Bamboo Forest Manager

Chapter 39

39 – 39. Anonymous59

– Choi Iseo: How many exams do you have left?

As the end of the exam period was approaching.

The voices of people saying that exams were over echoed even within the university and the bamboo forest.

– Kim Woojin: One.

I, Kim Woojin.

I still needed some more time for the exams to be over. The lecture that was supposed to be on Thursday was postponed to Friday due to the professor’s personal reasons.

Thanks to that, I had to go to school today to take the exam, even on a Friday, which is the day for concentrated self-study.

– Choi Iseo: We planned to drink with our classmates tonight. Do you want to come too?

– Kim Woojin: Huh? Are you asking me?

– Choi Iseo: Then who else would I ask?

“Ha.”

It seems like she’s misunderstanding a bit because we’ve been hanging out together recently.

– Kim Woojin: Why would I go to that?

Sorry, but I’m fundamentally not someone who enjoys being with people.

Recently, I had been hanging out with people because of various reasons, but now it was time to return to the way things were.

– Choi Yiseo: Aren’t you going?

– Kim Woojin: I don’t have any close friends.

– Choi Yiseo: I’m here.

From the way she spoke, I could feel Yiseo’s desire to take me with her.

“Ugh, why does she have to include me when she has plenty of friends.”

To Yiseo, I was just one of her many friends, but to me, Yiseo was my only friend.

In other words, if Yiseo went out to play with someone else, I would be left alone.

Seo Yerin?

She must be even busier than Yiseo.

She would probably be happily playing around, being called here and there without even bothering to greet me.

– Kim Woojin: Have fun.

– Choi Yiseo: Are you really not coming?

– Kim Woojin: No.

– Choi Yiseo: Don’t answer like that.

Since last time, Yiseo disliked it when I responded with only consonants. Well, I brushed it off vaguely, so she probably won’t ask further.

Now that the library would be empty, I planned to change the atmosphere and study there today.

“My grades in other subjects aren’t that good anyway.”

One good thing about these long exams is that it motivates you.

Since the previous exams didn’t go well, I felt the urge to do well in the upcoming ones and ended up studying more.

Entering the quiet library, I found a seat after passing by other students preparing for their last exams, just like me.

The library was a place where I could study quietly, and it felt good to know that others were also struggling like me.

“Hmm.”

I opened the book to study but placed my phone on top of it. I thought about listening to some music while studying, but somehow my fingers were already typing into the bamboo forest.

…I still have a few hours left before the exam.

– Anonymous:27: Celebration all-you-can-eat sushi (picture) in commemoration of the midterm exams

↳ Anonymous13: Where is it?

↳ Anonymous27 (author): It’s at the intersection near Hansin. The atmosphere is nice, and they do well.

↳ Anonymous13: Good to know.

– Anonymous153: Congratulations to those who have finished their midterm exams! For those who still have exams, keep fighting!

– Anonymous69: I want to have s*x!

↳ Anonymous90: You’re concise today! I also want to have s*x!

↳ Anonymous11: F*ck, they’re dirtying the bulletin board again, b*stards.

– Anonymous44: Singled out Osaka urban legend. This actually happened a few years ago…

– Anonymous111: Hey there! Hello! Today, to celebrate the end of midterm exams, I’ll be broadcasting for 24 hours! Please come and join us!

↳ Anonymous300: GunGong and I will be checking in on today’s broadcast!

↳ Anonymous301: GunGong and I will have a social gathering during the broadcast.

– Anonymous59: ssth

↳ Anonymous17: Are you a true fan?

From Noble mtl dot com

↳ Anonymous69: Did you mean s*x?

↳ Anonymous268: Is that a new holding company?

↳ Anonymous59 (author): I’m bored.

– Anonymous243: New lineup for this quarter. “I Was Reborn and I’m a Table,” “In This Other World, I’m the Supreme Leader?!”, “I’m the Strongest, No Doubt?!,” “My Girlfriend is a Martial Arts Expert, My Younger Sister, My Older Sister, My Cousin, My Relative, and the Girl Next Door…”

↳ Anonymous11: What the hell is that? Damn otaku. Both the s*xist and this guy should be expelled.

While the Bamboo Forest itself was peaceful, posts that contained racial discrimination or strong political tendencies were deleted.

There were also a few inquiries.

– Anonymous11: Admin, can’t you get rid of the s*xist and otaku b*stards and the insect pests? The forest is getting dirty.

– Anonymous303: I suggest that people like PoPo, who is a pride of modern times, should have a rank system so that their posts can appear at the top of the board. The reason is…

Well, let’s just ignore the unusual inquiries that we receive almost every day.

“Hmm?”

There were complaints piled up in the upper section that I accidentally missed reading.

– Anonymous59: h

“What is this?”

Multiple spam posts sent to one person.

Anonymous59 was a person who occasionally wrote posts saying they were bored. You could almost say that they were always bored.

“…..”

There were always people like this, but this time, the inquiries gave off a strangely uncomfortable feeling.

Feeling uneasy from just this, the important thing is that I can’t confirm when the inquiries were sent.

‘하’s real.’

Since it was not officially created by a professional institution or university, but rather an app made by a graduate, there were inevitably some inconvenient aspects to it.

Although people also said that was the advantage of modern bamboo forests, it was honestly frustrating from the administrator’s perspective.

‘Should I take a look at the post list of Anonymous59?’

Just as I was about to check it out.

Buzz!

The phone vibrated, but this time it was not from the bamboo forest app, but from a message.

– Yoo Arin: You said you won’t come today?

– Yoo Arin: (emoticon)

Yoo Arin sent an emoticon of a cat glaring fiercely. It seemed that she had heard the news from Choi Iseo.

‘Did they become somewhat close?’

Thinking that they had drinks and spent the night at our house last week, they could have become close, so I replied.

– Kim Woojin: Sure.

– Yoo Arin: Why? If you don’t come, it’s game over.

– Kim Woojin: When were we that close?

– Yoo Arin: We slept together.

– Kim Woojin: Don’t misunderstand.

– Yoo Arin: If you don’t come, I’ll tell the kids we had a foursome.

– Kim Woojin: Not going. It’s a problem for Choi Iseo and Seo Yerim, not me.

– Yoo Arin: (emoticon)

After using a surprised cat emoticon, the conversation ended. I tried to check the bamboo forest again, but at that moment, I saw that there was only about an hour left until the exam.

“Oh, damn.”

I turned off my phone and started focusing on studying.

* * *

Just like the previous exams, the last one was also burnt to a crisp, so to speak.

“That’s a relief.”

While the previous exams had some regrettable parts, this one felt clean, so I was in a good mood.

“Should I order chicken and have some beer at home?”

And maybe play games too?

Kya!

“Wow, this is s*xual!”

While humming, I was on my way back home when I saw a handsome guy coming out of the convenience store near the school, even from a distance.

“Jeong Chan-woo!”

When he saw me and waved his hand with a smile, Jeong Chan-woo approached me, also smiling slightly.

Since the incident last time, we had become quite close. It was a bit awkward when Yoo Ah-rin stayed at our house, but thanks to Choi Yi-seo’s help, we resolved the misunderstanding.

“Woo Jin? Did you have an exam today?”

Jeong Chan-woo greeted me with a smile and kindly asked. I couldn’t understand why this guy liked Yoo Ah-rin so much.

“Oh, it was the last exam.”

“You worked hard.”

As we walked together and chatted about various things, our paths crossed.

“Sigh.”

Jeong Chan-woo continued to look at his phone and sighed, as if writing something.

It must be a message from a girl, since it’s Friday evening.

“Bamboo Forest?”

Bamboo Forest appeared on Jeong Chan-woo’s screen. I unintentionally saw it and awkwardly asked him.

“I’m in the Department of Construction Engineering.”

“….Huh?!”

If he’s in the Department of Construction Engineering, it must be the anonymous 300 range. I heard that last year, a senior who managed Bamboo Forest got mad and put all the Department of Construction Engineering students in the 300 range.

“If we don’t use it, the seniors will say something. They all know who we are.”

They are not anonymous.

“What number are you?”

In response to my question, Jeong Chan-woo answered with a bitter smile.

“Number 321.”

Anonymous 321.

I don’t think I’ve ever gone down to 321, as so many people are in the 300 range.

“They told us to watch the Popo broadcast again today. Ugh, I hate it.”

“From the start, I didn’t really like the name Popo. It feels like an old man came up with it.”

“That’s a forbidden word in our department.”

Anyway, I thought he was a good guy, but when Jeong Chan-woo looked at the Bamboo Forest bulletin board, he frowned.

Then, he showed the screen to me.

“Woojin, is this… about Seoyerin?”

“Hmm?”

On the screen was a kind of grumbling.

– Anonymous83: Why do pretty girls act all flirty with guys even when they have no intention of dating them?

It was a post that could be seen anywhere. It was a simple grumble and a way to relieve stress.

↳ Anonymous46: ? Are there really people like that?

↳ Anonymous83 (author): Yeah, I hate it.

↳ Anonymous46: What department are they in?

↳ Anonymous83 (author): LMS Major.

↳ Anonymous46: What does that mean?

↳ Anonymous93: Ah, it’s them.

↳ Anonymous167: hahahaha, I’m not the only one who thought this.

↳ Anonymous83 (author): And the ones who are actually dating are socially maladjusted and can’t even have a proper conversation with people.

↳ Anonymous46: They only hang out with each other.

↳ Anonymous11: Dammit, another English Major sniper? Cut it out, you assholes.

↳ Anonymous83 (author): I didn’t say it was an English Major. It’s seizure-level, hahahaha.

↳ Anonymous167: But did they really have someone they dated?

↳ Anonymous93: Aren’t they famous? There was a controversy last time and they were all attacking each other.

“….”

“We have our own problems, but you guys must be going through a lot too.”

Jeong Chan-woo spoke bitterly and closed the Daenamu Forest, but it was a problem that I couldn’t just brush aside.

That was talking about Seoyerin.

And the role of the boyfriend who insults her for being socially maladjusted…

“It must be me.”

It was clearly an intentional post.

Anonymous83, the author, probably made intentional public opinion like that with their friends.

Thanks to the accumulated comments, it naturally attracted attention and many people would see it.

Even though they couldn’t tell immediately who it was, Seoyerin is such a famous person that they would eventually find out.

“And Anonymous46 is the person who sniped me last time.”

I didn’t know that this disaster would happen while I had turned off my phone to take the exam.

In a hurry, I turned on my phone and checked the bamboo forest. There were many inquiries, but the anonymous post by anonymous83 was still being filled with comments.

↳ anonymous67: English and literature again?

↳ anonymous288: It seems like there are only snipers in the English and literature department.

↳ anonymous83 (author): Did I mention my real name? There are a lot of people leaving comments in the 대숲 (bamboo forest) because they have nothing to do on a Friday night.

↳ anonymous69: s*x……

↳ anonymous90: s*x class! Did you do well on the exam?!

Meanwhile, Seo Yerim was typing “s*x” in her own self-targeting post.

If that’s her own form of resistance, then let it be.

“Sigh.”

Just as I was about to delete the post first.

– anonymous59: Friend’s intestines.

“……”

A question came at the perfect timing. Furrowing my brows, I wondered what the sound was.

The next words were shocking.

– anonymous59: Our gathering place is Ujin Restaurant.

Anonymous 59 called my name.