My Brother (4)
Once a train starts barreling down the tracks, it can't stop until the fuel runs dry.
For me, that fuel came in two forms. The first was the kind of deep-seated motivation that made me dead set on doing something. It was the sort of mentalist logic people spout all the time—if you put your mind to it, you can do anything—but for me, at least, it was the most crucial intangible fuel for kickstarting my soul's engine. Without proper motivation or a solid reward, even things I was good at saw my efficiency tank. But give me the right incentive, and I'd show freakish focus even on stuff I usually sucked at. I had no idea if Half Half Island's Ban Do-young was the same, but the original Ban Do-young from my old world sure as hell was.
Of course, dumping fuel in doesn't guarantee a happy ending every time. Twenty-seven years of grinding in society had taught me my own limits all too well. Still, even if I didn't get the results I craved, the road to them felt a hell of a lot shorter.
"Ban Do-young, morning. Midterms start today, so try not to be late this week..."
"I'm up already, Dad."
"Oh, uh... right. You were studying pretty late last night, so I was worried you'd oversleep. Come down for breakfast—everything's ready."
"Yeah, thanks. Dad, I'm gonna crush these tests today!"
"Th-that's the spirit! Dad's rooting for you—go smash 'em like Do Ha-min taught you!"
"Aja aja! Lower People High Aspire!"
"O-oh! Lower People High Aspire!"
The exam prep grind I'd kicked off under Do Ha-min's lead had already been going for two weeks. Today was finally midterm day. D-day.
With such a clear shot of motivation, time had flown by. Actually, scratch that—"flown by" sounds too neutral. It was more like it had been downright fun. Getting isekai'd into this world and facing that godawful cram-education hell all over again had nearly broken my will at first, but the solid motivation made studying here feel just a tiny bit enjoyable.
I still had no clue where this journey would end, but at least the full-tank Ban Do-young express wasn't slamming on the brakes anytime soon.
What, wondering about the second fuel?
"Do-young-ah, take this! They say chocolate and cola together revs up your brain!"
"Ooh, you get it!"
What else? Zero Lime Cola, obviously.
......
As expected during exam season, just like the mock exams, our paired seats had been split up by student number—one kid per spot.
Do Ha-min and I, who'd been at the window-end desks, ended up pretty far apart in the classroom, matching the gap in our numbers. Since the desks had already been dragged into place the day before, come exam morning, we didn't even get a proper greeting before plopping our asses down in our assigned spots, separated.
"Yo, Do-youngie, today's the day self-study (real) turns back into actual self-study, huh?"
"Hmph. You think so?"
"Ooh, look at that confident mug. Ha-minie said you've been studying your ass off lately—got some real swagger now."
"Curious, are ya? Wonder how high Do Ha-min can pull these Ban Do-young scores."
"How's it looking? Exam hasn't even started—sure you don't wanna hit up Ha-minie for any last unknowns?"
"Hmm... Nah, I'm good. Did plenty already. Besides, if I go over now and throw off that kid's groove, then what? He'd just blame me."
"Yeah, model students like Do Ha-min are super touchy about that stuff. Speaking of, we've got one right behind us."
"...What. Why're you looking at me all pitiful like that?"
"Nothing. Just finish memorizing those vocab words, class prez."
"Fuck... Every other school does midterms in May... Why the hell are ours so early... No time to cram the memorization subjects... And English on the first day? Usually you start with the low-stakes shit."
"Keep grumbling like that, and no way you're topping these midterms—not even you, An Seong-gyeong."
Seats were rearranged by number for the exams, naturally splitting the girls' and boys' zones.
That meant no chance to approach Do Ha-min first for a hello or update. He probably couldn't just waltz into the girls' area either, especially not solo. Plus, our deal's terms—no messing with Do Ha-min at all until midterms wrapped. I'd been holding back on approaching him much during this stretch. Hit him with my usual morning routine chatter, and old habits might slip out.
......
"Alright, don't start solving the second you get it—wait till it's passed all the way back. You all know the drill, right? Build the habit for midterms like you do for mocks or the CSAT—no slip-ups later."
"Yes."
"Yes!"
"O-oh yeah... Ban Do-young, why're you so peppy? You've been sleeping less in class lately too—pretty confident, huh?"
"Ufufu, our country's cram education never really clicked for me, but a determined Ban Do-young's a different story!"
"If you're gonna say that, it's not 'cram'—it's 'infuse'."
"...Damn it, Lower People High Aspire strikes again."
Call it a side effect or whatever. I'd reined in the Do Ha-min teasing, but it meant weird blowback popping up elsewhere. Half my brain had been drilling exam scope, the other half laser-focused on our deal—so every now and then, unintentional verbal slips happened in the strangest spots.
"Whatever, it's all the same—shoving it right in! Right, class prez?"
"This fucking bitch, why're you looking at me? Wanna go?"
Sorry. With no pheasant, chicken it is.
No Do Ha-min around, so I'd upped the teasing on back-seater An Seong-gyeong. But unlike Do Ha-min—who never swore no matter how much I ragged on him, the guy's such a square—our mop-headed class prez lived up to her rep, mouth foaming like a rabid dog. No crisp satisfaction there like with Do Ha-min.
"Okay, okay! Eyes front! All papers passed? Flip and start together!"
With the proctor teacher's call, Ban Do-young's first high school midterm kicked off. Still a few squeaks here and there, but it'd be fine.
My goal wasn't some perfect score like An Seong-gyeong's anyway.
Plus, I've still got this lucky item.
I pulled out the computer sign pen Do Ha-min had given me during mocks from my pencil case.
Please do me solid. Virgin thief (real).
I planted a quick smooch on Do Ha-min's computer sign pen.
But unlike before, no flashing it at him. That'd break our deal.
Wonder if Do Ha-min's tense.
Before diving in, I wanted his face etched in my mind, so right before papers went out, I snuck a glance down the aisle at him.
Did he sense my stare? As he took his paper, our eyes locked for a split second.
"…."
"…."
Obviously, eye contact didn't mean beaming over some pep talk. Papers were already circulating, turning the room into a strict zone—no textbooks or workbooks on desks, just exam sheets and approved pens. No little noises, no casual gestures, no tiny moves that could spark suspicion. This space didn't play.
For a straight-laced model student like Do Ha-min, it was solve-or-nothing territory. Nothing else to do, nothing else allowed.
So I figured seeing his face was enough and turned back to focus.
Do your best.
Right up until he silently mouthed it with those tiny lips.
Figh… ting.
Do Ha-min scrunched that ugly mug into a faint smile, mouthing it quiet as a ghost.
"Pfft…."
"Hm…? Ban Do-young, you okay? Stomach?"
"No, nothing… kek."
Laughter nearly burst out—total cheating close call.
Whew….
Deep breath from the soul to soothe my bubbly heart.
What a total dork….
That was his version of cheering me on in this muted world. Probably the max rebellion a goody-two-shoes like him could muster.
Future Ban Do-young… you really gonna spend forever bickering with a guy like that? Sounds like pure lols… kek.
I forced my upturned lip corner down, killing the grin.
Can't just keep smirking after getting cheered—gotta return the favor.
Clink.
I dropped the sign pen on the floor.
Pretending to grab it, I twisted toward Do Ha-min.
He glanced over at the rolling sound.
You too.
Like he'd done, I mouthed it his way.
No clue if he got it or thought it was some weird shit.
Whatever. I could always ask after the exam.