Bamboo Forest Manager

Omakase

“Phew.”

Why does this day feel so long?

[2:37]

‘No, I’ve been awake for a long time.’

Having woken up at 6 AM to exercise, Choi I-seo found it inevitable to be tired after staying awake until 2 AM.

It wasn’t just feeling long; she acknowledged that it truly was long, and finally returned home.

“I’m back!”

“It’s I-seo!”

“Why did you come back so late?”

Her friends, still drinking, welcomed her home.

‘Ah, please.’

I’m about to collapse from exhaustion, and they want me to drink more?

Wanting nothing more than to wash up and sleep, Choi I-seo awkwardly smiled and waved her hand.

“I’ll wash up first.”

“Come back quickly! We saved food for you!”

“Since Yoon-ji became the boss, her spending habits have changed!”

At those words, she glanced subtly at Oh Yoon-ji. Yoon-ji, sipping a canned beer, greeted her with a light nod.

Swoosh.

As she showered, Choi I-seo closed her eyes tightly.

The conversations she had with the chairman earlier began to creep back into her mind.

‘I too, no longer have a reason to oppose Oh Yoon-ji.’

‘If Woo-jin chooses Oh Yoon-ji here, it’s over. I’ll accept it, and the two will start again.’

‘Do you have no regrets?’

“……Regrets, huh.”

She knew she was the one who had set up the bridge.

She was also the one who had created the opportunity for the two to start again.

It wasn’t so much confidence in herself as it was pure greed.

She didn’t want to see her friend Oh Yoon-ji suffering.

And she didn’t want to see Kim Woo-jin, who was worried about Oh Yoon-ji’s struggles.

More than wanting to see their relationship progress, she simply didn’t want to see that.

So she acted.

“Phew.”

Creak.

After a quick shower, Choi I-seo stepped outside in light clothing.

The guys who had been drinking noisily just moments ago were now sprawled out in the living room, fast asleep.

And among them, Oh Yoon-ji was sipping her drink alone.

What she held in her hand was not the beer can from earlier, but a wine glass.

“What’s up?”

“I opened a nice bottle of wine since you’re here. It’s a bit strong, so the others took a sip and passed out right away.”

“You’ve been drinking a lot until now; suddenly switching to that could hit hard.”

This was the last thing for today.

Choi I-seo helped the others lie down on Min-ji’s bed or spread out a blanket for them.

“Did you come from being with Woo-jin?”

“Hmm? Uh, yeah?”

She hadn’t expected such a direct question.

Choi I-seo felt a bit flustered, but Oh Yoon-ji’s straightforward inquiries didn’t stop.

“Isn’t it really tough? If you have any worries, want some advice?”

Advice?

Suddenly, Choi I-seo recalled being called “Mom” by Kim Woo-jin today.

It was a title that, as a girlfriend, she could honestly consider the worst, and it still bothered her.

“No, I don’t need it.”

She had thought about it before, but seeking advice from her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend was not something she would do.

So she declined, but—

“Hm, I thought maybe you were too quiet, and it was making your relationship less fun.”

“……?!”

Oh Yoon-ji immediately hit the nail on the head.

“Isn’t there a bit of a back-and-forth in a relationship? Right?”

“Uh, yeah?”

She couldn’t deny it.

Especially in cases like Yoo Ah-rin, there were moments when she felt a twinge of envy when they spent time that way.

“Or maybe it’s a bit more intense?”

This was also hard to deny.

In the case of Seo Ye-rin, she usually had a pure image, but when she was with Kim Woo-jin, she became intensely passionate.

She was definitely someone with destructive power.

“If there’s none of that, then what’s the point of dating? It’s not like I’m living with my mom.”

“Jung Min-ji!”

Choi Yi-seo immediately ran to Min-ji’s room. She intended to give her friend, who had let the secret slip, a lesson, but Min-ji was already fast asleep.

“I’ll see you tomorrow!”

She had definitely said it was a secret!

How could she just spill it while drinking!

As Choi Yi-seo returned to the living room, she found Oh Yoon-ji looking at her with a smile.

“What, do you want some help?”

Is she teasing me right now?

“Forget it! What help do you think you can offer?”

“I’ll help you. Sit down.”

“I don’t want to—!”

“I’m just grateful, that’s all.”

Oh Yoon-ji smiled sweetly at Choi Yi-seo, who was starting to get annoyed.

It didn’t feel like teasing, but rather genuine gratitude.

Yet, she didn’t say what she was thankful for.

Oh Yoon-ji filled an empty wine glass and offered it to Choi Yi-seo.

With a sigh, Choi Yi-seo accepted it and sat down.

“What… how do you plan to help me?”

“Hehe, you’re riding the line quite well right now.”

The line?

“Before Seo Ye-rin.”

Oh Yoon-ji spread her arms wide and began to explain in detail.

“Before Choi Yi-seo.”

Her face was slightly flushed, so it was clear that Oh Yoon-ji was also a bit tipsy.

“Before Yoo Ah-rin.”

Still, her explanation held a strange persuasive power.

“Right, there was Oh Yoon-ji.”

The reason for that persuasive power was probably because it wasn’t wrong.

“Personality, preferences, speech patterns, even s*x fantasies.”

Yes, she was truly.

“I’ll pass it all on to you.”

Kim Woo-jin was a top-notch instructor.

* * *

‘Why hasn’t Lee Seo contacted me?’

She said she would talk to Jin-ah separately yesterday, so I left her behind, but it’s a bit unsettling that I haven’t heard from her since.

Jin-ah did say she dropped her off right in front of her house.

‘If she went back to her family home, it’s likely she talked to her father, not Jin-ah.’

I heard she went back home, so Jin-ah must have been a decoy.

I’m trying to reach out with a worried heart, but she’s not picking up the phone, and there’s no reply.

Moreover, the other side is still a headache.

– Seo Ye-rin: How can men and women contact each other so easily! At least give a heads-up three days in advance!

Seo Ye-rin had completely transformed into a proper lady.

– Yoo Ah-rin: Good evening, Woo-jin. If you have some time, how about a light meal with me?

Yoo Ah-rin had turned into some refined young lady.

– Kim Woo-jin: Damn it.

I couldn’t hold back my curse, but all I got in return were similar responses.

I don’t know what the problem is, but I’m going to set both of them back to how they originally were.

“Ugh, this is giving me a headache.”

Anyway, today is the day I’m having omakase with the idiots.

‘A bit late.’

As I opened the door to the omakase place “Onhyang,” everyone was already seated.

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

And it was all incredibly awkward.

It seems they were flustered since it was Bong-geun, someone they hadn’t seen before, instead of me.

“I’m here.”

“Woo-jin, you made it!”

“Why did you come so late, you brat!”

“I can finally breathe a little!”

“I thought you had run away!”

Have these guys ever welcomed me so enthusiastically?

Bong-geun, sitting in the corner.

As the seat next to him was empty, I quickly filled it.

“You should at least say if you’re going to be late.”

Bong-geun, who seemed the most awkward, whispered softly. I awkwardly smiled, feeling a bit sorry.

Soon after.

The chef confirmed our reservation and began to lay out the food.

He explained various things, but most of us here couldn’t understand.

“Oh wow! This is so delicious!”

“What is this? Does seaweed taste like this?”

“Wow, I have to come here later with Mi-ae.”

“I should come with Gyu-a too.”

Kang Hyun-gang and Pyo Jin-ho were eating excitedly.

Jung Chan-woo and Ahn Hyun-ho were chatting about their girlfriends.

“Hmm, hmmm.”

On the contrary, Bong-geun didn’t seem to have a particularly good reaction, as if he found the food rather lacking.

“Ahem, hey. Let me introduce you first. This is my elementary school friend Bong-geun.”

I moved on to the introduction, thinking we might awkwardly eat otherwise. After all, there’s a gap between the dishes in an omakase.

At my introduction, Bong-geun frowned and replied.

“My name is James.”

“Oh, nice to meet you. If you’re a friend of Woo-jin, you’re like a younger brother. I’ll speak informally, Bong-geun.”

“Han-gang, if you use an English name, you don’t have to worry about speaking informally in the first place. Welcome, Bong-geun.”

“Bong-geun? Your face looks foreign, but the name is friendly, which is nice.”

“Wow, right? Bong-geun’s name feels really familiar.”

“What the heck-.”

Bong-geun seemed to want to curse for some reason, but I raised my hand to stop him.

“Haha! Bong-geun has a lot of money too. So everyone, let’s get along well.”

At that moment, Chanwoo raised his hand slightly.

“But what’s your last name?”

Hah, what is he talking about?

Clicking my tongue, I replied.

“It’s Bong. You idiot, Bong. The last name is Bong. The first name is Geun. Do you have no sense? Do I have to explain everything?”

“The last name is ‘I’. Lee Bong-geun. And my real name is James.”

“Wow, having Bong as a last name is really interesting!”

“So if we become close, can I just call you Geun?”

“Geun? That sounds a bit less familiar.”

“Seems like calling you Bong-geun is more familiar?”

“Fuck-!”

Bong-geun was about to unleash another curse, but he was cut off by the timely arrival of the chef with the food.

While eating, I leaned toward Bong-geun and whispered.

“Hey! Why do you keep cursing when your first impression isn’t good?”

“No one listens to me because they’re not your friends!”

“No, honestly, being called James is way less familiar than just being called Bong-geun, right? We’re supposed to eat this and then go drink, are you going to keep ruining the mood? These guys are a crazy network you can’t see anywhere else!”

“Huuh.”

Bong-geun, taking a deep breath, asked with a business smile.

“Woojin? Introduce me to your friends too.”

“Oh, of course! Definitely!”

This is how you break the ice.

So you can do it, Bong-geun.

I immediately introduced Jeong Chanwoo, who was sitting next to me.

“This is Jeong Chanwoo. He’s handsome, which is annoying, but it doesn’t matter since he’s gay.”

“What? Gay?”

“No! What do you mean gay! He has a girlfriend!”

I shouted, but Ahn Hyun-ho chimed in with a laugh.

“His nickname is Gun-gong and Public Dildo! This guy confesses to anyone and dates anyone, just like that!”

“Hey!”

“Ugh!”

From noble mtl dot com

Crazy, there was such a nickname, but why didn’t I know?

I should have found out sooner.

“Next to him is Ahn Hyun-ho. He has a girlfriend, and that girl is his third boyfriend.”

“Damn it! No! Kyu, I’ve come to my senses now!”

Hyun-ho shouted as if in desperation, but Bong-geun nodded with a gentle smile.

“I understand, I understand. There are people around me who have multiple girlfriends too.”

“What do you understand! I’m telling you it’s not true!”

This time, Jung Chan-woo immediately laughed and added.

“He’s an English major, a real player. So flashy.”

“Damn it, what the hell does that dildo kid mean—!”

The two of them started to bicker, so I just ignored it and moved on to the next.

“Next is Pyo Jin-ho, who used to be a punk but is now doing Taekwondo.”

“Ahem, hello?”

The kids were so loud that I was just trying to introduce normally.

The two from earlier stopped fighting and jumped right in.

“There’s a rumor that he got beaten up by Yoo Ah-rin and became impotent!”

“Since that day, no one has seen Pyo Jin-ho’s little buddy stand up!”

“Why would he get it up in front of you guys!”

Ugh, what a mess.

I wondered if the chef was okay, but judging by the way he was holding back laughter, he seemed to be enjoying it.

‘Well, that’s good enough.’

Lastly, Kang Han-gang.

I was about to introduce him, but he smiled handsomely and jumped in first.

“I’m Kang Han-gang. I’m Woo-jin’s senior, and let’s get along well. I like good-looking guys, so I think you’ll like me.”

“Woo-jin probably won’t like you?”

“He’d hate me.”

Look at him smiling while talking trash about me.

“There’s a rumor that this guy has six branches down there. He’s so easygoing.”

As I added that, Pyo Jin-ho nodded vigorously.

“Jung Chan-woo from the Department of Civil Engineering, Kang Han-gang from the English Department. They’re famous. There’s a rumor that they’re so easy that if a guy makes a move, they’ll spread their legs wide open—!”

“Don’t cross the line, you b*stard!”

Ugh, damn it.

“Hey! It’s our first time here, so don’t make a scene! Bong-geun said he’d cover everything today.”

As I tried to calm everyone down, Bong-geun hesitated at the back and replied.

“I didn’t bring my wallet.”

“……?”

When I turned my head slightly, Bong-geun rummaged through his pockets. There was really nothing there.

“Ahem.”

At that moment, the chef glanced over at us while passing the next dish.

As if to say, ‘Are you really eating without any money?’

I bit my lip tightly and sent a message in our group chat under the table.

– Kim Woo-jin: Emergency. Anyone with money. If you pay today, I’ll pay you back tomorrow.

Immediately, everyone except Bong-geun lowered their gazes and started tapping on their phones.

– Idiot2: Kim Woo-jin, you b*stard. You said you’d cover it today.

– Idiot3: Ah, I shouldn’t have trusted that guy.

‘Oh, right.’

I had changed their names to “idiot” last time and still hadn’t fixed it.

Damn, who is saying this?

– Idiot: Looks like the person who brought their wallet should pay. I didn’t bring mine.

– Idiot4: I didn’t bring mine either because Woo-jin said he’d cover it.

– Idiot3: Of course, I didn’t bring it.

– Idiot2: I don’t have it either. Ah, what are we going to do?

‘Huh, this is a headache—’

Wait a minute.

– Kim Woo-jin: Hey. I’m paying for the omakase, but you guys agreed to split the bill for the second place.

– Kim Woo-jin: So why the hell didn’t you bring your wallets, you b*stards?

– Idiot: …….

– Idiot2: …….

– Idiot3: …….

– Idiot4: …….

—

Look at these?

Were they really trying to pin the whole bar tab on me?

Honestly, they’re all the same type of guys, but since they’ve taken the lead, just as I was about to say something.

– Idiot 4: Han-gang, your pocket’s bulging, right? You got a wallet or something?

Someone pointed a finger at Han-gang.

– Idiot 2: ? It’s a phone.

– Idiot 3: Senior, your phone’s on the table.

– Idiot: For now, let’s have Senior Han-gang pay.

At that moment, Han-gang immediately smiled, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a lighter and a cigarette.

“Cigarette, cigarette.”

‘Too bad.’

Everyone was probably thinking something similar.

– Idiot: Woo-jin’s pocket is sticking out too, right? You brought your wallet, didn’t you?

At that moment, Jeong Chan-woo’s gaze sharpened, glaring at my thigh.

Wallet?

Should I be honest?

I brought it.

But maybe it was turning into some kind of pride battle.

Strangely, I started to feel like paying here would mean losing.

– Kim Woo-jin: This is my d*ck.

– Idiot: Your d*ck is that crooked?

– Idiot 2: Are you deformed?

– Idiot 4: Go to the hospital.

– Kim Woo-jin: ㅗ