Bamboo Forest Manager - Chapter 337



Negotiation

“……”

From noble mtl dot com

“……”

“……”

Silence envelops us.

The misunderstandings I thought I had resolved over pork cutlets now feel like they’ve all returned to square one.

I force a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

“Alright, now that we’ve received the suitcase, what then—?”

“W-What then?”

—

“…….”

It was just a random remark.

Why did I bring up the suitcase?

Choi Jin-ah became acutely aware of what lay within my suitcase once more.

She glanced between me and the suitcase, then began to hiccup.

“Hik!”

“…….”

“Heuk!”

“…….”

“Hak!”

She was having quite the fun with her hiccups.

Curiosity piqued, I watched intently, wondering what sound would come next, but ultimately, Yoo Ah-rin interjected.

“Ah, I don’t know! Jin-ah! You already know all about Kim Woo-jin’s lewdness, right?”

“Th-that’s true—hak! Isn’t it?”

“Stop meddling in other people’s love lives and just go on your way. Got it?”

“Hik! Is it really okay? Can I just go home for real?”

Anyone would think she was the one being dragged here against her will.

“Just hurry up. You only came to pick up your suitcase, so don’t say anything weird.”

“Yes, yes! Understood! Thank you!”

“Yeah, you’ve worked hard. When we meet again, let’s forget everything that happened today.”

“Yeees!”

Choi Jin-ah dragged her suitcase outside, finally allowing the air in the house to settle, and I began to feel at home in my room.

“Haah, why do I have to endure such strange misunderstandings?”

Yoo Ah-rin grumbled.

“……It’s because you have a history, you know.”

Didn’t you charm Senior Joo-hee back in Hawaii?

“What did you say?”

“Nothing. Just keeping quiet over here.”

Let’s be careful with our words.

Now, there’s just me and Yura-rin in this room.

If Yura-rin starts hitting me here, I might get beaten for a whole day.

“Ah, I’ll take a little break and then I’ll go.”

And then Yura-rin flops onto my bed, taking out her phone and glancing around at the bamboo forest.

‘Is she tempting me right now?’

Her clothes are slightly raised, revealing her navel. I naturally sit down beside her, my eyes drawn to the smooth skin.

“Huff! Hey, Si-bi-chung and An-ee-jo are having a huge fight. Si-bi-chung is insulting An-ee-jo’s life.”

“Yeah?”

“Ah, that’s hilarious. You don’t know who Si-bi-chung is, do you? I saw him last time and he said he was from the Security Department…”

‘Now’s my chance!’

I quickly grab Yura-rin’s stomach, bringing my mouth to her navel.

Ow!

A refreshing sound echoed through the room.

Yura-rin looks at me with a strange expression, still holding her phone.

“…What’s going on.”

I hesitantly cleaned up the spot I had just kissed and responded.

“Just wanted to see if I could, since her navel was showing.”

It looks like I’m tempting her to do something like this.

“…”

“…”

A moment of silence.

I carefully pulled down Yura-rin’s clothes to expose her navel again, and she raised an eyebrow in ambiguity.

“This is when I should get angry or silent, isn’t it?”

“No, why get angry over this.”

“Well, I guess. It’s just strange, but if I get angry over this, it’ll make me really frustrated.”

“I didn’t mean to do that.”

I think I’ll just lie down beside her. Yura-rin looks at me with a hint of her lips, then nods slightly and lies back down.

It was a signal to rest my head on her shoulder.

The gesture became one of embracing her, and Yura-rin began to look at her phone again, still in my arms.

“Look at this. Ani wrote a long post in full swing. Isn’t it hilarious?”

“I was in full swing too.”

“…….”

Subtly, Yooarin’s hand drifts downward.

“It’s only halfway done, you’re just bluffing.”

With a smirk, she dives back into her phone.

This girl knows me too well; it’s becoming a problem.

But what Yooarin overlooked is that I really did grow after touching just now.

As we kill time together, scrolling through the bamboo forest on Yooarin’s phone, a fight suddenly breaks out in the religious club after a long while, and the two of us start spamming.

↳Anonymous77: JLY! The Lord loves you. Join us in the East and receive a cross. (｡♥‿♥｡)

↳Anonymous88: Namu Amida Butsu. We welcome you to the Buddhist practice group anytime. Chanting every Friday, hiking once a month.

↳Anonymous77: JLY! The Lord loves you. Join us in the East and receive a cross. (｡♥‿♥｡)

↳Anonymous88: Namu Amida Butsu. We welcome you to the Buddhist practice group anytime. Chanting every Friday, hiking once a month.

↳Anonymous185: The Truth Society of the Non-religious Club. Come and bash other religions. Occasionally infiltrate other religious clubs to stir things up.

“That one needs a day ban.”

“Should I do it?”

“No, I’ll handle it.”

The religious club members always cross the line at least once. If it stemmed from genuine faith, it would be one thing, but strangely, they spam out of a competitive spirit.

I logged into my account and hit both with a day ban, finally cleaning up the bamboo forest.

On top of that, I noticed a reply to the message I sent earlier to Seoyeon.

– Seoyeon: ??? How did you see that?

– Seoyeon: I sent it to you?

– Seoyeon: That’s a bit embarrassing, hehe.

– Seoyeon: Might feel a little bad too?

“Oh no.”

If Seoyeon is saying this, it must have been quite unpleasant for her.

Seoyeon enjoys being intimate with me, but she doesn’t want anyone else to intrude.

– Kim Woojin: It was an accident. I’ve deleted everything as I said I would. I’ll tell Jina and Arin to apologize separately.

“Hey, apologize to Yeorin.”

—

“What?”

“The video we watched earlier. She seems a bit upset.”

“Ah….”

Yuarin immediately picks up the phone.

She rises from my embrace and heads toward the bathroom. She doesn’t go in, just starts talking at the door.

“Yerin, I got your message. I’m sorry. I was a bit flustered earlier and just watched it without thinking.”

“Um, yeah…? Ah, okay.”

“Haah, I got it. No, I said I got it. By the way, you checked the pregnancy test, right? What happened with that?”

What the hell?!

Without realizing it, I spring up and rush over to Yuarin.

“What is it?! Why didn’t you tell me about this!”

“Shh! Just shut up! Huh? Are you next to her? Uh, yeah, I’m in her room right now?”

“I’m her dad! Why didn’t you tell me?!”

I start shouting, but Yuarin ultimately pushes me away with her foot and focuses back on the call.

“Yeah, yeah, I got it. No, I said I got it, you little brat. Hang up.”

“What is it?! Why are you the first to hear about our daughter?!”

“She’s neither a daughter nor a son. Just a line popped up.”

“Oh, really?”

“Why are you acting all sad? Seoyeon is a college student and an actress. What do you expect if she gets pregnant here?”

“That’s… true, but.”

Still, it feels a bit disappointing.

A strange, fuzzy feeling washes over me, and I lie back on the bed, draping the blanket over myself.

Yuarin quietly inches closer.

“Are you feeling left out?”

“Not so much left out, just a bit disappointed?”

“Ugh, you idiot. If she gets pregnant now, what are you going to say to Seoyeon’s mom? You’d be ruining the kid’s future.”

“That’s true.”

I feel a bit embarrassed, like I’ve shrunk down. Just as I’m about to crawl out from under the blanket, Yuarin slips in beside me.

“Do you really want a kid that badly?”

Of course, having a child would be nice, but.

—

In fact, at this age, one doesn’t know the responsibility that comes with having a child.

Immature age.

So I, too, don’t expect to have a child at this stage.

“‘Then you won’t leave me behind, will you, because of that?’”

“……”

“‘Honestly, as you said. This relationship is a bit abnormal, so it’s not strange if you leave me anytime.’”

“What kind of education did you get from a fairy and a woodcutter? You’re keeping me pregnant and bringing me along?’”

“That’s not a wrong statement.’”

I felt embarrassed thinking about myself, but it didn’t last long.

This was because the infant lying next to me had been matching my lips all along.

The brief lip-lock ended.

The infant’s face turned red and it started to giggle.

“Oh, damn… I want to keep you like this, it’s so cute.”

Then, it quietly climbed onto my lap and wrapped its arms around me.

“I made a promise with Seo Yerin earlier.”

“What about?”

“That we wouldn’t do it today.”

“……”

“But I still have to apologize.”

Our lips met again.

This time, our tongues tangled a bit more.

The kiss with the infant was really good.

It was weirdly fruity, like my tongue was tangled in a delicious way.

“Pfuh.”

Our lips parted, and the infant looked down at me with a mischievous grin, asking, “What’s up, can we get pregnant today?”

“……”

“If so, it’s all yours.”

The provocative tone also showed that the switch had been completely turned on.

I grabbed the back of the infant’s head and started kissing it again.

I turn my body slightly, making Yu-arin lie beneath me, and pull my lips away.

“Today, I’ll be gentle.”

I press my lips against the nape of their neck and whisper softly, and Yu-arin wraps their arms around me.

“Why?”

“Just because I feel like it today?”

Why is that.

Today, I wanted to share love with a sense of clarity. I thought that if I did, Yu-arin would truly become mine.

“It’s embarrassing.”

Yu-arin’s face turned red, as if they shared the same thought, but they didn’t say they didn’t want to.

It was too sweet.

I wrap my arms around them tightly, and Yu-arin naturally wraps their legs around my waist and pulls themselves closer.

We usually went for intense play with each other.

But spending time sharing love and affection with each other was also enough-.

K-k-k-k!

“O, O-jin! Help me out, please!”

“…….”

“…….”

K-k-k-k!

“Please, I’m being chased!”

K-k-k-k!

“Just shoot already.”

I hit the bed once with my forehead and release Yu-arin.

Yu-arin’s face contorted in annoyance, biting their lip.

“Why did I miss the opportunity to do something I wouldn’t normally do, and now I’m in trouble?”

I would have made them cry earlier if I had acted as usual.

But at least I hadn’t undressed yet.

As I open the door, Choi Jin-ah, still holding her luggage, stood frozen, her face pale.

“Ah, Father sent someone. There are people watching us from outside the dormitory now.”

“…….”

“I waited for you to come out of your family’s house. I didn’t expect you to find me so quickly.”

“It’s been a while since I went out. Where have you been all this time?”

“Ah, I was just looking around the school… Uh, Woo-jin! Can I stay here and sleep for just one night?!”

Scratching my head, I let out a deep sigh.

I was pondering how to handle this.

Yua-rin shouted from behind, her irritation palpable.

“If you sleep here tonight, you won’t wake up in one piece!”

“Y-yes?!”

‘Ugh, look at that bad attitude.’

Yua-rin’s warning was filled with an unyielding resolve to ensure that Choi Jin-ah would not be allowed to stay here.

Choi Jin-ah, too, turned pale and took a step back.

“I-I’m sorry. I’ll, I’ll try to resolve this.”

“Right. You should. You said you’d stand up to your father.”

“That’s true.”

“Are you really going to back down here? Are you just going to keep running away?”

“…No.”

“I clearly told you. Staying at my house isn’t about fighting; it’s about fleeing. Jin-ah, you promised me you’d be ready to fight back then.”

That moment is now.

“Who can decide a situation like this on a whim? When the moment comes, even if you’re not prepared, you have to fight.”

At my words, Choi Jin-ah’s eyes widen.

She straightens her back, embodying the stature of a world-renowned violinist.

“Thank you, Woo-jin.”

She closes her eyes gently, grateful for the courage I’ve given her.

Is she in the midst of some kind of mental training?

After a few moments, she slowly opens her eyes and whispers softly to me.

“Can’t you just let me stay for one night?”

“Wasn’t that just the perfect moment to push back?”

“…I lost.”

I feel bad, but I’m in a tough spot too.

My lower half is practically seething with anger right now.

“Let’s decide. Either you let me have my way here, or you go with your father to negotiate and seize your freedom.”

I crossed my arms and joined in on Yoo Ah-rin’s mischievous game.

Choi Jin-ah had been demanding from me as if haggling over fish at a market.

“Ah, can you not make it hurt?”

…….

………….

……………….

“No, it’s going to hurt like hell.”