Ch 189
Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy
Chapter 189
The exam subjects at Hunter School are seven subjects that high school students must learn: Korean, English, Korean History, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, and Ethics, plus exams according to each major subject, making a total of eight subjects.
In other words, 800 points is the perfect score.
Of course, when recorded in the school records, it's reflected including various performance evaluations and practical exams.
Still, a perfect score.
Haha... I guessed the last two questions in each subject, but I never really thought they would all be correct.
"Perfect score? Min Chan-seong, you monster of a guy."
"I thought you were always just playing around with girls. When did you study?"
"Lucky you."
I'm not particularly happy, and I'm actually a bit frustrated.
This would be harder than buying a lottery ticket and winning first place, but I completely wasted my luck on something random.
"Well, I was lucky. All my guesses were right."
Looking at the report card again, from right below to 5th place are all names I know.
[2nd place Kim Do-hyun 794 points
3rd place Cha Min-woo 792 points
4th place Seong Ji-an 788 points
5th place Yu Hye-ji 784 points]
"Look at that Cha Min-woo's face, his expression is amazing."
"I hated how he's been bragging about always being first since middle school. This time he got completely screwed."
Looking where the kids are pointing, that bastard Cha Min-woo has quite a shocked expression.
He glares at me and leaves his seat, but thinking about it, it seems like a problem has arisen.
In the original work, Do-hyun takes first place and earns Cha Min-woo's hatred.
In the martial arts tournament in the second semester, he loses to Lee Ji-sung and ends up hating both protagonists.
He becomes friends with them when they're in the same class in second year though...
It seems like because I took first place in this exam, I've received the resentment that Do-hyun would have gotten.
Cha Min-woo is also one of the main supporting characters who plays an active role later, so it would be fortunate for Do-hyun that he can easily become friends with him.
But I can't say it's fortunate for me...
I was about to go back to the classroom when I checked the report card once more.
I haven't confirmed two people's names yet.
Nam Ji-hyeon is 29th place.
It might not be just because of exam scores, but this would be one of the reasons she ignored me and passed by earlier.
Lee Ji-sung is 124th place.
Slightly below average.
No matter how much the smart kids helped him, he hadn't studied much originally, so it can't be helped.
Especially subjects like math can't be improved in a short time.
Still, he would have been almost last place.
Seeing him jump up to the middle ranks at once, I guess a protagonist is still a protagonist, and I came to the classroom thinking that.
As soon as I put down my bag and sat down, the kids swarmed over.
Like earlier in front of the bulletin board, they praise me saying my grades are amazing, but I don't feel much emotion.
"What's the point of being good at studying? His personality is complete trash."
"Nam Ji-hyeon, what are you saying?"
"Ji-hyeon, aren't you just jealous because Chan-seong got better grades than you?"
"If you look closely, Nam Ji-hyeon picks fights with Chan-seong every day, doesn't she?"
"What? You guys don't even know anything...! Min Chan-seong, that bastard is..."
Is she trying to spill everything about my date with Eunseo here?
"Stop."
Just as I was wondering how to respond, Seong Ji-an stood up and stopped Nam Ji-hyeon.
"What do you mean stop? Ji-an, you should be the most angry..."
"I said stop!"
"You really, even after being treated like that..."
"Nam Ji-hyeon, follow me out."
Ji-an took Ji-hyeon out and the commotion stopped, but the class atmosphere became strange in an instant.
Should I go too?
***
"Ji-hyeon, why are you really acting like this?"
"Who's one to talk. Aren't you angry either? You took care of him so much and devoted yourself, but you got stabbed in the back."
"Stabbed in the back? Chan-seong and I are just friends..."
"Even in this situation, you're talking about being friends? Seong Ji-an, you and I have been friends since kindergarten, don't I know you? You like Chan-seong."
"..."
"You know that Min Chan-seong isn't a clueless guy either. He definitely knows. But without saying anything to you, he went with Senior Eunseo..."
"Cha... Chan-seong originally can't refuse well. You heard that Senior Eunseo made the proposal first too."
This is really frustrating.
"What are you really trying to do? What can't Min Chan-seong refuse? No, would he accept such a proposal when he doesn't have feelings in the first place? He was weighing you against Senior Eunseo and threw you away."
"...What are you saying..."
"Even after being treated like that, you're still covering for him?"
"The two of them aren't even dating yet, it's just a fling..."
"If they went to an amusement park alone during the holiday, it's over... They might have already decided to date. Who knows."
"...Ji-hyeon, I'm grateful that you're concerned, but this is my problem. I'll handle it myself."
"What can you handle... Fine, I understand."
"Then let's go back in."
"I'll stop by the bathroom for a moment first."
"Then shall I come with you?"
"No."
I told Ji-an I understood, but my anger hasn't subsided.
Now Ji-an seems like she's going to confess too, and if things go well between them, I might be able to endure it somehow, but if not... I won't leave that bastard Min Chan-seong alone.
How much Ji-an took care of that bastard and treated him well...
Even other kids besides me all know it.
If he doesn't have feelings, he should say so clearly.
All this time, he ambiguously received everything he could receive, stayed close as friends, gave her all kinds of hope, then without a word went out to play with another woman - that's really the worst.
***
"I did hear from the vice principal that the test results were good, but I really didn't know Chan-seong was this good at studying."
"Haha... I was lucky."
After the closing ceremony ended, Seo-ra asked only me to follow her, so I thought she might be suspecting cheating because of the incredibly high score.
I thought I might have to take a retest, but fortunately it doesn't seem to be that.
"Even with luck, a perfect score is difficult. You really worked hard. I'm so proud of you, Chan-seong, and you make me proud."
"It's because many of my guesses were right..."
"How modest too."
Why is she praising me this much?
From what I know, while she does care for students, she wasn't particularly concerned about grades.
If there's a first place student in the class, the average goes up, so it's slightly advantageous when selecting the best class later.
The best class homeroom teacher receives a special allowance, but there's no allowance for having a student who ranks first.
"Um, but the reason you called me separately..."
"Oh, the Asian branch of the International Hunter Association is selecting excellent students from each country to conduct a special camp this time."
"Special camp?"
"It's called a camp, but it's just like an exchange meeting. You meet students from other countries, talk, and famous hunters come to give special lectures. It would be helpful and fun."
Hmm, I don't think this was in the original work.
"How about it? I want to recommend our Chan-seong. The vice principal also said to ask first since we had a perfect scorer among the first years this time."
It looks like it would be troublesome at first glance.
"Is it during summer vacation?"
"No. It's conducted for 2 nights and 3 days including Friday in early June next month. The location is Japan. All expenses are supported by the International Hunter Association, so there's no need to worry."
Being able to legally skip a day of classes is a nice merit, but the airplane seems troublesome too.
Oh, wait.
"Am I the only one going from our school?"
"No. It's 2 people per grade, but I heard our school is selecting 1 person per grade, so 3 people total."
Then Eunseo will probably go too, should we go together?
The student council president is Eunsu, not Eunseo, but since Eunseo is the previous year's WHCU winner, her recognition is much higher both within the school and externally.
She's good at studying too, and since Eunseo won the WHCU.
"Do I have to decide right away?"
"It's not like that, but it's a good opportunity, so I hope Chan-seong would go..."
"Um, then let me think about it a little and tell you."
I should talk to Eunseo separately once.
"Alright. Think about it and let me know by Monday next week. Congratulations on first place once again."
"Thank you."
I greeted her and left the teachers' office.
I was about to contact Eunseo right away, but I think I should handle the prior appointment first.
During lunch time, I got a message from Seong Ji-an.
She said she has something to talk about, so come to the back of the gymnasium after class.
The reason she called me is probably because of what happened during the last holiday.
I can roughly guess what she'll talk about.
Either curse at me or confess - it'll be one of these two.
Considering Seong Ji-an's personality and what happened this morning, the latter is more likely.
I was slightly delayed because Seo-ra called me separately, but will she be there when I go?
I thought about contacting her, but I should just go.
No separate contact came, but if my prediction is right, she'll be waiting continuously.
What's this?
I arrived at the back of the gymnasium, but I don't see Ji-an.
Just as I was thinking my prediction was wrong, I felt signs of people from the forest connected to the training ground, so I went to look and found Ji-an with 2 cats next to her.
In the thick bushes, there's also a roughly made wooden house.
"Um..."
"You came early. I thought you'd be later."
"It wasn't a big deal. But what are those guys?"
Due to the nature of the school with dormitory life, students cannot keep pets.
Bringing them in is naturally prohibited too.
"The yellow one, Cheese, is Hong Chun-sik, and the black one is Gwak Du-pal."
No... how can cat names be Hong Chun-sik and Gwak Du-pal?
"Bo, both of them have quite unique names."
I said it without much thought, but suddenly she looks at me with a sad expression.
No, even if you look at me with that expression, honestly, they're really too terrible.
"Chan-seong, you really can't remember anything."
"Huh?"
"You named both of them. I opposed it, saying let's use prettier names..."
It wasn't Seong Ji-an's naming sense that was terrible, but Min Chan-seong's.
"You really don't remember? We discovered them together in first year of middle school."
Ah! I remembered.
Of course, since I'm not really Min Chan-seong, I didn't remember naming the cats, but I just recalled the original work I couldn't remember.
In the original work, Lee Ji-sung accidentally discovers the cats, plays with them and takes care of their meals, and Seong Ji-an, who originally took care of those cats, sees this and becomes closer to Lee Ji-sung and develops feelings for him.
There's a scene where Seong Ji-an tells Lee Ji-sung that there used to be one more who came to this place originally, but doesn't come anymore.
I naturally thought a cat had died or left, but seeing this now, it seems she was talking about Min Chan-seong, not a cat.
"Sorry. I don't remember."
"No. I know... it's just a little hard."
MEOW!
Both of them rub against Ji-an's legs and act cute.
It can't be true, but since Ji-an said it's hard, it's like they're comforting her.
"You're not dating Senior Eunseo yet, right?"
"Uh... huh?"
"Senior said it was just a fling on Friday."
"Yeah. We're not dating."
"...But you do like her?"
"Um..."
"I like you."
"..."
"I liked you much earlier. From when I discovered you taking care of the cats in first year of middle school. I liked you much earlier. It definitely wasn't like we were dating then, but you also..."
Is this really how it's going to be?
I expected it, but now that it's happening, I can't help but be flustered.
Of course, flustered or not, my answer is already decided anyway.
"...Sorry. I might have in the past, but the current me likes you as a friend, but I've never thought of you as the opposite sex."
Because I'm not really Min Chan-seong.