82. The Exam Is Easy
82. The Exam Is Easy
82. The Exam Is Easy
Maybe getting that Hidden Piece was a mistake.
A deep sense of regret washed over me.
Knowing other people's danger levels.
No matter how I looked at it, it was clearly a useful ability.
If you know what's dangerous, you can prepare and act accordingly.
There's a huge gap between acting with knowledge of the risks and acting blindly.
But.
Were there really this many risk factors around me?
Yu Ha-yeon, right below black.
And Lee Seol-ha, below purple.
Had I taken the wrong path?
Their danger levels toward me were beyond anything I imagined.
"Was this my karma...?"
"Si-jun, they say accepting your karma makes it sweeter!"
Ban Ha-na, completely oblivious to my feelings, was grinning from ear to ear.
Well, I guess you do have to accept it gracefully.
I had a legitimate reason, my lifespan, but...
It was clear that excuse wouldn't work on Yu Ha-yeon, who was currently radiating a purple danger level.
*...She wouldn't kill me, right?*
With those thoughts, I entered the classroom.
Maybe because it was the comprehensive exam day, the other students looked tense from the start.
Amidst the tense atmosphere, I sat down with my usual demeanor.
Even though my passing was on the line, I wasn't nervous at all.
*What do I do? If Yu Ha-yeon turns black, I'm literally dead. I'm in big trouble...*
Because my head was entirely occupied with thoughts of the danger level.
I stealthily glanced at Yu Ha-yeon, trying to read her.
She smiled as usual, as if nothing had happened.
"Why, Han Si-jun. Got something to say?"
"No, you just look especially pretty today..."
"...What's with him?"
Yu Ha-yeon turned away bashfully.
But the color lingering around her was still purple.
It seemed that a small compliment wasn't enough to lower the danger level.
*What on earth is going through her mind to keep her purple?*
I couldn't grasp her mind at all.
*Creak.*
Right as I was agonizing over Yu Ha-yeon's inner thoughts.
The classroom door opened, and our homeroom teacher, Shin Si-hwa, walked in.
*She's red.*
The homeroom teacher's danger level was red.
She had a slightly higher danger level than Ban Ha-na.
*Click. Clack.*
She walked to the podium and immediately announced the start of the exam.
"Alright, students, put all your electronic devices in your bags. If an electronic device goes off during the exam, it will be considered cheating."
The students promptly put their phones in their bags.
"Aw... I was almost at the final boss..."
Ban Ha-na, sitting in front of me, put her phone away with a regretful whine.
Her fingertips were full of regret.
*Tap, tap.*
Homeroom teacher Shin Si-hwa tapped the blackboard and spoke.
"As you know, the comprehensive exam consists of written subjects from 1st to 4th period. Written exams in the morning, practical tests in the afternoon."
The Hero Academy's comprehensive exams are divided into morning and afternoon sessions.
A written test to assess students' fundamental knowledge.
A practical test to check students' physical abilities.
The Hero Academy combines these two test results with the performance scores students have accumulated throughout the semester to calculate the final grade.
My current performance score had been whittled down quite a bit by the practical wall.
If I didn't get a decent score on this exam...
"For reference, the failing grade is 60 points. Students with low scores will need to work harder if they don't want to fail."
I would fail, and I'd end up leaving behind all the events happening at the academy.
Which means my chances of clearing V. AGE would drop.
*No way I can let that happen...*
There was no way I could fail.
...More than that.
Honestly, I was more concerned about the purple aura beside me than the test.
What would happen to me if that turned black?
Such anxieties wrapped around me.
***
The written exams flowed by as naturally as water.
- Select the option that is NOT about the Magic Beast Horned Wolf.
Horned Wolf.
A Magic Beast resembling a wolf with a horn.
I could easily find the answer.
*The Horned Wolf's Magic Stone is in its head, not its torso.*
The Magic Beast Horned Wolf has its Magic Stone in its horn, which is its weakness.
In this way, I easily solved the written exams using the knowledge I'd gained from V. AGE.
1st Period: Introduction to Magic Beasts.
2nd Period: Hero's Mindset.
...
I felt like I'd scored so well on the written exams that I might have even gotten a perfect score.
However, I didn't get a very good score on the afternoon practical exam.
"Ugh, if only I had the stamina..."
"Si-jun. You have trash stamina. Total trash."
On the way home after the exams.
Unfortunately, due to my low stamina stat, I couldn't record a high score in the practical.
To be precise, it was because Yu Ha-yeon's purple light weighed on my mind.
I had a hard time focusing during the test because I was worried about Yu Ha-yeon.
Still, I guess it's a relief that I managed to get an average score.
It was certain that I'd scored enough on the practical to avoid failing.
Yu Ha-yeon glanced at Ban Ha-na and casually asked a question.
"But Ha-na, weren't you sleeping during the written exam?"
"N-No I wasn't...? I never did that...?"
Ban Ha-na stared off into the distance, denying it.
I decided to back Yu Ha-yeon up.
It was to score some points.
"I saw you lying down from the back seat, Ha-na...? You didn't just guess randomly and go to sleep, did you?"
"S-Si-jun...! What do you mean 'guess'...! That's totally prejudice...! Prejudice...!"
The pink aura around Ban Ha-na flickered.
Her danger level was trying to turn red before settling back to pink.
She seemed to be angry, as if I'd hit a sore spot.
"Just because you lie down during an exam doesn't mean you're guessing...! That's prejudice...! Prejudice...!"
Ban Ha-na shouted 'prejudice', claiming her innocence.
Ban Ha-na was giving a passionate speech.
Yu Ha-yeon hit her where it hurt.
"...You were even drooling."
"I-I wasn't drooling...! Sh-she's lying, Si-jun...! She's a total villain...!"
Ban Ha-na was getting angry with Yu Ha-yeon.
If Yu Ha-yeon had my ability to see danger levels, Ban Ha-na would probably look yellow right now.
While we were having those trivial conversations.
A yellow light appeared beside me.
"Speak of yellow, and she appears."
"...What are you talking about?"
Na Yu-na.
Her danger level was yellow.
As expected, she didn't have a high danger level.
It would bubble up if I took the Na Yu-na route.
I decided not to pay too much attention to Na Yu-na for now.
Na Yu-na looked at me and asked.
"Anyway, Han Si-jun. How was your test score?"
"Well, not bad."
"You're not failing, right?"
"...Probably?"
Honestly, I couldn't be sure.
I was physically weak from the start, so messing up the performance evaluation was a huge blow.
Getting kidnapped by Black Dawn and missing two weeks of class was a similar issue.
I asked Na Yu-na a question that had been on my mind.
"But why are you asking that?"
"It's embarrassing if my bodyguard gets a low score. I have my reputation as your employer to consider. Remember that."
"Hmm... really? But why aren't you asking about my score?"
Yu Ha-yeon smiled and joined the conversation.
She was still employed as Na Yu-na's bodyguard.
If we were talking about bodyguards, that included Yu Ha-yeon.
Na Yu-na said bluntly to Yu Ha-yeon.
"You're fired. You're no longer my bodyguard."
"Huh...?"
"...If you don't believe me, check your phone."
Yu Ha-yeon took her phone out of her pocket.
She pressed the power button, touched the screen a few times,
and began reading the message.
"This is to inform you that your contract has been canceled... and to convey our apologies regarding... what is this?"
"It's just as it says. Contract canceled."
"Ha..."
Yu Ha-yeon let out a hollow laugh.
Could a contract be broken this easily?
Na Yu-na began to explain.
"You know that pers... I mean, the Vice President you met last time."
"That troublemaker?"
"...Yeah, the one who propositioned you. He requested the contract cancellation."
Yu Ha-yeon furrowed her brows at that.
"Why is he trying to get between me and Han Si-jun...? That's annoying..."
Yu Ha-yeon looked like she was about to march right over to NAVI.
Even if she didn't destroy it, NAVI's future was already decided.
"But, well, aren't you okay even without the bodyguard gig? You're loaded."
"...That's not really the problem. Anyway, it's just annoying..."
Still, Yu Ha-yeon exercised her patience and quelled her anger.
*I thought she was going to turn black...*
Thankfully, Yu Ha-yeon's color was still closer to purple.
How do I lighten that?
No particularly good ideas came to mind.
*...There's no other way.*
I couldn't think of an alternative.
Then what's the best method?
The answer to that was already decided.
"Yu Ha-yeon, come here for a sec."
"Huh, so sudden?"
Yu Ha-yeon looked surprised.
I leaned in and whispered into her ear.
"Shall we talk a bit tonight?"
A sincere conversation.
Ever since long ago, conversations have always been how Yu Ha-yeon and I resolved our conflicts.
"It's out of the blue... but I'm down."
And Yu Ha-yeon never avoided such talks.
Thus, for the evening.
I made a date-like conversation appointment with Yu Ha-yeon.