NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6
006 – When Cornered, Take Off Your Pants
“Complete Colosseum vibe.”
Standing in the center of the desks arranged in a circle, I felt like a Roman gladiator.
The stares from the kids seated around me resembled the audience’s gaze upon famous gladiators in movies.
If I had to point out something slightly uncomfortable, it was that the girls’ eyes were directed not at me but at the class president.
The class president, Jeong-ui-seon, leisurely surveyed the surroundings, as if he were accustomed to it.
“If we’re discussing the death penalty, I guess we’ll have to bring up the ‘retention’ side, which holds more sensitive arguments. There’s no way I can ask the recently transferred Hanam-jin to do that, so I’ll take the ‘death penalty retention’ side. Is that okay?”
Offering to carry the burden of such a sensitive topic seemed rather considerate.
Was he that confident?
He had said he was preparing for the English high school entrance exam, so debates would likely be his forte.
“Alright. Then I’ll take the abolition side. Don’t say anything else later.”
Since I was someone who didn’t refuse goodwill, I nodded.
Starting from a good position to earn points? That could potentially lead to a meeting with Seoga-eul, so I had no reason to refuse.
“Let me go first. As of now, there are 35 countries that constitutionally maintain the death penalty. Among these countries, you might know prominent ones like the USA and Japan—”
Class president Jeong-ui-seon smoothly continued to speak while glancing around.
Honestly, I was surprised.
How did a high school student know how many countries support the death penalty?
“Out of ten serious criminals, four re-offend. That means at least four innocent people are harmed each time they serve a prison sentence and are released.”
Even if he didn’t have substantive content, there was certainly a strength in his voice, a charismatic presence that captivated the audience.
Naturally, being a class president in this special class indicated some exceptional qualities—it was impressive. Did he possess some concept related to ‘elocution’?
“Also, considering that it costs around 80 million won annually to manage and monitor one heinous criminal, we can’t overlook the financial aspect either.”
The money aspect.
Whether it resonated with them, gasps of realization echoed from here and there.
Not good.
If this continues, fewer students might vote for my opinion during the final vote!
“So, it’s because of the money issue that we should retain the death penalty?”
Are they killing people for money?
At my callous question, the class president paused for a moment before looking around.
“It’s not solely about money. Haven’t you heard this? For victims who have experienced horrific events, the best thing a perpetrator can do is to disappear from this world.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that.”
“Some people don’t even want a sincere apology from the perpetrator. They simply want them to vanish from their sight and from the world. Do you remember the Kim Kwang-ji incident that happened a year ago?”
“…”
“The child sex offender Kim Kwang-ji, who served a 15-year sentence and was released, was stabbed to death by an assailant. At that time, people cheered.”
I knew about that incident.
There was a commotion in society about a righteous judge punishing a heinous criminal released by the judicial system.
Especially since the ‘judge’ began to indiscriminately kill criminals like Kim Kwang-ji and even issued challenges to the police, it was impossible to be unaware.
“There’s also research showing that as this ‘judge’ punished criminals more severely, the crime rate decreased. I see this judge’s actions as akin to the death penalty. It instills fear.”
“I’ve certainly heard that when news circulated about resuming executions, criminals behaved more submissively.”
“I’ve heard that even death row inmates who were arrogant in prison became humble.”
I could feel the public sentiment shifting more towards Jeong-ui-seon.
With my keen senses, it seemed that among the twenty-eight audience members present in this place, close to twenty were aligned with the president’s opinion.
Honestly, in this age of dopamine addiction, how could I argue against an example that revolved around killing heinous criminals and satisfying people?
If I were to say “But murder is bad! No matter the reason!”, I’d end up being seen as a principled and old-fashioned person in front of these high school students who are drawn to stimulation.
So here comes the kick.
“Isn’t the death penalty too straightforward?”
# # #
There’s a term called ‘Chef’s Kick.’ It’s like a chef’s finishing move that defines the essence of the dish with a punch that no one ever foresaw.
With my strong legs, I, the leaping Hanam-jin, have my own kick.
“The death penalty is too simple and is a problematic solution. Do you think the 106 countries that have abolished the death penalty are just foolish and emotional to keep these criminals alive?”
“Too simple? I’m intrigued as to why you think that. Could you elaborate?”
To be honest, I thought that horrible criminals deserved to die.
However, simply ‘killing them off’ feels too simplistic.
“I believe everyone deserves a second chance. Even if they seem worthless, they can sometimes turn into valuable recyclables.”
I deeply respected Seoga-eul, who had given me a new lease on life when I was rolling around in a rundown house.
The lifeline of my life. The fortunate goddess who granted me a second chance.
This debate was, in a sense, my confession to her.
“Recycling?”
“What do you mean?”
As anticipation rose in everyone’s expressions in response to my passionate appeal, I opened my mouth to deliver the decisive kick.
“So, we give criminals a second chance. We set up a radioactive contamination-laden beryllium factory on a deserted island and employ them there!”
“…Labor?”
“…What…?”
“What are you saying?”
“Or we could leave just the minimum needed to survive and have ailing individuals donate their organs. Then we could regularly draw blood to help with the shortage of blood donations—”
The economic value of a single human body.
At least 200 million.
Having endured pressure from loan sharks regarding organ trading, I understood this better than anyone.
“If you just execute them, that’s 200 million down the drain! 200 million! Do you know how many ramen that could buy? According to UNICEF, that could provide vaccines for 3,960,000 humans!”
Emotionally stimulating and revealing the realistic monetary gains!
A perplexed expression began to spread across the class president’s face, and the classmates also seemed stunned, staring blankly at each other.
「Name: Geum Tae-seong」
Status: 《Shock》 – Unable to contain surprise at the unexpected opinion!」
「Name: Cheon Yu-ra
Status: 《Disbelief》 – Questioning her own ears due to the extremely radical opinion.」
Good, there were plenty of gaps in their hearts as I had expected.
Now I’ll bring out my trump card!
“Everyone, please just give me one vote. Just one! I want to gain points too! I’ll take off my pants right now! Please see my sincerity!”
# # #
“The voting results show that Yeon-seon received 19 votes. Now, applause.”
Clap clap clap—.
At the teacher’s words, the kids clapped.
The class president garnered 19 votes. With 30 students in Class D, that exceeded the majority.
“I think the kids are closer to me, so they voted for me. Still, saving 4 million lives with just one death row inmate? Your perspective is truly refreshing.”
The class president extended his hand towards me, flashing a charming smile, and he looked really handsome. With a nice personality and articulate speech, it was clear this guy and I were kindred spirits.
“If I could have just taken off my pants, I would have gotten at least 10 more votes. How unfortunate.”
I can assure you, if I could have shown everyone my ‘sincerity’ from inside my pants, no one would know what the vote outcome would have been.
It was truly regrettable that my last trump card was thwarted by the teacher.
So my vote count is…
“Teacher, with 11 votes, that’s 110,000 points, right? You said it would be 10,000 points per vote, correct?”
I managed to gain a whopping 110,000 from a simple debate!
To be honest, I would’ve considered it a success if I just received 5 votes, but scoring 11 is a significant victory!
“I can’t believe you got 11 votes with such a preposterous opinion, Hanam-jin! You’re quite the talent!”
Indeed.
11 votes!
Let’s say one of those votes is mine, then whose are the other 10?
As I returned to my original spot, pondering that curiosity, Baek-Yeoul was looking at me, her face flushed, moving her lips as if she had a lot to say.
“Hey! I was so embarrassed! What kind of debate was that? Why did you take off your pants!”
「Name: Baek-Yeoul」
「Status: 《Over-Involvement》 – Deeply empathizing with your situation as you’ve experienced immense humiliation in front of people.」
“Hey, did you vote for me?”
“…I’m not a buttock!”
Baek-Yeoul shouted softly.
She smirked and added, “I only didn’t vote for you because I was worried you wouldn’t get a single vote. Do you know how embarrassing and awkward that feels? I could kick the blankets at night just thinking about it.”
“Have you ever been in such a situation? What was the topic then?”
“…Ugh….”
Baek-Yeoul glared at me, her face turning red.
It seemed she had some memories she didn’t want to recall flooding back.
But, whatever!
The important thing is that I got 110,000 points!
“Hey, if I have 110,000 points, can I also take a special class like Seoga-eul?”
“I’ve told you, I’m not a buttock! And how could you take a special class with just 110,000 points? If you really want to meet Seoga-eul, go to ‘Noble’ during lunch today.”
“Noble?”
“At Yeongsa High School, there’s a tier system for meals. Noble is like a fancy restaurant where you pay 50,000 points for a meal ticket. Michelin-starred chefs cook there, and the pudding is particularly delicious!”
Spending 50,000 for a single meal?
Honestly, that sounded insane, but if I could meet Seoga-eul there and maybe earn a ‘squishy’ from her twice, then it felt like a worthy investment.
Seoga-eul, my light.
Seoga-eul. Me.
From now on, Seoga-eul and I would go beyond supportive relationships and become one.
Combined.
Hehe—
As I was lost in many happy thoughts, my side was poked by Baek-Yeoul.
“Why are you so eager to meet Seoga-eul? Do you like her?”
“Yeah.”
“…What…?”
At my unabashed response, Baek-Yeoul’s expression became serious, and she let out a strangely long sigh, her lips parting.
“Sigh, I don’t know what you like about her, but she’s not the kind of girl you think she is, so don’t get your hopes too high. You asked about my debate earlier, right?”
“Yeah.”
“My debate partner was Seoga-eul. I was in the same class as her in first year, and because of her….”
“Hey! Hanam-jin! You’re fun! I’ve never seen anyone debate like you!”
Thud—.
Just then, someone came up and grabbed my shoulder.
It was a tall boy with a scar across his eyebrow, looking like a mischievous troublemaker.
He seemed like he could ride a motorcycle effortlessly.
“Let’s go have lunch together! I’ll guide you to the restaurant! Oh, by the way, my name is Geum Tae-seong!”
His approachable demeanor demonstrated a maxed-out sociability level.
However, perhaps overwhelmed by the appearance of such a vibrant male student, Baek-Yeoul, who was about to say something, bit her lip and leaned on her desk.
It was lunchtime, yet she didn’t seem to have any appetite.
Growl—
At that moment, an exceptionally strange sound echoed loudly.
Flinch—
Baek-Yeoul, still lying down, looked startled.
「Name: Baek-Yeoul
Status: 《Flustered》 – She’s greatly embarrassed by the sound from her belly!」
What a strange girl. If you’re hungry, just eat!
“Hey, buttock! Let’s go eat together.”
“…I’m not hungry! I had a big breakfast!”
Not getting up, she responded.
Baek-Yeoul’s smartphone, placed on the desk, was still shattered.
That aside! The thought of meeting Seoga-eul at the restaurant sent a tingle down my spine!
My love, Seoga-eul, wait for me…!