Bamboo Forest Manager - Chapter 16



16 – 16. PC Room

After eating with Seoyerin, we were taking a short walk outside.

Well, to be honest, I was planning to go home, but Seoyerin was silently following along without saying anything.

At first, I thought about just telling her to go on her way, but it felt too much like chasing her away.

“Nothing keeping you busy?”

She subtly asked if there was something else going on. In Seoyerin’s case, there was always some kind of commitment.

Given her popularity and good personality, it was to be expected.

“Yeah, no plans. This is my class time originally.”

But her words had a weight to them that settled in my chest. It could make the recently eaten rice stew churn if I wasn’t careful.

“So, you took a self-study break?”

Surprised by my question, Seoyerin clasped her hands together and nodded awkwardly.

“Yeah, I heard you were here, so I came for now.”

I wasn’t concerned about Seoyerin’s grades, but the fact that she came all the way to meet me, skipping a class, bothered me.

‘Is she doing all this fidgeting to stimulate my guilt?’

Her fidgeting with her fingers, like a hamster, made me feel even more uncomfortable.

In reality, if I just let her go now, it would be like becoming a lunatic who skipped class just to eat rice stew.

‘Well, I shouldn’t…’

But one thing caught my eye.

An internet cafe.

Considering that many college students lived in one-room apartments in this area, it was natural that there were plenty of places like this to hang out.

“You mentioned playing League of Legends last time, right?”

Recalling what I heard in the previous lecture, I mentioned it, and Seoyerin turned to look at the PC room.

“Let’s go.”

So, somewhat abruptly, I found myself at the PC room with Seoyerin.

Looking at the time, it’s now 4 o’clock.

Since I agreed to meet Choi Iseo at 6 o’clock, I had about 2 hours, which was just the right amount of time to play games.

As I entered the PC room, the gazes of the men around me naturally turned to Seo Yerin, who was sitting at the computer.

I couldn’t help but wonder if those who used to curse each other out and play games when I entered were now so good at multitasking.

“Is this how they usually carry themselves?”

It was somewhat burdensome to be the center of attention like this, with people’s gazes so intense.

“Why are you like that?”

Seo Yerin, who was the one attracting the gazes, asked casually.

“No, it’s not nothing.”

I had gotten used to it.

To the gazes of the people around me.

Even though I had just entered the PC room, the gazes of the people around me were fixated on me, and whispers of appearance evaluations and obscenities.

“……”

Honestly, for the first time, I felt sorry for Seo Yerin.

I felt like I knew why she was active under the nickname ‘I got used to it’.

“I have a good seat in the corner.”

“Oh, me too.”

Seo Yerin immediately responded to my words. I purposely gave her the seat right next to the wall and sat down next to her.

“Hey, look at that guy’s face.”

“Go talk to him.”

“He’s here with his boyfriend.”

“These types of people become celebrities in the future, right?”

Even as I turned on the computer, the murmurs of voices talking about appearances and vulgarities could still be heard alongside the game sounds.

I can hear it too, so I’m sure Seo Yerin can’t ignore it either.

But she nonchalantly turns on LOF as if she can’t hear anything.

“What’s your nickname, Woojin-ah?”

I slightly turned my head and handed her the headset hanging on the wall.

“Put this on.”

“…But I’m sitting right next to you. Will I use the microphone?”

“Well, I always use a headset when I play games, no matter what.”

No.

I honestly don’t really like wearing earphones either.

But when I hear the ambient noise around me, it’s better to just put on headphones.

I’m not Yaerin’s boyfriend, so I have no reason to protect her, and I’m not good at fighting because I like working out or being tough.

So let’s just ignore it.

With that meaning, as I held out my headphones again, Yaerin looked at it and nodded with a strange smile.

“A gaming expert?”

She said with a hint of humor mixed in.

It became a slightly strange situation where we were sitting next to each other and having a conversation through the headset microphone, but anyway, we logged into the game.

“Nickname?”

Yaerin asked again, and I answered nonchalantly.

“Yukcheonpot.”

“Yukcheonpot?”

“It’s an abbreviation of the nickname for a legendary genius supporter.”

Originally, it was a nickname for a professional athlete, but I just followed suit and made it similar.

“And you?”

I stretched my neck and looked at Yaerin’s screen.

The nickname of a top laner located in the brilliant Bronze 4 tier.

“Did you win the lane phase?”

I mumbled, and Yaerin clenched her fist and pretended to show off her biceps.

“Most of the time, I win the lane phase.”

“Wow.”

I really don’t want to play with her anymore.

That phrase is usually said when blaming others, as in, I won but you lost because you couldn’t do it.

Did my feelings show on my face? Yaerin pouts her lips.

“Why? Because it’s true?”

“Yeah, let’s just play for now.”

I’m in the silver tier and she’s in bronze, so we can play ranked games.

We started the game right away.

Among the supports, I chose a grab-type character that forcefully pulls the opponent towards me.

Seo Yerin chose a character, a hairy barbarian warrior wielding two axes while being half-naked.

“It doesn’t really suit her.”

Would she know that she has a face like this and is playing a character like that?

Honestly, it was hard to imagine.

Anyway, the game had started.

Exactly three minutes in.

– First blood!

Seo Yerin split the opponent’s character into two while brandishing her axes and secured the first blood.

“Just trust me, noona.”

Seo Yerin declared confidently.

A subtle smile appeared on her lips, the happiest she had been among everything she saw today.

The game continued after that.

Seo Yerin easily defeated the opponent in the lane battle five times, and the game went smoothly.

“Hey, everyone, go there. Retreat.”

The problem started after that.

Even though I had clearly briefed her, Seo Yerin stubbornly attacked the tower and ended up getting killed by the opponent’s long-range dealer.

Money poured out in frustration.

The opponent, who had strong items purchased with Seo Yerin’s pocket money.

– Opponent: lol

Although it was just one chat message, Seo Yerin bit her lip and tried to respond, but something prevented her from typing.

“Ah.”

Even when she pressed enter, Seo Yerin’s chat message did not appear, only a faint sigh.

Suspicious, I checked.

– Due to accumulated reports, your chat will be restricted for the next five games.

“Did you really get chat restriction?”

I couldn’t believe it, so I blurted out a word and Seo Yerin mumbled, flustered.

“I… I was just expressing myself.”

“That’s really harsh.”

In the end, we lost the game.

Seo Yerin, who overwhelmed the opponent in the lane battle, kept going 1:5 and we ended up losing.

“Hoo.”

Looking at the defeat results screen, Seo Yerin sighed and stretched out on the chair, feeling drained of energy.

“Support difference.”

“Ah, damn it…!”

I thought about unplugging the keyboard and hitting Seo Yerin’s head with it.

Or maybe unplugging the monitor and hitting Seo Yerin’s head with it. Seo Yerin had provoked me with that thought.

I was about to curse and say something, but Seo Yerin blamed it all on me and was laughing, saying it was fun.

“I played the game for the first time with my friend.”

From Noble mtl dot com

“….”

“Ah, it was fun. Really fun.”

“I didn’t find it fun at all.”

“hehehe, sorry. I got too excited because we were playing together.”

“Haah.”

They say you can’t spit on a smiling face. Seeing Seo Yerin being happy and enjoying the game, I thought it was pointless to get angry.

“You can play with other people. If your close guy friends ask you to play together, you would like it, right?”

When I said that, Seo Yerin scratched her cheek with a sour expression.

“They usually just ask me to eat or drink.”

“You can just say you want to play.”

“And then what will they say about me behind my back? There might even be rumors that we’re dating.”

“hehehe.”

This was not just a delusion.

The strange emotion coming from Seo Yerin’s expression was born from experience.

It could be from high school, or it could have been during the first semester.

I thought maybe I should say something comforting. But I didn’t have those kinds of words, and we weren’t that close.

“Press ready and let’s play.”

When I said that, Seo Yerin smiled and focused on the screen again.

After about three games of our match.

We started to synchronize our moves.

Although it was a bizarre combination of top and support duo, we were doing not bad.

Especially from the second round, I was able to win because Seo Ye-rin followed my instructions well.

“Hey! Those guys are targeting the dragon! Can you come?”

“I didn’t hear you on the comms!”

“Such a show-off. Can’t you show your face while the opponent’s top lane is bored?”

“Stop fighting and back off! I’m using my restraint skill!”

But our team ended up annihilating ourselves in the hasty fight. I was the only one left running away.

“Block them from going home! I will finish this!”

Suddenly, Seo Ye-rin began pushing the towers, using her ability to become ethereal and blinking through.

It’s insane, but her axe skills are extraordinary.

Following Seo Ye-rin’s orders, I risked my life to cut off the opponents from retreating.

One pulled, one struck, and another threatened to kill me if I turned back.

“Ah.”

But looking at my character turned into a trash can, I sigh with regret.

Although three were cut off, two eventually retreated.

I thought the game was over when even Seo Ye-rin died.

– You have killed an enemy!

– Double kill!

A victory announcement suddenly resounds.

Surprisingly, Seo Ye-rin had taken the lives of the two opponents who retreated.

Seo Ye-rin, who achieved a splendid feat by killing one opponent per axe, destroyed the enemy’s base.

“What, what?”

Displayed on our screen were the words “Victory.”

Seo Ye-rin and I simultaneously lock eyes. Adrenaline rushes through us beyond the lethal dose, and we both take off our headsets and shout.

“We wonnnn!”

“This is meee!”

Even though I behaved like a noob for 54 minutes and 30 seconds out of a 55-minute game, winning or becoming a general is just a matter of doing well for 30 seconds.

As I cheerfully move around our commander and congratulate him, the commander takes off his shoes and stands on his chair, raising both hands to savor the victory.

“Commander! Commander! Commander!”

“Me! It’s me! General Ye-rin Seo! That’s me!”

We love and enjoy being in the PC bang, forgetting all about it.

“What’s up?”

A voice mixed with a chill came from behind. Although it was definitely autumn and the weather was cool, I thought someone had turned on an air conditioner.

Turning my head slightly at the familiar voice.

There was Choi Iseo, looking at me uncomfortably while resting one hand on his hip.

He was even wearing workout clothes.

In doubt, I stopped praising the general and quickly checked the time on the computer.

[6:24]

“……”

As I looked at the clock dumbfoundedly, I sighed and said to Seo Yerin.

“Yerin, I told you that I would snipe around 20 minutes.”