Exam Day Encouragement, Part 2
Exam admission ticket? Check. ID card? Okay. Computer-use pen and correction tape, writing tools, eraser, watch, and subject-by-subject summary notes—all of it, okay.
The pants had to be the stretchy training slacks. Nothing else would do.
The third-year student, with every stray hair slicked back and tied tight, pulled on a thick, comfortable hooded zip-up. Over that, she shrugged into an old padded jacket whose fur trim stood up in ragged tufts.
Her lunch was a gimbap roll she’d bought the day before. She’d warmed the cold gimbap lightly in the microwave and packed it haphazardly into a side-dish container. In her thermos, she’d also brought sweet, warm honey tea.
And since I went to bed early last night, I’m in top shape.
She left home early so she could arrive on time and squeeze in one last round of studying while she reviewed her summary notes.
“Ugh. Why is it so cold?”
The bitter wind slipped under her clothes. She thought she’d layered up well enough, but her hands and feet were still icy, and the back of her neck had gone chilly.
On the way to the bus stop, something plopped down on her head.
“Is it raining?”
She touched her hair, thinking it might be a raindrop, and came away with something white on her hand.
“Bird poop!”
Aah! Gross!
She hadn’t brought tissues or wet wipes! Of all days, why did she have to get pooped on by a bird now?
Still, there was a saying that if a bird pooped on you, good luck would follow.
Maybe that means I’ll do well on the exam!
She forced herself to think positively and reached the bus stop.
“Um… do you maybe have tissues or wet wipes…?”
“Oh. No, sorry. I don’t.”
She asked several people after getting on the bus, but none of them had anything suitable for cleaning off bird droppings.
What’s more, there were no seats left, and she couldn’t smear bird poop all over the bus, so she had no choice but to hold the handrail with only one hand.
It’d be more stable if I could use both hands….
She was weak enough that every time the bus driver hit the brakes, she swayed helplessly from side to side.
I should be careful not to fall.
The moment she thought that, the bus slammed to a sudden stop.
“Ah!”
The student lost her grip and tumbled to the floor. Her knee hurt so badly she couldn’t move for a second. She’d reflexively thrown a hand out to catch herself, and now her wrist stung too.
“Oh dear! Are you all right, dear?”
A grandmother seated in the priority seats reached out, startled, trying to help her up.
“Hey! That man over there, jaywalking in the wrong place…! He’s going to get someone killed one of these days! Miss, are you okay?”
The bus driver jabbed an accusing finger out the window, then turned back to worry about the student who’d fallen.
“I-I’m okay…!”
The student took the grandmother’s hand and stood, then quickly let go.
“Bird poop…! There’s bird poop on my hand, I’m sorry…!”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. Don’t you mind that at all. Still, what are we going to do with a young student this skinny and weak? You’re all bones. Here, sit down and ride here.”
“Huh? No, please, you sit, Grandma!”
“Nope. I think I’m sturdier, so sit down already. Did you scrape your knee? You’re going to bruise. Oh, dear.”
“I-I’m fine.”
“Come on, sit down! The bus is about to move!”
She refused again and again, but she couldn’t win against the old woman’s stubbornness, so the student endured her embarrassment and sat in the priority seat. Even so, her heart prickled as if she’d taken a seat on needles.
“Are you going to take the exam today, student?”
“Y-yes!”
“My grandson took the exam last year too. Who’s bringing you?”
“Ah… my dad’s sick. My mom’s busy taking care of him and working.”
Why am I telling a complete stranger all about my family like this?
But the grandmother, warm and kind-looking, had a way of disarming people.
“I see. Still, you’re doing this all by yourself and holding up well.”
“Hehe.”
“Do your best on the exam.”
“Thank you…!”
The traffic was a little heavy, but the bus still reached its destination safely.
Glad I left early.
On the way into the assigned school, she saw people greeting and cheering outside the gate.
Parents who had driven their children there themselves, handing out gifts like rice cakes, tissues, and macarons. Voices rose and fell all around them with encouragement and support.
But she had always been the quiet type, the kind who studied hard and kept to herself, so she didn’t know any juniors who’d come to cheer for her.
Even when she wanted to blow off stress, she preferred listening to music quietly or reading webtoons to relax instead of going out to have fun, so there was almost nowhere besides school where she met people.
It’s okay. I’ve made it this far without anyone looking after me. There’s no need to feel sorry for myself now.
Study hard and do well! Once I get into university, things will change. I’ll make lots of friends, and I’ll get a boyfriend too!
And later on, she wanted to land a good job and earn a lot of money.
For her mother, who was too busy worrying about hospital bills, nursing her father, and working without a moment to rest, she wanted to hire a caregiver so her mom could finally take a break. She wanted her father to get treatment without having to worry about money, too.
I am nervous, but I studied hard. I can do this.
Our daughter always gets things done on her own.
You couldn’t take care of her properly, and still she turned out amazing! We believed in you~
Just imagining the praise her parents would give her made her energy surge.
She found the classroom where she was taking the exam without getting lost, and even washed her hands clean in the bathroom, rinsing her hair quickly with water too.
Now there are no problems left. I just need to do well on the exam!
But then, when she opened her bag to get in a last bit of studying while there was still a little time left, she noticed that her summary notes were wet.
The thermos must have leaked…! What do I do!
The notebook pages had gotten soaked, and the ink had run. She could still make out about two-thirds of it, but the rest had blurred into streaks. Her pencil case and bag were damp and sticky too.
I-it’s okay. No problem.
What she’d studied was already in her head anyway. The important thing was not to lose her composure. She quickly skimmed the parts that hadn’t smudged and reviewed them one more time.
A little later, the exam began.
Ah, it’s hard…!
What kind of test was this if even the first subject was difficult?
Is this one of those brutal exams this year? Or is it just hard for me?
The mental discipline she’d fought so hard to hold onto began slowly wearing away.
And the time went by so fast. Even though she’d practiced rushing through problems many times, there still wasn’t nearly enough time, and sweat broke out on her skin while her hands went numb.
During the math exam, she realized halfway through that she’d copied answers into the wrong sections and had to scramble to get a fresh answer sheet and rewrite everything.
At lunch, the gimbap rice was so hard, perhaps because it hadn’t been warmed through properly, that she only pretended to eat.
I’m hungry.
By the time she somehow finished the exam and headed toward the gate, it felt like tears might burst out at any second. Her knee and wrist still ached, and the pain in her heart was worse because she felt like she’d failed the test.
One of the students who had taken the exam in her classroom brushed past her in a blur. She saw that student run out the gate and into the arms of a middle-aged woman waiting outside.
“Mom! I totally aced it!”
“Oh, wonderful! You did so well! Want to go eat something delicious?”
So they did well… I guess I’m the only one who messed up.
At last, the tears she’d been holding back leaked out at the corners of her eyes. Overcome by sorrow, she stopped dead in place. Even the cold wind, biting at her hands and cheeks until they turned red, was enough to make her feel more miserable, and she couldn’t force herself to take another step. She wanted to bawl out loud like a little kid.
On a day this important. Feeling this sad. Why did Dad have to be sick? Honestly, if he’d just cut back on the drinking. If he’d only taken better care of himself and stayed healthy.
She felt a little resentful toward her parents for not being able to pick her up, and far more resentful toward herself for resenting them at all.
How cold is the Han River today? Is it very cold? Of course it is, when the weather’s like this.
Still, I have to go home. Idiot.
With tears trembling at the corners of her eyes, she stepped out through the gate. But just outside, a sweet cream-puff smell drifted through the air. Lifting her head from where it had been bowed low, she spotted a food truck.
“Fish-shaped bread…?”
People were lined up in front of the truck. She raised her gaze to the banner hanging above it, where bold letters had been printed.
To all the exam takers, you’ve worked hard.
It seemed they were giving away fish-shaped pastries and fish cake skewers for free. There was nothing about who’d sent it, just those words of encouragement and thanks.
Drawn in as if enchanted, she joined the end of the line. When it was her turn and she stepped up to the truck, a man with a nice voice spoke to her.
“Hello. Do you like red bean or cream filling?”
He had his face hidden behind a mask and hat, with only his eyes showing, but he was such a handsome man that it was obvious at once.
W-what is this? Is he a celebrity?
His crescent-shaped eyes and light brown irises were especially striking. The hair peeking out from beneath his cap was a beautiful platinum blond, like moonlight.
“Cream, please….”
“Yes! I’ll give you cream filling!”
While the platinum-blond man packed up the fish-shaped pastries, the man on the left—a very tall man—filled a long paper cup with two fish cake skewers and broth.
The tall man had tied his hair back in a single knot, and even though his face was hidden behind a mask and cap too, he seemed to shine. He carried an aura that was impossible to put into words.
The tall man held out the paper cup first.
“Did you finish writing your answer sheet?”
She nearly jumped out of her skin.
The instant their eyes met, her heart gave a jolt as if it had flown out of place. Carefully, she took the cup so she wouldn’t drop it.
“Huh? Oh, yes….”
But what kind of question was that? Not, “Did you do well on the exam?” but “Did you finish writing your answer sheet?” Well, of course she had.
And yet the man smiled and said,
“Well done.”
She hadn’t done well, though. What did he know?
“I failed the exam.”
“Even so, you did well. You didn’t give up halfway, did you?”
Even though she’d failed, he was still saying she’d done well….
“Anyone can hang on. The important thing is to do well on the exam.”
Hanging on. Trying hard. Making an effort. Anyone can do that. People who aren’t good at things have no choice but to do at least that much, or they really will be left behind in the competition.
But even the people who are good at things make an effort. To become even better. To keep moving farther ahead.
Her breath caught in her throat. She felt like she was barely holding on to a slick rock in a violent current, desperately trying not to be swept away.
She had literally just finished the exam, and yet it felt as though the rushing water was pushing her back even more relentlessly, more cruelly.
How much longer do I have to keep holding on? When will it end?
The pressure that she’d ruined the exam and now had to start preparing for the retake from this very day felt suffocating.
But the man’s next words soothed her.
“Just because everyone does it doesn’t mean it’s easy. So today, I hope you’ll tell yourself that you held on well, and pat yourself on the back for having done something difficult.”
At that, tears pricked hotly at her eyes.
Yeah. That’s right. I really wanted to run away today. But I didn’t, did I?
Bird poop on her head. Falling down. Her notebook soaked in honey tea. Hunger gnawing at her stomach. Even with everything a complete mess, she’d swallowed her humiliation and endured all the way to the final exam.
After the results came out, after she applied to universities, after the final results were announced… she could beat herself up then. She’d run hard all this time, so for today at least, it would be fine to eat well, rest properly, and catch up on all the webtoons she’d missed.
“Yes. Thank you….”
She felt bad for having spoken so brusquely, so she mumbled her thanks awkwardly. Then a paper bag filled with fish-shaped pastries was held out in front of her.
The platinum-blond man hadn’t baked them himself; a staff member nearby had done the cooking skillfully, and he had only packed them up.
“You worked hard for the exam. Please enjoy them.”
“Thank you….”
She took the fish-shaped pastries and fish cake skewers, then turned away and headed for the bus stop, tasting one of the pastries as she walked. There were three inside, maybe because they’d given her extra and told her to eat a lot.
“Ah, hot.”
They must have been freshly baked, because the outside was crisp while the inside was moist and filled generously with hot cream. The sweetness spread through her brain.
This is delicious.
She polished off the pastries in no time, crumpled the paper bag into her pocket, and picked up the fish cake skewer.
Why is this so good? This tastes like handmade fish cake…?
It wasn’t just cheap fish cake—it tasted like the real thing, properly made.
After finishing the fish cake and drinking the broth in the paper cup, which was still piping hot, she felt as though even her heart had been warmed.
So warm….
By the time she’d emptied the cup and boarded the bus, which had arrived right on cue, she felt much better.
***