Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: The Answer is 3?
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The answer is 3?
Yeah. Right?
I put 3 too.
With a much lighter heart, I propped my elbows on the teacher's desk and leaned forward.
"I'll call out the English answers. Number 1 is 1...."
"1?!"
"Ah, shut up for a sec!"
"Number 2 is 4, 3 is 3, 4 is 3...."
"3?!"
"What's 3?!"
"Number 4 is 3?!"
"No way it's 3?!"
"Ah, just let me finish calling them out!"
"Yeah, we'll talk after."
"Da-hye! What'd you put for number 4?"
I subtly flashed a '4' with my fingers while continuing to call out the answers.
"Number 5 is 1...."
"Aaaagh!"
We'd barely gotten through half of one subject, and it was already chaos.
Kids, why are you freaking out? You didn't study, so of course you're getting a ton wrong.
By the time I finally finished calling out the English answers, Jeong Eun-seong and Seo Jae-kyeom had returned.
They came back together but entered through the front and back doors separately. It was obvious they hadn't exchanged a single word on the way up.
Seo Jae-kyeom spoke up.
"They said the English answer key was misprinted. Number 4 is 4, not 3."
"I knew it!"
"Ah, I put 1!"
"Idiot, why would it be 1?"
"Whaaat?!"
Amid the screams and curses, we somehow finished calling out the answers.
"Homeroom said no closing ceremony today. Hurry home and study. Politics said our class has to take first place no matter what."
"First place? That's impossible for us."
"Get lost."
"Kekeke...."
"Jae-kyeom, PC bang call?"
"You nuts?"
"Heh heh. I'm giving up."
In the bustle, I packed up my spot and grabbed the answer key. I called over Seo Jae-kyeom and Jeong Eun-seong, who hadn't graded English because they came back late.
"You two check English together nicely. I'll be grading math."
I'll curl up in the corner and have some me-time.... It's nothing big, so why am I so nervous?
I took a needless deep breath and headed to my seat. Gyeong Se-in, who had calmly crumpled her test into the trash, turned with manic eyes sparkling.
"Da-hye, want us to stick around?"
"N-no, it's fine...."
"Okey-dokey."
"KakaoTalk me!"
I waved off my friends and spread out the answer key.
Thump thump.
And the results were.
"......"
Of course.
All correct.
"Insane...."
Honestly, I'd thought question 20 might make a perfect score tough.
I checked the English key Seo Jae-kyeom handed over next. This was just confirming what I already knew. Perfect score.
"Heh heh heh heh."
The tension melted away, and laughter bubbled up.
Math... you gave me a hard time, but without you, the test would've felt empty.
I murmured an unopened movie line in my head and bit my lip.
Heh heh heh.
Yahoo~
One big mountain conquered!
I pocketed the computer signing pen while suppressing my urge to leap up like a clown.
Nothing to pack—I could head straight home.
As I turned on my phone and looked up, the only ones left in the classroom were me, Jeong Eun-seong, and Seo Jae-kyeom.
"Kang Da-hye."
Seo Jae-kyeom, who had unpacked and repacked his bag without leaving, called me, but.
"Hold on."
Jeong Eun-seong beat him to it.
"Jeong Eun-seong."
I approached him as he wiped his desk. About to say thanks, he spoke first.
"All correct?"
"Yeah. You?"
"Me...."
He rolled his eyes dramatically and whispered.
"Math 32."
?
"You solved it?"
"Think I guessed...."
"Ooh...."
Won't be seeing your face in Math A class next semester.
"Let's raise it gradually through consistent effort...."
Hang in there. I awkwardly patted his shoulder. He didn't seem too bummed, though.
"English?"
"88."
"Hm."
Not a total bust.
Jeong Eun-seong grumbled.
"Why didn't 'Love Start Begin' come up? That's all I memorized."
"Oh dear...."
I patted his shoulder awkwardly again.
Up close, instead of his usual nice scent, he smelled like the pink liquid soap from the school bathroom.
His roughly dried hair was fluffy, and in his half-undone uniform, he looked extra striking.
Why did everything feel so awkward?
He looked down at my hesitation and asked.
"Heading home now?"
"Yeah. Gonna stop by home, wash up, then hit the hospital. You?"
"Same. Gotta wash up quick."
"...Thanks. If not for you today, seriously."
"No need to thank me. You tutored me too."
"Well, yeah."
We'd said 'let's study together!' right before the exam, so our actual study sessions were just a few breaks.
As if recalling the same thing, Jeong Eun-seong chuckled softly.
"Anyway, we did meet up outside before the exam."
"Yeah. And... thanks to the guy who picked you up too."
"Don't worry about that hyung."
"Why? When he debuts, I'll be his number one fan...."
I flinched mid-sentence.
'Come to think of it, that guy.'
He's debuting with Jeong Eun-seong.
That...
Overseas Gambling!
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ You really can't judge by appearances.
This guy who seems so kind, gentle, and fun right now.
A few years later, he gets tangled with Macau gangsters, runs 60 billion in illegal overseas gambling and currency exchange scams, racks up twice that in debt, and cons people close to him out of money with lies.
By then, the innocent deer-like youth is gone, replaced by a guy with purple lips stained from nightlife.
'Didn't Jeong Eun-seong lend him money and never get it back?'
I remember he fell for a lie about his parents getting scammed and needing emergency cash.
'No wonder he lent money so easily with his personality.'
They suffered together pre-debut.
At this point, wouldn't it be better if he didn't debut from that den of evil?
But is debuting now even the right call?
I aced Politics, History, and Literature. That thought lingered through the last midterm exam.
As I organized my desk in anguish, someone tapped my shoulder.
"Kang Da-hye, it's up!"
"Huh...."
What's up?
The homeroom-predicted rankings from 1st to 30th place.
After the last exam, with everyone itching to go home, she held them back to pick PE festival participants.
And now it was finally posted.
A friend who'd gone to the bathroom burst in through the front door, yelling. Kids surged out to the hallway.
"Must be nice being smart~ Knowing your rank before the tags even come out~"
"Shut it, Do Ha-jun."
"Hey, don't push!"
I walked slowly amid the lunch-rush sprint to the cafeteria.
Why?
Because I knew my rank.
'I got everything right.'
Automatically first place.
I told you. No need to compare with others. Just do well yourself.
"Nervous?"
Do-yeon shook her head, sour-faced beside me.
"Not nervous, just pissed. Is it okay to post grades like this?"
"Nope."
Against the law. She stared when I added that.
"This breaks the law?"
"Probably."
Personal Information Protection Act.
"I see...."
Next to nodding Do-yeon, Ga-eun said.
"It's so annoying. If my name's on the board this time but not next, everyone'll know I bombed. Already tough with scores dropping."
"Ranks flipping in real-time."
"Study if you don't wanna be embarrassed... Using shame to force studying? And why only top 30?"
"Don't care about the losers, huh."
We griped as we reached the bulletin board.
Amid the crowd, Ji-su—who'd been checking right up front—turned to me.
Before I could speak, Eun-ji ran up and pounded my back.
"You see it?! See it?!"
"Can't see 'cause you're hitting me...."
Why's she so hyped?
"Too many people blocking it."
"Lemme lift you up?"
I glared at teasing Seo Jae-kyeom.
"You strong enough to lift me?"
"I'm a guy."
"Yeah, sure."
I stood on tiptoes, brushing him off.
Time to confirm what I already knew.
📊 Midterm Rankings: 2nd Year (Name / Average)
1. Kang Da-hye (100)
2. Han Ji-su (99.6)
5. Do-yeon (97)
13. Seo Jae-kyeom (94)
29. Kim Ga-eun (91.2)
30. Lee Seo-jun (90.9)