Bamboo Forest Manager

Best Pepper.

Despite a brief incident, the Best Pepper (Dick) Competition concluded successfully.

Just as the end of a festival leaves lingering feelings before returning to reality…

We, too, returned to the reality of midterms at Gahyeon University.

“I’m still having nightmares.”

While waiting for the coffee we ordered at the school café, Jeong Chan-woo sighed and muttered.

There was no need to ask what kind of nightmare it was.

I’ve had similar ones myself.

“Who knew a bald guy could get so enthusiastic with a man as well.”

“Isn’t it fascinating, though? How is that even possible?”

“…I think I understand how girls feel when they’re sexually harassed. It’s really unpleasant.”

Pretending to gag, Chan-woo took his coffee and left.

Min Se-rin, his girlfriend, was sulking because of the last pepper contest, so he bought two coffees to make up for it.

‘But does he know what his girlfriend drinks?’

It would be awkward if he bought something she doesn’t drink.

“Wait a minute, Chan-woo.”

Knowing how Chan-woo handled things with his ex-girlfriend, I call out to him just in case.

“Why? Are you going to talk about that guy again?”

“No, that coffee. Do you know what your girlfriend likes?”

At my words, Chan-woo frowned as if I’m speaking nonsense.

“How would I know? There are so many options on the café menu. Do you know what Arin likes?”

“She likes Chocomong more than cafés. It’s not that she particularly likes sweet things; she just likes Chocomong. So she often drinks lattes at cafés.”

“…That’s quite detailed.”

Jeong Chan-woo, flustered, perhaps not expecting my response.

Anyway, shouldn’t you at least know the coffee preference of someone you like?

“So, you bought it knowing? Or did you just get something safe?”

Honestly, if you’re unsure, just getting a safe iced Americano usually pleases most people.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t know what she liked. So, I just got iced Americano.”

“Oh.”

“Plus, I even considered by getting decaf.”

Hm?

“Why?”

Decaf isn’t bad, but there are quite a few who dislike it.

When I asked why he specifically chose that, Chan-woo answered with a smile.

“They might not be able to handle caffeine. Buying something everyone can drink is considerate.”

“……”

This time, it seemed like he had put in quite a bit of thought.

It’s frustrating not to know the preferred coffee despite having gone to cafés together several times while dating.

“Chan-woo, just drink that yourself. Your girlfriend-”

“Ah, forget it. I’ll handle it. You’re just trying to tease me like with that bald guy before.”

……

Chan-woo eventually leaves just like that.

I had a strong feeling she might dislike it.

Moreover, that menu seemed like evidence that Chan-woo wasn’t interested in her, and it was clear she’d catch onto that.

“Hang in there.”

Hopefully, luck is on his side.

Wishing that his girlfriend only drinks decaffeinated beverages.

I take the coffee that’s ready and head to the lecture hall.

Exams start the next week.

To avoid falling asleep in lectures, I drink coffee and resolve to do well in this midterm.

As I entered the classroom, there were many people similar to me.

Students preparing for the lecture with a coffee in hand.

While I was preparing for the lecture among them, a familiar face appeared next to me.

“Is this seat taken?”

It was senior Min Ju-hee in a fleece jumper.

“You sit next to me every lecture, so isn’t it okay to just sit down now?”

“Still, I have to ask.”

In this lecture, senior Ju-hee was the only person I was close enough to have a conversation with.

I had followed her into this lecture after seeing what she registered for during course enrollment.

I heard that thanks to her wide network, she only took lectures where she could score high grades.

The trusted Ju-hee pick.

In fact, I was quite satisfied with the lecture.

“Have you studied a lot?”

“I’m doing that. Lately, I’m so tired I could die.”

Indeed, senior Ju-hee’s eyes looked weary, and her complexion isn’t very good.

“Please have this.”

When I offered the coffee I bought earlier, senior Ju-hee hesitated for a moment and shook her head.

“No, I’ve been working at a café lately, so I’m sick of coffee.”

Then she takes out an energy drink from her bag.

“Hmm? Senior, are you working part-time?”

This is news to me.

I thought she was relying on scholarships because she couldn’t ask her family for support.

Aiming for a full scholarship while also juggling a part-time job seems quite tough.

“Yeah, since becoming a junior, the number of classes has decreased a bit.”

Saying that, senior Ju-hee puts her glasses on.

Although I’ve seen it a few times, just wearing glasses creates a different atmosphere.

“It was harder in the first and second year. Now it’s much easier compared to back then. That’s why I can even work part-time.”

But isn’t it the same if part-time work is added, even if college life has become easier?

If anything, it would be more tiring.

“Where do you work part-time? I’m thinking of getting a job after midterms too.”

“You know Anz Coffee next to the intersection? I’m working there.”

“Wow, there are always so many people there. You must be busy with all of them.”

“The hourly wage is better than in other places.”

As expected of the captain.

Truly an iron woman.

Watching these aspects, there was something about senior Ju-hee that was admirable in many ways.

Honestly, her physique wasn’t much different from other women. But even so, she must be tightly packed with real combat-compacted muscles.

‘Reliable.’

If she were a man, I would definitely have begged to enlist together with her.

“…Senior, you’re not going to the military, right?”

“Military? I thought about it. But you can’t if you have a criminal record.”

“What?! You have a criminal record?!”

Surprised, I looked at senior Ju-hee, who chuckled and patted my shoulder.

“Just kidding. What criminal record? I want to work a job that makes a lot of money, but the military doesn’t really offer that sort of dramatic earnings.”

That’s true.

But isn’t that the case for most office workers?

“Phew, right? You really surprised me.”

“…It kind of annoys me that you actually believed it.”

But isn’t that inevitable?

I’ve seen senior Ju-hee’s imposing presence until now, so it’s hard not to misunderstand.

The image of her beating President Hwang with a baseball bat was still vividly etched in my mind.

Just then, the professor arrived.

Without anyone saying anything, we all stopped chatting and started focusing on the professor’s lecture.

‘She’s a fellow who can do it if she tries.’

When I started concentrating on lectures that I usually didn’t pay attention to, I found myself understanding them, which made me think I must be my father’s son after all.

That didn’t mean I was enjoying it.

People say studying can be fun once you get into it, but I don’t feel that at all.

Just like with exercise.

I just do it because I have to.

I only put in the effort because there’s someone I want to impress.

When I think about how Choi Yiseo will be happy when I get good grades, it makes my heart swell with pride for no reason.

So I was studying like that.

Srrrk.

A strange sound came from beside me.

Before I knew it, senior Ju-hee had fallen asleep while lying down.

“Senior?”

She did look tired, but for the Iron Lady, Captain Ju, to doze off during a lecture!

A situation unfolded that couldn’t possibly happen within my common sense, and I was bewildered.

“…!”

The moment I saw the red blood soaking the senior’s notebook, I jumped up without realizing and called out to her.

“Senior! Senior Ju-hee!”

Seeing the senior fainting with a nosebleed, I urgently lifted her up as if possessed by something.

Simple overwork.

Collapsed as if passing out from accumulated fatigue.

Inside the emergency room.

Watching senior Ju-hee sleeping in the hospital bed while receiving IV fluids, I fell into a peculiar sentiment.

Captain Ju.

The senior I first met during the group project left such a bold and intense impression, she had somehow become the captain in my mind.

The senior was always assertive, confident in herself, dignified and strong, but.

The senior lying in the hospital bed now seemed like a lottle girl.

Nothing more, nothing less.

‘…Did I unknowingly have a preconceived notion?’

One reason I rejected the senior’s confession was because I didn’t see her as a woman.

Pretty, strong, confident, but…

Therefore, her femininity wasn’t emphasized.

To me, senior Ju-hee was just the captain.

“Sigh.”

As I blankly watched senior Ju-hee awkwardly lying down.

I felt a complicated mix of emotions.

“Hmm? Isn’t that Woojin?”

A familiar voice from behind.

“Little brother?”

There stood my pot bellied second big brother and his stylish-haired wife.

It was such an unexpected meeting, I wondered what was going on.

Yet, I suddenly worried if my second brother was sick.

“He’s pregnant.”

His wife laughed as she stroked his belly.

“…What?”

I was confused by what she meant, so my second brother caressed his own belly with a silly grin.

“Haha, it’s a pregnancy. There’s even an obstetrics department here.”

“Are you saying your sister-in-law is pregnant?”

“Of course.”

“You have quite the sense of humor, Brother.”

“Then why are you talking while touching your brother’s belly?”

It was clear to me that they were both acting to deliberately confuse me.

Seeing the two of them laughing jokingly made me feel a bit at ease.

“Congratulations.”

“Haha, how do I handle having a child before my big brother?”

Isn’t the big brother busy producing his junior while enjoying office play?

“What about the broadcast? Should I retire with this opportunity?”

The news that his sister-in-law, a famous internet broadcaster, is pregnant will surely cause a stir.

“Retire if you want to, or don’t.”

Suddenly, the two started talking about the future here.

Honestly, while a pregnancy is something to celebrate, isn’t there someone lying in a hospital bed?

“Aren’t you two leaving? Why are you chatting in the emergency room in the first place.”

“My brother’s acquaintance is an assistant professor in emergency medicine here. So I was going to have a little chat.”

“…Brother, this is my acquaintance. Can you foot the hospital bill?”

“Tsk, he only softens his voice when he’s trying to get something out of me.”

“It’s just an IV drip due to overwork. It’s not much-”

At that moment, senior Ju-hee’s phone rang.

Even though it kept vibrating in her pocket, senior Ju-hee showed no sign of getting up.

“I’m sorry.”

I quietly apologized and discreetly took out the phone, which displayed the name ‘Café Owner’.

“Hello.”

- Hello? Isn’t this Ju-hee’s phone?“

“Yes, it is. I’m a junior who knows senior Ju-hee. Actually, right now-”

After a brief explanation, the café owner let out a rather deep sigh.

Hearing the situation, it seemed busy, and since senior Ju-hee fainted from overwork, it was not a situation to blame anyone.

Amid the awkward silence, I suddenly stood up and spoke.

“If it’s okay, I’ll go in and lend a hand in place of senior Ju-hee.”

Gesturing to my second brother and his wife to take good care of senior Ju-hee, I then called the café owner again with my phone and ran outside.