Hey Buddy, What the Hell Are You Saying?
"Aaaack...!!"
"Why the sudden outburst?"
"Ri-na's lost it."
"Yeah, she's gone full crazy mode."
Woo Ri-na ruffled her own hair in frustration. The reason was simple enough. Right now, her entire school was swept up in Forest of Flowers fever. It had gotten so bad that the teachers were the ones bringing it up first.
Only after the students protested that it was rated for adults did the teachers seem to snap out of it and actually continue with class.
The problem was the most recent episode, the tenth one. Being in the third year of middle school meant she couldn't help but be sensitive to what was trending in online communities and society at large. And it wasn't just her—there were people who got so overly invested in celebrities they didn't even know that they'd rage as if it were happening to them personally.
When her own brother became the center of controversy because of a kiss scene, Woo Ri-na became more sensitive than anyone else. The one saving grace was that all her classmates in the same homeroom had relatively normal ways of thinking.
Usually during lunch, most students either played soccer or did whatever they felt like.
"Ri-na's the one who's the most obsessed here."
"She must be going through it."
The usual trio had gathered once again for another proud debate. Since they knew about her situation, they were trying to understand how troubled she must feel. They really were good friends.
With the forty minutes of free time left after eating lunch, the girls were talking about Forest of Flowers.
"That kiss scene was insane, though."
"Right? It was... ugh."
Of course, they were being careful since it involved their friend's brother. But they didn't like how the atmosphere had turned awkward because of it. So Ri-na decided to break the ice first. The usual vibe was much better.
"I was actually jealous of the serial killer."
It was a common enough reaction. While browsing through articles and community posts related to her brother, Ri-na had unconsciously let the words slip. At school, she had to hide the fact that her brother was playing the role of Kang Min-hyeok, which was why she'd phrased it that way.
But then Jin Yu-jeong and Lee Da-bin's expressions gradually grew strange. Almost disgusted. They both had older brothers or younger brothers of their own. Naturally, they couldn't help but look at Ri-na's behavior as weird.
Contempt. Disgust. The two friends sent every possible silent insult a friend could give with their eyes. Ri-na belatedly waved her hands in a panic to explain herself.
"N-no, that's not what I meant!"
"You... don't tell me..."
"Trash..."
"Eww, Ri-na. Ewww..."
"I said that's not it! Hey! I'm serious..."
Ri-na felt wronged. It really wasn't like that. No matter the age gap, they didn't fight like normal siblings. In fact, they were close, and he always looked out for her. So then...
"Huh?"
She was supposed to argue back, but Ri-na suddenly wore a dazed expression, as if she'd been slapped. Logically speaking, it was hard to definitively say there were zero feelings of that sort between them. Weren't siblings usually described as being unable to stand each other?
"That's not it!!!"
"Okay, okay. Hehe."
Of course, Ri-na quickly came back to her senses. She thought about it carefully, but the first thing that rose up wasn't any romantic feelings—it was pure nausea.
Her friends were experts at roasting each other. They knew exactly where the line was. It wasn't one-sided bullying. Everyone took turns. Depending on the bait, they could switch from allies to enemies in an instant. That was just how they played.
Some might think it was too rough or unpleasant, but this was simply how the girls hung out.
While they were deep in their Forest of Flowers debate, a student approached them.
It was already September, after summer break. The third-years had already become friends with everyone they were going to befriend.
Of course, there were always a few kids who got left out. They weren't bullied, exactly. If you talked to them, they'd respond nicely.
But there was always that type of person who just didn't quite fit as a friend, right?
The student who approached the Ri-na trio was exactly that type. Even though he was male, he was the kind of kid who quietly spent time alone at his desk.
"What?"
"Um... well..."
"Yeah, so... hey buddy. What's up?"
Jin Yu-jeong, who was closest, frowned at first, then put on a blank face. It was because of the smell wafting over. The kind of odor that couldn't possibly come from someone who showered even once every two days at minimum.
Not only that, but none of the girls even knew his name. So Yu-jeong had just called him "buddy" to respond for now.
His messy hair looked like it hadn't been washed in days, clumped together in greasy strands. His body, which clearly had a BMI well over 30, gave off a body odor that wouldn't be attractive even to women infamous for being obsessed with sex.
"Y-you guys... are you watching F-Forest of Flowers too...?"
"Yeah. We are, why?"
Ri-na, Da-bin, and Yu-jeong listened to him. After all, he was their classmate. But as he continued speaking, all three girls' expressions began to harden.
"You were talking about Woo Dan-wol... so..."
The trio's mood soured instantly. Was it because he was their friend's brother? No, even if he was calling an older celebrity by his first name casually, they could let that slide.
But the way he said it could be interpreted like this: Hey. I was eavesdropping on your conversation. You might not have noticed, but I was listening all by myself. Creepily. So, can I join your chat too?
Of course, he probably hadn't meant to eavesdrop on purpose. But there was such a thing as tone and nuance, wasn't there? If they were already close and familiar with each other, he could have naturally joined the conversation and joined the debate without issue.
Instead, he had walked up to people who were praising Woo Dan-wol and said this:
"That guy sucks... Don't like him. He's just... sexual objectification... you know?"
He was criticizing him. And using the most sensitive and touchy subject of the moment. If he had been a girl instead of a boy, he would have already gotten slapped.
Jin Yu-jeong's face showed genuine disgust. This was on a completely different level from when she was teasing Ri-na.
"Hey buddy."
"Y-yeah..."
"Sorry, I didn't catch that. Could you say it again?"
"Woo Dan-wol... s-sexual objectification..."
Ha. Yu-jeong let out a laugh of pure disbelief. He wasn't just insulting a celebrity she liked—he was openly badmouthing her friend's brother right to their faces. How could that possibly feel good? And he couldn't even read the room, just stubbornly pushing his point to the end.
"Again."
So Yu-jeong cut him off and asked again. Her personality simply couldn't tolerate it anymore.
"The exposure is... too much, and these days... men's rights are..."
"Men's rights? What? Again."
"Wow, total garbage..."
In the end, the nameless male student did exactly what he was used to doing on the internet—he brought that same behavior straight into reality.
Ri-na and Da-bin's faces twisted in disgust, but when it came to handling situations like this, Jin Yu-jeong was the best at it.
"Again."
"......"
She repeated the same word. And again. After repeating it two or three more times, Yu-jeong—who knew better than anyone that if a controversy started with a male student, the girl would be the one to lose out—handled it wisely.
In the end, the chubby, greasy-haired boy stormed back to his seat, huffing and puffing.
"Tsk."
"Thanks for getting mad on my behalf."
"I was just shielding the actor I like."
Yu-jeong grumbled, but Ri-na understood her feelings better than anyone. Should I invite her over to our house again? Maybe I should ask my brother for a favor. Ri-na pondered.
Time passed, and sixth period began.
Ri-na was enduring another boring math class as usual. That was when the classroom door opened and a man walked in. He looked strangely familiar. Short in stature, but with a distinctive build that reminded her of someone.
Normally she wouldn't have known who he was, but because of what happened during lunch, she could immediately guess who he was connected to.
"Sorry for the interruption, teacher."
"Yes...?"
"I'm Yong-jun's father."
"Ah, Yong-jun's...?"
The math teacher seemed to recognize the name. After thinking for three seconds, he nodded. The kid was so introverted and quiet that the teacher probably wouldn't have remembered him if it weren't for performance evaluations.
The man who called himself Yong-jun's father walked over to the student sitting in the corner by the window.
"You little bastard!"
"D-Dad...?"
It was the same male student who had approached the Ri-na trio earlier. As soon as his ear was grabbed, he shot up from his seat. The sound of the chair scraping across the floor echoed, followed by a groan of pain from his pinched ear.
His father didn't look normal either. Or rather, his condition didn't look normal.
He was trying to stay calm, but he was clearly quite worked up.
"All you do is sit at the computer all day! What the hell did you write in those comments!!!"
"O-ow..."
It was a professional-level skill. One hand pinching the earlobe, the other smacking the back— the classic father combo that every kid had probably experienced at least once. The students in class couldn't help but watch in awe.
"Come with me right now, you little shit!!"
"Ah, ah, stop, stop it..."
Kim Yong-jun seemed to feel some shame in the middle of it. Even as he was being dragged away by his father, he started resisting, conscious of his classmates' stares.
"What's going on with him?"
"No idea."
She didn't know the reason, but Woo Ri-na felt a surge of satisfaction. She had barely held herself back from exploding when he called her brother garbage. She didn't want to call her brother or parents to school, so she had endured it.
Maybe the world had taken her side. Later, Ri-na heard through rumors that the student named Kim Yong-jun had been sued for malicious comments.
Served him right. What a relief.