Chapter 34
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Midterm Exam
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Quantum computers represent the culmination of 500 years of human scientific history.
In truth, the idea was first proposed by Feynman back in 1970.
But their true beginning didn't come until 2019.
2019. Google.
They created Sycamore, the first quantum computer chip to surpass the performance of classical computers.
This chip was so incredible and insanely fast that it solved problems which would take a conventional supercomputer over 10,000 years in mere seconds.
The physics community defined it like this:
Quantum Supremacy
In other words, Quantum Advantage.
It meant that no home computer, no PC bang machine—not even supercomputers—could ever surpass quantum computers. They had crossed that insurmountable line.
"Well, that problem was utterly useless in practice, though."
For example, consider this.
Imagine an algorithm that could predict lottery numbers.
If a quantum computer could crack it in seconds and predict the winning numbers, that would be revolutionary.
But what if the problem wasn't the current lottery numbers, but those from 50 million years in the future?
Yes, it was still an incredibly difficult problem.
But at the same time, it was a profoundly pointless one.
What good would knowing lottery numbers from 50 million years from now do?
We might not even be alive then, let alone humanity still existing.
"The real deal starts in 2030."
So 2020 was just the dawn, the precursor to quantum computers.
The true revolution begins in 2030.
Right after that, I died.
And now, I've regressed.
"I'll bring 2030 forward to 2020."
Capital.
Manpower.
And knowledge.
As a middle schooler, my options were extremely limited, but I had to think long-term.
"So much to do. Let's take it step by step, starting with what I can do right now."
Slide.
I muttered to myself as I opened the back door.
My first-year middle school classroom, now familiar once again.
But unlike the usual boisterous morning chatter, it was unusually quiet today.
Even more surprising, a lot of kids were actually studying.
Even if I'd created a studying atmosphere in our class, this many was abnormal.
"Everyone, sit down quickly."
As I entered through the back door, the teacher came in through the front.
"You all know today's the midterm exam, right? No chatting or fooling around—study even one more line if you can."
Today was midterm exam day.
"Whoa..."
The midterm math exam.
I was stunned in real time.
Did we really learn this stuff in middle school?
"Quiet down back there, student."
Did my exclamation carry to the back?
Yeah, probably.
I was in the last row, after all.
I felt the supervising parent's sharp glare from the back and shut my mouth.
But inside, I kept marveling.
Isn't this too much?
The answers just popped into my head before I even finished reading the problems?
Even if I'd gotten smarter after regressing.
Even if this was just a middle school midterm.
This was way too easy.
No wonder the kids who'll shape a nation's future grow up as total idiots.
Hmm.
Thinking back to my pre-regression life, it really was like that.
Anyway.
This exam was ridiculously easy for me.
Honestly, I hadn't studied middle school math at all, and it had been so long I thought I'd forgotten some.
Guess I overestimated it.
Scribble, scribble.
Scratch, scribble.
Flip.
Scribble, scribble.
I quickly marked the answers and flipped pages in a flash.
Then I read the next problems at the same blistering pace and solved them just as fast.
Soon, I was done.
Click, scritch.
The stiff sound of marking the OMR sheet with a computer scoring pen.
It stirred up old memories.
Later on, they switched from these pens to plain pencils for marking.
One wrong mark, and you'd have to raise your hand for a new sheet.
Come to think of it, there was even a debate about whether it was OMR or "five-choice" cards.
OMR was right, but with five options, even I first thought it was "five-choice."
Click, scritch, scritch.
As I marked, I glanced at the clock—only 5 minutes had passed since the exam started.
"If you're new to OMR cards, don't panic. Mark carefully without going outside the circles. No extra time for marking at the end, so stop solving 5 minutes before and do your marks then."
The freshmen straight out of elementary school.
The teachers repeated the warning, worried they'd mess up on the unfamiliar OMR sheets.
Fair point.
You at least needed to mark in the last 5 minutes to feel safe.
Marking after every problem was awkward—you might want to change answers during review later.
"No extra time even if you finish and haven't marked. Manage your time yourselves."
Of course, that didn't apply to me at all.
Not the last 5 minutes—I'd finished everything 5 minutes after starting.
Plus, my answers were perfect, so no review needed.
Therefore,
"Zzz..."
Time to sleep.
I was exhausted from pulling all-nighters lately anyway.
Not studying for midterms, but for bringing the quantum era forward by 10 years.
2008.
Back then, parents helped proctor exams instead of just teachers.
Teachers at the front, parents at the back.
Hehe, where's my Rachel... Ah, there she is.
Unlike the future where even cleaning was done by teachers and contractors, not students.
Of course, they didn't assign parents to their own kids' classes.
Still, what a mess this classroom is. My son's school has all wooden floors.
Sinnong Middle School was lacking in proctors and many other ways.
Ugh, even if we sent her here strategically... Can Rachel really study in this environment?
And Rachel's mom had deliberately chosen this school knowing full well.
To feast on the easy internal grades.
"...5 minutes before the end, stop solving and mark your answers."
The teacher's familiar announcement—she'd proctored before.
"Zzz..."
But right after, she spotted a kid who immediately face-planted to sleep.
Oh my, what's with that one? The exam just started!
Rachel's mom couldn't help but be shocked.
No such kids at her son's Seoul middle school.
I should wake him.
Rachel's mom tried to rouse the student asleep just 5 minutes in.
Honestly, nothing beat watching someone else's kid tank an exam.
But as a volunteer proctor, she needed to look good for the teacher.
"Hey, kid. Wake up. You can't sleep already."
She whispered softly to avoid disturbing others.
"Zzz..."
But the student showed no sign of waking.
Good grief, what a dump this school is. Even if he's given up on studying, having a kid this pathetic? I can already picture his mom!
Rachel's mom had no idea this sleeping kid had won bronze at the KMO.
Nor that her own daughter hadn't even placed.
She sighed deeply.
"Hey, hey."
She shook him gently on top of whispering.
But the moment she did,
Slide.
The supposedly sleeping Kyung-jun suddenly slid something over.
Still face-down, he extended his fully marked OMR card—name and answers complete.
What kind of kid...?
Rachel's mom was flustered by the bold move.
Name... Han Kyung-jun? The one who broke my kid's arm that Rachel mentioned?
She already knew about Kyung-jun.
Rachel was the typical princess, mom tying even her socks.
Studying, eating—Rachel needed mom for everything.
Tsk tsk. Waking kids like this is pointless. He probably just guessed and slept.
In the end, she gave up on waking him.
The outcome was obvious either way.
Need to get Rachel into a science high school fast. What an awful learning environment. Tsk tsk.
But she had no plans to transfer.
Despite the hopeless school.
The reason she chose Sinnong Middle:
If only Rachel could be top of her class like her brother... Compared to prime spots like Seoul, internals are a breeze here. She needs to get into science high like him. Sigh.
Korean parents were extremely strategic.
They'd even move for better schools.
Didn't matter if the kid wasn't smart.
Cram in private tutoring to make them top the underachieving school.
That's why parents moved to rural or bad schools.
Tell Rachel's tutor to pad her resume, send her to an invention contest for a patent... Local science high should be easy.
With those inflated grades and regional quotas.
Plus bought portfolios and essays from academies.
With money and info, science high was yours.
Only the strong go to good schools? An old myth.
Rachel isn't for hanging with thugs like this. She's top of the class for sure. Tell her to report any bullying right away. Report this kid's mom immediately.
Of course, she never dreamed her daughter couldn't be first.
No matter the money or pushy parents.
"Zzz... mmm... quantum computer... mine..."
Nothing beat a second chance at life.
Ding dong ding~ Ding dong~
The end-of-exam bell woke me.
Pass your OMRs from back to front...
"...aren't you collecting?"
Oh, right.
I was in the last seat.
"Ughhh~"
At Lee A-ram's nudge, I yawned hugely and stretched.
Only after all that dawdling did I start collecting OMRs.
"Back there! Why aren't you collecting?!"
The English teacher's irritated scolding.
I knew it was coming and collected even slower on purpose.
I really was sleepy.
I mumbled "Yeees~" to her shout while gathering sheets.
"Next time, mark ahead of time. That was close."
Han So-mi, mid-row same section.
I said it while taking her OMR.
"S-sorry..."
Thanks to my post-bell dawdling, she'd barely finished marking.
She blushed, ashamed of her cheating, head down.
But it was fine this time.
Wait 10 years.
Kids like her get called out instantly, shamed, and zeroed.
2008 was lenient all around.
That romantic(?) era.
Not called the age of romance for nothing.
"Life was good back then. Yawn~"
I turned in the OMRs haphazardly.
Then back to my desk to finish my nap.
"Han Kyung-jun~ Han Kyung-jun~!"
But before I could close my eyes, a disturber arrived.
"What, Han So-mi friend."
The girl who'd suddenly asked if I liked karaoke.
The middle schooler who'd declared idol dreams boldly in front of everyone.
"Don't call me that~!"
Yu Eun-ha pouted in protest.
"Why? Aren't you Han So-mi's friend?"
"That's true! Oh, So-mi's here too! BFFs, right~? Right~?"
"Uh, yeah? S-suddenly?"
Now Han So-mi joined Yu Eun-ha.
"Whoa, fuck, was that math real? I swear I solved them, but 1 through 10 were all 4!"
And Hong Ja-hee, tiny but foul-mouthed as hell, made it even noisier.
"Why do you always hang with us girls, Han Kyung-jun? No guy friends?"
"Sometimes~ A boy playing only with girls~"
"Must be nice. You."
"...You guys are here."
Han So-mi laughed awkwardly beside me.
They were so lively, giggling and chattering.
"Anyway, exam paper, exam paper!"
Yu Eun-ha demanded my math sheet.
Checking answers right after midterms/finals was the rule.
Class rep would post answers on the board after anyway.
Honestly, never got it from way back.
But everyone's got their quirks.
"Here."
I just handed it over.
"Hmm...!"
Yu Eun-ha glared back and forth between hers and mine.
Like it would wear out—exam was over anyway.
And skipping would tire me more.
"Huh? Question 1 is 3, right? You got it wrong, Han Kyung-jun!"
"Hey, gimme it back."
No, this was more tiring.