Bamboo Forest Manager

Uninvited Guests?

The movie was fun.

It was just enjoyable without having to do anything special.

After all, we went to see a film about fighting and smashing things, which was exactly what I wanted to watch.

Although Seo Yerin did try to reach for some popcorn in the middle of it, Yu Arin stopped her.

It would have been better if Yu Arin’s swinging arm hadn’t accidentally hit me squarely instead while trying to knock away Seo Yerin’s hand.

“Now that I’ve seen the movie, I really feel like fighting.”

After watching the movie, we stopped by a café.

There, Seo Yerin swung her fists around, still caught up in the aftermath of the film.

“Swoosh! Swooshoosh! Swooshooshoosh! Hey, you jerk!”

“It suddenly turned into something weird.”

You could clearly see that she might end up hurting her own hand while trying to punch.

In this regard, Yu Arin seemed almost like an expert; she just smiled as if it were cute and sipped her coffee instead.

“I’m not good with brutal stuff; it was kind of tough for me.”

Yeon Young and Lee Seo Ah grumbled about it.

I think I heard screams or something similar next to Yu Arin once or twice for sure.

By the way, Han Bom from our group had left with her boyfriend.

She had been sweet-talking him since before the movie started and quickly took off with him as soon as it ended. It was rather disappointing.

“About Bom…”

Seo Yerin muttered quietly after scooping up a chunk of cake with her fork and eating it.

“She must have gone to a hotel?”

“……”

“……”

“……”

All three of our gazes simultaneously shot towards Seo Yerin. Especially Lee Seo Ah looked bewildered; she wasn’t quite used to this side of Seo Yerin yet.

“Did you really have to say that?”

Yu Arin sighed in annoyance; meanwhile, Seo Yerin retorted as if she were being unfairly accused.

“I sat next to them during the movie. They kept whispering and touching each other throughout; I really wanted to hit them.”

Now I kind of understand why she practiced punching so much after the movie ended.

“So let me show you too! Like this…”

Seo Yerin muttered as she touched her forehead. Suddenly, it seemed she remembered we weren’t alone here.

“Huh.”

Lee Seo-ah stared blankly at us for a moment, then pushed her coffee aside and asked frankly.

“Are you three dating?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“I don’t know.”

It started with me, followed by Yoo Arin and then Seo Yerin.

All three pairs of eyes were fixed on me simultaneously, and I boldly stated,

“We’re asking each other out. Is there a problem with that?”

“There’s one more thing. Choi Yi-seo, sophomore in the English department and class representative.”

“…Hollywood.”

Lee Seo-ah wore an expression that clearly showed she couldn’t understand what she had just heard. After pondering for a moment, she scratched her head and replied,

“I have a lot I want to say, but you guys figure it out yourselves. It doesn’t seem like anything I say will make a difference anyway. But if you make my friends cry, Kim Woo-jin, I’ll kill you.”

“Don’t worry.”

I smiled softly as I responded.

“Before you get the chance to kill me, Yoo Arin would have already done so.”

“…”

Yoo Arin nodded in agreement; it wasn’t an incorrect statement.

After taking a sip of coffee, I then asked Lee Seo-ah,

“But how did you know? Just from our behavior today?”

“Shit, do you have any idea how much they talk about you in our group chat?”

“Hey! Hey! Seo-ah!”

“You’re exposing us?!”

Yoo Arin and Seo Yerin tried desperately to intervene but by then my curiosity was already piqued.

“What are they saying? What?”

Suddenly all three lunged at her which made Lee Seo-ah panic and lean back sharply.

Yoo Arin caught the chair just before it toppled over.

Barely regaining her composure while glancing around cautiously Lee Seo-ah whispered hoarsely.

“Just… your desire, mostly.”

“…”

It feels somewhat regretful and uncomfortable.

But unable to speak due to Seo Yerin and Yu Arin’s hints, the timid Lee Seo-ah could only drink her coffee.

Then she suddenly shrugged her shoulders and stood up abruptly.

“Wait a minute. Am I interrupting your date right now?”

“That’s right.”

As I confidently nodded, fists flew from either side of me, but seeing that they weren’t thrown with much force, it seemed they had similar thoughts.

“I’ll go then. Sorry guys. Have a good love!”

Lee Seo-ah hurriedly grabs her bag as if she has committed a great sin and tries to leave.

Then suddenly, she glances over here once and asks with a strange expression,

“But is that really true? I mean, doesn’t something not add up?”

She turns back towards us again as if snapping out of hypnosis.

“Do you guys really find that okay? Well, he has gotten more handsome lately. I acknowledge that but isn’t it too much to dump someone like Chanwoo for him?”

To Lee Seo-ah’s question, Yu Arin nonchalantly answers while eating cake with her chin propped on her hand,

“Money. He’s got a lot of money.”

It seems like she just wants to brush off the answer carelessly.

“How much money can he have—!”

“He’s the chairman’s son. GoldOne is also their subsidiary company?”

“…”

Lee Seo-ah glances at me sneakily.

Now that there’s no point in hiding it anymore, I nod slightly; Lee Seo-ah’s eyes tremble violently.

“The thing about you being the chairman’s son that came up in Bamboo Forest was real? There were posts about it for a while.”

That must have been when seniors targeted him during discussions online; those posts shone briefly before seniors deleted them all soon after fading quickly away.

Seeing me again makes Lee Seo-ah suddenly prepare to kneel down.

“Can I… enter your secondary house? There are some new items from Cha*nel and Her*ès I want.”

“You crazy woman! Don’t cross the line!”

Yu Arin gets annoyed and stands up ready to kick.

In that moment, Seo Yerin also tried to make her own appeal.

“Even Woojin’s is only this big!”

Seo Yerin exaggerated wildly, spreading her arms wide.

Seeing this, Lee Seo-ah awkwardly stood up again.

“Ah, that’s a bit…”

Liking something just because it’s excessively large is something you’d only find in porn. In reality, too big can actually be quite troublesome.

“I’m really going to go. I feel weird when I’m with you guys.”

Though she blamed us without reason, Lee Seo-ah said she would leave but then stopped in her tracks again.

“One last thing Woojin. Doesn’t it bother you at all?”

This time her expression was quite serious.

“It makes no sense to even create such a situation. It’s just vile and despicable.”

“…”

“Don’t you have any conscience? I’m genuinely curious.”

Lee Seo-ah’s words drew attention from both sides. Yu Arin and Seo Yerin seemed curious about how I would respond too.

I answered with a bitter smile,

“I do.”

How could I not?

I’m human too.

“Of course, I feel sorry too. I know it’s selfish and sometimes I do feel guilty.”

But…

Yes, but…

I clenched my fist tightly.

In my clear black eyes shone conviction,

Noble because it is unwavering,

Lofty because no one else has reached it,

Such conviction filled my words,

“But when you’re touching the chests of two people at once with both hands, all that guilt just disappears—”

Thwack!

A punch came flying out of nowhere.

As Lee Seo-ah walked away behind me, all I got was thoroughly beaten up.

If Senior Juhee hadn’t brought the cake, claiming it was on the house, I might have been beaten to death right there.

“Shoo, shush! You b*stards!”

“Ugh, what trash.”

I had fulfilled Seo Yerin’s earlier request to throw punches with all my might.

Yu Arin next to me also takes the cake from Senior Juhee with annoyance.

“Guys… it’s okay to play around, but please keep it down a bit.”

Did Senior think that what just happened to me was all in fun?

It felt quite unfair, but I tried to regain my composure.

“How can every single thing you say be so trashy?”

“……”

Saying I meant it here would probably get me hit again. Lately, I’ve been feeling like I’m getting hit too often; maybe I should hold back.

Anyway, after Lee Seoa left,

Only the three of us remained.

The topics of conversation were endless.

From mobile games we started talking about Yu Arin’s Taekwondo classes, Seo Yerin meeting a famous actor and how my brother’s wife is bored at our house among other things.

While we were passing time sharing various stories,

Ding-dong!

The door opens and big people enter inside.

“Huh, nice coffee aroma?”

“Why is it so cramped?”

The moment those people crowded in, I could tell right away:

These weren’t ordinary folks.

Having spent a few days living with gangsters before,

They seemed like active gangsters.

‘There shouldn’t be any around here?’

As far as I know this area has eradicated such thugs long ago; there shouldn’t be any around here anymore.

Could they be from another area?

That possibility crossed my mind while thinking about it,

Those guys headed towards where Senior Juhee was standing.

“Wow Juhee! Standing there you really look like just an ordinary college student?”

“It’s been a while, Ju-hee!”

“Damn! Min Ju-hee is actually serving coffee!”

Ju-hee’s senior’s expression darkened in an instant.

From the manager we work with to the other part-timers, everyone looked terrified.

‘I remember when we dealt with Manager Hwang, Senior Ju-hee did something like this…’

These types just keep coming back no matter how many you get rid of.

Since the senior was known to be a troublemaker in high school, it makes sense that he’d be associated with Ju-hee.

“You guys go outside.”

When I hinted at them to leave, Yoo Ah-rin and Seo Ye-rin refused.

“Why should we? I can fight better than you.”

“Shush! Shush shush!”

I sighed deeply as I watched the brusque Yoo Ah-rin and Seo Ye-rin pretending to throw punches.

“I’m going to call security, so just go outside.”

“Oh, shit. I’ve always wanted to see that kind of thing.”

“Are we shooting Crime Village?”

Convinced by my words, the two reluctantly stepped outside.

Though they briefly caught the gangsters’ attention because of their looks, they weren’t particularly bothered or harassed.

‘Security my ass.’

That’s something only big shots have.

Someone like me wouldn’t have bodyguards attached to them.

Just as I was about to observe the situation for a moment looking towards Senior Ju-hee,

Buzz!

I received a message from Yoo Ah-rin who had just left.

It was a photo.

A photo taken next to this cafe’s entrance and upon seeing it,

My eyes widened in uncontrollable rage.

“Hey! Ju-hee, let’s step out and talk for a bit.”

“Huh? Or should we just keep waiting here? Maybe order a coffee and sit tight?”

“It’s cramped enough in here already; let’s not do that.”

After leaving a message for each of my older brothers, I abruptly stand up.

“Huh?”

“Bro, what’s up? Got something to see?”

Although Joo-hee and the other clerks looked at me, I didn’t have the time to care about them.

This is personal.

“Hey, out there.”

Suppressing my anger, I point outside the cafe.

“Who’s the b*stard that came on a black bicycle?”

Since everyone looked at me as if they didn’t understand what I was talking about,

I explain in more detail.

“Sleek black base! A luxurious white logo! Carbon fiber frame with a 16cm carbon saddle! Dura brakes! Each component meticulously matched with Milnes brand! A damn sleek-looking bicycle!”

I grit my teeth and spit as I shout,

“Who’s the b*stard who came with something like a wheelchair front wheel picked up from who knows where!”