Bamboo Forest Manager
Chapter 11: Karaoke

“Haaa! Haah!”

Seo Yerin, catching her breath and looking exhausted, sweat dripping for the first time in a while. It was tough, but once it was all done, there was a sense of refreshment and pride.

“You did a great job. Considering that this is your first time, I’m surprised at how good your posture was.”

“R-really?”

Seo Yerin, accustomed to compliments, found it different however when it came to physical movements.

It was the first time she received compliments for exercising, so a proud smile formed on her face.

“Yes, you’re really good at it. I think our member Yiseo would be really shocked if she saw this.”

“Hehe, I too had fun today.”

Seo Yerin, introduced to the personal trainer by recommendation of Choi Yiseo, met with a female trainer. Thanks to that, she came across someone with a good personality who taught her the exercises in detail.

Seo Yerin liked it a lot when during exercises or when using the workout equipment, everything was explained one by one, including why she had to do it, the structure of the body, and the muscles involved.

Heading to the shower, Seo Yerin looked her body over in the mirror.

Even though she had just started working out, she felt somewhat different.

‘Uh, haha.’

She had always thought she had a pretty body. She didn’t exercise, but she paid attention to her diet every day and did simple stretches.

The PT also praised her, saying that her body was really pretty even without working out.

‘Right? Not that bad, right?’

But what about this version of herself?

‘No appeal?’

Ugh.

Seo Yerin grumbled to herself recalling the message from the admin.

Though they were strangers, it was precisely for that reason that she could show a side of herself which she couldn’t show anyone else.

She could reveal her true nature which even her parents aren’t aware of.

It was comfortable.

The fact that she could reveal herself to someone who didn’t even know her, felt comfortable and safe to her.

An Admin she barely exchanged a few words with.

Probably a man. He didn’t bother denying when teased about having a girlfriend.

She didn’t know which grade or major he was in, but that made it even better.

“Hehehe.”

Thinking about it, she hadn’t been able to enter the Bamboo Forest due to being swamped with assignments.

Eager to upload a post in the Bamboo Forest, her fingers itched as she quickly washed up and launched the Bamboo Forest while drying her hair.

The Bamboo Forest was the same as usual.

Glancing down, there were a few people who missed her or were happy she vanished, nicknaming her the ‘Sex God’.

The Bamboo Forest wasn’t entirely incapable of what’s colloquially known as a community bond.

But in the end, perhaps because they are all students at the same University, there weren’t many people you get along with in the community.

The names were all anonymous with only numbers attached, so becoming a known figure there wasn’t easy.

‘Am I known?’

The thought of becoming a known figure called the SEX GOD in the Bamboo Forest made her shoulders shake with pride.

She wondered what the admin would think about it and was also excited.

Perhaps they were sighing, just like the messages they sent.

“Heh.”

Thinking about it made her feel good, like some grade schooler wanting to play a prank on their crush.

“Then I should announce my comeback.”

Listen up!

Open up!

The Sex Chaser has returned!

The moment she confidently typed on her phone, wearing just her panties in the gym’s changing room.

-Senior Han-kang: Yerin, are you done with your workout?

“……”

Her bubbling excitement cooled rapidly. The sensation of coming back to reality didn’t feel good to her.

Thinking about it, she brushed his call off earlier by saying she was going to work out.

It was clear that she was displaying a lack of interest, so why is this still happening?

Seo Yerin sighed, and yet the message she sent didn’t reflect her feelings.

-Seo Yerin: Yes, I’m done.

-Senior Han-kang: The guys and I decided to head to karaoke, you want to join us?

Karaoke?

That sounds nice.

She wanted to sing the song from the anime she watched yesterday, but that would just render the atmosphere awkward for her.

Add to the fact that it was Senior Han-kang who asked her, it didn’t seem that welcoming.

But.

-Senior Min-woo: Yerin, what are you doing now?

-Senior Jin-sung: Hi? Sᴇaʀᴄh the ɴøᴠel Fɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

-Senior Jeong-min: I want to go home, in the middle of the lecture now. Where are you?

While she was working out, Seo Yerin sighed as she checked the flood of messages in her inbox.

There was a senior who had confessed and been politely rejected, but there were also those who, perhaps because she didn’t speak firmly, hadn’t given up yet.

‘I need to make it clear….’

But she couldn’t do it.

She wanted to tell them firmly to stop contacting her, but she was worried about how It might affect her image in the department.

Senior Han-kang: Everyone from the department is here. We will be hanging out with members of the student council.

Senior Han-kang seemed to be the best option. After all, the student council members were there too.

‘I was going to thank Yiseo for introducing me to the PT, so this works out well.’

Since it’s the student council, there would be other close friends there, and not just Choi Yiseo.

Seo Yerin: Yes, I’ll come.

In the end, Seo Yerin typed out her response with an impassive face, hiding her true feelings.

“Sigh.”

Brushing her slightly damp hair back, she entered the Bamboo Forest again and shouted.

-Anonymous69: Ah, I wanna have sex so baaaad!

The roar announcing the return of the Sex God was truly amazing.

-Anonymous90: You have returned, JOAT!

-Anonymous11: Damn, the forums are going to get dirty again. What’s the admin doing?

-Anonymous69: Jerk

-Anonymous123: LOLLLLL

-Anonymous75: Admin is going to drag this one to the room of truth now.

-Anonymous69: Getting ready to get laid in the room of truth.

-Anonymous82: Weren’t you blocked before? Guess you’ll be blocked again.

-Anonymous90: The Dark Knight of Gahyeon University, Even the admin cannot handle JOAT’s desire.

-Anonymous11: These types are usually losers who cannot even get to a brothel house. Seriously, what is the admin even doing?

“Ah, I am getting so many responses?”

Normally such blatant spamming would get her banned, but today her hit rate was good.

-Anonymous69: Currently sucking up to the admin.

Since she didn’t specify what it was, maybe she wouldn’t get banned.

The admin knows that banning her would only make things more troublesome.

“Ah….”

Anonymous69 doesn’t need to consider the feelings of others or notice their reactions.

“How fun!”

Although Anonymous69 was definitely Seo Yerin herself.

For some reason, she truly wanted to embody Anonymous69.

What is this?

Why am I here?

Though I am puzzled, I needed to face the current situation.

I am spending time at a karaoke bar with the English Literature students, the student council, and seniors.

“Don’t forgeeettttt! Every thingggg about youuuuu!”

The seniors’ loud singing was shocking. He looked like a quiet person with glasses, but he transformed once he grabbed the microphone.

I was feeling a bit sorry that I haven’t even memorized names even though it’s already the second semester.

“Sorry.”

Choi Yiseo, who was sitting next to me, turned slightly and whispered.

Of course she should apologize.

“Don’t turn your head towards me. He is glaring at us.”

Ahn Hyeon-ho, who was mingling with the seniors across from us, was watching us with the gaze of a hawk.

He must be worried that we might do something.

“…I’m sorry for that too.”

Choi Yiseo must know that Ahn Hyeon-ho had his eye on her.

But it seemed like she couldn’t outright refuse him due to their positions as the Department representative and vice representative.

Well, it is a bit late, but to explain how I ended up in this situation…

After eating at a salad place recommended by Choi Yiseo, we were on our way home when we happened to run into a group.

We had no choice but to join them in order to deny the persistent questioning about whether we were out on a date or not.

Saying we weren’t up for it would mean that we didn’t want them to interrupt our time alone.

‘I can just leave after a while.’

Just like the last time at the bar, slipping away in the middle would be enough.

“Yiseooooo! It’s really not that we left you out! You know that right? It just happened that everyone there was a student council member!”

“I get it, I understand.”

“Really? You’re not upset? I’d feel rather bad if you were. We should hang out together next time!”

“That’s fine. I saw your message earlier. I just didn’t respond because I was eating.”

Choi Yiseo was about to stand up, thinking it was the perfect timing as she started to get hassled by other girls from the student council.

“Hello.”

The karaoke room door opened and in walked Seo Yerin. Just by entering, she brought a subtle warm fragrance into the heated room.

“Yerin, come over here.”

Han-kang, the organizer of this gathering, quickly seated Seo Yerin in the empty seat beside him.

Seo Yerin, who was suddenly pulled aside, looked visibly uncomfortable.

But, since there were many people around, Seo Yerin being there didn’t seem that out of place.

The college students, who were tipsy, were thrilled by the arrival of the pretty girl, and swarmed around her.

“Yerin, can you sing well?”

“Woah, I’m curious. Can you please sing once?”

“Have you eaten?”

The fact that she had showered seemed to excite the men around, making them bolder than usual in their approach.

“Ahem.”

However, in front of them was senior Han-kang.

Senior Han-kang, with a cough and a friendly smile, pushed away every one of the competitors clinging to the flower named Seo Yerin.

“Yerin, you said you have been working out. Aren’t you exhausted?”

He overtly appeals to her by mentioning the information that she had been working out, implying that they have been in touch.

It was a clear declaration that, unlike the others, he alone was in communication with her.

‘Utterly disgusting.’

Was this some sort of battle of the male species?

What fierce competition.

Meanwhile, it’s funny that Ahn Hyeon-ho continued to glance at Seo Yerin.

After lightly nudging Choi Yiseo, who was being harassed by the girls, with a finger, I then gestured to Ahn Hyeon-ho with my chin.

I smiled, with a look that said, look how a boy that likes her is getting distracted by another girl.

“Don’t tease me.”

But Ahn Hyeon-ho, with only a brief glance, glared at me for teasing him and bit down on his lip hard.

I thought it was over, but then he hit me hard with an air fist.

“Is it because he works out?”

I should have just stayed put and not provoked him.

With that thought in mind, I tried to find the right timing to leave but Seo Yerin’s side turned lively again.

“Woah! Yerin is going to sing!”

“Cut off Han Ho-jung’s song! Damn it, this guy ruined the mood by singing a ballad!”

“What are you singing?”

Given the karaoke remote, Seo Yerin looked down at it with a troubled expression.

It didn’t look like she wanted to sing and she looked distressed from being pressured by others.

Choi Yiseo tried to intervene, noticing that Seo Yerin was uncomfortable, but it didn’t really work.

Just as Seo Yerin was about to push a button,

Woong!

Seo Yerin’s phone that was beside her vibrated. What was important was that the person who saw it flinched and then grabbed it.

A faint smile spread across her lips as she checked who it was.

“I have an important call to make, so I’ll be right back.”

Seo Yerin got up and quickly waded through the entire crowd to go out.

“Ahh, what is this!”

“Ha, look at the timing.”

“But what kind of call got her that excited?”

“Did she get a package?”

“Maybe a boyfriend?”

“Ehh, as if.”

Regardless, the boys were all disappointed that they couldn’t hear Seo Yerin’s singing.

What kind of message was sent?

Maybe there is only one who knows, and that’s me.

Because I am the one that sent it.

-Admin: Do you want to die for real?

-Admin: Answer within 10 seconds. Or else a perma ban.

I deliberately sent a 1:1 inquiry using the post that was made earlier to talk trash about me.

Actually, I wanted to ignore it.

‘Sigh.’

It was because the sight of her shrinking back, looking pitiful in front of the boys, was just too sad to see.

No one might know it, and Seo Yerin who received that help might not know it either. But I was feeling a little proud to have helped someone who was in trouble.

Immediately, a response from Seo Yerin came through to my phone, which was set to silent mode.

-Anonymous69: Meanieeeee Admin Meanieeeeeeee!!

‘Shit.’

Did I just help her for nothing?

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