Bamboo Forest Manager

Chapter 124: Competition

“Kim Woojin, why aren’t you coming out!”

Outside the men’s locker room.

Han Bom, who wasn’t aware of anything, is calling my name loudly.

We decided to meet outside after changing clothes, but since I hadn’t yet emerged, she came looking for me.

“Woojin, are you in there?”

“……”

This time, it was Lee Se-ah who called me worriedly. Since I wasn’t coming out, they must have thought that something was wrong with me.

‘Should I just lie and say I went to the dorm without saying anything?’

I wanted to text them that I went to the dorm because I wasn’t feeling well.

As I was hesitating, not wanting to go outside, I heard the voice of the person who had driven me to this situation.

“Come out.”

A short and concise command.

At Yu Arin’s voice, which was chilling and even emitted a strange heat, I tensed up involuntarily.

“If you drag out the time, it’ll only get more tiring.”

“…You said you wouldn’t hit me.”

When I resisted with a small, shrinking voice, a long breath was exhaled.

“I won’t hit you.”

As if I could believe that.

However, because of the curious gazes of the other employees using the changing room, I had no choice but to go outside.

Two people already aware of the tense atmosphere between Yu Arin and me were watching us closely.

As I smiled awkwardly and greeted them, Yu Arin quickly linked her arm with mine and began to drag me along.

“Let’s go.”

“Uh, uh, okay.”

“What’s going on?”

Han Bom and Lee Se-ah looked at us curiously, but I could only get dragged away under their gazes.

“Are you really not mad?”

I asked Yu Arin cautiously, who had her arms crossed, and she glanced at me before tightening her grip.

“You’re mad.”

As expected.

“So do well today. If you don’t want to get beaten.”

“Is that how you’re letting it slide?”

“Depends on how you perform.”

If so, I must do my best again.

If I recklessly confronted Yu Arin, who had a reason to hit me, I’d really get beaten to a pulp.

‘I should have been better at fighting.’

It’s embarrassing to say that I get beaten up by a girl, but it’s a different story if it’s Yu Arin, who is a former Taekwondo athlete.

Isn’t it reasonable to lose then?

Anyway, we decided to simply walk around the hotel for the remaining time.

It might sound strange to walk around a hotel, but Gold One had a plethora of shops, from restaurants to clothing stores.

Since the surrounding area was a remote mountain valley with nothing around, it felt like they had to provide everything themselves.

There were indeed many restaurants, enough to consider having dinner here.

But when they saw the prices on the menu, they thought it wiser to eat at the employee cafeteria.

“Shall we go to Great Korean?”

At that moment, Lee Se-ah suggested going to Great Korean where Seo Yerin worked.

Everyone agreed, and while moving there, Yu Arin, who had naturally let go of my arm earlier, clung to me again.

Since Lee Se-ah and Han Bom were walking ahead of us, we didn’t receive any sharp looks.

“…This is too blatant.”

Knowing that she was doing it on purpose to target Seo Yerin at the bakery, I made a casual remark.

“Ugh.”

Yu Arin hesitated, perhaps not expecting me to point it out so bluntly, and after a moment of contemplation.

“Ack!”

She pinched my waist and declared,

“Just you try to let go of my arm as we enter the bakery.”

“……”

“I won’t let that slide, seriously?”

Startled by her warning, I unconsciously tightened my grip on her arm, and she leaned in slightly, seemingly satisfied, with a faint smile on her lips.

“Hmph.”

‘When she does things like this…’

She’s kind of cute.

Anyway, as we entered the Great Korean bakery, it was only natural that Seo Yerin was the first to greet us.

With a bread hat and an apron.

Seo Yerin seemed slightly tired, possibly from dealing with the many customers who flocked here after seeing her posts on social media.

“Hey guys…”

She started to greet us but stopped, staring intently at me and Yu Arin, who were arm in arm.

“Do you still have that buttercream cheese bread you mentioned last time? I’ve been dying to try it!”

“Yerin, can I take a picture with you in that outfit?”

Kim Woojin’s attention momentarily shifted to Seo Yerin, who was looking after Han Bom and Lee Se-ah, darting in from the side, but there was a subtle unease in her demeanor.

“Hmm, it’s working perfectly.”

Yu Arin, covering her mouth with her hand, tried to stifle her laughter. Her satisfaction was palpable.

At that moment.

“W-Woojin! Are you buying bread? Let me recommend something!”

Seo Yerin, having entrusted the two friends to other part-timers, clung to his other arm.

Other customers and part-timers looked on in surprise at the unusually close contact from Seo Yerin.

‘Wow, what’s this.’

Honestly, feeling like my male pride was about to soar through the roof, I couldn’t help but let my lips curl into a smile.

“Ouch!”

A sudden, sharp pinch to my waist made me yelp involuntarily.

Turning to glare at Yu Arin, I saw her pursing her lips in displeasure, meeting my gaze.

“Uh, uh-hum. Yerin? People are watching. You’re clinging too much.”

I forcibly untangled Seo Yerin’s arm and took Yu Arin’s side.

“……”

Seo Yerin, realizing a little late that I had evaded her, stared blankly at her arm.

“Tsk.”

She pouted and tapped my shoulder with her fist.

It would have been nice if it had ended there, but Yu Arin on the opposite side made a V sign toward Seo Yerin as if she had won.

“Tskkkkk!”

Seo Yerin’s punches started to pummel my shoulder.

Compared to Yu Arin, it felt like a soft blow, and honestly, it didn’t hurt much.

“People are watching.”

Since the scene was drawing too much attention, we had no choice but to leave the bakery.

Lee Se-ah and Han Bom continued choosing bread, and only Yu Arin and I stepped outside.

“What’s this, is it thrilling?”

Yu Arin nodded vigorously with satisfaction next to me.

“Okay, forgiven.”

“Are you really friends with her?”

Finally, the arm lock was released.

As I rotated my stiff arm and asked, Yu Arin pouted in annoyance.

“Friends fight and compete with each other, you know.”

That’s true, but…

“This is the first time I beat Yerin at something like this.”

“There’s a winner and a loser?”

Without answering my question, Yu Arin started fiddling with her phone while humming.

I intended to wait outside until Lee Se-ah and Han Bom came out.

A vibration came through my phone too.

• Seo Yerin: Back door of Bakery Hall.

“……”

I felt like I was being dragged out by seniors for some sort of punishment. I told Yu Arin I’d be right back and headed to the back of Bakery Hall.

“Woojin?”

Seo Yerin, seemingly very displeased, was glaring at me with her arms crossed.

“Ahem, there’s a reason.”

“Did you even plead?”

Is she out of her mind?

“No, I mean there’s a reason.”

“Oh, that reason…”

Realizing her misunderstanding, Seo Yerin looked embarrassed. Thanks to that, the atmosphere lightened a bit.

“Oh, so Arin can link her arms with yours, but I can’t?”

“I told you there’s a reason.”

“Why do you keep saying there’s a reason? Are you pent up? Should we do it now?”

This isn’t about feeding a kid. I stop Seo Yerin as she tries to unbutton her shirt.

“You, you’re doing this on purpose.”

I had a feeling she was deliberately steering the conversation towards something sexual.

“No…”

No? What does she mean, no?

She turned her head away, pretending not to know.

“Cut it out. We’re outside.”

“Why did you unlink our arms?”

The story returned to square one.

When I tried to explain, I was at a loss for words.

How could I say that I didn’t want to get beaten up for teasing Yu Arin about her panties.

“My chest is bigger too.”

Seo Yerin emphasized, lifting her chest from below. The innocence in her eyes strangely made my heart race.

“Touch it.”

“You already…ahem, I’ve already touched it.”

Last time, I touched, sucked, and licked it all, so what more does she want.

But Seo Yerin grabbed my hand and placed it on her chest.

“Oh, oh…”

What is this.

A full chest filling my palm.

No, feeling Seo Yerin’s chest buried in my hand, I unknowingly let out a gasp.

Before I knew it, I was fondling with both hands. Considering I couldn’t take my eyes off it, she must have done something.

“Ugh, Jin…”

Did she feel it?

Just as I was about to move my hand a bit rougher, Seo Yerin asked softly.

“Isn’t Arin Admin 1?”

“…Uh?”

My head starts to cool down.

“Don’t let go.”

While holding my wrists with both hands, Seo Yerin signals me to continue.

“Arin is Admin 1, right?”

Seo Yerin was already certain.

Her voice, along with the fullness of her chest, tempted me to quickly tell the truth.

“Right? If you look at what’s written in the Bamboo Forest, it’s confirmed.”

“Ah.”

Now that I think about it, that’s true.

As the Admin, I wrote in the Bamboo Forest that I’m hanging out with Number 1 during this vacation period.

If Seo Yerin, who knows my identity and our relationship, saw it, she could easily guess that Yu Arin is Number 1.

“Make me Number 2 as well.”

And Seo Yerin’s proposal was too obvious.

“……”

“Uh? If you want to keep touching, then I’m Number 2… Huh?”

“……”

“L-let go of my hand for a moment.”

“Oh, sorry.”

I was just touching without thinking, so I got absorbed without realizing it.

“Ugh? …I said, let go!”

Seo Yerin, leaning against the back door, started to noticeably squirm.

As her sticky breath touched the back of my hand, I protested my innocence.

“I think there’s a bug.”

My hand won’t let go.

Something has triggered a bug in me…

“I’m here to fix the bug.”

And my body arched like a bow.

Yeah, just as I said that, my body tilted sideways and rolled on the floor.

“You son of a bitch.”

The moment I met the furious gaze of Yu Arin looking down at me, she lunged at me again.

“Ah! Wait a moment!”

“Shut up!”

Yu Arin started punching right away as soon as she joined the pounding. Her punches were so crisp that it was incomparable to Seo Yerin earlier.

I had been hit like this by Choi Yiseo before, and in my opinion, she is either on the same level or even higher.

“It really hurts! Damn! It really hurts!”

“You! You, damn it! Die! Just die!”

“Ugh!”

I tried to block with both hands clutching my head, but eventually, I couldn’t withstand it and went limp.

“Damn it!”

The only saving grace was that the attacks stopped as soon as my guard dropped.

Maybe because she practiced Taekwondo, she seemed to have at least a minimal sense of sportsmanship left.

“Hey, Seo Yerin!”

Then she stepped over me, got up abruptly, and strode towards Seo Yerin.

“Hey, Seo Yerin!”

As Yu Arin approached Seo Yerin, her head was so complicated that it was dizzying.

In a state of feeling as if she were drunk, the rising jealousy and anger were directed towards both Seo Yerin and Kim Woojin.

Simply beating up Kim Woojin was not enough to ease her mind.

Therefore.

“He took my panties today.”

Yu Arin decided to go on the offensive.

If Seo Yerin was that relaxed.

If she was so confident that she could make lukewarm comments about competition.

“He toyed with me and enjoyed it.”

She intended to show her that being so carefree could lead to big trouble.

Seo Yerin’s gaze turned to the fallen Kim Woojin. He seemed dazed, staring blankly at the sky.

“And today, I’m going to have sex with that bastard.”

“…?!”

Seo Yerin’s gaze, which had been on Kim Woojin, immediately shifted back to Yu Arin.

Yu Arin, too, was glaring at her, seething. In fact, she hadn’t planned to go this far.

She thought it would end after some playful teasing as usual.

But seeing Kim Woojin fondling Seo Yerin’s chest made her head hot, and she was blurting out whatever came to mind.

Her sense of competition and desire to win flared up.

Losing once could be tolerated.

But Yu Arin could not lose twice.

“Tell our roomies I’m staying out. Then I’m leaving.”

Yu Arin twisted her body and took Kim Woojin away immediately.

‘Seo Yerin, let’s see how long you can keep your cool.’

She wanted to see for herself.

Smack!

Seo Yerin grabbed her wrist.

Yu Arin, startled by the strong grip, looked at Seo Yerin, slightly flustered.

“Uh, Arin?”

Contrary to her expectations, Seo Yerin stood there with a completely different expression.

“Are you really going to do it?”

Seo Yerin, who had previously said confidently that they should compete, give their best, and make an effort.

“Well…you know, Woojin isn’t feeling well today…”

Her face turned red as if it had caught fire, and she didn’t know what to do.

“Do you really have to do it? I mean…it’s not that I want to or anything. We also need to consider Woojin’s opinion!”

“……”

“And we have to go to work tomorrow too.”

“……”

“They say men need time to recover after doing it once…it’s only been a short while, so it might be tough now! Yeah! It might be tough!”

“……”

“I’ll let you know later! I’ll check with Woojin and…”

“Yerin.”

“Y-yes?! It’s not that I think of him as mine! We’re in a fair competition! It’s not jealousy or anything!”

It was disgraceful.

“…Cute.”

Yes, honestly, Yu Arin had to admit it.

Seo Yerin, who didn’t know what to do and looked tearful when she heard Kim Woojin would be sleeping with someone else, was cute.

‘Exactly the same.’

Seeing her jealous without any composure, just like herself.

Somehow, she began to feel at ease.