Chapter 65 (1) - The Mysterious Art Museum
2/2 Bonus chapter thanks to everyone on Ko-fi
What would you feel if 90% of the passersby on the street turned to look at you and your companions?
If you enjoy attention, you would relish the stares.
If you are introverted, the gazes of the pedestrians would be overwhelming.
But what if every look was mixed with envy, respect, and admiration?
Even the latter would probably feel good.
That's exactly how I feel right now.
"Wow, it's like being a celebrity."
Ikseon dong, Jongno.
Even though it's a weekday afternoon and not crowded, compared to other downtown areas, many people walking here, inside cafes, and in clothing stores, are all looking at us.
Isn't it obvious?
Even Monica alone would draw attention, but she's accompanied by the Ice Beauty, the Snow Queen.
Monica is glamorous.
She exudes the pinnacle of dazzling beauty, as if a Hollywood actress had descended.
Irina, on the other hand, is the complete opposite.
Cool, calm, and emitting a beauty that seems untouchable.
If the French artist, Auguste Rodin, had sculpted a beauty out of ice, would it feel like this?
Of course, I, stuck in between, must look like a celebrity manager to them, but some men look at me with eyes mixed with envy and jealousy. I don't mind such aggressive stares.
"Over here."
I led them to the last place we visited, shocked by the brunch prices, but Monica stopped at a different store.
"Junghoon. How about this place?"
".........."
It's the same cafe I visited earlier.
The one that was terribly rude and gave me a seat near the bathroom for being alone.
"Ah, that one."
Monica sticks to the cafe door, peers inside, and widens her eyes.
"Wow, it's really pretty. Built in a Hanok style."
That's exactly why this cafe is famous.
Realistically, how good can coffee taste in Korea, a country not known for coffee?
Many Korean cafes compete more with interior design than taste.
As seen earlier, the younger generation frequents expensive cafes not for the taste of the coffee, but to take pictures in a stylish interior.
Monica, too, seems to like the elegant Hanok-style interior, sticking to the cafe door. Irina looks inside with similar interest.
At that moment, the employee who seated me near the bathroom earlier freezes as she looks out the window and sees Irina and Monica. Even though she's a female staff, she looks more shocked than the male passersby.
Men's gazes are always on women.
But women's gazes are always on other women.
I'm a man, so I don't understand why.
The fact that female fans dominate the fanbase of girl groups is also honestly beyond my comprehension. But that's just how the world works.
As the two beautiful women linger at the cafe entrance, suddenly, people start to crowd around.
The cafe is still relatively quiet inside, but the entrance is bustling like a crowd watching a drama shoot. Reluctantly, I agree to enter if that's what they want.
I open the cafe door, saying, "Actually, this is one of the most famous places in Ikseon Dong. It's just a bit unfriendly."
Monica widens her eyes and asks, "Unfriendly?"
Our conversation is in English, so few understand, but since I speak with the door open, it's audible inside. Furthermore, as the goddesses outside seem to be entering, the cafe customers' attention also focuses on us.
I briefly explain what happened earlier.
Irina frowns first. Monica looks upset and glares at the dazed employee inside the cafe before closing the door again.
"No matter how pretty, I won't visit a shop that doesn't appreciate its customers. Let's go somewhere else."
Hmm, should we?
Just as we were about to turn back to our original destination, the cafe door opened and the same staff member ran out. She approached me, the only one who looked Korean.
"Welcome, we have a window seat available with a good view."
"..............................."
Ah, I almost swore.
Okay, I get that they would offer us a good seat since we are three. I can even understand giving me a two-seater when I was alone. But running out to solicit customers now? When earlier, they didnt even greet me when I was by myself?
Frankly, my feelings were more about indifference than actual displeasure, but they plummeted even further now.
I twitched my eyebrows stiffly and said,
"Do you not remember me?"
"Excuse me?"
"I was here a few hours ago, alone."
"............................"
She genuinely seemed not to remember.
Huh, I thought I wasn't that forgettable.
I glared at the bewildered employee and said,
"I had come here earlier to scout out places to bring the ladies. There was no greeting, no 'enjoy your meal'."
Honestly, I was upset about the seating, but that wasn't entirely the employee's fault, so I made up another excuse. After all, the employee had indeed been unfriendly.
The employee looked visibly panicked, glancing around frantically.
Ah, I spoke in Korean.
As I also looked around, I saw the crowd that had come to watch us now murmuring among themselves. Well, it's a business after all, I shouldnt make it worse.
"Monica, Irina. Let's go."
As I glared at the employee one last time and was about to leave, someone in the crowd shouts.
"Irina! Yes! The world-famous pianist Irina Sevanova! I knew I recognized her!"
"Wow, really? I've seen a video of that too!"
"She's a genius pianist! And she's so pretty!"
Read ahead by supporting me on Ko-fi
.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺