Bamboo Forest Manager - Chapter 317



Terror of Unwanted Images

In life, there are times when you find yourself driving a nail, even when you wish not to.

Not in a crude sense, but rather, when you drive a nail into your parents’ hearts.

In that sense, Jin-ah could be said to have driven a massive spike into her father’s heart.

“I will marry this person!”

The shocking declaration was something no one present could have anticipated.

Not even I, the one who was to be wed.

“Eh?”

I let out a breath, bewildered by the situation.

Chairman Choi Gil-seob’s expression was perfectly defined by the word despair.

For the first time in his life, he had made a monumental choice—not for his company, but for his daughter.

I felt a strange satisfaction, thinking that perhaps there was still some humanity left in Chairman Choi.

After all, he wasn’t the kind of father who would hand over his daughter to a reckless fool.

But then, Choi Jin-ah ruined it all in an instant.

“Jin-ah?”

Chairman Choi called his daughter with a trembling voice.

I wondered if he had ever called her like that before, his agitation palpable.

However, Choi Jin-ah seemed to have already lost her head, oblivious to her father’s state as she continued to spill her words.

“I like this person! He was my first love when I was young! For the sake of the company, I will marry him!”

‘No, what about my opinion…’

I had been silent until now, and suddenly I was thrust into the spotlight.

“Then, excuse me!”

Before I could even hear Chairman Choi’s response, Jin-ah dragged me outside.

“Are you crazy?”

As we passed through the large front door, I asked, and Jin-ah’s face was flushed, her anger palpable.

“It’s your fault! Why did you say something like that?! What was I supposed to do there?!”

“…”

“Didn’t you want me to step up? You were pressuring my father while keeping an eye on how I would react!”

That was true.

But I never expected her to take the lead after everything.

“I don’t know! My head is so hot I feel like my brain is melting! I just wanted to deny whatever my father said! It felt like this was the only chance I had!”

If we were to get married, she would have said she didn’t want to.

In short, it meant that she was simply reacting emotionally, opposing Chairman Choi out of sheer dislike.

‘Should I look at this positively?’

As I walked along the stone path of the garden, lost in thought,

the bodyguards followed closely behind,

gesturing towards us before suddenly breaking into a run.

“Looks like they were told to catch us!”

Flustered, Choi Jin-ah dashed outside with even more urgency.

Yet, as we sprinted at full speed,

Senior Joo-hee effortlessly passed us by,

her voice low and steady.

“Shall we break through?”

“Yes!”

That was all it took.

She lunged forward,

subduing the guards stationed at the gate,

and with a swift motion,

she threw open the archaic latch,

granting us passage.

Before we even reached the gate,

I found myself gaping at the swift turn of events.

‘Truly impressive.’

At this rate, shouldn’t she be pursuing a career in sports instead?

She was no mere talent destined to end as a bodyguard.

Regardless, we had made it outside,

but the crucial issue remained: there was no car.

With no means of transport, we had to run aimlessly,

but the distance to the city was considerable.

What should we do?

Across the street, a black sedan stood parked.

The driver’s window rolled down,

and the head of the security team, whom I had seen at the café, gestured.

“This way!”

“Let’s go right away.”

The senior held the door open,

and her tone shifted to one of respect,

now that the team leader was present.

“Did you call for me, Senior?”

“Yes, I thought it wise to reach out while on my way here.”

“You’re the best, Senior.”

She responded with a gentle smile,

and just as Jin-ah was about to get into the car behind me,

she exclaimed,

“W-wait, it won’t come back!”

I shouted towards my family home.

* * *

“Ah, I’m so tired.”

In the end, I had returned to my family home.

After showering off the sweat I had shed while fleeing, I stepped into the living room to find my mother, my younger brother, and my sister-in-law gathered together.

If it were up to me, I would have wanted to sleep right away due to the time difference.

But it seemed like the situation needed some sorting out, so sleep was not an option.

By the way, I had sent Juhui home after work.

She said I could stay and sleep here if I was tired, but she felt more at ease sleeping in her own home.

“Did you go to Hawaii and not bring back a single souvenir? Is that a sign of poor upbringing?”

My mother sat on the sofa, reflecting on her own parenting.

“Everything they have there is here too. What’s there to bring back?”

“There’s something called thoughtfulness, you know.”

“Thoughtfulness, my foot. And I had my suitcase taken from me. They said they’d hold onto my things, but I had to run away without retrieving it.”

It should be in their car.

“Just tell them to hand it over. Otherwise, I’ll file a complaint.”

I sat on the sofa, glancing at the fruit laid out before me. Normally, it would just be an apple, but here, there were kiwis, strawberries, and even melons.

I speared a kiwi with a fork, feeling the weight of their gazes upon me.

It was my younger brother and sister-in-law.

“What happened? Wasn’t Jina supposed to be going back now?”

“Well, it’s nice having her around, but she doesn’t look too happy.”

I almost suggested they ask her directly, but then I recalled the words I had spoken in front of Chairman Choi Gyeol-seob.

“Ahem, let me explain briefly.”

Worried I might say something unnecessary, I kept it short, just as Choi Jina emerged from the bathroom.

“This house’s bathroom is the best, I think.”

Because of Jina, I had just showered in the restroom.

“Jina, make yourself at home here!”

“Oh, you’ve been through a lot!”

“With three sons, it only smelled of night flowers, but now the house will finally have a fresh scent.”

What did I just hear?

Anyway.

The family, having gleaned a rough understanding of Choi Jin-ah’s circumstances, welcomed her back once more.

Since she had been living here all along, it seemed she could stay until she felt ready to leave.

“Come here for a moment.”

They called for Choi Jin-ah separately.

By the window overlooking the garden, she stood, sunlight pooling at her feet.

“For now, stay here as long as you wish. You don’t need to explain the situation in detail.”

“…Yes.”

“Still, I believe you’ve come to understand that merely staying put won’t solve your problems.”

“Of course. I’m fully aware of that.”

“You know that Chairman Choi Gil-seob tried to be a father to you until the very end, right?”

“…”

Choi Jin-ah pressed her lips tightly together.

Her mind seemed tangled in many directions.

“Anyway, this means that change in your relationships is possible. The choice is yours.”

“I’ve thought about why I rejected my father’s words at the end while washing up.”

Her voice was faint, like a weak sigh.

Yet, amidst the tremors, she stood firm in her opinion.

“You’re still the same.”

“Still the same?”

“It’s about my marriage. In the end, you never once asked for my opinion.”

“…”

“You made your decisions under the guise of caring for me until the very last moment. If I had stayed there, it would have likely been the same moving forward.”

This time, under the pretense of caring for Choi Jin-ah rather than the company, they would have continued their coercive ways, not much different from before.

“Hmm.”

Perhaps it was because they were father and daughter.

She had touched upon aspects I had not perceived.

This meant Choi Jin-ah knew Chairman Choi Gil-seob well.

“It seems you’re thinking things through on your own. I’ll be leaving tomorrow anyway, you know? I need to prepare for the semester now.”

“Ah.”

“Should you need assistance, do not call for me. Handle it on your own.”

A light tap on the shoulder was all I could offer.

As I smiled and brushed past her to return to my room, she called out.

“Will you tell my family exactly what you said to my father?”

“…Are you threatening me?”

“We’re already in the same boat, aren’t we?”

Look at her, so brazen now.

“I clearly stated I would step down, Captain.”

“But Woojin is the navigator. Where would you go?”

Moreover, Jina held one more card up her sleeve.

“Do your family know you’re dating three people at once?”

“…”

They don’t know.

They only sense my indecision between the three of them.

I hadn’t yet confessed my intention to truly pursue all three.

That was a conversation for later, when our bonds felt more certain.

“Is this how it’s going to be?”

“Who was it that cut ties first?”

A taut standoff.

But in the end, I was the only one who lost, so I sighed deeply and nodded.

“I’ll help if you need it. But I need some time too.”

“That’s enough for me. Just as long as I don’t feel like I’m fighting alone.”

Was she not truly in need of help, but rather seeking some reassurance?

Seeing it that way, it tugged at my heartstrings a bit.

“Let’s have a drink before I head up. I noticed you enjoy soju from last time.”

“Soju with gopchang!”

“…Where did you learn about soju and gopchang?”

“Remember those sisters I met at the reunion? They insisted that soju must be paired with gopchang.”

Looks like she’s still keeping those connections alive.

“Alright then, let’s do that.”

I’m too tired, so I think I’ll sleep a bit.

* * *

A week has passed.

I have returned to the dorms of Gahyeon University, and since course registration just ended yesterday, I was lounging around, taking it easy.

This time, fortune smiled upon me, allowing me to snatch up the classes I wanted.

– Ahn Hyun-ho: Damn it.

Of course, not everyone was so lucky.

– Kim Woo-jin: Hahaha, is there really a fool who has to go to school every day in their second year, second semester?

From noble mtl dot com

– Kim Woo-jin: “Your enthusiasm for learning is commendable; it seems you have a talent for being a teaching assistant.” And just like that, he’s on the fast track to TA corruption.

– Kang Han-gang: Didn’t that guy say he has a four-hour gap in his schedule?

– Pyo Jin-ho: If it were me, I’d be heading to the military.

– Ahn Hyun-ho: I’m feeling the call of the military.

– Kang Han-gang: If you go, your girlfriend will break up with you right away.

– Pyo Jin-ho: We always welcome you, Hyun-ho. Let’s enlist together.

– Ahn Hyun-ho: Ah, I can’t enlist because of Gyu-a. She’s been acting a bit strange lately.

– Kim Woo-jin: Can’t she let go of her bad habits?

– Ahn Hyun-ho: Damn it.

– Pyo Jin-ho: But where did Chan-woo go?

– Kang Han-gang: Chan-woo is clearly off sleeping next to some girl.

I immediately upload a secretly saved photo to my profile picture.

Last time, the chaos caused by the group over my profile was just ignored.

But with this, at least the attention might shift back a bit.

– Kang Han-gang: Ah, damn it!

– Pyo Jin-ho: Wow, he really looks like shit.

The picture I posted is none other than Jeong Chan-woo’s “ahegao” meme.

– Ahn Hyun-ho: What the hell, why are you dragging me into this?

The unfortunate part is that Ahn Hyun-ho is also making an ahegao face right next to him.

They did it as a punishment after drinking together.

For the record, Han-gang and Jin-ho have their own version too.

– Ahn Hyun-ho: You think you’re the only one?

After that, Ahn Hyun-ho’s profile picture changes.

To a photo of me making an “ahegao” face.

“Did you save this?”

Even I think it looks like crap.

– Jeong Chan-woo: Kim Woo-jin, you b*stard.

Even Jeong Chan-woo, who had been lurking, joins in, and our profile pictures begin to spread like a contagion of each other’s grotesque images.

The English department group chat buzzed.

– Choi Yi-seo: English majors, please keep your messenger profile pictures within a reasonable range of normalcy.

– Choi Yi-seo: Let’s not share specific disgusting images that might offend others.

– Choi Yi-seo: I’ve received seven messages asking me to intervene before the semester starts.

– Yoo Ah-rin: You ugly b*stards, keep it together.

– Lee Hyun-ah: Yuka-Cola!

– Baek Seo-woo: Hahaha Hyun-ah, you’re not exactly a beauty either.

– Lee Hyun-ah: Ughhh.

– Han Hyo-rim: Please stop. I feel like I’m going to vomit. I have this weird compulsion to check whenever someone changes their profile picture.

“……”

But wasn’t it Choi Yi-seo who first set that grotesque photo as her profile picture?

It felt a bit awkward to bring it up in the group chat, so I decided to message Choi Yi-seo separately.

– Choi Yi-seo: This is too much. What are you all doing? Do you really play around like this?

– Choi Yi-seo: And the picture you used for your profile was cute.

Is that so?

Feeling a bit sheepish, I just replied with an “Okay.”

Whatever it is, it seems we did cause some trouble for others.

“Ugh, I’m exhausted.”

My eyes, glued to the phone, felt like they might pop out.

Since the suitcase that President Choi Gil-seob sent arrived after a week, I should probably sort that out.

‘Why did they send a suitcase inside a delivery box?’

Are they trying to claim they sent it safely or something?

It’s just a hassle to unwrap.

As I tore open the box, a mint-colored suitcase emerged.

—

“What is this?”

Choi Jin-ah’s mint-colored suitcase has mistakenly come to me.