Chapter 589: Promise
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 589: Promise
I watched the posts flooding the Bamboo Forest at an incredible speed, my mouth hanging open in genuine admiration.
I didn't know someone could type that fast.
At that rate, she could probably go pro as a Bamboo Forest shitposter. I kind of wanted to see what her words-per-minute count was on a typing test.
And, naturally, the users started looking for me.
"Hehe! Hehehe! Woo-jin! Watch me! I’m normalizing the Bamboo Forest!"
"..."
"Aack!"
Seo Ye-rin shrieked, stopping mid-post—or rather, mid-dump. She glared at me the moment a message popped up informing her she’d been banned for three days.
"Woo-jin?!"
"Ye-rin, that’s not 'normalizing.' That’s called 'trolling.'"
"...You’re my husband, and you can’t even support me in this?"
"Because I’m your husband, I have to stop you from straying down a dark path."
Finding no comeback, Seo Ye-rin puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms.
It seemed she realized logic wouldn't work, so she was pivoting to a cuteness offensive.
Usually, when Ye-rin puffs her cheeks out like giant grapes, she’s got two other things puffed out above and below, managing to capture both cuteness and sexiness at the same time.
If she ever returns to acting, I should tell her to aggressively suggest this scene to the director.
"Even if you look at me like that, I’m not lifting the ban."
"..."
"Shall we go home, Ye-rin?"
"..."
"Ah, I said I’m sorry. But hey, thanks to you, the Bamboo Forest has been normalized. Gotham might not recognize your greatness, but you saved the city, Batman."
"...Is that so, Robin?"
Look at how fast her mood does a 180.
Seo Ye-rin stood up, humming a little tune.
"Let’s go, Woo-jin. Home!"
"Okay."
* * *
"I told you specifically. I was making dinner, so don't go eating snacks outside."
"..."
"..."
Batman and Robin were currently being scolded.
Or rather, Seo Ye-rin and I were.
"And Ye-rin, you ate two bowls of ramyeon? Sigh... what are we going to do with you?"
If we were being held in such a tight grip, did that make Choi I-seo Superman?
"You said you were going to start exercising and dieting little by little because you're making your comeback as an actress."
"..."
"But dumplings? Two bowls of ramyeon? A hot bar? Colpop?!"
I thought she was starting a rap for a second, but then Seo Ye-rin shot a sidelong glance at me.
"Woo-jin, did you snitch on what we ate to I-seo?"
She’s looking for a culprit even now?
She tried to frame me during the game earlier, too. At this point, she’s a habitual husband-framer.
"Ye-rin, why would I say anything? We’re accomplices."
"But I told her I only had one bowl of ramyeon."
Busted.
I’d secretly told I-seo about the extra bowl to shift some of the heat onto Ye-rin, but I got caught immediately.
In the end, after getting chewed out by Choi I-seo and then again by Seo Ye-rin, the two of us were relegated to the living room sofa while the others ate dinner.
"..."
"..."
Seo Ye-rin sat there with her mouth shut tight and her cheeks puffed out again. I wanted to reach out and poke them to let the air out right then and there.
But she was in a major pout. If I touched her by mistake, she might turn into a grumpy toad and pounce on me.
Well, I happen to be an expert at cheering up my wives.
I am Kim Woo-jin.
A man with six wives.
I’ve mastered the strategy for each one, so cheering up Seo Ye-rin was child's play.
"Wanna have sex?"
Whack!
A blow landed squarely on the back of my head.
I turned around to see Yoo Ah-rin, who had just finished eating, glaring at me with eyes full of irritation.
"This bastard tries to settle everything with that."
"Ah, the mood was just getting good."
"You call that a good mood? Just blurting out 'wanna have sex'?"
"Was it not?"
As I grumbled under my breath, Seo Ye-rin whipped her head around to look at me.
"Hey!"
She suddenly pointed a finger at Ah-rin, demanding an explanation.
"The mood was great! Why are you butting in?!"
"...Fuck, I really can't keep up with you two."
Seeing Seo Ye-rin blame her instead, Yoo Ah-rin clicked her tongue and headed toward the kids' room.
"Chae-rin, Yu-na. Your mom and dad have completely lost their minds. Don't grow up to be like them."
Thud.
The door closed, leaving Seo Ye-rin and me alone again. I slowly inched toward her, and she intentionally leaned her body toward me.
Before long, she was in my arms. I hugged her from behind, letting her rest her back against my chest, and asked, "Honestly, were you actually mad at me at any point today?"
"Who gets emotional during pro wrestling?"
I couldn't help but grin at her words. In the end, every little thing that happened today was just seasoning for the "hot time" we’d have tonight.
Still nestled in my arms, Seo Ye-rin turned her head slightly to look at me.
"But Woo-jin, about the Bamboo Forest earlier."
"Oh, right."
I hadn't checked what happened after that.
Well, the managers are there, so I'm sure they handled it.
"Someone was intentionally stirring the pot, right?"
"Huh? Yeah, right? It reminded me of the old days."
"Mhm, me too."
Seo Ye-rin nodded in agreement. She leaned back against me a bit more and whispered.
"The Bamboo Forest... I feel like it can be used in really complicated ways if someone wants to. How can people be so cruel just to ruin one person?"
"I know. They gang up and act that way on purpose."
Seo Ye-rin paused for a moment.
Then, catching her breath, she brought up a somewhat difficult topic.
"So, Woo-jin... what if you just quit being the Bamboo Forest Manager?"
"..."
"I mean, you don't really need to do it anymore. And things like today worry me. What if you get caught up in something weird because you stepped in?"
"Well, I don't really plan on stepping in."
"Liar."
Seo Ye-rin grabbed my nose and wiggled it side to side.
"You think I don't know you? You're already interested. You're trying to help someone else, just like you helped me, aren't you?"
"If I do help, it's not out of pity. It's just because I'm bored."
I tried to draw a line, but Seo Ye-rin just chuckled, saying it was the same thing either way.
"Anyway, I want Woo-jin to stop helping other people now."
"I guess I'm a really good person in your eyes," I asked, feeling a bit dazed.
Seo Ye-rin grinned, turned her head, and kissed my cheek.
"In my eyes, you're a hero!"
"..."
"I know you'll probably end up helping someone eventually. But I want you to stop now."
"..."
"I'd love it if you just focused on our family."
Seo Ye-rin buried her face in the crook of my neck.
I hugged her tight, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.
"Okay, I will."
When I thought about it as a request from Seo Ye-rin, it wasn't that difficult.
It was a position I had already stepped down from once before going to the military.
In fact, it was an authority I didn't really need anymore.
"I'll think about giving the Administrator position to someone else."
There was the stalker, Seo Da-mi, who was currently acting as a manager.
And the University President, who still managed things occasionally.
I wondered which of them I should give it to, but then I realized neither was a perfect fit.
Seo Da-mi only did it because of me, and I heard the President was nearing retirement.
Maybe Oh Yun-ji, like last time?
She’d definitely do a good job, but she’d be graduating with me.
Since I needed to give it to someone who would be around for a while, I started thinking about the juniors.
But no one particular came to mind.
No, Yun-ji is busy enough as it is.
She was currently swamped managing the girls who came from Japan.
Seeing how proud she was that the VTubers were doing well despite the hard work, she wouldn't have time to manage the Bamboo Forest.
"Yeah, I'll have to look for the next person."
Posting a notice to recruit a new Bamboo Forest Manager like I did before the military was one option.
But from experience, that was also quite a headache.
Surprisingly, there were quite a few people who coveted the title of Bamboo Forest Manager.
"Hehe."
Seo Ye-rin seemed happy that I’d listened to her, as she kept nuzzling her face against my neck.
She looked so lovely that I stroked her hair and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Hup!"
Just then, someone threw themselves onto the sofa opposite us.
Choi Jin-ah, having finished her meal, dived onto the sofa and rolled around happily.
"Huaaa... As expected, the food here is the best. Always satisfying. Five stars!"
She acts like this is a restaurant and she's writing a review.
I was about to say something to her when Choi I-seo approached us from behind and handed us something.
"You two, take these. They're vitamins. Since you already ate, at least take these."
...She really has become a total mom.