Bamboo Forest Manager - Chapter 325



The Bald Uncle

Vroom!

A heavy fist cleaves the air.

Han Soo-cheol barely twists his body back to evade.

But the uncle’s punches do not cease there.

A flurry of blows follows.

Like a berserker from a game, the uncle does not stop, relentlessly throwing his fists.

No matter how you look at it, he does not appear to be a professional.

Is that why?

Han Soo-cheol, momentarily startled by the first strike, quickly regains his composure, adopting a boxing stance.

‘This can’t be dangerous, can it?’

The bald uncle had protected us from the thugs last time, so I had trusted him to call upon.

Surely, he wouldn’t lose, would he?

“Hey, shouldn’t we go help him?”

Ahn Hyun-ho, having steadied himself, approaches me with a question.

Even he seems to sense the tension in the air.

The atmosphere is one of a trained athlete facing off against a simple brute with immense strength.

From noble mtl dot com

I had thought to call Jeong Chan-woo for help, but—

‘That b*stard has run away.’

Whether out of fear from the blows or simply because of the uncle, he has vanished before I knew it.

I suspect it’s the latter.

In any case.

The uncle continues to swing his fists, yet Han Soo-cheol is evading with grace.

His breathing is steady, his waist bending lightly; I worry he might soon find the timing for a counterattack.

Just as the moment arrives, Han Soo-cheol dodges the uncle’s punch and counters with precision.

Whack!

The uncle’s outstretched hand snatches at the back of Han Soo-cheol’s neck, yanking him back.

Then, he lunges forward, narrowly avoiding the counter.

From my perspective as an ordinary person, I can hardly grasp what is unfolding.

In a dazzling display of movement, the uncle seems to overpower Han Soo-cheol, and before I know it…

He lay on the ground, caught in a joint lock.

“What the hell?”

With my mouth agape, I asked how the situation had spiraled into this chaos, but Ahn Hyun-ho was too stunned to respond.

Just moments ago, he had been like an excited wild boar, thrilled at the thought that the man he secretly loved was hurt.

Now, he had calmed down, effortlessly subduing the opponent.

“Was it all a ruse?”

Was this a high-level strategy to feign excitement and catch Han Soo-cheol off guard?

“Insane.”

It wasn’t the fight that left me in awe.

What terrified me was the thought of what would happen if someone like him set his sights on Chan-woo.

Running away was indeed a wise choice for that b*stard.

“I thought I was going to lose.”

As I approached, relieved, the older man gave a thumbs-up in response.

“If we resort to violence, strange rumors might spread. I had to think a bit to subdue him cleanly.”

“Even a bald man can think, huh?”

I couldn’t help but frown at Byun Jin-ho’s sudden outburst.

Anyway.

This is incredible.

Is this what it means to be an adult?

If he weren’t really gay, he could have been a role model.

To feign ignorance of fighting deliberately to catch someone off guard.

I should warn Chan-woo.

He could pretend to be harmless and suddenly drop his pants.

“Graaah! You b*stards!”

Shouting while subdued, what was the difference between me and the animals at the zoo?

“Hey, let’s take a picture.”

“Gym rat under a gay guy.”

“Three seconds before he gets devoured.”

They even started snapping photos as soon as they were released.

After all, that b*stard was a voyeur, so a few pictures wouldn’t be a problem, right?

—

“Is this it?”

I check the phone that the b*stard dropped during the fight. The reaction is clear enough, but I need to confirm it for myself.

Just as I thought.

The open chat room is active.

“Hmm? This guy isn’t just a member; he’s practically the ringleader.”

He goes by the nickname “Hardware Store.”

From what I see in the chat, he’s not just snapping photos; he’s coordinating things here and there as the main organizer.

He’s even been pocketing some cash.

“What a jackpot.”

The newly opened chat room is still buzzing with activity. If I hand this phone over to the police, they could cleanly catch him.

I check the phone’s gallery, and there are countless photos of women against a backdrop of Gahyeon-dae.

Should I be relieved? There are no separate photos of the three people, just a few of Gyu-a from the English department.

Since I handed that over as a quest, it seems he didn’t bother taking many himself.

For now, I don’t think I’ll lash out at him.

My face, already bruised, starts to throb. As the excitement fades, a long sigh escapes me, mingling with the pain.

* * *

– Anonymous176: Wow, look at his face. (photo)

↳ Anonymous14: ??? Who is this? He got beaten up pretty badly.

↳ Anonymous176 (author): Kim Woo-jin from the English department. Caught another peeping Tom. Apparently, he got beaten up while doing it.

↳ Anonymous331: The youngest of the universe? Isn’t he just a victim because of the company image?

↳ Anonymous425: The gallery is full of peeping photos. Turns out he’s the operator of the open chat room.

↳ Anonymous331: How do you know that? Those b*stards just say whatever they want.

↳ Anonymous11: You idiot. Praise the good deeds when they happen. Damn, it’s because of lunatics like this that the community is a mess.

↳ Anonymous331: 11, you foul-mouthed little punk. Why doesn’t the admin block him? He just curses all day in the community.

↳ Anonymous331: (User has been suspended)

↳ Anonymous11: Caught a ban and now you’re dead, idiot.

↳ Anonymous128: Kyaaa! The universe has taken over the community!

↳ Anonymous98: It seems wrong for the one who caught a criminal to be getting cursed at.

↳ Anonymous59 (Admin 1): He’s got no manners.

↳ Anonymous202: Admin 1 does the best work.

—

—

“Hey, 331 just sent me a message.”

Yu Ah-rin, who had put a stop to Anonymous 331.

It’s unusual to not just block him for a few days, but to completely silence him.

“Tell that b*stard to shut up. What a rude little punk.”

“Sigh.”

“His already ugly face got beaten to a pulp, and he’s still talking trash?”

“…I’m not joking, there’s no one besides you who calls me ugly.”

“Ugh, I’d rather be ugly.”

What a lament, I can’t quite grasp it.

Anyway, while Yu Ah-rin grumbled, the food arrived.

The police came after catching the culprit and reporting it. Seeing the police car, the reporters still lingering at school rushed over for interviews, which delayed everything a bit.

Thanks to that, the movie was out of the question, and we ended up here for cheesy dak-galbi.

The dak-galbi sizzles.

As the savory aroma of the seasoning wafts up, I reply to Anonymous 331.

– Anonymous 331: Is it true that 1 is blocking me on a whim?

– Anonymous 331: No matter how much they dislike what I say, shouldn’t they follow the rules?

‘Sigh.’

Is this kid really attending Gahyeon High?

I want to see his face just once.

– Admin: How can you just blurt out nonsense without any logic or evidence?

– Anonymous 331: No, I had my suspicions. Isn’t it strange that reporters just happened to show up right when he was getting roasted?

– Admin: I see.

– Anonymous 331: Ah, the admin actually gets it. Damn, that idiot 1 is blocking me just because he feels like it.

– Anonymous 331: Are rules just for show? Even in the bamboo forest, no matter how severe it gets, students only get blocked for about three days to gather information.

– Anonymous 331: So why the hell are they ignoring the rules and shutting me down based on their feelings?

– Admin: That’s a valid point.

There are rules in place, and if they’re not followed, order collapses.

Anonymous 331 isn’t entirely wrong, but—

– Admin: However, it’s also true that you’ve been cornering Kim Woo-jin without any evidence.

—

– Anonymous331: Can you not doubt it?

– Admin: If you insist without logic, even when you speak the truth later, it will sound just as stubborn.

– Admin: It seems you’re saying something right about the rules, but it only comes off as you being obstinate.

– Anonymous331: Damn it, am I wrong?

– Admin: It strangely feels like you are, haha.

– Admin: Ah, behave yourself a bit better.

– Anonymous331: You b*stard! Unblock me! I’ll screenshot this and post it on my friend’s account.

– Admin: Sure, sure.

“Hey, what are you doing? Are you really responding to that jerk?”

“Yeah, but it’s over now. I was a bit annoyed, so I just teased him.”

“Sigh, even in a college community, if there are people like that…”

With a sigh, Yuarin hands me some dongchimi.

My mouth feels a bit sore, but drinking something cold helps clear my insides a little.

“Eat this. Just go back to the dorm today.”

“What? Why?”

No, I’m already feeling the anger rising in my lower half at the thought of going to a hotel.

“Hey, your face is all swollen. Do you really want to go out like that? It hurts my heart just to see you. Let’s go and do some ice treatment together.”

“What’s with you, why are you copying Choi Iseo?”

“Damn it, you always have to ruin things at the end.”

But what can I do? It really does feel just like Choi Iseo.

Bzzz! Bzzz! Bzzz!

Just then, a call comes in from Choi Iseo.

“Hey, Iseo.”

– Are you okay?!

“You saw the news? Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just eating dakgalbi with Yuarin right now.”

– Sigh… Where’s the dakgalbi place? The news photo showed your face all swollen. Did you go to the hospital?

“I didn’t go to the hospital. I’m fine. Just put on some ointment. And here’s—”

I glance at Yuarin, gauging her reaction.

I wonder if I shouldn’t say it, but since I messed up today anyway, she gestures for me to just go ahead.

“Bongga Chuncheon Dakgalbi. Do you want to come?”

– I’m off.

“Okay, I’ll need to add one more serving.”

Yua-rin was already asking the owner for an extra portion.

I hung up the phone, but it rang again.

This time, I thought it might be Seo-ye-rin, and a smile crept onto my face.

– Big brother –

“Ah, damn it.”

I answered the call, irritation bubbling beneath the surface.

“Why.”

– I’m fine…….

“I’m fine, didn’t go to the hospital, put on some ointment, and I’m trying to eat dak-galbi, but you’re interrupting me right now.”

– …You have a knack for making those who worry about you feel like crap.

“I’m just exceptionally talented in many areas.”

– Anyway, thanks to you, our image is improving. It’s only natural since the owner’s family caught a criminal themselves.

“Some weird conspiracy theorists are out there, though?”

– Those types will always spout the same nonsense, no matter what happens.

Big brother is definitely sharp.

He’s grasped the essence of it all.

– Don’t touch other universities. Father is already stirring enough trouble.

“I was only planning to focus on Gahyeon University.”

– Right, surprisingly, Father…….

“Hmm?”

After a brief pause, big brother spoke in a calm voice.

– He’s been quite worried.

“…….”

– Don’t hate Father too much.

“I know.”

– You know?

“Yeah, I know.”

In the past, no matter what Father did, it would have just felt hateful.

—

Was it because we had acted similarly this time?

“Strangely, I think I understand my father.”

Oddly enough, my father didn’t seem entirely bad after all.

– Yes, that’s enough.

My older brother ended the call with a voice that carried relief.

“Hey, it’s done. Eat up.”

The dak-galbi was perfectly cooked.

My mouth was sore, so eating something like this was a bit of a challenge.

Yet, it was surprisingly delicious.