Chapter 160: Random Firing
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 160: Random Firing
“…Are you okay?”
“Uh, yeah. I’m fine.”
Maybe it was because she’d just watched me get manhandled by Yoo Ah-rin in real-time, but Gyu-a’s gaze was surprisingly warm.
Or maybe I just wanted to feel like it was warm.
Anyway, Gyu-a had suddenly shown up asking for help. They say a senior’s heart is always open to a junior’s request, but…
‘For some reason, I really don’t want to help.’
Beyond not wanting to help, I didn’t even want to talk to her.
The three people staring holes into my back certainly played a part in that feeling.
Their stinging glares seemed to say, ‘This bastard’s at it again,’ making me shrink back despite myself.
It seemed I wasn’t the only one who found their presence stifling.
“Ahem, shall we go talk outside? The seniors look… busy.”
Feeling the pressure, Gyu-a urged me to leave. But from my perspective, talking outside was far more dangerous.
“No, talk here.”
I didn’t want to give them any reason to misunderstand. Our relationship was transparent, and I had nothing to hide from the girls behind me.
Gyu-a, however, felt differently.
“Ah, please.”
It was likely because of what happened yesterday. She probably didn’t want to reveal to the seniors that she was a total piece of trash who was three-timing people.
“Senior, just this once! Please!”
Gyu-a started tugging on my sleeve. Sensing a crisis, I instinctively reached for her wrist, ready to give her a leg sweep, but—
“Eek!”
Sensing my killing intent, a startled Gyu-a hurriedly let go.
“A-anyway, please just come with me. It’s really urgent.”
Gyu-a looked like she was about to burst into tears.
“Sniff, please help me. I’m begging you.”
Her eyes were actually welling up now. Seeing someone as pretty as Gyu-a looking so desperate and tearful…
“Ugh, hey. Stop crying, it’s pathetic.”
I let out an annoyed sigh, my expression cooling instantly.
“…”
Gyu-a stared at me, looking dumbfounded.
“He really is cold-hearted.”
“Wow, I didn’t think he’d go that far.”
“Woo-jin…”
The three behind me each chimed in.
But what could I do? It was obvious those tears were fake. I’d figured out Gyu-a’s personality yesterday, and the whole vibe felt like a performance, so I just brushed it off.
“Just go and hear her out, Woo-jin.”
Finally, Choi I-seo, feeling pity, gave her permission.
“Sigh, fine. Let’s go.”
“Thank you!”
Thinking I should get this over with quickly, I started heading out.
“Woo-jin.”
Choi I-seo called out to me.
“Yeah?”
She didn’t say anything else.
Instead, she picked up the paper decoration Seo Ye-rin had made earlier—the one that was exactly 1 Woo-jin long.
Riiiiiip.
She tore it right down the middle with a smile.
“Come back soon, okay?”
“…Got it.”
Gyu-a, confused by the situation, looked back and forth between us, but I quickly pushed her out the door.
“Hieeeek!”
“Nooooo! Woo-jinaaaa!”
I ignored Yoo Ah-rin and Seo Ye-rin’s dramatic screams over the now 0.5 Woo-jin paper decoration.
My lower half felt strangely achy.
I tried to start the conversation right there in front of the classroom, but…
“…Senior.”
Before I knew it, Lee Gyu-a’s tearful face had vanished, replaced by a deadpan expression as she looked up at me.
“So, uh, what is it?”
She’d been whining for help just a second ago, but now she was carefully picking her words. Finally, she spoke.
“You’re a lot different than I thought.”
“Different how?”
“You’re… really whipped, aren’t you?”
“Huh? Me?”
What was she talking about?
“No, I mean, usually people who two-time either take total control or just act like complete rebels, you know?”
“Coming from you, that really hits home. And I’m not dating them.”
“Is there a difference? Anyway, you’re different, Senior. You’re two-timing, but… you seem totally whipped.”
This was ridiculous.
“What are you talking about? I’ve got them right under my thumb.”
Feeling my pride was at stake, I denied it immediately.
“…”
Gyu-a stared at me with a skeptical look, her lips pressed thin.
“Then can you walk back in there right now with your arm linked in mine?”
“…Why would I do something so pointless?”
“See? You can’t. You’re totally whipped.”
“Get your arm over here.”
Just as I stepped toward her to link arms—
Clack.
The classroom door slid open, and Choi I-seo poked her head out.
“Shit, get lost!”
I immediately shoved Gyu-a away to create distance.
Gyu-a ended up flopping onto the floor. As she lay there glaring at me, a vein popped out on her forehead, radiating a vibe that suggested she wanted to murder me right then and there.
“…What are you doing?”
Even Choi I-seo looked taken aback.
“O-oh, nothing. Just… stuff happened.”
“I don’t know what’s going on, but don’t do anything weird. And on your way back, grab a few drinks from the vending machine.”
“Oh, sure. I’ll get Zero Cokes.”
Choi I-seo went back inside.
I cleared my throat awkwardly as Gyu-a slowly stood up, dusting off her backside.
“Did you see that manly display just now? Forcing the menu choice. Like, ‘You’re drinking Zero Coke, period.’”
“Are you insane?”
“I’m your senior, Gyu-a.”
“No, seriously, why would you suddenly shove me? What if I got hurt?”
“I’m sorry about that. But!”
I clutched my chest and made a dramatic excuse.
“It’s much better for you to get hurt by me than for me to get hurt by them!”
“At this point, I think you have a clinical condition.”
Gyu-a clicked her tongue and crossed her arms. Since the conversation had veered off track, I brought it back.
“Haah, I shouldn’t have asked. Anyway, Senior, please write a post on the Bamboo Forest for me.”
“On the Bamboo Forest?”
I’d had a feeling when she mentioned writing something, but I didn’t expect it to be about the Bamboo Forest. It didn’t seem like she knew I was the manager. It looked like she just wanted me to write a post for her.
Then it clicked.
“Did that guy from yesterday post something about you on the Bamboo Forest?”
“Yes! Exactly! As expected of someone with experience!”
That wasn’t exactly a compliment.
Anyway, the story was simple. Her boyfriend from yesterday had posted an anonymous call-out on the Bamboo Forest. He didn’t use her real name, of course, but he wrote that a certain ‘reptile’ in the English Department had numerous lovers besides him.
I opened the Bamboo Forest and skimmed through. Aside from the mention of the English Department, there wasn’t much to identify her.
“He called you a reptile because of the ‘I-gyu-ana’ thing. It’s definitely about you.”
“Exactly! So please write a rebuttal for me, Senior. Please?!”
“Is there a need?”
There was no specific identifying information, and her name wasn’t mentioned. He just said ‘someone in the English Department.’ Was it really that big of a deal?
“You’re being too dramatic—”
Bam!
The classroom door flew open, and Seo Ye-rin and Yoo Ah-rin called out to me urgently.
“W-Woo-jin! You got sniped!”
“You idiot! Check the Bamboo Forest more often!”
“Huh?”
Wondering what they were talking about, I refreshed the page, but no new posts had appeared. I looked at the phone screen Yoo Ah-rin held out.
It was the post calling out Gyu-a.
“That’s not me, you morons.”
“Oh? It’s not? I was 100% sure it was you.”
“So you’re saying there’s another person in the English Department who acts exactly like Kim Woo-jin? What is the world coming to?”
Since the post didn’t specify a gender and just mentioned being in a relationship, they’d mistaken it for me.
“Sigh, just go back inside.”
“Get us Melonas on your way back!”
“Is a Melona 1 Woo-jin?”
“Probably smaller than 1 Woo-jin? If you put it in your mouth, it’s just—”
The two of them went back inside, chatting away.
Click.
The door closed.
“See? They don’t even know it’s you. You’re probably just flustered because it’s your first time being sniped. It’s not a problem at all.”
“As expected of a sniping specialist.”
Just as Gyu-a nodded in agreement—
Vrrr! Vrrr! Vrrr!
—Oh Yun-ji—
A call was coming in from Yun-ji. She’d mentioned drinking with the others yesterday; was it about that? I still wasn’t sure how to act around her, but I didn’t avoid the call.
“Hold on.”
I left Gyu-a nodding to herself and answered the phone.
“Hello?”
—Woo-jin! Are you okay?!
“Huh? Why?”
Yun-ji’s voice sounded urgent.
—There’s a call-out post about you on the Bamboo Forest! Calling you a reptile and swearing at you—!
“That’s not me.”
—Huh? I saw the part about two-timing in the English Department and was sure it was you.
“It’s not. But do you even check the Bamboo Forest?”
—I installed it to get some info since I’m returning to school.
Yun-ji knew I was the manager. I’d become the manager in the first semester, and I didn’t keep secrets from her back then.
“Anyway, it’s not me.”
—Right, that’s a relief.
Yun-ji gave a small laugh.
—It’s nice talking to you.
“Don’t get all sentimental on me out of nowhere.”
—I still have the recording from when you called me drunk last time.
“…Delete it.”
—Anyway, I’m glad it’s not you. I’ll stop by the dorms later. I have something to tell you.
“Sure, okay.”
Even if it was uncomfortable, I didn’t avoid her. That was how I felt about Oh Yun-ji now. In fact, the guilt was probably stronger than the discomfort.
—See you later.
Click.
I hung up and turned back to Gyu-a. She was now reading the Bamboo Forest post intently, a silly grin on her face.
“Aha, you’re right. There’s nothing identifying me. They didn’t even specify if it was a guy or a girl.”
“They did that on purpose. So they can back out if things get serious—”
Thump, thump, thump, thump!
Heavy footsteps echoed from the end of the hallway. Her ponytail fluttering behind her, Senior Ju-hee in her dragon padded jacket came running up breathlessly.
“W-Woo-jin! Did you see this post?!”
She shoved the Bamboo Forest post in my face.
“Sigh.”
I let out a deep breath and turned to Gyu-a, who was struggling to hold back her laughter.
“Give me your ex-boyfriend’s number.”
“Why?”
“I need to tell him how to write a proper call-out.”
“No way!”