're disrupting the market."
Skott sneered. "You're saying my noodle stew has quality issues? Come on, who knows noodle stew better—you or me?"
"Let me make this clear: our company may be selling Annihilation Gang's noodle stew, but it's all backed by signed contracts from the higher-ups. Our sales are legal and compliant. What right do you have to stop me?"
Acheron (munch, munch, munch): "I (crunch) never said you couldn't sell. I'm just a customer, aren't I? I'm curious (crunch) to know what would happen if you let your bosses taste this noodle stew. Would they kick you out of your position right away (crunch)?"
Skott gave a cold laugh. "Sorry, let me repeat: all our products are official Annihilation Gang brands. We're selling legally and compliantly. You want it or not?"
Acheron: "…How much is your noodle stew per bowl?"
Skott held up two fingers. "Annihilation Gang Brand Noodle Stew: Dreamscape Special Edition. Dirt cheap, only two hundred credits."
Acheron sized Skott up and down, her eyes full of disdain. "Is your flour made of gold?"
Skott clicked his tongue. "Don't you know? The Penacony Corporation's deal with the Annihilation Gang fell through. Where else can you find noodle stew in the dreamworld? This is my one-to-one handmade replica. You think it's expensive? I think it's expensive too!"