Chapter 1: Anonymous 69
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 1: Anonymous 69
“…….”
I’ve dealt with plenty of absurd situations in my life, but this was a first.
How should I put it?
“Oh, hi. You’re Woo-jin, right? Kim Woo-jin.”
Could this Seo Ye-rin—the girl currently greeting me after managing to recall my name with those innocent eyes—really be the same 'Anonymous 69' who was currently trashing the community board?
Was I misunderstanding something?
“Uh, yeah. That’s me.”
“I didn't know you were taking this elective. I had no idea.”
“Yeah, me neither.”
I gave a noncommittal shrug, but in reality, I was doing my best to keep my emotions in check and maintain my composure.
“W-well, enjoy the lecture.”
Perhaps my blunt tone came off as rude, because Seo Ye-rin, unable to keep the conversation going, offered a random word of encouragement before turning away.
“What was that? Why’s he acting like that?”
“Is he in your department, Ye-rin? Do you know him?”
“I’ve just seen his face around.”
Seo Ye-rin’s friends clearly didn't appreciate my attitude and began to take subtle jabs at me.
I probably looked like a jerk to them, but I didn't really care what they thought.
Right now, my focus was on the post by Anonymous 69 visible on my phone screen.
I lightly tapped the delete button and typed out a formal warning.
[Your access to the board has been suspended for 1 day due to frequent spamming.]
Then.
Vrrr!
At that exact moment, Seo Ye-rin’s phone vibrated.
‘That settles it….’
There was no doubt now.
Seo Ye-rin—the "Goddess" of the department, the girl who had every freshman, senior, returning student, and even the teaching assistants falling over themselves for her—was using the shield of anonymity to pour her desires into the Bamboo Forest.
“Ye-rin, what’s wrong?”
“Did someone send you a weird message?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
From where I sat, I could only see the back of her head, but her expression must have been grim given her friends' reactions.
I thought a one-day ban was a light enough punishment, but Seo Ye-rin suddenly stood up with a forced smile.
“I need to step out and take a call.”
The hand gripping her phone was trembling slightly. Even though her voice was as soft as usual, the atmosphere felt heavy. Her friends let her go without a word.
A moment later.
A message arrived via the Administrator 1:1 Inquiry chat.
‘Wow.’
She’s really serious about this.
But of course, the answer was no.
I never imagined I’d be chatting with Seo Ye-rin like this. Of course, on her end, she was just lodging a complaint, and I was merely responding professionally.
She had just posted a photo where a woman’s panties were visible. You really can’t judge a book by its cover; I never would have dreamed Seo Ye-rin would post something like that.
Well, look at that.
I sent the reply, and there was no further response.
I expected Seo Ye-rin to walk back into the lecture hall, but she didn't.
‘Did she go to the convenience store?’
Just as a strange sense of unease began to settle in, the chat resumed.
“Gah—ack!?”
At the sight of the woman in the photo wearing nothing but panties, a bizarre sound escaped my throat involuntarily.
“Ah, shit.”
“Hey. Watch where you’re spitting.”
“Sorry about that.”
After apologizing to Seo Ye-rin’s annoyed friends, I took a deep breath to steady myself.
Even as I tried to regain my senses, Seo Ye-rin’s messages kept coming.
Seo Ye-rin was getting impatient.
Once I had somewhat calmed down, I prepared to reply, but then something caught my eye.
‘Wait, this photo….’
The woman in the photo was wearing black see-through panties. Only her lower body was visible, but the thighs and the length of her legs felt uncannily similar to Seo Ye-rin’s.
‘The floor tiles and the wall… they look like the school bathroom.’
The moment that thought crossed my mind.
“…….”
I swallowed hard.
The fact that she still hadn't returned turned my suspicion into a near-certainty.
Despite that, I maintained a rational tone in my reply.
She was really testing my patience.
I was going to let it slide, but I couldn't just ignore that.
I sent the question, hoping to fluster her, but minutes passed without a reply.
As I waited, it wasn't a message that returned, but Seo Ye-rin herself.
Her face was bright red, and she couldn't seem to figure out where to look.
“Ye-rin, are you okay?”
“Yeah, your face is suddenly so red.”
“You said you were taking a call. Who was it? Was it Senior Han-gang again?”
“Wow, is that guy still hitting on you?”
Seeing her state, her friends immediately swarmed her to check on her.
“No, it’s not that. I’m just tired.”
Seo Ye-rin offered a pained smile, making excuses as best she could.
With her innocent looks and the pleasant scent she gave off whenever she was near, the cognitive dissonance was overwhelming. I still couldn't believe she was the one who had just sent me those messages.
“…….”
Was she really wearing black see-through panties under that silk skirt right now?
‘There was a mole on her thigh, too.’
Being a guy, I found myself momentarily immersed in the memory of the photo before I snapped out of it and shook my head.
‘No, this is wrong.’
Feeling a pang of guilt, I deleted the photo without saving it. However, since the chat history remained, I could technically see it whenever I wanted—though I tried to pretend otherwise.
*
“Yawn.”
The Gahyeon University Bamboo Forest is a bit different from those at other universities.
The difference is that it isn't operated or managed by the university itself.
Usually, the school administration manages the accounts, but at Gahyeon University, it’s managed by a single individual—me.
Officially, Gahyeon University doesn't have a Bamboo Forest.
However, an app created as a joke by a long-graduated senior became popular, and the administrator account had been passed down until it reached me.
I was a bit surprised when I first received it from a senior I knew.
But somehow, the Gahyeon University Bamboo Forest became the community I spent the most time on every day.
‘Maybe it’s because I don't have any real-life friends.’
Sitting in a corner of a cafe, I sipped my coffee and checked the Bamboo Forest board on my laptop.
As usual, the Bamboo Forest was circulating in a healthy manner.
I wasn't sure if "healthy" was the right word, but it was certainly active.
Even though you had to install a dedicated app to use the Gahyeon University Bamboo Forest, the number of users was quite impressive.
It helped that the seniors taught the freshmen how to use it during Orientation.
I had learned about it from my seniors when I entered as a freshman this year.
As I sat in the cafe, scrolling through the board and watching new posts pop up, I felt someone’s presence.
I looked up to see a familiar face standing in front of me with a coffee in hand.
Short hair with a slight navy tint, and a physique that suggested a healthy, athletic build.
She was dressed comfortably in tight training pants and a blue hoodie.
Choi I-seo.
She was the Department Rep for our English Literature department.
She had a unique name and was the Rep, so of course I knew who she was, but I was a bit flustered to find her staring at me.
“Can I sit here?”
Choi I-seo asked, pointing to the seat across from me. She wasn't as socially hyperactive as Seo Ye-rin, but she wasn't an outcast either.
She just had the typical aura of a leader. In any case, she was a woman well-suited to being the Department Rep.
“Suit yourself.”
I nodded, even though we weren't close. The cafe was packed, so she probably only approached me because I was a familiar face.
Choi I-seo sat down across from me.
I closed the Bamboo Forest window on my laptop and launched a game. I had a two-hour break between classes, which was plenty of time for a quick session.
Choi I-seo didn't seem particularly interested in me either, as she just sipped her coffee and looked at her phone.
It was a chance encounter, but we both just focused on our own business to the point where it barely felt like we were sitting together.
‘Tsk, I’m getting bad cards.’
Since I couldn't play a high-intensity 5v5 game in a cafe, I was playing a light strategic card game with a blank expression.
“Did you finish the Anglo-American Poetry assignment?”
Perhaps she was bored with her phone, because Choi I-seo was suddenly looking at me over the top of my laptop.
I hadn't expected her to strike up a conversation, but I answered simply enough.
“Yeah.”
I remembered the assignment was a report on the differences between British and American literature.
It was a notoriously annoying assignment that required comparing major authors and the themes of their works.
I had even grumbled about why they were giving us such a heavy load in the second semester of our freshman year.
“Hmm, you’re already done.”
Did she fail to keep the conversation going? Choi I-seo muttered to herself and took a sip of her coffee.
To my surprise, she looked like she had something more to say. Now that the ice was broken, she seemed to be hesitating, her lips twitching as she gauged my reaction.
“What is it? What are you curious about?”
“Well, last semester, you….”
Since it was getting distracting, I prompted her. Choi I-seo seemed to think this was her chance and started to speak, but—
“I-seo!”
A tall man walked into the cafe.
His height was the first thing you noticed, but our Vice Rep, Ahn Hyun-ho, also had a very solid build.
He must have had plans with her, because as he approached, his face crumpled into a scowl when he saw me sitting across from her.
“Kim Woo-jin?”
I was a bit surprised he knew my name, but he clearly wasn't happy to see me.
I gave a slight nod in greeting, but Ahn Hyun-ho ignored me entirely and spoke to Choi I-seo.
“Let’s go. The professors are waiting.”
“Oh, right. We’re leaving now.”
“Okay.”
Choi I-seo and Ahn Hyun-ho headed out of the cafe. I could hear Ahn Hyun-ho questioning her about why she was sitting with me as they walked away.
‘Finally gone.’
I stretched, closed the game, and went back to the Bamboo Forest board.
A satisfying number of posts had piled up in the hour I’d been away.
I let out a hollow laugh at Seo Ye-rin’s sudden message.