Coding (1)
The College Scholastic Ability Test—the CSAT—was finally over.
As I walked out of the school gates, my parents spotted me and waved.
"Son!"
"Over here!"
"Oh? How did you both manage to come?"
"Of course we had to come! It's the day of our son's CSAT!"
"Ahem. Good job. You must be hungry, right? Let's go get something delicious."
Even while we ate, my parents carefully avoided bringing up the exam, likely out of consideration for my feelings.
But the television in the restaurant brought it up first.
Having seen the news, my father asked cautiously.
"Ahem. They're saying the exam was really hard this time. How was it for you?"
"It was definitely difficult."
"Ah, is that so?"
Sensing a lack of confidence in my reply, my father fell silent, choosing his words carefully.
But since that wasn't the case at all, I added quickly.
"But I think the results will be fine."
"Oh? Really?"
"That's a relief. And if it was hard, it was hard for everyone. Looking at it that way, you'll be fine."
"Exactly. If it was hard for you, it must have been brutal for the other kids."
The two of them nodded in unison.
They're really walking on eggshells around me.
They were trying their best to make sure I wouldn't be hurt by the results. Of course, they knew by now that I was doing well academically, but still.
Since the news kept repeating how difficult it was, they were being extra cautious just in case.
"Anyway, we'll only know for sure once the report cards are out."
"Right, right."
Because the exam papers are collected at the end of the CSAT, self-grading is impossible unless you write your answers down on your admission slip beforehand.
I had plenty of time to do so, but I hadn't bothered to write them down.
I was already certain of my answers as I solved them.
So there was no point.
In any case, it seemed this CSAT really had been exceptionally brutal.
My friends were already whining about it in our group chat.
It wasn't just them; the internet community boards were in absolute chaos.
Time passed in that chaotic atmosphere.
About a month, to be exact.
And then, it was the day before the official CSAT results were to be released.
A government official appeared on television to brief the public on the results.
This wasn't the usual post-exam grumbling about a test being hard. This was an official statement made after grading every single test taker's paper and comparing the statistics to previous years.
Up to this point, there was no real twist, so people just accepted it.
But then.
At those words, camera flashes erupted, and reporters immediately bombarded the official with questions.
Articles were rushed online, and comments flooded in instantly.
Meanwhile, my friends, who had either watched the broadcast or read the articles, sent me messages.
I gave a vague reply.
That was my guess. But since nothing was officially confirmed yet, I kept it brief.
The next morning at school.
Today was finally the day the CSAT report cards were distributed.
Hearing that the teacher would arrive shortly, the classroom was thick with tension.
No one was gathering to chat.
"Ah, please! Just let me get into a university in Seoul..."
"Ugh... Grade 3! Please, just let me get Grade 3..."
In the midst of the anxiety, the homeroom teacher walked into the classroom.
Slide.
Every eye in the room locked onto him. Even the few students who had been whispering fell silent instantly.
"..."
"..."
Everyone was waiting for this moment with bated breath.
Seeing their anxious faces, the teacher spoke.
"It looks like everyone is anxious to see their results. I'll hand out the report cards quickly."
The process itself was no different from any other report card distribution.
However, the atmosphere was far more solemn. The students remained dead silent, both before and after receiving their papers.
"Ko Dong-hyun."
"Yes."
"Seol So-hyun."
"Yes."
"Jang Jun-yeop."
"Yes."
...
Then, the teacher checked the next report card and froze.
He took a deep breath.
"Whew..."
Only then did he call out the next name.
"Ji Hyunwoo."
"Yes."
I walked up to the front and took my report card.
As he handed it to me, the teacher whispered in a voice only I could hear.
"Well done."
"Pardon?"
"You'll see when you look at it. Go on back to your seat."
"Yes, sir."
I returned to my desk and looked down at the paper.
Hmm, just as expected.
Meanwhile, the teacher finished distributing the rest of the report cards and addressed the class.
"You've all worked hard. But the most difficult step is still ahead of us: applying to universities with these scores. We will begin college counseling sessions immediately. I'll call you one by one, so come to the counseling room. Dong-hyun, you're up first."
"Yes, sir."
As soon as the teacher left, the classroom erupted into chatter.
Right on cue, my friends rushed over to my desk.
Without missing a beat, they demanded:
"How did it go?"
"Let us see your report card!"
I handed it over without a fuss.
"Here."
They scanned the paper for a moment.
"...T-This!"
"...It's real, right?"
I looked at their wide, disbelieving eyes and confirmed it.
"Yeah."
The reason they had to ask despite looking right at it was simple.
The CSAT report card doesn't show your exact rank or raw score.
The only numbers on it are the grade, percentile, and standard score.
In any case, every single grade on my report card was a 1.
But a Grade 1 only meant I was in the top 4%.
That alone wasn't enough to shock them this much.
What shocked them was...
The percentile.
Because you can estimate your exact rank from that.
And my percentiles were all 100.
This meant I had scored higher than every other student in the country.
"A-A-A perfect score!"
"Holy crap! You actually got a perfect score?!"
My friends shouted in disbelief.
Their shouts echoed through the classroom, catching the attention of everyone else.
"What?"
"A perfect score?"
"Did he say a perfect score?"
A crowd of students instantly swarmed my desk.
They craned their necks to peek at the report card lying on my desk.
"Heavens!"
"It's real?!"
"No way! A perfect score!"
"Wow, this is..."
Amidst their awe, my Karma points began to skyrocket.
[You have acquired Karma! +396]
[You have acquired Karma! +555]
[You have acquired Karma! +482]
[You have acquired Karma! +503]
...
A short while later, I headed to the counseling room to meet my homeroom teacher.
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
The moment I stepped inside, he reacted.
"Oh! Hyunwoo, you're here!"
The teacher leaped up from his chair to welcome me.
He personally pulled out a chair and guided me to sit right next to him.
"Sit, sit. Make yourself comfortable."
He took a deep breath and held out his hand.
"Whew... Can I take a look at your report card for a moment?"
"Here it is."
Taking it with utmost care, the teacher stared at it, his eyes wider than I'd ever seen them.
He muttered blankly to himself.
"Wow... Seriously... A perfect score... Wow... This is just... Gosh..."
Suddenly, he reached out his hand again.
"Let's shake hands."
"Pardon?"
"No, I don't mean anything weird by it. I'm just... so proud of you. Come on, let me shake your hand."
"Ah... Yes, sir."
I took his hand.
The teacher clasped my hand with both of his, looking deeply moved.
"Wow...! So this is the hand that got a perfect score...! Incredible...!"
A massive grin was plastered across his face, and he couldn't stop smiling.
Even after he let go of my hand, his excitement didn't fade.
"Whew! To think one of my students got a perfect score on the CSAT! Ah... I'm so deeply moved. Seriously. Wow...!"
Then, he tapped his forehead as if remembering something and asked.
"Oh, right! You knew you got a perfect score, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"Hmm, you're remarkably calm about it. And it's not just any perfect score—you're the only one in the entire country. Did you know that too?"
"Yes, I'm aware."
The teacher stared at me blankly for a second before chuckling.
"Well... I suppose you need nerves of steel like that to get a perfect score. Truly amazing."
Finally, he got down to business.
"Anyway... Let me ask you. Which university do you want to go to? I assume it's Hankuk University, of course, but the department depends on your preference."
But I replied without a single moment of hesitation.
"KAIST."
"Huh?"
The teacher blinked in confusion.
"Wait, not Hankuk University?"
"Yes."
Seeing my firm stance, the teacher pondered for a moment before speaking gently.
"Well... of course KAIST is a great school. But usually, students who get a perfect score on the CSAT go to Hankuk University. It generally holds a higher prestige."
Generally speaking, Hankuk University was indeed considered the top institution overall. I acknowledged that.
But in the field of science and engineering, I believed KAIST was superior.
Especially if I plan to go all the way to a doctoral program.
Even putting that aside, KAIST held precious memories for me.
Unlike the university I had entered blindly in my past life, it was the place where I had truly grown.
"For now, I'm going to apply to KAIST."
"Well... alright. Let's think about it a bit more. We still have time."
"Yes, sir."
I nodded.
"Oh, by the way, would you be open to doing an interview around lunchtime?"
"An interview?"
"Yes... some reporters have already contacted me."