Bamboo Forest Manager

-Anonymous69: Thank youuuuuuu!

Ah, fuck.

It wasn't a bad idea to send a message to Seo Yerin to help her escape a tricky situation, but the number of inquiries which came to me were no joke.

Anyway, even if I just look at my phone, people here in the karaoke room wouldn't care much.

But still, isn't it a bit of an odd feeling?

-Anonymous69: Hey admin, where do you live? Choose between top and bottom and I will give you a kidd.

-Admin: Weren't you the one who sexually harassed me in a post? Do you really want to get perma banned?

-Anonymous69: Weee, please let this slide just once. (shake shake)

'Truly insane.'

I get that she wants to be thought of as a man, but no matter how I see it, it just felt too vulgar to me.

It was too vulgar for me to just let it slide just because she was enjoying it.

-Admin: That is really vulgar.

-Anonymous69: I mean, my heart is fluttering, what do you think?

-Admin: Are you sure you're a guy?

Still, knowing that you want to pretend to be a guy, I just continued going with the flow. I didn't want to get caught as the Admin of the Bamboo Forest either.

-Anonymous69: Because I said my heart flutters?

-Admin: Are you a girl? And do you expect me to believe that? A girl who talks about sex every day is attending the university?

In reality, I don't really discriminate between genders, of course, women are allowed to feel that way too.

But I wanted to reassure her now, so I deliberately spoke as if I was prejudiced.

-Anonymous69: Girls can feel that way too.

But maybe that ended up only provoking her more. She seemed to hope that her desires wouldn't be considered an anomaly.

'Sigh, this is getting tough.'

I felt like I had become some sort of psychologist. I didn't harbor any special feelings for Seo Yerin, but hadn't I just seen a glimpse of the life she lives?

Being swayed around, and the need to be a good person might have made Anonymous69 more provocative.

-Admin: Right. That I was mistaken about. Women can be like that too.

Let us just correct the misunderstanding immediately. It is a complicated feeling of not wanting to reveal one's identity while also not wanting their existence denied.

Well, I understand.

Humans are complex creatures, right?

'But doesn't this reveal that she's a woman?'

Since Seo Yerin didn't want to share any information about herself, I thought she wouldn't want to reveal whether she was a man or a woman.

-Anonymou69: But I am a man.

The sight of desperately adding more at the end and forcibly covering it up was hilarious.

-Admin: You said your heart is fluttering?

-Anonymous69: Isn't it gynecomastia? Hehe.

"Kuak."

I couldn't help but break into a small chuckle, covering my mouth with my hand. What kind of expression was she making when she was writing this?

Whatever it was, it was funny.

Adding gynecomastia to this, along with a meme known for the unique breathing sound of otakus.

I couldn't respond because I was laughing uncontrollably, and I felt strange gazes on me.

Choi Yiseo was staring at me blankly from beside me.

She had a look of wonder on her face, seeing me laugh for the first time since we stepped into the karaoke room.

"What's so funny?"

While she was being dragged around by the other girls, suddenly they started to sing a T-ears song.

The atmosphere took a change for sure.

Choi Yiseo tried to subtly move her hips to the side, but I gestured with my chin for her to go away.

"He's watching."

Due to the music he might not hear what we're saying but Ahn Hyeon-ho was still glaring at us.

But earlier, he was looking at Seo Yerin.

"I've been thinking about it."

Saying so, Choi Yiseo eventually narrowed the distance. She seemed to be in a bad mood.

"Why do we have to be cautious of talking to other friends just because of a guy who isn't even fully interested?"

"That…"

"Right, it's not like he confessed to me. It's not like he's loyal to me alone."

She was referring to how he had looked at Seo Yerin earlier.

"Are you upset about it?"

Wondering if Ahn Hyeon-ho looking at another woman was what made her upset, but then Choi Yiseo hardened her expression and punched my thigh hard.

"AH!?"

"I really am going to die."

"What kind of athlete uses their fist so recklessly."

I mumbled, rubbing my knee, knowing full well she didn't hit me with her full strength.

Anyway, I get that she wasn't going to be so cautious.

"You should be careful."

Ahn Hyeon-ho was a bully in high school, isn't that why she told me I have to be cautious?

"Ah, that."

After a moment's thought, Choi Yiseo glanced around. And her eyes met Ahn Hyeon-ho's for a moment but she quickly turned her head and whispered to me.

"You check the Bamboo Forest often, right?"

"…I do."

"Anonymous287. You know about that?"

"Anonymous287."

So Ahn Hyeon-ho was the owner of the anonymous account pouring insults about me in the Bamboo Forest.

Honestly, I wasn't that shocked.

If she told me to look at the Bamboo Forest, then Choi Yiseo must be looking at it too.

Then, there is no way that she wouldn't know what Anonymous287 speaks of.

Because the posts were clearly targeting me and Choi Yiseo.

"..."

"You knew about it, right?"

When I didn't respond much, Choi Yiseo gave me a proud smile.

"Since you're close to him, tell him to stop. It's too obvious."

I sighed and said, and Choi Yiseo, who looked like she just discovered something nice, covered her mouth and replied.

"Just pretend you don't know. Get it? As you can see, don't bother picking a fight with him for no reason. It looks like if you don't get angry and act first, he won't either."

"Right, right."

On the contrary, Choi Yiseo seemed to be trying to make Ahn Hyeon-ho even more annoyed by tapping me on the shoulder.

But, if she didn't care about me, she wouldn't go this far.

Starting from targeting the high school classmates, to finding out Ahn Hyeon-ho as Anonymous287.

Aren't we connected by our own secrets?

That must be what lends it a strange sense of intimacy.

"So what were you looking at?"

"Ah."

I momentarily forgot because of Choi Yiseo's interruption, but then I remembered I was texting with Seo Yerin.

Since there's still no reply, it seemed like she was waiting.

"Just texting someone I know."

"As a friend?"

"Not exactly."

"Uh?"

There was a look from Choi Yiseo wondering what I meant, but anyway, I checked my phone. Choi Yiseo subtly leaned back as if saying she wouldn't look at the phone.

It is a form of consideration, and also a kind of manners.

'Woah.'

As expected, Anonymous69 had delivered a surprisingly large number of messages in a short amount of time.

-Anonymous69: Ignoring me?

-Anonymous69: Are you joking?

-Anonymous69: So you ignore me just because I said I am a guy with gynecomastia.

-Anonymous69: I am going to screenshot this and pin it on Bamboo Forest.

-Anonymous69: Are you really ignoring me?

-Anonymous69: I am actually a girl!

-Anonymous69: You bastard! I am a popular girl! I get messages from at least three guys every day asking me out for meals!

-Anonymous69: Trash!

"Huh."

A smile rose up again. This time, it was clear what expression Seo Yerin would be wearing. Perhaps her face was red with anger.

-Admin: No, it's because I was laughing at you that I didn't see it. Gynecomastia Anonymous69.

-Anonymous69: Haha, did I make you laugh?

Look at this, she immediately cheers up at the sound of her being called funny. The chat turned lighter right away.

-Admin: So, please cut down on pretending to be someone else online. What's with the 3 messages a day?

-Anonymous69: Ha, sorry.

"When is Yerin coming back?

"Right, she's certainly taking a while."

At that moment, I could hear the boys talking about Seo Yerin. It was about time to let her in.

-Admin: I will let this slide since you made me laugh. But don't make weird jokes with me next time.

-Anonymous69:…

With that last sentence feeling somewhat regretful, I casually put my phone away.

In reality, as soon as I stopped responding, Seo Yerin slowly walked in with an awkward smile.

"Yerin, did you get a call from the PT? It was your first day of PT today right?"

Choi Yiseo subtly called out to Seo Yerin as she entered. Again, she was about to sit next to senior Han-kang but Choi Yiseo naturally brought her to the seat next to her.

All thanks to a spot becoming available next to me.

"Ah, uh! Right! The instructor was incredibly kind and detailed in their instructions!'

Seo Yerin started talking with Choi Yiseo about the PT and the gym.

I was feeling tired, pressing my hands over my eyes and letting the chatter of the two women next to me enter one ear and exit the other.

'Ah, I want to go home right now.'

I ended up staying for too long.

Since I didn't have much presence anyway, I thought about sneaking home by pretending to go to the bathroom.

"Friend."

A shadow cast in front of me.

Senior Han-kang, who has gone out of his way to come to me, was wearing a pleasant smile.

However, it looked so forced that it was dripping with insincerity.

Due to the sudden action of senior Han-kang, everyone's attention was focused on him, the music abruptly stopped, and silence ensued.

I thought it was because of Seo Yerin.

Since Seo Yerin, whom he had called, had sat next to Choi Yi-seo, I wondered if he didn't like it, but that wasn't the case.

Senior Han-kang stood in front of me, looked me straight in the eye and asked,

"Did you call Yerin out?"

"Excuse me?"

An unexpected question that sharply pierced my heart. I wondered how he knew but my expression remained stoic at the unexpected question.

"Nothing, I saw you fiddling with the phone when Yerin left."

"..."

"And then, as soon as you put the phone down, Yerin came back in?"

His perceptiveness was indeed sharp.

While getting along so well with everyone and being called nice, the subtle pressure he could put on a person was surely intense.

"Senior, why are you suddenly…!"

"Yerin, be silent for a moment."

"Ah."

Seo Yerin who tried to deny it urgently, was intimidated by his sharp remarks and bit her lip.

While doing so, she looked really apologetic to me.

'Try being the way you are with me.'

A completely different demeanor from Anonymous69, who is used to throwing odd sexual jokes and acting confidently.

At senior Han-kang's words, the surrounding students began to mumble. Especially the guys around Ahn Hyeon-ho who began to speak vicious things to me.

"Woah, that sounds creepy. What's this?"

"Why do something unneeded like this and make us all look like weirdos?"

"Is this gaslighting or what? Shit, this is the first time I have been made out to look like a fool for suggesting to sing at a karaoke."

When the guys began to create an odd atmosphere, naturally, the women too looked at me like I was the odd one.

Thinking the mood was good, senior Han-kang said with a somewhat soft look and a smile.

"No, I'm not trying to be mean. I just feel like I've ended up becoming the bad guy now. It seems like the misunderstanding is a bit too much. It wasn't like I forced Yerin to come, I just invited her to hang out with us and…."

*Tak*

Senior Han-kang couldn't continue. The phone I threw at him hit him in the stomach and fell onto his thigh.

"What is this…"

To him, who was blankly looking at the phone due to my unexpected actions, I said,

"1234."

I told him the pin of my phone.

"Check it. See if there is Seo Yerin's number in the phone or any messages from her."

"..."

"Hurry up now, I already gave you the pin."

Suddenly standing up, I looked down at the senior, who was seated at the table.

"You won't?"

Sorry, but I didn't save the numbers of anyone from our department in my phone. We might be friends in the group chat, but I stored nobody's number.

Of course, I never texted Seo Yerin personally either.

All the talks we had were through the Bamboo forest, anonymously.

Even if by some chance, senior Han-kang goes insane and opens the Bamboo Forest and finds out that I am the administrator.

He wouldn't know that Anonymous69 is Seo Yerin.

The whispers were getting on my nerves.

Is it going to be that way?

"Yah."

I found myself speaking a little out of line without realizing it.

"Now why don't you try that, you fucker."

*****

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