Bamboo Forest Manager

Chapter 63: The Last Day

Another day passed, and it was the last day of the festival.

The spicy pork stir-fry was still popular, and fortunately, today we were not taking orders from any other customers.

Thanks to surpassing last years’ earnings by several times on the second day, we decided not to work today.

So we became a pub exclusive to the English department and we were enjoying it ourselves.

‘I shouldn’t have come if it was going to turn out like this.’

I thought maybe I shouldn’t have bothered attending the festival today.

But it was the perfect time to look for Anonymous90, whom I hadn’t been able to look for the last two days due to it being busy.

‘I wonder if I really need to look for them now.’

It seemed unnecessary to fuss over a clue which has already been resolved long ago.

But still, I wanted to try looking for them.

I was curious about who the person following Anonymous69 was, along with the strange feelings I had regarding him.

‘And I told Seo Yerin I would solve it.’

Well, even though I’d promised, I was not really putting much weight into it.

While the professors and students were having a drinking party, I was about to head towards the Physical Therapy department after grilling some pork.

“Where is our pretty oneeee!”

Senior Min Ju-hee, who seemed to be drunk on soju, walked towards me with a bottle in hand.

If you were to choose someone who had a hard time recently, she would definitely be in the top five.

She led the kitchen, rapidly helping the kids grow, and there was no part of the kitchen workflow or many others that hadn’t been touched by senior Min Ju-hee’s hands.

I was genuinely relieved to be doing a group project with this senior.

As soon as the senior saw me, she slung an arm around my shoulders and leaned in.

With the scent of alcohol and a certain heft, they were quite the passionate person.

“Why are you working alone again? Let’s go. Let’s go drink our fill. It is thanks to you that we can relax today?!”

“Woah, senior, you’re so drunk.”

I had seen them with the professors, looking quite intoxicated .

The senior immediately dragged me to the table where they had been sitting.

Most of them were sophomores, and notably there was senior Han-kang, whom I didn’t have good ties with.

While the other seniors seemed somewhat uncomfortable at my presence, senior Min Ju-hee, whether due to drunkenness or ignorance, simply passed me a drink.

“Cheers! Cheers!”

More uncomfortably than expected, the drinking session went on.

Following senior Min Ju-hee, other seniors also clink glasses with me and drink.

Then, senior Ju-hee had to leave the table when called by professors.

The seniors sneaked glances at me, and a subtle tension fills the air.

‘Maybe I should just go.’

I was about to excuse myself from this uncomfortable gathering, but senior Han-kang, sitting opposite me, poured me a drink and said,

“Sorry for the weird misunderstanding at the karaoke last time.”

“Ah, yes.”

I thought an apology was certainly possible. I didn’t dwell on it or give it much thought.

Because it felt more like he was saying it to start a conversation rather than actually being sorry to me.

“Woojin, let’s talk man-to-man.”

Senior Han-kang offered his glass.

I clinked glasses with him and drank it down before nodding.

“Yes, tell me.”

“Is there really nothing between you and Yerin?”

“Sigh.”

I couldn’t tell if it was the bitterness of soju or the topic being distasteful.

There was a time when I really liked Seo Yerin, feeling like I wanted to date her, but now, it seemed more like an obsession.

“What are you curious about?”

Senior Han-kang hesitated at the question. Knowing his personality well by now, he seemed conscious of not wanting to provoke me, which I enjoyed.

“You are close with Yerin. That is why I’m worried.”

“You have to tell me what you’re worried about. Are you worried about us flirting, dating, going to a hotel, or something like that?”

At my question, senior Han-kang flinched. Not just him, but the other seniors were also looking at me with disgust.

Now it’s clear they don’t want to be involved with me, which was quite satisfying to see.

“Senior, I have been rooting for you in my own way, you know? But Yerin doesn’t like you.”

They say there’s no tree that won’t fall after ten strikes. But that’s about trees.

Not people. Especially in the case of women.

In fact, continuing to confess after failing often results in even stronger rejections.

“Just let her go at this point. There are plenty of other girls interested in you. If you look around, why insist on Seo Yerin?”

“Woojin, I think you’re crossing the line.”

“Don’t you know? I’ve been living my university life outside the lines. There was a time when the third-year seniors called me through a group chat and you pretended not to know.”

There was a time when, after serving intestines at the restaurant, the third-year seniors called me, and I just ignored them and went on.

“Don’t get too obsessed with her. It looks bad.”

“Haa, you’re interested in Yerin, aren’t you?”

“You’re steering the conversation in the worst direction.”

I couldn’t help but sigh in disbelief.

“Sure, think whatever you want. I am tired of talking now, I will be leaving.”

Annoyed, I immediately stood up and headed outside. It was the perfect timing since I had to go to the Physical Therapy department.

‘I am so sick of this.’

Seeing Seo Yerin and Jeong Chan-woo, they might look pretty and handsome. But it isn’t always a good thing.

‘Was it Lee Eun-woo, a senior in the Physical Therapy side?’

The talk of graduating and even becoming a TA in grad school is still fresh in my mind.

He must be someone who knows how to elegantly say he wants to become a modern day slave.

When I went to the department booth, they were having their own little drinking session.

Since it was the last day, I was able to locate the senior among the professors after asking around.

“Did you say you were looking for me?”

“……”

I wondered if I was seeing things correctly. A small stature, tousled hair, and on top of that, a modest chest and round glasses.

‘Is she a woman?!’

From Anonymous90 to the name of Lee Eun-woo. I was somewhat thrown into confusion because I had naturally assumed this person was a man.

“A-are you Lee Eun-woo?”

“Yes, that’s me. Why are you looking for me?”

When I asked just in case, the person on the other side sighed with irritation.

It seemed they were on guard because I had suddenly shown up.

“Do you use the Bamboo Forest?”

“……”

Lee Eun-woo flinched and trembled for a moment.

Upon seeing that, I didn’t stop and immediately pressed on.

“You’re Anonymous90, aren’t you? I’ve come looking for you.”

Upon hearing this, Lee Eun-woo’s expression blanked out and then slowly she began to open her mouth.

“Ah… ahhhh!”

And then, as I realized something she clapped her hands once and grinned. Surprise was brimming despite her goofy look.

“You must be Anonymous69! I don’t know how you knew! But you came to find me!”

“Anonymous69?”

Her overly happy reaction made me wonder but then she clung to me and said,

“D-do you have time tonight?”

Suddenly, the question Choi Yiseo asked me yesterday flashed through my mind.

What would you do if someone asked you to go to a hotel?

Why?

I never imagined that question could turn to reality this quickly.

“It’s ridiculous, right?”

“Exactly, Yerin, you really need to be careful. The unnies don’t say it for no reason.”

“Men know men better, he really is not it.”

Before she knew it, Seo Yerin was dragged to the second-year table and listened to the voices of her seniors while sipping the soju offered to her.

The other seniors with Han-kang were talking about Woojin.

“Did Woojin really say that?”

Seo Yerin asked back in disbelief and as if waiting for this, they began to speak.

“Right. When I asked if he was interested in you, he didn’t even deny it!”

“Just leaving room with some possibility. Maybe he thinks he has a chance with you.”

“I thought he was doing well all this time, but it turns out he is the same.”

“It’s obvious he has a crush on you.”

Various conversations were exchanged. Listening to the exaggerated words of the second-years, Seo Yerin eventually got up from her seat cautiously.

“I will go get some fresh air for a moment.”

“Take care.”

“Ah, we made you uncomfortable.”

“We are sorry.”

Seo Yerin stepped out of the tent, ignoring the words of her seniors. She tried to catch her breath, unable to suppress the laughter which came from her lips.

‘Ah, what… Kim Woojin.’

The seniors had warned her that Kim Woojin was clinging to her and for her to be cautious.

‘Hehe, pretending not to care but it bothers him huh?’

Rather, Seo Yerin found this entire thing amusing.

‘Where is Woojin now?’

Thinking of teasing him with this, Seo Yerin looked for Kim Woojin.

But he was nowhere to be seen inside the tent. Yu Arin, who had drunk a lot and was feeling nauseous, could be seen in the corner drinking Chocomong.

“Arin, have you seen Woojin?”

“…Kim Woojin? Nope?”

Yu Arin, after looking around, realized that Kim Woojin wasn’t there and clicked her tongue before saying,

“He must have gone to the Physical Therapy department.”

“Physical Therapy? Why?”

At those words, Yu Arin glanced at Seo Yerin and took the straw out of her mouth.

“I don’t know.”

“……”

It felt like a bit of a casual response, but Seo Yerin said she understood and slipped away.

‘Physical Therapy department. Physical Therapy department.’

She checks the booths as she goes. It took some time because there were people asking for her number.

‘Uh?’

But at the Physical Therapy department’s booth, there were only students from the department having a drinking party, and Kim Woojin wasn’t there.

‘He’s not here?’

While thinking about going back, she decided to look around for a bit.

Behind the Physical Therapy Department tent,

hidden by the shade of the tree, came the sound of people’s voices.

“I said I am not.”

‘Woojin!’

The moment she heard it, Seo Yerin’s eyes shone as she headed there.

It felt like people were talking, so she waited near the tent to surprise him when he came out.

“I am not Anonymous69.”

Kim Woojin’s voice came from inside the tent.

“I am the Admin of the Bamboo Forest.”

This completely sobered up Seo Yerin’s drunken mind.

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