Bamboo Forest Manager - Chapter 29



29 – Script

– Anonymous69: Shall we try it once?

I knew what they meant. I’m not entirely clueless.

I don’t know why Seo Yerim suddenly became so proactive, but the response is already determined.

– Administrator: You’re a man, aren’t you?

Since Anonymous69 is known to me as a man, I should naturally address them as such.

– Administrator: I don’t engage with men.

As I reply, there is another long silence. I start to wonder what they are up to, and it makes me subtly uneasy.

– Administrator: Even if you want to, it’s really not right to be with a guy.

– Administrator: I’m not a girl with fake innocence.

I was waiting for what kind of response would come.

– Anonymous69: Look at you eagerly anticipating it lol

“Ugh.”

Thanks to the immediate response, I was able to feel relieved.

“What’s up?”

It won’t suddenly happen like this, maybe it’s because a friend got a boyfriend and is jealous.

“Or maybe because I’m the administrator….”

I wondered if they had realized.

If they had, I thought they wouldn’t send messages like this.

Even though I’ve become close with Seo Yerim, we’re not that close.

– Anonymous69: Do you have a girlfriend, Administrator?

– Administrator: I do.

Of course, I don’t.

But in case Seo Yerim suspects me, I wanted to steer the conversation in a different direction.

– Administrator: I said I slept with a girl last time.

– Anonymous69: It could be just a hookup.

Sigh.

‘How does this person know about it when she blushed when I mentioned indirect kissing?’

– Administrator: No.

– Anonymous69: Did you have s*x first and then start dating, or did you date first and then have s*x?

“Ah, seriously.”

I have no idea who this is, but I want to go find the person who put strange thoughts into Seo Yerim’s head and give them a piece of my mind.

– Administrator: Excuse me.

– Anonymous69: Yes?

– Administrator: Have you watched any adult videos?

– Anonymous69: ……

– Administrator: I heard there’s someone like that, but it’s not me. I started dating my girlfriend first.

– Anonymous69: Oh?

– Administrator: I don’t know if you watched that kind of adult video or if you heard something around, but live your own life as you want. Don’t just blindly follow what others do.

– Anonymous69: ….

After responding like that without receiving a reply, I didn’t bother to respond separately.

Around Seo Yerin, there were so many people, most of whom were trying to get something from her.

It seemed important to live with confidence.

I understand that you relieve stress as Anonymous69, but ultimately, don’t you need to fix being swayed by reality?

“Well, that’s another matter.”

That’s something they have to solve on their own. As long as I didn’t get caught as the administrator, it was enough for me.

* * *

Do you know when is the worst time to play a game?

When you get crushed in the game?

When the opponent mocks you?

When your incompetent teammates curse at you.

That’s when I hate it the most.

And that’s exactly the situation right now.

After finishing Thursday’s lecture, I went to a PC bang to enjoy some game time alone, but I got messed with from the first round and turned off the game.

But I didn’t want to waste my time at the PC bang by just sitting still, so I was thinking about what to do.

– Commander: Woojin, are you busy right now?

Senior Min Juhee sent me a message.

– Woojin Kim: No, I’m not busy. I just finished my lecture and I’m at the PC bang.

– Commander: Oh, really? The Zero PC bang in front of the school?

– Woojin Kim: Yes, that’s the one.

– Commander: I’m going there, so just wait. You haven’t had dinner, right?

What’s this all of a sudden?

Is he randomly offering to buy me dinner?

– Commander: I received a few scenarios from the team. Let’s watch it together. Since you’re in charge of editing, it would be better for you to watch it.

– Woojin Kim: I see.

– Commander: Also, last time we planned to have dinner, but because of the others, we went to a bar. So this time, I’ll treat you to what I couldn’t last time.

“Huh.”

So that’s why.

In fact, editing is just an excuse, and I think they want to buy me food because they felt bad about not buying me food last time.

At that time, I stepped out and had ramen with Choi I-seo.

– Kim Woo-jin: Can we have beef?

– Chief Officer: No.

– Kim Woo-jin: Pork?

– Chief Officer: Let’s compromise and have chicken.

– Kim Woo-jin: I didn’t compromise at all and just followed what my senior wanted.

Isn’t that going even lower than pork?

– Chief Officer: I still listened to your opinion though.

– Kim Woo-jin: ……

– Chief Officer: Should I compromise after seeing your face?

– Kim Woo-jin: Actually, I like chicken♥

– Chief Officer: hahahaha, you’re cute.

– Chief Officer: It will take about an hour, so I’ll play a game.

– Kim Woo-jin: Okay!

Anyway, it’s not even dinner time yet, so I’m not hungry. I thought about ordering ramen just to pass the time, but I decided to leave it alone.

I don’t really feel like playing a game either.

‘Ah.’

Now that I think about it, we’re meeting because of the script, but the person who wrote the decided script will be excluded from the group project.

‘Well, it’s not that bad.’

Honestly, except for Seo Ye-rin and Senior Min Ju-hee, most of us don’t get along well, so I’m grateful to anyone who disappears.

But.

‘We should go through the hardships together.’

I immediately turn on the computer and open a document. As the editor, I can’t be excluded even if I write the script.

But if I write it and it gets selected, then ultimately no one will be excluded, right?

“Heh.”

I feel satisfied.

It feels like doing a good deed and getting revenge.

It’s just a short film that will last about 30 to 40 minutes, so the plot doesn’t have to be complicated.

‘I said we should go for romance or horror.’

Personally, since romance was not my cup of tea, I thought horror would be more fitting. If it’s horror, you can just come up with a ghost story or something and have the protagonists experience it, right?

The script also seemed easier than I had thought.

Just as I was about to search for a novel involving a ghostly sorcerer that I had seen before for reference, a voice suddenly spoke from beside me.

“Oh?”

The voice that immediately stuck in my mind upon hearing it was not so much charming as it was unique.

When I glanced over, a woman with bleached blonde hair approached me and greeted me first.

“You’re Kim Woojin, right?”

“Yes.”

What was her name again?

I remember she was a friend of Seo Yerin.

She sent me a message out of the blue during the incident at the karaoke room, complaining that I was boring.

“Hold on.”

I tried to check the message to find her name, but then I realized I couldn’t leave the chat room to look for it.

Of course, I didn’t add her as a friend.

“Ah, I don’t know. Just tell me your name.”

“Sure.”

Yu Arin glared at me disapprovingly and irritably, saying my name.

The cool guy sitting behind her at that time, the part-time worker at the PC room, answered instead.

“It’s Yu Arin. You’re in the same first year of English Literature, right?”

“Yes, I’m Kim Woojin. And you?”

“I’m Jung Chanwoo. I’m also a student at Gaehyeon University. I’m majoring in Architecture.”

Architecture?

It’s not that it doesn’t suit him, but he could be an entertainer too. He gives off an actor vibe with his good atmosphere.

Jung Chanwoo was a famous part-time worker at the PC room, and as girls started coming to the PC room to see him, naturally, the boys started flocking here as well.

I’ve heard people gossip countless times about the handsome guy at Zero PC room.

“We’ve been friends since we were kids. Take care of her.”

“What are you saying? Are you her dad?”

Ignoring Jung Chanwoo’s remark, Yu Arin plops down in the seat next to me.

“Give me ramen.”

“Jajang instant noodles?”

“Ugh!”

Jung Chan-woo immediately went to boil water, irritated by Yu Arin’s tantrum-like grumbling.

Even though I wondered why I was being obedient to a child like this, I realized that it wasn’t my concern and tried to focus on rewriting the script.

“What are you doing?”

Yu Arin impatiently raised her head, as if waiting for the ramen. Even though the computer was already turned on, she didn’t do anything in particular.

“Do whatever you want.”

Not in a good mood, I replied curtly, and Yu Arin shook her head.

“I’m not playing games. Jun Chan-woo said he’d give me free food and time at the PC cafe, so I came here because I was bored.”

Ah, I lost.

I could clearly see that she was constantly pestering me from the side.

I thought about changing seats, but Yu Arin quickly grabbed my clothes and sat me back down.

“You’re Yerin’s friend, right? Then I’m your friend too, aren’t I?”

“Uh, no.”

“You seemed interesting, but you’re actually boring.”

“You seemed rude, but you’re even more rude than I thought.”

Without saying a word, we glared at each other. Yu Arin didn’t seem like the type to back down either.

“But what are you doing?”

She looked puzzled when she saw the Korean window on my computer screen.

“Sigh.”

If I didn’t explain, she would probably bother me until the end, so I briefly explained the current situation.

“What?! You’re writing a script? That sounds so fun. You said it’s for a 40-minute short film, right? Wow! I wish I could take that course too!”

“….”

From Noble mtl dot com

“I really love movies, you know? I even enjoy writing scripts. Wait and see, I’ll come up with something amazing.”

“No, there’s no need for your help…”

She immediately pushed my chair aside and leaned her upper body forward to start searching for various materials.

I wondered why she insisted on using my computer when she could just use her own.

At that moment, Jeong Chanwoo brought me a bowl of ramen. It felt like it was mine as well.

“Here’s a service.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Without even looking at why Jeong Chanwoo came in, Yu Arin continued to tap on something on my computer.

Jeong Chanwoo’s gaze briefly glanced over at me, but he immediately turned his body back and returned to his seat.

“Something feels uncomfortable.”

I felt a strange tension in our relationship, which made my heart uneasy.

“Even if it becomes horror, the content is important. It’s a short film assignment, right? Then it must have a sad ending.”

“What?”

What is he saying?

He moved back again after my response, leaning against the back of the chair and crossing his legs, like a detective explaining a deduction.

“It’s a short film, right? Ultimately, it means a short running time. So, instead of focusing on the supporting characters, the key is to immerse the audience in the protagonist.”

“I understand that, but why does it have to be a sad ending?”

“Oh, just shut up and listen. I’m explaining.”

“….”

“After all, there won’t be a sequel, and you’re not getting paid by the viewers. The main objective is to make the viewers fully engage with the character and leave an impression.”

“….”

“Because it’s an assignment. The important thing is what remains in the memory. If it can evoke emotions and leave an impression, even if it starts with sadness, ultimately it will leave a good score for the assignment.”

Because it’s an assignment.

What remains in memory is important.

“Not an unsatisfying sad ending, but a cathartic sad ending. It makes you feel regretful, but at the same time, makes you understand that it couldn’t have been any other way.”

Sizzle.

Yu Arin confidently smiles.

“At that moment, the emotion of sadness is mistaken for being moved.”

“Oh…”

“Then you can leave a deep impression on the professor as well.”

Without realizing it, I almost applauded.

Because it actually seemed possible.

“So just trust me, sister. I’ll make sure your screenplay gets chosen, and then…”

This time again.

He started pounding the keyboard with a mischievous smile.

“They’ll shut up once they see this.”

He glanced at me, then grabbed the cup of ramen that was served as a service.

“…I’ve been thinking since I sent that text last time.”

“Yeah?”

“You seem to have a dirty personality.”

It was difficult to explain why he was complaining about others skipping group assignments when it wasn’t even his assignment to begin with, other than saying he had a bad personality.

In response to my words, he glared at me with a childish look.

“Don’t eat the ramen. It’s a service given by my friend, don’t eat it.”

Hooroop.

“Umai!”

“Chanwoo! Add one ramen to order number 21!”

Hooroop.

“Umai!”