Bamboo Forest Manager - Chapter 331



Darkening

“…What did you just say?”

Senior Joo-hee, mouth agape as she was about to take a bite of her sandwich, froze and stared at me.

She must have heard me.

Yet, I felt compelled to repeat myself.

“Please teach me how to kill someone.”

“I don’t know that either, Woo-jin.”

“Please, just tell me. There are too many trash people in this world. Killing them would surely be a societal benefit.”

“I understand the group project is tough, but killing someone is still illegal.”

“I see.”

I sighed, cradling my face in my hands.

I can’t remember the last time I felt this much stress.

“Should we just blow this project up since the score is going to be low anyway?”

“A small difference can change the score. Everyone else is sprinting full speed, and you think you can just take a break and catch up?”

I know.

I know it well.

That’s why I’m here, seeking counsel like this.

“I’m really starting to admire you, senior.”

The grandeur you displayed while leading our group project as the captain was beyond words.

With charisma that could conquer the Han River, you drove away the second-year female seniors and flawlessly completed the assignment.

In the end, we received an A+, wrapping it all up with warmth.

“You can do it too. Just trust yourself and lead. You have more than enough ability.”

“We can only meet if we can meet.”

Three times, our plans fell apart.

It would have been better to just say we’d meet after class, and so we began a week behind everyone else.

“So, you’re going to the lecture today?”

“Yes, if I don’t see you again today, I’ll seriously ask to switch groups. I can’t take it anymore.”

“That is a bit much.”

I’m relieved that Juhui senior at least understands. She bought me coffee, and I carry it into the lecture hall.

Choi Iseo was surrounded by her group members, exuding an unmistakable air of elitism.

‘Why don’t I have any of that?’

The heart of Cao Cao gazing at Liu Bei.

But wait, didn’t Cao Cao have plenty of talent too?

Why is there no talent in our F group?

There are plenty of disasters.

Just a bunch of calamities.

Looking around the lecture hall, it seemed everyone was gathered in their groups. Other groups were actively discussing, fully engaged.

Usually, we don’t sit together until class starts, but everyone is impressive.

There must be about a hundred people in here, and they all look smart.

Is this the sacrifice of the few by the many?

Have I taken all the evils of this classroom, creating a world where everyone is happy?

‘Damn it, I want to be happy too.’

The silver lining is that being grouped together makes it easy to spot the scraps of F group.

“Hello. This is F group, right?”

As I greeted them, confusion flickered across their faces. It seemed they hadn’t realized they were all gathered here.

“Yes, I am Hwang In-woo from the Department of Architecture, third year.”

Hwang In-woo sprang to his feet, bowing. He was one half of a couple.

“I’m Heo Jeong-ah from the Department of Architecture, second year.”

The girl sitting next to him also introduced herself.

“…Department of Architecture?”

I recognized her face, even.

Both of them, in fact.

Hadn’t I gone looking for Jeong Chan-woo when I stumbled upon them? As I rummaged through my memories, it came rushing back.

‘Aren’t they the ones who cheated on Chan-woo?!’

I had barely managed to stop Yoo Ah-rin from going on a rampage against them back at the café.

It seemed they didn’t remember me. I had been quietly tucked away, overshadowed by Jeong Chan-woo and Yoo Ah-rin.

‘I heard they broke up.’

I had heard that Heo Jeong-ah still harbored feelings for Chan-woo, which led to her breakup with Hwang In-woo.

It appeared they had reconciled.

‘What a bunch of scum.’

Of course, Chan-woo had quickly moved on to another girlfriend just days later, so it didn’t seem to have hurt him much.

Still, my faith in the two of them, already shallow, had sunk even lower.

The other two caught my eye for various reasons.

Im Dong-kyu, who only spat out one-word answers.

The moment I saw him, a wave of dizziness washed over me, for he was adorned with merchandise featuring an anime character clad in little more than a whisper of fabric, hanging from his bag.

“I’m Im Dong-kyu from the Department of Early Childhood Education.”

He offered a brief greeting before immediately turning his gaze to his phone.

He was engrossed in his anime, not even bothering to hear my response as he plugged in his earbuds.

Lastly, there was the girl who had adorned herself to the nines.

Her looks were striking enough to make one wonder if she was a model, and with a playful smile, she settled beside me.

“I’m Shin Se-rim from the Department of Theater and Film. Second year.”

“Oh, yes.”

She was the one who had bombarded me with rabbit emojis incessantly. At least she seemed capable of holding a conversation.

“Kim Woo-jin, right? You’ve been quite the hot topic lately.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Wow, I didn’t realize it on chat, but seeing you in person, you’re really handsome.”

“…….”

What’s with this girl?

She’s getting a bit too clingy.

“Yeah, I see. Thank you.”

As I gently pushed her away, Shin Se-rim gave me a thumbs up.

“Since you’re the team leader, I’m counting on you. Actually, I’ve been quite busy lately.”

“Busy, you say?”

“Yes, I got cast by the agency this time. With all the meetings and lessons, it’s been—”

So that’s it.

This girl is saying she’s too busy to deal with me, huh?

From noble mtl dot com

“Even if you’re busy, it’s really impressive how you manage to get everything done.”

“Yeeah….”

I could brush her off, but we’re all in this together, after all.

Next up is the one who’s a day late.

‘She hasn’t come yet.’

Yeah, I figured as much.

Looks like she’s planning to just stay in school forever.

As I cursed silently in my mind, just before the professor walked in, she arrived and sat near us.

“I’m Bang Da-ye. I’m from the Creative Writing Department.”

An ordinary-looking girl.

The kind you could find anywhere, yet it was slightly disorienting that someone like her had completely ignored the chat.

She seemed like she’d at least be average wherever she went.

Anyway, our Group F was finally all gathered.

Even trash can become the Avengers when they come together, right? So anything is possible now!

* * *

After the lecture ended, I slyly caught the ones trying to sneak away and made them sit down.

“Our group is a week behind the others, you know? I’ve already decided on the topic. So let’s start with dividing the roles.”

Everyone responded with a lackluster attitude.

I feel a wave of exhaustion wash over me, but for now, I press on.

“First, we need two people to handle the research, alright? You can divide the topic and tackle your respective parts—”

In an instant, two hands shoot up.

It’s Heo Jeong-ah and Hwang In-woo, the couple.

“We’ll do it.”

“Yeah, since we’re a couple, we can just share and look for things together.”

“No, that won’t work. I’ve seen too many people mess around and not find the right information. It’s not acceptable.”

“What the hell?”

“No, we’re not like that.”

I really want to curse like a sailor.

‘Being recognized is such a hassle.’

If I cause a scene here, who knows what rumors might spread about me being the youngest weirdo of the Cosmic Group.

“Then I’ll take it.”

At that moment, Shin Se-rim raised her hand.

“Alright, Se-rim will—”

Heo Jeong-ah clearly dislikes Shin Se-rim at first glance. Was it her appearance that bothered her?

“In-woo should do it.”

“In-woo, please take care of this.”

“Yes, yes! I’ll do my best.”

Shin Se-rim flirts with Hwang In-woo, winking. Heo Jeong-ah looks incredulous, but Hwang In-woo smiles, clearly enjoying it.

‘…Did I misjudge?’

But if I pair Heo Jeong-ah with Hwang In-woo, they’ll probably just goof off in plain sight.

“We still need to organize the data, compile it, create the PPT, and prepare for the presentation, alright? Anyone want to take on something?”

“Me! I’ll handle the data organization.”

Heo Jeong-ah raises her hand high.

‘Ah, whatever.’

I’m at a loss now.

Since she’s willing to do something, I might as well let her.

“Alright, go ahead.”

Now, it’s just the two of us left.

Im Dong-kyu and Bang Da-ye.

Seeing that the PPT and presentation were still pending, Im Dong-kyu raised his hand.

“I’ll do the PPT.”

“Alright, sounds good. Dong-kyu will handle the PPT, and then Da-ye, you can present.”

“I can’t present, though.”

“…….”

As I stared intently at Bang Da-ye, she returned the gaze, her eyes narrowing in defiance.

I wanted to poke her with a glare, but I held back and spoke instead.

“But why didn’t you say you wanted to do something else?”

“Because the other options are a bit vague too.”

“Then what do you intend to do?”

“But what about you, team leader? Aren’t you supposed to present?”

“I need to compile a report based on what you all create. The professor said I’d get extra points for that.”

“……But I really can’t present.”

“Da-ye.”

“Yes?”

“Just do it.”

Unless you want to end up in a worse situation.

“I’d rather handle the research.”

“……Then would In-woo like to present?”

This actually worked out well.

I had been a bit annoyed with having Hwang In-woo and Shin Se-rim paired together, but if I could separate them like this, it would be fine.

“Me? I’m doing the research.”

“Ugh, then what about Se-rim?”

“Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll present.”

At least Shin Se-rim seemed like a better option.

Among the trash, she was the least trashy.

“Then it’s settled. In-woo and Da-ye will handle the research. Once you gather that, Jeong-a will sift through it for usable material and organize it so Dong-kyu can create the PPT. Se-rim will present. Let’s work together to draft the script.”

Done.

For now, each role was assigned.

—

At least I thought I had passed a significant hurdle.

That’s what I believed.

* * *

The next day, at 5 PM.

A message came to me.

– Heo Jeong-ah: Please take me off that assignment.

“What a fucking b*tch.”

– Kim Woo-jin: Why?

– Heo Jeong-ah: Ask Hwang In-woo, that b*stard.

With a sense of dread, I checked her profile picture.

‘Ah, shit.’

They broke up.

Just yesterday, they were all over each other, making a scene.

I immediately contacted Hwang In-woo.

– Kim Woo-jin: In-woo, Jeong-ah says she’s dropping out. What’s going on?

– Kim Woo-jin: Did you two break up? This isn’t right.

– Hwang In-woo: I don’t care. I can handle the assignment just fine. But she’s the one getting all worked up over nothing.

– Hwang In-woo: Can’t we at least communicate as group members? Se-rim was struggling with her presentation, so I just tried to comfort her. Is that a crime?

– Kim Woo-jin: …Did Se-rim message you first?

– Hwang In-woo: Yeah.

Good.

Ah, good.

Let’s see how far this goes.

– Kim Woo-jin: Se-rim, did you send a message to Hwang In-woo?

– Shin Se-rim: Yes, I just thought I might need some comfort since the presentation seems tough.

– Kim Woo-jin: You should talk to the group leader about that.

– Shin Se-rim: I didn’t think the group leader would be receptive.

So, she thought I’d put up a wall and flirted with Hwang In-woo instead?

That girl clearly seems to be playing games.

‘Why are there so many assholes like this at our school?’

—

Is it just around me?

I went to the lecture hall and everyone seems to be doing well with their studies.

– Shin Se-rim: Anyway, I misunderstood. I’ve never seen Hwang In-woo as a guy.

‘Heo Jeong-ah, you have a history of being blown away by the wind, so you’re sensitive about this kind of thing.’

No, but isn’t it ridiculous for a guy with a girlfriend to send secret messages?

Let’s contact the other team members first.

– Kim Woo-jin: Did you do the research, Da-ye?

There was no response.

– Kim Woo-jin: If you don’t respond within 5 seconds, I’ll take away the team name.

– Bang Da-ye: Why are you speaking informally?

– Kim Woo-jin: I don’t want to do a group project.

– Bang Da-ye: I’m doing it now.

– Kim Woo-jin: Okay, don’t send it to Heo Jeong-ah, send it to me.

– Bang Da-ye: Why?

– Kim Woo-jin: Just do it, don’t bother asking. You’re just annoying me.

I was about to contact Im Dong-gyu, but just then, a message came in.

– Im Dong-gyu: Team leader, here’s the PPT outline.

The materials haven’t even arrived yet.

I took a look out of curiosity.

– Kim Woo-jin: …Dong-gyu, there are too many anime characters in here.

– Im Dong-gyu: Is that bad? Aren’t they cute?

– Kim Woo-jin: I don’t think the professor will like it.

– Im Dong-gyu: ??? Aren’t they cute? Is there anyone who doesn’t like cute things in this world?

– Kim Woo-jin: I like anime too. But I don’t think it’s a good idea to put it in a presentation.

– Im Dong-gyu: What anime do you like?

– Kim Woo-jin: I’ll take out all the anime characters from the PPT.

– Im Dong-gyu: Don’t discriminate. You seem to have a biased view of anime.

– Kim Woo-jin: Shut up, get it out. Don’t bother me with your hobby. But this is a task, you have to do it properly. I’ll come find you and beat you up if you don’t get it done. You’re a piece of garbage.

Ah, I really can’t take it anymore.

[Humanities F Team, Group Project.]

– Kim Woo-jin: Let’s gather everyone. Yeah, damn it, it’s so frustrating I can’t even do it. No group project.

– Hwang In-woo: ??? Huh? Why all of a sudden? I’m doing just fine!

– Heo Jeong-ah: Stop your nonsense. It’s a mess because you’re busy flirting with girls in the group project. Ugh, you idiot.

– Hwang In-woo: Heo Jeong-ah, watch your words. Who’s flirting with whom? It’s just a few messages, that’s all.

– Shin Se-rim: (emoticon)

– Heo Jeong-ah: You’re messing around with someone else’s guy and then throwing around emoticons.

– Shin Se-rim: I didn’t flirt at all, haha.

– Heo Jeong-ah: Ugh.

– Shin Se-rim: Haha; it’s usually the ugly ones who are so insecure.

– Kim Woo-jin: You all can keep your little arena. I’m going to the professor and telling them everything, asking to be separated.

– Kim Woo-jin: I’ll at least grab a few credits for myself, so you all figure it out.

– Kim Woo-jin: And if any of you pass by me, I’ll make sure to end you.

– Kim Woo-jin: Keep your heads down, you b*stards.

I throw on my clothes and dash to the professor’s office. Luckily, they haven’t left yet.

I laid bare every unbelievable tragedy I’ve faced up to this point, not leaving a single one out.

“Is that so?”

The professor nodded, then said,

“But separating you from the group seems difficult.”

“……What?”

What is this?

“It’s against fairness. After all, it’s a group project, so you should work with your teammates.”

“…….”

“If you decide to do it alone, I’ll grade you in comparison to the other students. If you can’t produce work at the level of the other teams—”

Just do it.

That’s what they were saying.

The emotion in their eyes was annoyance.

What a waste of time, looking at me with such disdain.

‘Ah.’

I’ve heard this somewhere before.

Group projects are hell for students, but for professors, there’s nothing more convenient.

Sure.

From the moment the group project was assigned at the start of the semester, I should have known.

“Ugh.”

In the end, having gained nothing, I let out a hollow laugh.

“Ugh, ha ha—!”

Is this really reality?

“…Right.”

I truly wanted to live an ordinary college life.

“Good, this is it.”

I really, really wanted to go through college quietly.

But it all started with you.

“Please, you’re going to cling to me begging to do the assignment, you little brats.”

If this keeps up, I’ll make sure you’re forced to take the wheel.

This is no longer about grades.

Somehow, I will whip these useless fools into shape.

For the sake of society.

The team project chat has already been blown to bits.

Biting my lip, I created another chat room.

[Bamboo Forest Admin and Caretaker Chat Room]

– Kim Woo-jin: We’re having a gathering today.

– Kim Woo-jin: Everyone must attend.

– Yoo Ah-rin: ? What’s this?

– Min Joo-hee: ??? Woo-jin? Wait, Ah-rin is here too?

– Yoo Ah-rin: Don’t tell me Joo-hee senior was also an admin?

– Min Joo-hee: Yeah, I’m the second one. What about you, Ah-rin?

– Yoo Ah-rin: …….

– Yoo Ah-rin: I’m the first.

– Min Joo-hee: …….

– Yoo Ah-rin: …….

An awkward silence hung in the air, as Yoo Ah-rin often kept the junior admins in line.

—

Anyway.

That’s not the important part.

– Yoo Ah-rin: Who is Caretaker No. 3?

– Yoo Ah-rin: Moon Young-soo?

– Moon Young-soo: Student Woo-jin, what’s going on?

– Kim Woo-jin: We have a gathering today.

– Kim Woo-jin: You must come.

– Kim Woo-jin: Chancellor.

If you don’t want the chaos from the bamboo grove to be known, you must attend.

Anonymous 407.