Bamboo Forest Manager

Chapter 82: The Confession

The atmosphere turned heavy in an instant, and it wasn’t just my imagination. There could have been someone with the same name among Ahn Hyeon-ho’s acquaintances.

After all, the name Jinho was common one to listen.

But the timing was too coincidental.

I’d heard from Jeong Chan-woo that Pyo Jinho had come, and that Yu Arin had also received a call from him. Naturally, I couldn’t help but assume it in such a manner.

“I’m going to use the restroom for a moment.”

“But the food just arrived?”

Leaving behind senior Ju-hee, who seemed to enjoy the squid quite a bit, I headed straight for the restroom.

Yu Arin looked at me suspiciously, but since she didn’t have a clear reason to doubt me, she couldn’t stop me and just stayed in her place.

Pretending to go to the restroom, I stealthily changed direction towards Ahn Hyeon-ho.

Outside the store, smoking a cigarette and taking a call, Ahn Hyeon-ho had a somewhat uncomfortable expression as he continued only to listen.

“Yes, yes, hyung. No, it’s not like that at all.”

Ahn Hyeon-ho, who seemed quite focused on the call, didn’t even notice me approaching him. Staring blankly from behind, I boldly eavesdrop on Ahn Hyeon-ho.

“Sigh, hyung. Even though I’m in the department, I don’t know all the kids in our department.”

That can’t be true.

“Yu…What? Who? Yu Arin? Hyung, I’m telling you, I’ve never heard of such a person.”

Hmm?

I wanted to ask if he hadn’t just been talking about Taekwondo with someone sitting across from him, but I decided to wait silently for now.

“Yes, hyung. Let’s have a drink later. Yes, yes. I understand. I’ll check it out. What did you say the name was? Yu Rin-gi? Ah… Yu Arin.”

“Pfft.”

I couldn’t help but burst into laughter, and because of that, Ahn Hyeon-ho, who realized my presence, turned back, startled.

“Ah, no. It’s nothing, hyung. Yes! Yu Arin! I’ll definitely look for her!”

After hanging up, Ahn Hyeon-ho, unaware that the cigarette in his hand was burning down, yelled at me.

“Hey, what’s up with you! Why are you eavesdropping on someone else’s call?”

“Yu Rin-gi, that had a good sense.”

I should tease him a lot more later.

“No, what is it? Why are you listening to someone else’s call without permission?”

Facing Ahn Hyeon-ho, who was questioning me, I shrugged and answered.

“Pyo Jinho, he was the one who called, right?”

“…What, you know Jinho hyung too?”

“No, it’s my first time hearing that name today.”

“Hm? Your explanation is too weird to follow.”

From Anh Hyeon-ho’s perspective, he couldn’t understand at all what I was talking about right now.

But it wasn’t important for him to know about it, and the only thing I wanted to ask right now was one.

“Why are you hiding about Yu Arin?”

“……”

“You were eating together with her right in front of you.”

An Hyeon-ho’s reason for hiding Yu Arin intrigued me. It didn’t seem like he had any special feelings for her.

Looking at me, Ahn Hyeon-ho, seemingly overwhelmed, put a cigarette in his mouth. It was almost burnt out, so he had to take a puff and throw it away, not even serving as a time filler.

“Senior Pyo Jinho, he’s a really bad person.”

It seems so.

I’ve never seen his face, but it’s the first time I’ve felt dislike for someone whom I haven’t even met.

“I’ve only seen him a few times indirectly… but there are so many bad rumors about him, it’s better not to get involved with such a man.”

“…I thought you liked that kind of thing.”

Mumbling that he seemed like a university student who can’t get over his bullying days, Ahn Hyeon-ho frowned at my words.

“I’m a uni student now. I barely made it here by studying insanely in my senior year of high school, so I can’t live like I used to back then.”

“Woah.”

As I thought.

Thinking about it, it seemed that Ahn Hyeon-ho had never really shown any rough edges since I’ve known him, except when he was jealous of me over Choi Yiseo.

It was just that his jealousy was so intense.

The Anonymous287 who was helping Minji target me was actually Choi Yiseo trying to protect me, and not Ahn Hyeon-ho.

‘Come to think of it, didn’t Choi Yiseo end up ruining his image?’

Well, that also meant Choi Yiseo didn’t like Ahn Hyeon-ho clinging to her.

“Honestly, you do seem a bit different. I still thought you were messing around like you did in high school.”

“……”

Unable to deny that that was the case until recently, he keeps his mouth firmly shut.

“Senior Han-kang as well, and senior Ju-hee too. We have many seniors around us to learn from, don’t we?”

“Senior Ju-hee, maybe, but senior Han-kang?”

“He’s a senior from whom there’s quite a bit to learn, you know?”

Was he talking about flirting with girls?

It was a moment that showed how well Han-kang had crafted his image among the juniors.

It made me wonder if that’s why everyone was so nice with him, even when he was being unreasonable to others.

“Anyway, there shouldn’t be any reason for senior Pyo Jinho and Yu Arin to get involved. Even if he’s a senior, can he really find her?”

Saying this, Ahn Hyeon-ho suggests we head back to the table. If we don’t go now, Yu Arin and senior Ju-hee might have almost finished eating all the dishes we’ve ordered.

I am starting to see Ahn Hyeon-ho in a slightly different light now.

“But you’re not dating Yiseo, are you?”

Ahn Hyeon-ho suddenly stops walking and asks me. I wondered why he hadn’t asked me this yet, and it was also a question that was embarrassing to answer.

“Maybe… not dating?”

“What kind of answer is that?”

“Getting to know each other? Just talking casually?”

“Yiseo said she would start dating from next year. And you were rejected once already.”

Ah, right.

I even lied about that to get rid of Ahn Hyeon-ho.

“Originally, getting rejected once is also a strategy. It’s about making the other person aware of me going after them.”

“Oh… That’s a strategy I couldn’t learn from senior Han-kang.”

“Damn it. That guy has never been rejected. He’s the type to say if there’s no bread, eat cake.”

He was rejected by Seo Yerin, but it was practically a TKO, so how could I compare?

“Hoo, sorry, but I’m not giving up on Yiseo. When we were both class representatives, I just felt it. At first, she seems cold to all, but once you get close or start dating, she’ll treat you really well.”

…She does seem like she would treat someone well once she gets to know them.

“And she takes good care of herself.”

“……”

“You might not notice because she often wears sportswear, but Yiseo has quite the figure?”

“……”

“Plus, those who exercise have an amazing…!”

“Shit! I’m not letting someone like you have Choi Yiseo, you bastard!”

“…Who are you to give her or not give her to me. Guys can share this kind of talk.”

After kicking Ahn Hyeon-ho on the butt as he was boasting some heroic tale, I went straight into the restaurant.

“Did you two make out?”

Yu Arin chirped as she saw the two of us come in together.

“Yurin you talk too much.”

“This brat, that was my middle school nickname.”

Somehow, it just stuck to my mouth greatly when it came to calling her.

“I bet fried yuringi would taste good.”

Suddenly craving fried food, I mumbled to myself and sat down, and Yu Arin frowned as she snapped back at me.

“Isn’t that sexual harassment?”

“It’s not like that.”

---

The shooting continued until evening.

Seo Yerin joined us in the middle, and finally, when Choi Yiseo arrived, everyone was finally gathered.

The shooting went smoothly, and Yu Arin, playing the role of a crazy woman, was doing it quite refreshingly, so personally I wanted to keep it.

“Keke.”

During a short break.

Laughing at Yu Arin on the screen, going berserk with a knife, Seo Yerin quietly approached and sat next to me.

Now, it was almost routine for her to place her hand on my thigh naturally.

I’ve tried brushing it off several times, but each time, she laughs teasingly while saying, ‘Does it bounce back up with this? Cute, isn’t it?’ which annoys me, so I just leave it be.

“Do you think the shoot went well?”

“Yeah, honestly, since all our classmates are pretty good-looking, if I can edit it well, I think we’ll get an A.”

“You’ll do great. Call me if you need any help.”

When she says things like this, you can tell she’s really kind. She’s considerate and has a way of calming anxious people with burdens on them, which is exactly why Seo Yerin is so popular in class.

“Sorry, but could you take a look at one thing for me?”

Look at her, asking for a favor even now.

Since it’s our break time and I’m not busy, she’s being polite to me, clearly feeling bad for bothering me.

“What is it?”

“Choose one of the two.”

Ah, is she asking me to look at clothes or something?

I’m not particularly good at dressing myself, but I do have an eye for fashion.

I was dragged around by my ex-girlfriend, looking at all sorts of clothes.

My ex-girlfriend was very interested in things like clothes. That doesn’t mean she was extravagant or only bought luxury brands.

“Ah, shit.”

I stop thinking about Oh Yoon-ji and look at the phone Seo Yerin handed me.

There.

A woman wearing cat ears, and only a bra and panties, standing there pretending to be cute.

“This one.”

“……”

What is she trying to show me right now?

Casually swiping to the next screen, this time there’s a woman wearing a cow bikini.

“Or this.”

What does she expect me to do with this?

This damn girl.

“What about it?”

I started to dislike myself for having praised Seo Yerin for being kind just a moment ago. When I ask why she’s showing me this, Seo Yerin answers with a smile.

“For the next time we do it.”

In a moment of temptation, I almost chose without realizing it, but I bit my lip and answered.

“Neither of them suits you.”

“Really?”

“Let’s start with the cow. That’s something they do in the West. They’re voluptuous there.”

Squeeze.

Seo Yerin pinches my thigh lightly.

But it’s not like it was wrong.

“And the first one.”

I turn the photo back to the first one while biting my lip. I point behind the woman wearing a black cat bikini.

There’s a black tail attached, but I’m not exactly sure where it’s attached to.

It might simply be attached to the panties, but if not.

“Do you know where this is attached to?”

As I point to the tail and ask, Seo Yerin’s face turns bright red.

‘She suggested it knowing where it went?’

Let’s leave right now then.

“Is this really a big deal? Cut down on the porn.”

“…Ah, it didn’t look painful though.”

“It looks like it doesn’t hurt because the trainers are skilled. Ah, how many adult videos have you even watched?”

“…You even recommended some to me before.”

Ah.

“Yawn! I’m sleepy.”

She closes her eyes as if collapsing.

Why did I even recommend those things to her?

“Was this outfit from one of those videos too?”

‘Shit.’

I hate myself for suggesting this to her, thinking I’d never get caught, and recommending it to Anonymous69.

I barely managed to push Seo Yerin off, who kept clinging and whining, and ran away.

Wondering what the others were doing, I glanced around and then heard a voice from behind a tree.

“Yiseo, you know it too, right.”

Ahn Hyeon-ho?

And Choi Yiseo is there too?

I wondered what it was about, but then a chilly feeling ran down my spine.

‘Actually, getting rejected once is also a strategy. It’s about making the other person aware of me.’

As the advice I gave today came to mind, I smacked myself on the head.

Without realizing it, I moved in that direction, and the moment I clearly saw the two of them.

“I like you. Let’s date.”

A fresh yet somewhat classic confession slipped out of Ahn Hyeon-ho’s mouth.

“……”

It’s not a joke.

It was the first time I’d ever seen Choi Yiseo’s expression sour like that.

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