Bamboo Forest Manager

Party?

In the end, Bong-geun agreed to pack the food separately when we left.

He was so annoyed, throwing a fit while saying he’d pack the leftover food in a bigger container instead of the Lock & Lock.

When I told him that would make it look like food waste, he sighed and said he understood, clearly irritated again.

“I think he used to have a better personality back in the day.”

They say people change as they grow up, but I wondered if he had become more angry despite having plenty of money.

“…….”

“From what I see, just the fact that you didn’t hit anyone makes you seem like you have a good personality.”

Feeling embarrassed, Choi Jin-ah kept her mouth shut while Seo Ye-rin, still with a fork in her mouth, argued back.

Honestly, I thought I was being a bit shameless too, so I cleared my throat awkwardly and quietly sat down.

I was about to finish what I was eating when Choi Jin-ah, sitting next to me and sipping wine, started to annoy me.

Since it was called by Choi Jin-ah, I thought there might be something to say.

Strangely, however, the gazes around us were gathering more towards our side.

Especially the men.

Due to Seo Ye-rin’s radiant appearance, the attention from men had already been directed this way, but since I had a partner, they couldn’t openly stare at Seo Ye-rin.

But with Choi Jin-ah’s arrival, it felt different.

It was as if they were acting like it was their inherent right to look at our table.

If they were just looking at Choi Jin-ah, I could let it slide.

‘But these guys are subtly glancing at Seo Ye-rin too.’

Under the pretense of focusing on Choi Jin-ah, they were casually stealing glances at Seo Ye-rin as well.

It was fortunate that only people with pride were gathered, so they didn’t pull out their phones to take pictures.

“Why are those guys staring like that?”

“Woo Ji-na, watch your words. It’s inappropriate.”

Huh?

I unconsciously glanced at Seo Ye-rin, and Choi Jin-ah tilted her head in confusion, wondering what that meant.

While I was talking to Bong-geun, Seo Ye-rin couldn’t resist the temptation of wine.

Maybe that’s why her face was flushed, and she covered her mouth with both hands, giggling.

“Why are they ‘staring’? Hehe!”

“……Is this how she usually is?”

Choi Jin-ah was taken aback, seeing this side of Seo Ye-rin for the first time.

I also felt a sudden tension in my body and hurriedly grabbed Seo Ye-rin’s shoulder.

“Hey, hey, you can handle your alcohol. Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”

I was genuinely surprised and glanced at my glass.

As I cautiously took a sip, the unique bitter taste of the strong liquor enveloped my tongue along with its flavor.

It was an addictive bitterness.

But because of its high alcohol content, drinking too much could be dangerous.

Fortunately, I hadn’t drunk much, so it wasn’t risky. It seemed the tension had slightly eased.

“What’s with this kind of liquor…?”

I wondered why we were drinking such strong and expensive alcohol at a reunion.

“That’s a method that kids these days often use.”

Choi Jin-ah explained about alcohol with a dark expression.

“It’s expensive and strong liquor that they deliberately make you drink. Then they get you drunk and do whatever they want… This is the way some of the bad kids here operate.”

I had previously said I wouldn’t drink wine, but seeing it here means one of the staff members intentionally brought it.

“They probably had a staff member get it. They just stay back.”

“Ha, Yerin. Get a grip. Are you okay?”

“Phew… I’m sorry. I was just curious about what expensive alcohol tastes like.”

But it has a strange addictive quality, and since it goes down easily, she probably kept drinking it.

It’s not Seo Yerin’s fault.

If she had known it was a deliberate bait from the start, she wouldn’t have even looked at it.

“I should bring something to sober you up. Do you want anything?”

“Ice cream?”

“Got it. Just stay here. If any weirdos come looking for you, scream right away.”

I stood up to get the ice cream, with intense EDM blasting from the speakers.

With the flashy lights signaling the start of the boat party, loud songs thumped in the background.

Frowning, I returned to the table with the ice cream.

“What? You can come in here dressed like that?”

“Ha ha! This girl is so funny.”

Two women entered, arms crossed.

Their words and gestures seemed somewhat lighthearted, but most of what they wore were luxury items worth millions.

‘Tsk.’

Most of these girls have symbiotic relationships with wealthy men.

It’s like crocodiles and crocodile birds.

The women are happy to receive luxury goods, while the men get a living, breathing masturbation tool that resembles a girlfriend.

They’re probably partners of someone here for a reunion.

“Don’t these people usually look like real tycoons?”

“They don’t seem to decorate themselves? Rather, that makes them look even more confident.”

The chattering voices of the two women were annoyingly grating.

Every time they spoke, the smell of cigarettes wafted over, almost making me shove the ice cream into my mouth.

I forced my hands to relax and politely declined them.

“Get lost.”

I knew that these people didn’t really approach me because they could smell money, so I headed straight for the table.

‘As expected.’

There were already some kids approaching Seo Ye-rin and Choi Jin-ah.

They were probably the partners of the girls who had just grabbed me.

One of them was even sitting in the chair I had occupied.

“No, why are you hanging out with someone like that? If you come with us, we’ll have a lot more fun.”

“Jin-ah, who’s that? Why did you bring someone like that to the reunion?”

“Was there anyone among our classmates who went broke?”

“Did he come here to sell insurance or something?”

Because of my shabby outfit, the two people with me seemed to stand out much more.

‘Dae-i Seo!’

You have to dress appropriately for the occasion.

Once again, Choi Yi-seo’s advice was spot on today.

Oh, it’s you again, Dae-i Seo.

I’ll give you a kiss if you wear a mask.

‘Tsk, I really did come too casually.’

It was just a simple tracksuit, but it was a fake that wasn’t even an ordinary brand of sportswear.

I must have looked like a beggar trying to do something with my elementary school connections.

When I arrived at the table, I placed the ice cream in front of Seo Ye-rin and frowned.

“This is my seat, get lost. And don’t hit on my girl, do you have no sense of decency?”

I immediately grabbed the guy’s shoulder and pulled him up from his chair.

Then, Seo Ye-rin, who was pretending to zip her mouth shut beside me, opened her mouth wide.

“Was I allowed to curse?! It smells like cigarettes coming from your mouth, so please don’t talk to me! It smells worse than my dad’s cigarettes!”

Seo Ye-rin shook her head vigorously, pinching her nose, unable to stand it.

The guy, who had just taken a solid hit, looked momentarily dumbfounded before raising his voice.

“You dirty little b*tch acts all clean! And you, you b*stard! Do you know who I am and you still touch me?! Who do you think you are, crawling in here like a neighborhood beggar?! Is this James kid not managing his people properly?!”

From noble mtl dot com

As he yelled loudly, the attention of those around us began to shift this way.

Thanks to the DJ humming and breaking the beat, only the people nearby noticed the commotion.

“Ha, Hain-woo. Stop it.”

From what Choi Jin-ah said, it seemed like she knew him.

—

But he didn’t back down.

“You too, Choi Jin-ah! How long are you going to pretend to be so aloof? Word’s out about you. You came here to flirt with the guys!”

“…….”

“If you came to look for a place to live, then you should just slip in between their legs or shake your butt and act cute! Damn, what kind of woman is this clueless?”

“Ah, come on.”

The verbal abuse was about to continue, but—

With him babbling away right behind me, it was hard not to be annoyed.

“If you want to talk, go do it somewhere else. Why are you making a scene here?”

As I snapped back in irritation, he shifted his focus toward me.

“What about you? What’s with that outfit you’re wearing? Did you think this was just a regular reunion? This isn’t just a simple gathering; it’s a discreet social event. The people up top don’t have to go through the trouble of finding someone on their level!”

‘I feel like I’ve been through this a few times before.’

Sure, it was a mistake to come dressed so casually.

But isn’t it a bit too common to be treated like this?

I had been looked down upon by actors at Gold One last time, after all.

Do I really look that cheap?

“In-ho, this is our classmate Kim Woo-jin.”

Choi Jin-ah, who had been sighing with her forehead in her hand, introduced me.

“Kim Woo-jin? Who’s that! Who’s Kim Woo-jin—!”

In-ho’s body stiffened as he pointed at me and shouted.

I could clearly hear the whispers of the friends who had come with him from behind.

“Kim Woo-jin? Is it really Kim Woo-jin?”

“He came here?”

“Didn’t they say the eldest son is the heir?”

Our family does have a bit of a name. It’s strange to feel that my father worked so hard in a place like this.

The unfilial don’t cry; they just live with it.

“Kim, Woo-jin? He really attended…?”

“Yeah, I came. Who did you say you were?”

He remembers the name but asks mockingly.

I could see Senior Joo-hee, who had approached, ready to rush over if he did anything foolish.

“What’s your name again?”

I could step up even more strongly.

“Cough, Woojin, do you remember me? We used to go buy ramen together a lot back in the day.”

“Me? With you?”

Suddenly, Hainho takes a submissive stance.

More than that, these guys are acting all friendly, saying we had some history together.

“Back then, you called me to play baseball, and you hit me in the face with the ball.”

“…Why do I only have stories like this from elementary school?”

Both Choi Jina and Bonggeun seem to have been quite the tricksters and bad kids since they were young.

Hearing their stories, it seemed like listening to more tales from these other guys would just be a waste.

“Just go. It’s annoying.”

I waved them off, giving them a chance to leave quickly, and they quietly disappeared.

Seeing them join up with the girls who had been rubbing against me earlier, it seemed they had planned their advances.

“It’s not that different from a rich household. The methods they use to flirt are so outdated.”

Thanks to the ice cream, I had somewhat sobered up, and Seo Ye-rin muttered nonchalantly.

“Really?”

“Yeah, just looking at that, it’s not even half of Woojin’s thing.”

It was a completely unconvincing insult, but I just accepted it with a laugh.

I didn’t feel particularly bad.

While Seo Ye-rin and I were loosening up the atmosphere, Choi Jina’s expression, on the other hand, didn’t look good at all.

It seemed to be because of what that guy had said earlier.

‘No wonder.’

With such rumors spreading, people around must have been sending her constant glances.

They were probably trying to figure out how to hit on her at the slightest opportunity.

“Strange rumors are spreading in the city.”

I tried to downplay it, saying it wasn’t a big deal.

With a bitter smile, she avoided my gaze and replied.

“It’s not a rumor.”

“…”

“My father. He’s been spreading those rumors because he thinks I’m too passive.”

What should I say in response?

My words were caught in my throat, yet at the same time, I felt I understood a little why Choi Jin-ah had called me here.