Bamboo Forest Manager

37 – 37. What Is This?

From Noble mtl dot com

Studying, which was uncomfortable in various ways, came to an end.

Even though we had only studied for a couple of hours, the wind blew and it got cold outside, so we had no choice but to stop.

Since we had decided to have dinner together, we were now pondering the menu.

“Let’s play rock-paper-scissors.”

As I reached out my hand and spoke, sharp glares were immediately directed at me.

“Why don’t we just decide by majority vote?”

Choi Iseo, who had fought with me over this topic several times before, proposed a negotiation, but I firmly rejected it.

“Do you ignore minority opinions? That’s why society is like this!”

“If it’s not settled within an hour, we’ll just go…!”

Choi Iseo, who was about to charge at me with a raised fist, stepped back and shouted.

“No, let’s first talk about what we want to eat. I want to eat rice. Let’s go to a rice restaurant.”

“That’s Korean demon food.”

Choi Iseo, who sighed, offered another menu after a moment of contemplation.

“How about chicken?”

“But you’re working out.”

“But I can’t just suggest eating chicken breast with the kids, right?”

“Hmm? You suggested going with me.”

“What about you guys?”

Choi Iseo ignored me and asked the others. It seems like her way of dealing with me has improved compared to before.

“Chicken is good,” Yu Arin agreed.

“I like chicken too,” Jung Chan-woo immediately agreed, and Yu Arin felt a connection with him, giving him a high-five.

Until just now, he seemed to dislike talking to Jung Chan-woo, but now he appeared nonchalant on the outside, hiding a significant stubbornness.

His gaze naturally shifted towards the last person.

He looked at Seo Yerin almost tearfully.

“Koreans are all about rice, right? Seo Yerin, isn’t that right?”

“Yerin, ignore him. Honestly, chicken sounds more appealing.”

“….”

Seo Yerin hesitated, alternating between me and Choi Iseo. I thought I could persuade her if I spoke well.

“Huh? Let’s go eat rice. A warm meal with a fried egg on top, and chicken stew to top it off. It’s filling.”

“It’s still 3:2. We’re going to eat chicken anyway.”

“Well, pretty girls get two votes.”

If you’re good-looking, you naturally have more influence on people. Seo Yerin jerked her shoulders in surprise at my words, and then bowed deeply as she moved toward Choi Iseo.

“I, I want chicken too….”

“Damn it.”

I don’t understand how anyone could find fried chicken delicious.

She made a face like she wanted to go eat alone, but Choi Iseo forcefully grabbed my arm and started dragging me along.

“Let’s go already!”

“Hah, what’s so good about chicken.”

“I’ve never seen someone who doesn’t like chicken before.”

In the end, I was dragged along and ended up eating chicken. Since we were near the university, the chicken place was almost like a pub, and even during exam season, the place was quite crowded.

Well, not everyone is passionate about exams.

“Go inside and take a seat.”

We found a table by the wall, and Choi Iseo pushed me inside.

“You seem like you’d run away.”

“I won’t.”

“Anyway, just go inside.”

In the end, I was pushed by Choi Iseo, and ended up sitting on the innermost seat, with Choi Iseo and Seo Yerin sitting next to me.

On the opposite side, Yu Arin and Jung Chan-woo were sitting, and the picture was not bad.

They ordered half of the chicken with seasoning and fried, and the other half was roasted.

It seems that Choi Iseo’s last conscience is roasted chicken.

“I’ll go smoke.”

“Oh? Me too.”

Jung Chan-woo’s image of smoking seemed cool, but it was surprising that Yu Arin smoked.

“Did Arin smoke?”

Seo Yerim also looked surprised and watched Yu Arin leave. It seemed that she didn’t smoke often, judging by her expression.

“Or maybe she just followed Jung Chan-woo.”

…

……..

What’s this?

It really seems possible.

“I should smoke too.”

As I tried to get up from my seat, the two people beside me looked at me.

“But you don’t smoke.”

“I’ve never seen you smoke.”

“I’m going to learn now.”

It was a ridiculous reason, but when I tried to go outside, Choi Iseo and Seo Yerim were blocking me.

“Forget it, just sit down. Why do you want to bring something unhealthy into your mouth?”

“Yeah, Woojin. Just eat something like candy.”

In the end, I had no choice but to sit down, and just then, a bag of macaroni snacks came out and the three of us started eating them.

Crunch, crunch.

“But Yerin, are you acquainted with Jung Chan-woo?”

When Choi Iseo asked, Seo Yerim answered with a mouthful of macaroni snacks.

“Yeah, we were friends in high school.”

Friends.

Normally, I would have let it pass, but for some reason, it bothered me today.

I thank Choi Isuh for opening the door and, while eating a macaroni cookie, I ask him.

“Is it uncomfortable?”

As soon as I asked, both of their gazes turned to me. When I slightly turned my eyes and looked at Seo Yerin, she didn’t really deny it.

“…A little bit?”

“Can you tell me why? According to Jung Chanwoo, the three of you were close.”

“We were close. But I don’t think I can say anything.”

Because I firmly drew the line, I shrugged my shoulders.

“I shouldn’t have asked when I knew you couldn’t answer. I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry for saying it like this.”

A moment of silence.

Anyway, it was said that the relationship between the three of them deteriorated because of something that happened in high school.

“I’ll go to the bathroom for a moment.”

Eventually, Seo Yerin seemed to need some time to sort out her thoughts, so she stood up and went to the bathroom.

“What’s going on? Why am I the only one who doesn’t know?”

As soon as Seo Yerin left, Choi Isuh immediately asked me, saying he didn’t understand at all.

“Is it because of what you said at the cafe last time? That Jung Chanwoo likes Yurin? And that’s why he called her suddenly today too?”

As he poured out questions that he had been holding back, I could see how much patience he had exercised until now.

* * *

“Ah, sh*t.”

I wake up from the floor of my house with a pounding headache.

I didn’t drink enough chicken and beer to have a hangover, so I started to recall why this was happening.

“Ah, Yurin’s friend….”

Yurin, who proposed to go to a second place because it didn’t seem like we were drinking after only having chicken and beer.

She said she knew a bar and took us there, but it turned out to be a wine bar.

Because of exams, she must have been under stress, and in a slightly tipsy state, she kept drinking because the owner recognized her as Yurin’s friend and gave us a discount as a service.

The wine tasted good, and I usually don’t drink it, but it went down smoothly. Later, she even brought out very strong alcohol and we ended up having a drinking party.

This is the result of that.

Drinking until the film in my head breaks during the exam period. It’s an inexplicable behavior unless I’m crazy.

I try to calm down my pounding head. I guess I’m not good with expensive alcohol, even though I don’t get drunk easily with soju or beer.

“I guess I should’ve tried expensive alcohol before.”

She blinked her eyes uncomfortably, even though she thought she had learned something.

“Just die, Yoo Arin.”

While cursing Yoo Arin, she tried to check the time.

“You thought of me right after waking up?”

She felt a shiver down her spine at the woman’s voice coming from beside her, as if thorns were pricking her.

Upon confirming, she realized that she wasn’t lying on a thick mattress meant for beds, but on a hard floor mat.

She slowly lifted her head to confirm.

“Hayung?”

Yoo Arin, lying on the mattress, looked at her and met her gaze.

“Huh?”

Unintentionally, she opened her mouth and let out a sigh. Other than that, there was nothing else she could do at the moment.

Her mind became rigid, and her thoughts came to a halt.

First, she needed to quickly get this kid out of here. With that thought in mind, she reached out her hand to pull the blanket.

“Wait, hold on! I’m not wearing clothes!”

Yoo Arin announced an unbelievable, no, something she didn’t want to believe. She wanted to say it was a lie, but she caught a glimpse of his snow-white skin as she pulled him gently.

“You crazy b*tch! Why are you taking off your clothes in someone else’s house!”

She let go of the blanket and took a step back, but she ended up tripping and falling. Yoo Arin looked at her and burst out laughing.

“Heh heh heh! Look at that! So hilarious!”

“Hilarious? You find it funny now? Are you laughing because you know where you were sleeping?”

“You were sleeping on your bed with your blanket covering you. Hmm, Woo Jin smells nice.”

The moment she saw Yoo Arin bury his face in her blanket, it felt as if she would faint.

“Please, please. Have we gone too far? Right?”

When she took on a defensive stance and asked her, she gave her a mysterious smile.

“Um, is it morning?”

Another woman’s voice came from behind Yoo Arin. She slowly got up, her throat blocking the sound, but managed to stand up.

“Huh? Here?”

There, Yoo Arin, who had just woken up but still flaunting her beauty, was standing.

“What the hell?”

What kind of situation is this?