Bamboo Forest Manager - Chapter 73



73 – 73. Jogging

The tension I felt was like the time I skipped school and got a call from my mom.

– Choi Yiseo –

Choi Yiseo’s call made my body tense up so much that it reminded me of that time.

Should I answer this?

I hesitated for a moment, but the insistent buzzing of my phone made me put my finger on the screen and answer the call.

“Hello?”

I answered the phone cautiously, and on the other end…

– What? Why are you answering the phone so late?

Choi Yiseo’s voice sounded the same as usual. The moment I heard it, I felt my body relax and calm down without realizing it.

We had asked for the video to be taken down right away, and I had deleted the bamboo forest photo right away.

In fact, only someone like Yoo Arin, who should be living in a bamboo forest, would have seen that video.

The anonymous287 account that was registered with Choi Yiseo’s student ID had been blocked by me last time because I thought it was Ahn Hyunho’s account.

Choi Yiseo didn’t use SNS, so she had no way of knowing about the original video that had been uploaded to SNS.

‘Come to think of it, I have no reason to be nervous.’

Even though I’m in a subtle relationship with Choi Yiseo, she’s not my girlfriend.

‘But why do I feel so guilty?’

I wondered why I felt uncomfortable with Choi Yiseo because I had slept with Seo Yerim, but for now, I answered her in a whiny voice.

“I’m at Han River sunbae’s house with Joohee sunbae right now. For a group project.”

– Hmm, that’s a very unique combination.

Yes, it’s a unique combination.

“I think Han River sunbae might get thrown into the Han River today. The culprit is Joohee sunbae.”

– …What’s going on?

I took a step back.

Han River’s scream was so piercing that it sounded like she was being tortured.

Seeing Joohee sunbae beating her with all her might, I vowed to never mess with her again.

I don’t know how I got the guts to brief her on her sunbae status.

“Anyway, I’m a little busy because of that. Why did you call?”

– Oh, you said you were filming a movie. When are you starting?

“Hmm, there’s been a bit of a change, so I think I’ll have to ask sunbae. I’ll check and get back to you when I’m done with this.”

– Okay… Are you going to work out today?

I was addicted to home workouts lately, so I answered with a confident laugh.

“Let’s do it. I think my body has gotten a little better lately. It feels firmer?”

– Okay, then I’ll see you then.

Click.

Choi Yiseo’s reaction was a bit cold. I felt my heart, which had been pounding for no reason, relax. Should I say that I had overcome a big obstacle?

“Ugh! Oh my god! Help me! The neighbors!”

“I should go beat her up too.”

That’s a man and a woman.

The enemy of both s*xes.

I was about to seriously ask Joohee sunbae if she should get castrated.

Ooh!

– Yoo Arin –

Another call came in.

I sighed and answered the phone.

“Oh, why?”

– Do you want to die? Why are you ignoring my calls and texts?

“I had something to do. Why?”

Yoo Arin seemed to get even more annoyed by my confident tone and shouted.

– Why? Are you seriously asking me why?!

“Oh… Because of the video?”

– Wow, that’s great. I guess you don’t care. Do you feel good about yourself because everyone knows you’re good at s*x?

“That was for a project.”

– What?

This was the excuse I came up with. I told Seo Yerim and the person who posted it on SNS to explain it this way.

I’ll send them a video of us actually practicing later, and they’ll post an apology and the video.

“It was for a project. Seo Yerim and Han River sunbae are going to be the main characters in a movie this time. That’s why we were practicing.”- Did you forget I helped you write the script? There’s no such scene?

“Ha, are you really our team member? I’m sorry, but we consulted each other and added that content separately?”

An outsider is interfering.

If we are, then we are.

– You have to write the script in English.

“We can practice acting in Korean.”

– Ha, make that excuse to Seo-han too, you brat.

Hmm?

Why are you suddenly talking about Choi Seo-han?

“I don’t know about Choi Seo-han. The original post and the copy have already been deleted.”

– …….

“I just called him? I’m not ashamed or embarrassed at all, but I’m warning you just in case, don’t tell Choi Seo-han.”

A moment of silence.

Then Yoo Ah-rin clicked her tongue and replied.

– You’re pathetic.

“Why are you stupid?”

– I saw that with Seo-han.

…….

………….

From Noble mtl dot com

“f*ck.”

* * *

“Are you here?”

The sunset over the promenade was a sight I had seen many times before, but today it was strangely somber.

Perhaps it was because there was a schoolgirl with dark blue hair, dressed in a tracksuit, waiting for me while stretching in the scenery.

“Yeah, I’m here.”

I waved my hand slightly to greet her, and Choi Seo-han smiled and greeted me back.

“I don’t know how hard you’ve been practicing Homet, but let’s see how good you are.”

With that, Choi Seo-han gave me a signal to run, and I immediately started jogging next to her.

Suddenly, I felt like saluting the future of the Han River, where I would be doing morning roll call and guard duty every day.

“Hoo, hoo.”

Choi Seo-han ran with a steady breath.

She didn’t look much different than usual.

I ran next to her, matching her steady pace, neither slow nor fast.

We didn’t talk much.

In the first place, we didn’t have the余裕 to talk while exercising.

We just kept running like that, and before we knew it, we reached the usual end point.

“Let’s run a little more.”

Choi Seo-han didn’t stop there and went a little further, and I followed her.

‘My stamina has gotten better.’

The reason I stopped here when I first ran was simple: I couldn’t run any further.

There was a physical limit, so it was a set finish line. But today, I was easily surpassing it.

I glanced at Choi Seo-han. It was as if I could run even after passing the finish line.

She also looked like she was trying to push herself beyond her limits.

My heart pounded strangely.

“Hoo, hoo.”

Choi Seo-han stopped after running for almost 30 more minutes. Even then, she didn’t seem to be breathing too heavily, so it seemed like she could run more.

“Haaak! Haaak! Super!”

I collapsed on the floor, feeling like I was going to die at any moment. I was proud of myself for growing a little bit, but I wish I had been satisfied with that.

Thanks to the long run, the surroundings were already dark and the streetlights were on, and we had come to the end of the promenade where people rarely walked.

“It’s really hard!”

I crawled to a nearby bench and sat down, and Choi Seo-han, who had been watching me, sat down next to me.

Choi Seo-han, who had definitely run with me, was already breathing again. It was too dark to see her well, but she looked at the direction of the river and asked.

“Have you thought about it a lot?”

I could tell from her tone that what she was about to say was quite serious.

“At first, I was angry.”

“…….”

“I thought about folding you in half and killing you.”

What the.

Why are you talking like it’s actually possible?

I was momentarily taken aback, but I continued to listen to Choi Seo-han’s words.

“Then I was disappointed.”

“…….”

“And then I felt like an idiot.”I wanted to say something, but I couldn’t say anything. After all, the fact that I slept with Seo Yerim didn’t change.

“Because you’re not my girlfriend. I said I wouldn’t interfere, but it’s hard to stay still when something like this happens.”

“…….”

“I also wondered if I really had to like you this much.”

The words pierced my heart like a knife, but I had nothing to say in response.

Since I was passive in the relationship, it was natural for Choi Yiseo to come to her own conclusion.

In the first place, there was nothing I could change.

“I just thought about taking you to a hotel or something.”

“Ahem.”

“But. I feel like I’d be too cheap then.”

“…….”

“It’s my first time experiencing this. It would be too pitiful to myself to just do it out of jealousy.”

“Of course.”

I agreed.

It was foolish to ruin a meaningful time just because someone else did it and I felt like I had to follow suit.

“Am I too slow?”

Choi Yiseo slowly turned her head and asked me, meeting my eyes.

“Everyone’s becoming adults so quickly. It feels like things that we couldn’t do in high school are happening in an instant.”

“…….”

“So, to be honest, I was a little worried. I wondered if I was going the right way.”

Choi Yiseo’s hand, which had reached out quietly, gently caressed the back of my hand.

It contained her own affection.

“I wanted to confirm that today. Whether it’s right to go at my own pace.”

The soft smile that formed on her lips was also Choi Yiseo’s answer.

“I think it’s right. I think it’s right to keep going like this.”

“…….”

“No matter what other people do. In the end, you’re conscious of me.”

At those words.

My mouth opened slightly without me realizing it.

It wasn’t a wrong statement.

When I had a relationship with Seo Yerim.

The first person I worried about was Choi Yiseo.

Even when the video spread, when the phone call came, when I was relieved to meet her.

I was always mindful of Choi Yiseo.

Unbeknownst to me.

The moment I realized that Choi Yiseo had a fairly large place in me.

The night wind blew.

Riding on it, Choi Yiseo gently leaned on my shoulder.

“This is my speed.”

Slowly but surely.

I could feel Choi Yiseo approaching me.

“W, what about the smell of sweat…….”

Was she disgusted by it?

Or was she thinking of her ex-girlfriend?

Or were her emotions being stirred more than she thought?

I didn’t know what it was, but I tried to push her away for the time being.

“I don’t think your sweat smells bad.”

Choi Yiseo wrapped her arms around me and clung to me, and without me realizing it, my body stiffened.

‘Why does this girl’s sweat smell strangely fragrant?’

It was fragrant, but it was also strangely stimulating a man’s s*xual fantasies.

Her soft chest wrapped around my arm, and her pheromones wafted seductively.

I wanted to pull my body away, but I was sitting on a bench, so there was nowhere to run.

“I think I’m sorted out for now.”

Choi Yiseo, who spoke refreshingly, got up from her seat. As the warmth, touch, and scent of her arm disappeared, a strange sense of regret came over me.

“Let’s go eat, to your house.”

What she mentioned with a refreshing smile was surprisingly.

“……My house?”

“Yeah, I already told Minji that I’m going to sleep at your house today.”

At those words, I stared blankly at Choi Yiseo and replied.

“We don’t have any condoms?”

“This jerk……!”

Bam!

Choi Yiseo’s fist flew right at me. Her bad habits hadn’t changed at all.

As I curled up on the bench, Choi Yiseo hit my back and shouted.”Just now! Just now! You said you wouldn’t do that! You said you’d go slow! Just a little! Just be with me! That’s why I said that!”

“Oh, no! Anyone who heard you would have misunderstood what you said just now!”

This is really unfair!

I struggle to my feet, grabbing Choi Yiseo’s wrists.

Choi Yiseo, her face flushed and scowling, glared at me.

“Honestly, am I right? You said something that would make me misunderstand, right?”

“Whew! Whew!”

Choi Yiseo, who was catching her breath, pouted her lips and replied.

“Yes, honestly, I said it to make you misunderstand because I was a little annoyed. I wanted you to lose.”

“……”

She’s very intelligent.

As I slowly let go of her hands, Choi Yiseo glared at me, twisting her wrists.

“I told you, you have to watch your jealousy.”

“I don’t intend to tolerate being punched.”

When I said that, Choi Yiseo crossed her arms and replied.

“Let’s stop by the convenience store and buy some alcohol. You’re really dead today.”

“……”

“You did this with Yerim, didn’t you? You’ll regret it big time.”

“What?”

I asked Choi Yiseo what I would specifically regret, but she turned away and walked off.

Anyway.

Today, Choi Yiseo seemed to be sleeping over at my house.