[gantzxnata]

gantzxjoel​:

joel can tell even from here that taewoo is starting to freak about it, getting too into his own head. “don’t make me beg, baby, please.” he can’t hold the bully forever - even with the suit’s advantages he’s starting to feel the heat. sure, he could check out, go into the same headspace he disappeared to sometimes, where the rules are made up and the points don’t matter, but from the looks of it, taewoo’s gonna need someone to hold his hand about this, so he can’t.

damn him for being a halfway decent person sometimes.

the distraction of the building shaking combined with the tile collapsing down on them makes joel lose his grip on the bully, trying to wrestle them back to the ground as they start to get away. for his troubles, they grab his head, smacking it against the ground a few times and momentarily dazing him. he can’t hear anything over the ringing in his ears, only dimly able to hear the first announcement, shutting his eyes tightly as his vision swims and letting the bully disappear in the chaos.

the two teens, obviously terrified, merely nod as taewoo directs them towards the stairs. one of them, slightly older, or at least, slightly older looking, asks, “is he gonna be okay?” looking pointedly towards where joel had disappeared in the dust. he doesn’t stick around to find out, however, as his friend begins pulling him away, the two disappearing up the staircase and towards the first year classrooms.

fuck, that hurts. god damn. pushing himself to his feet, joel pulls a wince, rubbing the back of his head. hopefully it’s sticky from whatever goo was in those pods, not blood or anything like that. that’d be a bitch to try to wash out of his hair without a proper shower. at least he didn’t pass out, at least… he’s pretty sure he didn’t pass out, seeing as it doesn’t seem like all that much time has passed since he’d gotten his brain scrambled like a damn egg. he reaches out - with the not-sticky hand, just in case - and, after fumbling around in the dust for a moment, grabs the back of taewoo’s shirt, and then his arm, tugging him to his feet as well.

“hey- don’t freak. it’s just me.” he’s not sure when the dust is gonna settle, but they don’t exactly have time to wait around, heading back towards where he remembers there being a staircase, pulling taewoo by the arm behind him. they’ll have time for taewoo’s panic attack once they get to class. “i’m fine. the bully got away, but not before rocking my shit. did the kids get out okay?”

His eyes shifted frantically trying to focus on something. Everything was shaking vibrating trembling it was hard for him to focus. All the noise didn't help either; the announcement and the rustling of the dust, it was overloading his senses. Taewoo tensed up feeling something grab him clinching his fist tightly and for a moment his wrist pod lit up making a buzzing sound before dimming once he saw it was Joel. Despite all the chaos Joel was calm and that made  him calm.

"Yeah I told them to follow these stairs. How can you be fine and have your shitted rock?" He asked knowing 1 of those had to be a lie. "Won't the bully be in our class anyways?"

Looking at the back of Joel's head he could tell a hair wash was in order but also why could he see that he was 8 inches more or less from his head. That was weird.. .  but this wasn't the 1st time he was seeing numbers. Taewoo wasn't even sure what they meant. maybe honey could explain it.

He moved in front of Joel turning to look at them. Taewoo raised his hand palm facing Joel, "How many fingers do you see?" he asked then  lowered 2 of them, " What about now?"

He had to be sure the other was ok before they sit for hours. Well maybe not, the man in front of him he could barely keep his focus. However the second Joel started saying he was sleepy, he was taking him to the nurse. Taewoo hated that they were about to enter class looking a mess. They were already late but also looking disheveled was a double whammy.  Seeing a nearby water fountain he used the water to wash his face and freshen up. He even looked in his bag for a comb or something but no luck.

[gantzxnata]

My favorite subject is math because once you know the basics you can do complex problems. Also there's more than 1 way to solve a problem (most of the time). Once you see how intergrated it is in our lives then it's easier to understand. Math can be adapted to individuals based on their interests and/or profession. The subject is challenging but overcoming the difficulties and have a deeper understanding as to how the solution is what it is. For me is marker that my skills are improving.

Name: Nam Taeeoo Year: 3

[gantzxnata]

Music

Name: Nam Taewoo

Year: 3

Do they play an instrument?  Piano, I tried the violin and drum

What is their ability level?  Intermediate

What is the appeal of the instrument?  Honesty, none. To me playing the piano is more of a status measure to appear rich or cultured regardless if that's true.

Have they performed for an audience? I've done recitals when I was younger, but really don't remember much about them.

[gantzxnata]

Political Science

Name: Nam Taewoo

Year: 3

What issues at the school will they focus on? Would they run fairly or try to win by any means? Bullying and more engaging lessons like open discussion. Of course run fairly even if that means losing.

[gantzxnata]

Life Skills

Name: Nam Taewoo

Year: 3

What is the student's’ level of cleanliness? A clean space leads to a clean mind

Are they an early bird or a night owl? Early bird, there’s so much to do in a day.

Do they complete assignments right away or wait until the last minute? Right away, early if possible. Makes sense so you can have time to do other things.

[gantzxnata]

Social Studies

Name: Nam Taewoo

Year: 3

Where would the student like to travel? Anyplace they wouldn’t like to go? I want to go to New York City and see the pyramids of Egypt. Uh. . .I wouldn’t want to go some place boring. 

What scene or clique would the player be in and why? Would they attempt to break the status quo or uphold it? Good student isn’t a clique. I guess the book smart students but i’m an athlete too. I think me being in 2 cliques break the status quo, being smart and fit aren’t exclusive. 

[gantzxnata]

Physical Education

Name: Nam Taewoo

Year: 3

What sport (school sport or otherwise) does your player train in? Track especially the sprint and 1500m and 3000m. I did compete in the long jump a few times.

Did they have thoughts about going pro or taking another field like coach, trainer, broadcasting etc? I could go pro but that means putting my studies on hold. I want to finish my PhD. I’ve thought about being a freelance trainer or offering training seminars. I have the experience and awards to merit myself.

How often do they train? 5 times a week. Well 6 but that’s a light day.

Do they supplement their training with anything else? In the off season I play soccer and swim to keep my cardio up and to improve my coordination.

[animatedtext]

requested by everchanging-cryptid 

[ayuminamieworld]

Visit Original Link

[gantzxnata]

gantzxjoel​:

“that’s the spirit.” joel pats taewoo’s shoulder, grinning at him. “and hey, if you get scared, just get behind me. i told honey i wouldn’t let anything happen to you.” he’d told siheon he wouldn’t happen to taewoo, but hey, semantics. winking at the other as he catches his eye, joel hums to himself, heading down the hall towards the bully casually, trusting taewoo will follow.

“get… off… him!” the player hitting the bully with the backpack can be heard saying between hits, now that they’re close enough to hear. “we didn’t do anything to you!”

watching the scene for a moment, joel merely stands behind the bully, hands tucked into his pockets, as though figuring out what his next move should be. now that they’re closer, he can see more clearly that the player cornered by the bully is of a similar age, both of them much younger than joel himself. just kids, and they’re in a place like gantz. kinda fucked up, if you asked him, but isn’t the world a fucked up place?

“you shouldn’t hit him on the back, if you want to be effective.” this makes the player pause, looking towards joel and taewoo.

“he’s hurting him! i need to do something!”

“that weak little bag isn’t going to do anything, especially not with your noodle arms.” if the bully can hear them, he doesn’t acknowledge them, distracted by the player in the corner, who is making pained whimpering noises, joel realises. joel glances to taewoo briefly, as if seeking permission, before shouldering off his backpack, letting it drop to the ground. “try this.”

jumping up easily onto the back of the bully, joel pulls backwards, separating the bully from the trapped player, who quickly scurries away, grabbing onto his friend and moving out of arms reach. momentum drags them both backwards, joel making a pained noise as he hits the ground, pinned between the bully and the hallway floor, lighting up like some fucked up christmas tree for a moment as the suit absorbs the worst of the impact.

the two young players both gasp, clinging to each other. “bag, gimme-” joel reaches out towards the group, indicating they should toss him his bag, or at least, one of the weapons inside of it. he’s not going to fuck around: he’s going to shoot this delightful-children-from-down-the-lane motherfucker right in his hot - literally, joel can feel heat radiating from the bully, his suit absorbing it, thankfully, though there’s liquid from one of the capsules pooling behind his head and getting in his hair where it had shattered upon impact, having hit the ground just right, or something - ass face. 

he can’t let go of the bully for long, however, as they’re obviously not thrilled about having been knocked over, fighting against joel to get up and forcing him to grab onto them with both arms around their neck again, trying to keep the bully down. “do not shoot me with that thing, if you can’t get it without possibly getting me, do not fucking shoot, i swear to god.” it’s not a normal gun, he knows from having shot it in one of the hallways earlier in the day, and he doesn’t want to think about how it might feel to take one of those blasts to the face.

Joel's bravery was attractive, to be it placed in courage or stupidity was another story. It did remind him of Kwaangmin and why Taewoo had such admiration for him. He was almost sure Joel wouldn't like such a comparison. One of the other players tried to defined their friend, but it was going to take more than bookbag to get the job down. Taewoo froze for a second, seeing Joel get right to work pulling the bully down, who was then trashing about. Physical touch wasn't their thing. The flash of Joel's suit was giving him a sensory overload, Taewoo was aware the situation was getting intense, yet it was like he was observing it from a top-down view. His eyes scanned to the players huddled in the corner, then back at Joel. it felt like he was moving in slow motion as he pulled out his gun with one hand and aimed. Was this really the right choice? What if he hit Joel? This wasn't good student behavior. Taewoo's hand became to tremble, and he used his other hand to steady the weapon. He removed his feelings, justifying him shooting as protection, however just as he applied pressure to the trigger. The whole building shook causing Taewoo to lose his footing, he quickly pointed the gun up with the blast hitting the ceiling. A tile fell on the ground, shattering into pieces as a cloud of dust engulfed the hallway. Any other player that was in the area scrambled away. THE FINAL BELL HAS RUNG. GET TO CLASS NOW! That announcement snapped him out his daze. Taewoo couldn't see that well but sense where everyone was. Finding the 2 still huddled in the corner, he bent down to them. "Get to class, we'll deal with this." he spoke to them pointing to a set of stairs that he could somehow briefly see through the dust. Taewoo then put his gun back on the hilt, moving his hands on the ground to feel for Joel. "Where are you? We got to go. . . Joel? Are you there?" Taewoo tried to not sound panic was it was settling in. 1 MINUTE BEFORE THE FINAL BELL "JOEL!?" he shouted

[lqchanggu]

[lqchanggu]

Behind the scenes of Idol in My Living Room

[gantzxnata]

gantzxjoel​:

they didn’t have time to unpack all of that, so joel simply shakes his head. “guess it’ll be easier than i thought to get sent to detention.” how he was going to accomplish that with no teachers or anything around… that’s a problem for future joel. he could probably just skip his other classes and go there directly if causing problems in the first class didn’t work out for him, at least, since it wasn’t really all that deep.

”yeah, you’re probably right. hope he doesn’t get himself killed, we kinda need all the help we can get.“ his desire to fuck siheon aside, the usefulness of players outside himself, taewoo, and siheon had remained to be seen. even kwangmin, that he’d heard so much about, had done fuck all so far this mission, at least nothing where joel could see him.

tipping his head curiously, joel decides against prodding taewoo further about his death. must’ve been an accident, if he didn’t know he’d died. he knows from talking to siheon that he’s not the only one who is aware of their demise. even if neither of them had elaborated, siheon had indicated he was not only aware of but traumatised by the circumstances of his death. maybe taewoo would figure it out after the mission ended. would there be bodies? would he arrive back at his apartment to find himself in the bathtub, blood everywhere, the very beginning of decay setting in?

pushing his hands into his pockets casually as they head towards the classrooms, joel shrugs. ”none of this makes any sense, yeah. i guess maybe we have to act on our own? rather than waiting for the mission to happen to us.“ he makes a thoughtful noise, glancing down a hallway as they pass, before stopping in his tracks. ”that’s one of the bullies, yeah?“ he nods down the hallway, where an imposing form stands with its back to them, evidently having cornered some poor soul. ”y'know, they’re not really all that great at bullying. but i guess it’s korean standards, huh.“

it’s funny to watch, at least, as a player - a kid, really, since there’s no way the player can be more than 17 or 18, tops - comes up, evidently trying to save the cornered player, hitting the bully with their bag in some futile attempt to attract the bully’s attention away. ”hm… do you feel like a hero, taewoo? or are you afraid of being late to class?“

It appeared to be a common thought that everyone would have more of them alive than dead. There was strength is numbers and in a setting like this all the help was needed. Joel had a point; they seemed to be left on their own. Everyone just followed the schedule. Well, he and Siheon did break into the admin building and get the tablets. That item seemed to be a find and not something provided. Didn't Siheon seem kind of tense when Kwangmin asked about it? If he went back and got him one, then they could talk. Taewoo liked that idea.

Whatever fantasy was starting ended when Joel called his attention to what was going on down the hall. He seemed rather amused by all of it. "Sometimes you have to learn to have courage," he said from a place of understanding. though the other was teasing his values. Was it not good student behavior to stop bullying? Looking at them from behind it was unsettling how they were all black yet someone their uniform could still be seen. It was black as well unlike the green and khaki they were wearing (over their suits). 

Yes, it was none of their business, and the bully could turn them on, but Joel seemed more like a fighter, and Taewoo could hold his own. Plus, there was no adult around besides them, so in a way, as hyungs or  oppas, they had to protect the younger players. Before either of them could act, another player hit the bully with their bag. not the best idea, but at least they were proactive.

[animatedtext]

[gantzxnata]

gantzxjoel​:

”asking the teacher questions? what kinda dystopian society you guys been living in over here? i mean…“ he trails off as taewoo approaches, watching the other’s hands as he fusses with joel’s nametag, his collar. shit joel himself hadn’t even noticed or cared about. “ah…” laughing awkwardly, he turns away, avoiding taewoo’s eyes for a moment. “thanks, yeah.”

the feeling only lasts for a minute before mellowing back into nothingness, which… sounds about right, yeah. he gets like this, sometimes, an impenetrable wall of sorts, so it’s not really bothersome. in fact, it’s honestly kind of handy, sometimes? 

“i’ve got no clue, honestly.” he only knows as much about kwangmin as siheon had told him, after all. “i just know siheon told me that guy,” he nods his head towards the table, “tried to kill him and captain korea both. so like, kinda weird that siheon’s all buddy-buddy with him now.” how funny that everyone knows the name siheon had given kwangmin. he has to wonder if kwangmin himself knows about it yet. “i wasn’t here, nah. if you show up exactly when you die, then i died like an hour before this mission started.”

as they enter the hallway, a bunch of other players are milling about, some chatting about this or that. weird how everyone just… fell into this whole school roleplay they’re being forced to do so easily. do they not recognise a false sense of security when they see one? “i think most of us missed the first mission, though? so hopefully if there’s anything crucial that happened there siheon already told us.”

"It's just how things are, teachers are our seniors/elders so asking questions is questioning their intelligence, which is disrespectful." They are the experts sharing their knowledge, we should be grateful for that," he explained.   Joel's reaction was cute, as it showed a less bravado side of him. However, it quickly went away, hinting that it was part of him he didn't like or at least didn't want others to see. Taewoo could understand, as he wasn't the most masculine, so already he was looked down upon. Anything that was a "weakness" didn't help his cause; however, his upbringing with traditional values and gentlemanly manners kept harsh criticism about his manhood away. He knew how he felt most of the time, but when he had conflicting emotions, that's when he froze, unsure of which 1 was right.     "Well, isn't this a game? So maybe he's playing to get something." he reasoned. Hearing what Joel said caused him to furrow his brow. He didn't recall anything. Well, he was walking back from the library, and it was dark out. Like eerie darkness, but besides that, it was a blur. How the other could remember and he couldn't was concerning. "I can't be dead," he murmured, then pressed his lips together, hoping Joel didn't hear his denial. This whole experience felt real, but it also didn't—more like a fever dream.     "From what I know, a few people died on that mission. I don't think the rules were clear, and Gantz seemed annoyed about that." He paused for a moment and continued, "They did say something about common sense, but a lot of information is vague or missing." Taewoo glanced at some of the other participants. This really felt like high school with how everyone was acting. He was starting to doubt whether there was any real danger at all.

[animatedtext]

[gantzxnata]

gantzxjoel​:

“i wonder if everyone got something, or if we’re just special.” he ducks his head, trying to read the title of the book as taewoo waves it around. “are you like, into coding, or is this just like some random shit gantz thought would keep you entertained?”

taewoo seems to be… joel’s not sure. panicking, maybe? but he seems too calm, breathing too normal for a panic attack. maybe just having a moment, then. he watches him for a minute, assessing, before deciding against commenting, instead patting the other’s back as reassuringly as he’s capable of, before squeezing the back of taewoo’s neck, cajoling him to chin up, buttercup.

“hey! i completed one of them during school spirit, don’t be mean.” joel pouts, overdramatic and obviously not actually hurt. “besides, it’s in my plans for the day to go and check out detention, so maybe not doing my assignments will do me some good.” he stands from the table either way, slinging his bag back over one shoulder. “i went to school in america, i’ve got no idea what sort of shit gets you sent to detention in korea. i imagine you don’t, either, seeing as you’ve probably never been.”

without waiting for taewoo to stand, joel leans over, moving all the trash from taewoo’s tray onto his own, stacking the two so he can easily throw it away. as he passes by the other tables, he spots a familiar little pink thing sitting at one of them, raising an eyebrow at siheon talking to the man he’d directly told joel to avoid before the mission had started.

“what’s that about, do you think?” he asks taewoo, nodding in siheon’s direction. “didn’t he leave with that other guy?” shaking his head, joel throws away the trash, setting the trays on the rack with the others. “whatever. anyway, what even is the first class? i didn’t read the schedule.”

It's possible that Gantz may have listed what was standard in everyone's bag and not the special item." He paused for a moment and said, "I do study math, but not like this." Joel's gesture didn't go unnoticed, but Taewoo wasn't sure how to respond to it. There was no malice behind it, but being touched was a sensitive point for him. Maybe it was a bring from the States thing. Taewoo has never been His family was more on the well-off side, but they didn't have money to send him overseas to America for school. How would he do anyway? He was smart, but there were others who were smarter than him, and they had the social and cultural advantages of the western world that he lacked. " A general guideline is anything that ruins harmony. So like asking the teacher questions, loud noises, dyed hair... improper. . ." He looks at Joel as he throws everything away, noticing how his uniform is thrown together. Detention might be his goal, but he can go with some respect. Taewoo moves carefully, fixing the other's uniform. "There, now you're class ready, maybe even president." He was trying to make a joke. "I think the first block is math, social studies, and art?"   "Isn't the other guy a 4th year? Maybe he left early to get to class on" Taewoo reasoned, "I think the guy Siheon is currently talking is a 4th year as well. You weren't here for the 1st mission were you? I was told about it and it seems it was stressful from the start. So bad that 'Captian Korea' shut down in the downtime before this one." He was trying to guage what Joel did and didn't know about Gantz. It was the also the 1st time he mentioned Kwangmin, not by name but just recalling what he saw. It was startling to see him in such a state despite their last passnig encounter being almost 10 years ago. Taewoo remembered the strong aura Kwangmin gave off, it wasn't out of cockiness but of noble bravery. He heard that he could be matter of fact, but that was the nature of the military.