Bamboo Forest Manager

Chapter 118: The Omen

“Haam.”

Yawning, I opened my eyes slowly.

It’s already 4:40 PM.

I had already finished work at 4, but since Seo Yerin finished at 5, I was resting in the massage chair in the staff lounge.

‘Guess I should get going.’

After arriving in front of the Great Korean Hall five and waiting for a while, Seo Yerin, now in casual clothes, comes running with quick steps.

“You’re here!”

“You told me to come.”

She told me to come, so what’s with the surprise.

She just said to hang out, so I wondered if she had something specific in mind, but Seo Yerin checked the time on her phone and started running, pulling my hand.

“Let’s go quickly! The bus is coming!”

“Bus?”

I thought she was just saying it, but it looks like she really has plans to go somewhere.

Since this is a mountain village, there shouldn’t be many places to hang out.

Last time, I went to a PC café in the city with my roommates and thought it was a 20-year-old PC café.

But the bus I took with Seo Yerin was not going to the city but was an internal Gold One bus circulating the hotel premises.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

“I don’t have any money.”

“Don’t worry, it doesn’t cost anything.”

Seo Yerin hummed as she went. Not long after, we got off the bus, and the place we arrived at was…

“…A water park?”

I looked around in a daze, as if I had blacked out from drinking.

A water park decorated extravagantly with countless people.

It was still cold outside since it was December, but the indoor water park was still bustling with people. I had heard that employees working at Gold One could enter the ski resort or water park for free.

Honestly, I didn’t expect to come here.

“Huh, what’s this.”

The swimsuit could be rented separately. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for free.

I chose a black rash guard and shorts because I didn’t want to show my body to others.

It was my first time wearing it, and it felt much better than wearing a swimsuit.

The business closes at 9 PM, so we could only play for about three hours at most, but that was enough for us.

‘I’m glad I have a day off tomorrow.’

Maybe Seo Yerin suggested this because she has a day off tomorrow too?

‘……’

The tight rash guard felt like a self-reproach clinging to my body.

Like my hyung said.

In the end, did I really not love Oh Yoon-ji properly?

Considering I didn’t feel much resistance to coming out to play with Seo Yerin like this.

If I really still had lingering feelings for her, I wouldn’t have come on a date alone with another woman like this.

‘But…’

My confused mind was complicating my head.

“Woojin!”

A voice calling out to me with a lot of excitement.

The moment I saw Seo Yerin wearing the same brand of black rash guard as mine, I felt my worries melt away.

If asked to name Seo Yerin’s strengths.

I really couldn’t confidently name more than one.

She’s beautiful.

That’s it.

But the important thing is.

It’s too much.

To the point where everything else seems insignificant.

“Wow…”

Yes, I knew Seo Yerin would get conceited if I gasped or stared at her. Yet, she had an allure that made it impossible not to follow her with my eyes.

There are beautiful people everywhere.

You can easily find attractive people.

However, it’s rare to see people who are both beautiful and charming. Most of such people are on TV.

It was worth mentioning that her chest seemed a bit bigger. You could tell by how her figure stood out even in a tight rash guard.

“How do you like my braided hair?”

I thought something was different, and it turned out she had braided her hair on purpose. I wondered how she did it alone, but one of the staff members helped her.

“It looks pretty.”

I couldn’t say anything else. Her refreshing smile was both violent and somewhat coercive, forcing only one reaction from me.

No, it made it inevitable.

“Heehee!”

Seo Yerin, seemingly pleased, quickly linked her arm with mine. Then she pointed straight at the waterslide.

“There’s not much time left for that ride! Let’s go quickly!”

“How do you know that?”

“Se-ah was bragging about coming here with her boyfriend last week. I heard it then.”

“Is she fighting with her boyfriend or dating again?”

“Don’t even mention it. This time her boyfriend again…”

While chatting, I struggle to ignore the sensation of Seo Yerin’s chest against my arm.

Only after standing in line for the water slide do I remember that I was just thinking about my hyung and Yoon-ji.

‘This is kind of scary.’

Isn’t this what they call a femme fatale?

A woman so attractive it’s deadly.

That seemed to describe Seo Yerin perfectly.

She herself didn’t seem to think much of it, which made it worse.

“This one is for two people.”

“Yeah, it looks like it.”

Seo Yerin pointed to the water slide. Looking at the sign next to it, it shows a large tube with front and back seats.

“I want to sit in the front!”

“Do as you please.”

Whether sitting in the front or back, it’s the same.

Receiving envious and jealous glances from the water slide staff, I got on the tube.

I had to sit in the back with my legs spread, which was kind of odd because the person in front would end up sitting between my legs.

“Wow! This looks fun!”

But seeing Seo Yerin enjoying herself like a child, the slightly rising lewd thoughts quickly subsided.

I thought I shouldn’t douse her pure reaction with cold water, but it was Seo Yerin who killed my expectations instead.

Vroom!

As soon as the water slide started, Seo Yerin immediately let go of one hand and wiggled, moving her hand behind her back.

“……?!”

The moment I felt her small, soft hand touch me precisely, I tensed up without any warm-up.

“Huh.”

I couldn’t see her face, but I could tell she was definitely smiling.

As if playing with a new toy for the first time, fingers moved irregularly yet swiftly in response to the laughter that flowed out like a breath.

“You, you…!”

I know I shouldn’t.

Even though my voice was forceful, I felt a sense of helplessness as a man with the disappearing resistance in her touch.

Thus, time passed, shorter than I thought.

I saw light coming into the swiftly descending slide. It was finally the end.

Splash!

The water slide was finally over, and I had to get out of the pool.

“That was fun!”

“……”

Seeing me awkwardly standing there, Seo Yerin covered her mouth and mockingly laughed.

“Did you get turned on?”

I bit my lip and waited for the strength to drain, but with the woman still in front of me, it didn’t seem like it would subside.

“Go away.”

Grumbling and gesturing, Seo Yerin scoffed and left promptly.

Ignoring the puzzled look of the safety officer wondering why I wasn’t leaving, I finally managed to calm my breathing and muster the strength to step outside.

‘Phew.’

Similar situations continued to unfold thereafter. Even when we entered the hot springs together, Seo Yerin’s hands wouldn’t stay still, and she would intentionally hug and cling to me in the wave pool.

I thought she might be trying to seduce me physically since she couldn’t send pictures, but it ended just there.

Stimulation, but it never went further.

It felt strangely ticklish, as if she was testing me, but I managed to endure it.

Anyway, the water park was more enjoyable than I expected.

When walking around with Seo Yerin, naturally, we attracted people’s attention.

Even those gazes, at some point, I think I just started to enjoy them too.

“It was too short.”

Seo Yerin, who had come outside, looked at the now darkening sky and felt regretful.

It was understandable since we had only played for three hours in a place like a water park with so many things to enjoy.

“Since we’re resting anyway, should we come again tomorrow?”

“There’s a limit on the number of visits.”

Even though it was free for the employees, we couldn’t keep coming back. There was a limit of about once a week, so if we wanted to come tomorrow, we had to pay for it ourselves.

“We can just pay and come.”

“Spending money while working part-time is a bit much.”

Shouldn’t we save every penny we can?

Seo Yerin didn’t seem to be serious about it, as she wasn’t particularly obsessed with the water park.

While waiting for the bus to return to the accommodation, I realized something strange.

“Hey.”

“Huh?”

Seo Yerin, who is reviewing the photos taken today one by one.

“Weren’t you supposed to give me some advice?”

“……”

Though her expression didn’t change, the finger swiping the screen stopped.

“Yah.”

When I called her name sternly, Seo Yerin immediately crossed her arms and leaned in.

“Should we have some beer? How about it?”

Since her attempt to get out of it with cuteness was very tempting, I had no choice but to comply.

We intended to drink at a chicken restaurant, but the one in the basement of Building C hotel was closed for its regular holiday.

“We can’t go out again.”

We had just returned to the lodging, and neither of us wanted to go out again, plus the timing wasn’t right.

It was already 10 o’clock.

“Let’s just go back…”

I was about to suggest calling it a night, but Seo Yerin came up with a good idea and proposed.

“How about we go to my room and eat?”

“I don’t want to. It’s not something to talk about there in the first place.”

It didn’t seem like a suitable topic of conversation with Yu Arin around.

“Then let’s go to your room and talk!”

Seo Yerin promptly suggested an alternative. I wanted to say it wasn’t necessary to talk about it today.

But I also wanted to resolve the lingering lump in my chest as soon as possible.

In the end, I went to the dormitory with Seo Yerin.

Since it was still too early to sleep, I planned to tell my roommates that Seo Yerin would stay for a while.

“Hmm?”

The room was dark.

I turned on the light and checked the room, but no one was there.

“What?”

I wondered why no one was there, then felt a presence behind me.

“Is no one here?”

Seo Yerin had followed me in.

“I told you to wait outside.”

“I thought they might let me in if they saw me.”

Seo Yerin was smiling with her face cupped in her hands. Surely, anyone who disliked her would quickly tell her to come in upon seeing her face.

More importantly.

‘Where did everyone really go?’

The moment I took my phone out to check the group chat of our accommodation.

“Hmm? Do you guys drink this kind of stuff?”

Seo Yerin, who came over holding a bottle of alcohol that was on the living room table.

“…I’ve never seen it before?”

The unfamiliar alcohol gave me an uneasy feeling, as if it was a precursor to something impending.