Chapter 240

Chapter 240

Bamboo Forest Manager.

Episode 240: Reason And Emotion

“…Yiseo, I heard it’s exam season. Are you having a hard time?”

A bustling café filled with people.

Choi Yiseo tilted her head at Oh Yoon-ji’s question from across the table.

“No? Why?”

It was exam season, but this final exam felt generally relaxed.

She had spent a lot of time with Kim Woo-jin as usual.

Because of that, she had been reviewing late into the night before the exams, so the exam period itself was relaxed.

“Your expression doesn’t look so good.”

“……”

“Your face seems shadowed. Since I called you, I feel like I should listen to your worries.”

“Was this a call for a counseling session?”

The café was crowded, yet it felt quiet enough to seem serene.

So many students had chosen the café as a study spot. Unintentionally, the exam period had changed the atmosphere of the place.

Choi Yiseo pointed that out and continued speaking.

“Calling a university student during exam season for counseling?”

“You said you were relaxed. I thought you, Choi Yiseo, would have some time to spare.”

“……”

“And if you were really struggling, you would have declined. Unlike before.”

That’s true.

The Choi Yiseo who couldn’t refuse a friend’s request or got swept up in the mood was no more.

“You’ve always been like this.”

Should she say proactive?

Oh Yoon-ji’s confident demeanor, always acting centered around herself, was both her strength and weakness.

It wasn’t surprising that she naturally became the center of the group.

“…I wonder.”

But people say you change as you get older.

In Yoon-ji’s expression, there was a hint of faded confidence, unlike before.

Of course, even if she were older, it was only by a year or two.

“What kind of counseling is it?”

Choi Yiseo pretended not to notice and brushed it off vaguely.

Since Yoon-ji had always hated showing her weaknesses to others, it was a form of consideration.

“Why are you like that?”

But Oh Yoon-ji asked Choi Yiseo for a reason in return.

“You don’t need to know.”

“Is it something I don’t need to know, or is it better not to know?”

“It’s better not to know.”

“Is it about Woojin?”

A friend’s keen intuition was always something to reconsider.

In fact, it was partly because Choi Yiseo had no knack for lying.

“Ahem, let’s just move on.”

Deciding she couldn’t hide it, Choi Yiseo spoke with some consideration.

“Tell me, maybe I can help.”

“…Isn’t it a bit off to ask his ex-girlfriend about that?”

Oh Yoon-ji paused at the suggestion that it wasn’t right from an ethical standpoint.

Whether she was organizing her thoughts or calming her emotions.

Choi Yiseo couldn’t tell.

“Then is it okay if I don’t help?”

Choi Yiseo sighed deeply at Yoon-ji’s words.

She thought it would be nice if Yoon-ji helped, as she said.

Wanting to confide this frustrating feeling to someone.

“It’s okay.”

But still, what wasn’t meant to be, wasn’t meant to be.

Choi Yiseo responded with a firm posture. Even though her voice trembled when she said it was okay, it was a lie.

Oh Yoon-ji didn’t press further.

Choi Yiseo was always like this.

“When reason and emotion clash, your reason always wins.”

“…Is that a compliment?”

“Maybe.”

Suddenly, Oh Yoon-ji wondered what it would be like to be with Kim Woojin, but she figured it was a secret between the two of them, so she let it go.

“Shall I tell you my concern then?”

“Yeah, go ahead. That’s what I came here to listen to.”

If it was something to make such a fuss over, it must be a pretty heavy topic.

“During this vacation, you agreed to work with us, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“I want to change the work a little, so I wanted to know what you think.”

“…Was that your concern?”

It seemed surprisingly trivial.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Our company’s broadcasters all lack exercise. So I was wondering if you could help.”

“Can’t you just hire professionals for that?”

“Ha, that’s the problem. Broadcasters have different waking, starting, and finishing times, you know?”

She complains that they inevitably lead an irregular life.

“So it’s tricky to assign a professional trainer. Their schedules are all over the place, and sometimes they can’t wake up at the agreed time.”

“Ah.”

“You’re not a professional trainer, but you’ve been exercising for a long time. I heard from Minji that you even took some body profile photos. Can you show me?”

“…Let me choose a photo.”

There were some taken provocatively.

She needed to choose one with minimal exposure, something ordinary.

Choi Yiseo picked just one from her phone and showed it to Oh Yoon-ji, who exclaimed, “Oh.”

Expecting some comment, she quickly returned to business talk.

Oh Yoon-ji lowered her head and spoke humbly.

“To be honest, hiring a trainer is expensive. That’s partly why I’m asking you.”

“Hmm, is it okay to say something like that so openly?”

“Because I know this approach works best with you? You consider yourself rational, but you’re weak against emotional requests from others.”

Crafty indeed.

But it wasn’t wrong, and it didn’t feel all that bad.

“I’ll pay you much more than Minji. Plus, you won’t have to do any odd jobs, just exercise with the kids.”

“Well, that’s not bad.”

It wasn’t just not bad; it was great.

‘Personally, I love exercising, and I can get paid to do it with others.’

“Right? We’ll also register you at a gym near our company building. The equipment there is amazing. I go there occasionally to work out too.”

Listening to Yoon-ji, she started to look forward to it even more.

Choi Yiseo, searching for the gym’s name on her phone, marveled at the photos and equipment.

‘Darn.’

Realizing she’d been neglecting Yoon-ji due to her focus, she looked up.

“Yoon-ji?”

“……”

The atmosphere was strange.

Yoon-ji’s eyes were open, but they seemed to be looking at something else, not this place.

No matter how many times Yiseo called her in the dull and vacant moment, there was no response.

“Yoon-ji?!”

“Huh-? Oh!?”

As she urgently shook her and called, Oh Yoon-ji finally snapped back to reality and exhaled deeply.

As if she had forgotten to breathe.

“What? Are you sick? What’s going on all of a sudden?”

“No, no. It’s nothing.”

Oh Yoon-ji, smiling as she said it was nothing.

Choi Yiseo was genuinely worried, but Yoon-ji deliberately changed the subject.

“Anyway. Once summer vacation starts, take two days off and then start working right away. With Minji.”

“……”

“I’m fine, really. I just dozed off because I was tired.”

Can you really call that dozing off?

It didn’t just feel like she was broken.

The chilling sense that Oh Yoon-ji’s body was here, but her mind had wandered somewhere else.

At some point, if she didn’t wake up, it would actually seem natural.

Oh Yoon-ji smiles, hastily wrapping up the conversation as if rejecting any talk about herself.

“Let’s leave it at that. Please take care of things during the break. Our group members are all quite easygoing, so it shouldn’t be difficult.”

“Alright…”

“And.”

Oh Yoon-ji slowly rises from her seat.

Choi Yiseo, having planned to study here from the start, looks up at her from her seat.

“As a senior, let me give you some advice.”

Senior.

The sound and meaning of the word brought a bitter smile to Choi Yiseo’s lips.

“If you’re contemplating, it means there’s lingering attachment. If you’re regretting, it means you love.”

“……”

“Blaming each other, pointing fingers, and fighting are only possible when you’re still by each other’s side.”

Yoon-ji’s clear voice pierced Choi Yiseo’s heart.

“After time passes, no one knows what ending awaits there.”

Watching Yoon-ji’s retreating figure, Choi Yiseo pondered over the advice she had been given.

“Sigh.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t know the story between Oh Yoon-ji and Kim Woojin.

There was something she wanted to ask.

She wanted to ask if it was really okay that her relationship with Kim Woojin had developed this way.

But.

Choi Yiseo lacked the courage to step that far.

What remained was a heavy lump.

“Sigh.”

She wanted to clear her complicated mind.

Meeting Oh Yoon-ji only made things more confusing for her.

Before she knew it, her fingers had already dialed the number she had memorized and deleted multiple times on her phone.

A moment later.

“Huff! Huff! Is that you, Yiseo?!”

Kim Woojin, out of breath from biking, was standing in front of her.

“I told you it was okay to come late.”

Trying to hide her gloomy mood, Choi Yiseo said, but he replied with a bright smile.

“I wanted to see you early.”

Even though it was just a single word, she felt the heavy lump in her chest begin to dissolve.

Kim Woojin subtly sat down next to her.

Since she had called to return his clothes, as she was about to take them out of her bag.

Kim Woojin gently caught her hand that was reaching for the bag.

He didn’t say anything else.

As if seeking permission, he carefully held her hand and calmly approached Choi Yiseo.

He gave her a warm hug.

“…!”

There were no more words.

That was just the end of it.

She wanted to ask if something was wrong because the atmosphere was so different from usual.

But that wasn’t it.

The one who was different from usual was herself.

“Are you having a hard time?”

Kim Woojin’s voice carried not forgiveness or apology, but comfort.

Maybe that’s why.

Choi Yiseo, without realizing it, nodded slightly while hugging him tightly.

“What was so hard?”

“Because of you.”

“That stings.”

She couldn’t see his face buried in his chest, but it seemed like he was giving a bitter smile.

“It’s complicated, my head is so tangled that it hurts.”

Was it wrong not to forgive Kim Woojin?

Was it wrong to meet Yoon-ji?

Or should she have strongly denied this relationship from the start and walked away?

Various thoughts crossed her mind.

“Then just say whatever comes to mind.”

At Kim Woojin’s words, Choi Yiseo spoke her first thought.

“Jerk.”

“Ahem, what else?”

“You said you were studying, so how could you do that with Arin? If you lie, what happens to my trust in you?”

“I have no excuse. What else?”

“I waited to have lunch with you. But you spent time with Yerin?”

“…Oh, is there more?”

“Idiot. It’s frustrating. Why are you making things so difficult for me?”

“What else?”

“If you’re going to boast about dating three people, you should handle it well, right?”

“It’s my first time dating three people too. What else?”

“I’m embarrassed doing this in a café.”

“It’s okay, we’re in a corner where no one can see. Everyone’s studying. What else?”

“…I’m happy to be with you after so long.”

“Me too.”

“Why did you suddenly hug me?”

“Because you looked like you were struggling?”

“Why are you only perceptive at times like this?”

“Because I don’t want to lose you?”

“Don’t answer a question with a question.”

“Sorry.”

“I want to have dinner together.”

“Let’s eat something delicious. Something you like.”

“Are you really having nothing to do with Yoon-ji?”

“It’s all over.”

“Is this okay? Yoon-ji is my friend, and you’re my friend’s ex.”

“It’s not Oh Yoon-ji’s friend and Oh Yoon-ji’s ex meeting, it’s Choi Yiseo and Kim Woojin meeting.”

“I know letting you go is the most comfortable for me.”

“I respect your choice, but I’ll keep trying not to let go.”

“……”

Choi Yiseo pressed her lips together.

Looking down at her, Kim Woojin smiled gently.

“Is that it?”

“……”

With each word spoken, it felt like the worries associated with it disappeared.

Maybe that’s why.

Before she knew it, what remained inside was not rational thought.

But emotions close to purity.

Suddenly, she recalled what Oh Yoon-ji had said earlier.

She had said Yiseo was a rational person.

In the battle between emotion and reason, her reason always won.

She didn’t deny it.

Because she knew it too.

And the one changing that part of her was undoubtedly the man in front of her.

Perhaps that’s why.

As the tangled and complex rational thoughts were cleared away, the clear emotion that found her was shouting wildly.

“I think… I love you so, so much. Enough to want to forgive you.”

Kim Woojin, who hugged Choi Yiseo a little tighter after she whispered that, smiled broadly.

“Me too.”

Usually.

Even as everything fell apart in the end.

Even as nonsense spilled out at the very end.

‘Why, only at times like this.’

Feeling Kim Woojin kiss her forehead, Choi Yiseo let out an incredulous laugh at herself for falling for it again.