excels in axels

[kwkiyong]

hallo hallo! so excited to be here, it's been 6 years since i've rped on tumblr... happy to be back :D

quick rundown of kiyong/axel:

competitive skater, part of the south korean national team, an active olympian. used to train overseas but decided to return to korea as he approaches his 20s

why? well, one is bc of financial costs. he can't keep making his parents fund his career when his younger sister is a budding volleyball player recently accepted in to the national setup (if anyone wants to play the sister, hmu)

another is bc he's been influenced by the hallyu wave, esp netflix (hahaha). who says olympians don't follow pop culture?

he didn't have a normal upbringing, having had to skip school a lot and spend majority of his time training

so now he wants to try living a normal life (as if he can)

but oho, at kyungwon he's able to try new sports and somehow he's keen on ice hockey (which he tried when he was younger) ... to the displeasure of his coach :p

a huge part of him is conflicted on whether he wants to continue skating - he did participate in the 2022 beijing winter olympics but didn't medal. the old chronic injuries keep coming back (and are starting to stack ..) but he still has more jumps and techniques to perfect

the older he gets, the more he hates the sinister part of the sport he loves - his athlete friends being caught doping (unwillingly), the high profile ones turning to gambling and drugs as methods to destress, and how his success in the sport has caused the korea skating union management to use him for internal political warfare

he just wants to be a normal 20 year old worrying about normal stuff, not corruption and exploitation of underaged athletes

random facts

he loves to snack and has only been able to get away with his snack breaks when he started to podium at the senior level competitions. bless his high metabolism or else he'd be crucified for eating so much chocolate bars in between trainings. you can consider him as the doraemon of snacks (ask and you shall receive)

he is super lame (as in he loves deadpan humour, puns, memes and pop culture). very gen z. makes his coach suffer through a generation gap identity crisis every 2 business days

despite his lame personality, he has a very cold ~ aura ~ so he's been called ice prince many times and comes off as unapproachable

undecided major bc he's soul searching

his family started off as lower middle income when he was born, but as he progressed in his skating career, his family gradually became okay financially. however he still worries about his parents' retirement funds + sister's volleyball training costs and has been secretly putting aside money for them

kiyong likes to go by his korean name off the rink but insists on being called axel when discussing his ice skating endeavours. it's a separation of personal vs professional lives thing. no promises that he won't throw his ice boots at you if a lame axel pun is made

oh, his parents gave him the middle name of axel bc his father got tear eyed watching a beautiful double axel jump when his mother was pregnant with kiyong :p

he has yet to do his military service, and is strategising to win gold at the asian winter games before he retires so he can go for the reduced military service option instead

very particular with money management - he's learned to budget since he was 7 years old so you can spot him at flea markets trying his best to out-haggle other ahjummas for bargain deals

likes to thrift clothes and into environmental activism (bc winter sports will die out if the planet continues to get hotter)

i'm still setting up his bio page up but can always hit me up in the DMs to plot! am open for anything :D

[kwkiyong]

i am a dreamer

lyrics from bewhy - fake pt. 2 (smtm 5 final) 

he’s tired. with figure skating being an individual centric sport, he’s always known that he is his best fan, and that the road to the top will be lonely. axel knows his one track mindset where he’s relentless in his pursuit for the olympic podium will set him apart from people around him but he didn’t know it would mean leaving behind his family, training mates and childhood friends.

studies show that athletes tend to spend more time with their coaches and managers over their own family and friends, and in axel’s case, the statistic applies to him as well. so when his coach announces out of nowhere he’s leaving for a different national association due to management politics, it feels like his world is crumbling down. axel idolises his coach even though he tries not to base his entire personality and skating style on his coach’s, having realised that he wants to be the axel nam and not the second XX. 

but whenever he wants to give up on himself, it was his coach that believed in him, no matter how stupid the mistakes he made on the rink were. when the media was writing scathing articles about his performance, when the pundits were lashing out on his social media ‘antics’, when his ‘fans’ were tweeting tweet after tweet on how dismal his performances were, his coach was the one who said “so? you get up and try again. if i didn’t want you, you wouldn’t be here. you’re here for a reason.”

his rivals that ‘mean well’ had checked on him since the announcement but he refused to give them any reasons to spread further rumours. the other coach which he was to be re-assigned to was the coach that he had told the union long ago that he refused to work with again, after the traumatising methods that were inflicted on him. so what if he’s a gen z snowflake who can’t tolerate the traditional coaching method of psychologically negative scoldings? just because he’s younger doesn’t mean he has to tolerate boomers’ strict ways, even if they have multiple olympic and world championship accolades to their names.

every time he tried to challenge the system, he would get reprimanded to just shut up and go along with the flow as it’s how it’s always been. but if the old system is so great, why has his generation yet to medal first place for worlds and olympics? if the system is so great, why is he the only one in the top 10 world ranking? why aren’t the rest of his friends who train as hard as him under the old system not doing well as him, who’s opted to train independently?

people tell him he’s being delusional, he’s being reckless, he’s too young to be making important decisions, that he’s letting sponsorship and social media get to his head. he won’t be able to win or even qualify for the 2026 winter olympics at this rate.

너에겐 미안하지만 난 꿈의 콩깍지를 절대 벗지 않아

I’m sorry towards you but I’ll never be disillusioned by my dreams

well, fuck the haters, fuck the naysayers. they’re not the ones that can call themselves olympians and even if they can, they’re not the ones living his life. he doesn’t care, cause it’s his dream and he can dream whatever he wants.

내가 원하는 길을 갈 권리가 있어

I have the right to go on the path I want

the boomers can stay in the dinosaur era for all he cares, but not him. no, axel nam will move into the future. fuck the traditional system, he’s going to pave his own path to success. the sky is the limit and even then, he wants to cross into space.

난 꿈을 꾸는 자 이게 바로 나의 정체성

I am a dreamer, this is my identity

the main reason he’s even reached to where he is because of his unwavering belief that he’d make it this far. and he knows deep down he can go further. after all, to be the best of the best, you have to be crazy enough to challenge the system. 

불가능한 꿈을 꾸지만 가능하다 믿어 누가 뭐라건

I dream the impossible but I believe it’s possible no matter what anybody says

he will reach that damn olympics podium and he will have that gold medal around his neck one day. it doesn’t matter if no one believes in him, if his family, friends, coach, union don’t believe in him. because he believes in himself and that’s already half the battle won. 

after all, winning is 40% physical training, 10% luck and 50% mental strength.

he’ll win cause that’s who he is. he’ll create his own path.

[kwkiyong]

( sms ) : did i leave my underwear at your place last night?

( ' text prompt: open )

( kkt > rich thief ) first of all, screw you

( kkt > rich thief ) you owe me a new pair of tracksuit

( kkt > rich thief ) but yes

( kkt > rich thief ) your very expensive celine underwear is already in the washing machine

( kkt > rich thief ) couldn't stand it laying on the floor, such an eyesore

[kwkiyong]

( sms ) : what the hell happened last night?

( ' text prompt: open )

( kkt > library saviour ) we died, went to hell, but the good looking grim reaper said the devil thought it was too early for us to join him

( kkt > library saviour ) so we're back here on campus, alive, and NOT ready for the upcoming exams....

( kkt > library saviour ) basically, u and i drank too much while watching supernatural kdramas bc we didn't want to face reality

( kkt > library saviour ) and now my floor is convinced my unit is haunted thanks to your impeccable performance of being 'possessed'

[kwkiyong]

kwjaemin​:

water and ice

Jaemin doesn’t really care about a lot of things, but when the minimum gets out of control or when he feels challenged in some kind way, his first instinct is to fight back in nasty ways, which would never resemble his original personality. 

The week has been particularly good, with no weird incidents on campus or annoying messages from his mother telling him that he should soon be introduced to some girl so that they could announce an engagement (with the shallow promise he could spend more time with his daughter that way) and all he wants, not to break his lucky week is to get his regular order at Hansel and Gretel – it’s still a shame they don’t allow people to order ahead through an app, but he’s not complaining. 

So, it’s with wide eyes that Jaemin finds surprisingly weird that the place is crowded at that time and, as his eyes make contact with the girl behind the counter – thanks to his height – he knows she recognizes her regular customer. He smiles brightly at her, at the same time a voice cuts through, the low tone making him frown immediately. 

“hi, can i get the chocolate—“, he hears and moving as smoothly and precise as a good swimmer he is, jaemin gets to the counter at the same time the other person, his saccharine tone of voice never faltering when he voices his own order, on top of the other guy’s. 

“thank you so much for saving the last”, he points to the chocolate croissant. “to the best, beautiful.” And then points to himself. “it’s a better week thanks to you.” 

Only then he looks to his left, a smile still on his lips, to the man beside him. “Hi.”

with wide eyes, he watches in horror as the store employee actually struggle to figure whose order to process. “you’re seriously not giving that chocolate croissant to him, are you?” kiyong gasps dramatically, his usual icy demeanour melting as his cravings for sweet desserts take over.

“i’m willing to tip extra so i can have the croissant,” he states firmly to the cashier, ignoring the taller man next to him. “after all, i was in line first. if you’re a fair and just person, which i know you are, by right i should be the one to have the last piece.”

the poor cashier looks at both of them, not knowing what to do before squeaking out a “perhaps you could share?” the figure skater just stares at her with a bewildered face as he turns to face the thief. “with you? i didn’t see you in line just now, what gives you the right to swoop in and take the last piece?”

usually he’s calm and collected but today he’s at his breaking point, having pushed himself very hard in class and at the rink, so he has no patience left to deal with a croissant thief. even if the thief is very good looking, very fit and very his type. he can already hear his sister snickering in the distant future once she finds out about this, he’s always had a habit of being ultra competitive with people he finds attractive, especially if they’re fellow athletes. emotionally constipated, his sister calls him.

[kwkiyong]

kwnoah​:

book avalanche.

     he watches as the student grabs a chair and brings it over to the shelf. part of him wonders if this is even a good idea to begin with, and he bites on his bottom lip as he tries not to be obvious. no one seems to have picked up on the fact that he’s watching someone random in the library and he hopes that no one will. 

     but that doesn’t stop him from watching.

     it almost feels like everything happens in slow motion, having stood up when he had seen the other student pass by with the backpack. he watched as the shelf was bumped, and how the chair had wobbled and then. finally. as all the books came crashing down. he doesn’t say anything, the noise having been enough for multiple heads to have turned and perhaps for the librarian or a helper to be alerted. 

     this time though, noah rushes over, concerned as he starts picking up some of the books. “are-are you okay?”

for a brief moment his mind is transported to a different realm, his eyes closing to avoid being poked by the hard covered books. he’s barely aware of his surroundings, and his hearing diminishes as he tries to regain his consciousness.

luckily, his instincts take over so he ends up falling ‘safely’ on the ground, his body having gotten used to years of falling on ice. at least the ground was somewhat of a human temperature and there were no shiny blades to cut into his skin this time. this will definitely leave some bruises on his body, especially his thighs and he pouts at the thought.

while he’s stuck in his la la land, the books covering his sight disappear and he blinks as slender hands come to his rescue. “oh, i think i’m okay?” kiyong replies after a ten second buffer, his mind still processing the other’s question. “your voice does not match your face ..”

[kwuevents]

hey! you’ve got a message!

text prompts! please reblog if you’d like to take part!

( sms ) : hey! is this [WRONG NAME] from the club last night?

( sms ) : wait right there, i’m on my way

( sms ) : sorry, who is this?

( sms ) : so… last night was fun.

( sms ) : can i come over?

( sms ) : did i leave my underwear at your place last night?

( sms ) : i am having the WORST / BEST day!!

( sms ) : we need to talk.

( sms ) : i’m in. whatever it is you’re planning, i’m in.

( sms ) : you awake?

( sms ) : i miss you.

( sms ) : i’m sorry.

( sms ) : wanna hang out later?

( sms ) : it’s honestly insane how much i love you.

( sms ) : i’m worried about you.

( sms ) : please don’t say i told you so…

( sms ) : you know how you totally adore me?

( sms ) : got any plans tonight?

( sms ) : i know it’s three am but i got donuts and i’m outside.

( sms ) : i’m outside. come on. we’re going out.

( sms ) : i’m boooooooooored.

( sms ) : i can’t sleep.

( sms ) : i know it’s late, but… would you like to go for a walk with me?

( sms ) : where are you?

( sms ) : i love you.

( sms ) : are you really okay?

( sms ) : please don’t shut me out. i can tell when something’s bothering you.

( sms ) : can you come pick me up please?

( sms ) : this date is a total disaster. can you call me with a fake emergency?

( sms ) : why have you been acting so weird lately?

( sms ) : you know you can tell me anything, right?

( sms ) : not to sound like a tv trope, but i need a plus one for a wedding this weekend. you in?

( sms ) : wanna do fake proposals at fancy restaurants for free food?

( sms ) : wanna go on vacation together?

( sms ) : i got arrested and it’s a hilarious story but i really need you to come bail me out first.

( sms ) : what the hell happened last night?

( sms ) : i don’t wanna be alone tonight. can i stay at your place?

( sms ) : i got a code red situation.

( sms ) : what’s shakin, bacon?

( sms ) : what should i have for dinner tonight?

( sms ) : it’s so boring when you’re not around.

( sms ) : so… the drunk voicemails i left you last night… you totally listened to them, didn’t you.

( sms ) : i love you but if you ever eat my bagel bites again…

( sms ) : wanna go out tonight?

[kwkiyong]

Mentor Madness - David and Kiyong

kwxleedavid​:

Given his status on campus David was part of a group of senior students to mentor 1st years in adjusting to college life. The process was to match students of similar interests together out of bonding and school pride. David was aware most would do almost anything to be paired with him, so there was some worry on his part that his true self would be a disappointment to the ideal of him. When he learned who is mentoree was, it felt like repeat of his own situation. Kiyong was in a drastic different sport than him and the age gap had enough potential to swing either way. David told himself he would do his absolute best for this situation to not be a letdown… he had cut off communication with his own mentor.

Still he learned for that experience of what NOT to do, this was his 3rd and most likely final year as a mentor. David decided to keep their 1st face to face meeting simple meeting at a dining hall. It was a space they both knew and who didn’t like to eat. It was enough of a neutral ground to let the conversation flow in a relaxed manner. The young man had arrived a few minutes early to make a good impression, he always seemed to be on time when it really mattered. Almost everyone that saw him gave him a slight bow respectful enough to going their way instead of trying to interview him. He slide his phone away seeing Kiyong come into view giving him a wave.

when he was first doing his research on which university to enroll into, one of the things about kyungwon that piqued his interest was the student mentoring programme. he had browsed through the sports section of the university’s website and was in awe of the different athletes that were already attending at kyungwon. 

since then, he had forgotten about the programme as his focus shifted onto gearing up for the next olympics scheduled to be held in four years time, having failed to medal in beijing earlier this year. so when he received an email stating that he was to be mentored by david lee, he agreed to the first meeting right away. kiyong has spotted the elder around the campus, particularly the sports centre quite frequently, and he had heard the basketball team mentioning their co-captain a lot whenever they’re in the changing room with him.

by the time he reaches the dining hall, his stomach is already growling due to his morning gym session. “hi sunbae-nim,” the skater greets the other with a bow, his eyes curious on how the session would go. “thank you in advance for your guidance and hope to learn a lot from you.”

[kwkiyong]

double the trouble

kwjinwoo​:

     "maybe i should have tied my laces that way too,“ he can’t help but tease his friend, his hair tied back neatly into a low ponytail. the last thing he needs when he’s deliberately going to be practicing his jumps is to have hair in his mouth and eyes. tying hair back is always a must for skaters, but even more so if he’s planning to practice his jumps with kiyong.

     rolling his eyes playfully, he steps onto the ice as naturally as taking a step, letting the smooth glide of the skates on the ice take over his instincts for the time being. "i mean, yeah, i’d rather be uninjured, but that’s only because i wasn’t good enough to make it to the olympics,” he retorts with a little bit of snark. honestly, he doesn’t really care about the fact that he hadn’t been good enough to make it to the olympics. jinwoo honestly thinks that he isn’t cut out for that kind of single-minded dedication. being forced to do something for so long would have inevitably turned him off of it.

     but as something he loves and pursues solely as a hobby? definitely something he can do for the rest of his life. “i do practice several times every week,” he reminds kiyong with a laugh. “i might not have succeeded in my olympian career, but i never stopped skating.” it’s easy enough for him to keep pace with kiyong in one of their standard warm-ups.

    he’d never been a bad skater, but the difference between the good and the great, the ones who can truly shine on an olympic stadium? that lies in the jumps, what’s considered the most valuable these days.

“i would highly recommend my way of tying laces, it’s won me a couple of medals so far,” he sticks his tongue out childishly, breaking his usual ice prince persona. with jinwoo, kiyong doesn’t have any image to keep up and he’s glad to have a friend in the skating world where he can just be nam kiyong and not the axel nam.

he skates a bit further than the elder, though he does switch to skating backwards to continue talking to his friend. the skater admires the way jinwoo glides across the ice, having always been a fan of how graceful the other’s style is. “i can tell,” kiyong replies, “you’re still elegant as ever. blonde hair really suits you, elevates your look on and off the ice.” 

compared to jinwoo, kiyong’s more reserved when it came to taking risks in regards to artistry and self-expression. he tended to focus more on pushing himself in the technical aspects, but when he first reunited with jinwoo at kyungwon, he was stunned to see how much the other changed. 

in a way, it motivated him to reconsider his approach to skating, where he realised he missed the musical aspect of it. his coach had been taken aback by his sudden shift in vision for his new programs, having gotten used to kiyong’s one-track path of focusing on solely jumps. he had reasoned that with so many skaters being able to do quads nowadays, he needs to stand out by being himself and not just a quad jumping robot. 

“which jump do you want to practice first?” the younger asks once they’re properly warmed up, sliding his skates slowly to a stop in the middle of the rink. 

[kwkiyong]

book avalanche

kwnoah​:

     considering he spends half of his free time in a cafe (working), he doesn’t really want to spend more time in hansel & gretel, so he opts to find another place that he can stay at to do homework and catch up on his readings. and it’s one that he doesn’t have to buy a drink at or anything either—the library. 

     honestly, as he’s settled down with a water bottle and a small snack (that he’s been very self-conscious about eating since it’s so quiet in the library), noah thinks he’s hit the jackpot. now he understands why so many people opt to study in the library rather than in cafes or anything and he thinks maybe he’ll become one? that would be funny, to tell his friends he was heading to the library instead of anywhere else. they would probably all think he’s crazy. 

     maybe that’s what he needs. to turn over a new leaf and become a library person. 

     also, people watching in the library is fun because he doesn’t really know anyone here and he’s seen a lot of interesting things already. what catches his eye this time, is a guy who seems to be trying to reach a book on a high shelf. noah wants to offer to help, but he’s not very tall himself so he just continues watching instead.

determined to reach the damn book, he manages to find an empty chair that he can lift himself onto in order to reach the said book. kiyong prays silently in his heart to all the deities out there observing his foolish desperate self as he places his feet gingerly onto the chair. 

“put your soles down firmly so you won’t fall over, just like how you stand on the blades,” he coaches himself quietly, trying to not give into his fear of ‘what if he falls over’ or ‘what if the chair tips over’. he’s a seasoned olympian figure skater so he can absolutely do this simple task of fetching a book from the top shelf.

or maybe not. just as he’s about to retrieve the precious book, someone quickly passes by his chair in a rushed manner, bumping their bulky backpack full of textbooks into the bookshelves. before his brain can fully compute on what is about to happen, the sight of books falling from the top shelf makes him to let out some indescribable noise which is soon drowned out by the sound of books cluttering all around him.

it is not his day.

[kwkiyong]

thrift buddies

starter for @kwroha​

he made the mistake of watching a rerun of project runway last night which led to him reorganising his wardrobe at 3 am in the morning, high on adrenaline induced by the inspiring designs sewn by the contestants. 

by 5 am, kiyong realised he’s in need of a major wardrobe update. he sits in front of his planner and decides he’d go thrift shopping later in the day after his 11 am class. at 6.45 am, he opens his kakaotalk app and scrolls down to shoot a message.

[ kkt > 배로하 ] heyyyy chingu [ kkt > 배로하 ] i’m heading to hongdae later this afternoon to do some thrift shopping [ kkt > 배로하 ] let me know if you want to join! i remember you said you don’t have any classes today ... we can get lunch first :) 

scrunching his nose as he realises it’s already morning and he has yet to sleep, he quickly sets his alarm to go off at 10.45 am before locking his phone and immediately passes out on his bed, having exerted all his energy by rearranging his clothes by colour. he vaguely remembers his last thought right as he dozes off being ‘i hope i can wake up... it’s going be fun thrifting with roha later ...’

[kwkiyong]

water and ice

starter for @kwjaemin based on this post

he’s starving. he stupidly skipped lunch in favour of squeezing more ice time after a heavy three hours lecture but now he’s drained both mentally and physically. cue him at the hansel and gretel parlour after a four course dinner elsewhere, his mouth itching for some good ole chocolate dessert.

on his journey to the sweets parlour, he had brainstormed what dessert he should have today. he reached the point where he had visited the parlour’s social media pages to see what their latest offerings were. one of the pinned posts was the hot selling chocolate croissants that he had heard from his friends were to die for.

so with bright eyes and anticipating hands clasped around his phone with his kakaopay app open ready for payment, he quietly waits in line for his turn. ‘chocolate croissant, chocolate croissant, imma get that chocolate croissant todayyyy,’ he chants in his head, focusing on the last piece of chocolate croissant left on the display.

“hi, can i get the chocolate--” he starts before being cut off abruptly.

[kwkiyong]

book avalanche

starter for @kwnoah based on this post

he’s not sure what’s going on with the lecturers these days as he ruefully stares at his to-do list for the week that spans over three pages. sometimes he wonders if they plot together to burden their students with a bunch of assignments simultaneously in one go. 

figuring he couldn’t run away from his dreaded fate of being stuck at the library for the next couple of weeks, he’s now in the said library hunting for the necessary books required for his assignments. kiyong’s eyes twitch when he spots one of the titles located right on the utmost top shelf (what’s with libraries and super tall bookshelves?).

he sighs as he looks around for any empty chairs or maybe those mini stairs he’s seen the librarians use before, a pout gracing his tired face. “maybe i should have listened to the nutritionist growing up... could have been taller,” he mumbles to himself.

[kwkiyong]

kwjinwoo·:

     his history with figure skating, pursuing it from a young age even if he’d ended up being eliminated as someone who could go further in the name of korea, has left him with several friends who, unlike him, had shown more than enough talent to compete for korea. kiyong is one of them — they had grown up close, training and competing with each other, and when kiyong had come up on top, jinwoo had done his best to set his envy aside and be genuinely happy for his friend.

     today, kiyong had promised to help him learn some tricks and tips to land his triples more consistently. jinwoo has been able to do the triple toe loop and triple salchow relatively well for some time now, but the flip, the loop, the lutz, the axel — all of these still evade his ability. in all honesty, he might never be able to pull off a triple axel.

     and, well, that’s just something he’ll have to accept.

     smirking at his friend playfully, watching kiyong tie his boot laces in the very specific manner he’d had ever since they were children, he teases, “still doing that, kiyong?” he says with an arched eyebrow before his lips curve down into a small pout and the smug look on his face drops. “i still say it’s not fair. you’re the olympian athlete, of course your stamina is better,” he grumbles. “you promised to work on my triples with me too, don’t forget.”

narrowing his eyes, he huffs once more as jinwoo remarks on his boot lace tying method. “well, you know what they say. don’t fix what’s working,” he snickers flaunting his neatly tied boots. kiyong snorts, moving past the other so they could enter the rink, his feet itching to get on the ice.

“sure, i’m the olympian athlete but you’re the one with less injuries, i’d say it’s an even playing field,” he nudges jinwoo’s shoulder playfully. “and of course, i’m your dearest friend, i’ll make sure you graduate from axel nam’s school of skating with all the triples landed.”

the sound of their ice blades hitting the ice felt like home. he’s always savoured the feeling of the cold air smacking him right in the face as it never fails to wake him up from what ever mental downspiral he’s been in. with jinwoo next to him, his mind is transported back to their childhood, where the two of them were fresh faced young boys who liked to skate just for the fun of it.

“let’s do some warm up first around the rink,” he suggests, gradually increasing his speed. “or else we’ll end up not being able to walk tomorrow morning.”

[kwkiyong]

ooc: am catching up on the asks and starters/replies i owe to everyone! been busy this week as it’s games competition season so have been working around the clock all week long bc of difference in timezones

[kwkiyong]

ooc update: will be going on hiatus until 13th august due to competition season! hopefully i’ll resume being alive by then... will i come back with plot ideas related to the issues i’m going thru rn? maybe

[kwkiyong]

ooc: am catching up on the asks and starters/replies i owe to everyone! been busy this week as it’s games competition season so have been working around the clock all week long bc of difference in timezones

[kwkiyong]

what's something that makes you roll your eyes whenever you hear it?

"this is how it's always been, so if you don't like it, you can get out," kiyong recounts dramatically, rolling his eyes for emphasis.

"it annoys me when people are stubborn about change. like i do understand we should respect tradition and history but the reason why we study history in the first place is to stop ourselves from repeating the mistakes of the past," he replies firmly.

"they send us to university to become the next generation of leaders but hate it when we actually try to make change happen."