Bamboo Forest Manager - Chapter 316



The Reckless

The mansion itself was far more appealing than our family home.

From the tiles that evoked a hanok village to the various elements that exuded a distinctly Korean atmosphere, it was quite impressive.

Personally, I found this ambiance rather delightful.

Yet, conversely, there were aspects that felt somewhat uncomfortable or inefficient in a modern sense, as if they revealed the conservative nature of the homeowner.

To put it nicely, it was tradition; to put it bluntly, it was a failure to keep up with the times.

“Well, good things are good things, right?”

But locking the front gate with a bolt seemed truly excessive.

This isn’t some historical museum; it’s a place where people live, after all.

“There are a lot of bodyguards.”

My senior, who was closely beside me, surveyed the surroundings with a tense expression.

It was as if the lack of facilities was compensated for by the sheer number of people.

Those individuals were the mansion’s door locks and chain links.

Leading the way was Chairman Choi Gil-seob, the father of Choi Jin-ah.

Right behind him followed Choi Jin-ah.

I had no idea what the two had discussed on the way from the airport, but their expressions didn’t seem particularly cheerful.

“Did they fight, or was it more of a one-sided scolding?”

Judging by the way she hung her head, it was likely the latter.

As we stepped inside, we headed toward the living room. Upon entering, I felt a strange sensation; the furniture was either state-of-the-art or from renowned brands, which struck me as odd.

“What is this?”

It felt somewhat mismatched, as if the exterior promised wooden furnishings, yet the interior resembled a penthouse.

Rather than a harmonious blend, it felt more like oil and water, failing to mix properly.

“I thought I had entered a different house.”

“Right? I was a bit surprised too.”

Decorating a home is the homeowner’s prerogative, but this felt almost bizarre.

As I passed through the door, it felt as if I had stepped into another realm.

The place we headed to was a spacious table in the living room.

Seated naturally at the head was Chairman Choi Gil-seob, with Choi Jin-ah beside him.

I took my place directly across from Chairman Choi, while my senior stood behind me.

Even if we felt at ease with one another, this was still a public setting, after all.

“When are you and Jin-ah going to hold the wedding?”

Before the tea had even been served, the main topic was thrust forward.

In fact, this was the first thing he said to me since he hadn’t even greeted me at the airport.

“Ah, Father!”

Choi Jin-ah gasped in surprise, her flustered demeanor quickly silenced by the sharp glint in his eyes.

“First, may I express my apologies? I committed a grave offense last time.”

Miss Jin-ah barely managed to suppress her urge to retort, “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I thought it was my phone at the time. I heard you were quite shocked by it—”

“That’s enough.”

He raised his hand, cutting me off.

The very flow of the conversation being led by me seemed to displease him.

“When are you going to hold the wedding? We need to decide that.”

I stole a glance at Jin-ah, who was already deflated, unable to speak properly in front of her father.

‘Of course.’

Jin-ah had claimed she was resisting her father in her own way, but the truth was, she hadn’t faced him since that day.

This was the first time she had seen him since the reunion.

It must feel as if everything she thought she had overcome was being invalidated in an instant.

It was painful to witness her slipping deeper into panic, but that was something no one could reach out and pull her from.

‘If you stay quiet, I’ll find my way out of this.’

I’m sorry, but I have no intention of marrying Jin-ah.

Continuing the engagement publicly was merely the least my father could do for her.

“We don’t know each other well yet. Therefore, I think it’s a bit early to hold the wedding.”

“Don’t know each other well?”

“Yet, while Miss Jin-ah has made a name for herself as a world-renowned violinist, I am but an ordinary university student.”

“Not just any ordinary student. No one in Korea would dare call the youngest son of the Cosmic Group ordinary.”

“That would be my father. As you know, I have little interest in the company or its management.”

Chairman Choi Gil-seob’s thick eyebrows twitched, a clear sign of his displeasure.

He truly excels at conveying his discomfort in myriad ways.

No wonder even his daughter must tread carefully.

“I wish to marry Jin-ah off soon. If possible, right away.”

“Does Miss Jin-ah feel the same?”

This is not a conversation meant solely for me and Chairman Choi.

I signal for her to join in, and with a creak, Choi Jin-ah lifts her head.

‘Tsk.’

Her eyes are already deadened.

She seems devoid of any will to resist.

“I… I will do as you say, Father.”

People often dramatize their own transformations with exaggerated hopes.

From now on, things will be different.

I have changed from who I was before.

I am not the person I was yesterday, and so on.

Yet, amusingly, such declarations often fizzle out like a fleeting flame.

Just like Choi Jin-ah, who claims to have changed while still running away from Chairman Choi.

“Miss Jin-ah is a violinist, is she not? Once married, it will be difficult for her to pursue that path.”

When I ask if it wouldn’t be a significant loss for the industry if a talented young violinist were to quit, he replies, “That’s precisely why I want her to marry.”

In fact, Chairman Choi seems rather displeased with the idea of Choi Jin-ah playing the violin.

“As Jin-ah’s name grows, doesn’t it signal a bright future for the company? Surely there are those who would see it positively?”

“If Jin-ah were not the heir, perhaps that would be the case.”

Choi Jin-ah is an only child.

Ultimately, it is she who will inherit, and thus, he hopes for her to grow into a professional manager rather than merely receiving accolades for her violin performances.

He intends to sever her ties to the violin through marriage.

‘What is this?’

I cannot quite discern whether Choi Jin-ah’s father likes me or despises me.

No, it seems clear he dislikes me.

Yet, he does not hesitate to push for marriage.

Even if the thought of accepting a son-in-law like me must be utterly distasteful, there’s a glimmer of willingness to accept it.

“Last time, Choi Jin-ah said it was just a political marriage, so it didn’t really matter to her.”

That was before our trip to Hawaii.

But looking back now, it doesn’t seem that way.

“What is the truth?”

Even if Choi Jin-ah lied to ease the burden on me, there are many aspects of Chairman Choi Gil-seob’s behavior that baffle me.

He seems to dislike me yet wishes to marry me off quickly.

He appears to cherish Choi Jin-ah, yet it also seems he cares not a whit for her.

“Is there no way out?”

In times like this, facing it head-on is the best course.

With a senior present, I can afford to be a bit more aggressive.

I glance back; my senior gestures with a look that asks if there’s a problem.

With a satisfied smile, I turn my gaze back to the duplicitous old man before me.

“Do you truly wish to marry me to Jin-ah?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It seems to me you don’t particularly like me. I have a knack for sensing these things.”

There should be more than one person who dislikes me.

I’ve become quite adept at reading the room in this regard.

Chairman Choi Gil-seob takes a moment to sip his tea. He has words to say, but it seems he’s refining them as if sharpening a blade.

“I don’t like you.”

“Right?”

“However, I do think you are necessary.”

Emotionally, it’s unpleasant, but rationally, I am deemed necessary?

“I’ve heard why you withdrew from the power struggle.”

“…….”

“Originally, the chairman of the Universe Group hoped to pass the reins to you.”

“That’s just a rumor.”

“Let us not engage in pointless bickering.”

At first, I thought he was probing, but judging by his demeanor, it seemed he had received this information from a reliable source.

“I truly do not like you, but I cannot deny the insight of the chairman of the Cosmic Group.”

“So, you need me? Conversely, if I were to become your husband, wouldn’t that mean I’m merely serving the company on a silver platter?”

“My daughter is not so naive.”

So, does that mean I’m to be a mere advisor on the side?

Zhuge Liang beside Liu Bei, Zhang Liang beside Liu Bang.

Is that what this is?

A thrill coursed through me.

As if I had become someone significant.

‘Well, I get the general idea.’

I could sense the way Chairman Choi looked at me.

Regardless, I truly disliked the intrusion into my private life, yet he deemed me a necessary talent for the company.

Just a sophomore in college, and yet I was receiving such an extravagant evaluation.

But still, I felt a certain ambiguity regarding Choi Jin-ah.

There she stood, her eyes lifeless, staring blankly.

‘Oh dear, she’s really going to remain silent until this conversation ends.’

I wondered where the bold woman who had recently challenged me had gone.

I understood the intimidation of a father figure; I had experienced something similar.

But discussing marriage, one of the most significant matters in her life—was this truly appropriate?

‘Let’s see if she can hold her ground until the end.’

With a growing sense of defiance, I replied with a smile.

“Well, if that’s the case, I will reconsider marriage positively. However, there is one aspect that I find somewhat unsatisfactory.”

“What is it?”

“Ah, well.”

How should I phrase this delicately?

“Jin-ah cannot have s*x.”

In that moment.

It felt as if time itself had come to a halt.

From noble mtl dot com

Starting with Chairman Choi, then Choi Jin-ah beside him, and the bodyguards scattered around us.

Especially, Choi Jin-ah’s dead eyes slowly regained a flicker of life.

“Ne-eht?!”

Startled, she shot up from her seat.

What on earth does that mean? Choi Jin-ah stood there, mouth agape in confusion.

But I didn’t give her a chance to speak and continued to pour out my words.

“Shall I call her a block of wood? She doesn’t seem to know how to take initiative at all. Anyone would think I forced myself on her, ha ha!”

“……”

“Did I speak too bluntly? But isn’t s*x a significant issue in a marriage? Especially for a robust man like me.”

“……”

“At least until she curls up, I’d want to do it every day, you know? But with a woman as wooden as her, I might as well just watch porn and take care of myself.”

“You are… more frivolous than I expected.”

“Ha ha! I’d appreciate it if you called me free-spirited!”

“Ah, no! Father, that’s not—!”

“Be quiet!”

At Choi Gil-seob’s sharp command, Choi Jin-ah faltered, mouth still open. Seeing her look as if she might burst from indignation finally brought some life back to her.

I signaled with my finger to call over Senior Joo-hee.

I leaned in and whispered softly into her ear.

“If those bodyguards come charging in, please keep an eye out.”

“Can you handle this?”

“I’m sorry, but we haven’t even started yet.”

“…Are you serious?”

“Our chairman, we need to see just how different he is from front to back today.”

“Phew.”

With a deep sigh, Senior Joo-hee glanced over the bodyguards with a discerning eye and replied succinctly.

“Do as you wish.”

A response that assured her of the numbers she could handle.

“Ah, I’ve picked a splendid bodyguard, you know.”

I liked that.

Returning to the conversation.

Chairman Choi Gil-seob once again composed his expression. His gaze held an unparalleled animosity, yet…

“Marital troubles will resolve themselves with time.”

The answer I offered was oddly friendly toward me.

“Oh, of course.”

I struck the table with a hearty thud, flashing a grin.

“This time, I found a way in Hawaii as well.”

“…A way?”

My eyes met with Choi Jin-ah’s.

Her gaze was strikingly intense, as if she wished to beat me to death.

“Yes, it was so dreadful being with Jin-ah that I called another woman instead, haha!”

Crack!

I thought I heard teeth shatter.

I almost asked if she needed to visit a dentist, but—

“Ah, you really are quite reckless.”

“He is the son-in-law my father has chosen. After I marry, I will take good care of Jin-ah.”

I licked my lips in a manner that felt oddly sly, trying to respond as cunningly as I could.

“Marriage… might require a bit of thought.”

Chairman Choi Gil-seob’s eyes were ablaze.

To him, I posed the question.

“Why? I know this sounds a bit odd, but I am a talent recognized even by my father. He still wishes for me to be his successor.”

“…”

“I’m saying I want to marry, you know? I will grow the company together with Jin-ah.”

In many ways, Chairman Choi Gil-seob is a dual-natured figure.

His actions reflect this.

His words do too.

Even this house, it is different inside than it appears outside.

To call him indecisive would be an understatement, given the height he has reached.

I decided to frame it as ambition instead.

“Please give Jin-ah to me. You need not worry about the company.”

I slowly made my way toward Chairman Choi Gil-seob.

The bodyguards around us surged forward simultaneously, but Senior Joohui stood behind, delivering a silent warning.

Standing before Choi Gil-seob, I finally felt I was in a position to ask him the question that had been gnawing at me.

“What on earth is this?”

What is your true intention?

“Do you want to give Jin-ah to me, or do you not?”

At my words, the corners of Chairman Choi’s eyes trembled.

Was I the first to shake the core of a man who had always been a lone wolf?

He seemed somewhat flustered, yet ultimately—

“Let’s… forget about the marriage.”

He chose something from the turmoil within himself.

‘In the end, is Jin-ah what truly matters to him?’

It was vague, but for now, it appeared he had chosen Jin-ah over the company’s affairs.

‘Should I consider that he has, at least in the end, become a father?’

Hearing that he had collapsed from shock, I had entertained the possibility of a change in his heart.

It seemed that my intuition had hit the mark, and for that, I felt a strange relief.

“Hmm, it’s very unfortunate, but if that’s the case—”

“Wait a moment!”

In the midst of what seemed to be a conclusion, Jin-ah, who had been silent until now, interjected.

I wondered what she could possibly say, having never managed to overcome her father until this point.

Suddenly!

She wrapped her arms around mine.

“I will!”

With her eyes tightly shut, she declared.

“I’m going to marry this man!”

In that instant, Chairman Choi’s expression of utter disbelief made me feel almost guilty.

—