Another day passed, and it was the last day of the festival.
The spicy pork stir-fry was still popular, and fortunately, today we were not taking orders from any other custors.
Thanks to surpassing last years’ earnings by several tis on the second day, we decided not to work today.
So we beca a pub exclusive to the English departnt and we were enjoying it ourselves.
‘I shouldn’t have co if it was going to turn out like this.’
I thought maybe I shouldn’t have bothered attending the festival today.
But it was the perfect ti to look for Anonymous90, whom I hadn’t been able to look for the last two days due to it being busy.
‘I wonder if I really need to look for them now.’
It seed unnecessary to fuss over a clue which has already been resolved long ago.
But still, I wanted to try looking for them.
I was curious about who the person following Anonymous69 was, along with the strange feelings I had regarding him.
‘And I told Seo Yerin I would solve it.’
Well, even though I’d promised, I was not really putting much weight into it.
While the professors and students were having a drinking party, I was about to head towards the Physical Therapy departnt after grilling so pork.
“Where is our pretty oneeee!”
Senior Min Ju-hee, who seed to be drunk on soju, walked towards with a bottle in hand.
If you were to choose soone who had a hard ti recently, she would definitely be in the top five.
She led the kitchen, rapidly helping the kids grow, and there was no part of the kitchen workflow or many others that hadn’t been touched by senior Min Ju-hee’s hands.
I was genuinely relieved to be doing a group project with this senior.
As soon as the senior saw , she slung an arm around my shoulders and leaned in.
With the scent of alcohol and a certain heft, they were quite the passionate person.
“Why are you working alone again? Let’s go. Let’s go drink our fill. It is thanks to you that we can relax today?!”
“Woah, senior, you’re so drunk.”
I had seen them with the professors, looking quite intoxicated .
The senior imdiately dragged to the table where they had been sitting.
Most of them were sophomores, and notably there was senior Han-kang, whom I didn’t have good ties with.
While the other seniors seed sowhat uncomfortable at my presence, senior Min Ju-hee, whether due to drunkenness or ignorance, simply passed a drink.
“Cheers! Cheers!”
More uncomfortably than expected, the drinking session went on.
Following senior Min Ju-hee, other seniors also clink glasses with and drink.
Then, senior Ju-hee had to leave the table when called by professors.
The seniors sneaked glances at , and a subtle tension fills the air.
‘Maybe I should just go.’
I was about to excuse myself from this uncomfortable gathering, but senior Han-kang, sitting opposite , poured a drink and said,
“Sorry for the weird misunderstanding at the karaoke last ti.”
“Ah, yes.”
I thought an apology was certainly possible. I didn’t dwell on it or give it much thought.
Because it felt more like he was saying it to start a conversation rather than actually being sorry to .
“Woojin, let’s talk man-to-man.”
Senior Han-kang offered his glass.
I clinked glasses with him and drank it down before nodding.
“Yes, tell .”
“Is there really nothing between you and Yerin?”
“Sigh.”
I couldn’t tell if it was the bitterness of soju or the topic being distasteful.
There was a ti when I really liked Seo Yerin, feeling like I wanted to date her, but now, it seed more like an obsession.
“What are you curious about?”
Senior Han-kang hesitated at the question. Knowing his personality well by now, he seed conscious of not wanting to provoke , which I enjoyed.
“You are close with Yerin. That is why I’m worried.”
“You have to tell what you’re worried about. Are you worried about us flirting, dating, going to a hotel, or sothing like that?”
At my question, senior Han-kang flinched. Not just him, but the other seniors were also looking at with disgust.
Now it’s clear they don’t want to be involved with , which was quite satisfying to see.
“Senior, I have been rooting for you in my own way, you know? But Yerin doesn’t like you.”
They say there’s no tree that won’t fall after ten strikes. But that’s about trees.
Not people. Especially in the case of won.
In fact, continuing to confess after failing often results in even stronger rejections.
“Just let her go at this point. There are plenty of other girls interested in you. If you look around, why insist on Seo Yerin?”
“Woojin, I think you’re crossing the line.”
“Don’t you know? I’ve been living my university life outside the lines. There was a ti when the third-year seniors called through a group chat and you pretended not to know.”
There was a ti when, after serving intestines at the restaurant, the third-year seniors called , and I just ignored them and went on.
“Don’t get too obsessed with her. It looks bad.”
“Haa, you’re interested in Yerin, aren’t you?”
“You’re steering the conversation in the worst direction.”
I couldn’t help but sigh in disbelief.
“Sure, think whatever you want. I am tired of talking now, I will be leaving.”
Annoyed, I imdiately stood up and headed outside. It was the perfect timing since I had to go to the Physical Therapy departnt.
‘I am so sick of this.’
Seeing Seo Yerin and Jeong Chan-woo, they might look pretty and handso. But it isn’t always a good thing.
‘Was it Lee Eun-woo, a senior in the Physical Therapy side?’
The talk of graduating and even becoming a TA in grad school is still fresh in my mind.
He must be soone who knows how to elegantly say he wants to beco a modern day slave.
When I went to the departnt booth, they were having their own little drinking session.
Since it was the last day, I was able to locate the senior among the professors after asking around.
“Did you say you were looking for ?”
“……”
I wondered if I was seeing things correctly. A small stature, tousled hair, and on top of that, a modest chest and round glasses.
‘Is she a woman?!’
From Anonymous90 to the na of Lee Eun-woo. I was sowhat thrown into confusion because I had naturally assud this person was a man.
“A-are you Lee Eun-woo?”
“Yes, that’s . Why are you looking for ?”
When I asked just in case, the person on the other side sighed with irritation.
It seed they were on guard because I had suddenly shown up.
“Do you use the Bamboo Forest?”
“……”
Lee Eun-woo flinched and trembled for a mont.
Upon seeing that, I didn’t stop and imdiately pressed on.
“You’re Anonymous90, aren’t you? I’ve co looking for you.”
Upon hearing this, Lee Eun-woo’s expression blanked out and then slowly she began to open her mouth.
“Ah… ahhhh!”
And then, as I realized sothing she clapped her hands once and grinned. Surprise was brimming despite her goofy look.
“You must be Anonymous69! I don’t know how you knew! But you ca to find !”
“Anonymous69?”
Her overly happy reaction made wonder but then she clung to and said,
“D-do you have ti tonight?”
Suddenly, the question Choi Yiseo asked yesterday flashed through my mind.
What would you do if soone asked you to go to a hotel?
Why?
I never imagined that question could turn to reality this quickly.
“It’s ridiculous, right?”
“Exactly, Yerin, you really need to be careful. The unnies don’t say it for no reason.”
“n know n better, he really is not it.”
Before she knew it, Seo Yerin was dragged to the second-year table and listened to the voices of her seniors while sipping the soju offered to her.
The other seniors with Han-kang were talking about Woojin.
“Did Woojin really say that?”
Seo Yerin asked back in disbelief and as if waiting for this, they began to speak.
“Right. When I asked if he was interested in you, he didn’t even deny it!”
“Just leaving room with so possibility. Maybe he thinks he has a chance with you.”
“I thought he was doing well all this ti, but it turns out he is the sa.”
“It’s obvious he has a crush on you.”
Various conversations were exchanged. Listening to the exaggerated words of the second-years, Seo Yerin eventually got up from her seat cautiously.
“I will go get so fresh air for a mont.”
“Take care.”
“Ah, we made you uncomfortable.”
“We are sorry.”
Seo Yerin stepped out of the tent, ignoring the words of her seniors. She tried to catch her breath, unable to suppress the laughter which ca from her lips.
‘Ah, what… Kim Woojin.’
The seniors had warned her that Kim Woojin was clinging to her and for her to be cautious.
‘Hehe, pretending not to care but it bothers him huh?’
Rather, Seo Yerin found this entire thing amusing.
‘Where is Woojin now?’
Thinking of teasing him with this, Seo Yerin looked for Kim Woojin.
But he was nowhere to be seen inside the tent. Yu Arin, who had drunk a lot and was feeling nauseous, could be seen in the corner drinking Chocomong.
“Arin, have you seen Woojin?”
“…Kim Woojin? Nope?”
Yu Arin, after looking around, realized that Kim Woojin wasn’t there and clicked her tongue before saying,
“He must have gone to the Physical Therapy departnt.”
“Physical Therapy? Why?”
At those words, Yu Arin glanced at Seo Yerin and took the straw out of her mouth.
“I don’t know.”
“……”
It felt like a bit of a casual response, but Seo Yerin said she understood and slipped away.
‘Physical Therapy departnt. Physical Therapy departnt.’
She checks the booths as she goes. It took so ti because there were people asking for her number.
‘Uh?’
But at the Physical Therapy departnt’s booth, there were only students from the departnt having a drinking party, and Kim Woojin wasn’t there.
‘He’s not here?’
While thinking about going back, she decided to look around for a bit.
Behind the Physical Therapy Departnt tent,
hidden by the shade of the tree, ca the sound of people’s voices.
“I said I am not.”
‘Woojin!’
The mont she heard it, Seo Yerin’s eyes shone as she headed there.
It felt like people were talking, so she waited near the tent to surprise him when he ca out.
“I am not Anonymous69.”
Kim Woojin’s voice ca from inside the tent.
“I am the Admin of the Bamboo Forest.”
This completely sobered up Seo Yerin’s drunken mind.
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