Bamboo Forest Manager - Chapter 343



Sunday

“Umm.”

My eyes refuse to open properly.

I rub at them, wondering if I have sleep crust, but my arms feel as if they’re caught in something, unable to move.

‘Ah, this has happened a few times before.’

I’m not completely oblivious.

Curiously, there have been times when I woke up like this, unable to move my arms.

It always happened when I was sleeping with the kids.

Because there were little ones lying on either side of me.

Forcing my eyes open, I found, as expected, Choi I-seo lying next to me.

She was perfectly aligned, lying straight as an arrow, dressed in comfortable clothes.

Then, beside her…

‘…There shouldn’t be anyone else here.’

I had slept at Choi I-seo’s house, but Seo Ye-rin and Yoo Ah-rin hadn’t come over separately.

With a heart full of disbelief, I dared to glance sideways, where Oh Yoon-ji lay asleep, clad only in her underwear, exuding the scent of memories wrapped in shampoo.

Once, I had said that she looked provocative and s*xy in red lingerie.

It was precisely that image she had shown me back then.

‘Wait, did I…?’

I had indeed drunk.

From the moment Oh Yoon-ji had arrived in the bright light of day.

To match her desire to fill her head with alcohol and forget every memory, I had brought home beer, soju, and even wine from the convenience store, and we had embarked on a grand escapade together.

‘No, I didn’t.’

My memories were fragmented, yet my lower body felt no sting or discomfort.

As I gazed at the pristine sight before me, a satisfied smile crept across my face.

“Why are you smiling?”

Oh Yoon-ji, now awake, blinked at me.

“Why are you only in your underwear?”

“I always sleep in just my underwear, you know?”

Is she joking?

“Are you spinning a tale that’s bound to be discovered? Have I not seen what you wear to bed more than once?”

“Did you get a bit startled when you first opened your eyes?”

“……Maybe a little?”

I had been somewhat surprised.

Could it be that I had been with two people at once?

Well, I had gathered some experience by now. Still, indulging in both my ex-girlfriend and my current girlfriend simultaneously felt a bit off.

…….

………….

……………….

“Hey, you’re standing up?”

“It’s morning, that’s why.”

“Doesn’t seem like it. That’s a size born from naughty thoughts.”

A precise observation.

This is why ex-girlfriends are dangerous.

“Why are you only in your underwear?”

—

It’s rather unsettling that she was sleeping next to me, clad only in her underwear.

What would happen if Choi I-seo woke up first?

“I was just messing around.”

Oh Yoon-ji sticks out her tongue.

The way her head is slightly tilted makes her look somewhat cute.

From noble mtl dot com

“I was curious how you’d react. But you’re surprisingly calm about it, huh?”

“It’s the power of experience.”

“Trash….”

“But isn’t it dangerous for you to be lying next to a strange man in just your underwear? Has your sense of boundaries gone awry?”

“Come on, I’ve seen everything there is to see. That’s why I can joke like this.”

“Is that what an ex is supposed to be?”

But aren’t we clearly broken up?

Do people usually joke around and reminisce like this?

“Generally, that’s not the case, but we can say we have a somewhat special relationship.”

“…….”

“Does it feel a bit too complicated to just label it as an ex?”

Even if I wanted to question her words, it was hard to outright deny them.

Surprisingly, a part of me deep down was affirming her strange statements.

“I’ll wash up first. If you need to leave early, we can wash together.”

“Forget it, I’ll wash alone.”

“Hehe.”

With that, Oh Yoon-ji slipped into the bathroom, and I glanced over at Choi I-seo, who lay beside me.

As I watched her breathing softly in her sleep, the conversation I just had with Oh Yoon-ji began to feel oddly remorseful.

“Ugh, I-seo, I’m sorry!”

* * *

Clunk.

“Hey, next person to wash—”

Oh Yoon-ji emerged from the bathroom, towel in hand, only to be met with a bizarre sight.

Kim Woo-jin was tightly embracing Choi I-seo, who lay there, her expression blank as she accepted it.

—

“What are you two doing?”

“I don’t know. I just woke up and found myself holding her, so I’m just going with it.”

In truth, Choi I-seo was merely surrendering to the flow, embracing Kim Woo-jin without a second thought.

Conversely, Kim Woo-jin’s initial intent had been to steady himself after being momentarily shaken by Oh Yoon-ji.

“…I-seo’s chest is something else.”

Right now, it was simply the warmth of morning, the comfort of holding Choi I-seo that made him feel good, nothing more.

Feelings of guilt had long since evaporated, leaving only a raw, unfiltered desire.

* * *

Today is Sunday.

I, along with Choi I-seo and Oh Yoon-ji, fought through the remnants of yesterday’s hangover and arrived at the taekwondo studio.

Oh Yoon-ji, who was helping out with this channel, had asked me to come along since it would be boring to go alone.

“Huah!”

“Gah!”

“Ah! Ah! Ah!”

“What’s that? Are they screaming? Is someone getting beaten up in there?”

At the Daehan Strength Taekwondo Studio, I was slightly taken aback by the sounds of men and women shrieking from within.

“It’s just kiai. Taekwondo is all about the kiai, you know.”

“Is that really kiai?”

At this point, it sounded more like someone was getting hit.

“Woo-jin, haven’t you ever done taekwondo?”

Choi I-seo, casually draped in a blue hoodie, looked unadorned yet charming, claiming she felt shy for not having dressed up.

“I haven’t. Back then, I was into calligraphy, abacus, and essay writing.”

Was my answer unexpected?

Our steps faltered, and they both turned to look at me in unison.

“You?”

“You learned calligraphy and abacus?”

“My father said I was too reckless, so he wanted me to learn something more tranquil.”

And one thing that must not be misunderstood.

“I went there. It wasn’t something I learned.”

The look that questioned if that wasn’t the same thing.

“I just played with the kids. Later, they said I was a nuisance and kicked me out.”

“…….”

“…….”

A scream, like a cry of agony, pierced the stillness of the air.

“Let’s hurry inside.”

Feeling awkward, I stepped forward and entered.

BAM!

“aaaH!”

A man, struck by Yuarin’s spinning kick, screamed as he rolled backward, crashing into the wall.

It wasn’t just him; others lay sprawled on the floor, groaning in pain, as if they too had felt the wrath of Yuarin.

“That was a battle cry, right? Sounds more like the wails of the beaten.”

“Yeah….”

“Didn’t think they’d actually be getting hit.”

It seemed both were taken aback.

As I stood awkwardly at the entrance, I caught Yuarin’s eye as she kicked and huffed in frustration.

“What’s up? Came to watch?”

“Um, I heard you had something to show me. But surely, this isn’t it?”

“This is just a little discipline.”

“Is this how you discipline? Isn’t this a bit controversial?”

If it got out that the leader, Yuarin, was engaging in internal violence, it could stir quite the scandal.

Whether it was justified or not didn’t matter.

But Yuarin was resolute.

“Yeah, they deserve it. These b*stards need to be taught a lesson. Everyone, get down, you little shits!”

At her bellow, those who had just been beaten scrambled to the ground in a hurry.

And then, one by one, the beatings resumed.

‘If she’s this angry, it must be serious.’

“Woojin, I’ll go ask what’s going on. You try to calm Arin down a bit.”

—

And so, Choi I-seo made her way to Byun Jin-ho, who was watching the kids get scolded near the wall.

Oh Yoon-ji also headed to the director’s office, eager to hear the whole story.

“These worthless little brats—!”

“Ari, Ari! Just calm down for a second!”

She desperately tried to stop Yoo Ah-rin, who was swinging her fists wildly.

The kid who had been getting hit scurried away like a cockroach caught in the light.

“Let go, Kim Woo-jin. They really deserve to be hit.”

“Why are you doing this? This is too… well, it’s so you. But still, they’re teammates.”

Isn’t the YouTube channel taking off?

Lately, the videos showed the team members having great chemistry, getting along well.

I really don’t understand why this is happening all of a sudden.

“Mind your own business, outsider.”

“……”

“Stay out of this.”

Yoo Ah-rin warned me coldly.

‘What the hell is going on?’

I could only recall feeling this seriously angry once before—when I sensed Chan-woo’s girlfriend was at a café with another guy.

Yoo Ah-rin pushed me aside and continued on her way.

This could really escalate.

‘Ah, she’s about to cross a line.’

It already felt like she had crossed it, but the atmosphere suggested she was bound to go much further.

I decided I couldn’t just stand by, so I wrapped my arms around Yoo Ah-rin from behind.

“……?”

The moment she turned her head in surprise to look at me, I leaned back, pulling her down with me, binding her with my hands and feet.

“What the hell?!”

“Ugh! Yoo Ah-rin, just chill out! After all the trouble you went through, what are you doing here ruining everything?!”

“Let go of me!”

“I won’t! Let’s talk this out first! If they really deserve it, then I’ll let you take them down for real!”

“Outsider, stay out of this!”

“He’s your boyfriend, you idiot! Everyone, get lost! If she goes on a rampage, I won’t be able to stop her, so just leave!”

—

The power is just so delightful.

I almost let it slip, but somehow I kept shouting at the others around me.

“Go away! Don’t come near!”

I don’t understand why they keep getting closer.

I’m barely holding them off.

Amidst it all, I wonder if they’re just hopeful for a way out.

Among my teammates, there’s the director, camera in hand.

“…Huh?”

Before I knew it, the resistance had quieted, and Yu-A-Rin, cradled in my arms, had turned crimson, her head bowed low.

“I didn’t expect this.”

“Hmm?”

Before long, smiles spread across everyone’s faces.

The lens of the director’s camera glinted.

Only now did I realize I had been deceived.

* * *

For lunch, we ordered Jajangmyeon and Sweet and Sour Pork.

Gathered in a circle in the center of the taekwondo studio, we sat on newspapers, sharing the meal together.

I glared at Yu-A-Rin, who sat beside me.

“Have you completely lost it for views? Pulling off a hidden camera like this?”

“I-I didn’t suggest it! It was originally meant to trick Oh Yoon-Ji. Her stock has been rising lately.”

I knew well that she was referred to as the ‘Yoon Goddess.’

For reference, Oh Yoon-Ji was sitting next to the director, discussing various things about the channel.

It was peculiar to see someone much older giving advice.

“Ugh, anyway, this can’t be used now. You went and called him your boyfriend.”

Though the words were harsh, her mood seemed to brighten.

“I feel like I shouldn’t have come.”

On the opposite side, Choi Yi-Seo wore a rather displeased expression.

“Come watch us practice. If you think of any fun ideas while you’re at it, share them with us.”

Unaware of whose house I had just spent the night at, Yu-A-Rin flashed a victorious smile at Choi Yi-Seo.

—

Hearing the words, Choi I-seon pondered while chewing on sweet and sour pork, and once she swallowed, an idea struck her.

“How about Woo-jin teaches Taekwondo? He’s never learned it in his life.”

“Really? He’s never learned even once?”

Yoo Ah-rin looked at me with wide eyes, then grinned, her interest piqued.

“You taught Taekwondo to the youngest heir of the Wooju Group? That would be epic.”

“……”

“Just play the footage of him fighting that peeping tom. Critique his stance, say it’s lacking, and teach him how to fight… Hehe, oh my. What a lucky little brat.”

Could she already see the views skyrocketing? Yoo Ah-rin chuckled, placing a piece of pickled radish atop my black bean noodles.

“Well, if it can help, I suppose a quick shoot wouldn’t hurt.”

What’s so hard about that?

After all, a hidden camera video was scrapped because of me.

And it’s Sunday, so there’s not much else to do.

“Have you ever split your legs?”

“Why would I split my legs? I’m not paper.”

“Oh, right… I see.”

With a chilling smile, Yoo Ah-rin placed a piece of sweet and sour pork on my noodles and said,

“Don’t eat too much.”

“Why?”

I wondered why she was adding the pork if that was the case.

“You might throw up.”

Her response felt ominous.

—