Chapter 144
Chapter 144
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 144
Chapter Title: The Philosophy Pub
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Seeing Min-jun recline in the passenger seat, Seul-bi and Yi-na exchanged a look.
“Yoo-jun! Yi-na and I are going to the restroom.”
“Should I come with… you’d hate that, wouldn’t you?”
A nod.
Choi Yoo-jun glanced at Seul-bi, gave a bright smile, and went back to typing on his phone.
Seul-bi and Yi-na pretended to head for the restroom, but after confirming that Choi Yoo-jun was still focused on his phone, they practically ran into a building that led to the athletic field.
They tied their hair back and put on the hats they had secretly swiped from the car.
“I have a feeling Isa-nim won’t let us check out the pop-up pubs.”
“Yeah! He totally would.”
“Let’s just pop over and come back before the unnis finish their makeup.”
“But I want to try the food here. We don’t have any money, do we?”
“We have our phones.”
“Ugh, unni, are you dumb? You think they’ll take phone payments at a place like this?”
“Geez, you dummy. We can just do a bank transfer.”
“Ugh! Right!”
“Alright. Let’s go.”
The two crossed through the quiet building and came out the other side.
Below the reviewing stand, which had been converted into a stage, rows of tents came into view, arranged in three lines. There was enough space between each row that the stage was clearly visible even from inside the tents.
“Wait, the audience seats are the pop-up pubs? Is that kind of setup even allowed?”
“I guess so. Are we supposed to drink while watching? But there weren’t many people last time I was here either.”
“Seems like it? But is it okay for them to pay us 20 million won to perform? There’s hardly anyone here.”
“Because it’s the 50th anniversary?”
“Ohhh.”
“But no one will recognize us like this, right?”
“We’re not exactly top stars. Of course, they won’t. We’re even wearing Crocs.”
“True. Right? We’re bare-faced and wearing hats.”
“Yep, totally.”
Linking arms, they whispered to each other as they descended from the reviewing stand.
But, of course, their appearance drew the attention of many students. Their celebrity-like proportions and the smooth legs revealed by their short skirts were objects of envy and admiration from everyone, regardless of gender. The matching, eye-catching pink Crocs and hats, however, only made them stand out even more.
“…They don’t recognize us, right? Why is everyone staring?”
“Because we have great figures? Just pretend you don’t notice.”
The pair passed through the crowded areas and headed for a quieter spot. The students who saw them merely followed them with their eyes, not daring to approach or speak to them.
-[The Pub Where Philosophy Breathes]
-[No Fortunes, No Tarot]
“Pfft! Descartes the shaman.”
Seul-bi burst out laughing by herself.
“Unni, what’s so funny? Is it because it’s a philosophy stall but says it doesn’t do fortunes or tarot?”
“Shh! Don’t mention things like tarot here. There’s a high chance they’ll get mad.”
“So why is it funny?”
“…Do you know Descartes?”
“…Is that like Demian?”
“It’s toooo long to explain. Can’t be done.”
“You’re looking down on me right now, aren’t you!”
“I’ll explain later.”
Unlike the other lively pubs, this one was run by students whose faces were full of anguish. The clothes they had tried to dress up in looked even more awkward on them.
However, their eyes, too, were fixed on Seul-bi and Yi-na.
“Are you open?”
“Ah! You’re eating here?”
A female student in jeans and a white t-shirt responded, looking startled. It seemed she hadn’t expected anyone to visit their empty pub.
“Yes.”
“Hahaha! Welcome, valued customer.”
The female student replied boisterously and set out some water.
Next, a male student approached and, as if to make the neighboring, bustling economics department pub hear, shouted, “Here’s the menu!” as he handed them a laminated menu.
-[Kant’s Prepared Fare]
Seafood Pancake 20.
Tofu Pancake 20.
Spicy Pork Stir-fry 20.
Dried Snacks 20.
Stir-fried Blood Sausage 20.
Sausage and Veggie Stir-fry 20.
Soju 5.
Beer 5.
Honey Rice Wine 7.
Soft Drinks 3.
“Gasp, why is it so expensive? Are they scammers?”
“Be quiet!”
Seul-bi shushed Yi-na, covering her mouth, then completely changed her expression and beamed.
“What’s the quickest thing to make?”
“The seafood pancake!”
“We’ll have that.”
“And for drinks…”
“We probably shouldn’t drink right now.”
“Yep! Valued customer, one extra-large seafood pancake!”
“One extra-large seafood pancake!”
The students running the pub looked extremely pleased.
“Heh, it’s just like Min-jun oppa said. But I want the spicy pork too.”
“…Makeup will be done in about 20 minutes. We need to eat quickly and go.”
Once Seul-bi and Yi-na entered, students who had been wandering the pub area choosing a spot started trickling in and filling the seats.
The pub students, who had been worried about having prepared too much food, looked incredibly happy.
The male student who took their order opened a large cooler. Seul-bi and Yi-na stared in fascination at the sight of large chunks of ice mixed with countless bottles of alcohol and drinks.
“Marry, and you will be happy. If you get a bad wife, you will become a philosopher. It seems the gentlemen sitting behind me are unlikely to become good philosophers.”
The student said, placing a bottle of honey rice wine, slick with condensation, on the table.
Seul-bi and Yi-na gave bewildered smiles at his incomprehensible words.
“What’s he saying?”
“…I think he’s egging on the guys who came in because they’re interested in us?”
Even with Seul-bi’s explanation, Yi-na still looked like she had no idea what was going on.
“We didn’t order rice wine. And she’s a minor.”
“Ah!”
Startled, he rummaged through the cooler, wiped the condensation off a can of soda, and set it on the table.
“I see you’ve brought a younger friend along. Have a great time.”
Sizzle!
The frying pan must have heated up, because the sound of the seafood pancake cooking finally filled the air.
“Ahh, that smells so good…”
“……”
Yi-na sniffed the air with a happy expression, while Seul-bi’s gaze was fixed on the honey rice wine.
“I’ve never had honey rice wine before. I’ll just have one glass.”
“Nope. You’re going to get drunk again, aren’t you?”
“Are you trying to be a troll just because you can’t have any?”
“Ehh? Fine, I won’t tell. Go ahead and drink.”
Seul-bi poured some of the honey rice wine into a cup and took a small sip.
The gentle aroma of acacia and wildflower honey wafted from it.
“Ooh, it’s real honey.”
“…But explain that thing from before. Why it’s funny about philosophy and tarot… not De-mian.”
“Descartes?”
“Yeah, yeah! What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Ooooh!”
The female student from earlier rushed over with a surprised look, drawing the attention of everyone around them to Seul-bi and Yi-na.
“So, you found the punchline in ‘Our philosophy pub does not offer fortune-telling or tarot!’ And by saying ‘You need to know Descartes to understand!’ does that mean you comprehend our intention to denounce the astrologers who practice fortune-telling and tarot under the guise of philosophy!”
Yi-na and the other customers were bewildered by the student’s long, rambling speech, but Seul-bi looked rather pleased.
“Yes. Descartes was a philosopher, but he was also a scientist.”
“Ooooh! You’re someone who can deliver a sharp rebuke to those who equate philosophy with the shamanistic astrology of charlatans! Because a scientist like Descartes would never be a phony shaman! That’s a high-level indirect diss!”
The philosophy students working as one-day staff understood and let out cries of admiration, but Yi-na could only look on, her face still saying, ‘What are they talking about?’
“Here’s an extra-large spicy pork stir-fry! On the house!”
“Adding one extra-large spicy pork stir-fry!”
The pancake arrived, having narrowly avoided being burnt, which made it look even crispier.
“This is practically deep-fried.”
The sight of the pancake, generously filled with squid and shrimp, lifted Seul-bi and Yi-na’s spirits.
Crunch.
The crispy texture and the rich aroma of seafood that filled their mouths made Seul-bi and Yi-na’s faces light up with happiness.
“This is delicious! Let’s toast.”
Feeling cheerful, Seul-bi popped open Yi-na’s can of soda in one go.
Pshhhh!
“Kyaa!”
The soda, which the student had unthinkingly shaken while wiping the condensation off, exploded, spraying all over the brim of Seul-bi’s hat and her face. The gazes from all the surrounding tents fixed on her.
“Ughhh. It’s so sticky!”
“Gasp! I’m so sorry!”
Seul-bi shook her hat with one hand and her ponytail with the other.
“Ah! It’s Answer!”
“See! I told you it was Answer!”
Sparked by their conversation, people who had been scattered around rushed over in a crowd.
“…We’re screwed.”
Yi-na and Seul-bi muttered, looking at each other.
When one person took a selfie with Seul-bi and Yi-na in the background, everyone else started taking pictures too.
With no other choice, Seul-bi and Yi-na put on a smile and posed.
“Here are some wet towels! Please use these to wipe yourself down.”
“Thank you.”
Seul-bi took the wet towels, undid her hair, and scrubbed herself vigorously. She hated the thought of the sticky after-effects the soda would bring.
“If we’re going down anyway, let’s go down eating.”
“Yeah!”
Even as people took their pictures, Yi-na and Seul-bi kept eating the pancake.
And then, Min-jun was approaching, an incredulous look on his face.
* * *
“Excuse me.”
“Coming through.”
“Sorry.”
I pushed through several layers of the crowd to get to Seul-bi and Yi-na.
“Ugh, Oppa, sorry.”
“We were just going to look around and leave quickly… but it turns out we’re more famous than we thought, you know?”
“Let’s go.”
I tried to lead Seul-bi and Yi-na out of there.
“You can’t! The spicy pork stir-fry that would make Nietzsche, the king of meat, weep has just arrived!”
I froze for a moment at the shout from a man in glasses who seemed to be trying to look cool in a bomber jacket and cargo pants.
King of meat Nietzsche? What’s that about? I guess the philosopher Nietzsche must have liked meat.
“Eat before you go! Eat before you go! Eat before you go!”
The people surrounding us shouted loudly, and the crowd grew even larger.
“Hey, hey! It’s Answer, Answer!”
Latecomers shouted to their friends behind them, and now even people from the outskirts of the field started to flock over.
“If you leave without taking a single bite of the spicy pork stir-fry we’ve prepared for you on the house, wouldn’t we be terribly disappointed! And all of your fellow students gathered here would be greatly disappointed as well.”
“That’s right!”
“Eat before you go! Eat before you go!”
It had become an awkward situation.
“Sorry…”
Seul-bi muttered apologetically. I unconsciously relaxed my stiff expression. A manager’s image is part of their artist’s image, after all.
“Alright, we’ll just have a taste before we go.”
“Woah!”
“In return, I ask that you please give them a little space so they can eat comfortably.”
“Okay!”
The crowd that had gathered like spectators dispersed cleanly. They gave Answer enough space so they wouldn’t feel self-conscious while eating. Though they still kept sneaking glances their way.
Feeling a bit less burdened, Seul-bi and Yi-na picked up a large mouthful of the spicy pork stir-fry from a disposable plate and put it in their mouths.
The look on Seul-bi and Yi-na’s faces as they chewed, growing happier with each bite. I wondered if I should get them on a meokbang or a cooking show soon.
“Wow, this tastes like a professional made it. The seasoning is perfectly absorbed, and the smoky flavor is especially good!”
The one person who hadn’t kept his distance, the male pub student, smiled with satisfaction.
“Haha! There is a philosophy in all phenomena. There are only those who perceive it and those who do not. Even this seemingly common spicy pork stir-fry contains a philosophy of taste.”
It seems the ‘philosophy of taste’ was sugar and the strong flame of a blowtorch.
From a distance, the students watched with pleasure as Seul-bi and Yi-na ate deliciously.
This was enough of a courtesy.
“We’ll be going now. We have to get our makeup done soon…”
Just as I was about to get up, another commotion arose.
“Whoaaa.”
Seol-ah and Ro-si, their makeup finished, were coming down from the reviewing stand and heading our way. Every time they took a step, the sequins on their outfits reflected the light, and people stared as if mesmerized.
Were they curious about the romance of campus life?
And the pop-up pubs that only happen once a year?
Compared to the impulsive Seul-bi and Yi-na, the actions of the more cautious Seol-ah and Ro-si were unexpected, but I could understand it to some extent. Once they become more popular, it’ll be harder to experience things like this.
Even though Choi Yoo-jun, who was leading the way, didn’t have to ask them to make way, the crowd of students parted into two, as if guiding them toward us.
Choi Yoo-jun gave me an apologetic look, but he must have been just as curious about the pop-up pubs, and it was clear he’d just pretended he couldn’t stop them and followed along.
Since it’s already come to this, we might as well provide some proper fan service.
“Seul-bi and Yi-na, go get your makeup done. You’ll be fine if you go with Yoo-jun.”
I felt bad for Yoo-jun, who had just arrived, but Answer’s safety was more important.
“Ah?”
As if sensing my thoughts, Seul-bi got up happily with Yi-na.
To be honest, even I found the atmosphere of this clumsy pop-up pub special. I’d probably never get to experience the romance of a campus again.
I looked at Seol-ah and Ro-si and said.
“Have a seat. Let’s just eat here before going on stage.”
“Can we really?”
Ro-si approached with a delighted expression. The appearance of Seol-ah and Ro-si, in full makeup, left the students’ jaws hanging open.
“Yoo-jun. Call the event coordinator and tell them we’ll be waiting here.”
“…Yes, I will!”
He looked dejected at being told to leave as soon as he arrived, but Yoo-jun seemed to fully understand my intentions.
In any case, for the organizers, this would surely be seen as even better fan service than the invited group’s performance itself.
Seol-ah and Ro-si looked around at this place and the surrounding tents with fascination. As if they had become college freshmen.
Seeing them like this, they’re still kids.
“Alright, if you’re not going to be a customer at our philosophy pub, please make way.”
“Heh!”
The bomber jacket student’s words caused a sudden uproar, and every seat around us was filled in an instant.
“Hey, you bastards! Pay for what you were eating before you go!”
The sound of students from other pubs cursing-
“Hey, Kim Seung-tae!”
The chilling voice of a girlfriend calling her boyfriend-
“Hey! Econ! You bastards are out of line!”
The voices of seniors angry that their juniors were at another department’s pub, and so on. Various noises swirled together, but for a moment, the students around us looked happy.
“Wow, the pancake is really delicious.”
“Even Nietzsche, who hated vegetables, would have had no choice but to enjoy this pancake.”
He’s been really into Nietzsche since earlier.
I imagined the stage Answer would soon perform on after mingling with the students here.
I had a feeling that this definite fan service could create a truly memorable scene. Just like that time at the military base concert.
As if to prove me right, my ‘Sixth Sense’ trait was sending a positive glow, hinting that something good would happen if we stayed put.