Bamboo Forest Manager

Change?

“……Hello?”

– Hello? Is this Seo-yi? When do you think you’ll come? The kids are getting together after a long time.

Choi Yi-seo was able to take a moment to breathe at the call from Min-ji, who lived with her.

Her mind was still tangled from Kim Woo-jin’s bombshell statement, and she needed a different way to clear her head.

“The kids? Suddenly? No, at this hour?”

From what Min-ji was saying, it seemed like their high school friends had gathered.

It felt a bit strange to suddenly meet up and drink at this time.

– Yeah, they said everyone has the day off today. They’re all coming over now.

“……Who’s hosting the gathering?”

As she asked, half hoping for the best, the name she expected popped out.

From noble mtl dot com

– Yoon-ji. She said she felt like she’s been neglecting everyone for a while and wants to treat us. She’s even bringing tuna and sake!

Sigh, Oh Yoon-ji.

With a sigh, Choi Yi-seo checked the time.

“I’m in a different area right now, so I might be a bit late.”

– Oh, really? But you’ll come by dawn, right? It looks like everyone will be partying until then.

Thinking about it, tomorrow is the weekend.

They probably have a lot to catch up on since it’s been a while.

There’s a good chance the gathering won’t end until she gets there, and they might even end up sleeping over.

“Well… okay. I will be late, but I’ll definitely come by dawn.”

– Great! It’s been a while since we all drank together!

Min-ji’s bright response, simply happy to be with friends, made Choi Yi-seo smile as well.

Then suddenly, she caught sight of Kim Woo-jin.

He was currently playfully bickering with Yoo Ah-rin.

“Hey, give me your arm.”

“Why? What now? Did I do something wrong?”

“Wrong? What are you talking about? Just come over while I’m being nice. Let me see you cross your arms.”

“Cross my arms? Why? What’s that about? Are you trying to make a Shanks? Did you hear about the couple rings from Yi-seo? Are you going to make it so I can’t even wear one?”

“Couple rings? What are you talking about? You and Choi Yi-seo are getting couple rings?!”

“……No way.”

As Yoo Ah-rin tried to cross her arms, Kim Woo-jin felt a sense of unease and ran away.

Chasing after Kim Woo-jin was Yoo Ah-rin.

Watching that scene, Choi Yi-seo felt an inexplicable tightness in her chest.

Jealousy?

Is that what this feeling is?

Her contemplation did not last long.

Choi Yi-seo was a woman who could clearly diagnose her own emotions.

‘I envy that kind of atmosphere that’s different from mine.’

Rather, it was the anxiety that came from knowing her feelings clearly.

Choi Yi-seo ended up asking Min-ji a question she wouldn’t normally ask.

“Min-ji, what does it mean for a guy to have a woman like a mom?”

– Hmm?

It might have seemed strange to suddenly ask such a question while talking about drinking with the kids.

Nevertheless, Min-ji approached her friend’s question quite seriously.

– You didn’t hear that from Kim Woo-jin, did you?

“No, it’s not necessarily related to Woo-jin…”

– Other than Woo-jin, what else do you have to talk about regarding guys?

That was true.

While lamenting that Min-ji had come to know too much about her, she answered.

“That’s right.”

– Huh.

Min-ji’s sigh contained anxiety. Though she had asked, she no longer wanted to hear the answer.

– Yi-seo, listen carefully. For a guy, a mom isn’t a woman.

“Of course, right?”

One could think in reverse.

Isn’t a dad not a man to oneself?

He’s just a dad.

– But saying a girlfriend is like a mom can be interpreted in various ways.

“Various interpretations?”

– You could say she’s a woman who takes good care of him, listens to him, and helps him when he’s struggling, right?

“……”

In an instant, Choi I-seo felt a chill run through her. What if Min-ji knew everything that had happened between her and Kim Woo-jin?

The absurdity of that thought only highlighted how accurate her suspicions were.

– But it would be nice if it ended there. If not, it could become a problem.

“Uh, what kind of problem?”

– The feeling of being in love disappears.

“……!”

– Think about it. In this world, anyone who feels desire for their own parents is either a lunatic or mentally ill.

Isn’t that the same thing?

Anyway, Choi I-seo agreed that it was impossible both ethically and physiologically.

– But you told your girlfriend she was like a mother? The truth is… it means a time for change has come.

“Change.”

– If you think of it that way, it’s easier. When women break up with nice guys, they say it’s because they’re too nice and don’t feel like they’re in a relationship. You saw that couple fate show with me last time, right?

Couple fate.

It was a program where singles came out, spent a few days together, got to know each other, and became a couple.

– They say they prefer someone who’s a bit aloof rather than too nice. Don’t you think it’s the same for guys?

Is a girl who’s too nice not attractive?

Does she feel like a mother?

“I’m not that nice?! I didn’t even let him do whatever he wanted!”

– What’s the point of making excuses to me, I-seo? What matters is how Kim Woo-jin feels.

Min-ji paused for a moment after saying that.

Then, a sound came through the phone, and her words quickened.

– Yu, I think Yoon-ji is here!

“I’ll hang up!”

Click.

Choi I-seo ended the call abruptly.

Her complicated emotions intensified, and now she even began to feel a sense of urgency.

Looking back at Kim Woo-jin, he was now talking with Seo Ye-rin.

“Are you really going to wear that? Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I’m going to wear this.”

Seo Ye-rin tossed aside the bikini she had been contemplating and presented a rash guard that completely covered her body.

“Why all of a sudden? Just a moment ago, you were all about wearing a bikini.”

“It’s too revealing. Don’t you think so?”

Kim Woo-jin, who was about to respond, glanced at Seo Ye-rin’s expression and fell silent.

But Seo Ye-rin shot back at him sharply.

“I was going to say I like that kind of thing.”

“What? I only thought it. Did I say something?”

“You said it with your expression. I don’t like revealing clothes?! Don’t you remember the old Seo Ye-rin? The one who was embarrassed by s*xy stuff?!”

“Are you talking about the you from back then who spent all day in the bamboo forest being all flirty?”

“……I don’t know.”

“No, Ye-rin. Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? Whether you wear a rash guard or a bikini, I’m fine with anything, but this sudden change is a bit strange.”

As he spoke, Kim Woo-jin placed a hand on Seo Ye-rin’s shoulder.

“Don’t touch me!”

But Seo Ye-rin quickly swatted his hand away and shouted, “Keep your distance!”

Kim Woo-jin, taken aback by Seo Ye-rin’s bewildering reaction, looked genuinely shocked.

“Is it because you haven’t done it in a while? Is all that pent-up frustration bursting out?!”

Now the conversation had taken a decidedly odd turn.

“Should we just do it? There’s a changing room over there. Let’s go, Ye-rin! If you take a towel and bite down on it, it’ll muffle the sound! I’ll carry you back when we’re done!”

“Uh? Are you serious?”

Seo Ye-rin, who had been following Kim Woo-jin with a smirk, suddenly snapped back to reality and flailed, shouting, “Stop trying to seduce me! I’m not doing it! Think logically!”

“…….”

In the end, Seo Ye-rin shook off Kim Woo-jin and fled to another spot.

“What on earth is going on?”

Kim Woo-jin stared blankly at Seo Ye-rin, unable to understand.

Suddenly, he didn’t know why Seo Ye-rin was acting this way, but Choi Yi-seo saw this as an opportunity and quietly approached.

“Woo-jin, I’m going to pick out a swimsuit too. Can you help me?”

“Uh? Oh, of course.”

Then, as they headed toward the swimsuit section, the first thing Kim Woo-jin suggested was,

“How about this one?”

It was a blue rash guard.

“Doesn’t it seem like it would suit you well? What do you think?”

Yeah, it would probably look good.

In fact, if Choi I-seo were to wear a swimsuit, she was thinking of wearing a rash guard.

She wasn’t the type to enjoy showing off her body more than necessary, and honestly, bikinis made her feel shy.

She went to the gym and had body profiles taken, but that didn’t mean she wanted to show her body to strangers.

But.

It was okay to show it to someone who mattered.

No, she wanted to show it.

The fact that the person who mattered was now suggesting a rash guard subtly stirred Choi I-seo’s pride.

“What about something else?”

“Something else? Hmm, how about this?”

Most of the swimsuits Kim Woo-jin suggested after that could be categorized as conservative.

They were either completely covering the body or not much different from regular clothes.

‘Earlier, with Ye-rin…’

When she mentioned wearing a rash guard, she had desperately tried to dissuade her and recommended a bikini instead. She even made the ridiculous suggestion of trying it on in the changing room.

‘Come to think of it, she also recommended swimsuit colors to Ye-rin and A-rin.’

Seo Ye-rin had red, Yoo A-rin had black.

She had heard that Kim Woo-jin had asked for those specific colors.

But there hadn’t been any such words directed at her.

Why?

‘D-Does she not see me that way?’

No.

‘Calm down, Choi I-seo.’

Hadn’t she learned from the previous ere*ctile dysfunction incident? It was definitely some kind of misunderstanding layered on top of another misunderstanding.

Don’t panic, and don’t judge arbitrarily.

‘I was too anxious because I was called “mom,” I-seo.’

Gathering her thoughts, Choi I-seo slyly picked up a bikini this time.

“How about this one?”

As she asked while holding it against her body, Kim Woo-jin’s eyes widened, and he smiled as he replied.

“Hey, that’s something Yerin likes.”

“…….”

And what he brought was another rash guard.

“You’ll look good in this one. What do you think? Isn’t it nice?”

“Ah, yeah.”

“Oh right, Iseoyah. Is there anything we should pack for our trip? Since it’s the beach, I was thinking about tanning. Do you know anything about that?”

As Kim Woo-jin asked with a bright smile, Choi I-seo stared at him intently and reached out to grab his cheeks.

“Ubb?!”

With one hand, Choi I-seo squished Kim Woo-jin’s cheeks like dough.

Her voice, when she answered, was laced with seething anger.

“How would I know? Am I your mom?”

“Ubb?!”

“Phew, enough.”

Choi I-seo let go of Kim Woo-jin as if she were throwing him aside and picked out a swimsuit that caught her eye.

“I’m wearing this.”

A navy underboob bikini.

The moment Choi I-seo chose a bikini that was extremely revealing, exposing her lower chest even when worn, Kim Woo-jin panicked and urgently protested.

“Y-you’re wearing that?! Why all of a sudden? Did you eat something weird? You’ll definitely regret it!”

“…….”

“Wear something you like! Why the sudden change? That rash guard would look perfectly pretty on you, you know?!”

He had asked Yoo Ah-rin to wear a black swimsuit.

Moreover, thanks to her easygoing personality, they often exchanged flirty banter, and there were times when the atmosphere turned light yet suggestive.

He had asked Seo Ye-rin to wear a red swimsuit.

The two of them were physically satisfied, engaging in skinship, flirty jokes, and even intimate relations at any given moment.

And himself?

A truly static romance.

There was very little skinship, and naturally, he was the overwhelming last place among the three in terms of intimacy.

Furthermore, unlike the other two, the conversations he had were more like calm waters than the bubbly sensations typical of romance.

If he had to compare it, it was like a date in a library.

Kim Woo-jin’s conclusion was, “Like a mom.”

The most lethal title for a girlfriend.

What should he do?

Watching Kim Woo-jin, who loves all things s*xual, hesitate to wear a bikini only made Choi Yi-seo more anxious.

Among the solutions that popped into her head, the most extreme one seemed to be the most effective.

Can’t she just follow the two ahead of her?

If that’s the case, then now is the time.

Crack.

“Th-th-!”

Holding onto her swimsuit, Choi Yi-seo shouted at Kim Woo-jin, who was blocking her way.

“I want to have s*x!”

With her face flushed red, she declared this to Kim Woo-jin, gasping for breath.

As he looked down at Choi Yi-seo, his eyes began to widen.

“Doctor! We have a patient here!”

He exhaled sharply and placed his hand on her forehead.

“D-do you have a fever? Yi-seo, h-how many fingers do I have up? Breathe! Just breathe—!”

The moment he looked for a reaction, Choi Yi-seo closed her eyes tightly.

‘This is a mess.’