Bamboo Forest Manager - Chapter 334



The Leak

Trials follow trials.

After climbing one mountain, another comes into view.

Now that the group project is over, midterms are peeking around the corner.

I feel a deep sense of doubt about whether this is truly what life is.

“It’s because the group project got pushed back a bit. And your group was a bit special. We had it easy.”

Choi Yi-seo speaks simply.

Now, comfortably in my room, she sits on the floor, leaning against the bed, fiddling with her phone.

“So, what are you up to, Lee Seo?”

“Hmm? Oh, just chatting with my group members about our project. They’re suggesting we all go out for dinner to celebrate our hard work.”

“…But your group has a lot of guys, doesn’t it?”

“Just like your group has a lot of girls. You’re not getting jealous over something silly, are you?”

“No, no. I’m not jealous.”

With a smile, I sidle up next to Choi Seo.

“But can I come along too?”

“I told you not to be jealous. Why would you want to go there?”

“What jealousy? I just want to keep an eye on you in case you get drunk or someone slips you something and you end up passed out. I’m just looking out for you.”

“Do you think about that all the time? You should see a doctor. Besides, all the group members are perfectly normal. Thinking like that is just rude to them.”

“……”

Choi Seo, always fighting with reason.

And so, I feel like I’m always losing.

“Don’t you want to go out with your group? You did really well this time; the professor praised you a lot.”

“Oh, the dinner?”

She shows me our chat room with a laugh.

Everyone has already left, but there, scrawled above, were harsh insults directed at me.

“If I run into you, I’ll smash your head with a soju bottle, so make sure to wear a helmet,” it read.

“……”

“As long as you got a good score because of me, that’s all that matters.”

No matter how the process went, the outcome was good, wasn’t it?

“So, I’m not going to that dinner. Isn’t it a bit much to celebrate just because we worked on one project together?”

“This time, the team members really clicked. If I get to work with people like this, I’d welcome group projects any day.”

“I really don’t want to do it again, though.”

Anyway.

I want to either follow Choi Seo to the dinner or stop her from going.

Lost in thought, my phone buzzed with a message just in time.

– Seo Ye-rin: I’m free today!

– Seo Ye-rin: Is there anyone who wants to hang out with me?!

– Seo Ye-rin: (emoticon)

A slight chuckle almost escaped at the sight of the chubby squirrel emoji.

– Kim Woo-jin: I heard Lee Seo is going out for drinks today, so I was thinking of tagging along.

– Seo Ye-rin: Really?

– Seo Ye-rin: Are you really going to follow?

– Seo Ye-rin: Can I tell you a secret?

– Kim Woo-jin: ?

– Seo Ye-rin: I look super cute today.

– Seo Ye-rin: (photo)

Seo Ye-rin sent a selfie.

Though it wasn’t overly edited, her beauty undeniably shone through.

– Seo Ye-rin: If you don’t hang out with me today, you’ll seriously regret it!

– Seo Ye-rin: Choka-waiyan2!

– Kim Woo-jin: Should I go then?

– Seo Ye-rin: Come here.

Alright.

After all, Lee Seo isn’t the type to get swept away by alcohol or the crowd.

In fact, she’s the one who stands firm, blocking the current.

“Got it, I’ll be off.”

I type the address Seo Ye-rin sent into my phone. It’s not as far as I thought, just a bike ride away.

‘Once Lee Seo sets off, I can leave right after, about ten minutes later.’

“Hmm? You’re letting me go this easily? I thought you’d hold on a bit longer. Or at least suggest we go together.”

“Honestly, I’d like to. But if I go, it might put you in a tough spot. Plus, I know you don’t get swept up in the crowd.”

“…….”

“Clinging on like this, it feels like a lack of trust, doesn’t it?”

“That’s a bit touching.”

Choi Lee Seo hesitated for a moment, genuinely moved, then gave me a brief hug before heading to the front door.

“I’m off. If it really doesn’t work out, call me. I’ll use your call as an excuse to bail.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Click.

The moment the door closed, I sprang up and began rummaging through the wardrobe.

—

Seo Ye-rin looks incredibly beautiful today; shouldn’t I make myself a bit more presentable too?

I put on some expensive clothes, strap on my watch, and give my hair a little tousle, then I kick the suitcase that Choi Jin-ah still hasn’t taken.

‘Why hasn’t she come to get this?’

I’ve noticed she’s been doing something on my computer lately.

I keep getting notifications on my phone that she’s logging in.

It took me a bit longer to get ready, though.

“Hmm, Kim Woo-jin is quite handsome, isn’t he?”

I was a bit surprised to see Woo-jin in the mirror looking better than I expected. I know how to pull it off when I try.

“This guy, looking all dapper?”

“You look good too.”

After exchanging simple compliments with my reflection, I stepped out of the room.

From noble mtl dot com

“…….”

“…….”

Choi Yi-seo stood there, arms crossed, waiting.

The moment our eyes met, I tried to quietly close the door again, but I tripped over Yi-seo’s foot.

“Where are you going?”

“Ah, um… to the convenience store.”

“Dressed like that?”

“I’m the youngest son of the Universe Group. I need to make a good impression.”

I know it’s a flimsy excuse. But this was instinct.

When a stranger swings a knife, blocking it with your hand won’t do anything, but you try anyway.

I was just throwing it out there.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, Woo-jin.”

“Ugh, who was that person who just contacted you? They wanted to meet, so you’re just going to let me go, right?”

I’ve learned time and again that I shouldn’t try to deceive Choi Yi-seo, yet here I am, making the same mistake.

“It’s Seo Ye-rin.”

“See, wouldn’t it be better to just be honest?”

“I’m going to go have s*x.”

“……You don’t need to be that honest.”

—

—

It’s said that honesty is good, yet I found myself unable to stop.

“Phew, I thought about it back in Hawaii. It feels like my senses are twisting. Normally, I should be scolding you or stopping you from going.”

“…….”

“It’s absurd that I’m just accepting this because it’s Kim Woo-jin.”

Choi Yi-seo pressed her hand to her forehead, bewildered by how we ended up in this situation.

Watching her confusion, I felt a twinge of guilt for the mischief I was indulging in.

“If you were to tell me right now…”

“Yeah?”

“Not to go to Seo Ye-rin, I wouldn’t go.”

“……Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I’m serious. But I’d expect you to say not to go either, so you have to concede to that much, right?”

“Th-that’s true.”

Perhaps she read the sincerity in my eyes, for Choi Yi-seo took a small step back.

It seemed she hadn’t expected me to abandon my plans with Seo Ye-rin to stay with her.

“Just know this, though.”

“……What?”

The expression on Choi Yi-seo’s face, which had been poised for genuine emotion, hardened.

She looked as if she was bracing herself, but the words had already slipped out.

“I want you to beg me to go to Seo Ye-rin—!”

Thud!

“Ugh, cough!”

Her fist struck precisely at my abdomen.

She must have been ready, delivering the blow before I could finish my sentence.

“You always have to end with something infuriating, so I was prepared this time.”

“Y-yeah, Yi-seo… you learn quickly.”

“Phew, I’m leaving.”

“Take care.”

And just like that, Choi Yi-seo walked away.

Perhaps it was her quick learning that made her punches increasingly precise.

It hurt a lot, though.

“Shall we go?”

Today, Seo Ye-rin, who was said to be exceptionally beautiful, made my steps light.

* * *

“It was definitely a café.”

The address itself pointed to a café.

The problem was that it was located on the first floor of a hotel.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”

Seo Ye-rin, arms crossed, walked down the hotel corridor, her lips pouting in question.

“How could I not like it? If it were up to me, I’d want to strip you right here and now.”

“Oh my!”

Seo Ye-rin covered her mouth in surprise, but she couldn’t hide the smile creeping onto her face.

“But can you really pay for the hotel? I brought my card.”

I voiced my concern as we entered the room, but Seo Ye-rin flashed a grin while showing me her key card.

“I earn money too, you know? And today, you’ll have to pay with something other than cash.”

Her gaze drifted downwards, lingering on my lower half.

Honestly, it was impressive, but I also felt lucky to be dating Seo Ye-rin.

‘Are we going to shower together?’

I hesitated slightly before saying I’d go first and headed toward the shower.

Seo Ye-rin pulled something out of her bag.

It was a phone holder.

Not a selfie stick, but a proper tripod.

The moment I saw it, I recalled Seo Ye-rin’s message from last time.

“Don’t tell me… you want to take more pictures?”

The suggestion to film an adult video had been half a joke, but I never thought she’d actually go through with it.

Yet, Seo Ye-rin seemed quite serious.

“Yes! It makes me mad when you think of other girls while we’re together! Like, really mad!”

“……”

“You still have that greeting video we shot last time saved, right?”

“Yeah, I put it in a separate folder in the cloud.”

Still, if it was a memory, then it was a memory.

—

Seoyeon, who had just embraced him, smiled slyly, her heart swelling with emotion.

“Is it part two?”

“…….”

“Please take some pretty shots today?”

* * *

“Ah, yes.”

Choi Jina, still residing as a gisaeng in Kim Woojin’s family home, was quite busy on the phone.

It was about coordinating schedules with the band for her main job.

“So, you see, the piece that just came out is a remake of the last one we did. It doesn’t seem necessary to pack the practice schedule too tightly.”

– Right? I think so too. Being busy is fine, but you need to know when to rest.

“Could you send me the sheet music first? I’ll take another look, and if it seems too difficult, I’ll make time separately.”

– I’ll send the sheet music along with the guide performance.

“Okay.”

Jina had planned to go to Gahyeondae tomorrow, where Kim Woojin was.

If the sheet music turned out to be too challenging, she would have no choice but to postpone once again.

In Kim Woojin’s room, Jina sat at the computer and opened her inbox.

There, a fresh email awaited her, titled simply ‘Untitled.’

“Ah, this must be it. I’ll check it now.”

Click, click.

– Huh? I haven’t sent it yet?

“Excuse me?”

Just as she wondered what that meant, Jina’s eyes caught the username.

[Kim Woojin]

‘Ah.’

It seemed that the automatic login was active since it was Kim Woojin’s computer.

Having spent so much time here, Jina mistakenly thought it was her own home.

And then.

What she thought was a guide performance began to play, revealing Kim Woojin adjusting the camera, completely nude on the screen.