Bamboo Forest Manager

My Longtime Friends

“But are we really having a reunion in a place like this?”

Seo Ye-rin looked up at the large passenger ship with its mouth wide open.

It seems that the kind of reunion we imagine is just booking a restaurant and drinking together.

Is it really okay to call such a luxurious party a reunion?

“……”

The senior next to her, Joo-hee, also looked a bit surprised.

It seemed that this kind of extravagance felt somewhat unfamiliar to her.

“I don’t know either. It’s my first time.”

But it’s my first time too.

“I figured we’d eat somewhere nice, but I never expected it to be this extravagant.”

As we approached to board, the security guards blocking the way stopped us.

Joo-hee stepped forward in response, looking quite convincing.

“Only invited guests are allowed in here.”

“I’m one of those invited guests.”

As soon as I said the name Kim Woo-jin, the guard scanned the list and stepped back.

“My apologies, Mr. Kim Woo-jin.”

“No, no. It’s fine.”

Normally, I would have asked for their name right away.

But the clothes I was wearing were so out of place in this atmosphere that it seemed to provoke a sharp reaction from the start.

As I stepped inside, I received a fluorescent bracelet, and they told me not to lose it since an event was prepared.

Even the senior bodyguard, Juhui, had one on, but hers was blue, different from ours.

“Gifts given in a place like this must be quite luxurious, so I can’t help but feel a bit envious.”

When I asked with a smile, Juhui, with her eyes wide open, chuckled and nodded.

Just a moment ago, it really felt like she was here on duty as a bodyguard.

Now that she was casually chatting with me, we were slowly slipping back into the dynamic of university seniors and juniors.

I found this side much more comfortable as well.

“If it’s a party on a ship, we should head towards the deck, right?”

Seoyeon was looking around, scanning the area.

Seeing an arrow at the end of the hallway, we headed in that direction.

The closer we got to the arrow, the more the night breeze began to blow.

Before long, we arrived at the deck of the passenger ship.

There were a considerable number of people, dazzling lights, enormous round tables, and food laid out buffet-style.

Not only that, but there was also a separate pool, and it seemed they had even brought in a DJ, as a stage and sound equipment were set up in the center.

In front of that, there was a space to dance, much like a club.

The guests were dressed and adorned accordingly, and even though the passenger ship hadn’t set sail yet, they were already in high spirits.

If the word ‘luxury’ could take form, I imagined it would look just like this.

“Wow, I’ve seen this kind of thing in movies. You know, that one with Leonardo DiCaprio.”

“‘Let’s Be’ is coffee. It must be ‘Gatsby.’ And already calling me senior?”

“Doesn’t it sound impressive to call Leonardo DiCaprio ‘senior’?”

“Well, I guess it does.”

Seoyeon laughed, saying it was just a joke. She was merely observing the party with curiosity, not particularly wanting to join in.

“……”

While Seoyeon was excitedly marveling at everything, Juhui, in contrast, frowned, clearly not pleased with the place.

“It looks like a waste of money, doesn’t it?”

As I nudged her with my elbow and smiled, Juhui forced a smile and nodded.

“Mm.”

It seemed like there was a bit more she wanted to say.

“It’s a waste of money, for sure. People who make a lot of money tend to want to show off how they earned it, so they make a big fuss about it.”

“…….”

“There’s no need to try to understand. They don’t try to understand us either.”

You can think of it as each having their own way of living. There’s no need to understand it, nor is there a need to forcefully accept it.

“It’s okay to just curse. It’s ridiculous, after all.”

“Hmm, to be honest—”

“To be honest?”

“To be honest?”

Both I and Seo Ye-rin looked at Senior Joo-hee with sparkling eyes.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, she hesitated before finally speaking candidly.

“Sometimes I just want to smash everything to pieces.”

At Senior Joo-hee’s words, both Seo Ye-rin and I burst into laughter.

It seems that people feel pretty much the same way about things.

Seeing us laugh, Senior Joo-hee subtly raised the corners of her mouth and pointed to a corner.

There, people dressed in black suits similar to Senior Joo-hee, wearing blue bracelets, were munching on some simple snacks.

“It looks like the bodyguards can’t go any further than this. I’ll be watching you from over there, so have fun.”

“If the boat doesn’t leave after 30 minutes, we’ll just head back.”

Boo-oo!

From noble mtl dot com

As soon as the words were out, the ship’s horn blared, and the ferry began to set off, letting out a deep sigh.

As Senior Joo-hee disappeared, Seo Ye-rin quickly crossed her arms.

It seemed like she was being cautious, perhaps because there had been a strange vibe between Senior Joo-hee and me in the past.

‘Well, I’ve let it all out now.’

Me and the senior, both of us.

There’s really no such feeling anymore, is there? Today had gone smoothly without any issues.

As we moved further out onto the deck, Seo Ye-rin whispered softly to me.

“Earlier, while getting ready, Lee Seo and Arin told me to keep my words to a minimum.”

“Hmm?”

“At first, I was a bit hesitant. But since it’s a reunion for U-Jin, I thought I’d give it a try.”

Then she pretended to zip up her jacket.

“Jiiip.”

I couldn’t help but burst into laughter at Seo Ye-rin’s performance of refusing to speak.

“Hey, just say it.”

She shook her head.

Though her gesture was cute, asking her to speak was for her own good.

The whispers around us were already growing loud.

“Wow, is she a model?”

“Isn’t she an actress? She totally has the vibe of a leading lady.”

“Which entertainment company is she with? This is insane…”

“Oh! That’s her. The one who played a supporting role in that casino movie.”

“The one who was in the casino trailer and got a lot of buzz, but only appeared for a few seconds and got roasted?”

“What’s with the person next to her? Why is she dressed so sloppily?”

“Does she have a ton of money?”

“Is there anyone here who doesn’t have money?”

“She’s definitely had work done on her face. And her chest is obvious too. Ugh, how much has she gone under the knife?”

“Aren’t you the same? But why do you look like that?”

The noise from the surroundings continued.

Seo Ye-rin’s expression darkened slightly, as if she had noticed it too.

She was no longer the type to crumble under such whispers, but it seemed she hadn’t imagined she would hear such things in a place like this.

I led her toward the food.

“People are the same everywhere, you know? If someone’s doing well, others get jealous, envious, and talk trash. It’s all the same.”

“……”

“If you keep your mouth shut, those kinds of comments will only get louder. I don’t want to hear them, and I definitely don’t want you to hear them.”

So,

“Let’s just talk. You’re the only person I want to be with here, to chat with, to have fun with.”

As I handed her a buffet plate with a smile, Seo Ye-rin accepted it with a touched expression.

“Okay! Great! Let’s not worry about the people around us and just have fun together!”

And so we began to fill our plates while chatting.

The noise around us persisted, but we became so engrossed in our conversation that it soon faded away.

We filled our plates and sat down at an empty table.

There is wine available separately, but since alcohol is prohibited today, we both declined.

“Wow, this is delicious!”

Seo Ye-rin exclaimed as she pounded the table while eating the buffet food.

When I saw the smile that naturally formed on her lips, it was clear that it suited her taste perfectly.

After trying a few dishes myself, I could tell that these were definitely not ordinary quality foods.

“Since it’s a buffet, eat a lot. You have to make the most of it.”

“I can’t eat much because I’m wearing a dress.”

“Still, fill up as much as you can. You won’t get to eat this easily again.”

At my words, Seo Ye-rin bit her fork and looked disappointed.

“I wish the kids could have come too.”

It would have been great if Choi Yi-seo and Yoo Ah-rin had come along.

I felt that the food alone was worth the trip here.

“You can experience it indirectly.”

I confidently reached into the crossbody bag I had brought from the dorm earlier.

Just as I was about to say that I didn’t suggest going back to the dorm for no reason.

“Woo-jin, you made it.”

“Hmph.”

Two people approached us.

One was Choi Jin-ah, with her platinum hair neatly braided and wearing an elegant dress.

The other was a handsome man with somewhat exotic features, pale skin like a Caucasian but with brown eyes.

“You came, just like I asked.”

“Hello, we met at the filming site last time.”

Seo Ye-rin immediately stood up and greeted them politely. It was clear that her mother had raised her well.

There was nothing to criticize in terms of manners.

While Choi Jin-ah and Seo Ye-rin exchanged simple greetings, a man was staring intently at me as I ate my steak.

“Partner?”

I casually asked Choi Jin-ah, and she waved her hand dismissively in response.

“James. Our classmate, James.”

“James? What an English name. Was there a foreigner in our group? Hi, where are you from?”

When I asked James, he grinned widely, showing his teeth, and replied to me.

“South Korea.”

“You can speak Korean? Sorry, sorry.”

“If you can speak Korean, then why are you apologizing in English?”

With that American mindset, he’s such a damn brat.

“Sorry.”

“What the hell—!”

James seemed about to shout out in frustration.

But wait, was there really a kid named James?

Even if it was back in elementary school, I don’t remember anything at all.

“Were we in different classes?”

“You were in the same class as me from first grade to sixth, Kim Woo-jin.”

He even knows my name.

“Hmm, do you have any anecdotes or something? I need to remember to greet you properly.”

I felt a bit shameless and rude, but then again, I probably wouldn’t see these people often anyway.

James responded to my question with a huff.

“Do you remember when you sold fake cards?”

“Vaguely?”

“Back then, you auctioned off what you called legendary cards, and I bought one for fifty thousand won.”

“…Auction?”

I think I might remember something like that.

“And then I was mocked by kids from other schools while playing games because they were fake cards! When I asked for a refund, you—!”

“Ahhh!”

I remembered!

I remembered!

“Bong-geun! It’s been so long!”

“James! My name is James!”

“Wow, Bong-geun! Damn, how long has it been! Thanks to you, my elementary school life was so rich!”

I wanted to hug him out of joy, but he shoved me hard in the chest.

“Shut up! It’s James!”

“Alright, Bong-geun. You came at the right time. Jin-ah, come over and take this.”

The kids interrupted what I was about to do earlier.

But it’s a relief that I have more hands now.

I took out a Lock & Lock container from my bag and shared it with Jin-ah and Bong-geun.

“Let’s go fill this with some food together. I want to take it and share it with some kids.”

“…….”

“…….”

Both of them stared blankly at the Lock & Lock container, their expressions oddly frustrating.

“Let’s hurry up. If the owner of the food finds out, they’ll complain about us taking it.”

“Woo-jin.”

Choi Jin-ah shot a sideways glance at Bong-geun, feeling awkward.

“James is the party host.”

“…….”

A brief silence.

Next to us, Seo Ye-rin was just pretending not to see and was diligently eating.

I scratched my cheek a few times before handing the Lock & Lock container to Bong-geun.

“Can you pack that for me when I leave, Bong-geun?”

“Fuck you.”

He sure knows how to curse well.