Ch.7777. A Man’s Fight

“The cheer I’ve prepared is….”

Hwa Nabi’s clear voice resonated from the makeshift stage. All the scattered spectators immediately fixed their gazes on her. Watching this scene, I couldn’t help but be impressed.

Hwa Nabi had only uttered a single sentence, yet that alone was enough to capture everyone’s attention. Shouldn’t she have pursued entertainment rather than sports?

“Um… so, the cheer is….”

As Hwa Nabi mumbled the same words a second time, her gaze briefly swept across my face.

I wondered what kind of cheer she was preparing that required such buildup. My heart was pounding with anticipation.

Suddenly, Hwa Nabi turned sharply in my direction.

“Si, Siwoo-ssi. Could you come here for a moment?”

With her face completely flushed, she desperately beckoned me over with her hand.

“…Why is she acting like that all of a sudden?”

“I don’t know, maybe there’s some problem?”

I had been talking to myself, but an unexpected answer came back. Im Hansol, catching my gaze, shrugged his shoulders and nodded toward the front of the stage, indicating I should go.

“…Siwoo-ssi, hurry!”

“Alright.”

Though I had no idea what was happening, I moved forward as Hwa Nabi instructed. The spectators’ gazes, which had been fixed on Hwa Nabi, now shifted to me.

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

“Um… just a moment.”

Instead of answering my question, she gestured again. This time it seemed like she wanted me to lend her my ear, so I bent my knees slightly to match her eye level.

Hwa Nabi brought her lips close to my ear and whispered carefully.

“Um, Siwoo-ssi. I was originally planning to sing a song, you know? But now that I’m actually trying to do it… I think I’m too embarrassed.”

Her eyebrows were trembling, suggesting this wasn’t just idle talk. Does she have stage fright? I nodded and continued.

“Yeah, so?”

“S-so I’ll just do a simple cheer. Is that okay?”

“A simple cheer? Well, I don’t mind… but what exactly are you planning to do?”

I turned my gaze directly to Hwa Nabi. Trembling eyes, flushed cheeks. Clearly nervous, she stared at me silently before clearing her throat with a fake cough.

It’s natural to be nervous when you have to perform something in front of everyone, when even just speaking makes you tremble. Having stood at a podium before, I understood this well. I waited without rushing her.

“Hmm… so.”

Finally, Hwa Nabi’s lips moved slowly.

“So… if you win this time. I’ll grant you any one wish you want.”

“…”

…Any wish? My Adam’s apple involuntarily bobbed at her rather suggestive statement.

“Ah, but nothing too weird, okay?”

“So moderately weird requests are acceptable?”

“Well… I’ll have to hear it first.”

I wasn’t sure what Hwa Nabi’s standard for “moderately weird” was… but judging by her expression, she wasn’t just saying it casually. She probably meant she’d grant almost any reasonable request.

This gives me a reason why I absolutely cannot lose. As I was steeling my resolve, she cutely stuck out her tongue.

“And this is my advance payment.”

Advance payment, not a gift? Before I could ask what she meant, Hwa Nabi’s face suddenly came very close.

Startled, I squeezed my eyes shut, and then felt a soft sensation on my cheek.

-Smooch.

“…Huh?”

I murmured in a daze, touching my right cheek.

Did she just… kiss me on the cheek? When I asked with my eyes, Hwa Nabi smiled broadly.

“So, make sure you win, okay?”

Followed by an adorable wink. After that, Hwa Nabi waved to the audience and retreated to an empty space beside the stage. The spectators who had been watching our interaction in hushed silence erupted in cheers and jeers.

“So lucky,” “She’s pretty,” “He’s handsome”… Everyone was chattering away, but I couldn’t hear anything. I stared at her as if entranced. Our gazes met as she continued smiling.

‘Fighting!’

Just as I had done earlier, Hwa Nabi sent me encouragement with just her lip movements. My heart swelled with emotion at her sincerity, and I nodded.

‘Got it, I’ll definitely win.’

With renewed determination, I sat down at the table in front of the makeshift stage. Following me, Im Hansol, who sat across from me, said:

“You’re going to tear your mouth smiling like that. Are you that happy?”

“Well… yeah. You should know, since you have a girlfriend too, right?”

As I said this, my eyes drifted to the side of the stage where Im Hansol’s childhood friend, Seol Ayeon, was standing. For some reason, she was glaring at us—or more precisely, at the back of Im Hansol’s head—with a very frustrated expression.

The muttering I heard—’I should have kissed Hansol too!’—was probably just my imagination.

“Girlfriend? Ah… Ayeon? She’s not my girlfriend, just a childhood friend.”

“Is that so?”

Though it seemed obvious that with those laser beams shooting from her eyes, their relationship was more than just childhood friends, there was no point in me saying anything. This oblivious guy wouldn’t realize the feelings directed at him until the second semester.

—Now, gentlemen, please place your arms on the table and prepare for arm wrestling!

“I look forward to this.”

As I looked at Im Hansol, who spoke with a smile, I suddenly felt a small curiosity.

Just hypothetically… if I were to spoil future events to Im Hansol right now, how would he react?

Would he wave it off, saying I was talking nonsense, or would he seriously consider it?

“Hey, Im Hansol.”

“Yeah, what?”

Im Hansol placed his elbow on the table. I said to him:

“Just hypothetically speaking. If someone who knew the future appeared and offered to tell you about your future… what would you do?”

“Huh? Where did that come from all of a sudden?”

“Never mind that, just answer.”

Im Hansol’s expression, which had been about to answer with a smile, suddenly turned serious. Looking at my face across from him, he realized I wasn’t asking in jest.

After thinking for a moment, he answered bluntly.

“Well, I’ve never thought about it before… but I’d probably at least consider it.”

“Does that mean you’re curious?”

“Hmm, I don’t know who this person telling me about the future would be. But honestly, wouldn’t it be a lie to say I’m not curious? I’d probably consider it even if they offered to tell me about someone else’s future, let alone my own. Isn’t it normal to be curious?”

“Yeah, right? Then….”

“However.”

Just as I was about to continue, Im Hansol cut me off mid-sentence. Taken aback, I looked at him. But Im Hansol continued without concern.

“I don’t think I’d ask.”

“…What? Why?”

“Why? Do I really need to explain my reasons?”

Im Hansol looked at me as if I was asking something obvious. Not sarcastically, but genuinely unable to understand why I would ask such a question.

After being momentarily dumbfounded, I collected myself and asked:

“I… I don’t understand. Like you said, it’s not someone else’s future but your own. Why would you refuse?”

“Think of it this way. Let’s say you, Han Siwoo, are watching a movie. But suddenly, in the middle, someone appears and spoils the plot and ending. Do you think you could still enjoy that movie?”

“Hmm… probably not.”

“Right, that’s it.”

“…What does that have to do with anything?”

I followed his lead and placed my elbow on the table. Then I grasped his hand. Strength entered our tightly clasped hands.

“Think of the movie as life. When we watch movies, we’re curious about the plot and ending, right? But if the moment you feel curious, you learn all about the plot and ending, wouldn’t the entire runtime be boring?”

“……”

“They say masterpieces are enjoyable even when you know the plot, but isn’t it more fun to watch without knowing? My life is the same. I might be curious about the future, but I don’t want to know it right away. I think it would be much more fun to discover my future myself rather than having someone tell me.”

After finishing his speech, Im Hansol grinned. His face seemed to ask, ‘What do you think?’

As I mulled over his words, I chuckled.

“Well… you have a point.”

He wasn’t wrong. As Im Hansol said, who would enjoy a movie knowing the ending?

He got me there. I just learned a lesson from someone much younger than me. Should I be happy about this or not?

—Now, both contestants ready…!

At the announcer’s signal, both our hands tensed to their limits. I spoke to Im Hansol, who was already gritting his teeth.

“Hey, by the way, did you know?”

“Huff…. Know what?”

“It’s nothing major, just about your childhood friend.”

“Uh… Ayeon? What about her?”

“She likes you.”

“…Huh? What did you say?”

—Be… gin!