Bamboo Forest Manager

The late night when the streets grew dim.

Choi Yiseo and I were walking together on the night road.

We took the bus, but we still needed to walk a bit to reach our accommodation, Hotel Building C.

"……"

The awkward atmosphere, as cold as the chilly air, pricked at my cheeks.

There were a few times like this with Choi Yiseo. After a conversation where emotions were poured out intensely, this awkward silence always followed.

Only the sounds of stepping on the unmelted snow on the street softly reached my ears.

We kept moving forward, maintaining a distance that was neither too far nor too close.

Thanks to that, the situation from just a moment ago kept replaying in my mind, even though I didn't want it to.

'What a real crazy bastard.'

At that time, I had tried to speak in a way that Choi Yiseo wouldn't feel unnecessary guilt.

Thinking about it now, wasn't it just a gutsy business move, shouting because I was a bad guy?

'Just a lunatic, nothing more, nothing less?'

No matter how much I tried to sugarcoat myself, the only answer that came out was that I was trash.

Rather, I started to worry that Choi Yiseo might lose affection for someone like me.

"Regretting it?"

Choi Yiseo glanced at me, who was in distress.

Wondering if it was obvious on my face, I touched my cheek and realized I had been frowning deeply.

"No, well… Honestly, it was a crazy statement, wasn't it?"

Muttering while letting out a hollow laugh at my own absurdity, Choi Yiseo finally gave a small laugh too.

Thanks to that, the atmosphere began to lighten up.

"Glad you realized."

"At the time, I was sincere in my own way…but, it was a bit of an extreme remark."

I wanted to dismiss it as a slip of the tongue, but Choi Yiseo seemed rather relieved because of it.

"That remark was kind of trashy. But I felt that you valued me enough to become your trashy yourself."

"…That's strange. How can you say that?"

Even now, it was odd to think about.

How could being a trashy person who plays around with other women be a way to protect Choi Yiseo?

Well, whatever it was, it seemed to work.

"Are you staying tonight and leaving tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'm only resting until the end of this week, then I have to resume work again."

With Yoon-ji and my older brother, right?

Honestly, I was very curious about what kind of work they did, so I considered asking.

"We're starting a company by gathering individual broadcasters. Well, I'm just running errands."

"Ah, I get what you mean."

Since my older brother has always been very interested in internet broadcasting, he probably has some ideas in that direction.

I also know that his girlfriend used to be an internet broadcaster.

'I should call and ask him later.'

We arrived at the hotel entrance before I knew it.

I was about to say goodbye when Choi Yiseo, hands deep in her pockets, pouted and said,

"Take me home."

"That's not like you, acting spoiled."

"Pleaseee."

Even acting cute?

"Hmm, I can't resist this."

As I gestured to go, Choi Yiseo smiled and led me.

Since it would only take a few minutes, I followed without much thought.

It was late, so there weren't many people in the hallway, and I was just planning to say a quick goodbye.

But as soon as the door opened, two people came running out, making a loud commotion.

Seo Yerin and Yu Arin.

Whether it was before bed or not, both came out in their pajamas and threw words at me the moment they saw me.

"I told you to send Yiseo back by 8 o'clock!"

"You're disgustingly late!"

I wanted to explain that there were some circumstances, but it was awkward to explain everything that had happened today.

"I was just late by chance."

As I scratched the back of my head and made an evasive excuse, they became even more agitated.

"Woo! Kim Woojin Woo! Your excuse lacks sincerity!"

"Can I just hit you by chance?"

These brats.

As I was about to tell them to be quiet because it was late at night, Choi Yiseo was a bit faster.

"Woojin said he's going to be a bad boy from now on."

"…What?"

Did you really have to say that here?

When Seo Yerin and Yu Arin asked what that meant, Choi Yiseo began to explain in detail.

"He's a bad guy, so it's not his fault that girls like him. Even friends fighting over a guy is all his fault."

"Wow, Kim Woojin flex."

"Damn, I feel like throwing up."

"……"

What's this.

Why am I suddenly getting beaten up.

"So you guys shouldn't fight amongst yourselves either. It's all Woojin's fault."

She says this with a bright smile to Seo Yerin and Yu Arin, who are in similar situations.

And yet, she glared at me fiercely.

It seems she was pleased yet upset by my earlier comment.

"No, I just said that out of anger at the time…"

I urgently try to make excuses since I never truly intended to juggle three relationships at once.

"Woojin is great, but sometimes he's really the worst."

"I'm the opposite. I hate everything about him, but sometimes he's okay."

"Hmm, personally, I hate it when you make weird jokes. It's most annoying when you think it's funny."

"Why are you hitting me all of a sudden?"

Suddenly, the three of them started verbally beating me up.

Their chatter was neither something I could stop nor avoid.

"Only someone like Chan-woo can pull off being a bad guy with girls around him. Isn't Kim Woojin just a bad guy wannabe?"

Yu Arin went out of her way to mention Jeong Chan-woo to hurt me.

"Wannabe. That's it. It's perfect. Woojin isn't a bad guy, just a bad person."

Choi Yiseo hit the sore spot Yu Arin had already struck, making the bruise worse.

"Has Woojin been running around outside too much and gotten a fever? Why don't you come inside and rest for a bit?"

Seo Yerin even went as far as dismissing it as nonsense and checking my forehead for a fever.

"……"

What did I say earlier with these kinds of people?

What?

It's okay because he's a bad guy?

"

Phew

, I should just die when I get home today."

As Seo Yerin, who was measuring the heat, clenched her fist and resolved to leave this world, she whispered so that the other two wouldn't hear.

"I don't mind infidelity."

"……"

"Instead, just use a different thing down there."

What kind of novel nonsense is this.

"Every man has only one of those."

When I responded to something so obvious, Seo Yerin nodded with a bashful smile.

"Exactly."

"Are you out of your mind?"

You have a novel way of saying not to cheat.

"Hey, bad guy. Want to sleep over here?"

"Kim Woojin, the bad guy."

"You freaking bitches."

I feel dizzy from Yu Arin and Choi Yiseo teasing me together.

I felt such overwhelming shame that I wanted to call 119 and ride away in an ambulance.

"What do we do! The bad guy seems to have a fever!"

Seo Yerin, with a serious expression, pretended to be worried. Her twitching lips made it obvious she wasn't sincere and was just teasing.

"I'm leaving."

Though I wanted to flee, being both physically and emotionally exhausted, the three wouldn't let me go.

"Where are you going! Off to seduce someone else, bad guy?"

"The English major Batman!"

"The femme fatale Woojin Kim!"

"Stop it!"

I feel like I'm going to die from embarrassment!

As I writhed in agony and shouted, the three burst into laughter.

They seem to find teasing me incredibly amusing.

If they provoke me like this, I can't just stand still.

Something.

Isn't there something that can shut them up?

The ones who followed me all the way to the elevator.

I got on the elevator and pressed the 'close' button, mumbling softly.

"At night, it's just the weaklings."

I thought I had toned it down a bit.

But it seemed like a pretty provocative taunt to them, as they reacted immediately.

"…!"

Choi Yiseo, who was so surprised that her face turned beet-red and froze.

It seemed the memory of begging beneath me that night suddenly came to her mind.

"You bastard!"

Likewise, Yu Arin, whose face turned red with embarrassment, tried to grab the elevator doors.

But she was a step too late, and the door closed.

"I'm not a weakling."

Before the door closed, I heard Seo Yerin's voice, full of grievance.

Anyway, I took the elevator up to the 8th floor.

Perhaps I had succeeded in getting my revenge.

Feeling somewhat appeased, I quickly entered my room.

Passing by the roommates who were still awake and watching a drama together, I went into the bathroom to wash up.

Just then, a message came in.

It was from Seo Yerin.

Seo Yerin: I'm not a noob.

What nonsense.

Kim Woojin: You're a noob too. Just admit it.

Seo Yerin: ? Come back and prove it.

Crazy girl.

Well, to be honest, Seo Yerin is much more proactive compared to the other two.

Kim Woojin: You win. Not a noob.

Seo Yerin: Thanks

Seo Yerin: (photo)

Seo Yerin: Gift.

I thought she sent another revealing photo, but this time it was a bit special.

A photo that made me smile the moment I saw it.

The background was a ski resort.

It was a picture of Yu Arin sledding and smiling brightly among the children.

"She finally went sledding."

I laughed in disbelief and immediately sent the photo to Yu Arin.

Yu Arin: (photo)

This time, she sent a photo from the other side.

The angle was similar, and the background was the same, but the person had changed.

It was a picture of Seo Yerin enjoying herself on the sled.

After all that talk about being a tough girl, she ended up riding the sled herself.

Kim Woojin: You two really are close friends.

This time, after sending the photo received from Yu Arin to Seo Yerin and smiling, another photo came in.

Seo Yerin: (photo)

Seo Yerin: Senior Ju-hee took it for us.

Seeing the two of them laughing together while riding the sled made me chuckle.