Someone bumped into me and kept going. I scowled after them. “How rude!”
“That's how it is here,” Hunter Chung-ae said. “Don't take offense. People push each other to get by.”
“Are you serious?” I gaped at him. “You're so polite about everything and then you shove people in the street without even saying excuse me?”
He shrugged and smiled.
“Unbelievable,” I muttered and stepped closer to the stand Star was at, getting out of the way of pedestrians before I got shoved again.
The chicken vendor was a woman. She prepared a big paper cup full of crunchy chicken bits that were coated in sauce and asked Star something. He shook his head. I was about to say that we'd finally found some food that wasn't on a stick, but then she stuck a little stick in the chicken. She said something else to Star.
He smiled brightly at the woman as he inclined his head. “Gamsahabnida.”
“Was she impressed with your Korean?” I asked Star as we walked away.
“She said he's very handsome,” Sever said. “Rather bold of her.”
“Well, I'm rather handsome,” Sever said smugly and popped some chicken in his mouth using the stick.
And no, it wasn't a toothpick. It was bigger than that, yet smaller than a kebab stick.
Why the hell am I going off about sticks?
Right. We were talking about Star getting complimented. Why did that feel strange? I looked around and noted that Star was getting more attention, at least from the locals, than either of my husbands. Girls giggled behind lifted hands, women smiled shyly, and even the men checked him out. Not that the staring wasn't warranted. Star's gorgeous. But it wasn't like the looks we were getting in the fairy tale village. This was more intense. What was going on?
Then I happened to glance up at a billboard featuring a Korean boy band. Aha!
I pointed at Star and declared, “You look like a K-Pop singer!”
Star stopped walking and looked up from his chicken cup. “Take that back.”
“Well, you don't look Korean. But you've got that slick look. With your perfect skin and shining eyes. And your build is slim but muscular—the prime physique here. Add your suit to the mix, and you're Hell's version of a K-Pop star.” I paused to replay what I'd said in my head. “K-PopStar! That's your new nickname.”
“It is not.” Star grimaced. Then his lips twitched. “Do you really think I have perfect skin?”
“Absolutely, dude.” Killian pounded him on the shoulder, forcing Star to do some maneuvers to save his chicken. “You'rerealpretty. Just like one of those Korean singers.” He waved at the billboard, holding his straight face for two seconds before he burst out laughing.
“Why, Prince Killian, I had no idea you felt that way about me,” Star said. “All this time I've been focused on your wife when you were pining away. That must have been difficult for you.”
Hunter Chung-ae snorted. Then he pointed at something. “Ah! Look! See that? That's a Haechi. Me! We are the symbol of Seoul.” He puffed out his chest.
“That's what you look like?” Killian—as easy to distract as a puppy—followed Chung-ae's finger to a flag in a shop window. “Are you really that . . . round?”
“That is not round!” Hunter Chung-ae scowled at the image on the flag.
The creature depicted was—how do I put this without sounding rude?—lacking in sharp angles. It was supposed to be a cross between a lion and a dog, but it looked more as if a sculptor had started to form something, then stopped halfway there. The head was rounded, the body rounded, and even the paws looked a bit pudgy. There was a hint of a mane represented by some artful curlicues but that was the only clue to the creature's identity.
“He looks very happy,” I said. “Like a Buddha.”
“Which Buddha?!” Hunter Chung-ae demanded. “Skinny Buddha or fat Buddha?”
“Oh, look! There's some fried cheese on a stick that they're calling a hot dog even though there's no meat in it.” I hurried away. “I think I need to try that.” Then I muttered, “I hope it's not spicy.”
“Aw, you're a fat, happy, round thing,” Killian said to Hunter Chung-ae before he chased after me. “Did you say cheese sticks, babe? I love cheese sticks.”
“I am revered here!” Hunter Chung-ae growled.
“Which is why you're so happy, I imagine,” Star said, strolling after Kill and me with Sever.
