Chapter 81
Terminally Ill, but It's Okay — Episode 81
The strange atmosphere shifted quickly once Professor Lee Taek-jin opened his mouth.
"Midterms are right around the corner. You all know this is the exam with the highest point value, right?"
The moment that provocative topic came up, the students straightened up and lit up.
"I'm going to run a brief orientation from here."
And before long, the problematic remark that had caused no small stir in the original work came out.
"Actually, the exam location, format, and duration are all classified, so there isn't much for me to tell you. It means you'll be taking the exam without any particular information."
After a brief silence, the hall erupted.
Everyone whispered to each other with flustered faces.
"However, we've decided to reveal the seeds."
Lee Taek-jin, who had paused for a moment, flicked his hand toward the screen and continued.
"We considered not only ranking but overall ability. The five most outstanding students were selected, and the students designated as 'seeds' will exert significant influence throughout the midterm, so take note."
A moment later, the names of the top five students from Class A began appearing one by one on the blank screen.
A: Baek Sa-young
B: Seol Yoon-gi
First and second place were a very familiar lineup, so everyone accepted that part.
But then.
C: Joo A-rin
D: Reina
E: Cheon Seo-yoon
The moment the last three seeds were revealed, the mood turned slightly strange.
"If we're going by rank, shouldn't Cheon Seo-yoon be 'C'?"
"They said they considered overall ability."
"Then what about the saint— no, what about Reina?"
"That's a bit......"
Joo A-rin they could accept, but Reina, who had only just transferred in today, had planted herself squarely in the fourth seed.
As the dubious mood spread, Cheon Seo-yoon, who had been pushed down to fifth, finally shot her hand up.
"Professor. I have a question."
"What is it?"
"I mean......"
Facing Lee Taek-jin's sharp gaze, she cautiously continued.
"You said the standard for seed assignment was overall ability, but I'm having trouble understanding."
"Are you saying you're dissatisfied with being fifth?"
"Yes. I can accept Joo A-rin, but Student Reina only arrived today. Being ranked below someone who hasn't shown anything—"
She trailed off, but public opinion was on Cheon Seo-yoon's side.
Most people nodded and glanced at Reina.
Then Lee Taek-jin, who had been smiling bitterly, muttered quietly.
"Do you think I assigned them without any basis?"
"Excuse me?"
"The evaluation was already conducted. Same format as the diagnostic assessment you took before. And the results were quite surprising."
"......."
"If you're curious about the score, ask her yourself. The matter ends here."
"...Yes."
Cheon Seo-yoon reluctantly nodded and glanced at Reina.
Her gaze was as complicated as her feelings.
"There are several reasons for assigning seeds, but one of them is a fair starting point."
Professor Lee Taek-jin brought his notebook down on the desk with a thud, then added a brief explanation.
The five students chosen as seeds would start separately in the east, west, south, north, and center, and the remaining students would follow in groups of ten each, determined by lottery.
"The keyword is survival. The key is how well you can respond when an unexpected situation arises. Don't let your guard down starting today. That's all the hint I can give you."
Professor Lee Taek-jin wore a meaningful expression as he opened his textbook.
The students rolled their eyes around with faces full of questions, but none of them could say anything.
It was frustrating and boring, but time passed anyway.
"Student Reina, follow me right away. We're going to pay respects to the Chancellor."
Professor Lee Taek-jin left the lecture hall with a calm attitude, and the moment he did, the suppressed noise exploded all at once.
"What the hell. Midterms."
"Isn't this a battle royale?"
"Don't let your guard down? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Who knows?"
"If we get dragged off to a deserted island, that'd be insane."
Everyone, still worked up, poured out the hypotheses they had agonized over all class.
Naturally, attention also focused on Reina, the center of the controversy.
But Reina, seemingly unbothered, silently rose from her seat.
"We meet again."
Then she turned her head slightly and greeted me.
I gave a small nod in return and looked at Reina.
...I couldn't bring myself to ask why she had come so early.
"Right. I didn't expect to see you again this soon. Are you feeling okay?"
"Thanks to you."
We were in the middle of that awkward, belated exchange when Cheon Seo-yoon approached with stomping footsteps.
"Hey. Talk to me for a second."
"......."
But Reina gave Cheon Seo-yoon one brief glance and immediately moved away.
She clearly had no interest.
"...Hey?"
Cheon Seo-yoon reached out in disbelief, but Reina twisted her body lightly, as if she had eyes on the back of her head, and avoided it.
Whoosh—
Cheon Seo-yoon's hand clutched only empty air, and a vein bulged at her temple.
"No, seriously. If someone talks to you, you should at least pretend to hear them. What kind of manners are these?"
When she raised her voice at Reina's back, Reina finally stopped.
Reina turned her head at an angle and spoke calmly.
"I'm rather busy. I'd like to avoid pointless arguments."
"No, what— I'm just saying let's talk—"
Reina doesn't spend energy on things she has no interest in.
No, she's cold.
"I don't have time. The professor told me to follow him right away. Are you a more important person than the Chancellor?"
"What...?"
This side of her is closer to who she is as an inquisitor than to the saintess image known to the public.
One like fire, the other like ice.
Cheon Seo-yoon and Reina, who had been staring at each other's faces for an instant, opened their mouths at the same time.
"If you have something to say, say it later."
"Wow, this is so damn ridiculous. Seriously."
So this is what a power struggle between women looks like.
As the taut tension swept through the room, the surroundings went cold.
Only the click-clack of Reina's heels and Cheon Seo-yoon's huffing breath filled the air.
I gauged the mood and muttered quietly.
"I should go back to the dorm and pack."
Honestly, whether those two fought or not was none of my business. They clashed every time in the original work too, so I felt nothing in particular.
Rather than that, midterms.
Getting ready to leave soon was more urgent.
Because there really wasn't much time left.
If things went as they were supposed to, it would be today.
"Park Ha-yul."
But then, from the far end, Baek Sa-young called out.
I wondered what was going on, and Baek Sa-young came trotting over and asked sheepishly.
"Are you free this evening?"
"Today?"
"Yeah. Let's grab a meal before midterms start. We worked hard over the weekend but never got to do anything after. The others are coming too, so is that okay?"
"Is she going to be able to eat?"
I glanced at Cheon Seo-yoon, who was still repeating "wow, so ridiculous." Baek Sa-young smiled bitterly.
"She'll be fine in a bit. She forgets things quickly."
Well, that's true.
But I really am busy.
I have to open the packages piled up in front of the door and organize them into my subspace, stacking them neatly.
"Let's eat together next time. I have things to do."
"...Ah, then it can't be helped. Get going."
Baek Sa-young waved his hand with a bright smile.
Looking at that face, my mouth suddenly itched.
So I decided to give just a small hint.
"Just in case, pack some emergency rations."
"Rations?"
"...Yeah. And don't drink too much. You never know. Midterms might suddenly start today......"
I patted Baek Sa-young on the shoulder and left the lecture hall.
* * *
Twenty minutes before 8 p.m., at a samgyeopsal restaurant inside Taehak.
"Boss. Eight servings here. No, ten. No, make it a generous twelve."
Baek Sa-young, who had arrived early as usual, started grilling the meat for the friends who hadn't arrived yet.
With a sizzling sound, smoke rose, and just as the red meat was taking on a golden-brown color.
The restaurant door opened and loud voices rang out.
"Wow, you really can't judge people by their looks. Did you see that? She ignored me with a straight face."
"Yeah, she was beautiful."
"What, you punk?"
"No, it's true. The professor called her, so how would she have time to talk? And aren't I more of a victim here?"
"How?"
"I didn't even get a seed."
"And now you're taking her side. Oh, for crying out loud."
It was the still-disgruntled Cheon Seo-yoon and Lee Dae-ho with his sly grin.
Baek Sa-young raised his hand toward them.
"Boss, one bottle of soju here."
"Any kind is fine, just make it cold."
As if they hadn't been bickering moments ago, the two asked in unison and quickly sat down.
Baek Sa-young, who had been setting out utensils, asked Cheon Seo-yoon.
"What about Joo A-rin?"
"She's busy. Seems like she made a firm resolution after visiting her little sister."
"Little sister?"
"Huh? Mm. Something like that. Anyway, let's just cheers."
Glug-glug—
Cheon Seo-yoon, who had been pouring soju into Baek Sa-young's and Lee Dae-ho's glasses, filled her own glass to the brim and raised it.
With a clink, the glasses met, and she downed it in one shot before charging at the grill.
Each of them picked up two pieces, dipped them in the seasoned oil, and shoved them into their mouths.
The last supper before midterms began like that.
Eat, pour. Eat again, pour again.
The quiet table only became lively again once they were somewhat full.
"Hey, where did you go on Saturday? Are you seriously not going to tell me?"
"Nowhere. It's nothing. Did you pick a good Armament?"
"Oh. Did I not tell you?"
Then the topic naturally turned to Park Ha-yul.
"That guy's eye for things is seriously insane. We went to a famous Armament shop in Jongno."
Cheon Seo-yoon excitedly chattered about what had happened over the weekend.
"I wonder if it's only his eye that's exceptional."
Baek Sa-young, who had been listening, smiled meaningfully and muttered to himself.
"Ah."
Suddenly. He remembered what Park Ha-yul had said and hurriedly spoke.
"But about midterms. Ha-yul said to pack emergency rations."
"Emergency rations?"
"Yeah. Come to think of it, he also said it might start suddenly and to drink only a little."
Baek Sa-young glanced back and forth between his own glass and the three empty bottles on the table, trailing off.
"Pfft. What nonsense."
"Hahaha. Am I supposed to just keep laughing?"
Cheon Seo-yoon and Lee Dae-ho waved their hands vigorously and denied it strongly.
But Baek Sa-young's one sentence.
"I think so too. But I've never seen him say something wrong."
"That's."
"Mm."
Everyone seemed to have something come to mind, and the mood went cold in that instant.
Bzzzz.
Bzzzz.
Bzzzz.
The three phones on the table began vibrating at the same time.
"What the hell. At this hour."
Cheon Seo-yoon checked her phone curtly, but with a slightly tense, awkward look, then soon opened her eyes wide and shouted.
"Hey, we're screwed. Get up, now!"
"Why? What's going on......."
"Th-they said to assemble at the drill ground within thirty minutes. Midterms have started."
"What? No, what the......."
"I'm going first."
Cheon Seo-yoon chugged the cold water beside her, then bolted from her seat.