The Gauntlet - Babowa Cheonsa
Ch. 8 - Love at The War Games
Boss Eddie
Introducing the next task - a group battle we call "The War Games!"
Angel
War Games.... It sounds really intense.
Boss Eddie
One of you will be selected through a lottery, and you will select the trainees you want to be in your team.
Mike
You'll then have a selection of songs to choose from, but they're limited so whoever gets them first will be able to select their opponents.
Boss Eddie
Now, let's begin the draft!
*roll....*
LD
*gulp*
Sanghyuk
Trainee Raj Patel from India!
Angel
Raj from Class D gets picked first. It's up to him now who gets to be in his team. He has to be careful.
Raj
...Okay. I pick... Tyler Cepeda from class B.
Tyler
Yeah! You won't regret it, bro!
Raj
...Francis Javier from class C.
Fish
O-Okay....
Raj
Gino Bondame from Class B.
Gino
Nice choice, Raj.
Raj
...Sheena Honorio from Class C.
Sheena
Hi~!
Raj
...And this man, I'm picking him because he's a warrior. Lawrens from class B.
LD
....
Angel
Oppaaaa, you were picked! This is great!
LD
Yeah.... Be careful who you end up with though, Ange.
Angel
Shucks, oppa. You're really sweet. *chu*
LD
*blush*
Angel
Oppa's been picked by Raj. Raj is nice, he wasn't getting any help from class C but he practiced with class F at times.
Angel
And then....
Big Zeke
Shin Hyun-ae from class B! Your turn to pick!
Angel
Hoo.... Okay....
Angel
...I pick... Sali.
Sali
Oh, wow, thanks, Ange!
Angel
...They.
Elli
Yesss!
Angel
...Asha.
Asha
You won't regret it, Ange! Let's do this!
Angel
...Midori.
Midori
Let's get it!
Angel
...And Ivy.
Ivy
Let's do it.
Angel
This is my team then. I'm confident we can do this!
Angel
Time went by as the teams were formed. We were all still exhausted from the Mirror Evaluation so not all of us are thrilled.
Eddie
Hey, mijas, mijos, don't be so down. We will push you to your limits, but we'll give you time to rest. We don't want to murder you all.
Trainees
Whew....
Eddie
But be prepared anytime from now. If one of you does something stupid....
Kang
(Everyone looks at him and Bruce) What?
Eddie
...Practice will resume and we'll commence with the selections. Understood?
Trainees
Yes!
Mike
You're all dismissed. F*ck off and get some rest.
Boss Eddie
Those who came from class F. Great job ranking up once again.
Elina
We're all flattered. Thank you.
Angel
A week passed without incident. Kang was oddly quiet, but there was Bruce who still talked about his toys and being a know-it-all.
Angel
We weren't allowed to go home, but we were allowed to have some makeovers.
Angel
Yess ...
LD
*super blush*
Angel
Oppaaaa~! How do I look?
LD
So pretty...!
Angel
Kyaaa! I hate it when you do aegyo like that!
LD
Egg yolk?
Angel
Tee-hee. You're so cute! It's "aegyo", not egg yolk, oppa.
LD
Ehhh...eeegh...eh.
Angel
Mmm! I love you, oppa!
LD
...Huh?
Angel
Ah. Ehehe....
Angel
OH MY GOOOODDD!!! WHY DID I SAY THAT?!?!?!
Angel
N-Never mind. Anyway--
LD
Ange, wait. I... saw the gluth bottle in your medicine bag when I took a Tylenol pill the other day.
Angel
Oh... y-you saw that?
LD
You keep helping me, so it's my turn this time. Whatever the others say about you... don't mind them.
Angel
I look down, clearly flattered by oppa's words.
LD
Hey... you're beautiful to me. Remember that.
Angel
...Oppa... And....
LD
Take it from someone who's bad at lying. If I lie to you, I'll take it back five seconds later.
LD
I'm not a ladies' man, but I know when to respect girls. There are a lot of sadbois and fuccbois out there, just wanting some pussy.
LD
Hell, if I was in it for the sex, I wouldn't be here at all. I have a big skirt fetish, but I do my best not to show it.
LD
I'm sharing too much right now, please stop me before I share what happened when I got circumcised.
Angel
Okay, oppa, breathe. We are not gonna talk about your birdie, alright?
LD
All I'm saying is... if I get a girlfriend... I'm in it for love. Not sex. Most relationships these days are just about sex, sex and sex.
LD
They should probably update the dictionary and call it, "relationsex."
Angel
*giggle* Oh, oppa. You're an oddball.
LD
Tried and tested. Once a weirdo, always a weirdo.
Angel
If I get a boyfriend, I hope it's you.
LD
.....
Angel
...I-I said too much already.
LD
No, Angel, wait. You really mean that?
Angel
I-It's a slip of the tongue. Forget about it.
LD
I... want you to be my girlfriend, too.
LD
Not right now, but... agh, I'll never get this right... I mean, you're beautiful, smart, talented. You're foreign, too!
LD
And I'm just a short, fat weirdo with a skirt fetish and a busted ankle. You can do better than me--
Angel
I leaned over and kissed him.....
LD
.....
Angel
Oppa... stop demeaning yourself, okay? You don't see how great you are, but I do. Mmh? For me?
LD
...Why...?
Angel
Why? I like you, that's why....
LD
.....
Angel
I... hope this won't make things weird between us, oppa.
LD
.....
Angel
I'll see you later, oppa. You know where to find me.
LD
(Angel leaves) ...I love you, too....
Angel
(hides inside the communal shower) ...OH MY GOD, I'M IN LOVE...! I'M IN LOVE, I'M IN LOVE, I'M IN LOVE!
Angel
OH MY GOD, I'M IN LOVE WITH OPPA! THIS IS... OH SH*T... W...WHAT HAVE I DONE...?
Angel
It was the last free night we had so we're all trying to do whatever we wanted before the selections begin. I went back to my room....
Angel
...And Oppa wasn't there. Great, I scared him away. I scared away the only boy I could talk to properly!
Angel
Great, great! You scared him away, you idiot! First time you actually tell a boy you like him in his face, you scare him away! You idiot!
Angel
Argh, I'm so stupid, why do I--
Angel
Oh... o-oppa! D-Did you hear all that?
LD
Y-Yeah.
Angel
Uhhh... listen, about what happened earlier...
LD
Don't worry about it. It's the first time someone told me they like me.
Angel
Really?
LD
Yeah. Well, there were others from grade school, but those were just crushes. They outgrew it.
Angel
What makes you think this isn't a crush?
LD
...Yep, screwed it up again.
Angel
Oh, no, oppa, don't be like that! C'mon, tell me. It's just the two of us here.
LD
Well...
Angel
I knelt in front of him on his bed. This just made him blush even more.
Angel
Wow, you can really hide in this spot. Nice choice picking this bed, oppa.
LD
Ange, you're so close. I can smell your perfume.
Angel
Just tell me how you feel. What's wrong right over here in your heart?
LD
...I've never had a girl this close to me ever. Not sure where you studied, but I'm sure there are jocks at your place.
LD
You know. Sporty. Belongs to tbe varsity team. Tall. Skinny. Heartthrobs. They're hailed as heroes even though they're assholes.
LD
Look at me. I'm fat. I'm short. I'm a crybaby. I've been called a faggot more than anyone. I never get girls. I have no chance....
LD
I don't even know how to talk to girls without saying something stupid. Before I realize it, I'm already drifting away.
LD
Pretty sure, eventually, you'll fall for someone who's all that I'm not and you'll forget about me--
Angel
*sigh....*
LD
...Angel... I--
*sigh....*
LD
....
Angel
...Stop it. You... are better than them. You hear me? I don't care if you're short and fat. You are my oppa.
LD
But...
Angel
No buts, oppa. If you like me, too... tell me.
LD
.... *nod*
Angel
???
LD
I...I li...li...ke...y-you.
Angel
What?
LD
I l...khh you.
Angel
Seriously, what?
LD
.....
Angel
*sigh* ...I'll just go freshen up.
Angel
I stood up and walked away, but before I could get to the door...
LD
I love you.
Angel
*gasp* ...What?
LD
I love you....
Angel
...Oh my God...! Oppa...?
LD
I've only known you for two weeks, but I want to know you more! People would say this is stupid, but I've seen worse!
LD
High school jocks becoming a couple in a span of 24 hours without knowing the girl...! Why can't I have the same?
LD
I love you, Angel! You hear me?!
Angel
...Yes...! I love you, too...!
Angel
I jumped back to oppa's bed and kissed him again, this time he kissed back. I giggled as I cupped my hands on his cheeks.
Angel
Yet I was also crying. No, I'm not crying because I'm sad. I'm crying tears of joy because oppa finally opened up....
Angel
He's always had this poker face that you couldn't tell how he actually feels. It's hard to describe it, you have to see it for yourself.
Angel
For me to see him smile and talk to me... oh my God, oppa, you are a piece of work, but I don't mind.
LD
...I have a girlfriend now.... Neat.
Angel
Oh, oppa....
The next day....
Ivy
Heyyyy. Good morning, lovebirds.
LD
HOLY SH*T! IVY?!
Ivy
Sleeping together in one bed, huh, Noodle-ssi?
Angel
So? I'm okay with it. Oppa smells like baby powder.
Ivy
*sniff, sniff* ...Yeah, that smells nice. Extra baby powder on?
LD
I sweat sometimes when I sleep. Smell sour after.
Angel
I put baby powder on his body so he would be comfy.
Ivy
Stop treating him like a baby.
Angel
I'm not. I just want him to smell good overnight.
LD
....
Ivy
What?
LD
...Please put some clothes on, Ivy. I'm a gentleman but my eyes wander a lot.
Angel
Oh my God, you're naked, unnie!
Ivy
Yeah, I know. I feel comfy.
LD
Oh Lord.
Angel
Oppa, stop looking! Unnie, can you at least put a shirt on?!
LD
*rustle, rustle*
Angel
Bad oppa! Do that when you're alone!
LD
I know, I know. I can look, right?
Angel
Aish. Unnie, seriously.
Ivy
I was about to take a bath, anyway.
Angel
(Ivy leaves) ...You can watch me dance naked in a ritual to summon Behemoth, Leviathan and Ziz if you want.
LD
Really?
Angel
Sarcasm, oppa.
LD
Ohh.
Angel
We'll get there. Don't rush.
LD
As long as you love me.
Angel
So oppa and I became a couple. It's the start of a really interesting journey, but it was a vital moment for us.
Angel
Because we weren't prepared for the hell that awaited us....