episode_0223

It was so complicated that I felt dizzy.

The noise outside that I couldn’t even hear until just a moment ago now lingered in my ears like tinnitus.

It felt like a mental effort to refuse to accept the current situation.

The sofa, which I thought would be soft, was hard and pushed my butt out the moment I sat down.

The car the president brought out was strangely luxurious.

After realizing that it was the president’s own effort and taking a sip, I felt my mind clear again.

“I am the administrator.”

When I told the president that, he took a deep breath. He must have thought, why me?

“But it has nothing to do with my father or my family. I am here now as an administrator to sort out what happened in the bamboo forest.”

“Ahem.”

“You were already caught in the first place. Even if you kept quiet, wouldn’t I have found out in the end?”

I wanted to believe that it was done by someone else related to the president.

Because it’s a much simpler way to handle it.

But when I looked at his expression, Anonymous407 seemed to be the president.

“Sigh.”

The president took a sip of tea and let out a deep sigh. His eyes were skeptical, as if he was trying to find the root of where things went wrong.

“I’m anonymous407.”

But when I actually heard it from the president’s own mouth, the road ahead seemed even more uncertain.

In the end, it was a fact that had come right before me, and the president was the only one asking for help from me.

“First of all, I would like to know why you suddenly did something like that.”

“… … .”

“I should know something. You know very well what happened because of the president.”

It doesn’t end with just this recent Hyunpi incident.

Last time, number 407 was involved in the conflict between the first and second/third grades.

“That, I wasn’t the one who started the fire back then. I heard there was a group chatroom where 2nd and 3rd year students in the theater and film department were gossiping… … .”

You know very well.

It really pisses me off.

“That’s right, but wasn’t it you, the president, who poured oil on it in the bamboo forest? Thanks to you, there was constant fighting in the bamboo forest for a while!”

“Khuhmm.”

“You did that on purpose? I don’t think someone of the president’s level would not know.”

He seemed a little offended by my words, so he took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“I didn’t expect it to spread that far.”

“Anyway, you’re saying it was intentional?”

“Ahem, right.”

Why is my headache mine?

I felt like I was going to get really annoyed with my pounding head without me knowing it.

I tried to suppress my anger and asked again.

“Why did you do that?”

“… … .”

“There must be a reason! All the posts Anonymous407 wrote were full of insults. Seriously, seriously, every single word was malicious!”

Even if you hide behind anonymity, aren’t there things you shouldn’t say?

But Anonymous407 went beyond that.

Literally the worst.

I’ve only been writing to hurt others. Nothing more, nothing less.

That was the president.

When I asked him in amazement, the president took a moment to catch his breath and clenched his fists.

And then he let out his anger that was not appropriate for his age.

“Didn’t you guys do that?”

“… … Yes?”

“Didn’t you guys do that? You said the school was going well. It was because of the president, because of the professors, the school was a mess. You didn’t swear at them?”

It’s an anonymous community.

That too is a modern anonymous community.

Then, it is only natural that there will be a flood of articles criticizing universities.

Some people shot the professor, some people made fun of him, and of course some people cursed the president.

“Things you can’t say in front of others. Isn’t that the community you love where you can do those things?”

“… … .”

“Since last year.”

The president nodded, laughing in disbelief.

“I’ve been watching since last year. What are you guys talking about in the bamboo forest?”

The Gahyeon-dae bamboo forest, strictly speaking, did not belong to Gahyeon-dae.

What my seniors had created and passed down had now fallen into my hands.

“It was really scary. Professors, teaching assistants, the president. Even the cleaning lady who works at the university.”

“After.”

“He cursed and mocked me so viciously. As if that was his reason for living.”

There was one thing that Anonymous407 always said.

– Your life is like that because you’re in a bamboo forest or something.

He used to single out and curse at users of the bamboo forest. Not all of the students at Gahyundae, but just the users of the bamboo forest.

“You know these are the times. The times when people don’t hesitate to curse at others on the internet. Freedom of expression? Well, that’s the times.”

So the president also took advantage of the opportunity to enter the bamboo forest. It would be easy to enter once you reach the level of president.

“I must have read so many of your curses that I can even imitate your speech. Do you know? How much thought goes into editing before I write?”

The president lets out a hollow laugh, saying that he wasn’t this nervous even when writing a thesis.

After a while, he slumps his shoulders as if he’s been discharged and smiles bitterly.

“But that would be wrong.”

It seemed like I didn’t need to say anything.

You already know.

“Yeah, that was wrong. I feel like I took it too far. It’s funny how I only realized I crossed the line now.”

A victim who becomes a perpetrator.

It seemed undeniable that the president was a victim.

Even though it was said to be the fate of those above, there were definitely parts where I was used as a target for insults in the bamboo forest.

But it couldn’t be denied that he was the perpetrator.

“Anonymous7 is a student who received a full scholarship.”

I looked down at my teacup with a bitter smile. I continued speaking, tapping the already cold teacup with my finger.

“My mother was gone. After graduating from high school, I worked at a factory, but my father passed away, so I was able to go to college thanks to the insurance money.”

“… … .”

“And I still don’t stop working part-time.”

“Ha, ah… … Oh, I did something terrible.”

“I am demanding an apology. My deceased parents did not do anything wrong enough to deserve being cursed at by others.”

At my words, the president pressed his eyes with his thumb and index finger and said:

◦Call me %◦.”

“Are you okay?”

“It’s something I have to deal with. If you want to spread this incident, do as you please. I’ll accept it.”

The president closed his eyes tightly.

I slowly got up from my seat and headed toward the door while looking at the president.

And then I made a phone call.

“Senior, could you please come to the president’s office for a moment?”

* * *

A few minutes later.

Senior Joohee came wearing a white blouse instead of her usual dragon jumper.

It seemed like he had come dressed up because it was the president’s office.

“Hello. I am Min Joo-hee, a third-year student in the English department.”

The senior looked back and forth between me and the president, then made a bewildered expression.

It seems difficult to understand what combination this is.

It can’t be helped.

Senior Joohee doesn’t know that I’m an administrator, and she doesn’t know that the president is anonymous 407.

The president slowly gets up from his seat and approaches Senior Joo-hee.

And then he bowed his head deeply.

“I’m sorry.”

A heartfelt apology, accompanied by polite formality. It didn’t seem like an apology to a student who was much younger than him.

“Huh? What the… … .”

“I sincerely apologize for carelessly disparaging Joohee and her parents, who did nothing wrong.”

“… … !”

Senior Joohee’s eyes start to tremble.

It took a while, but it seems like he’s finally starting to realize what’s going on.

“You can spread it, I really should not have done it. I sincerely apologize.”

Senior Joo-hee, who had been blankly staring at the dean, glanced in my direction.

I didn’t really react either.

It meant that everything was left to Senior Joo-hee’s choice.

Senior Joohee’s worries did not last long.

“From the beginning, I was planning to just accept an apology and end it. However, if you were the president, you should have been more careful with your words, even if it was anonymous.”

And then the senior gently pulls my arm away.

Oh, my.

“One slap. That’ll be the end of it. I’ll pretend this never happened.”

When Joo-hee made her suggestion with a smile, the president responded with thanks and then bowed his head.

“Okay, wait a minute!”

The moment I urgently approached the president.

Paaah!

The president’s body falls backwards with a sound that sounds like his skull has been shattered.

If I hadn’t grabbed him in a hurry, he would have fallen down.

“Ugh! Ugh! ”

I think I fainted for a moment.

The president asked me with a sad expression what he had just been hit with.

“Okay, now.”

Senior Joohee left the president’s office with a refreshing smile.

No, I ended up going out.

“Woojin, let’s talk about it later. I have to put off my cafe work for now and go right away.”

“Oh, yes. Sister.”

He just showed off his captain’s force and left.

anyway.

“Well, your head isn’t pierced, is it?”

“Don’t worry, it’s not.”

I woke up the dean who had not come to his senses.

“Please leave a separate apology in the bamboo forest. I will also tell Senior Joohee separately.”

“Oh, I see.”

“And congratulations on becoming the 3rd unit.”

“… … Hmm?”

I continued my proposal with a smile to the president who was blankly staring at me.

“Please feel free to censor excessive profanity. Of course, you shouldn’t just block people. But I will give you the authority to make your own judgment.”

“Me, to me?”

“The original rule of the bamboo forest is this. If you know the identity of the manager, you become the manager.”

“Huh… … Heh heh heh.”

The president, who was laughing in disbelief, suddenly asked back as if something had occurred to him.

“Unit 3?”

“The 2nd unit was just decided.”

* * *

– Anonymous 407 (Administrator #3): Bamboo Forest students. Because of my words and actions last time… … .

– Anonymous 7 (Administrator 2): I was able to resolve the issue through conversation with Anonymous 407. Thank you, Admin, for your help.

As expected, the bamboo forest was in chaos.

However, rather than cursing at the ridiculous conclusion that the two people resolved the issue through conversation.

↳ Anonymous294: What the heck! I saw the abyss!

↳ Anonymous11: At this point, the manager is even scarier, you crazy bastard.

↳ Anonymous404: I made them both mine because they looked like they were fighting!

↳ Anonymous 198: It is an academic consensus that the administrator opened both of them with extreme caution and captured the female.

↳ Anonymous69: Sex?

↳ Anonymous 59 (Administrator #1): Newbies, come in quickly.

↳ Anonymous388: I’m glad that there’s a successor. I recommend the first one.

This is how the story ended.

The bamboo forest will remain quiet until the final exams begin.

Kim Woo-jin glanced at the bamboo forest and then smiled as he walked out of the dormitory.

It didn’t seem like a bad result that there were a few people who were pleased that Anonymous407 had become a kind of bulletin board slave.

“Good, good.”

Humming, Woojin Kim headed to the bike storage room to go to the next classroom.

A few minutes later.

A piece of writing appeared in the bamboo forest.

– Admin: (Photo)

A photo of a bicycle with only one wheel left, just like last time.

A word added after that.

-Admin: I’m really going to kill that kid who stole my bike.