Bamboo Forest Manager

"..."

I've come across numerous absurd situations in life, but this was something else.

How should I put this….

"Ah, hello, you're Woojin right? Kim Woojin?"

Could Seo Yerin, who is calling me by my name with those innocent doe eyes, really be the Anonymous69, who is tarnishing the forum?

Could I be misunderstanding something here?

"Uh, yes."

"You must have taken a few liberal arts classes. I didn't know."

"Yes, I didn't know either."

My response had come out indifferent, but in reality, I was maintaining my composure by controlling my emotions.

"H-have fun in class."

Perhaps my indifferent tone came out a bit rude, Seo Yerin couldn't continue the conversation and decided to offer me unexpected words of encouragement.

"What's with that tone?"

"Is he in the same department as Yerin? Do you know him?"

"I've just seen him around."

Seo Yerin's friends began to quietly bad-mouth me because of my attitude, clearly displeased with me.

Even though I might come off a bit rude, I didn't really care what other people thought about me.

And well, there it was, a post by Anonymous69, on my phone screen.

Gently pressing the delete button on the post, I wrote a formal warning message.

[We inform you that your frequent spamming has resulted in a one-day suspension from the bulletin board.]

And-

*Whoop*

Simultaneously, Seo Yerin's phone went off.

'This is a dead giveaway….'

I was sure of it.

Regarded as the department's goddess, admired by classmates, seniors, returning students to continue their studies, even the teaching assistants—Seo Yerin was using anonymity as a shield to pour out her desires into the Bamboo Forest.

"Yerin, what is it?"

"Did someone send you something weird?"

"No, it's nothing."

Even though I could only see the back of her head, it seems like her expression didn't look too good in her friend's eyes.

Seo Yerin suddenly got up, then gave a thin smile.

"I'll step out to make a quick call."

Her hand holding the phone trembled so slightly. Even though her voice was as gentle and calm as usual, and yet there was something unusual about her which made her friends let her go without stopping her.

And a while later.

A message came through the 1:1 inquiry chat with the administrator.

-Anonymous69: Please unblock me.

'Woah.'

She's so serious about this.

But well, this cannot be done.

-Administrator: You cannot be unblocked because you spammed.

I never expected that I would be talking to Seo Yerin. Of course, she was just lodging a complaint now, and I was simply responding with professional detachment.

-Anonymous69: I did not spam. I only posted one thing today, you know that right?

-Administrator: You've posted two today. I deleted one in which you attached a photo.

Didn't she just post a photo showing a woman's panties just earlier? No one could have imagined that Seo Yerin was the one posting something like that.

-Anonymous69: I usually post that much. Posting just two things isn't really considered spam.

-Administrator: But you post every day. And that's enough reason for a ban.

-Anonymous69: Pout.

Nice.

-Administrator: Take the day off and come back.

But that elicited no reply.

I wondered if Seo Yerin would step back into the classroom, but that wasn't the case either.

'Did she go to the convenience store?'

Amidst the strangely unsettling feeling…

-Anonymous69: (Photo)

-Anonymous69: A bribe

"Eukk!?"

Without realizing, I let out a bizzare scream at the sight of the photo of a woman wearing just their panties on my phone.

"Ah, shit."

"Excuse me, you're spitting."

"I'm sorry…"

After apologizing to Seo Yerin's annoyed friends, I tried to take a deep breath with effort.

Even as I worked to regain my composure, Seo Yerin's messages constantly bombarded my phone.

-Anonymous69: Is the admin baiting me?

-Anonymous69: Are you cold?

-Anonymous69: Turned on? Are you leaving me hanging?

-Anonymous69: Please respond.

After calming myself down, I quickly tried to send a reply but…

'But this picture is….'

The woman in the photo is wearing black see-through panties. Although only the lower body is visible, something about her lean thighs and legs felt so eerily similar to Seo Yerin.

'The floor tiles and the wall look like the university's bathroom?'

That thought struck me in an instant.

"..."

I swallowed hard.

Seeing that there was no reply, my suspicion gradually turned into conviction.

Yet, the rational response came.

-Administrator: I'm not going to unban you. And please do not post such pictures on the bulletin board.

-Anonymous69: Not to your liking?

-Administrator: Yes.

-Anonymous69: Pout, impotent bastard.

She was really testing my patience.

I was really going to let this slide, but that won't happen anymore.

-Administrator: But isn't that our university's bathroom in the background?

Though I sent the question to instigate panic, no answer came back for several minutes.

As I continued to wait, it wasn't a response that came back, but Seo Yerin herself….

Her face was bright red, not knowing where to look at.

"Yerin, are you feeling alright?"

"I want to ask the same, your face has suddenly turned so red."

"Weren't you speaking to someone? Who is it? Please don't tell me it was senior Han Kang."

"Woah, is that senior still hanging around Yerin?"

Yerin's friends immediately clung to her, caring for her as they noticed that she wasn't feeling well.

"No, it's nothing like that. I'm just tired, that is all."

Seo Yerin, trying to put on this small smile as she somehow tried to make an excuse.

The feeling of dissonance was intense, still unable to believe that she, with her pure and innocent look with that lovely scent when she came close, had indeed sent such messages to me just moments ago.

"..."

Then is she wearing black see-through panties under that silk skirt of hers?

'There is a mole on her thigh too.'

As a man myself, I became engrossed in the photo for a moment before snapping back myself to reality and shaking my head.

'Even so, this isn't right.'

Feeling a bit of guilt run through me, I deleted the photo right away, although the conversation history was saved.

I could look at it anytime, but I pretended like I didn't know.

"Sigh."

Gahyeon University's 'Bamboo Forest' is different from those of other universities.

What is different is that Gahyeon University's Bamboo Forest isn't operated and managed by the University.

Normally, the university manages the accounts but at Gahyeon University, it's really just an individual, and that's me, I am the one who manages it.

Officially, Gahyeon University doesn't have its own 'Bamboo Forest' forum.

However, it got activated through an app created as a joke by this distant senior, and the administrator account was passed down to me.

At first, when the senior who knew about it handed it over, I was even a bit shocked.

Somehow, Gahyeon University's Bamboo Forest has become the community to which I devote most of my time each day.

'It's because I don't have any real-life friends, right?'

I sit in a corner seat at the café, sipping my coffee noisily and checking the posts on the Bamboo Forest on my laptop.

Today too, Bamboo Forest was circulating busily as always.

-Anonymous17: Going to Uncle Blood Sausage Noodles and Rice.

-Anonymous212: But Samsoon noodles tastes awful, you know?

-Anonymous17: It's my uncle's place.

-Anonymous212: I will try making an acrostic poem with 'Ro'.

-Anonymous276: Are there any clubs recruiting in the second semester? My timetable is so messed up that I have too much free time.

-Anonymous54: They are coming.

-Anonymous98: I hear their footsteps.

-Anonymous77: JLY! The Lord loves you. You can join us immediately if you come to the East Room. We give out crosses too. (｡♥‿♥｡)

-Anonymous276(author): I already go to church.

-Anonymous88: I take refuge in the Buddha. We are gladly welcoming you at the Buddhist Practice Society anytime. We have chanting sessions every Friday and we go hiking once a month.

-Anonymous276(author): Sorry, actually, I'm not religious.

-Anonymous185: The Truth club for the none religious ones. Come and talk trash about other religions. Occasionally we mess around with the other religion clubs.

-Anonymous276(author): Fuck.

Truth be told, I'm not sure if I can say that all this is healthy, but it surely is running actively.

Gahyeon University's Bamboo Forest required a separate app to use, but even so, it had a pretty decent user base.

At the orientation, they even taught new students how to use this app.

When I joined as a freshman this year, I learned about it from the seniors too.

As I was looking at the latest posts on the Bamboo Forest on my laptop in the café, I sensed someone's presence.

When I casually looked up, there was a familiar face standing in front of me with a coffee in hand.

Her hair was a short bob with a navy hue, and her figure signified a healthy beauty.

She was dressed in tight training pants and a blue zip-up hoodie.

Choi Yiseo.

She was the student representative of our English Language and Literature Department.

Even though I knew her name was unique and she was the student rep, I was a bit taken aback that she was looking right at me.

"Is it okay if I sit here?"

Choi Yiseo pointed to the seat opposite me, asking me a question. She wasn't as active as Seo Yerin when it came to socializing, but she didn't shun others either.

Perhaps it can be described as a typical trait of leaders. Well, she was a girl who fits the role of class president very well.

"Be my guest."

We weren't that close, but I nodded. There were no other vacant seats in the café, so she must have come over since we were acquainted.

Choi Yiseo sat down on the opposite side.

I closed the window of Bamboo Forest on my laptop and launched a game. There was a two-hour gap between my classes right now, which was more than enough time to play.

Choi Yiseo also seemed to take no interest in me, just sipping her coffee and looking at her phone.

'Tsk, no match.'

I couldn't play a dynamic 5:5 in the café, so I just played a normal strategy card game.

"Did you finish the English literature assignment?"

It looked like she got tired of using her phone, and before I knew it, she was looking at me from the other side of my laptop.

I didn't expect her start a conversation with me, but I replied without much difficulty.

"Yes."

I definitely remembered it being a task about submitting a report on the difference between English and American literature.

It was an awful assignment which required a thorough comparison of representative authors and their works.

Being in the second semester of my freshman year, I also grumbled about the desire for more free time in this workload.

"Hmm, so you're already done with it."

Was she trying to continue the conversation and failed? Choi Yiseo mumbled to herself and sipped her coffee.

It was a tad strange, it seemed like she wanted to say something, looking around as if her lips were itching to start a new topic.

"What is it that you are curious about?"

"Well, last semester you…"

Annoyed by her hesitation, I asked and Choi Yiseo seemed about to speak.

"Yiseo!"

A tall man entered the café.

His height was the first thing you'd notice, and it ended up being our department's sturdy and well-built Ahn Hyeon-ho.

I wondered if he had planned something with her as he headed in our direction, but upon seeing me sitting across from her, he frowned.

"Kim Woojin?"

I was a bit surprised that he knew my name, but he didn't look that happy to see me.

I just nodded slightly in greeting, but Ahn Hyeon-ho treated me like I wasn't even there, speaking to Choi Yiseo.

"Let's go, the professors are waiting."

"Yeah, got it, we can leave now."

"Okay."

Choi Yiseo and Ahn Hyeon-ho headed out of the café. In the midst, I overheard Ahn Hyeon-ho asking her why she was sitting with me.

'They've finally left.'

I stretched and turned off the game, then re-entered the Bamboo Forest.

It was tempting to see that posts have accumulated since I last looked at it an hour ago.

-Anonymous69: It isn't the school bathroom though?

-Anonymous69: The level of delusional fanboying this admin has is truly shocking.

Seeing the sudden text from Seo Yerin, I burst out into loud laughter.

*****

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