Chapter 41: Unit 1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 41: Unit 1
“W-wait, hold on!”
Seo Ye-rin, who had practically been dragged out of the gopchang restaurant by Jeong Chan-woo, finally managed to shake off his hand.
She hadn't fully grasped the situation, and Chan-woo’s sudden appearance had left her so flustered that it took a moment for her to regain her composure.
“What is going on? Why are you here all of a sudden?”
It was only natural for Ye-rin to be bewildered. She and Jeong Chan-woo hadn't really spoken since high school, yet here he was, suddenly seeking her out and whisking her away.
Chan-woo, seemingly snapping out of the heat of the moment as the cold night air hit his face, let out an awkward cough.
“U-uh, Woo-jin called me.”
“Woo-jin?”
It was an unexpected name, yet at the same time, it wasn't. Kim Woo-jin was the one caught up in the rumors alongside her.
He was one of the victims, being labeled a social misfit and getting dragged through the mud because of her.
“Yeah. He said if I showed up, people would naturally realize the rumors on the Bamboo Forest were total bullshit.”
“Ah.”
She understood what he meant now. It made sense. If a guy like Jeong Chan-woo openly came to find her, it would serve as a natural rebuttal to the rumors that she was dating someone like Kim Woo-jin.
“…….”
However, Ye-rin wasn't exactly thrilled about being linked to Jeong Chan-woo again.
Chan-woo also looked like he didn't know what to do with himself, his expression full of apology.
“Let’s just go home for now. I’ll walk you. It must have been hard for you to stay in there.”
“……No.”
Ye-rin clenched her fists.
If Kim Woo-jin had sent Jeong Chan-woo for her sake, then he likely intended to do something himself after she left.
Which meant...
“I’m going back.”
She was worried about him.
He had been dragged into these rumors because of her, and now he was probably planning to handle things on his own.
Ye-rin turned back toward the restaurant, but Chan-woo stepped in front of her to block her path.
“You can’t! Woo-jin told me to take you home!”
“What about him, then?! Did he go face those seniors alone?!”
“T-that’s……”
Seeing Chan-woo’s reaction only confirmed her suspicions.
“Move. This happened because of me. Kim Woo-jin doesn't need to take responsibility for it.”
Declaring this coldly, Ye-rin brushed past Chan-woo. Her pace was incredibly fast.
She hurried toward the restaurant, but before she even reached the door, a man’s voice rang out.
“Did I say something wrong, you bastards?!”
That’s Woo-jin’s voice!
Ye-rin rounded the corner and looked toward the restaurant on the main road.
“Tell me what I did wrong!”
There stood Kim Woo-jin. Even as he was being held back by the 3rd-year seniors, the veins in his neck were bulging as he continued to scream.
“Huh?! Tell me! Tell me what she and I did wrong, you pieces of shit!”
He was twisting his body, struggling to break free as he shouted. Nearby, the female seniors were covered in cigarette ash and coffee grounds.
Don't tell me Woo-jin did that...
Kim Woo-jin was the only person she knew who would pull something like that. But rather than feeling a sense of catharsis, Ye-rin was only filled with worry.
“What the hell did we ever do to you or Seo Ye-rin?! You just barge in here and make us out to be the villains? You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“Exactly. How are you going to compensate us for our clothes?”
“Do you have any idea how much you’ve just ruined your college life?!”
The female seniors shouted back in unison, but Kim Woo-jin didn't back down an inch.
“Unlock your phones! Anonymous 83 is the one who posted on the Bamboo Forest! And the ones who egged them on were 46, 93, and 167! You know the anonymous numbers on our school’s board stay fixed once they’re assigned, right?”
He was certain.
“Show me. If I check your phones and the numbers are different, I’ll get on my knees right here, apologize, and drop out of school, you bitches!”
He knew they were the ones who had spread the rumors.
“Ugh, let go of me!”
Kim Woo-jin finally wrenched his arms free from the 3rd-year male seniors and stomped toward the women.
“Phones.”
Looking down at them, his fierce eyes swept over the group.
“Show me the Bamboo Forest app. If you show me and prove it’s not you, I’ll apologize for everything, pay for your clothes, and drop out.”
Now, everyone’s eyes were fixed on the 3rd-year female seniors.
All they had to do was prove him wrong. If they showed that they hadn't posted those things, the whole problem would be solved.
“Why should I?!”
“Yeah! Why do we have to show you anything?”
The female seniors raised their voices in refusal. They knew all too well that doing so would only incriminate them.
“Because you can’t. Right? Because you’re the ones who wrote it. 83, 46, 93, 167. That’s all of you.”
“Stop talking out of your ass!”
“You crazy bastard! Stop making up stories!”
“Then!”
Kim Woo-jin cut them off, his voice booming. His trembling fists were tight with rage, and that fury was pouring out of his mouth.
Ah.
He was so different from her—she who had only been able to sit helplessly inside the restaurant with her hands on her knees.
“Open your phones! Open them before you flap your mouths again!”
“…….”
“You just have to prove it right now. Then I’ll apologize and drop out, won't I?”
Watching the seniors hesitate, Kim Woo-jin glared at them with pure loathing.
He looked as if he might continue spewing molten rage at any second, but instead, he let out a long sigh and pressed his fingers against his throbbing forehead.
“Hey,” he asked, his voice much calmer now. “What did she ever do wrong?”
That question didn't just apply to today’s incident.
It was a question that pierced through to the very essence of who Seo Ye-rin was.
“Huh? What did she do wrong? What exactly did she do to you?”
“…….”
No one could answer.
Even Seo Ye-rin herself wondered why she had never thought of it that way until now.
“She didn't do anything.”
His expression was pained.
Kim Woo-jin actually looked sadder than anyone else, and Ye-rin realized it was because he was empathizing with her pain.
“She didn't do anything wrong. She’s just a pretty girl. It’s not like she went around bragging about it, or used it to lead guys on. She just went to school!”
Looks are a talent.
It was a common saying these days.
“Why does she have to keep her head down? Why does she have to suffer while walking on eggshells around you?”
People with great talent are bound to be envied.
“She’s a good person.”
His eyes were moist.
Before she knew it, tears were rolling down her cheeks, tickling her skin as they reached her chin.
Only then did Seo Ye-rin realize she was crying.
Her vision was blurred, but she wiped her eyes, forcing herself to take in the scene clearly.
That man...
“She’s a kind person who always thinks of others.”
He was fighting for her.
He was shouting for her.
He understood her.
“Sniff.”
The endless stream of tears was annoying. She wanted to keep her eyes on the man in the distance, but the tears kept getting in the way.
It was the first time.
It should have been obvious, but because it was so obvious, it was the first time she had ever heard it.
So that was it.
I...
I didn't do anything wrong.
The moment she realized that, Seo Ye-rin collapsed where she stood and sobbed uncontrollably.
* * *
“…….”
I definitely had the momentum just a moment ago. Even when the seniors tried to stop me, I was twisting around, hurling every insult I knew and flipping them the bird.
“Still, you could have spoken a bit more calmly.”
But now, I was sitting inside the gopchang restaurant next to Choi I-seo, listening to a lecture.
Naturally, the party was ruined. The 3rd-years had all left, and only a few 1st-years remained to finish off the leftover food.
“Yeah, I get it. But it all worked out in the end, didn't it?”
“Calling the police isn't exactly 'working out.'”
Someone must have thought we were getting into a real fight and reported it. The police arrived, and the situation fizzled out.
I suppose it was a relief for me.
“The atmosphere in this gopchang place is totally 'gop-gone,'” Yoo Ah-rin remarked, munching on some gopchang across from me. I scowled at her.
Technically, Yoo Ah-rin was the main culprit who dragged me into this.
“Hey, don't get the wrong idea about Jeong Chan-woo and Seo Ye-rin. They aren't like that. I asked Chan-woo to take her home.”
He’s probably dropped her off by now, right?
“So what?”
“I’m just saying, don't misunderstand. Chan-woo is still single.”
When I gave her a grin and a thumbs-up, Yoo Ah-rin kicked my shin under the table in a huff.
It hurt, but it felt good knowing I’d gotten a rise out of her.
I was subtly letting her know that I hadn't given up on setting her up with Jeong Chan-woo.
Just then, the 1st-years at the other tables got up to leave.
“I-seo, we’re heading out now.”
“Oh, okay. You guys worked hard today.”
My classmates glanced my way, but they didn't say anything to me directly.
Once Choi I-seo went to see them off, it was just me and Yoo Ah-rin.
“When I slept over at your place...”
Yoo Ah-rin started explaining with a mischievous grin, even though I hadn't asked.
“You dropped your phone, so I picked it up for you. Right then, a notification from the Bamboo Forest popped up.”
“Sigh.”
“'You have a new Bamboo Forest inquiry.' Something like that. But it was weird. It wasn't a reply to an inquiry you sent; it said an inquiry arrived.”
The rest was obvious.
“So you sent an inquiry to the administrator, and the notification popped up on my phone?”
“Bingo. Did you see the inquiry I sent?”
I saw it.
I remembered Anonymous 59 sending three inquiries that just said 'h.' I thought it was a weird glitch, but I never imagined it was Yoo Ah-rin.
“Woo-jin, you’re having quite the interesting college life, aren't you?”
Yoo Ah-rin rested her chin on her hand, a playful smirk on her face. I could only let out another sigh.
Of all people, I had to get caught by her.
“Well, it’s not like I’m doing anything bad. It’s basically volunteer work, so don't go spreading rumors. But things are about to get interesting.”
Ah-rin giggled.
She looked delighted, already thinking of the countless ways she could tease me with this.
I gestured with my chin toward her phone on the table.
“Check your phone. I sent you something.”
“Huh? Sent what?”
“Just check it.”
Yoo Ah-rin turned on her phone and opened the Bamboo Forest app.
“W-what is this?!”
There was a notice addressed to all Bamboo Forest users, followed by a flood of congratulatory comments.
— This is the Bamboo Forest Administrator. Recently, there has been an influx of indiscriminate call-out posts without factual verification.
— Since it’s becoming too much to handle alone, I have appointed a manager to work under me.
— There is only one for now, but I may appoint more in the future. Please continue to enjoy the Bamboo Forest.
Moderator Appointee: Anonymous 59.
Pros: Posts will be prefixed with the (Moderator No. 1) title. Favored by the Administrator.
Cons: Unpaid. Must check the board every 30 minutes. No recognition for hard work. Basically a lackey.
“N-no! I don't want to!”
A panicked Yoo Ah-rin looked like she was about to burst into tears, but...
“From now on...”
I gave a bright smile and offered my hand to my new colleague.
“I look forward to working with you, Moderator No. 1.”