Bamboo Forest Manager - Chapter 383



Anxiety

“Call it Hoo-Pi-Jip.”

Lunchtime, in the classroom.

While eating a triangular kimbap, Seo Yerin said that.

“What?”

When Yoo Arin, who was sitting opposite, asked what she was talking about, Seo Yerin explained simply.

“Regret, Desolation, and Obsession. This is the situation we are going to face from now on. We are passing through regret now.”

“What nonsense. Am I the only one who doesn’t understand?”

“I don’t really get it either.”

When Choi Iseo replied awkwardly, Seo Yerin clicked her tongue and began to explain like a teacher.

“It’s a kind of trend. Regret, desolation, and obsession. That’s exactly what we are like now. We are regretting something we did wrong, right? After this, we will become desolate.”

“……”

“……”

What is this girl talking about now?

Both of them had the same thought at the same time, but there was a strange charm that kept them listening.

“For example, Woo-jin might be so disappointed in us because of this incident that he might want to break up.”

It felt like their hearts dropped.

What if he really gets disappointed in them because of this incident and wants to break up as Seo Yerin said?

Just imagining it was a dizzying shock, and Choi Iseo and Yoo Arin couldn’t say anything and just listened.

“Then what will happen? We will become desolate. We will imagine the times we spent with Woo-jin, cry for no reason, and regret that those times were good.”

Yum yum.

‘But she talks about such things while eating a triangular kimbap.’

‘I feel like I’m going to get indigestion…’

She has a strong stomach.

“Finally, it becomes impossible to live a normal life. Even when you’re just sitting still, you can’t stop thinking about Woojin, and it feels like you can see him. It’s like crossing into the realm of obsession.”

Seoye-rin nods her head in satisfaction.

She feels proud of herself for explaining it so well.

Although I listened as if I were entranced, after hearing it all, it didn’t feel very convincing.

“Hey, no matter what, would Kim Woojin go that far?”

“It was wrong to joke around, but… the original intention wasn’t to test him.”

“But, I think it’s okay to be a little cautious. When he asks three girls to date him, isn’t it abnormal for us to blindly trust him without any anxiety?!”

At Yoo Ah-rin’s words, Seoye-rin and Choi I-seo couldn’t completely deny it.

Wasn’t there also the recent incident with Oh Yoon-ji and Min Joo-hee?

“Honestly. Who here wasn’t anxious?”

No matter how much you love someone, it was Kim Woojin who created a situation where anxiety was inevitable.

“In the end, isn’t it Kim Woojin’s responsibility to bear until the end?”

Yoo Ah-rin’s angry appearance seemed like her own excuse for the upcoming tragedy.

It wasn’t completely unconvincing, but it wouldn’t lessen the shock Kim Woojin would receive.

It was a meaningless struggle.

“Ha, damn… How should I tell this b*stard? He really likes her.”

In the end, Yoo Ah-rin closes her eyes tightly and holds her head.

Seeing that, Seoye-rin pats her back.

“It’s okay, Ah-rin. Let’s be honest with Woojin.”

“Why are you pretending it’s not your problem, you jerk? You were the one who brought the two-line pregnancy test in the first place.”

“Eh, super cute me?”

That’s practically escapism.

When Yoo Ah-rin glares at her, Seoye-rin shuts her mouth tightly and snatches Yoo Ah-rin’s Choco Mon and sucks on it.

“Still, Woojin won’t lose affection for us to that extent.”

Even though the three of them found it hard to imagine life without Kim Woojin, wouldn’t it be just as difficult for Kim Woojin to accept a life without them?

“That’s right! Woojin can’t live without me!”

“Ha, really? I guess so? I feel like I’m going to die from anxiety.”

Seo Yerin, pretending to be cheerful, and Yoo Arin, shaking her legs in nervousness.

“Ah, what’s up, Choi Iseo. You asked me to eat together, so why did you call me here? It must be hard to get rid of the ramen smell.”

At that moment, Oh Yoonji entered the lecture hall.

Grumbling, she joined them with a cup of ramen and a hot bar in hand.

Choi Iseo explained as if introducing Oh Yoonji.

“I called her. I thought we might get some advice.”

“What’s going on? Kim Woojin has been in a good mood since this morning.”

Oh Yoonji checked her ramen while tearing apart wooden chopsticks.

Watching her, Yoo Arin’s expression subtly began to change, and finally…

“Hu, obsession?”

She uttered the concept she had just heard from Seo Yerin.

Regret, ruin, and obsession.

Once, the two of them couldn’t live without each other.

Oh Yoonji regretted breaking up with Kim Woojin.

Since then, she had lived a ruined life in many ways.

And now, the woman who was obsessed was eating ramen right in front of them.

“Um?”

Oh Yoonji was bewildered by the three people whose expressions darkened rapidly as they looked at her.

More than that…

“What’s this, why do I suddenly feel so dirty?”

Oh Yoonji felt like hitting each of them.

* * *

“…You weren’t around at lunch, so you prepared this?”

Choi Iseo marveled at the luxurious pool villa.

“Yeah! It’s a good day today. I wanted us to stay in a nice place together.”

Kim Woojin’s overly cheerful tension remained unchanged.

Not knowing there was such a pool villa in the city, Choi Iseo and the other two looked around quickly.

Starting from the swimming pool, there was a spacious yard and a two-story building with a futuristic design.

I thought they had miraculously found and rented a place that looked like it was straight out of a photo shoot for the day.

In the spacious yard, heat was rising from an expensive-looking barbecue grill.

“We were originally going to have dinner, right? I tried to choose food that would be good for a pregnant woman, but my sister-in-law told me not to worry about it so early.”

Kim Woo-jin opened each of the iceboxes one by one to show them.

From various kinds of meat to seafood, salads, fruits, drinks, and so on.

Not only that, but on the other side, there was a luxurious buffet-like spread of desserts.

“Since you won’t be able to eat much later, you should eat as much as you want now. So I prepared all this.”

“……”

“……”

“……”

The three of them were at a loss for words.

Had he been preparing this while he was out of sight during lunch?

The more they were moved, the heavier their hearts became with the truth they had to tell.

Kim Woo-jin even put on gloves and started grilling the meat himself.

“Wait, I’ll grill it for you. A dad should cook for his kids.”

Look at him humming while grilling the steak.

Could he be any more considerate?

“Woo-jin, didn’t this cost a lot to prepare?”

Seo Ye-rin hesitated and asked, and Kim Woo-jin smiled brightly and gave a thumbs up.

“My father gave me money when I told him I wanted to feed the kids something delicious.”

Why was that?

It was clearly a moment to be moved and happy, but the three of them felt a pang in their hearts.

“Sit down. I’ll set everything up and bring it to you. Oh, there’s a blanket over there, so cover yourself. It’s going to be quite chilly at night.”

“Okay.”

“I brought a heater too. If it gets too cold, turn it on. Or do you want to go inside? I’ll grill and bring it to you!”

“No, no! I want to stay with you!”

“Yes, we should stay together.”

“Our baby wants to stay with Woo-jin too!”

“Ye-rin…”

Contrary to Kim Woo-jin, who was moved and looked at Seo Ye-rin.

The other two glared at Seo Ye-rin viciously, clenching their fists.

Leaving Kim Woo-jin, who was engrossed in cooking, behind, the two immediately surrounded Seo Ye-rin and whispered.

“Are you kidding? What if you pour oil here?!”

“Why did you say that and make the kid expect more?!”

“Or are you really pregnant? Please, tell me it’s true. You should be pregnant.”

“Is that it, Ye-rin? Is it really?”

“…No.”

Seo Ye-rin’s voice crawled in, her head bowed in embarrassment.

“He likes it so much, I wanted to make him even happier.”

“Why are you making him climb higher when he should be stepping down?!”

“Ah, I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

Like scolding a troublemaking youngest, the two berated Seo Ye-rin from both sides.

Eventually, Seo Ye-rin, who had shrunk, pouted her lips.

“Here, I grilled some meat- What, Ye-rin? Why that face?”

Kim Woo-jin, who had grilled the meat, asked worriedly, but she brushed it off, saying it was nothing.

“This is really good Korean beef. Actually, I don’t know what’s good, but I got it from the place my father eats, so it must be really good.”

Steak that the chairman of the Wooju Group eats?

It was hard to even guess how much it would cost, and when the meat actually entered the mouth, it seemed to melt gently.

“I’ll let you enjoy it as much as possible before I go to the army. Well, since you’re pregnant, we can’t have s*x anyway.”

“……”

“And guys, I have something to say.”

Kim Woo-jin, who brought a chair and sat in front of the three people.

A faint smile appeared on his lips in the air where the night breeze and the heat of the charcoal fire were harmoniously mixed.

“I heard that if you get married and have children, there are various policies related to the military.”

For example, I heard a lot somewhere that if you have three or more children, you are exempt.

“But that requires being married on the family register and having children.”

Then a problem arises here.

Who will be registered as the wife?

In a situation where they were all looking at each other, Kim Woo-jin shook his head.

“No, I don’t think that’s right. It feels like choosing one of you, and I don’t like that.”

“……”

From noble mtl dot com

“I’ll be back. Honestly, I was a bit anxious. I was worried that your feelings might cool down while I’m in the military.”

The scariest thing about the military was not the absurdities that would happen there, the hardships from training, or the forcibly taken freedom.

What Kim Woo-jin feared most about the military was the relationships he would lose while he was gone.

“But since you guys are pregnant with my child… I feel like there’s a definite bond between us.”

Confessing his ugly true feelings made him feel like he was committing a sin against them.

Hoping that the white breath escaping into the cold air would cover his selfishness, Kim Woo-jin slowly stood up and approached them.

“Thank you, guys. I’ll really do my best.”

He took out a ring case from his pocket.

“It’s funny to give them at the same time, but I didn’t want to give one to someone first.”

Kneeling on one knee, Kim Woo-jin confessed to them, unable to hide his overwhelming emotions.

“Stay with me for the rest of my life.”

* * *

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Woo-jin-ah! I’m sorry!”

“Get lost! Damn it! Ahhh! My children! How am I supposed to endure when I go to the military!”

Still at the pool villa.

Seo Yerin banged on the door that Kim Woojin had entered, shouting, but he showed no intention of coming out.

It seemed clear how heartbroken he was, as he had firmly locked the door.

“Ugh! How could you toy with my heart like this! You bad women! How could you do this! I even thought hard about our kids’ names!”

“I’m, I’m sorry. Really… But from the beginning, it wasn’t like we were trying to deceive you or test you.”

Choi Iseo apologized, banging her forehead against the door. She hadn’t intended it, but she hadn’t expected to cause such a big wound.

“I know I’m a bad guy! There was a strange atmosphere with Yoonji! I had late-night snacks with Jina every night! And I even kissed Senior Joohee!”

“…What is this? Suddenly, don’t we seem a bit justified?”

Yoo Arin, who had heard the story, scratched the back of her head awkwardly, and the two people next to her said, “Shh!” and told her to be quiet.

“But this isn’t right! I was really looking forward to it! I thought I could live happily with you forever!”

“Sorry, I misspoke.”

Yoo Arin also scratched the back of her head and apologized.

“I even took the building where my father was going to retire and recuperate to live with you!”

“…That’s unfilial, Woojin.”

“It means I was that sincere! Now, if I go to the army and you suddenly disappear, what am I supposed to do! What if you break up with me!”

The three people unexpectedly sympathized with Kim Woojin’s desperation.

There were parts of Kim Woojin’s love that they were also doubtful and anxious about.

Kim Woojin felt the same way.

In fact, this was an emotion that anyone would naturally have.

Because they love that much.

Because they are that anxious.

That’s why they want to confirm and be confirmed.

“Uwaaah! Woojin-ah!”

“I’m sorry. Just come out for now.”

While Seo Yerin and Yoo Arin were apologizing at the door.

Choi Iseo took a step back.

Looking at Kim Woojin, who was just as anxious as she was.

She said something she would never have said if she were her original self.

“Can’t we do it today?”

For a moment, all sounds died quietly.

No one failed to understand the meaning of the words.

A moment later.

A rustling sound came from inside the door, then the door slammed open roughly.

Naked Kim Woo-jin stepped out.

His firmly erect and formidable lower half was raging with a force that felt almost violent.

Panting, Kim Woo-jin glared at the three people in front of the door and commanded,

“Suck.”

Actually, before he even spoke those words.

Seo Ye-rin was already on her knees in front of him, having started on her own.

“…Are you, forgiving me?”

When Yoo A-rin asked awkwardly, Kim Woo-jin nodded, and she hesitantly took a place next to Seo Ye-rin.

“Move over a bit.”

“A-rin-ah, watch my tongue technique and learn.”

“I get it, but if your tongue touches mine while we’re at it, I’ll kill you.”

“Woo-jin-ah! She’s threatening me!”

“Yoo A-rin?”

“No, I don’t want to kiss Seo Ye-rin! Shit, it already feels like eating ice cream together, so it’s disgusting.”

“A-rin-ah?”

Kim Woo-jin stared intently, and Yoo A-rin pouted before grumbling.

“Fine, I… shit, fine, I’ll try to endure it.”

In the end, she had no choice but to give in.

“A-rin-ah, you go below. I’ll do above.”

“Please, I’m begging you, let’s not make eye contact with each other.”

“I don’t want to either, A-rin-ah.”

The two started, each grumbling to the other.

Finally, when Kim Woo-jin looked at Choi Yi-seo, she, already seeming resigned, walked lightly forward, and began taking off her clothes.

“Honestly, I think I knew, deep down, it would end up like this someday.”

Choi Yi-seo was surprised at her own lack of aversion, which was greater than she’d anticipated.