SWNOVELXO -15-
-15-
IF: ~Student~
In the early 2000s, there was a popular entertainment program called “Freedom Declaration! Are You Strong?” They would visit high schools, set up a stage in places like auditoriums, and accept student applicants. Students would come up one by one wearing boxing gloves and shout, “Year X Class Y, you come out!” Then the surprised student who was called would be dragged up, also given gloves, and brought onto the stage.
They didn’t actually put on gloves to fight. Some students simply expressed their disappointments to friends, while others shared funny anecdotes and memories to strengthen their friendships. However, the most popular topic was, without a doubt, confessions. Listening to high school students’ innocent love confessions about how they came to like someone and how much they liked them made even people with dead romance cells unconsciously smile with contentment.
This nostalgic program that ended back then recently became popular again when a few clips were uploaded to social media. They couldn’t fully revive the program, so they decided to broadcast just one episode for fun. But the popularity of that first broadcast was so explosive that it caused major online communities to explode with discussion, leading to “Are You Strong?” getting extended for three more episodes. Was it because the format was incredibly fun? Or because it brought back memories?
No.
“Year 2 Class 3, Won Junjae sunbae! Please come out…!”
“Year 2 Class 3, Won Junjae! You come out…!”
“Year 2 Class 3, Won Junjae…! Come out…!”
It was because of this student at the center of attention, “Won Junjae” from Year 2 Class 3.
When first called to come up on stage, Won Junjae had such a three-dimensional face that people gasped whenever the camera captured him. His face was so selfishly and breathtakingly handsome that he overshadowed other male students just by breathing next to them. Benefiting from his looks, Won Junjae ended up being called to the confession stage a total of three times.
Each time he came up, even the celebrity panelists couldn’t hide their admiration, praising his appearance as if they were the fans and he was the celebrity. A member of a once-famous idol group from a major entertainment company even half-jokingly, half-seriously said that he would definitely get Junjae’s contact information after the show and take him to meet his company’s director, making the venue erupt in laughter.
“Sorry.”
“Sorry.”
“Sorry.”
However, while Won Junjae’s face was perfect, his personality was bluntness itself. Each time he came up, instead of giving long-winded explanations to reject the confessing students, he would just repeat a single word like a cuckoo: “Sorry.” The audience, students from the same school, made sounds of disappointment like “That’s too harsh~” but secretly felt relieved. Among them, a female student with what seemed like a built-in microphone in her throat shouted, “Stop it!!! Junjae is public property!!!” which added to the entertainment value of the broadcast, and it seemed Junjae’s summons were finally over.
“Year 2 Class 3, Won Junjae! You come out!”
But Junjae was called up to the stage one last time, and it was by a very unexpected person.
A round, plump, white boy who seemed a bit shorter than 175cm. His cheeks, still retaining baby fat, were stiff with what appeared to be extreme nervousness, and despite his bold call, his trembling pupils showed how much courage it took for him to face this situation.
All the students found this strange. After all, the previous people who had confessed to Junjae included a male student handsome enough to win the school beauty contest, and female students from Years 2 and 3 who were the disciplinary officer and student council president, both of whom had many secret admirers at school.
People who subconsciously thought that only those at that level would dare to confess so publicly were all stirred up, though they didn’t express it out loud, wondering if this piglet-like boy, trembling violently, was really calling Junjae to confess.
However, when Junjae came up on stage again wearing gloves, the students who had been dumbfounded started screaming again at the sight of his handsome face, and the venue heated up once more. The panelists, perhaps curious about how a completely different type of student had called Junjae this time, briefly interviewed the boy.
“What’s your name, student?”
“…Kim Jeonggwan.”
“Gwan? Gwaen? Like ‘gwaen-chan-ah’ (it’s okay)?”
“‘Go’ with ‘e’. Gwan.”
“Wow! Your name is really unique! What kind of name is that?” The panelists expressed their curiosity about Jeonggwan’s name and exaggeratedly raised their arms after looking at his nametag, pretending to be amazed once more. Jeonggwan was well aware that his name was unusual and was used to such reactions, so he just scratched the back of his head. At that moment, the idol member who had been constantly nudging Junjae to join their agency asked Jeonggwan a question.
“Our student Jeonggwan.”
“Yes.”
“This isn’t a confession, is it?”
The tone implied “Surely not? You?” which made the venue erupt in laughter. It was a comment made possible because all three previous calls had been confessions, but it was also extremely rude, so Jeonggwan just shook his head and hands with an awkward smile, his ears turning red. People burst into laughter once more, exclaiming “That’s what I thought!” but there was only one person not laughing.
“Hello.”
“…Hello.”
“…Have you been well?”
“Huh? Y-yes…”
Jeonggwan stuttered slightly, appearing nervous, while Junjae looked down at him without a hint of a smile. Unlike with the previous confessions where he only said “Sorry,” he greeted Jeonggwan first and even asked how he was doing, though still rather bluntly. The audience, including the panelists, writhed in excitement, shouting, “Hey! This guy has a great voice too!”
“D-do you know… why I called you?”
“…I think I do.”
“…You think you do?”
Jeonggwan seemed surprised by Junjae’s response that he thought he knew why, and looked up at him with wide eyes. Junjae, who had maintained an expressionless face the entire time, smirked as if finding Jeonggwan cute.
“Whoa!!! His face is insane!!!”
Once again, at the student with the self-installed microphone’s loud exclamation, people burst into laughter, and the main MC gestured to that student as if to a puppy, “Wait. Calm down,” continuing to lead the broadcast in an entertaining way.
But there was another person who couldn’t laugh here. Questions were clearly written all over Jeonggwan’s face: You say you know? How could you know? You really know? And after that, his eyes filled with resentment, as if asking, “Then why did you pretend not to know?” The situation seemed to be getting quite serious.
“Then, apologize to me…!”
“…”
“Apologize for what you did to me in middle school!”
Middle school? Did they go to the same middle school? Ooh- what is it! What is it! Is this a love triangle? The students’ murmuring grew louder. Whoa. Or is it school violence? At someone’s shout, since school violence was a serious issue these days, even the students who had been full of laughter gradually became serious, and even the panelists began to watch them carefully.
Middle school. What did Won Junjae do to Kim Jeonggwan? Why is Won Junjae just staring at Kim Jeonggwan without answering? As people’s curiosity grew and their shouts of “What is it?! What is it?! Let us know too!” became louder, Junjae’s tightly shut mouth finally opened.
“Kim Jeonggwan.”
“…”
“Instead of ‘apologize,'”
“…”
“You should ask me why I did it.”
“…What?”
“You should ask why I kissed you.”
[Free Board] Has anyone seen Junjae×Gwan students on Freedom Declaration Are You Strong?
Damn… damn… how can they cut the timing like this?.. I’m dying.. seriously..
[57 comments]
EmergencyHomoTransfusion: TV station people, hand over the rest right now. Before I really terrorize you.
ㄴFreedom: These really wicked people cutting it there…
ㄴThrowAwayInThisTerribleCompany: Freaking infuriating bastards..
ㄴGrayKitty: LOLOLOLOL the comments above are seriously so pissed LOLOLOLOL
ㄴDongjakDistrictFighter: Is it funny?
ClichéFairy: Is this Tsundere Cold-hearted Secret Crush Strategist × Bold Mini-pig Receiver?
ㄴIApproveThisDrama: Ah, I agree.
ㄴInhaler: Delicious..
DietStartsTomorrow: The most striking part is.. damn, Junjae rejected the three previous confessions with just one word “Sorry”… but when Jeonggwan calls him, he greets him first and answers all his questions… and after kissing him, he’s asking why he did it… if this isn’t a crush, what other reason could there be.
ㄴEitherWashOrUseCologne: Every word is absolutely right…
ㄴDontLetTheRiceStickInSalmonSushi: True… this is it…
Homona: Guys, come to the temporary Won-Gwan couple board.
ㄴClassicSyrupSkipperJaher: Yes, there are many knowledgeable people there..