Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Tied for First and Tennis Time
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A massive poster had been put up at school.
Students gathered in groups of twos and threes with their friends, peering at the publicly displayed final grades.
"This is the first time they've posted scores like this."
"It's because of all the uproar! Something about fairness, they said."
For this midterm exam, following instructions from the Board of Education, they'd calculated grade points and percentile rankings based on standards, then posted the rankings on the bulletin board.
The fact that they'd done this so publicly, while omitting the names of all students involved in the incident, suggested the school had wrestled with the decision quite a bit.
Of course, this public posting of scores gave the grade manipulators time for reflection and served as proof to the remaining students that things were being handled transparently—without the harm of a re-exam.
Plus, it was good entertainment for the students.
"What the—? You're three spots below me!"
"Ah... I didn't even make the top hundred..."
With everyone's scores laid bare for all to see, student hierarchies were officially established.
Evaluations of the usual top performers became even more openly bandied about, and Kang Hyun was no exception.
Min-su, standing beside him, let out a surprised click of his tongue.
"Wow... Kang Hyun—no, Sir Kang Hyun."
"What with the 'sir'?"
"Our Sir Kang Hyun is insane. Are you the undisputed number two now? The midterms were crazy enough, but did you ace the finals without missing a single question?!"
The top spot on the leftmost column was indisputably Yoon Haneul's, and right below her sat Kang Hyun's name, bold as you please.
Gone from the poster were Park Dong-hee and all the other supposed study buffs. That omission effectively announced their involvement in the grade manipulation.
On the flip side, the poster acted as a giant billboard proclaiming to everyone that Kang Hyun had achieved this astonishing result purely on his own merit.
Kang Hyun had scored a perfect on the finals. Combined scores: Yoon Haneul had missed two questions across all subjects, Kang Hyun three. But due to differences in point weighting, their total scores were identical.
Thus, Yoon Haneul and Kang Hyun were tied.
The gap to third place and below was so staggeringly wide that it earned them the label "unrivaled duo."
As a result, opinions about Kang Hyun shifted.
The divide between those insisting there must be some shady dealings and those calling it a hasty judgment vanished like it'd been washed away, replaced entirely by awe and astonishment toward him.
Even his friends, who used to treat him casually, now regarded him with reverence and aspiration—making it awkward for Kang Hyun to interact with them.
To the admiring Min-su, Kang Hyun said,
"I'm still a long way off."
"What? A long way off? What, you aiming for number one nationwide?"
"Yeah."
Kang Hyun nodded matter-of-factly, drawing an incredulous look from Min-su.
He knew full well that, among the flying geniuses nationwide, he was still sorely lacking in many areas.
Take Yoon Haneul: others might not grasp how huge even a one-problem gap with her was, but he understood exactly what that tiny difference signified.
For Kang Hyun, whose study time had been relatively short, it highlighted deficits in depth, quick thinking, and crisis response.
These were skills he'd need not just for the College Scholastic Ability Test, but for university exams, the Judicial Examination, or even law school.
Still, reaching that level was only a matter of time now.
Kang Hyun burned with even greater resolve.
'I'll show them at the CSAT. I can do even better!'
Lost in thought, Kang Hyun felt Min-su nudge his side.
"Here come more gawkers now that you've shown up."
Min-su brushed off Kang Hyun's shoulder and pointed in a direction before heading off.
Kang Hyun turned to see crowds gathering at a distance, watching him—just proof of the fame he'd gained at school.
Yoon Haneul had always been impressive, but post-incident, he seemed to have surpassed her in star power.
-Go talk to him.
-Nah, how? I can't! You do it!
Girls who'd previously ignored him now praised him behind his back, viewing him as untouchably out of reach and keeping their distance.
Now, even just walking the halls, heading to the bathroom, or taking a stroll, he'd frequently spot girls gasping in surprise and admiration as they stepped aside.
His desk even occasionally piled up with chocolates or snacks—Valentine's Day or not.
Whenever that happened, Kang Hyun would let out a big sigh and smile.
'Things have really changed.'
It was late Friday afternoon, classes long over, with the end-of-term ceremony just days away.
Vacation was right around the corner, but Kang Hyun had been so buried in finals that he hadn't even noticed.
Time would fly even faster in senior year, when real CSAT prep would kick in—making this busyness seem like nothing. Steel yourself, he thought, packing up to head home.
Poke, poke.
"...?!"
Someone prodded him from behind. Guessing who it was, he whipped around—and sure enough, his hunch was right.
"Kang Hyun."
Yoon Haneul stood there, her long hair swaying. Facing her brought a pleasant fragrance wafting over.
Her large, pretty eyes brimmed with an inexplicable anticipation and energy. Even the tone of her voice calling his name was subtly higher than before.
Curiosity halting him in his tracks, Kang Hyun stood before her.
"Yeah, what's up?"
"Got time today?"
Yoon Haneul swallowed hard—uncharacteristically—and stood awkwardly with her hands clasped behind her back, as if debating whether to speak.
"What's up? Something you're curious about?"
Kang Hyun slung his bag to the front, ready to help if it was a problem he could solve right then, but she shook her head.
"Spit it out. What is it?"
As he asked warmly, Yoon Haneul replied in a slightly trembling voice.
"Before... we said we'd exercise together."
"Oh?"
Hadn't that just been a passing comment? He hadn't expected her to bring it up out of the blue like this.
"Right... we did."
Kang Hyun answered awkwardly to the sudden question. Sensing his discomfort, she deflated instantly.
Startled by her disappointed eyes, he quickly added,
"Wanna do it today?"
At his question, she snapped back to her bright self.
"Yeah! So since it's Friday... how about every Friday evening?"
"Not just... today? Every Friday evening?"
"Yeah! Until vacation ends!"
"S-Sure, let's do that."
Kang Hyun was inwardly startled by her beaming innocence.
She was the type to occasionally nag—not quite nagging—about eating well and exercising hard to avoid study burnout and stress. So he'd brushed it off as no big deal.
For her to suddenly seek him out about it...
It was so unlike the image she projected to others that he couldn't help but be shocked.
Calm down, he told himself, steadying his racing heart before asking,
"Alright, I'll head home and change then. Clothes-wise. Where should we meet?"
"Can you come to my neighborhood?"
Her area was just a short uphill trek from his house in the opposite direction from school—not hard at all. He nodded.
"Got it. But, uh, decided what we'll do?"
"Yeah! Tennis!"
"Ten...nis?"
Was this rich-people standards, or did she think it was something he'd be good at? Before he could hesitate, she pressed on.
"I'll lend you a racket. It'll be fun."
"...Sure."
Kang Hyun hesitated but finally nodded.
He'd only seen teachers or people playing tennis at school occasionally. It was a world apart from rolling around the baseball field or heading balls in soccer with the guys.
'No way she's picking her best sport just to avoid losing?'
A twinge of suspicion about her competitive streak, but seeing her smile like a kid blew all doubts away.
"I'll reserve it. See you in two hours!"
"Got it."
It was the same joyful, happy expression she'd worn when he'd nailed every question but one on his first exam.
Seeing that look melted Kang Hyun's heart, filling it with happiness as he nodded vigorously.
Tennis courts in front of the villa complex.
It was a fine late afternoon at sunset, with fluffy clouds drifting lazily and pleasant weather.
Kang Hyun arrived at the neighborhood court she'd mentioned, dressed casually and feeling a bit out of place.
Oddly for a weekday afternoon, only a few young parents strolled by with kids—no real crowds.
"You're early. Here's the tennis racket."
Yoon Haneul approached briskly, her straight hair tied high in a ponytail, handing him a bag with the racket.
White skirt, pink short-sleeved tennis outfit. To Kang Hyun, used to seeing her in uniform, it felt fresh and bold.
And above all, she was stunning.
She looked like a goddess incarnate. Who else had seen her like this?
"Warm-up?"
"...Yeah."
Kang Hyun awkwardly followed her lead, starting with wrists and ankles, rotating joints, pressing down firmly.
Once warmed up, she called out to him in a vigorous voice unlike any he'd heard at school.
"Let's start!"
"Huh?"
No preamble, no practice—he'd assumed there'd be something, but apparently not. She trotted to the opposite court.
Something felt off, though.
She stood stiffly, tense-faced, glaring at the court.
Or rather, not at him—at the tennis ball and court.
"Wait, hold on! Like I said earlier, I've never played!"
Kang Hyun waved his hands frantically, but she nodded emphatically and prepared her serve.
"I said I've never—"
Whether she heard or not, Yoon Haneul extended her arm holding the ball skyward, tossed the tennis ball high, and raised her racket big.
Panicking, Kang Hyun gripped his racket—clueless on how—and hastily assumed a stance.
The ball soared high; her body lifted slightly—and Kang Hyun couldn't help but chuckle.
Tok, tok, roll.
The tennis ball rolled helplessly across the court. Her racket whooshed powerfully through empty air.
"Um... let me try again!"
"Huh? Wait, hold—!"
But his shout vanished into the air as she went again.
Tok! Tok! Roll.
"...?!"
The tennis ball bounced and rolled on the ground.
Kang Hyun stifled a laugh at her earnest efforts and approached her side.
As far as he knew, she had good athleticism and loved sports—she often ran relays at sports day.
Great at studying, great at sports: perfect all around.
To think the flawless Yoon Haneul had this endearing clumsiness... Kang Hyun wiped the grin from his face and cautiously said,
"Yoon Haneul, I told you I don't know how to play."
Only then did it seem to register. She let out a small "Ah," her face flushing with embarrassment.