Lucky Sevens and the Taehakwon Secret
S……T……A……Y……!
I burned the candle at both ends, pure white-hot. I poured everything I'd learned this semester into it. And that wasn't all. I'd swiped the exam crib sheet from Yong-yong, and I'd gone after anyone who tried to distract me from studying—gun in hand. All I could do was hope it paid off. The other cadets in the classroom with me probably felt the same. They'd gathered early in the morning and waited for the instructor in total silence, not exchanging a single word.
Creak. The classroom door slid open, drawing every eye. The instructor strode in clutching a stack of papers. The cadets held their breath, watching his every step.
"Ahem. Ahem."
Finally reaching the podium, the instructor cleared his throat. He spoke softly, but his voice carried through the room.
"Even if your scores aren't what you expected, don't lose heart. It's just a momentary stumble—today's results don't define your future. Understood?"
The tension was thick; no one dared reply. They just stared at him with bloodshot eyes from pulling all-nighters.
"Hmm. Very well."
The instructor nodded nonchalantly, as if he'd done this a hundred times. He unfolded the papers and called out the first name at the top.
"First up! 97th place! Kim Hak-dong of the Andong Kim Ga clan!"
There were 98 first-year cadets total, so the absolute bottom must be in another class. Rankings didn't matter much anyway.
"67 points! Fail!"
"Argh! No way!"
Pass or fail was what split joy from despair. Anything under 70 meant retaking the whole first semester.
"W-wait! Hold on! There must be a mistake!"
"Impossible! Those notified of their scores, leave the classroom now!"
"No way! You bastard—!"
"Walk out on your own? Or be dragged?"
"Grr! You'll regret this!"
Don't regret it, dude—you'll have to face him again to pass.
The thirty-something guy stormed out in a huff. The instructor watched impassively, then continued announcing scores. Thanks to me sharing the crib sheet with everyone, he was the only outright failure.
"Jeong Hyeon-beom! 81st place! 79 points! Pass!"
"Grrraaah!"
Jeong Hyeon-beom clenched his massive fist in triumph at his score. Then he slammed it into my back.
Thwack!
"Ow! Why'd you hit me?!"
"Krahaha! Thanks to you, little brother Si-jin! Drinks are on me tonight—big time!"
"No, seriously—why hit me?!"
"Krahahahaha!"
"Hey! Big bro!"
Jeong Hyeon-beom didn't explain, just got up laughing and left the room. The brief commotion died down, and soon my name echoed out.
"Kim Si-jin of the Pyeongan Kim Ga clan! 87 points! 27th place!"
What?! 87 points?! 27th place?! That's straight-up Lucky Sevens!
The unexpectedly high score and rank lifted the corners of my mouth.
"Fuuu..."
But So Ji-hu, sitting beside me, let out a deep sigh.
"Ha! All that showing off, and you only hit 27th?"
From behind, Park Seon-ryung snorted derisively.
Yong-yong, what's your deal?
"Little Brother Byuljang, don't be too downhearted."
So Ji-hu sighed sympathetically, trying to console me.
"You've been swamped with company duties. Still, 87 points is solid, and 27th place? That's no small feat."
Why's this a big deal? It's Lucky Sevens! Solid mid-upper ranks!
...Oh, right. I got in as top scorer. Dropping to mid-upper from that must look rough. No wonder So Ji-hu was worried.
"It won't be easy, but steel yourself."
"Yeah, yeah. Thanks for the pep talk—means a lot."
I forced a grin and headed out. In the hallway, early leavers clustered in groups.
"Ahem! Ahem!"
Jeong Hyeon-beom, standing alone, cleared his throat awkwardly and approached. Unlike in class, he patted my back gently, like a comforter.
"Even birds from the heavens touch ground sometimes. Think of it as a breather."
He must've heard about my 27th outside.
"I'm good, big bro. 27th is pretty great."
"No need to pretend. Come here."
He spread his arms, offering his sturdy chest.
"Today, you can cry in these arms. No matter how high you soar, you're still just sixteen."
No, really—I'm fine. You're making it sound like I flunked.
"Seriously. As long as I didn't fail, it's all good."
I didn't care beyond passing. Graduate the academy, and King Munjong would back me up.
"I see you're disheartened. You don't need Hanyang to make it big—don't worry."
"Huh? Hanyang?"
Why bring up Hanyang?
"Eh?"
Jeong Hyeon-beom looked more startled than I did. He paused, then chuckled.
"Ha, haha. What's with that reaction? Top five overall gets you into Hanyang's Taehakwon, regardless of major."
What? Taehakwon?
"You really don't know?"
"Know what?"
"Little brother. Didn't you hear in the first class?"
First class? No memory. Not that I forgot—it never happened.
"I was out bandit-hunting remnants that day. Missed academy."
"Ah, right. You were absent."
Jeong Hyeon-beom nodded, then crossed his arms, tilting his head.
"Hmm. Where to start..."
"Just explain. You said top five overall goes to Taehakwon."
"Oh, yeah. Exactly that."
Jeong Hyeon-beom filled me in on the academy system I'd missed. Graduate, and you're an official—true. But top five overall? Straight to Hanyang's Taehakwon.
There, the king's loyal retainers teach advanced knowledge. Not just lectures—they dive into real-world practice, developing tech and policies to advance Joseon. The absolute pinnacle elite track.
How'd I not know this?
"Hey, Si-jin. No one told you?"
Oh, yeah. No one did.
"Nah. Grew up in Hwacheok Village."
My world was Hwacheok folk from dawn to dusk. Sure, some knew, but Kim Jin-sa's and the eldest young master's words went in one ear and out the other.
"I-if that's the case... urrgh!"
Jeong Hyeon-beom rolled his eyes like he'd been sucker-punched. Taehakwon, huh. King's loyalists? Gotta be modern reincarnators. Learning modern knowledge hands-on... Wait. What?
Suddenly, English flashed in my head...
S……T……A……Y……!
What? STAY? Don't go?
My gut—the same one that sniffed out Han Myeong-hoe and spotted Hong Gil-dong at a glance—was screaming. Stop thinking. Lose interest.
A chill hit me. Piecing it with the Gukjagam info from Jeong Hyeon-beom: Direct modern education, real-world fieldwork, tech/policy dev. Plus the familiar name Taehakwon.
This is grad school, isn't it?
"Listen, little brother. Don't give up yet. You're just a first-year. Work hard, and Taehakwon is yours."
"No! I ain't going! Not setting foot in that Taehakwon!"
They say juvenile delinquents go to juvie; college kids who screw up go to grad school. No way I'm tearing my body and soul apart there. No thanks.
Glad I bombed just enough. Meanwhile, more cadets emerged with scores.
"Heh heh heh."
So Ji-hu among them, grinning vacantly.
"M-me, 6th place... Just one more, and Taehakwon... Ahem! Ahem!"
He zombie-shuffled out, snapped to with coughs. Probably thought bragging scores in front of my "disappointment" was tacky. I was thrilled with 27th, though.
"Whoa, big bro! Amazing! 6th place!"
"Haha, nothing special, Byuljang brother."
"Really? Guess 6th is no biggie next to my 27th."
"Th-that's not what I—!"
Perfect ammo to tease him.
"Uhahahaha!"
A booming laugh erupted from the classroom. The culprit appeared.
"You fools! I circulated the full answer key, and that's all you got? This is why half-assed towers crumble!"
Park Seon-ryung, who'd mocked my 27th earlier.
"Feast your eyes!"
Emerging with the instructor, he flashed his paper: 1st in the year.
Demoted from third-year, of course he'd claim top spot. And plenty to rib him about it.
"Whoa, what?"
"What else? The gap between you and me."
"Yong-yong! That name ain't yours. Park... Seon-ryung? Who's that?"
"It's me!"
"Nah. Ain't your name Park Yong-yong?"
"It is not! You...!"
Park Seon-ryung raised a fist to show his thin skin, but the instructor was right there—no swing.
I seized the chance, teasing with full sincerity.
"Yong-yong. Dead serious: You must get into Taehakwon. No matter what."
"Uh...?"
He scowled, baffled by support from someone he loathed. That sour look alone made my first semester feel like a win.