Bamboo Forest Manager - Chapter 395



Self-Defense

Of course, no matter how much enlightenment one gains, it is impossible to win every game.

But it wasn’t as hostile as when I played with Seo Yerin.

“What the hell is that guy doing?!”

Yoo Arin shouted, pulling my shoulder.

Suddenly, our teammate started throwing the game, saying he had to go eat, and she got angry.

Watching from the side, it seemed she had learned something.

“Woojin, this might be tough.”

Choi Iseo sighed, feeling the same frustration.

In such cases, it was practically like encountering a natural disaster.

“Hey, move aside. I’ll curse that guy out.”

I hurriedly stopped Yoo Arin, who was trying to snatch my keyboard to type in the chat.

“I’ll get chat banned.”

“Ugh, what’s wrong with him? Shouldn’t he play the game properly?!”

Seo Yerin and Bae Ji Hye also seemed to have given up, feeling disappointed.

As we kept playing together like this, we started sharing both our frustrations and joys.

And so, eventually.

[Victory!]

[Promoted to Gold Tier!]

Seeing the message on the screen, I felt a surge of emotion and tears welled up.

Honestly, I thought it was nothing special.

I wondered if it was worth trying so hard for just a game tier, but reaching the goal made me feel overwhelmed.

“Ah, finally.”

As my body relaxed and my hands dropped, Choi Iseo and Yoo Arin hugged me from both sides.

“Well done, Woojin! You really worked hard!”

“That was freaking awesome at the end!”

“Huuuaaah.”

Is this paradise?

My gold run, which started on Friday afternoon, finally ended on Sunday evening.

I felt like my body was breaking down from practically living in the PC bang, sleeping as little as possible.

The only reason my condition didn’t get worse was because the guys forced me to stretch now and then, and we made sure to eat outside to get some fresh air.

“That’s touching.”

“Getting to gold is this tough, huh.”

Choi Jin-ah and Bae Ji-hye were also empathizing with us in their own way. After all, they could claim a share in my gold achievement.

“At first, I didn’t think it was that important. But doing this with you guys, I feel strangely moved.”

I feel proud thinking that I can now confidently say I’m gold and not get teased for being bronze when I go to the army.

“Let’s go, I’ll buy something delicious today.”

Everyone must be tired, but we have to have a celebration, right? Since it’s dinner time, I suggested we end it with something expensive like steak, and everyone cheered.

Just as we were finally about to escape the PC bang.

“Wait, wait! Wait a minute!”

Seo Ye-rin, who was still sitting with her butt glued to the chair, urgently called out to us.

“I’m still silver!”

Of course, no one looked back.

Weren’t we all thinking the same thing?

“Ye-rin.”

That’s where you belong.

A few days later, Ye-rin brought the sad news that she had been demoted back to bronze.

* * *

Two items on my bucket list were achieved simultaneously.

One was staying up all night playing games at a PC bang.

The other was reaching gold rank.

Having accomplished both at the same time, I drew a line through them on my phone memo where I had written my bucket list.

Swoosh.

[Reach gold rank]

[Stay up all night at a PC bang]

“Oh, right.”

[The Four of Us Going to a Hotel]

We achieved the feat of succeeding at what I thought would be the most difficult, surprisingly, the first.

It wasn’t for very long, but that night still feels like something from a dream.

It was, literally, an amalgamation of carnal desire and pleasure.

Wasn’t that place basically Sodom and Gomorrah?

Anyway, I really made the most of the weekend.

So much so that even listening to Monday lectures, I can’t help but smile.

– Jung Chanwoo: Anyone wanna drink tonight?

– Ahn Hyunho: I’m busy today.

– Ahn Hyunho: I’m going out with Gyua.

– Jung Chanwoo: Fck.

– Jung Chanwoo: Woojin, you’re gonna drink with me tonight, right?

– Jung Chanwoo: Not gonna be a coward following a girl like Hyunho, right?

– Ahn Hyunho: You crazy b*stard.

It’s funny how the guy who used to hang out with girls the most is acting like this now that he’s going to the military.

– Kim Woojin: I have plans today.

Unfortunately, I’m a pretty busy person now too.

I’ve suddenly got a ton of plans since I’m going to the army, and today’s one of them.

– Jung Chanwoo: You little shit.

– Jung Chanwoo: I miss the older guys.

– Kim Woojin: You gay b*stard.

– Ahn Hyunho: Get lost, you’re making the chat dirty.

– Jung Chanwoo: You dickheads.

“Hmm.”

I ponder for a moment then text Chanwoo again.

– Kim Woojin: You wanna come with me?

– Kim Woojin: It would be okay if we went together.

– Jung Chanwoo: Really?

– Kim Woojin: Yeah.

No big deal.

It seemed better to go together than to go alone.

– Jeong Chan-woo: But why are we going?

– Kim Woo-jin: To learn a man’s dream.

– Jeong Chan-woo: ?

– Ahn Hyun-ho: If it were me, I wouldn’t go.

– Ahn Hyun-ho: Seeing him talk like that makes me really uneasy.

– Kim Woo-jin: Then don’t learn it.

– Kim Woo-jin: I won’t be responsible if you get beaten up somewhere.

– Ahn Hyun-ho: What is it?

– Ahn Hyun-ho: What are we going to learn?

– Kim Woo-jin: Fighting.

* * *

Although he grandly called it fighting, in reality, we were going to learn self-defense.

And it was all arranged by our big brother.

At first, I said no, asking why I should learn self-defense.

But as a father of three kids, I thought I should learn some self-defense.

I said I had the kind of personality that would get stabbed on the street…

I didn’t bother to mention that the kids’ pregnancies were a lie.

At first, I hesitated, but then I realized I could just make it true.

Anyway.

So I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to learn some self-defense.

“Hey, are we really here to learn this?”

“I’m really good at fighting.”

“Shut up.”

Jeong Chan-woo, who was bored alone.

Ahn Hyun-ho, who broke a promise with his girlfriend and came along because he was bored.

And me.

We headed to the gym our big brother told us about, boasting to each other.

“Guys, you misunderstand something. I go to the gym a lot. I’m famous there.”

Jung Chan-woo, showing off his arm muscles.

I do know.

Choi I-seo and Jung Chan-woo are famous as a handsome couple at that gym.

But that doesn’t mean I’m losing.

“Hey, don’t you know Kim Woo-jin of home training? My inner muscles are no joke.”

“How would you know, you idiot, if you’re doing home training.”

“Frog in a well.”

Anyway, these guys become incredibly wise when insulting others.

Ahn Hyun-ho, unlike the two of us, just shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head.

“Guys, you know Ho-hang High, right? If you just mention Ahn Hyun-ho’s name there, everyone gathers.”

“Ho-hang High? If you tap their shoulder, they might respond like ‘Ho-hang-hang Ho-eh’.”

“Being a former delinquent is something to brag about, you idiot. Aren’t you ashamed?”

“Ahem.”

“No, but honestly, don’t I have the best body here?”

“Ha. Are you showing off with balloon muscles? Look at me. A perfectly toned body.”

“Guys. Talking about fighting with muscles is really low-level, you know? Experience, guts, fists, and romance. That’s everything-.”

So, we kept up our pointless bravado until we entered the gym.

The moment we saw the person waiting for us there, we clammed up.

“You’re here?”

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Yong-jumper.

Senior Joo-hee, with black hand wraps around her hands, greeted us.

“Oh, hello?”

“Senior?”

While the other two were bewildered and walked inside,

I stood frozen at the entrance.

Senior Joo-hee?

Why is she here?

As these questions swirled in my mind, the senior pointed her chin towards a door.

“Go get gloves and headgear that fit your size.”

“Yes!”

“I’ll bring it right away!”

The two people went inside.

I stood there stupidly, and my senior glanced at me and asked.

“I heard you were coming alone?”

“Ah, yes… That was the plan. But I thought it would be good for them to learn too.”

“Okay.”

No particular reaction from the senior.

‘Because I’m a competent bodyguard.’

The words my senior said at the pension came to mind again.

Come to think of it, I haven’t had a chance to face my senior like this since then.

For now, I awkwardly followed the kids into the room.

“I’m a little excited.”

“This place is amazing.”

The two people went out as I came in. I took out my phone and called my brother.

– Hello?

“Was the self-defense teacher you mentioned Senior Joo-hee?”

– Yes, when I talked to the head of the security team, he said Min Joo-hee, who you’re close with, would be good.

“……”

– Since I had her contact information from when we went to Hawaii, I asked her directly, and she agreed.

“……”

– Don’t worry. We’re paying her well.

That’s not what I was worried about.

“Ha, if I get divorced, it’s your fault.”

– ……What?

Click.

I hung up the phone and roughly grabbed my gloves and headgear and went outside.

Waiting there were Senior Joo-hee and the others.

Since the senior was already making them do warm-up exercises, I quickly joined them and started warming up too.

“Alright, everyone, attention.”

After the warm-up, the senior immediately got us to focus.

I was worried that something might happen, but seeing the indifferent expression on my senior’s face, it seemed unlikely.

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“Originally, I was only supposed to teach Woojin.”

The guys were cautiously observing.

But the senior continued to explain lightly.

“But since you all came, I’ll do a simple test to gauge your skills.”

Then the senior took a few steps back and suggested.

“Let’s do some sparring. Just for a short minute, so I can see what I need to teach you.”

“Oh.”

“Feels like a master.”

The other two guys were curious and eager to go first.

But I felt strangely uneasy and kept my mouth shut.

Thus, the one-minute sparring was arranged.

The opponent was Ahn Hyun-ho.

“Senior, honestly, I used to fight a bit in high school.”

“……”

“You’ll feel the difference in level from those bugs.”

Ding!

As soon as it started, Ahn Hyun-ho’s fist flew.

Smack!

And he fell.

Ahn Hyun-ho did.

“Huh?”

“What?”

What did we just see?

Chan-woo and I rubbed our eyes with gloved hands and looked again, but there was Ahn Hyun-ho, fallen.

“Next.”

The senior immediately kicked Ahn Hyun-ho out of the ring.

Since I had been quiet earlier, naturally, the next turn was Jung Chan-woo’s.

“Wait a minute, senior? Did you gauge our skills with that? It was one second, not one minute.”

“I gauged it.”

The senior nodded indifferently and glanced at Ahn Hyun-ho, evaluating him nonchalantly.

“Trash.”

“……”

Ding!

Just then, the bell rang again.

Smack!

Thud!

Jung Chan-woo, who ended up lying quietly next to Ahn Hyun-ho.

“Two pieces of trash.”

As I blinked and watched the situation, the senior caught his breath and gestured with his chin.

“Next.”

“Is this some kind of stress relief for you, senior?”

“No.”

“Then why did you do that to them?”

“……Because they were in the way.”

“What?”

“Enough.”

Screech!

The senior took off his jumper.

Underneath, there was only a black tank top that exposed his navel.

The senior, who suddenly increased his exposure, took a stance and spoke.

“Why did you suddenly take that off?”

“Because it’s hot. Sparring makes me hot.”

“You just threw two punches.”

“Enough, get in the ring. I’ll show you properly.”

“……Show me what?”

The senior didn’t answer my question.