Chapter 239

Chapter 239

Bamboo Forest Manager.

Episode 239: Reconciliation

“Do you know who the biggest jerk in the world is?”

When Yu Arin, sitting next to her and eating fries, asked this, Seo Yerin, sitting across from her, replied,

“The guy who sold out his country?”

“…Not wrong.”

Apparently, she didn’t expect such a textbook answer.

Slightly flustered, Yu Arin continued speaking.

“It’s so annoying when people who have everything still whine about wanting more.”

“Oh.”

Seo Yerin nodded while eating a fry in response to Yu Arin’s words.

Though she responded, it didn’t seem like she truly understood the meaning.

“Sigh.”

Was she frustrated because of that?

Yu Arin blatantly glared at me and said.

“Having two girls by your side and still worrying about another girl makes you the biggest jerk in the world. Got it? You’re a jerk.”

“Oh, so you were cursing Woojin.”

Then, Seo Yerin innocently drank her cola.

Anyway, even though Yu Arin was cursing at me, honestly, it didn’t affect me much since my mind was elsewhere.

“Hey, it’s been a whole week. It’s been a week since Yiseo started ignoring me.”

A week.

Given that finals are ongoing, the fact that Choi Yiseo is still ignoring me means.

Could it be…?

“It’s over, I guess.”

Seeing Yu Arin shrug made my heart sink.

As memories of the time spent with Yiseo flashed through my mind, a breakup song played as the background music.

– Goodbye~ Goodbye~ Goodbye~

“Hey, turn it off.”

Seo Yerin, upon me noticing that she had cleverly played a breakup song, frowned and warned.

“Hehe.”

Why is she grinning like that? She said she was busy with filming soon, but she didn’t seem that way.

“Are Yerin and I not enough for you? Honestly, I’m relieved that one finally dropped out.”

“Sigh, it’s not that simple.”

“You asked three people out and now you’re saying it’s not simple? You’re the simplest one, thinking with your dick.”

Why is she hitting so hard today?

When I snatched the fries Yu Arin was about to eat, she huffed.

“Hey!”

“No, this isn’t something you can think about simply. What Yiseo means to me is something only Yiseo has.”

The others are the same.

“It’s the same for Yerin and you. If either of you disappeared, Yiseo couldn’t fill that space. To me, you’re that important.”

The two listening to me stared blankly.

I thought I’d delivered a pretty cool line.

“Why does this guy say trashy things while pretending they’re cool?”

“Aha! It’s like, even if there’s a dildo the size of Woojin, it can’t give the Woojin feel.”

Ah, damn.

“That’s not-”

I tried to come up with a response, choosing my words carefully.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

I just sighed like it was a lament and decided to eat my burger.

“Hey, but do you actually have something like that?”

Even though I kept my mouth shut and ate my burger, their conversation continued.

“What? A Woojin-sized dildo?”

“Yeah, do you have something like that?”

“I do. I bought it from Woojin’s shop last time. But once I bought it, it felt weird, so I just sold it.”

Sold it?

“You sold it? That? To whom?”

“I have no idea. Both of us were wearing masks.”

I was more amazed at the fact that such things were bought and sold second-hand.

“I’d be too worried about hygiene or STDs to buy something like that.”

Though I didn’t show it, I agreed with Yu Arin’s words. But Seo Yerin answered confidently.

“I told you, it wasn’t used. It was still in its packaging, so they bought it.”

“Then why didn’t you just return it?”

“I kind of wanted to experience that feeling.”

Seo Yerin crossed her arms, nodding like a sage who had realized something, muttering.

“The feeling of losing Woojin? Since it’s about Woojin’s size, I thought it might be similar.”

“Isn’t she crazy?”

If Yu Arin hadn’t said it, I would have.

“There are people who get excited by NTR stuff, you know? I wondered what it felt like. But it didn’t really move me. It was just, oh, so that’s how it is. After all, it wasn’t actually Woojin.”

“I’m getting dizzy. If someone like her becomes an actress later, she’ll be the one smiling fakely on TV.”

Yu Arin held her forehead and let out a deep sigh.

But more than that, there was something I seriously wanted to ask Seo Yerin.

“Yerin, are you on drugs?”

That isn’t a thought process a sane person would have…

The sudden rise of the Seo Yerin drug rumor was proven false, and I was on my way back to the classroom.

I thought I could quickly eat and leave since I decided on a burger for lunch, but it took quite a while because it was lunchtime.

‘I wanted to do some reviews.’

I felt a bit uneasy before the final exams, but once the exams started, I found myself working diligently.

It was because I had a goal.

‘Sigh.’

Studying hard was something I did because Choi Yiseo liked it.

But now that Choi Yiseo has drifted away from me, I wonder if I no longer have a reason to study hard.

‘It’s lingering like an aftertaste.’

Maybe it’s because I believe she’ll come back someday, so I didn’t slack off in my efforts.

I thought maybe if I kept doing this, she’d eventually find her way back to me.

‘Is that too convenient?’

It felt a bit self-centered.

Since it was already late, I thought I’d stop by the convenience store and grab a chocolate milk.

Choi Yiseo was coming out of the convenience store.

In her hands were ramen and a triangular gimbap.

“Ah…”

“……”

We ran into each other right at the entrance. Judging by the voices of the girls from our department inside, it seemed she wasn’t eating alone.

“Y-Yiseo. Long time no see.”

“……”

Without even responding, Yiseo walked away briskly. I found myself following her as if entranced to the parasol table in front of the store.

“You should eat a more filling lunch. Didn’t you see my text asking to eat together?”

“I saw it.”

Her cold response made my heart ache.

I wanted to continue the conversation, but my tongue felt frozen, and words wouldn’t come out.

Maybe that’s why.

I just started blurting out whatever came to mind.

“Won’t you be cold dressed like that during the exam? The air conditioning will be on high, so it’ll be chilly.”

It was ridiculous that the best I could come up with to match Yiseo’s chilly demeanor was this.

“…A little?”

Apparently, it wasn’t entirely off the mark, as Choi Yiseo glanced at me and replied.

As soon as I heard her response, I immediately took off my jacket and handed it to her.

“Put it on. You don’t want to be cold and unable to focus.”

“What about you?”

“I’m naturally warm, so I’m not really cold.”

At that moment, Choi Yiseo’s other friends came out of the convenience store. Worried she might refuse, I quickly placed the jacket on the table.

“Return it to me later. Good luck on your exam.”

I left in a hurry, but that was enough.

Returning the jacket later would give me another chance to meet Yiseo, so it was sufficient.

With a slightly eased mind, I headed back to the lecture hall.

“……”

Due to the chilly lecture hall from the air conditioning, Choi Yiseo zipped up the jacket she was wearing all the way.

The jacket was much larger than Choi Yiseo’s frame, reaching down to her hips, and she had to roll up the sleeves, but she still wore it.

As Kim Woojin’s scent, rising from the fabric, reached her nose, Choi Yiseo almost found the corners of her mouth lifting.

‘Sigh.’

For reference, she is currently in the middle of an exam.

Thinking of other things during an exam might be frowned upon.

The exam was easier than expected, and she had almost finished it, so Choi Yiseo took a moment to clear her head.

She knew the lecture hall would be cold because of the air conditioning.

That was why she had already brought an outer garment in her bag.

‘I didn’t refuse…’

Choi Yiseo didn’t particularly refuse when Kim Woojin offered his jacket.

At first, Kim Woojin was nothing but annoying and infuriating.

She was even prepared to never see him again.

But can emotions ever remain constant?

‘I don’t like it.’

With her nose buried in the jacket soaked with Kim Woojin’s scent, Choi Yiseo closed her eyes tightly.

To be honest.

She wanted to see him.

The thought of wanting to reconcile filled her mind, but the situation turned awkward, making it hard for her to forgive.

It was also annoying that Yu Arin and Seo Yerin kept messaging her pictures with Kim Woojin these days.

‘That’s strange.’

However, it felt like it was slightly beyond a simple feeling of jealousy.

How should she put it?

She was somewhat envious of the two being with Kim Woojin.

But it felt unnecessarily disappointing that she couldn’t be part of that group.

‘I wish I could talk to someone about this.’

But who could understand this sort of relationship dynamic?

Thinking that, Choi Yiseo finished the remaining questions and left the exam hall.

It was not just easy, it was straightforward.

Maybe it was because she felt at ease after sensing Kim Woo-jin’s presence after a long time.

“Ahem.”

So she didn’t bother taking off the jacket and headed to the library as she was.

Bzzz! Bzzz! Bzzz!

Her phone buzzed.

Wondering if it might be Kim Woojin, she glanced over and saw the name of an old friend from high school.

– Yoon-ji –

“……”

Suddenly, Choi Yiseo had a thought.

Maybe Oh Yoon-ji could listen to her concerns about the current situation.

She knows about their relationship and is very familiar with Kim Woojin-!

‘Let’s be decent as a person…’

No matter what, asking an ex-girlfriend about an ex-boyfriend would be a huge faux pas.

Shaking her head, she took a deep breath.

She didn’t know about Yoon-ji, but she still felt some guilt towards Oh Yoon-ji.

She composed her voice and cautiously answered the call.

“Hey, Yoon-ji.”