Chapter 4
I took the Aptitude Test. Am I dreaming? That was my first thought.
Just moments ago, I'd been scrapping with the genius shaman Yuil-am on the school rooftop. But now here I was on the school athletic field. Unless I'd jumped off that roof ready to die, there was no way I could've gotten down to ground level this fast.
And on top of that...
"Astronaut! Please!"
"God! Grant me a miracle~!"
"I wanna be president..."
The third-years, who should've been home by now after end-of-day homeroom, were swarming the field. How the hell was this possible? I was totally confused.
"Next student."
A woman's voice came from inside the hospital bus.
"......"
"Next student! Come on in already!"
But when no one stepped up, her voice got louder.
"Moon-soo. What're you doing?"
"Hey. It's your turn."
"Hurry up and go!"
"Huh?"
Prodded by my annoyed friends, I dragged my feet into the hospital bus.
My turn?
The Aptitude Test was mandatory for every citizen, just once. Even if you got a retest, the results never flipped. So why was I doing this again? I was completely baffled.
"Student. Take off your shoes and lie down on the bed to the right."
A female nurse I'd seen once before pointed to the simple exam bed.
"Um..."
"Student. We don't have time. Save your questions for the doctor later."
Even with her clear refusal, I pushed ahead.
"Is this really the Aptitude Test?"
"......"
The nurse paused at my question, frowning.
"Tell me."
"Student, I'm very busy and don't have time for games. Did you seriously wait in line without knowing this was the Aptitude Test?"
"...Sorry."
I figured one more question and I'd get kicked out of this bus.
"Get up there quick."
"Okay."
I shut my mouth and lay down on the bed. Not that I was convinced or anything.
I already took the Aptitude Test, though?
I had no idea why I was getting retested.
"Student. Before we start the exam, I'll ask a quick confirmation question."
"Sure."
"Have you ever taken the Aptitude Test before?"
"Yes."
"No— you have?"
"Yes. Two days ago."
"Hold on."
Tap, clack, tap-tap-tap.
The nurse, looking a bit flustered, hammered at her laptop keyboard.
"......"
I waited calmly. Since I'd taken the test in this very hospital bus, there had to be some record.
"Student. Your name?"
"Kang Moon-soo."
"Name matches... But which hospital did you pay for a test at two days ago?"
"It was free."
"You're a student at this school. The only designated hospital for free tests is ours."
"I took it in this hospital bus."
"......"
"Check it."
"...Student. You didn't even start the test back then. Keep messing around and you'll get kicked out."
"......"
I wasn't lying. But the nurse laying down the law didn't seem to be lying either.
This is driving me nuts!
It felt just like going back in time. The thought was so ridiculous I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Student. Close your eyes and stay still from now on."
Her tone wasn't kind, having pegged me as some prankster liar.
"Okay."
I set aside my confused thoughts for a moment and "took" the Aptitude Test again.
* * *
I'm no expert, so I don't know the exact principles behind the Aptitude Test machine, but I learned it measures you from head to toe to determine your aptitude. Brain cells, vocal cords, kidney function, body proportions, capillaries, lung capacity... even your genitals!
"......"
I didn't feel a thing during the test, but special radiation from the plywood under the medical bed was scanning right through my body.
"Test's done. Get up."
"Okay."
The first time, I'd just been dazed. But now, knowing the results already, it was creepy how this short process decided my whole life.
Ah! No.
Maybe the memory of getting "shaman" wasn't a nightmare? Proof: I couldn't see the ghosts that genius shaman Yuil-am could. Clear evidence of no talent!
The moment I concluded it was a dream, my mind eased up.
Still...
"What was that shaman?"
Dreams are supposed to be reconstructions of experiences, but I'd met Yuil-am—a total stranger—and gone through a whole series of events. That nagged at me a bit.
No, maybe...
Maybe the genius shaman Yuil-am was just a fictional character I'd imagined.
After stepping out of the bus for the next student, I pulled out my smartphone in the corner of the gym.
Tap-tap.
I jumped straight into the search engine and typed his name.
Yuu, il, am... What the—?!
「Genius Shaman Yuil-am! Live Broadcast」
「Shaman Yuil-am's Consultation Corner」
「Master Detective Shaman Yuil-am! Ghost Busting!」
「Shaman Yuil-am vs. Shaman Song Eun-yeong」
"...He really exists."
I was deeply bummed to be breathing the same air as someone I'd hoped was fake.
"The tests are wrapping up quick."
"Yeah."
"Did they even test you...?"
"President! Please~!"
The long line for the Aptitude Test was finally thinning out. Kids waiting for their results, which they'd heard about a million times.
"......"
I must've just let the day slip by in this atmosphere back then too.
"Moon-soo."
"Yeah?"
"You okay? You've been quiet."
I shook my head slightly at my friend who dreamed of the presidency.
"Nah. Just got a lot on my mind."
That hyper-realistic nightmare had my head all tangled up.
"Moon-soo. Got any aptitude you want?"
I'd gotten this question before—in the dream too. What'd I say?
...Ah, right. Anything that makes big money.
Ever since Dad died suddenly and I was on my own, money had been tight. Money! Money! And more money! In capitalist society, you couldn't skip it. Living without money worries—that was the dream.
But now...
"As long as it's not some weird job like shaman, I'm good."
"Shaman? Oh, yeah, after Yuil-am's shows, who wouldn't hate it."
"You know Yuil-am?"
"Duh. He's famous. Some call him a con man, but tons of witnesses say they've seen him exorcise ghosts."
"I see."
His personality's in the gutter, but seems like he's legit as a shaman.
"I wanna be president."
"Didn't ask."
My answer didn't matter; his dream stayed the same.
"I'm gonna be the president of the future!"
"Sure."
"...Moon-soo."
"What?"
"What if you get an aptitude you don't want?"
"......"
His lines were the same, but I couldn't brush it off like before. Unwanted aptitude. Having "experienced" it in the dream, I answered seriously.
"I'd fight it. Can't just hand my fate over to some machine made by a mystery P, right?"
"I see..."
"What about you? If president doesn't come up?"
"Dunno... I'll think after I see the results."
"Don't worry. You'll definitely get president."
"Thanks, even if it's empty words."
"It's real."
I saw it in the dream! It felt real enough to believe even for the near future.
That's what worries me.
The anxiety that I'd get "shaman" again like in the nightmare. And Yuil-am's face kept popping up—the one where he was kicking that girl on the rooftop.
"Next student!"
"Hm?"
"No next student? Song Seon-yeong! Come to the testing area!"
"...What?"
The nurse who'd come out of the bus was calling students in a tired voice.
That's weird.
This hadn't happened before. In the dream, the Aptitude Test had gone off without a hitch.
"Seon-yeong's not taking the test."
"She went to the nurse's office 'cause she's sick."
"Said she'd pay later for a separate one."
The other students still waiting explained to the nurse.
"Thanks for letting me know. Next after Song Seon-yeong, come in."
"Yes!"
A minor hiccup, but the tests went on as planned.
"Weird, huh."
"Yeah. It's common sense to watch your health extra careful three days before the Aptitude Test."
"Right."
Aptitude Test results get stamped on your resident registration—super important stuff. Groundless superstition or not, what if some freak accident or illness messed up your body and tanked the results?
That's why in the dream, everyone took care, and no one skipped due to health issues.
"Moon-soo."
"Yeah?"
"Looks like everyone else is done. Wanna grab food?"
"...Sure."
The story was diverging from the dream a bit, giving me a slight sense of unease, but it'd probably be fine.
* * *
One day, another day... At first, I wandered, unable to tell dream from reality. But after that, days passed smoothly.
Just... too identical.
The progression matched the dream so perfectly it gave me chills. Teachers' lesson styles, school notices for parents with no guardians listed, my part-time job, the news... For a dream built on my imagination, even the tiniest details lined up flawlessly.
Was that really a dream?
Damn. What am I even thinking...
I let out a hollow laugh. Of course it was a dream. If you applied Einstein's theory of general relativity to cosmology, you couldn't stop or reverse the time of an expanding universe. Another proof—
"Whoa!"
"He's here!"
"Everyone, take your seats!"
My scientific epiphany shattered amid the rowdy classroom.
Here it comes.
Our homeroom teacher entered, hands full of envelopes that would stamp our "aptitude" at the top of our lifelong resident registration cards.
This matched the dream perfectly too. Except for that one kid who refused the test—everything was the same.
"Everyone, waited long?"
"......"
"......"
"Yes!"
The class was silent with tension, but I answered boldly. I'd really been waiting for this moment.
"Number 1, Kang Moon-soo."
"Yes!"
I took a deep breath as I grabbed my Aptitude Test result envelope.
No need to worry.
Including family history, getting some occult aptitude totally unrelated to me had to be nightmare residue. Reality would be different.
Good.
Rational analysis eased my mind bit by bit. Prep done.
Slide.
I carefully peeked at the contents of the envelope I'd been scared to open.
"...Huh?"
Slam!
I shut it immediately.
Why?!
Were my eyes messing up? I rubbed out some dust and looked again.
"Moon-soo president material too?"
"He likes science—maybe engineer or researcher."
"Now I'm hyped too!"
"Could be astronaut..."
Classmates sparkled with curiosity about my results, same as always.
"Moon-soo. Tell us."
"What job for Moon-soo?"
"Hey. Open it already."
It was ridiculous how into my life they were.
How do they match word-for-word?
Shouldn't the future change since I'm acting different from the dream? That question hit me, but...
"Hard to say?"
Even our duty-bound homeroom teacher spouted the exact same line, so I gave up thinking.
"My aptitude is..."
Maybe the shock was less since it was my second time in this situation?
Slam.
I flipped the result sheet palm-up and shouted.
"Shaman!"
It'll work out somehow.