Though fans have long been awaiting the sequel to hit K-drama Weak Hero Class 2 still follows protagonist Yeon Si-eun (Park Ji-hoon), but it leaves behind everyone else from the prequel season, as he has now transferred to Eunjang High School. Based on the popular webtoon Weak Hero by Seo, the series takes place in a world that resolves all its disputes through violence.

Despite being a surprisingly adept fighter, blessed with a sharp intellect he employs in combat, Si-eun withdraws from society at his new school after failing to protect his friend Su-ho in Weak Hero Class 1. It's not until he meets a Seo Jun-tae (XO, Kitty's Choi Min-yeong) that he feels compelled to speak out against injustice once more — and he is aided in his quest by the school's resident anti-bullies, Park Hu-min (Ryeo-un), whose character is also known as "Ba-ku", and Go Hyun-tak (Lee Min-jae). Together, the foursome face off against many fearsome enemies wreaking havoc on the neighborhood's schools.

ScreenRant interviewed Park, Choi, Lee, and Ryeo-un to discuss the events of Weak Hero Class 2. Ji-hoon first set the scene by explaining how Su-ho's uncertain fate changed Si-eun into the character we meet in season 2, while Min-yeong, Ryeo-un, and Min-jae gave important backstory on their characters and relationships. Finally, the actors shared how they would continue the story should there be a Weak Hero Class 3.

Si-eun’s Heartbreak Over Su-ho Plays A Huge Role In Weak Hero Class 2

“Without Him, The Whole Narrative Of Season 2 Wouldn’t Have Happened”

Weak Hero Class 1 ended with Su-ho’s life still hanging in the balance, and the new season opens without any positive update on his health. Naturally, that uncertainty weighs on Si-eun like a ton of bricks, preventing him from living his full life at Eunjang High School. “I think Su-ho still plays a very big part in Si-eun's psyche in season 2 because he was such a dear friend,” Ji-hoon revealed. “Si-eun has to transfer to this new school and gets to make new friends there, but Su-ho still means so much to him.”

Su-ho's the reason why Si-eun is determined not to make friends when he gets to the new school.

He means so much, in fact, that he sets the tone for Si-eun’s behavior at the start of Weak Hero Class 2 despite actor Choi Hyun-wook not appearing onscreen. “Without him, the whole narrative of season 2 wouldn't have happened,” Ji-hoon explained. “He's the reason why Si-eun is determined not to make friends when he gets to the new school. He wants to live a life of solitude, but he ends up making new friends, and they overcome obstacles together.”

It's a good thing that Si-eun is eventually convinced to break out of his shell, since the friends he makes in season 2 are balls of sunshine that keep the series from collapsing under the weight of Si-eun’s pain. “They have their own skills and strengths compared to Su-ho, but Su-ho is still the one friend that Si-eun really holds dear to his heart,” Ji-hoon added, ferociously protecting his first friendship. “I think because of Su-ho, Si-eun begins to feel that having friends is a good thing and that he still needs them.”

Breaking Down The New & Old Friendships Of Weak Hero Class 2

Jun-tae, Ba-ku, And Hyeon-tak Are Baffled By Si-eun… And The Feeling’s Mutual

When Jun-tae is first introduced, he doesn’t know how to stand up for himself or others. But the simple act of being forced by the school’s bullies to steal Si-eun’s phone sets him down a new path in Weak Hero Class 2. “I think Jun-tae was heavily affected by Si-eun once he saw that the reaction of Si-eun to the bullies was totally different from what he had seen before,” Min-yeong shared. “All of Si-eun's actions are unexpected, so Jun-tae is a little bit baffled, and he grows very curious about this new guy.”

“Eunjang High School is a very tough school, where everybody acts a bit weird, but it feels like Si-eun knows how to stand up for himself and protect himself.” Standing up for himself is something Jun-tae has hoped to do, but never quite understood how. “There's a small voice inside of Jun-tae that he had always shunned and shied away from. He's made compromises and thought, ‘I'm out of options. This is the only way I can live and survive in this school.’”

“Si-eun proves that that's not the case, and you can do otherwise,” Min-yeong added. “He kind of becomes a role model for Jun-tae, and he starts to look up to him.” But what’s really fascinating is that the same is true in reverse: Jun-tae’s sincerity in apologizing to Si-eun helps restart his friendship barometer and allows him to let a new friend in.

Make new friends but keep the old, as the saying goes, and that’s a creed that Hyeon-tak and Hu-min seem to live by. Min-jae offered some backstory on the friendship, pointing out that he thought Hyeon-tak was the one who chased Ba-ku in the playground. “I think I would have approached him first, but since we kind of grew up in the same neighborhood, we were friends since we were very little.”

His reference point is a season 2 scene “where I say, ‘I know everything about him, even the kind of underwear he wears, and I know all of his family matters.’” Comedy aside, it speaks to the deep bond they’ve shared for long since the show began. “I think they kind of grew up together and had a lot of fun together as friends. I know him inside out, and he knows me inside out as well.”

Ba-ku is a friend worthy of Hyeon-tak’s undying loyalty, ruling the school with kindness rather than fear. He’s even instated a no fighting on school grounds code, but he can’t seem to keep himself and Eunjang High from being roped into Na Baek-jin and Geum Seong-je's cruel games. “I think Ba-ku is very different from the other bullies that you see in the school,” Ryeo-un explained. “He actually didn't even know that he was good at fighting, and prefers drinking milk over smoking a cigarette.”

“He really dislikes violence, but because he loves his friends so much, he sometimes just has to get into rows and fights.” Nevertheless, he tries to protect his friends and his school without getting his hands dirty. “He never really liked the whole concept, but his friends also think of him as a leader because he doesn't discriminate against anyone. He's always very nice and loving towards his friends, so he naturally became the leader.”

Might There Be A Weak Hero Class 3?

“That Would Be A Whole New Twist To The Story”

It’s not a spoiler to say that, much like Weak Hero Class 1, season 2 ends on a less-than-final note. There is room for more adventures, and Min-yeong had ideas for his character. “If there were to be a Weak Hero Class 3, I would like to see how Jun-tae behaves after he's broken out of his shell,” the actor declared. “There are a lot of things that he's done for the first time in season 2, so now I want him to find his own way of protecting his friends and really leverage that all-new Jun-tae he's become.”

He was quick to defer to his bosses at Netflix, however. “Whether there should be a season 3? I'm in no position to talk about that. It doesn't mean that I don't want it or anything like that. It just means that it's up to the audience and the creators.”

Ji-hoon offered his two cents as well, itting that “I did give next season some thought.” His idea was one I would never have come up with myself, which makes it all the better. “I thought about how Si-eun was always on the side of justice. He always had a strong moral com, so what if he loses his friends in season 3 because of some things that happen, and he goes rogue? That would be a whole new twist to the story and a whole new narrative.”

He was very gung-ho about his headcanon, adding, “It's going to be a whole new vibe if he's on the other side this time around, and if he's having these conflicts with his friends.” But once again, he respectfully assured the powers that he would remain humble regardless of the outcome. “That's just my wild imagination because, like Min-yeong said, it's not something up to me. But I just gave it some thought.”

Weak Hero Class 2 begins streaming April 25 on Netflix.

Source: Screen Rant Plus