Chapter 612: Han Gi-min
Chapter 612: Han Gi-min
“What’s this prick’s deal, staring at his phone the whole time? Does your girlfriend know you’re like this?”
Kang Han-gang suddenly started picking a fight with me while eating mango strawberry bingsu.
It was obvious he wasn't speaking up for any particular reason; he was just bored while eating. It also seemed like an attempt to divert attention from the fact that four grown men were sharing a single bowl of shaved ice.
“Shut the—”
I was about to snap back at him in irritation when a thought suddenly occurred to me.
Wait, now that I think about it, he said he knew Han Gi-min.
Pyo Jin-ho had mentioned that he met his girlfriend through one of Han Gi-min’s acquaintances. If that was the case, I might be able to find a connection through him.
Since things have spiraled this far, let’s see him take some responsibility.
To be honest, I was starting to get slightly annoyed not just at the people doing the sniping, but at Han Gi-min himself. Every time I turned around, he was the one cluttering up the Bamboo Forest.
Even if checking and deleting posts was just a matter of a few clicks, even those clicks become a chore when you’ve got a bad case of senioritis.
So, I started getting curious about what kind of guy this Han Gi-min actually was.
* * *
“…….”
“Alright, this is Han Gi-min. Fourth year, Security Department. We’re in the same year. We enlisted around the same time and even did our reserve training together.”
“Hello, I’m Han Gi-min.”
My first impression of Han Gi-min, whom I met through Han-gang’s introduction, was singular.
Is he the Hulk?
The guy was massive.
While someone like Pyo Jin-ho felt like a 'muscle pig,' Han Gi-min looked like he had trained so intensely that his entire body was nothing but pure muscle.
“Hello, I’m Kim Woo-jin.”
“He suddenly said he really wanted to see you. I don’t know why, though.”
“Ah, I see. You’re a third-year in the English Department, right? You’re, uh, quite famous.”
“Oh? Really?”
Han-gang looked at me, seemingly impressed. It appeared he hadn't even bothered to explain who I was when he set this up.
Should I be happy about this?
Usually, the sons and daughters of chaebol families grumble that their friends or partners only care about their money. They say they can’t help but be suspicious of everyone they meet and that no one feels like a true friend.
Personally, I wished these idiots would be a bit more like that.
I wish they’d read the room and suck up to me just a little, but I can’t tell if these guys are just that confident or if they lack the brain cells to think about the future.
The way they show absolutely zero deference to me is honestly annoying as hell. I mean, how do you just 'forget' to mention my background when introducing me?
Let’s just chalk it up to them being stupid.
“So, what can I do for you?”
Han Gi-min himself had a bit of a rough-around-the-edges vibe. He naturally pulled out a cigarette and suggested we talk at the smoking area.
Since I was the one who sought him out, I followed along.
Han-gang tagged along and lit up a cigarette at the smoking area as well. He glanced at me and asked, “Whew. How many afternoon classes do you have left today?”
“Me? One.”
“I’m so jealous. I have two.”
“Aren't you the only fourth-year who hangs around campus this much, Senior?”
“I’m planning on going to grad school. I have to stay on the professors' good sides.”
“……Are you actually going to do that?”
“Yeah. My dad said if I don’t get a job immediately after graduation, he’s sending me back to the military. Told me to get ready to rot under him as a Junior NCO.”
“…….”
“That’s why I’m delaying graduation. I’m not ready to step out into the harsh world and let my purity be defiled yet.”
“Grow up, you dumbass.”
“Woo-jin, I’m your senior.”
Purity, my ass.
He’s probably the filthiest guy in this school. Look at him calling other people’s hard work 'defilement' when he’s already rolling around in the mud.
“Or maybe you could get me a job, Woo-jin?”
“Fuck off. What power do I have?”
“Ha, dammit.”
Han Gi-min, who had been listening to the conversation, glanced over with interest.
The youngest son of Uju Group.
No, now that his brother was the Chairman, he was the Chairman's youngest brother.
A look that suggested he was wondering if some crumbs might fall his way if he played his cards right flickered in his eyes.
“…….”
I watched that and then glanced at Han-gang.
“Should we go for drinks? Hey, Woo-jin. Should we call Jin-ho today? Get the five of us together for the first time in a while?”
Should I call this guy stupid, or just simple-minded?
I settled on stupid again.
Regardless, there was a clear difference between the two.
While Han-gang was busy deliberating, Han Gi-min finished his cigarette and spoke to me again.
“So, what business did you have with me?”
“Ah, right.”
I’d gotten distracted by Han-gang and almost forgot.
“Mr. Han Gi-min, are you familiar with the Bamboo Forest? The Gahyeon University Bamboo Forest.”
At my question, Han Gi-min flinched. His body jerked visibly, as if he’d been pricked by a needle.
Based on that reaction alone, it was clear he knew not only about the Bamboo Forest but also exactly what was happening there.
“Yes, well… I know it. You can’t be a Gahyeon student and not know it.”
“The Bamboo Forest? Wow, that brings back memories. I used to be super active there in my freshman year until I got banned.”
I couldn't help but look at Han-gang with pure disdain for breaking the flow.
Why does this guy spew shit every time he opens his mouth?
He’s not just giving off the smell of cigarette breath; the way he talks makes me wonder if he’s some kind of human cultural asset of verbal diarrhea.
“What did you do to get banned?”
I was going to let it slide, but honestly, I was curious.
One of the most important warnings the senior who handed the manager position to me gave was about 'permanent bans.'
The Bamboo Forest is, after all, a channel for students to share information and make university life a bit more manageable.
Therefore, they don't just hand out permanent bans to users for no reason. That’s exactly why Anonymous69 has managed to survive so tenaciously and keep asserting her presence.
“I found a girlfriend there.”
“That’s common enough—”
“And a sex partner……”
“You piece of shit.”
The problem with this guy is that he acts like boundaries don't exist.
“B-but! As a freshman! I was full of dreams of a debaucherous college life involving orgies—!”
Ignoring Han-gang, I turned my head back to Han Gi-min.
“Then you must know what’s currently happening in the Bamboo Forest?”
“……Is that why you came?”
With a low sigh, the atmosphere around Han Gi-min shifted slightly.
His guarded stance, warning me not to come any closer, made him look less like a wounded puppy and more like a wolf wary of an enemy.
Perhaps that was why he started pouring out his thoughts before I could even say anything.
“I know people are strangely sniping at me in the Bamboo Forest. But that’s not my fault.”
“Isn't it more pathetic that they’re talking trash about me behind my back, hiding behind anonymity? It’s disgraceful.”
“To be honest, no matter how important of a person you are, Mr. Woo-jin… the fact that you came to find me over such a personal matter is… frankly, unpleasant.”
“Are you playing some kind of god? Is me getting cursed at just entertainment for you?”
“Hmm.”
I nodded and extended my hand as if offering a handshake.
“I’m the Bamboo Forest Manager.”
“……What?”
“Huh?”
Both Han Gi-min, who had been rattling off words like a machine gun, and Han-gang, who had been trying to figure out the situation from behind, froze with stunned expressions as if they’d been hit over the head.
I shrugged, feeling a strange sense of superiority.
“I’m the manager of the Gahyeon University Bamboo Forest. I didn't get to introduce myself properly earlier. Do you understand why I’m here now?”
“Ah, aah……”
Han Gi-min’s eyes shook for a moment.
At the same time, Han-gang stood there with his mouth agape like an idiot.
“Wait a second, so you’re saying you’re the Bamboo Forest Manager right now?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow, Kim Woo-jin, you’re insane. The whole world is just Kim Woo-jin. Fuck, the world’s gone crazy. Is emigration the only answer?”
Why has this prick been so annoying since earlier? I really want to deck him in the face.
“Han-gang, hold on a second.”
Han Gi-min raised a hand to cut Han-gang off.
“So, Mr. Woo-jin, you came to see me as the manager?”
“Yes. I was personally curious, but I’m here in my capacity as the manager. I need to verify what exactly happened first.”
Han Gi-min bit his lip slightly.
He was still guarded, but his hostility seemed to have softened somewhat.
“Honestly, there’s a lot that’s unfair. People think it’s okay to insult anyone just because it’s anonymous. No one actually knows what I did.”
“Hmm.”
“It’s not like I bullied anyone. I just returned to school this semester after finishing my military service, so who would I even bully?”
“…….”
“It’s really so unfair. I feel like suing every single one of them—”
As I listened to him, I thought to myself:
Typical excuses.
I didn't know if it was true or false.
But personally, I found it a bit boring. He might feel it’s unfair, but haven't I met countless people like this in the Bamboo Forest?
That’s why I don’t just believe people.
I only judge based on the truth.
“Wait, Gi-min. Let me ask one thing too.”
Han-gang suddenly cut in.
“Woo-jin, can you see the records of my past activity by any chance?”
“If you give me your student ID number, it’s possible.”
“Can you delete that? I can’t delete it because I’m banned.”
“……What did you do?”
“It’s my dark past.”
I wanted to give him a sharp reality check and tell him that every moment of his life is a dark past, but I held back.
“Woo-jin, I’m begging you. I’ll buy drinks today. Okay? Please, you have to delete that.”
“Forget it. You, shut your mouth for a second. We’re talking here.”
“Fuck.”
Han-gang put a cigarette back in his mouth.
He looked quite desperate, his eyes darting around anxiously.
“Before we continue—”
Before listening to Han Gi-min’s grievances, there was something I wanted to check first.
“What is your relationship with the Security Department teaching assistant?”
At my question, Han Gi-min looked flustered for a moment before answering sheepishly.
“She’s my girlfriend.”