Bamboo Forest Manager - Chapter 390



Flames

“Hyaht!”

The female groan from inside made various thoughts flash through Oh Yoonji’s mind for a moment.

The approaching evening hour, her high school classmate suddenly sending her to a pool villa.

Working in internet broadcasting, Oh Yoonji knew that this kind of situation was surprisingly a cliché in horror games, but.

“Eung!”

With another groan following, she quickly understood what was going on.

“Choi Lee Seo, ssi…”

She immediately picked up her phone and called Choi Lee Seo, but she didn’t answer.

Brain scrambled in a million ways, a naive voice piped up from inside.

“Woojin-ah, wasn’t someone just here?”

“Looks like Yiseo came.”

“Really?”

“Whatever, just focus, will you? You’ll end up like Arin if you don’t.”

“Ri, right, gotta focus!”

“Shit, Kim Woojin. There’s no way you’re tying!”

‘Tying?’

Oh Yoonji furrowed her brow, striding into the room.

Looks like Kim Woojin’s s*xual preferences had taken a turn in ways she didn’t know about.

“aaah! Woojin-aaah!”

“Get on your knees and beg!”

Seo Yerin’s scream made Oh Yoonji’s pace quicken.

Just what kind of game was going on for those words to come out?

“Ah! I losttt!”

Three figures sat on the sofa in front of a huge TV, gamepads in their hands.

“……”

The words ‘1P WIN!’ flashed on the TV screen and in that instant, Oh Yoonji realized her misunderstanding.

“Oh, what? Why is Oh Yoonji here?”

“Huh? Yoonji’s here?”

Yoo Arin and Seo Yerin stared at Oh Yoonji who’d just entered.

Kim Woojin, who’d been cheering his win, was startled, and then warily approached, glancing around.

“H-How did you know to come here?”

“Yiseo told me to come instead of her.”

“Yiseo?”

“Did you run away from this!?”

“Wow, Choi Yiseo’s insane.”

Yoo Arin and Seo Yerin’s reaction behind the flustered Kim Woojin seemed more serious.

Oh Yoonji, with her sharp intuition, had a good guess at what had gone down.

And knew exactly why Choi Yiseo had sent her here too.

“No, are you the only one having a hard time? We all need to work together!”

“Choi Iseo isn’t even answering her phone! She must have run away!”

Seo Yerin and Yoo Arin’s reactions were more lukewarm than expected.

In the past, they would have immediately exploded in anger and told her to leave.

Now, the two of them were more annoyed with Choi Iseo for running away than anything else.

‘These two have changed strangely.’

Maybe it was because they had just talked to Choi Jina.

It seemed like the two people whose sense of common sense had crumbled had been influenced by Kim Woojin.

“Ahem, so… Yoonji? What happened here was…”

“You don’t have to say anything, just stay still. I’ll call Choi Iseo separately.”

“Yes, please.”

He tried calling again, but Choi Iseo didn’t answer.

He left a message, arms crossed and fuming, then looked at Kim Woojin standing awkwardly in front of him.

“……”

Look at him, not even knowing what’s going on.

To avoid the awkward atmosphere, Oh Yoonji changed the subject.

“So, you’re going to the army.”

“Hmm? How did you know?”

“The boss told me.”

“Big brother? Ah, right. That makes sense.”

“When exactly? Are you not thinking of postponing it?”

“I’m enlisting at the end of January. I was thinking of postponing it, but I decided to just go.”

“Hmm?”

He had changed a bit.

How should I put it?

The Kim Woojin I knew would have worried about what the others would think while he was in the army.

Now, he seemed to have an unwavering belief inside him.

“……”

Oh Yoonji, who had been staring at Kim Woojin, sighed and nodded.

“You have beer, right? Let’s have some.”

“Didn’t you bring your car? Are you staying over?”

“Yeah! I’m staying over! Choi Iseo told me to!”

“……”

Kim Woojin, at a loss for words, trudged towards the refrigerator.

The two remaining people, still sitting on the sofa, spoke to Oh Yoonji.

“If you can’t beat them, join them.”

“Hey, newbie, this is a battlefield.”

‘What are they talking about?’

Anyway, they’ve been influenced in a strange direction.

“Doesn’t this bother you at all?”

Oh Yoonji, sitting on the sofa.

When asked if the situation Choi Iseo sent her into didn’t bother her, the two answered without much thought.

“I don’t like it.”

“Me neither.”

“……Then why are you accepting it?”

Seo Yerin, feeling awkward, gave a sheepish smile.

“It’s kind of like that. Trust in each other?”

“Trust?”

“Yeah, trust, friendship, loyalty, love. We’re connected by things like that-!”

“That’s nonsense. It’s just that it’s so damn hard, having one more person doesn’t seem bad.”

“Arin……”

“Hard?”

“Perfect timing.”

Yoo Arin adjusted her posture and asked Oh Yoonji honestly.

“Honestly, wasn’t it really hard when you were with Kim Woojin?”

“……Huh?”

What kind of question is this?

Unable to answer, she just stared blankly, and Yoo Arin shrugged her shoulders.

“Oh, you don’t have to put on a brave face. We all know anyway.”

“……”

“Honestly, I’m even a little impressed. How the hell did she handle that b*stard all by herself?”

Unable to follow the conversation, I kept my mouth shut, and then Seo Yerin, next to me, smacked Yoo Arin’s shoulder as a warning.

“Aish! Arin-ah! You shouldn’t ask things like that!”

“Huh?”

“Woojin can’t be the same now as he was back then! The opponent is different!”

“Ah.”

What the hell are these two?

Are they trying to pick a fight right now?

“He was probably ordinary back then! But he’s different now! Because I, the super kawaii beautiful girl, am here!”

“I can’t agree, but I get the gist. Sorry, Yoonji-ya. I asked something unnecessary.”

“Are you guys picking a fight with me right now?”

Yoo Arin shrugged as she answered Oh Yoonji, who was smiling like her veins were about to pop.

“A little?”

“I’m not! Yoonji-ya!”

Unlike the spirited Yoo Arin, Seo Yerin frantically shook both hands and yelled.

“A fight! Don’t even mention it! If a super high school-level beauty like me, the number 1 rookie actor who everyone should pay attention to, fights an ordinary college student, it’d be a disaster! Like Tyson one-punching a high schooler!”

“……What the hell is that b*tch saying?”

“Basically, she’s saying she’s Tyson and you’re the high schooler.”

“Right.”

I don’t really get it, but I understand.

“I feel like she’s the one looking down on me the most right now?”

“Yeah, she’s actually the craziest while pretending she’s not. You know? The Bamboo Grove s*x poster. That was her.”

“Huh?”

“Ah, Arin-ah!”

This was something Oh Yoonji was hearing for the first time, so she was slightly taken aback.

Seo Yerin frantically tried to cover Yoo Arin’s mouth, but it was already too late.

“Seriously? She’s really the Bamboo Grove s*x poster? That crazy b*stard?”

“Haa, now that you know, it can’t be helped.”

Releasing Yoo Arin’s mouth, Seo Yerin struck a pose.

She struck a pose like a villain from an anime, then lowered her voice and declared,

“Yeah, I’m a s*x fiend.”

“Bullshit.”

“Arin-ah! This is such an awesome scene!”

Even as the two bickered in front of her, Oh Yoonji could only shake her head in awe.

As the president of an MCN company, she knew that countless people used anonymity to say things they’d never utter in real life.

‘This is truly unbelievable.’

She never imagined that the crazy online persona from the bamboo forest would be right here in front of her.

And it was even Seo Yerin, someone known as the pride of Gahyun.

Thinking that, she oddly thought they suited Kim Woojin, and his bizarre actions in Hawaii made sense now.

“Wow, shit… that’s insane.”

Could someone like this be among the people flooding our broadcasts?

She felt a slight curiosity but knew there was no way to find out.

“Anyway. It’s up to the woman to make a man excited, right? That b*stard was going at it non-stop when he was with us.”

“So, you got owned, and Choi Yiseo called me? That’s ridiculous.”

“Hey! Yiseo was the only one who got owned! We stayed behind without running!”

Seo Yerin said defiantly, causing Yu Arin to lower her head slightly.

“Ha, shit. Should I call Joohee sunbae as a substitute even now?”

“Arin-ah?!”

“Just kidding, you b*tch.”

“……”

Watching the two of them fooling around, Oh Yoonji surprisingly started to accept it.

‘This is good.’

Was this what you would call peaceful?

She was a little annoyed that they’d tried to pick a fight with her, but she thought she understood why Choi Yiseo hung out with them.

She also had an inkling of why Kim Woojin loved them.

“Yoonji-yah?”

Just then, Kim Woojin, who had gone to get beer, returned.

She wondered what took him so long for a simple trip to the kitchen, but what he held wasn’t beer, it was his phone.

“I’ll put you on with Yiseo.”

Kim Woojin handed over his phone.

Oyunji takes it and heads outside.

“Hey, Kim Woojin. Get over here. Gotta make sure this b*stard doesn’t go anywhere.”

“Ugh! What the hell all of a sudden!”

Yuarin grabs Kim Woojin by the scruff of his neck and throws him onto the sofa. On top of him, Seo Yerin climbs, claiming to do first aid with chest compressions, and then Oyunji slams the door.

– Hello?

“Hey, what is this.”

– …….

Choi Yiseo doesn’t answer.

If anything, that fuels Oyunji’s anger even more.

“Are you messing with me? You think doing this will make me, what, happy?”

– …I gave you a chance.

“A chance, my ass! Ah, seriously, you’re really pissing me off, Choi Yiseo?”

– Yunji-ya.

“Hey, should I tell you why you did this?”

Her voice naturally gets louder, but Oyunji is too worked up to even notice.

“You’re still sorry. That you’re dating someone after being with me, your ex. So you keep leaving openings with Kim Woojin, just in case.”

– …….

“After you found out that Kim Woojin still has feelings for me, you made yourself scarce, just in case he wouldn’t choose me because of you!”

Always.

Choi Yiseo was always worried about Kim Woojin.

Even in the guesthouse, when there were weird vibes between Kim Woojin and Min Juhee or Oyunji.

‘He gets upset when he’s swayed by other people like that. He feels sorry to us.’

That’s what Choi Yiseo had said.

Even in actions that you could call infidelity, Choi Yiseo always worried about Kim Woojin.

This time was similar.

If Kim Woojin had even a shred of feelings left for Oyunji, she wanted to give him that.

“You know what, honestly? You’re the craziest b*tch, Yiseo.”

Seo Yerin?

Yuarin?

No.

The one most fanatically obsessed with Kim Woo-jin under the guise of devoted love was Choi I-seo.

“On the surface, you wear a mask and pretend to be normal. In reality, as long as Kim Woo-jin can be by your side, you don’t care about anything else.”

How do I know this so well?

From noble mtl dot com

“Because I was like that too, you crazy b*tch.”

– …….

Choi I-seo had nothing to say.

She thought it might not be wrong.

Wasn’t she giving her man a legitimate opportunity to cheat so he couldn’t go anywhere else?

It was hard to see it as normal love.

Also, if she had to compare, it was similar to feeding a beast in a zoo.

“Do you think I’ll just accept this crap? Like you’re doing me a favor by giving me a piece of rice cake?”

– That is…….

“You’ve seen me since high school, don’t you know me? I’m not someone you can ignore. I’m not beneath you.”

Oh Yoon-ji’s back straightened gracefully.

The setting sun’s light shone on her, adding a brilliant sheen to her red hair.

“I’m Oh Yoon-ji.”

A hot heat was lodged in her chest.

Although she had unintentionally shown many weak parts, externally, Oh Yoon-ji was not someone who bowed to anyone.

“I’m not an easy opponent for you to be so relaxed.”

– …….

“Get your head straight. I’m not someone you take care of, I’m the one who takes away.”

– Hoo, fine.

A short sigh contained many meanings.

– That’s like you.

At Choi I-seo’s declaration of surrender, Oh Yoon-ji grinned and shouted.

“You b*tch! Come here right now and apologize to Kim Woo-jin and me! If you don’t want to die!”

– ……Alright.

“And bring some alcohol when you come! The expensive kind!”

– Got it.

“Hang up! You dog-like friend!”

Snap.

Oh Yoon-ji hung up the call and let out a long sigh.

She felt so heated up that she wanted to throw herself into the swimming pool in front of her.

“Take it.”

“Mm.”

Standing still, Oh Yoon-ji handed her phone backward, and Kim Woo-jin, who had approached unnoticed, took it from her.

“Phew, you should manage your girlfriend better. She pretends not to, but she’s really obsessed with you.”

“Sorry…”

“Well, it’s not really my place to say.”

As someone who had been in the position of a girlfriend, Oh Yoon-ji could somewhat empathize with Choi Yi-seo’s feelings, so she couldn’t just criticize her blindly.

“Is there anything delicious? I really want to eat something delicious today.”

“Something delicious?”

“Yeah, something really delicious! Because today, I kicked away something really delicious with my own foot!”

“…”

Kim Woo-jin didn’t respond.

He immediately realized that the “delicious thing” Oh Yoon-ji was referring to was himself.

“Don’t worry, I’m not in the mood for that today.”

Oh Yoon-ji patted Kim Woo-jin’s shoulder and walked inside.

Her back looked confident and unhesitant.

She was literally a woman like a flame.

Oh Yoon-ji.

“Damn.”

Suddenly, memories of their past relationship came to Kim Woo-jin’s mind, and he clicked his tongue and hit his forehead.

She looked so similar to the woman she was when they were deeply in love.

Confident and dazzlingly bold.

Just like the Oh Yoon-ji who had captured his attention more than anyone else in the English Literature department.

* * *

– Yoon-ji, what did you talk about with Yi-seo?

“Hmm?”

Inside, Oh Yoon-ji, who had been gulping down beer, was on the phone with Jung Min-ji.

Minji, who was living together with Choi Iseo, sounded worried.

“Why all of a sudden?”

– No, Iseo was really anxious until a while ago. She was pacing around the living room, went into the room, screamed into the pillow, and sobbed a little.

“……”

– But then she had a long phone call and suddenly asked if I wanted to go with her to meet you?

“Huh.”

– What’s this? You guys didn’t fight, right?

“Oh, Choi Iseo.”

That cute girl.

“We didn’t fight! You should come too! There’s a lot of delicious food here.”

– Are you sure you didn’t fight? Can I come without worrying?

“Hurry up and come, I want to tease you quickly.”