Bamboo Forest Manager

Mid-March.

Even though it’s a bit earlier than other universities, all the students who could have gotten close have already done so, and it’s the time to try to get closer to those who aren’t yet friends.

It’s a one-night, two-day trip, but somehow my feet won’t move.

“It feels a bit unsettling.”

Going on a trip isn’t bad.

But it feels oddly uncomfortable, as if I’m intruding on the freshmen’s space.

Perhaps it’s because on the internet, the reasons why second-year seniors join MTs are often quite blatant, making it feel more so.

“What are you doing?”

Seo Yerin, next to me, tilts her head, perhaps finding my hesitation strange.

Seo Yerin urges me to hurry and get on the bus.

Does she know that every little action of hers makes the surrounding gazes sway?

Many people said that Seo Yerin and I were dating, and there were a few guys who seemed frustrated, possibly having set their sights on Seo Yerin.

On the women’s side, there was a strong feeling of ‘why him?’

It seemed like they were questioning why someone like Seo Yerin would hang out with me.

“Is it right for us to join the freshmen’s gathering?”

With Seo Yerin’s participation, quite a few sophomores decided to attend as well.

The freshmen were flustered, but the professors seemed to like it.

I wondered if we were taking over an event meant for the freshmen.

“What does it matter? Is there a rule that only freshmen can go on MT?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Right? And anyway, we’ll just hang out among ourselves, so we don’t need to worry about others’ opinions.”

“……”

“What?”

“No, it’s just a bit embarrassing to be convinced by you.”

“What are you saying!”

She pinches my side and, smiling brightly, drags me to the bus.

In front of the bus, Choi Yiseo, who is conducting a headcount, meets my eyes and sighs after glancing at us.

“Let go of your arms before getting on.”

“Why?”

Seo Yerin jokes.

‘More than I thought.’

I had given up thinking about it since we all hadn’t met recently.

Even being together like this, there’s no particularly ominous atmosphere.

I was secretly worried that a love triangle fight like that in a soap opera might break out. It helped that the two were close friends.

Pinch.

Since talking to Seo Yerin is pointless, Choi Yiseo pinches my cheek, signaling me to let go quickly.

Not wanting to cause any trouble, I separate from Seo Yerin, one side smiling comfortably while the other pouts discontentedly.

“Sit right behind the front seat. The seat next to it is mine.”

Choi Yiseo whispers secretly.

If there was a variable, it would be Seo Yerin listening attentively next to her.

“I don’t like it!”

She immediately interrupts, sticking out her tongue.

I thought she was just being petulant, but she seemed to have her own reasons.

“I don’t want to see Woojin showing off with girls on both sides while sitting with Yiseo.”

“…Agreed.”

Choi Yiseo, unable to bear such a sight, gestures for me to get inside quickly.

I feel somewhat insulted, but I enter the bus for now.

We ended up deciding to sit at the back.

“Do you want to sit by the window?”

I asked because people usually prefer the window seat, but Seo Yerin shakes her head.

“No, you go inside. So you can only talk to me and not the other girls.”

“What’s today’s concept?”

“Clingy girl?”

Being pushed, I ended up sitting by the window.

“Don’t worry, I’ll hang out with you only.”

With a bright smile, she swiftly takes out her phone.

“Let’s play a game! Did you get the latest pickup?”

“The one with the scar on his face? No, I haven’t drawn him yet.”

“I didn’t draw him on purpose so we could do it together! Let’s draw together.”

Naturally, the conversation shifts to games.

“Come on, come on, let’s go!”

Seo Yerin leans on my shoulder and presses the draw button with the phone between us.

In the past, she would have spoken quietly, being cautious of others, or wouldn’t have leaned on my shoulder like this.

I realize she’s changed a lot in many ways, and it brings a smile to my face.

“Is this even a game?!”

“……”

“Half a million won gone in just two minutes! Sniff! My money!”

Seeing the money vanish in the blink of an eye due to a failed draw, my smile grows even wider.

“A, a little more! Just a little more!”

Seo Yerin, who had already spent everything, hurriedly tried to recharge, so I grabbed her wrist.

“Hey, hey. Why are you spending money like this when you don’t even have a part-time job?”

“I’m going to ask my mom for the New Year’s money I saved!”

That probably disappeared.

As I was blocking Seo Yerin, who was trying to spend more no matter what, Yu Arin passed by.

“Tsk.”

Then, clicking her tongue, she tried to sit on the opposite side but got up again.

“No, if I sit where I can see you, you might get cocky.”

“Do you have a script?”

How can she say exactly what Choi Yiseo and Seo Yerin said earlier?

In the end, Yu Arin sat behind me.

She said if I tried anything weird with Seo Yerin, she’d use her geographical advantage to beat me up.

Senior Ju-hee also passed by in the middle, but avoided looking this way for no reason.

I didn’t want to show the senior that I was doing this with Seo Yerin, so I let go of her hand.

The senior didn’t particularly care about this side and was as usual.

With her hands deeply shoved into the pockets of her utility jumper, and the scent of deodorizer masking the cigarette smoke.

At first, I was a bit worried when she said she was coming to the MT together with us, but seeing her like this, it didn’t seem like a big problem.

“Alright, we’re leaving, so everyone fasten your seatbelts.”

As soon as we fastened our seatbelts following Choi Yiseo’s guidance, the bus quickly departed, but.

It was only for a moment, as everyone soon unbuckled their seatbelts and started chatting and playing among themselves.

Seo Yerin and I also played mobile games and chatted about this and that.

As expected, we were sticking close together, but since we were on the bus, there was no one else to see anyway.

“Yerin, we’re going to play a game, want to join us?”

Ahn Hyeon-ho from the department came over and asked us.

“What game?”

Despite Ahn Hyeon-ho watching, Seo Yerin asks back without any intention of moving away.

Ahn Hyeon-ho, too, responds with a smile, showing no significant change in expression even as he looks at us.

“Mafia game. We’re going to play it together using an app on our phones.”

“Oh, that sounds fun! Woojin, let’s play together.”

“Yeah, Woojin, you join us too.”

Following Seo Yerin’s words, the suggestion was extended to me as well.

“…Who are you?”

There’s no way that guy would welcome me like that.

Anyway, I ended up joining the Mafia game. It seemed quite a few people were participating, and all the familiar names were there.

“If you get the mafia role, kill Kim Woojin first.”

With Yu Arin’s murder warning from behind, the game began.

- You are a citizen! -

‘Yeah, being a citizen is uneventful.’

In such games, I didn’t want to draw attention.

Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if it got noisy just because we came to hang out, when I’m usually quiet.

“Woojin, what are you?”

“Isn’t it something I can’t tell?”

Seo Yerin pesters from the side.

Regardless, a debate was already in full swing on the screen.

- Ahn Hyeon-ho: Kim Woojin is suspicious.

- Yu Arin: Agreed, let’s eliminate.

- Baek Seo-woo: Attack Woojin directly.

- Lee Hyun-a: Suddenly Kim Woojin? But he is suspicious.

‘This bastard suggested playing the game for this reason, huh.’

I can already see Ahn Hyeon-ho smirking slyly.

He wanted to mess with me somehow, so he suggested playing Mafia.

- Seo Yerin: It’s not Woojin!

- Ahn Hyeon-ho: Just attack Woojin.

- Kim I-joo: But who is he?

- Seo Yerin: Next to me!

- Kim I-joo: Oh.

- Shin Ho-chang: Woojin, attack.

- Yu Arin: Shin Ho-chang? Who’s this? Was there someone like this in our department?

- Shin Ho-chang: I’m the class president of the third year… I even bought us coffee last time, Arin.

- Yu Arin: Tell Kim Woojin to do it directly.

“Idiot.”

“Ah, I didn’t know.”

When I mockingly said this to Yu Arin, who was behind me, she kicked the chair and grumbled.

- Kim Woojin: I’m a citizen.

- Ahn Hyeon-ho: I knew it. Mafia. Just die already.

- Yu Arin: I’m suspicious too. Die.

- Kim I-joo: We should just kill him for now.

Votes quickly piled up against me, and I died.

Of course, I was a citizen.

For reference, the mafia were Ahn Hyeon-ho and Yu Arin.

“What on earth is this?”

If it’s going to be like this, just ostracize me.

I grumbled, but anyway, the next game proceeded.

- You are dead! -

And then I was killed by the mafia on the first night.

The mafia were Shin Ho-chang and senior Min Ju-hee.

‘Senior Ju-hee…?’

I felt a bit uneasy, but anyway, we moved on to the next game right away.

- Min Ju-hee: Evidence! Kim Woojin is the mafia.

- Kim Woo-jin: ……

- Yu Arin: Kim Woojin is so bad at this hahaha

“I can’t survive past the second day? Is this how the game usually goes?”

“Try a bit harder, Woojin.”

“It’s because you’re bad at it.”

Two people on either side made a remark, and I just wanted to hit them.

Is it because I’m bad at the game that we’re losing?

We played a few more rounds after that.

I got the police role, but the mafia Seo Yerin, right next to me, secretly looked at my screen and killed me.

Or I got voted out due to Ahn Hyeon-ho’s agitation.

Anyway, I never saw the sun twice in the game.

‘This is crap.’

- You are the mafia! -

This time, I looked at my phone with the thought of getting serious.

The fellow mafia was senior Ju-hee.

- Kim Woojin: Do you have someone you want to kill?

When I cautiously ask through chat, the senior replies nonchalantly.

- Min Ju-hee: You?

‘Ouch, my stomach hurts.’

My stomach feels uneasy, and I wonder when we’ll arrive at the rest stop.

- Min Ju-hee: Just kidding. Kill anyone. Do you have someone you want to kill?

- Kim Woojin: Yu Arin. She’s been kicking my chair since earlier.

- Min Ju-hee: Okay, let’s go with Arin.

There was no more chatting after that.

Considering how long the night seems, it looks like the police and the doctor are having a hard time deciding.

- Min Ju-hee: Woojin.

Senior Ju-hee spoke to me again.

- Kim Woojin: Yes.

- Min Ju-hee: …I’m bored.

- Kim Woojin: What?

What an out-of-the-blue comment.

- Kim Woojin: I’m in the middle of a game right now?

- Min Ju-hee: I am playing, but it’s not very fun.

- Kim Woojin: So when you’re the police, you only investigate me, and when you’re the mafia, you only kill me?

- Min Ju-hee: Even if I became a doctor, I only saved you. It’s because you died in the vote.

- Kim Woojin: You’re giving me the medicine after the disease.

It seemed like we were talking comfortably, but it didn’t feel as familiar as before.

Like playing a game of hopscotch, cautiously navigating the conversation.

It was unnecessarily awkward.

- Min Ju-hee: It’s frustrating.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who thought so.

- Min Ju-hee: Don’t be overly cautious. Nothing happened.

- Kim Woojin: Senior…

- Min Ju-hee: I’m 23 now. I don’t want to lose a good junior over something like this.

A good junior, she says.

A wave of emotion washes over me.

- Min Ju-hee: Your relationships with women seem a bit complicated; it looks like you need to sort them out.

- Kim Woojin: …I’m thinking about it every day. Planning to sort it out soon.

- Min Ju-hee: Alright, don’t hurt the others unnecessarily, and do well.

- Min Ju-hee: Don’t worry about me. Just call me captain or boss as usual.

At that moment.

The night ended.

- Min Ju-hee: Let’s pretend I never confessed.

“……”

The fingers holding the phone stiffen.

“What?”

“Senior Ju, Ju-hee?”

With gasps echoing throughout the bus.

- Kim I-joo: ?

- Yu Arin: ?

- Shin Ho-chang: ?

- Lee Hyun-ah: ?

- Seo Yerin: ?

- Ahn Hyeon-ho: ?

- Baek Seo-woo: ?

A series of question marks appear.

Cold sweat trickles down.

I wondered what kind of expression senior Ju-hee had now.

The third-year class president cluelessly adds one more thing.

- Shin Ho-chang: This…seems like Ju-hee is the mafia.

The fact that she was actively chatting at night means she’s the mafia.

Naturally, that means.

She was talking with a fellow mafia member.

‘Damn, what should I do about this.’

Even if I win, it will eventually be revealed that I’m the mafia.

As I was racking my brain, wondering how not to ruin this game.

- Choi Yiseo: Game over.

- Choi Yiseo: Kim Woojin is the mafia.

Choi Yiseo’s report, filled with anger, came up.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Yu Arin started kicking the chair from behind.

“…Woojin?”

It was Seo Yerin, calling me in a cold tone.

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