Bamboo Forest Manager - Chapter 340



How to Soothe Anger

“Have you ever fought?”

“Yeah, haven’t you guys ever fought?”

While having lunch, Oh Yoonji’s question made Choi Iseo hesitate for a moment.

Have we fought?

It was such an unexpected question that I felt a bit flustered, but I decided to ponder it.

As I carefully rummaged through my memories.

“…I don’t think so?”

Nothing particularly came to mind.

Sure, there were times we bickered, or when Kim Woojin did something deserving of a smack.

But those were all just jokes; we had never seriously clashed in opinions.

Is that why?

Choi Iseo felt a strange sensation.

She knew that couples often fought.

Yet, despite all the events they had gone through, they had never actually fought with each other.

—

“Really? You’re doing well.”

“What’s with the sudden question?”

“Well, you’re in a rather unique situation. So I was just curious. It doesn’t mean anything special.”

“…….”

Choi I-seo chewed her cafeteria meal, lost in thought.

It wasn’t exactly a meaningful conversation, but there was something unsettling about it.

“What about you?”

So, Choi I-seo decided to cross the line just once.

“Me?”

“Yeah, have you ever fought with her?”

“Is this some kind of Hollywood?”

Bae Ji-hye, who had been eating beside Oh Yoon-ji, interjected with a look of disbelief.

She was older than the two in front of her, broadcasting under the name Popo, yet because Oh Yoon-ji was the boss, she spoke to all her friends with respect.

“I thought conversations between an ex-girlfriend and a current girlfriend about their boyfriend only happened in American movies.”

“You can’t spill this on your show.”

“……Okay.”

Was she really thinking of doing that?

Choi I-seo felt a slight chill, but the conversation continued nonetheless.

“So, you’ve never fought?”

“Oh, we’ve fought plenty.”

Oh Yoon-ji, resting her chin on her hand, murmured as memories flooded back.

“When I think about it, I can’t really remember why. But we were always annoyed with each other, angry—there were so many times.”

“…….”

“We’re not the type to back down, you know? But we never let it last more than a day. We always made up before going to bed.”

That was true enough.

Yet, as Choi I-seo recalled how Kim Woo-jin often took the loss in most situations, a strange knot formed in her chest.

“…….”

She resumed eating her cafeteria meal.

Oh Yoon-ji watched her, feeling awkward, wondering if she had said something wrong, and forced a smile as she spoke.

“Ah, but you know, the best thing is not to fight at all. Even if you do, with Kim Woo-jin’s temperament, it’ll blow over quickly.”

“How did you make it up to him?”

Popo, sitting beside her with chopsticks in her mouth, asked, and Oh Yoon-ji made a face that said she didn’t want to answer.

Yet Choi Yi-seo, intrigued by how to soothe Kim Woo-jin’s anger, stared intently.

“Ah, damn….”

With a sigh that questioned whether she should even say it, she glanced around.

Since Choi Yi-seo and Bae Ji-hye’s gazes were unwavering, she sighed again and replied.

“I, uh, acted a bit cute, you know….”

“Cute? The boss being cute?”

“You think you can act cute?”

It was a word that seemed utterly out of place when thinking of Oh Yoon-ji.

At the incredulous reactions of the two, Oh Yoon-ji, irritated, declared they should drop the subject.

* * *

“…….”

“Ah.”

In the dormitory hallway.

Returning from a late lecture, Kim Woo-jin’s eyes fell upon Choi Jin-ah, who had left just yesterday.

She was even holding a steaming hot bar, as if she had just cooked it.

He had clearly seen that there were no watchers outside and had even said goodbye, claiming she would leave today.

Why is she here?

A question flickered in his mind, but Choi Jin-ah slyly pretended not to see him and tried to head toward the girls’ dormitory.

“Wait! What are you doing over there? You definitely said you were leaving today!”

“……Who are you?”

“Who am I? Seriously, are you joking? I put up with you saying you’d leave today just to see me one last time!”

He hadn’t slept well last night, disturbed by the chatter of Yoo Ah-rin, Choi Jin-ah, and Senior Joo-hee, and now he was exhausted.

“Well, I was going to leave too.”

“Going to?”

“Um, I felt a bit lonely.”

“…….”

“I was, uh, bored! I talked to the band, and they said I didn’t need to leave right away. So I thought maybe I could stay a little longer…”

“Isn’t this a dormitory? Don’t you know outsiders aren’t allowed to come and go like this?”

“That’s why I’m being discreet. I’ve been curled up in Juhui unnie’s room, waiting until it seemed like no one was around before sneaking out.”

What kind of person is this?

She never used to be like this.

I can’t fathom who she’s been hanging out with to have changed her so completely.

“Woojins, I won’t be a bother. Juhui unnie said it’d be fine for me to stay just for a day.”

“Juhui sunbae probably just felt sorry for you.”

“Well, whatever it is, I got permission.”

“Let’s be honest. You’re not a world-class violinist.”

“…….”

“You’re not the one winning awards and such. What kind of violinist sneaks into someone else’s dorm and munches on hot bars like this? It’s pathetic.”

“Ha, what’s wrong with hot bars?”

“Ugh, whatever. Just do what you want. Just don’t get caught.”

If she’s not sleeping in my room, I guess that’s a relief.

“Um, can I go visit Woojin’s room in a bit?”

“Speak sense.”

“……I’m not saying I’m going to see Woojin.”

“Excuse me?”

It didn’t take long to understand what that meant.

When I returned to the room, three pairs of shoes were already lined up at the entrance.

“Assembly?”

Inside, I found Seoyeon, Choi Iseo, and Yooarin already having their fun.

“Jungle Chai! Jungle Chai! Jungler! The enemy top lives in the top!”

Seoyeon was using my laptop to play a game.

“…….”

Choi Iseo was sprawled on the bed, reading through her organized lecture notes.

“Urya! Urya! Urya!”

Yooarin was spinning in the center of the room, doing a windmill.

What the hell, a windmill?

“What are you doing?”

Entering the room, I was taken aback not just by the presence of three people, but even more so by one of them, who had drawn my gaze with a flamboyant windmill.

Thud.

Yuarin landed in a hero’s pose.

She lingered for a moment, breathless, as if slightly dizzy.

“You’re here.”

Only Choi Iseo welcomed me.

Seo Yerin merely waved her hand, too engrossed in her game, while Yuarin was still catching her breath.

“What’s going on? Isn’t there supposed to be some security in the boys’ dorm?”

I knew that the male dorm supervisor was rather lax compared to the female one.

At this point, it felt like they might as well allow outsiders in.

“I just came to ask you something.”

From noble mtl dot com

Choi Iseo, at least, had a somewhat reasonable motive.

“I’m planning to upload a windmill video on YouTube, and I was looking for a place to practice.”

Isn’t it a talent to act as if she’s done nothing wrong while spinning a windmill in someone else’s room?

“I came here to have s*x.”

“You don’t even need to be told.”

“s*x!”

Looks like she’s in a good mood today.

Loud and boisterous.

“I brought convenience store bento and ramen for dinner. Should we just eat outside together?”

“No, I already ate.”

“It’s easier to spin a windmill on an empty stomach.”

“Jungle chai-it!”

Right, everyone’s like that.

I just dropped my bag and went back outside to heat the bento in the microwave.

When I returned, the kettle had boiled, and I poured the water into the ramen, completing the meal.

Tonight’s dinner could truly be called a convenience store feast.

“Ah… I lost.”

With a sigh, I closed my laptop, and the little rascal crawled over to me.

Then, she began to stare blankly at my ramen.

“I’m not giving it to you.”

“I’m not eating it either! I have to manage my diet. I have a photoshoot coming up!”

An actress, and a photoshoot too?

Seo Ye-rin was growing up fast.

“I’m just going to watch you eat from the side!”

Is this what it feels like to watch a mukbang?

As I was eating my lunchbox, Yu Ah-rin, who had been stretching, approached me.

“What kind of lunchbox is that?”

“…Bulgogi.”

“Hmm, do they sell that at convenience stores?”

“I’m really asking nicely. Can’t you just go away? I’m hungry, you know?”

“I’m not stealing it, you brat. Who do you think I am, a pig?”

“…Not a pig, though.”

“Where are you looking when you say that?”

I had intended to keep the fact that I glanced at her chest a secret, but it seemed Yu Ah-rin had already caught on.

“You little brat!”

She lunged at me immediately.

“No, I didn’t say anything!”

“You already said it with your eyes! Do I have small breasts? Am I flat-chested?! Damn it, and yet you suck like there’s no tomorrow!”

“No, I didn’t even mention your chest! I didn’t say anything about being flat! Why are you exploding like this?!”

“Shut up! It’s because of this that I can do the windmill!”

Yu Ah-rin climbed on top of me, fuming with annoyance. At least she wasn’t hitting me too hard, so I could manage.

Slurp, slurp, slurp!

The sound of noodles being slurped filled the air.

Turning my head while lying down, I saw Seo Ye-rin devouring my ramen, which wasn’t even fully cooked yet.

“What are you doing! You said you weren’t eating!”

Slurp, slurp, slurp!

“What are you doing?! Are you mukbanging? Why are you eating so well!”

Slurp, slurp, slurp!

Gulp, gulp, gulp.

In the end, Seo Ye-rin was devouring even the broth.

I found myself sprawled beneath Yoo Ah-rin, unable to do anything but stare blankly at her.

“My… ramen.”

Seo Ye-rin’s cheeks were puffed up, chewing the noodles with a blissful abandon.

And perched atop me, Yoo Ah-rin stuffed a piece of bulgogi from her lunchbox into her mouth.

“I’m gonna eat too, damn it, I’m gonna get so big, you little brat.”

If she eats that and grows, I could really give her everything.

The thought almost slipped out, but I held my tongue.

It was obvious I’d just get hit for it.

In the end.

The remaining side dishes were white rice, stir-fried kimchi, and sautéed zucchini.

Just these three.

“…You guys go buy more.”

Seo Ye-rin and Yoo Ah-rin exchanged satisfied smiles, nodding as they headed outside.

It would take a while for them to return from the convenience store.

As I sighed and clutched my growling stomach, Choi Yi-seo, who had merely been watching this scene unfold, turned to me with a question.

“Aren’t you angry?”

“Hmm?”

“I mean, in this kind of situation, it’s normal to get mad, right?”

“…I’m a bit annoyed, sure.”

Who wouldn’t be irritated when they were starving, only to have their food snatched away right in front of them?

“But what’s there to be angry about? I’m just going with the flow.”

“They say you used to get really mad when you were dating Yoon-ji.”

“…”

It wasn’t entirely wrong, so I couldn’t deny it. Both Yoon-ji and I had a bit of a fiery streak.

If it had been like this back then with Yoon-ji, we might have fought a bit.

But I was different now than I was then.

“Besides, I’m not in a position to get angry.”

I was the one in the subordinate position, after all.

“Just the fact that you guys are okay with me dating all three of you means I’m already conceding, doesn’t it?”

It was unexpected.

And yet, a blind spot.

Not because of Kim Woo-jin’s answer.

But rather, the fact that Choi Yi-seo had overlooked such a fundamental aspect herself.

Conversely.

Having taken it for granted that the four of them were dating, it could also be said that Choi Yi-seo had simply missed it.

“What’s wrong?”

“……Nothing.”

Choi Yi-seo felt a sense of common sense crumbling around her.

Even as she realized she was becoming numb under the influence of this man, Kim Woo-jin, the absence of resistance to it felt like a resistance in itself.

Clatter.

At that moment, the door swung open.

Seo Ye-rin and Yoo Ah-rin entered, arms laden with pizzas.

“Tada! We actually ordered pizza!”

“I was surprised you were eating a packed lunch instead of this, so I ordered it as a surprise.”

“Oh my.”

Without thinking, I covered my mouth with both hands, tears welling in my eyes.

Pizza.

I cleared away the remnants of waste on the table and accepted the pizza.

“Oh, right, Woo-jin.”

As I set the pizza down, Choi Yi-seo, perched on the edge of the bed, nudged me with her foot.

“Hmm?”

“You said you had something you wanted to ask.”

“Oh, right. What is it?”

* * *

“Hmm?”

Star Studio office.

After attending only the morning lecture, Oh Yoon-ji, who had been working at the company, suddenly checked the message that Choi Yi-seo had sent.

– Choi Yi-seo: Yoon-ji unnie! I have no husband! I can’t sleep at night! I’m sorry, husband!

– Choi Yi-seo: Husband! Please cheer me up!

– Choi Yi-seo: Yoon-ji, today I’ll do everything you want with your husband!

– Choi Yi-seo: The effect is good.

– Choi Yi-seo: I feel my anger melting away too.

– Choi Yi-seo: Haha.

Crack.

“Kim Woo-jin, that b*stard….”