Bamboo Forest Manager - Chapter 311



The Night is Winding Down

“Uwahahn.”

An evening in Hawaii.

Tonight, we’re eating at a steakhouse outside, and Seoyeon’s signature bright laughter keeps ringing in my ears.

“Uheung.”

Even while slicing the steak, she’s laughing. It doesn’t seem like she’s just enjoying the taste.

“I really can’t understand Seoyeon anymore.”

“She used to be just an ordinary girl.”

Even as Yuarin and Choi Iseo, sitting at the same table, chimed in, Seoyeon’s laughter didn’t cease.

“What’s going on, what did you do, that you’re acting like that? What kind of play are you playing?”

Yoo-ah-rin, sitting next to him, shook his side with her elbow.

“What kind of play? I just existed.”

“You’re just pretending. You’re not going to leave me alone, are you? What did you do to make you like that?”

“I don’t know.”

From noble mtl dot com

Cheo-i-seo put a stake in his mouth, his eyes filled with distrust and discontent.

“I’ll love you, love you, love you. I’ll repeat it like a recording.”

“…Are you guys doing that too?”

“Ugh!”

Suddenly, Yoo-ah-rin turned her attention to Cheo-i-seo.

“You’re not a fool.”

When she was with Cheo-i-seo, she had said she loved him, and he had responded warmly, so she had kept talking. But when she thought about doing the same thing with someone else, she felt empty and unsatisfied.

However, it was only natural that the three of them had different boundaries, and their s*x was bound to be different.

“Wow, Cheo-i-seo. You’re doing it like that? You’re holding me tight and whispering in my ear, and then pretending to be injured? That’s deadly!”

“…No.”

“No way! What’s wrong with you! You’re just doing the same thing you did with me, and you’re acting like a fool!”

Yoo-ah-rin’s voice was growing louder, and she was about to intervene.

“Cheo-i-seo! I’ll play a different game with each of you!”

“Son of a b*tch, you’re bragging!”

“Ah, I’m getting dirtier.”

Hmm.

Each person’s s*x had its own special charm, and that was a good thing.

But Yoo-ah-rin was a bit annoyed because she had seen Cheo-i-seo’s play.

“Hey, why do you have to pretend to be sweet with Cheo-i-seo while I’m just stuck here?”

“Eat some meat. It’s already cooked.”

“You’re being discriminatory. Why do you have to release your perverted desires to me, and your pure love to Cheo-i-seo?”

“Ah, that’s just your taste, Yoo-ah-rin.”

“Taste? Sit down and you’ll see your butt is still sore. I want to be intimate like a couple too.”

“I did it last time, but it was too embarrassing, so stop acting like a fool.”

“…Was it so?”

“Ugh, this girl is throwing a fit to get hit. Come on, be honest, you’re just trying to get scolded when you’re being all twitchy during… you know.”

Yuarin speared her steak with a fork and brought it to her mouth.

Watching her refuse to answer made a laugh escape me. Sometimes, when she tucks her tail between her legs, it’s just too cute.

Though it’s a rare occurrence, which is the problem.

“Hehe.”

At that moment, a laugh from Seoyeon echoed from across the table.

“Seriously, what’s up with her? What on earth did you do to her?”

“Yerin, did you eat something bad or what?”

Yuarin and Choi Iseo, who were about to move on, couldn’t contain their curiosity.

I too was puzzled about why Seoyeon was acting this way, so I looked over.

Seoyeon grinned and replied, “Today was Daeyerin’s special day!”

“What are you talking about?”

“…Huh?”

Seoyeon clicked her tongue as if to say, how could you not understand this? But honestly, even I, who had spent time with them, couldn’t grasp what she meant.

Setting down her fork and knife, she continued her explanation.

“Everyone sought the pleasures of the flesh, but I gave Ujini a mental peace. In the original anime, that’s what this character is supposed to do.”

“…”

“…”

The two glanced at me sideways.

With a nod, I confirmed their suspicion that I really hadn’t done anything today.

“I really just slept and played some games instead of watching a movie. That’s all.”

Thanks to that, my fatigue had completely melted away.

“See? While the other two were in a physical frenzy, I was the one who relaxed my mind. It wasn’t just a light time; it was a time spent with the heart.”

Well, it wasn’t entirely wrong.

Usually, in anime, characters like that often come in last but end up being the strongest, overtaking everyone to win.

‘But to hear Seoyeon say that…’

As if they shared my thoughts, the other two jumped in immediately.

“What’s the most lewd girl talking about?”

“Yerin, that’s not something you should say, especially not after spending so much time in your own skin.”

It was especially unfair for Choi Iseo. She was usually the one who took care of my mental state.

“Ha! The common folk. Always surrounded by slander and threats when it comes to the noble.”

She seemed to have already reached her conclusion in her mind, not even pretending to listen.

“The ability to heal not with the body, but with the heart, that is the true majesty of the noble. Ah, I’m sorry, everyone. I’ve been too knowledgeable about love. I pushed too far ahead, didn’t I?”

“…….”

“…….”

“It’s fine. When the cheetah runs, those who ran before become mere spectators. It’s not your fault; it’s just the natural order of things.”

Yua-rin raised her hand in annoyance and began to eat her steak.

Choi Iseo looked at me, as if urging me to do something.

“Um.”

I had thoughts swirling in my head.

Could I really say this?

“Yerin?”

When I called her softly, Seo Yerin shook her head.

“Call me ‘Noble Lady.’”

What is wrong with her?

I knew she felt proud for spending time differently today, but still.

“No, let’s just eat.”

I hesitated, fearing I might hurt her feelings, but Yua-rin gestured for me to speak.

“Hey, just say it. Whatever it is, make that noble girl snap out of it.”

“It’s ‘Noble Lady,’ Yua-rin.”

“Sorry, I thought you were in the restroom.”

“Indeed, the noble is surrounded by slander and persecution.”

What kind of conversation is this?

“Then Ujina, you tell me. Was it the simple pleasure of the flesh that you enjoyed, or the rich time we spent together, connected in spirit and heart?”

Huh.

I felt like if I kept going, Yua-rin and Choi Iseo might start questioning me, so I finally spoke up.

“Honestly, the best part was Yua-rin.”

“What?”

“Puhuh!”

“…….”

Seoyeon looks at me with a blank expression, while Yuarin spits out the steak she was eating, and Choi Iseo furrows her brow as if to ask what the noise was.

“Well, Yuarin had a senior with her, after all.”

“W-Woojin?”

“Next is Iseo. Um… seeing you completely out of it was kind of nice.”

A torrent of disdainful glances rains down upon me.

Didn’t they ask me to sort things out for them?

“The last was Yeorin. It’s not that I disliked it. More like… a ticklish feeling?”

I’m a proper man, you know.

From the point I somewhat recovered, I barely managed to hold back the urge to burst.

“Haah, Woojin. How many times do I have to say this? Sometimes you’re really great, but other times, you’re just unbearable.”

Choi Iseo tries to lecture me, pressing her forehead, but Yuarin quickly comes to my defense.

“Hey! Don’t talk to my husband like that, you concubine.”

“C-Concubine?!”

“Isn’t it? You said the best was the main wife. Then damn it, I’m the main wife.”

I correct her, sensing some confusion.

“Arin, if we’re being technical, you’re the ‘main.’ Senior Juhui is the ‘wife.’ There were two of you, remember?”

“This damn guy always has to ruin it at the end! Always at the end!”

Yuarin’s fist lands squarely in my abdomen. I’m stuck in the inner seat, unable to escape, and I start getting pounded in the corner.

“Ah! Aah! I’m sorry! I was just saying it! It was a joke!”

After being unilaterally beaten in the restaurant, when we returned to our meal, Yuarin sneers at the slumped Seoyeon.

“Hey, self-proclaimed main wife.”

“I’m not the main wife! I’m the bathroom! The exclusive bathroom for Woojin!”

“Yeorin…”

“Just look at the level of how quickly you turned into a urinal.”

The conversation is truly…

* * *

“Arin, if we’re being technical, you’re the ‘main.’ Senior Juhui is the ‘wife.’ There were two of you, remember?”

“Phew!”

The steakhouse was not occupied by just four people.

At the table right behind them.

There were also Minjuhee, Oyunji, and Choi Jina, who had come together but ended up sitting separately due to the cramped space.

At the sound of Kim Woojin’s voice from behind, Minjuhee inadvertently spat out her drink.

“…It tastes like soda.”

Choi Jina, seated across from her, sniffled as she tasted the drink that had splashed onto her face.

“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!”

“I’ll go wash my face.”

Choi Jina stood up and headed to the restroom.

As Minjuhee dabbed at her mouth with a tissue, Oyunji leaned in, resting her chin on her hand.

“Must be nice.”

“Ah, no. What’s nice about it?”

“It was nice, wasn’t it? I know it was. It must have been.”

“……”

If it hadn’t been nice, that would be a lie.

The sensation of a man’s embrace and the pleasure it brought was shockingly unforgettable.

“Ha, I thought I’d be the one to do it.”

“Oyunji?”

“No, but think about it. Isn’t an ex-girlfriend better than a senior?”

“……I’m a bodyguard, you know. I’ll just think of it as part of the job.”

“Do you know how much more suggestive that sounds, senior?”

I wondered what was so suggestive, but Oyunji wore a knowing smile.

“It sounds like you’re saying you could do it again for work.”

Minjuhee, startled, nearly choked on her steak, her heart pounding in her chest.

Just then, Choi Jina returned.

“…You shouldn’t spit out the steak.”

As she threatened with a playful scowl, Minjuhee forced herself to swallow and took a deep breath.

“Alright, let’s stop talking about this.”

With a click of her tongue in disappointment, Oyunji raised her glass.

“It’s a shame. Our time in Hawaii is almost up. When we go back, we’ll see each other as seniors and juniors at the university, right?”

Yes, the end of our Hawaiian adventure was drawing near.

The mission had been a complete failure, but still, good memories had been forged, so I raised my glass.

“Was I the only one who found this trip the worst?”

With a hint of reluctance, Choi Jin-ah clinked her glass against mine. The three of us drank our wine just like that.

Hawaii was also nearing its conclusion.