Bamboo Forest Manager - Chapter 86



86 – 86. Phone Call

The next day, Sunday, the filming that seemed like it would continue forever finally came to an end after the shoot.

Originally, we were going to have a group dinner, but since I was just starting out, Joo-hee sunbae took me into consideration and decided to meet up separately later.

Thanks to that, while everyone was enjoying themselves after finishing a big task and drinking, I was the only one who didn’t have the misfortune of editing.

“Haah.”

I was also working hard on editing.

After finishing my uneventful Monday lecture, I was editing at a PC cafe.

I had tried it a few times at home with my laptop, but the lag was so bad that I just came to the PC cafe to do it.

“Here, this.”

“I didn’t order this?”

“It’s on me.”

Chan-woo brought me some Jjapagetti.

The PC cafe near my house was the best one, and I came here because Chan-woo was here, but seeing him now made me feel uneasy.

‘I didn’t do anything wrong.’

Even so, I felt like I had done something wrong and found it hard to make eye contact with Chan-woo.

‘Ah, Yoo Ah-rin, really.’

I blamed Yoo Ah-rin once and continued to focus on editing while eating the Jjapagetti that he had given me as a service. It seemed like things would get complicated if I thought too deeply about it.

Midterms were over, and the festival had passed.

Now, finals were approaching and vacation would be here soon.

Last vacation, I had lived like a廢人, unable to overcome the pain of失戀, so I planned to live more like a human being this vacation.

‘Should I go on a trip?’

From Noble mtl dot com

Even if going overseas was out of the question, how about backpacking around the country?

It would be a bit cold since it was winter, but it would be okay to carry around a tent or something.

As I thought about it, I found myself searching for camping gear.

From tents to portable stoves, burners, and various tools. Surprisingly, it was quite interesting to look at.

“What is this?”

A voice came from behind me.

“This is strange.”

I tried to get up in a panic, but the weight pressing down on both my shoulders made me sit back down on the chair.

I lifted my head slightly and saw Joo-hee sunbae, who was wearing a white hat pulled down low, looking down at me with a slight smile on her lips.

“I heard you were editing.”

“Su, sunbae… That’s not it.”

“I heard you were here and ordered a separate coffee, so what am I supposed to do?”

Her grip was getting stronger, and I felt like my shoulders were going to dislocate, so I shouted urgently.

“Ah, no, sunbae! I’ve already finished today’s portion! That’s why I was taking a break and doing something else!”

Only then did Joo-hee sunbae’s grip loosen. I turned my stiff shoulders and immediately played the edited video.

Overall, it was still in the early stages, but sunbae, who had watched it all, suddenly grabbed my head with both hands and stroked it.

“Wow! Woo-jin-ah! You did so well?! You really did well! Wow! My pretty boy! You’re back!”

“I never left!”

I couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of frustration. Anyway, Joo-hee sunbae smiled with satisfaction and handed me one of the Ahhs that Chan-woo had brought.

“Drink up. No, didn’t you just start today?”

“Yes, that’s right. But I practiced a bit on my own, and it turned out pretty well?”

“Wow, Woo-jin is really good at his job.”

Sunbae sat down next to me and drank her coffee with satisfaction. When I was looking at the camping gear, I thought I would stop here, but seeing her so happy made me want to do more.

As I was about to close the window with the camping gear, sunbae, who had been watching me intently from the side, asked me a question.

“Are you going camping?””Oh, I’m thinking of going on a trip during the break. I don’t have a part-time job anyway.”

“Really? That sounds nice.”

My senior sighed.

She was struggling with her scholarship and living in a dormitory.

It seemed like my senior didn’t have much financial freedom.

“Camping sounds fun. Ah, I want to go too.”

“Let’s go together.”

“Not this time. Invite me next time. I’m going to work part-time this break.”

Working part-time?

“Where are you going to work?”

When I showed interest, my senior took a sip of her coffee and let out a regretful sigh.

“I have to leave my dorm room during the break, so I looked for a part-time job that provides accommodation.”

“Are you going to another region?”

“Oh, there’s one in Gangwon-do. It’s a place with a casino and a hotel.”

“……Gold One Hotel?”

“Yeah, I heard that students majoring in culinary arts and hotel management are going there for an internship. So I decided to join them and work there.”

“I heard there’s a casino there, so there must be some scary guys.”

At my words, Joo-hee smiled and crossed her legs. Her bare legs, wearing slippers in this weather, caught my eye for a moment.

“What does that matter? I’ll just go back and forth between the accommodation and the workplace they provide.”

“That’s true.”

Anyway, she was going to have a hard time. How hard it must be to work while staying with strangers in a foreign land.

“Why did we end up talking about this when we were talking about camping gear? Anyway, that’s it.”

Joo-hee changed the subject and looked at my screen again.

“But isn’t camping gear a bit expensive?”

“Yes, it is. I’m trying to find the best value for money.”

A faint sense of depth appeared in my senior’s eyes. It seemed like she felt the difference between me, who was going camping, and her, who was going to work part-time.

“But come to think of it, it’ll be cold if I go at this time.”

I closed the window and changed the subject, and Joo-hee seemed to notice my deliberate consideration and sighed with a smile.

“It won’t be cold anywhere. Have you eaten? Let’s go, I’ll buy you something.”

“Let’s eat here. Do we have to go somewhere else?”

I didn’t want to take advantage of her, especially after we had just talked about money. Even if I said I would pay, Joo-hee would definitely pay for it herself.

“Hmm, it’s been a while since I’ve been to a PC room… Oh? The menu here is more diverse than I thought.”

Fortunately, Joo-hee seemed to be interested in the PC room menu and started humming while browsing through it.

* * *

“Sigh.”

After we finished eating.

We were still in the PC room, even though we didn’t have to go anywhere else.

Joo-hee, who had her hat pulled down low, had a serious look on her face.

“Whew.”

She kept touching her chin with her hand and sighing, as if she was deeply troubled.

“……Senior.”

Seeing this, I called out to her cautiously, and Joo-hee looked at me in surprise.

“Wh, what?!”

My senior was flustered.

I glanced at the Hanafuda game on her screen and asked cautiously.

“Um, it’s not illegal, is it?”

“……Does it look like that?”

I was a little worried that it might be a game where real money was involved, but my senior scratched her neck and looked confused.

“Of course not. It’s just game money…!”A dazzling effect suddenly bursts onto the screen. I’ve never played Hanafuda before, so I don’t know what’s going on, but judging from the way Joohee sunbae’s expression is clouding over, it seems like things aren’t going well.

[You have been eliminated!]

Sunbae has lost all her money and has been eliminated.

She looks at the game money payment window that pops up above and slams her hands down on the desk in frustration.

“Ugh!”

She made a cute sound.

Tears well up in her eyes, and as I watch her struggle, I suddenly feel worried.

“Sunbae, if I may, you shouldn’t go to the casino there.”

“……”

The way she glares at me is like a cat pretending to be innocent.

She looks like she wants to run up to me and take her anger out on me if she had the chance, but since she doesn’t, she just grumbles and sulks.

“Sh, you shouldn’t play shotgun.”

Chanwoo stops Joohee sunbae, who was about to slam the desk a few more times. In the end, sunbae’s hands stop in mid-air, searching for a place to go.

They head towards the cigarette pack I put down next to me.

“I’m going to go smoke a cigarette.”

“Yes.”

With Joohee sunbae gone, I start looking at the camping supplies again.

I thought about playing a game, but I was feeling a little lazy, so I just skimmed through them.

‘It’s more expensive than I thought.’

I think to myself that I don’t need to buy anything too good, but then again, if I’m going to buy something, I might as well buy something good.

While I’m thinking about this and that.

Woong!

I get a text message.

It’s a strange feeling that it came as a text message instead of a chat.

“What are you doing?”

A familiar voice calls out to me.

Yooarin stands there with her hands tucked into the pockets of her puffy hoodie, looking down at me.

Yesterday, there was a strange atmosphere, but Yooarin is not much different from usual now.

“What? Why are you here?”

I knew she didn’t like to come to the PC room where Chanwoo was.

Yooarin sits down next to me, frowning and sighing.

“Jung Chanwoo told me.”

“……Who?”

I ask back, looking at Yooarin without realizing it, and the guy who was sitting hunched over in his chair reaches out and pushes my face away.

“What are you staring at!”

“No, you…!”

I was about to argue that he didn’t tell me that.

Woong!

Woong!

My phone rings again.

I check it, annoyed that it’s another text message.

– Big brother: Come during the vacation.

– Big brother: Mother wants to see you.

– Big brother: Don’t act like a child.

– Kim Woojin: ㅗ

“No, did Chanwoo tell you I was here?”

“Why are you so slimy, you little punk?!”

I focus on Yooarin again.

Woong! Woong! Woong!

This time, she calls me.

“Ha, I’ll take this call for a second.”

“Is it Yerim? Or Iseul?”

“Hyung.”

“……Hyung is here too?”

I answer the phone without answering Yooarin, and a voice harder and colder than anyone I’ve ever heard comes to my ear.

– If you don’t come this vacation, I’ll take away your allowance and your room.

“Nonsense. When did you ever give me an allowance?”

– I told Father.

“……Hyung.”

– You know when to bend over, huh?”You say what? You little brat. Just go get a part-time job.”

– You? A part-time job?

I wanted to say something to my laughing older brother.

“Ha! Ouch, ouch! I, I can’t hold it in anymore!”

“……?!”

Yoo Ah-rin suddenly stuck her face out and groaned. I instinctively pulled my body back, and Yoo Ah-rin playfully flicked her middle finger with a mischievous smile.

– Phew.

A sigh could be heard from the phone.

“No, wait a minute. Don’t misunderstand.”

– Are you fooling around with another woman again?

“That’s not it…!”

I was about to say no right away.

I felt something was wrong.

“Again?”

Right now.

Did he just say again?

– …….

There was no answer.

My older brother, who never backs down, chose to remain silent this time.

“How do you know I’m dating Yoon-ji?”

I stood up without realizing it and asked.

– I’ve said all I need to say. Come home during the break.

He said that and hung up the phone.