Bamboo Forest Manager

Woo-jin Bongseon

The headache that wakes me from sleep has become frequent enough to be considered familiar.

But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.

“Ugh, damn.”

I drank at the alumni gathering yesterday, and after getting off the ferry, I had more drinks separately.

I lost track of how much I had consumed at some point, but starting from my outfit, there were no signs that I had undressed anywhere.

‘Ah, thank goodness.’

Since I tend to cause trouble whenever I drink, I felt a pang of fear, but it seems this time was different.

‘But where is this…….’

Now that I have the time to look around a bit, it turns out to be a place I know all too well.

‘It’s my room.’

Not the dormitory, but my room at home.

With luxurious furniture and a fragrance instead of the smell of people, it is impeccably clean, without a speck of dust.

Just like yesterday, it seems ready to respond whenever I might suddenly show up.

‘Maybe…… it was Senior Juhui who brought me here?’

The senior, being a bodyguard, had firmly refused to drink, and it seems they brought us back in one piece until the very end.

‘Ah, I messed up.’

Even if they are a bodyguard now, a senior is still a senior.

Imagining the trouble they must have gone through to force me into the car or soothe me when I was completely wasted made me want to crawl back under the covers.

But I guess I have to go out.

‘What happened to the others?’

The people I drank with yesterday were Seo Ye-rin and Choi Jin-ah.

Two unruly girls whose names I didn’t even know.

And Bong-geun.

It might seem random to mention Bong-geun, but Jin-ah and I dragged him along.

He did give us a Porsche, so he said he would buy us drinks. That was his way of settling things here.

“But what’s Bong-geun’s last name?”

Since it’s James, is it Je Bong-geun?

That doesn’t seem quite right.

Suffering from a hangover, I open the door and step outside.

When I went to the kitchen, there were already people gathered together, eating.

It was somewhat nonsensical that the menu consisted of things good for a hangover.

“What is this…?”

I knew my father and mother were having a meal, but it felt a bit strange to see Seo Ye-rin and Choi Jin-ah eating there too.

“Ah, you’re awake!”

I couldn’t tell if it was because she had no hangover or if she was just acting well as an actress, but Seo Ye-rin greeted me with her usual bright smile.

“Uh, ah, hello.”

Choi Jin-ah, who had been making a fuss after drinking soju yesterday, lowered her head shyly.

It seemed she hadn’t completely blacked out.

“Wow, you finally woke up. Come eat.”

My mother was smiling much more brightly than usual, probably thinking of me as a daughter-in-law.

My father was quietly eating the hangover soup without saying much.

He must be quite uncomfortable with the menu changing like this because of us.

‘Wait, what time is it now?’

I knew they usually had breakfast at 7… but it was already 9 o’clock.

That meant they were having breakfast two hours late.

“Why, why… are you eating now?”

As I hesitated and sat down, my mother giggled and patted my shoulder.

“I was wondering if my son, who came in like a dog, was eating dog food, so I waited to eat with you!”

“……”

Was it really that bad yesterday?

“Do you remember what you said yesterday?”

My mother was laughing, but it didn’t seem like it was good content.

“When you came home, you kept calling for your father. Abaji! Abaji! I’m here! Your son has come!”

“…Really?”

I glanced at my father, but he didn’t say anything in particular.

Usually, when my mother makes a fuss, he tells her not to be ridiculous, but it seemed that wasn’t the case this time.

I must have really done that.

“Then what did you say?”

I feel a prickling sensation at the back of my neck.

“Do you know who my favorite historical figure is?”

“…….”

“It’s Lu Bu! Lu Bu, the one from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms!”

“Your mother could be an actress!”

“You’re just the same.”

Seoyeon and Jina, sitting across from me, clap their hands in response.

“Is there more?”

With a sense of dread, I ask, and my mom nods with a smile.

“This is the highlight. I asked why, you know?”

Why did I ask that?

I have a rough idea of what the reason might be.

“That b*stard betrayed his father twice! I’ve only done it once, so I still have one more to go!”

“Oh, I think I remember.”

The fact that I might actually remember made it even scarier. Anyway, telling my father that Lu Bu is my dream is just downright disgraceful, isn’t it?

“Father, I was serious—hmm.”

It’s a bit hard to say it’s not true.

“About half? No, wait. A quarter? Something like that.”

As I correct myself in my own way, my father looks at me in disbelief.

“After dinner, all three of you come to my study.”

He sets down his spoon and stands up, delivering that command.

Am I going to get scolded?

Whatever it is, I figured it wouldn’t be anything good.

Before heading to my father’s study after dinner, I check my phone.

I had been too flustered earlier to check it, and now a few messages had piled up.

Naturally, the two that stood out the most were from Seoyeon and Yoorin.

It wasn’t a direct message; they were chatting in our group chat, and Seoyeon had already replied.

– Seo Ye-rin: So I’m on my way to Dad’s study now.

Even lively conversations are continuing.

– Yoo Ah-rin: What kind of warrior is that? Just a little brat in a corner.

– Choi Yi-seo: It might be an unnecessary worry. Ye-rin, you shouldn’t say strange things, okay?

– Seo Ye-rin: Come on, no matter what, I wouldn’t suddenly say I’m pregnant.

– Seo Ye-rin: I know the order, I know the order.

– Yoo Ah-rin: What does that girl even know?

– Choi Yi-seo: From the moment the pregnancy talk came up as an example…

It seemed the two were a bit anxious about seeing their parents.

– Kim Woo-jin: Don’t worry. Nothing will happen.

He interjected, assuring them that there was no reason to worry.

– Yoo Ah-rin: It looks like she’s getting jealous, which is annoying.

– Choi Yi-seo: I’m worried she might say something strange. It’s not related to you, Woo-jin.

– Kim Woo-jin: Ah, right, right.

– Yoo Ah-rin: When are you coming?

It doesn’t feel welcoming at all.

– Kim Woo-jin: I need to return today. Just decide on where to go for the trip.

– Yoo Ah-rin: Hurry up and come!

– Choi Yi-seo: Be careful on your way.

Look at them, all tamed now.

In any case, a man had to have capabilities.

To be able to send three women on a free overseas trip, one must at least have that much ability, right?

– Yoo Ah-rin: Right, you need to go to the dorm. Your parents are coming.

– Choi Yi-seo: I’ve already moved the luggage for now.

Even if there wasn’t much luggage, the two women must have struggled moving it…

‘Or maybe not. Both of them are strong against me.’

Let’s skip the details.

I headed to my father’s study with Seo Ye-rin and Choi Jin-a, who were waiting for me.

Every time I entered my father’s study, I always had the same thought.

Has he really read all these books?

The interior of the room could easily be called a library. The entire wall was blocked by bookshelves, and among the dense books, my father sat in a chair.

“Father, we’ve come in.”

Only after entering did I realize I should have knocked, but my father didn’t seem to mind.

He wasn’t reading a book.

Lost in thought, my father looked at me and asked,

“How’s your leg?”

“Uh? Ah….”

Right, I had hurt my leg.

It had only been a week, but perhaps because I had gotten used to it, I didn’t feel much difference.

“It’s nothing serious. I just ran yesterday.”

“…….”

Choi Jin-ah, who had run with me, cleared her throat awkwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“I’ll tell you this, go to the hospital with Secretary Choi.”

“Excuse me? I already have a place I go for treatment.”

I answered like that, but my father looked at me silently.

It meant that my response wasn’t what he wanted, and at times like this, my father wouldn’t back down.

“Understood.”

In the end, a visit to the hospital was added to today’s schedule.

I thought it was taking longer to return than I expected.

“Stay here for the rest of the vacation.”

My father demanded again in a firm tone.

“Excuse me? That’s really not possible. I have a place to stay.”

I had left Yoo Ah-rin’s house, but I was using that as an excuse for now.

“I heard you’re staying at someone else’s house. It’s rude.”

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“Oh, it’s really fine, you know?”

“You can’t stay there forever, can you? If you go back to the dorm, you’ll be alone.”

“…….”

It wasn’t an incorrect statement, but the injury wasn’t that serious to begin with.

Hadn’t I reached the point where I could run around again?

“I agree with what you said, Father.”

But as the saying goes, it was Seo Ye-rin’s remark that hit me from behind.

She continued speaking with her hand raised, as if she knew what kind of school this was.

“I stayed at my friend Arin’s house. But starting today, I have to return to the dormitory.”

“Ye-rin?”

“We can’t stay together in the dormitory. Considering how I’m not feeling well and the thought of living on whatever I can find, it would be better to stay here!”

After hearing Seo Ye-rin’s story, my father’s gaze shifted back to me.

“Ha, let me think about it. Your little sister-in-law is also living here. My presence might make her uncomfortable.”

Mentioning the pregnant little sister-in-law seemed to soften my father’s oppressive atmosphere a bit.

“Choi Jin-ah.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

It seems he has met my father before. The greeting feels familiar.

“Your father is quite worried.”

“Yes…”

A bitter aftertaste in my response.

But my father didn’t seem to care.

“They say you and our Woo-jin decided to start dating?”

What?

I looked at Choi Jin-ah in surprise.

Seo Ye-rin was just as shocked as I was.

In contrast, the person in question, Choi Jin-ah, had a flushed face, looking as if she was going through an embarrassing ordeal.

“Uh, um, th-that is… Actually, what happened is…”

As I listened with curiosity, Choi Jin-ah bit her lip tightly and shouted.

“I, I like him, so I want to date him!”

Look at the expression on Choi Jin-ah’s face as she declared this with her hand on her chest.

“This looks obviously like a lie, doesn’t it, Father?”

“Ugh.”

I spoke urgently, but it seemed my father had already caught on before I could even open my mouth.

For some reason, it seemed she had told her father that she liked me.

“Whatever happened, happened.”

My father warned quietly while fiddling with the armrest of his chair.

“Make sure no related rumors about Woo-jin come out. I hope this gets resolved quietly.”

“Yes, understood.”

“You have some connection, so at least lend him your name.”

“……Yes.”

Whatever it may be, using my name is fine for now.

But it was a warning that if anything negative started to come out related to this matter, I wouldn’t stay silent.

He could be seen as a father worried about his son.

However, in my eyes, it was clear that he was scheming to create a debt.

‘Tsk.’

While I clicked my tongue.

“Then…….”

The last glance from my father landed on Seo Ye-rin.

Seo Ye-rin, perhaps wanting to make a good first impression, smiled brightly and shouted.

“I’m Seo Ye-rin! I’m a college classmate of Kim Woo-jin!”

Since she said she wouldn’t reveal our relationship, considering Choi I-seo and Yoo Ah-rin.

It seemed like she was managing it well.

But my father already knew about the conflict I was having between the three of us from the last time.

And since my mother had even visited once, he might actually find the sly lie unpleasant.

“Go to the hospital with Woo-jin today and get a health check-up.”

“A health check-up?”

After that, my father didn’t say much. Just telling her to do so, Seo Ye-rin nodded vigorously in response.

“Go on out.”

My father, saying that the conversation was over, picked up the book he had set aside.

I was about to take Choi Jin-a and Seo Ye-rin outside when—

“Sir! I’m really sorry, but can I ask just one thing!”

Seo Ye-rin suddenly called out to my father, raising her hand.

“Hey! Hey!”

“Ye-rin is really…….”

Choi Jin-a muttered, saying she had a lot of guts.

I was surprised, knowing Seo Ye-rin well, but my father simply turned his gaze this way without saying anything.

“Do you prefer a grandson? Or a granddaughter?”

“Hey!”

I tried to hurriedly cover Seo Ye-rin’s mouth, but my father answered her directly.

“A successor who inherits the family business must also bear responsibility regarding the family.”

“……”

“Just as the king’s concubines strove to bear sons, a successor must think of their descendants.”

“Then it’s about the grandson—”

“However.”

My father’s expression softened as he looked at Seo Ye-rin.

It seemed he rather liked her bold and carefree demeanor.

“That boy is a prodigal who runs out without listening to my words.”

With that final remark, my father turned his gaze back to the book.

“A child, as long as they are healthy, is enough.”

At my father’s words, Seo Ye-rin beamed and bowed her head in greeting.

“Yes! Understood!”

We stepped outside.

I felt I had to say something to Seo Ye-rin, who had acted so unexpectedly.

“Hey, what were you thinking! Dad knows about the three of us, and we’re just letting it slide for now! He means for you to sort it out!”

“Is that so?!”

“Sigh, what was the rush, Ye-rin? Of course, it seems like he has taken a bit of a liking to you, but…”

I asked somewhat reproachfully, but Seo Ye-rin confidently placed her hands on her hips and replied.

“I knew my father would like this kind of thing.”

“What do you know about your father?”

“Yesterday.”

Seo Ye-rin grinned as she answered.

“You were shouting about that warrior, right?”

Why bring up that painful memory again…

“I saw my father smiling then.”

“Hmm?”

Father?

As I watched my son, who had shouted that committing a crime against filial piety was his dream, I couldn’t help but think:

“A man should have at least this much spirit, right? Something like that?”

“……”

“So I tried something similar. Boldly! Directly! That’s what worked.”

Indeed.

There are times when he seems so innocent, but when he’s being sly, it’s truly astonishing.

“Hmm! Whether it’s a son or daughter, as long as they’re healthy, that’s all that matters! How did you know I’m healthy!”

Seeing Seo Ye-rin, who was in high spirits, I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

Next to us, Choi Jin-ah, who had been listening to the conversation, looked flustered by Seo Ye-rin’s blatant appeal, her face turning bright red as she fumbled for words.

“Do you remember what you were rambling about yesterday?”

As I casually asked, Choi Jin-ah straightened her back and began to stutter.

“M-me? R-rambling? That can’t be true.”

“You’re not very good at lying. I enjoyed your performance yesterday. Next time, I’d prefer it if you played the violin instead of serving up raw pork belly.”

I chuckled at the memory of Choi Jin-ah playing while balancing uncut pork belly on her shoulder.

She covered her mouth, unsure of how to react.

—