Bamboo Forest Manager

46 – 46. Jealousy and Vile Behavior

I had a drink with Joo-hee and Yoo-a-rin before, but I never imagined that Hangang would end up joining us.

It was a very unusual combination, so I thought as we went to drink.

There, I met Seo Ye-rin and Choi Yiseo.

It was a bit unexpected to see the two of them drinking, but we ended up sitting together.

“…”

“…”

Seo Ye-rin and Choi Yiseo’s gaze kept focusing on me.

“What’s wrong?”

Even though I asked why they were staring at me like that, neither of them answered and continued to glare at me.

“Woojin! Let’s sit over there!”

Suddenly, Yuarin hooked her arm around mine.

“What’s your problem again?”

I wondered why she was suddenly being so clingy, but Yuarin just smiled and kept pushing me away.

“What’s the matter? Sit down quickly.”

As I made a snorting noise, annoyed by her behavior, I felt a slight sensation on my chest from her arm.

“Ahem.”

Once I followed Yuarin and sat down, both of their gazes continued to follow me.

“Why are you doing this?”

Curious about why they had been staring at me for a while, I asked, but they still didn’t give me an answer.

“Choose whatever you want, guys. Today, Hangang is treating.”

Min Ju-hee senior handed us the menu, and naturally our gaze turned towards that direction.

Hangang senior seemed bewildered but didn’t object, indicating that he had prepared himself in his own way.

“Woojin, what do you want to eat?”

“Why are you suddenly getting so friendly with me? And what’s this ‘Woojinah’? Just a while ago, you were cursing at me…”

Thump.

Yuarin interrupted me by covering my mouth with her hand.

“Hey, today we’re spending the whole day together and showing different sides of ourselves.”

I removed her hand from my mouth and spoke to Yuarin.

“It’s irritating, so can you stop talking like that?”

“…”

“It feels like I’m going to puke. If you’re going to keep going, go get a black bag from the counter and throw up.”

“hehehe.”

She fake laughed while lowering her hand and pinching my thigh.

I couldn’t understand why she was acting like this, but there were sharp glares pouring in from the front.

Seoyerin and Choi Iseo were still staring at me while drinking the beer they had already ordered.

Finally, I realized that something was wrong. Something was off. Starting with Yuarin suddenly being friendly to me, to the two people in front of me glaring excessively.

My senses, developed through my ex-girlfriend, were telling me that something was dangerous.

“What’s going on? It’s clear that Yooharin did something.”

Seeing how well he is treating me all of a sudden, it seems like he’s doing this because there’s something else going on.

“What did you do?”

When I whispered and asked, Yooharin giggles as if he has been caught playing a prank.

“Molang.”

“If you make that short tongue sound one more time, I’ll make you eat bungeoppang, so tell me properly.”

“I don’t know.”

When I asked in irritation, Yooharin turned his head as if running away and started choosing what to order from the menu with Junhee seonbae.

“It’s not that he didn’t exercise or play games.”

Suddenly, Seoyerin and Choiiseo turned their attention to us and started helping us choose from the menu, but it was difficult to see it just as a solution.

“Hmm.”

I sneakily take out my phone and check it. When the two of them sent me a text message earlier, I wondered if something was wrong.

“Hmm?”

It’s Yooharin’s selfie that is displayed when I open the update profile. And it was taken in my room, with his forehead wrinkled.

“Hey.”

From Noble mtl dot com

I tap Yooharin’s shoulder, who is almost sticking his face on the menu, and call him, but he ignores me.

“Hey.”

I tap him again, but he ignores me.

“Squeeze.”

“Huh?!”

I finally got Yooharin to react as I gripped his exposed side with my hand.

“Are you crazy?!”

His face turned red as if his exposed side was his weakness, but anyway.

“What is this?”

I extend Yooharin’s profile towards him and ask, and he flinches and drops it.

“Why did you use a picture taken in my room as your profile picture?”

“Because it came out well.”

“Sigh, come down immediately.”

“Why? It came out well, didn’t it?”

It did come out well.

But I don’t like the fact that my room is coming out. Did Seyerin and Choeiseo feel bad when they saw this?

Did they think I was dating Yuarin?

But…

“But what does that have to do with anything.”

I wondered if they had to be so sensitive to me, even if they postponed their own promise and were with Yuarin.

“Do you like me?”

I thought, but it could only naturally end up going in that direction.

If the reaction I just saw from the two of them was jealousy, couldn’t it be seen that way?

“…I’m going out to smoke.”

At that moment, Hangang senior, who had been glancing at us, got up and went out to smoke.

The situation of drinking with the main characters of the karaoke incident seemed somewhat uncomfortable.

When I was alone, it seemed like I could withstand it to some extent, but when Seyerin joined, I became mentally weak.

“Oh, Hangang senior. I’ll go with you.”

Yuarin left to avoid me without smoking.

“I need to go to the bathroom.”

Sitting with my hands in my pockets, Minjuhee senior headed straight to the bathroom.

The situation where only Choeiseo, Seyerin, and I were left.

It seemed a bit unnatural, but anyway, silence lingered between us.

“Oh, were you with Arin all day today?”

Seyerin asked first.

I remember her not being the type to ask such things, so this only adds to my suspicion.

“Uh, yeah, I was with her.”

There was no need to lie.

I nodded honestly, and Seyerin’s expression stiffened slightly.

“What did you guys do?”

This time, Choeiseo took over the baton and asked.

“Arin suddenly came to my house, we had a meal, and then we met with Juhee senior to talk about our assignments… That’s it.”

Although the two of them had doubtful looks, it seemed like it was now my turn.

“Since both of them asked, is it my turn now?”

“Yeah?”

“Question?”

I was taken aback by the sudden question, but I ask without filtering.

“Do you guys like me?”

“…What?”

“No, it’s just that you seemed jealous of what happened with Yoorin. But there’s no reason to be jealous.”

Seeing both of them speechless, I scratch my cheek.

“Hmm, I guess I need to think about it for a moment.”

There were no particular answers.

While they seem to be searching for words, I continue speaking with a smile.

“I’ve decided.”

“W-What?”

“I’ve decided?”

I reply, poking my thumb up.

“I’ll date Seoyerin and marry Choi Seo… Wait a minute!”

Choi Seo, who threw the empty skewer at me, stared at me with a reddened face. Not only that, Seoyerin also threw the shell of a clam at me.

“You crazy bastard! You’re crazy!”

“I have something to say and things I can’t say!”

“Ah! It’s a joke! A joke! You guys took it seriously to an absurd extent!”

In an effort to avoid them, I eventually got up from my seat. They glared at me with flushed faces and shouted.

“I don’t like it! Don’t girls feel uncomfortable when their friend plays with someone else other than them?!”

“Yeah, that’s right! I thought you didn’t want to play games with me anymore because I got demoted to Bronze 4!”

“Well, I really don’t want to play with you.”

How can someone be demoted from Bronze 3 to 4?

When I looked at Seoyerin with cold eyes, she buried her head deeply as if she wanted to hide.

“It’s because of the team’s fault.”

Blaming the team as well, perfect.

On the internet, there are people who pretend to be perfect humans, but Seoyerin was the complete opposite.

In reality, she is kind and beautiful, but on the internet, she blames the team and acts provocative.

“I should run away.”

I got up from my seat and left the shop while avoiding it.

I happened to run into Juhee senior on my way to the bathroom while he was smoking a cigarette.

Juhee senior gave me a quick glance, tapped my chest with his elbow, and chuckled.

“So, are you a s*x friend, Yooarin?”

“…Did you hear that?”

Rather than that, calling me a s*x friend.

You casually and shamelessly speak such vulgar words.

“Woojin is popular among girls, right? Does he have a place for me too?”

“I want to ask if I have a place with the senior.”

I’ll definitely fall for you today, Min Juhee.

“hehehe, I don’t have time for dating because of studying.”

Playfully teasing, we headed towards the smoking area next to the shop where Yooarin and Hangang senior seemed to be having a conversation.

“Oh, I’ll go.”

As soon as she saw me, Yooarin quickly ran back into the shop.

She’s such a dirty liar.

But since I let her touch my chest, I was willing to overlook it.

“What were you talking about?”

Lighting his cigarette, Juhee senior asked Hangang senior what they were talking about.

Hangang senior made an awkward expression and answered while puffing out smoke.

“I asked if Yerin gave up…”

“Huh, from what I saw, she’s not just an ordinary delinquent.”

“Finally, you realize Yooarin’s true identity.”

I interjected into their conversation with admiration for their insight.

* * *

Seeing Yooarin watching Kim Woojin senior and the others, she returned to her seat.

Choi Iseo’s face turned red, whether it was due to alcohol or for another reason, and Seo Yerin was drinking beer for no reason.

Yooarin chuckled as she watched Seo Yerin sitting opposite of her and started talking.

“I’ve been with Woojin all day today, you know?”

Yooarin openly provoking Kim Woojin.

“Uh, uh?”

Seeing Seo Yerin’s flustered expression, Yooarin felt like she had taken a step ahead of her for the first time in her life.

Honestly.

Beyond the exhilaration, I even felt pleasure.

I know that using a close friend like Kim Woojin is despicable, but.

I couldn’t erase the feeling of guilt.

But still, even if it’s like this, I wanted to feel superior to Seo Yerin.

“Oh, don’t misunderstand. We’re not dating or anything, but she’s pretty nice.”

When Yoo Arin said that directly, Seo Yerin lowered her head as if shrinking.

“Ah.”

Looking at the timid Seo Yerin, Yoo Arin felt a pang in her heart.

Disgusting.

I am truly disgusting and evil.

But even so.

I had myself, who couldn’t bear it if I didn’t do it like this.

She wanted to feel some superiority from Seo Yerin, who had casually made the man she had been crushing on for a long time fall for her.

“I’m a villain.”

With a smile, Yoo Arin declared to herself.

At that time, when she felt even more repulsive for continuing despite knowing how dirty she was.

“Don’t mess with Woojin.”

Choi Eiseo, who was next to Seo Yerin, stared at Yoo Arin with his chin propped up.

“What?”

Detached, yet cold.

“Don’t use Woojin because of your greed.”

Yoo Arin was bewildered.

She only knew that Seo Yerin had some feelings for Kim Woojin, and she didn’t know anything about Choi Eiseo.

“Quite frankly.”

That’s why the sharp words that Choi Eiseo spat out.

“It’s unpleasant.”

Pierced Yoo Arin quite painfully.