Bamboo Forest Manager-Chapter 73: Jogging

There is a level of tension that we experience when skipping classes at the academy and subsequently receiving a call from mom.

And I am experiencing the same sort of tension as those days when I see Choi Yiseo’s name on the incoming call display right now.

Should I answer it?

There was a moment of hesitation, but eventually, my finger touched the screen to answer the call as the phone kept vibrating.

“Hello?”

As I cautiously and carefully answered the phone, from the other end…

I heard Choi Yiseo’s voice, which wasn’t much different from usual. The moment I heard it, I felt the tension in my body release and I turned calm.

The video itself was taken down quickly at our request, and I immediately deleted the post from the Bamboo Forest too.

In fact, only someone like Yu Arin, who needs to stay in the Bamboo Forest, might have seen that video.

Registered under the student ID of Choi Yiseo, Anonymous287 had previously been blocked, as I mistook her account for Ahn Hyeon-ho’s.

Since Choi Yiseo doesn’t use SNS, it was naturally impossible for her to know about the original post.

‘Thinking about it, I don’t have to be afraid.’

Even though I’m in a somewhat delicate relationship with Choi Yiseo, she’s not my girlfriend, after all.

‘But why do I feel so guilty?’

Despite questioning why I feel uncomfortable about spending a night with Seo Yerin, I responded with a joke for now.

“I came to senior Han-kang’s house with senior Ju-hee. Because of a group project.”

Indeed, what a unique combination.

“I think senior Han-kang might end up abandoned in the Han River today. The culprit would be senior Ju-hee.”

I back away subtly.

The screams from senior Han-kang were so clear, one might think it’s from a scene of torture.

Seeing senior Ju-hee fighting with all her might, I vow never to mess with her again.

I can’t believe I had the nerve to brief her on her position.

“Anyway, I’m a bit busy because of that. Why did you call?”

“Hmm, there’s been a change, so I think I need to ask Senior. I’ll check and get back to you after I’m done here.”

Having recently fallen in love with home training, I answered with a confident laugh.

“Let’s do it, I think my body has gotten better recently. Feels like more muscles?”

Click.

Choi Yiseo showed a lukewarm response. I felt relieved, as if a weight had been lifted off my chest. Was it like overcoming a huge mountain?

“Argh! Help meee! People of the neighborhood!”

‘I should join the fray too.’

Those are men and women.

Enemies of both genders.

I was seriously considering asking Senior Ju-hee if we should proceed with a castration plan.

Wooong!

Another call came in.

Eventually, I sighed and answered the call.

“Ah, what?”

“There was something up. What’s up.”

Yu Arin, faced with my confident tone, seemed to get even more annoyed and grumbled.

“Ah… because of the video earlier?”

“That was practice for the short film.”

This is exactly the excuse I came up with. I told Seo Yerin and the SNS uploader to explain in such a manner.

If we send in a real practice video later, they’ll apologize and upload the video themselves.

“It was for a project practice, you know? Seo Yerin and senior Han Kang are the leads in the film they’re shooting this time. We were practicing for that.”

“Ha, acting like you’re part of our team now? Sorry, but that’s something we discussed and added on our own.”

Where does this outsider get off interfering in the matters of our group?

If we say that’s how it is, then that’s how it is.

“We can practice acting in Korean.”

Huh?

Why bring up Choi Yiseo all of a sudden?

“Choi Yiseo wouldn’t know. Since the original and reposted articles have already been deleted.”

“We just spoke on the phone earlier? She wasn’t embarrassed or distant, but just in case, I’m warning you, don’t say a word to Choi Yiseo.”

There was a moment of silence.

Then, Yu Arin clicked her tongue and answered.

“Why, moron.”

“……”

“…………”

“Shit.”

“Are you here?”

The scenery of the walking path at sunset was always the same, but today it felt strangely poignant.

Perhaps it was because of the female student with deep blue hair, warming up in her workout clothes, waiting for me within the landscape.

“Yes, I’m here.”

As I waved my hand lightly in greeting, Choi Yiseo also smiled and responded to me.

“I don’t know how hard you’ve been working out at home, but let’s see some of your skills.”

Saying so, Choi Yiseo signaled for us to start running, and I immediately began sprinting beside her.

Suddenly, I wanted to salute the future of Han-kang, who would be doing roll calls and jogging every morning from now on.

“Hoo, hoo.”

Choi Yiseo runs with a steady breath.

Her appearance didn’t much differ from usual either.

Not too slow, not too fast, I run alongside her, matching her steady pace.

We didn’t engage in any talk.

After all, we weren’t relaxed enough to chat while working out.

Just like that, we were running, and before we knew it, we had reached our usual finishing point.

“Let’s run a bit more.”

Choi Yiseo didn’t stop there but went further, and I followed suit.

‘I guess my stamina has improved greatly.’

The reason I stopped here when I first ran was just one. Because I couldn’t run any further.

There was a physical limit, a set finish line to my body. But today, I was easily surpassing it.

I sneak a glance at Choi Yiseo. As if I could keep running even after crossing the finish line.

It seemed like she, too, was trying to surpass her own limits.

Strangely, my heart fluttered.

“Huff, huff.”

It was almost 30 minutes later when Choi Yiseo finally stopped. Yet, seeing that her breathing wasn’t very rough or ragged, it seemed like she could run some more.

“Haahh! Haahh! Phewww!”

Lying sprawled on the ground, I felt like I would die of breathlessness any moment now. I had been a bit proud of my slightly improved body strength just minutes ago, and it would have been nice if I had been satisfied with that.

Thanks to the long run, it had already gotten dark around us, the streetlights were on, and we had ended up at the far end of a walking path where people seldom ventured.

“It’s so damn hard, for real!”

I almost crawled to a nearby bench and sat down, and seeing that, Choi Yiseo quietly took the seat next to me.

Even though we ran together, Choi Yiseo, whose breathing had already returned to normal, asked while looking in the direction where the stream flowed, though it was too dark to see clearly.

“Have you given some thought to some things?”

From her tone of voice, it was clear that what she was about to say was quite serious.

“At first, I was angry.”

“……”

“I even thought about folding you in half and killing you.”

What is it?

Why does she talk as if it’s actually possible for her to do that?

Although it was momentarily chilling, I continued to listen to Choi Yiseo’s words.

“Then, I felt disappointed.”

“……”

“And after that, I felt like I was being stupid.”

I wanted to say something, but I couldn’t say anything. After all, the fact that I had slept with Seo Yerin remained unchanged.

“Since I’m not your girlfriend. I said I wouldn’t interfere, but when something like this actually happens, it was hard for me to understand it.”

“……”

“Even so, I wondered if I really had to like you this much.”

The words pierced my heart like a dagger, but I had no reply.

Being passive in relationships, it was only natural for me to follow Choi Yiseo’s conclusions if she had come to one.

After all, it’s not like I could change anything about what had transpired.

“I even thought about just taking you to a hotel.”

“Cough.”

“But then. It felt like I would be cheapening my integrity.”

“……”

“It would be my first time experiencing this. It would be too unfortunate for myself to do it just because I’m blinded by jealousy, as if it’s a competition.”

“Of course.”

I agreed.

It was foolish to ruin meaningful moments just because someone else did it and feel the need to hastily follow.

“Am I too slow?”

Choi Yiseo slowly turned her head and asked me, making eye contact.

“Everyone seems to be becoming adults so quickly. Things we couldn’t do in high school are happening in the blink of an eye.”

“……”

“So, honestly, I was a bit worried. Wondering if I’m on the right path.”

Choi Yiseo’s hand gently reached out and caressed the back of my hand.

It contained a certain amount of affection.

“I wanted to confirm that today. Whether it’s right for me to go at my own pace or not.”

The soft smile that formed on her lips was also Choi Yiseo’s own way of answering.

“It seems right. That it’s right for me to go this way.”

“……”

“No matter what others do. After all, you are conscious of me.”

At those words.

My mouth opened slightly without realizing it.

It wasn’t wrong.

When I had sex with Seo Yerin.

The first thing I worried about was Choi Yiseo.

When the video spread, when the call came, when we agreed to meet.

I was always concerned about Choi Yiseo.

Before I knew it.

The moment I realized that the person named Choi Yiseo had taken up a significant place inside me.

A night breeze blew to me.

Riding on it, Choi Yiseo gently leaned on my shoulder.

“This is my pace.”

Slowly, but surely.

I could feel that the person named Choi Yiseo was coming closer to me.

“I-I smell like sweat…”

Whether that was unpleasant.

Or reminded me of an ex-girlfriend.

Or my emotions were more confused than I thought.

I’m not sure, but I tried to push her away forcibly.

“I don’t mind your sweat smell.”

Choi Yiseo, on the contrary, wrapped her arms around me and clung closer, and I involuntarily tensed up.

‘Why does even her sweat smell strangely sweet?’

It was fragrant, and strangely stimulated a man’s sexual fantasies.

The soft chest wrapped around my arm, along with the pheromones it seductively gave out.

Even if I wanted to pull away, there was nowhere to run since I was sitting on the bench.

“I think I’ve sorted things out.”

Choi Yiseo, who spoke with a sense of relief, then rose from her seat. As the touch, warmth, and scent of her arm disappeared, a strange sense of regret overcame me.

“Let’s go eat, to your house.”

She mentioned it with a refreshing smile, out of the blue.

“…My house?”

“Yeah, I told Minji that I would sleep over at your place tonight.”

At those words, I stared blankly at Choi Yiseo before responding.

“We don’t have condoms?”

“This idiot…!”

Ppuk!

Choi Yiseo’s fist flew at me right away. Some habits never die.

As I huddled on the bench, Choi Yiseo pounded on my back, shouting.

“Just now! Just before! You said you wouldn’t do that! You said okay that we’d go slow! Just! Because I want to be with you! That’s why!”

“No, no! Anyone would have misunderstood the way you said it just now!”

This is really unfair!

Somehow, I struggle, grab Choi Yiseo’s wrists, and stand.

Choi Yiseo, puffing and blushing, glares at me.

“Honestly though, right? You spoke in a way that would cause me to misunderstand, right?”

“Huff! Huff!”

Catching her breath, Choi Yiseo pouts and answers.

“Yeah, honestly, I was a bit annoyed, so I deliberately spoke in a way to make you misunderstand. Because I wanted to hit you.”

“……”

She’s so clever.

As I slowly let go of her hands, Choi Yiseo rotated her wrists, glaring at me.

“I told you, I hope you can overlook a bit of jealousy.”

“I have no intention of even tolerating your punches.”

When I said that, Choi Yiseo crossed her arms and replied.

“Let’s stop by the convenience store and get some alcohol. You’re really dead today. Prepare yourself.”

“……”

“You did it with Yerin, didn’t you? You’re going to regret it big time now.”

“What?”

Curious about what exactly I would regret, I asked Choi Yiseo, but she just turned around and walked away.

Anyway.

Today, it seems like Choi Yiseo is going to sleep over at my place.