The food market street bustled as if a festival were underway. Merchants flaunted their identities in every possible way—even up into the air. A holographic octopus waved its tentacles, a giant balloon shifted in an instant from an apple to a banana to a mango, and above it all, a whale glided leisurely across the sky.
"Whoa~~!!!" Curio shouted in excitement.
Ali lifted his gaze to the heavens, then lowered it again to the bustling crowd below. Quick footsteps, mingled scents—it was almost suffocating, yet somehow, he could feel the pulse of the city.
"I haven't been to this street often! Every time I passed by, I was curious—but being here feels totally different!"
In truth, the two hadn't come here for fun, but Curio already seemed to have forgotten their original purpose.
They wandered from shop to shop along the food market street. At the butcher's, bright red cuts of meat hung neatly by type, while in the seafood corner, live fish sliced through the water with vigor. The most striking of them all was a massive black fish—at least four meters long. It didn't look particularly appetizing, but upon hearing it was the shop's most expensive catch, a strange spark of challenge flickered in their eyes.
The fruit shop overflowed with fresh produce from all over the world. When Curio spotted the "sky-reaching bananas," he bought two at once and handed one to Ali. A faint smile touched Ali's lips. In that moment, without realizing it, the seashell hanging around his neck gave a slight tremor.
For nearly an hour, they explored the food market street—Curio tasting samples here and there, Ali stopping often to watch the sights. When the end of the alley finally came into view, the scent of grilled meat and spices greeted them warmly. Beneath the flashing signs came the sound of instruments, and through the glass windows, people clinked their glasses and laughed.
They had arrived at the very heart of the restaurant district.