Episode 3: Bamboo Forest
The next day, I was still trapped in the game.
“Hey, did you watch Worlds yesterday?”
“That was insane.”
“Did you change your tint?”
“Yeah, didn’t like the color.”
The academy was filled with the laughter of youth as I quietly made my way into the classroom.
The seating chart was prominently displayed on the teacher’s desk, but I headed straight to the window seat at the very back.
I already knew where my assigned seat was anyway.
The location was to my liking—perfect for avoiding attention, and the breeze flowing in through the open window was as soothing as a lullaby.
But all those perks were overshadowed by one glaring problem.
My seatmate was Seo Yuna.
Golden wavy hair.
Flashy piercings and nail art.
A tight-fitting uniform.
The heroine I had run into in the alley yesterday.
She was sitting at her desk, legs crossed, fiddling with her smartphone.
As I sat down, Yuna turned her head and stared at me intently.
Then, as if suddenly realizing something, she covered her mouth with her hand, her expression one of surprise.
“Hey, you’re that… guy, right? The one who grabbed my wrist yesterday.”
I let out a small sigh.
“Yeah.”
Damn it.
She’d told me not to acknowledge her if we met at school, but now what was I supposed to do?
Women—they were truly incomprehensible creatures.
Hearing my reply, Yuna smirked.
“What’s this? Your vibe’s completely different now.”
I ignored her remark and laid my head down on the desk.
I wasn’t in the mood to deal with her.
“Hey, answer me.”
When I didn’t respond, Yuna poked my shoulder.
“Answer me.”
Ugh.
I hadn’t slept well because I’d been up praying all night, and now this chatterbox was nagging me nonstop.
I’d have to ask the homeroom teacher to change my seat.
“Answer me.”
For five minutes straight, Yuna persistently demanded a response.
Normally, she’d glare at the protagonist in disdain during cliché “lucky pervert” events.
But the situation was taking an unexpected turn.
Taking a deep breath, I lifted my head from the desk.
“Hey, I’ve got a favor to ask.”
“A favor? If it’s something dumb like asking for my number, I’m rejecting you in advance.”
“Don’t act like you know me.”
“….”
Hearing my words, Yuna widened her eyes in surprise, then burst into laughter.
“What’s this? Trying to act all cool now? Unbelievable.”
With a disinterested expression, Yuna returned her attention to her smartphone.
*
Yesterday morning.
Yuna had overslept, as usual, and rushed out of the house with a piece of toast in her mouth.
There were five minutes left before the school gates would close.
‘Well, at least I won’t be late,’ she thought, sprinting at full speed.
It was then that a male student suddenly appeared from an alleyway.
“Kyaaa!”
Startled, she screamed.
The distance was too close; a collision was inevitable.
Yuna braced herself.
‘Please, just don’t let my face get hurt.’
At that moment, his hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the side, steadying her wobbling body.
‘What the heck? Why’s he grabbing my wrist out of nowhere?’
She pretended to be shocked, but honestly, it was a little cool.
The way he steadied her balance so smoothly.
And those unexpectedly firm arm muscles.
But that guy…
Red horn-rimmed glasses, a tattered shirt,
And messy hair.
He looked like a total loser.
What the heck, just a loser, Yuna thought.
She vowed that even if she ran into him again at the academy, she would never acknowledge him.
*
This morning.
After arriving at school, Yuna checked the seating chart placed on the teacher’s desk.
Her seatmate’s name looked familiar.
Kim Dohyun.
The loser from yesterday.
But then…
As she was scrolling through social media on her smartphone, a handsome guy sat down next to her.
At first, she thought it was someone with the same name.
But upon closer inspection, it was definitely the guy from yesterday.
The red horn-rimmed glasses were gone, his hair styled in a trendy semi-leaf cut.
A sharp jawline, sleek eyes,
And a neat school uniform that complemented his pale skin.
Even the fact that he didn’t have double eyelids suited her taste.
With a face like this, maybe being friendly wouldn’t be so bad, she thought.
Naturally, Yuna started a conversation with her seatmate.
“You’re that… guy from yesterday, right? The one who grabbed my wrist.”
Sure, she had told him not to acknowledge her if they met at school yesterday.
But she was Seo Yuna.
The same Seo Yuna who, right after the entrance ceremony, had boys swarming her, asking for her number and trying to get close to her.
“Yeah.”
The curt response caught her off guard.
What’s with that tone?
Did dressing up a little give him some newfound confidence?
Her pride was stung.
Yuna looked Dohyun over again.
This is basically a complete transformation.
Gone was yesterday’s loser; today’s Kim Dohyun could only be described as a “handsome guy.”
At that moment, Dohyun raised his head and spoke.
“Hey, I have a favor to ask.”
His voice was still indifferent, almost dismissive.
What’s this? Is he embarrassed because someone as pretty as me keeps talking to him?
Probably like the other boys, he was going to ask for her number.
Thinking this, she replied,
“A favor? If it’s something dumb like asking for my number, I’m rejecting you in advance.”
Yuna made it clear—don’t get your hopes up. You’re not at that level.
But his response was unexpected.
“Don’t act like you know me.”
Yuna couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.
“What? Acting all cool all of a sudden? This is ridiculous.”
She laughed playfully, but deep down, something felt off.
Does he not like being my seatmate?
Normally, she wouldn’t care, but today it nagged at her.
Kind of hurts my pride, doesn’t it?
*
First period: Math.
I propped my elbow on the desk, resting my chin in my hand, and gazed out the window.
The scenery outside was peaceful.
Cherry blossoms were scattered by the breeze, painting the academy grounds a soft pink.
With a sigh, I returned to reality.
‘Math first thing in the morning? This is pure hell.’
Looking at the math formulas scrawled across the blackboard made my head throb.
‘What’s this? I thought it’d be some kind of magic formula with STEM vibes, but it’s just graph functions?’
I tried to ignore the peculiar gaze coming from beside me, but Seo Yuna blatantly nudged me with her elbow.
“Hey.”
Without turning my head, I replied.
“What.”
“Are you good at math?”
“…No.”
“Then teach me.”
“I told you, I’m not good at it.”
“Wow, liar. You looked like such a goody-two-shoes yesterday.”
Pouting, Yuna pushed her notebook toward me.
“Just teach me the basics.”
Sighing, I glanced at her notebook.
‘Persistent, huh? It’d be a waste to ruin the favorability points I’ve built up.’
In Love is War, gaining the heroine’s favor was non-negotiable.
Skipping main events or letting the heroine’s favorability drop to zero? Instant bad ending.
For example, signs falling on the protagonist while walking down the street or the heroine chopping him into pieces while he’s sleeping—those kinds of things.
To ensure my survival, maintaining an optimal level of favorability was the smart move.
Luckily, the problem she showed me was easy enough for me to solve.
I picked up a pen and began marking her notebook as I explained.
“If you simplify this equation here like this…”
Surprisingly, Yuna listened seriously to my explanation.
“Wow… You’re actually good at teaching.”
“I just did it casually.”
“Your tone changed too. You sound kind of like a teacher.”
I put the pen down and frowned.
“Let’s just be quiet now.”
“Pfft, why so cold all of a sudden?”
Yuna playfully tapped my shoulder, laughing.
‘…Why does she have to invade my personal space like this?’
I sighed inwardly.
Even in the game, Seo Yuna was a heroine who clung to you persistently.
She was playful, straightforward, and occasionally displayed surprising sensitivity.
The problem was, this wasn’t a “normal romance simulation game.”
‘If I trigger the wrong flag… I could die.’
Quietly, I closed her notebook and turned my gaze back to the window.
Yuna watched me briefly before pulling out her smartphone again.
Then, out of nowhere, she shoved the phone screen in my face.
“Hey, look at this.”
[Hanbit Academy 1st-Year Bamboo Forest]
[Seo Yuna gets a new seatmate!]
On the screen was a photo of Yuna and me sitting together, uploaded this morning.
“What is this?”
“The others posted it. You’re pretty popular, huh?”
“What the hell…”
In the photo, I was looking out the window, but Yuna was smiling at me.
The comments were full of embarrassing remarks.
“Seo Yuna’s seatmate is seriously hot. I swear I didn’t see a guy like that at the entrance ceremony.”
“Did he transfer in today?”
“So jealous. That sly fox.”
“They’ll definitely start dating soon. Perfect couple, congrats.”
The cringe-inducing comments made me sick, so I pushed Yuna’s phone away and turned my gaze back to the window.
Yuna laughed at my reaction.
“You’re embarrassed, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Then why are your ears red?”
“It’s just hot in here.”
Yuna burst out laughing, lightly tapping my arm.
“You’re so funny. I like you.”
I turned to look at her, startled.
What was that all of a sudden? Did she take the wrong meds?
But Yuna winked playfully and added,
“As a seatmate.”
I turned my head away without responding.
Still, her words lingered in my mind.
‘That sly girl.’
*
Hanbit Academy’s Bamboo Forest Forum.
A new post was pinned at the top.
[Shocking True Story—Beware of Perverts.]
Attached was a single photo.
In it, a blond girl’s lower back and a male student’s face seemed awkwardly buried below her waist.
The photo distorted the situation far beyond reality.
The comment section exploded like wildfire.
“That loser. I’m so jealous.”
“That’s the guy who’s Seo Yuna’s seatmate? LOL. Hilarious.”
“Did it smell good? LOL.”
“He’s always been weird. I didn’t like the way he was staring this morning.”
“This is disgusting. Just imagining being in the same class is creepy.”
“Poor Seo Yuna. She has to deal with that dirty guy.”
The male student in the photo desperately tried to explain, but to the commenters, he was just a toy to amuse their boring lives.
Truth or lies—it didn’t matter.
His name spread across the school in an instant.
“Is that the pervert?”
“Seeing him in person is even grosser.”
“Don’t make eye contact. You might get pregnant.”
Male Student = Pervert.
That title became his identity.
*
Teacher’s Office.
The male student stared at the teacher with vacant eyes.
“Are you really going to drop out?”
The teacher sighed regretfully before continuing,
“You’re still so young. If you quit like this, you might regret it later.”
The student gave a bitter smile.
“Staying here and enduring this hell is even worse.”
【BAD ENDING: Strange Rumors】 — Deleted.
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[TLN: The term “Bamboo Forest” in the context of the story refers to an anonymous online forum or social media platform often used by students to share gossip, rumors, and personal stories. These platforms are common in many schools, particularly in South Korea, where students post anonymously about their experiences, complaints, or observations related to school life.
The name "Bamboo Forest" originates from a Chinese folktale where a man, unable to keep a secret, whispers it into a bamboo grove, symbolizing a place to vent or share hidden truths. Similarly, these forums serve as a virtual space where users can “whisper” their thoughts or gossip without fear of immediate identification.]
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