Chapter 58: Outing
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 58: Outing
Sizzle!
“Oh, this is good. If it tastes like this, we won’t have any problems.”
I puffed out my chest at Senior Min Ju-hee’s praise after she tasted my spicy stir-fried pork. She gave a small smirk, patted me on the shoulder, and then headed toward the other students.
“Hey, who are you planning to feed with these portions? I know it’s a college festival stall, but is this even edible?”
“The outside is completely burnt, and the inside is raw! It’s painfully obvious you’ve never done this before. I told you to practice a bit at home!”
“What is this crunching in the rolled omelet…? Dammit! Didn’t you check properly?! There’s eggshell in here!”
Watching her go around and tear into the others one by one, I realized she really didn't have a choice but to praise me.
Some kids were decent, but since we were selling this to people, it had to meet a certain standard.
…Thank god.
I was glad I’d spent the last few days eating nothing but spicy stir-fried pork. Of course, part of the reason was just because I liked it.
Since the stall wouldn't officially open until evening, I had some time left after passing the inspection early.
Normally, I would have just stayed holed up in the kitchen, but the way the others were looking at me wasn't exactly friendly, so I decided to step outside.
Well, it’s not like talking to them will change anything.
Even if Senior Min Ju-hee had denied the rumors on my behalf, she hadn't provided any proof; she’d just said it wasn't true, so they probably didn't believe her.
Looking at it that way, it was almost a relief that Seo Ye-rin hadn't been caught.
The "front of house" was also quite busy. Though, calling it a "house" was a stretch—it was really just tables and chairs set up under a tent.
“Someone bring some tape so we can put up the menu!”
“Where did the chopsticks and plastic spoons go? I can’t find them!”
“I told you we didn't buy those yet! Someone needs to go to the convenience store!”
The operation was centered around Choi I-seo, the Department Rep, and Ahn Hyun-ho, the Vice Rep. I saw a few sophomores here and there, but they were mostly just slacking off or killing time chatting among themselves.
Besides Choi I-seo, I also spotted Seo Ye-rin and Yoo Ah-rin, both of whom were working quite hard in their own way.
When Seo Ye-rin made eye contact with me, she seemed to remember what had happened earlier; her cheeks puffed out and her face turned red.
It looked like she was sulking now that she’d come to her senses.
Yoo Ah-rin gave me a bored glare and told me to help out instead of playing around, but I immediately rejected her with a middle finger.
The stall was finally starting to take shape.
Just like us, the other festival booths were finishing their setups, and people looking to browse were starting to trickle in.
“Let’s have a few people go out and promote.”
I thought they might be handing out flyers, but apparently, the Student Council had banned them because they created too much litter.
The chosen method of promotion was walking around with a small chalkboard with promotional slogans written on it.
It seemed like a decent strategy—carrying a black chalkboard around to various spots.
If things got busy, they could just call them back via phone.
Since it was also a natural way to look around the festival, quite a few people wanted to do it.
“First… Ye-rin.”
Choi I-seo handed the chalkboard to Seo Ye-rin as if she were presenting an award.
“Go do a full lap. It’ll be best if you stay near the entrance.”
I-seo had a slightly uncomfortable look on her face, and it wasn't hard to see why.
“You might waste time getting hit on if you’re alone, so I’ll go with you. Let’s go.”
It was because Senior Han-gang had naturally appeared by her side.
Once Han-gang stepped in, the other freshmen shut their mouths. Seo Ye-rin looked flustered and glanced around.
Then, her eyes locked onto mine.
…They look good together.
Honestly, I knew Seo Ye-rin might find Senior Han-gang uncomfortable.
But visually, they made a great pair.
They were both so good-looking that anyone, man or woman, would definitely do a double-take.
I gave her a big thumbs up as a sign of encouragement—or perhaps just to tell her to hang in there—and Seo Ye-rin bit her lip while looking at me before stomping away.
“Senior, let’s go!”
“Huh? Oh, right.”
Han-gang followed immediately, seemingly surprised by her sudden initiative.
Whatever the case, with those two on the move, I doubted any other department could beat us when it came to promotion.
After that, Choi I-seo continued handing out chalkboards to people she thought would be good at promoting.
“I choose you.”
Before I knew it, Yoo Ah-rin was standing next to me, holding a chalkboard.
“Huh?”
Before I could ask what she meant, she immediately linked her arm with mine and started dragging me away.
“We’ll be back!”
As I was being pulled along, I glanced back. There stood Choi I-seo, arms crossed and lips slightly pouting, watching me.
But as soon as our eyes met, she immediately pretended to be unfazed and went back to work.
Once we were a good distance away from our booth, Yoo Ah-rin immediately let go of my arm and made a face.
“Ugh, you smell like stir-fried pork.”
“…Are you a psycho?”
She was all smiles while dragging me away, and now she was pushing me away in disgust.
I was wondering what was going on, but Yoo Ah-rin just shrugged and answered.
“Let’s go check out the Physical Therapy booth.”
“Hmm? I told you I’d go alone.”
She was suddenly insisting on coming along. I told her I’d just go by myself, but she was already heading toward the PT Department's area.
I wondered if she was trying to help, but one look at her face told me otherwise.
She probably just thought it looked fun and wanted to stick her nose in.
We got a bit lost trying to find the Physical Therapy booth, but since we were technically "promoting," it wasn't a problem.
When we arrived, the PT booth was already in full swing.
“Grip strength test?”
They were holding an event where people who exceeded a certain score on a grip strength meter would get a souvenir.
Beyond that, I could see people getting their blood pressure checked or getting shoulder massages in the back. They were doing all sorts of things.
“Lame.”
Her reaction was a bit too blunt, but honestly, I agreed with her. It was a bit lame.
“Whoa! Are you two a couple? Come this way!”
As we approached, a PT student who had been looking at their phone immediately greeted us with a smile.
“I’m not dating this moron,” Yoo Ah-rin said, immediately drawing a line.
I nodded in agreement.
“She’s got a thing going with someone else.”
I was thinking of Jeong Chan-woo when I said it, and she must have realized it because she immediately looked up at me and growled.
I looked away and stepped inside.
I paid the entry fee and tried the grip strength test, but unsurprisingly, my score was nowhere near the top.
“Ah, what a shame.”
I shook out my hand, which was tingling from the sudden exertion, and spoke to the student as they went to take the meter back.
“Excuse me, are there any fourth-year PT students around?”
“Pardon?”
The student looked confused by the sudden question, so I gave an awkward smile.
“Oh, there’s a senior I wanted to see, and I was wondering if they’d be here today.”
“Hmm.”
The student tilted their head, probably thinking it was a vague reason.
However, they didn't seem to think there was any reason to hide it, so they shrugged and answered.
“None of the fourth-years are here. They’re either out on clinical rotations or preparing for jobs on their own. If you’re looking for them, you’d have better luck at the library than here.”
“Ah, I see.”
When I looked disappointed, the student thought for a moment and then clapped their hands.
“Are you talking about Senior Eun-woo, by any chance?”
Eun-woo?
“I heard they’re transitioning to a TA position right after graduation. Or was it grad school?”
“…….”
“So they might come by when the professors visit.”
It was a slim lead, but it was something. There was a possibility that this "Eun-woo" person was Anonymous 90.
“Do you happen to know when they’re coming?”
“…I wouldn't know.”
The student shrugged, reluctant to answer. They probably felt my excessive interest was getting a bit weird, so they shut their mouth.
That’s a shame.
Still, I’d found out that there was a fourth-year coming to the festival. If they were planning on going to grad school or becoming a TA, it made sense that they might still be using the Bamboo Forest.
I was about to leave, keeping this "Eun-woo" person in mind as a suspect, when—
“Wooooo!”
Yoo Ah-rin let out a cheer, holding the grip meter high with both hands.
“N-New high score for women! We have a new record!”
She was grinning, clearly thrilled that she’d set the new record for female grip strength.
Is she just here to play?
I thought she’d come along to help me find the "PT Fossil," so why was she so excited?
Regardless, Yoo Ah-rin received a simple keychain—something that probably wasn't even worth the entry fee.
She didn't seem to care about the prize itself; she was just happy about breaking the record. She started humming as we resumed our walk through the festival.
“Oh, right. Let’s hit the convenience store. We need to buy the chopsticks and spoons.”
“Is that why you wanted me to come along? Because we have to head back soon?”
At my question, Yoo Ah-rin didn't hide her good mood, her shoulders bouncing as she replied.
“How can I just wander around when I’ve got the guy who’s supposed to be frying pork in the kitchen with me?”
She wasn't wrong.
If Captain Ju found out I’d gone off on a whim like this, I’d definitely get an earful.
After buying the items we were told to get and a chocolate milk for each of us, we headed back to the English Department booth.
Perhaps due to the combination of Seo Ye-rin and Han-gang, customers were already trickling in even though it was early for drinking.
I went straight to the kitchen and took my position.
“One order of spicy pork!”
The orders started coming in immediately, and I began stir-frying at a brisk pace. I sliced some tofu to place next to the freshly made pork and was about to hand it to a server when—
Choi I-seo was standing right there, waiting.
“Where did you go?”
As she took the plate, I gave her an awkward smile.
“T-The PT booth. They were doing a grip strength test.”
“Hmph.”
I-seo trailed off, muttered something indifferently, and walked away.
“I guess that’s one place I shouldn't go.”