As they reached the food court, the air was filled with the delicious aromas of all manner of cuisines from across the world. Uni's eyes darted from one food stall to another, her stomach already rumbling in anticipation. There was even an ice-cream parlor among the restaurants, adding a sweet twist to the girls' selection.

They began walking around the food court, taking in the various offerings. Uni stopped at a burger stand, eyeing the juicy patties with an intense gaze.

"Oh, that's a beautiful sight," she murmured, her mouth practically watering.

Trixie nudged her. "Whoa, you're salivating already? Pace yourself, Uni.”

Uni playfully swatted at Trixie, her attention still on the burger joint. "I can't help it. This is like a buffet of temptation, and I plan on sampling it all.”

They finally settled on their meals, each of them grabbing a food tray. Uni's was, of course, the fullest, a mix of different cuisines that would surely keep her satisfied for the day.

As they found a table, Uni eyed her tray with a mix of excitement and slight concern. "All right, ladies, brace yourselves for the Uni eating show. Right here we have a burger, shawarma, ramen, a bucket of fried chicken, and a large strawberry soda. How much d'ya wanna bet that I'll wolf down every morsel?"

Trixie, Esther and Piper looked at Uni's tray with a mixture of disbelief and amusement. Even her boundless appetite was being tested here.

Trixie raised an eyebrow, her eyes darting over the assorted delicacies. "Uni, I'm starting to think you could challenge a professional eater with that amount of food."

Piper chuckled, clearly impressed. "I wonder if they're going to let you out of here without rolling you out first."

Uni giggled as she patted her toned belly. "Don'tcha worry, my godlike metabolism will save me that fate.”

Trixie and Piper laughed while Esther beamed, imagining the comical sight of Uni being rolled out of the food court.

Uni grabbed her fork and immediately started into the burger, taking a generous bite. She closed her eyes briefly, savoring the flavors.

Trixie chuckled, shaking her head. "You're the only person I know who can eat this much and still look like you hit the gym every day.”

Uni smiled, her cheeks still puffed up from the burger. "It's all about balance, my friends. I work out a lot to compensate for my eating habits. Besides, life's too short not to enjoy good food."

As the girls continued eating, Uni's tray progressively became emptier, her appetite proving to be formidable indeed. She grabbed her shawarma next, taking a moment to admire how delicious it looked, before biting into it with relish. The combination of tender meat and the unique spices made her eyes sparkle.

Trixie watched her, amused at how quickly Uni was making her way through her feast. "You're something else, Uni. I don't know where you put all that food.”

Uni laughed, her mouth still partially full. "I swear, my stomach is like a black hole. It just never gets full."

Esther grinned, amused by Uni's ability to eat without any sign of slowing down. She put down her utensils and pulled out her pen and paper, writing a note and passing it to Uni. It read: "I'm starting to think you should join a competitive eating contest. You could win them blindfolded.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Uni laughed heartily when she saw the note, swallowing her food before replying. "Oh, trust me, I've considered it. But then I'd have to follow a strict training regimen, and that sounds really boring. I prefer my style of 'I eat what I want, when I want, as much as I want.' No rules, just pure gluttony pleasure.”

Trixie and Piper chuckled, knowing full well that Uni's approach to eating was a mix of pleasure and carefree extravagance.

As Uni made her way through the last of her food, her tray was almost empty. She took a moment to relish in the feeling of fullness, patting her belly in satisfaction.

"Ah, there's nothing quite like a well-sated stomach," she sighed, leaning back in her seat.

Piper chuckled, eyeing the remnants of the feast. "I have to say, I'm not sure if I'm more impressed or worried. You've been stuffing your face for a whole forty minutes."

Uni raised a brow, checking the walls for a clock and seeing it was 12:59 P.M. "Geez, it's been that long?! The food was so good, it felt like only five to ten minutes...wowsers.”

Trixie shook her head, still amazed by Uni's eating speed. "Yeah, time flies when you're busy stuffing your face. And I thought I ate fast, but you've taken it to a whole new level."

The hands of the clock then hit 1:00 P.M. Seconds later, all the lights in the mall shut off, leaving everyone in near darkness.

They girls froze, startled by the sudden darkness. The mall was eerily silent, the only sounds being faint whispers from other patrons, who seemed otherwise unbothered.

Uni's head snapped up, her heart rate quickening at the sudden change. "What's going on? Did they decide to shut down the mall or something?"

Piper looked around, her eyes adjusting to the dim light. "I don't think so. This is strange. Stay close, something doesn't feel right."

Before the girls could say another word, the lights flipped right back on, with the locals cheering as they went back to eating and chatting like nothing happened.

Uni let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, relief washing over her as the lights came on again. "What just happened? That was freaky."

Trixie furrowed her brow, clearly disturbed. "I have no idea, but that was definitely weird. And everyone else is acting like nothing happened."

Piper nodded, still on edge. "Yeah, it's as if the blackout never happened. Maybe it was just a power malfunction?"

A local sitting behind the girls scooted his chair over to them. "Tell me you're tourists without telling me you're tourists," he said with a lighthearted chuckle.

"Wait," Trixie said, "You know what just happened here?"

The local nodded with a slight smirk. "Yup. It's called load shedding.”

The girls exchanged confused glances. Uni spoke up, her brow furrowed. "Load shedding? What's that?"

The local chuckled, seeing the girls' puzzlement. "It's a routine power disruption to conserve electricity across the country. It happens at set times in different cities throughout the day."

Uni's confused expression didn't waver. "So, the power just goes out randomly to save energy?"

The local nodded. "More or less. It's a common practice here during peak electricity usage times.”

Uni's eyes widened in realization. "So, it's a scheduled thing? We've never experienced anything like this where we're from."

The local grinned. "Yeah, most of us are used to it. But I can understand why it might be quite a shock to visitors."

Piper chimed in, clearly bewildered. "So, it's a frequent occurrence?"

The local nodded. "Yes, it happens a few times a day. It's part of our energy management strategy.”

Uni exchanged glances with her friends, all of them now comprehending the situation. "Well, now we know what to expect...sort of."

Trixie chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Guess we can add 'power-saving blackouts' to our list of unforgettable experiences.”

They all laughed, finally getting back into the rhythm of the moment. Uni shrugged, trying to brush off the oddness of the situation.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. It's just a cultural thing, right?"

Piper nodded, trying to downplay the incident. "Exactly. We're just getting a taste of daily life here."

Uni chuckled, finding humor in the situation as the tension lifted. "Well, this daily life has certainly made one thing clear: I need to stop worrying so much about my calorie intake.”

Trixie nodded, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Yeah, Uni, you can eat to your heart's content now, knowing you have those frequent ‘load shedding’ breaks to burn it all off."

Uni smirked, seeing the opportunity presented to her. "Oh, don't tempt me now. I might just take that as a challenge.”

Piper nudged Uni. "Just remember, Uni, we're here for a vacation, not a calorie-burning marathon."

Uni rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh, come on. I can do both. I'm a multitasking pro. Eating and burning calories simultaneously is my specialty.”

They all laughed once again, unable to resist teasing Uni.

Piper pointed at the ice-cream parlour. "Uni, don't even think about it. Your brain-freeze would be the stuff of legends, and we're not sure we're ready for that kind of spectacle."

Uni chuckled, her hands still rubbing her belly. "Oh, but the temptation is real, my friends. The temptation is real... It'll be a nice conclusion before we get back to shopping. We still have a beach to go to today as well, so let's go all out!”

They all agreed, amused at the image of a brain-freeze-stricken Uni.

Piper shook her head, grinning. "All right, Uni, if you insist. But we're not taking the blame when you're rolling on the beach later, clutching your head and groaning.”

Uni chuckled, her mischievous eyes gleaming. "Hey, I've got a strong head. I can handle a little brain freeze, no problem. And besides, think about how amazing that ice cream will taste. It'll be worth the temporary pain."

They all shook their heads, clearly taken by Uni's determination.

Trixie sighed, a smile on her face."You're ridiculous, Uni. But we love you for it. Now, come on, let's get that ice cream before we head off to the beach.”