Exam Period # 6
Exam Period # 6
"Anyway, if we keep this up, passing the re-exam will be a cakewalk!"
I never thought I'd be so happy about passing a quiz, but I was genuinely so happy I was tearing up.
Leona shared the feeling and was bursting with joy right alongside me.
"Sniff...! I can't believe I actually broke through the 65-point average barrier!"
"Well done! Our Kim Geun-cheol, you're the best!"
"I am the best!"
I'll crush every exam with my bare hands!
I was burning with motivation like that when.
"But hey, Kim Geun-cheol?"
Leona, her excitement cooling, spoke.
"Hm? What?"
"You don't really think exams end after one time, do you?"
"Huh?"
Ah.
If there are midterms.
Finals also exist.
"From now on, you have to hit a 65-point average on every single exam. If you don't, it's re-exams all over again. And then more supplementary stuff."
"No way! How is a person supposed to average 65 on every test!"
"Why couldn't you! It's not even seventy or eighty, it's sixty-five! Any student should manage that much!"
She had a point, but a 65-point average means scoring at least 65 in every subject!
Maybe I could swing one or two, but how could I pull that off in everything?
"Anyway, you'd better pass this retake and every other exam, or you'll be heading back for more Jjamppong, you got that!"
"Gah!"
The word Jjamppong made dread crawl up my spine!
It was delicious, but I never want to eat it again. It was literal tongue-burning torture, like soaking your tongue in boiling water.
"Well, still, Kim Geun-cheol?"
Leona, who had been ranting like an Asura, relaxed her expression.
"You aced the quiz, so. Just study math exactly that way. That alone will get you a 65 average. You did well memorizing the formulas, so if you just keep reviewing, you'll be fine."
"Yeah... I'll do that."
It'd be a waste to forget after all that studying.
I'll review until the re-exam and work through similar problem types. Grinding like that, I'll be able to show my skills on the retake too.
"Hey, Leona."
"Yeah?"
"Besides math, we've got Language, Foreign Language, and Investigation."
"Hold on."
Hm?
"Kim Geun-cheol, what Investigation did you pick?"
"Biology."
"Biology?! You're not even a doctor, why would you take biology! That's the hardest one!"
"What? Why?"
What's the problem?
"I like biology. Bugs, reptiles, stuff like that. I like that kind of thing."
Personally, I look into newly discovered deep-sea creatures every year. I also like rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles. I used to go catch them a lot when I was little.
"That's not the point! Liking bugs and the biology subject are totally different! Just pick Unified History or something!"
"Unified History?"
"It covers human history after the Dimension War, so just do that, really. It helps in real life. That'll make studying worth it, won't it? Biology, honestly. Hmph. You're such a psycho."
"I mean, calling me a psycho. But Unified History, huh. Now that you mention it, that does sound useful."
Since the Dimension War, humanity's life changed drastically, and we superhumans are the pioneers living that life.
I'll go with Unified History for Investigation from now on.
"Then I'll do that."
"Sigh. Good grief. I have to take care of every little thing. Well, good work today. Do your sword-training with Woo Yu-ri tomorrow. Day after, let's study again. And you know about Saturday, volunteering, right?"
"Of course!"
"Well, Sunday's a rest day. Heheh, bye."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"I'm looking forward to Saturday."
And so I parted ways with Leona.
Man, seriously. Weekdays are study and training, weekends are even volunteering. Building up specs is tough. Is this really high school life?
That question crossed my mind, but if I endure all this.
I'll become a true superhuman hero skilled in both pen and sword.
* * *
While walking back to the dorms, I checked my phone and saw a message. I wondered who it was from, and—what? Kitty?
"Kitty!"
Kitty contacted me again!
I quickly checked the message, and she was asking if I was free Sunday! Oh man, seriously! That's a bit tricky, isn't it? My heart started thumping and a wave of guilt hit me.
A girl like Kitty contacting me can only be about that one thing.
"Hah, what do I do."
This kid Kitty must've really fallen for me. Yep. Girls her age tend to look up to high schoolers. Might be drawn to them, thinking they're adults.
"Oh dear."
But that's just a passing fancy.
"How can I turn her down without hurting her?"
I seriously pondered it. How can I end this without crushing a girl's innocent heart? Causing pain to a girl who has shown interest in me... I can't do that.
As a man, I can't.
"How on earth do I let her down... My good looks have become a curse."
If I weren't so handsome.
I wouldn't have to worry about this.
Anyway, this is pretty unsettling. I think I'll end up hurting her unintentionally. I've been thinking since last time, but it's clear Kitty has a crush on me.
Then I'll have to meet her and talk it out.
—Tap, tap, tap.
I immediately wrote a reply.
[Yeah, I'm free Sunday. Why.]
[Can you come see me?]
She snapped back instantly, like she'd been waiting.
[What for?]
[I just missed you, Geun-cheol. Can't I?]
[Nothing says you can't. Let's meet on Sunday, then.]
[Okay.]
So I made plans to meet Kitty on Sunday.
I'm busy studying, but this is important in its own way.
I can study after I get back.
"A girl becomes an adult over the heartbreak of unrequited love... But a child growing up fast is never a good thing. A child should live as a child, I say."
After arriving at the dorms.
While showering, those thoughts kept swirling in my head. Should I give her the cliché line? Reject her now and tell her, if her feelings haven't changed when you're an adult, come find me.
But what if she actually does?
Never thought I'd be stressing over something like this.
I'm so tormented.
"No, wait."
Kitty's an Awakened in her own way, that's for sure. While I'm meeting her anyway, maybe I should talk to her about how to use superhuman abilities well?
I'm personally a little curious.
What kind of power Kitty has.
—Ring-ring.
After I finished showering and came out, I got a call.
"Hey. Si-hoo. What's up?"
"Geun-cheol? What are you doing?"
"Just washed up and lay down. Should I change and come over?"
"No, Geun-cheol?! You washed?!"
But Si-hoo suddenly started yelling.
"Why are you yelling?"
"You said we'd work out together when studying was done! Don't tell me you forgot?"
"Ah."
"'Ah' my foot! Honestly, Geun-cheol! You made the promise and you forgot!"
"Hey! Hey! I'm sorry! My brain went blank from studying and I forgot! Studying was crazy hard, I'm telling you!"
"Then study harder!"
Si-hoo hung up after that!
—Bam!
I burst out my door and pounded on Si-hoo's door!
"Si-hoo! Si-hoo!"
"I'm not opening it!"
"Please! Give me a chance! Just open the door! Si-hoo, Si-hooo!"
—Bang, bang!
While I was yelling like that!
"Who the hell is having a love affair in the dorms!"
Someone's door cracked open a bit and shouted at me...! Ah, guess I was too loud! I was about to apologize, but—what? Love affair?
"W-Wait? Love affair? This is the boys' dorm... Gah!"
Then the guy who'd been shouting muttered something like he was terrified and immediately slammed his door shut!
"Wait! It's a misunderstanding! I said it's a misunderstanding!"
"Eeeek!"
Can nothing go right for me!
* * *
Well, life went on like that.
I worked my tail off apologizing to Si-hoo, then after training with Yu-ri, I worked out with Si-hoo. The next day, I attended Leona's class, then worked out with Si-hoo again. My days went like that.
It was a truly packed week. My skills improved somewhat, and I felt like my academic level had risen to around ninth grade.
Then Saturday finally came, and I went volunteering with Leona. That was exactly right. Playing with the kids, helping cook, even helping clean—five hours flew by in an instant.
After printing our volunteer certificates, we decided to go eat with Leona.
"Leona. Not Jjamppong, surely?"
"Did Kim Geun-cheol do something wrong?"
"Huh? What? No? I haven't?"
"Think about it. Whether you have or not."
"I haven't! Trust me!"
"Is that so? Then let's go for normal food!"
From now on, if I mess up with Leona, I'll get dragged to a Jjamppong place... How am I supposed to live with that fear? I'm scared it'll show up in my dreams. Leona felt like some bogeyman. She'd grab me with giant tongs, stuff me in her sack, and head straight for Jjamppong.
The whole way there, she'd be smiling like an angel. I'd just be dragged along, wailing my head off.
"Heheh, still, it's nice seeing Kim Geun-cheol working hard lately. Study, training, conditioning. You aren't missing a thing, are you?"
"Honestly, if I were on my own, I doubt I'd have managed this much. It's all thanks to friends helping me out. Thanks, Leona."
"As they say, someone has to pull you along."
Leona said that with a satisfied smile. It's in her nature—she likes looking after and guiding people.
"Anyway, I'm counting on you, Leona!"
"We'll work on independence gradually. For now, that's just fine. Oh, by the way, Kim Geun-cheol? You're sparring with Mun Min, I hear?"
"Yeah. It's next week."
"Give it your best. I hear this spar will determine the class combat rankings."
"What? It's that kind of event?"
That's a thing?
"Yes. Apparently, it's about time. They'll do tournament-style matches. The point is to objectively assess your combat power and build skills for handling villains."
Basically a ranking battle.
"Now I'm kind of looking forward to this."
How far up the class can I climb?
"And they're having a festival before summer break. Depending on your class combat rank, you might qualify to compete in the inter-grade battle, or so they say."
"Whoa. They do that too? But can first-years beat the upperclassmen? The amount of training we've had is different."
"It's all experience. Experience. Fighting stronger opponents is experience too."
Come to think of it, this is a school, so of course there'd be a festival. Seeing stuff like this makes it feel like a properly fleshed-out school.
* * *
The next day.
I took the bus for the first time in a while. I had to get to the station over there before noon. Kitty. I don't even know her real name, but I couldn't break a promise with a girl who likes me, could I?
The whole ride, my heart was in turmoil.
How on earth do I reject her without trampling on a young girl's pure heart? No. I'm serious. Really. This isn't some kind of bravado. If that weren't the case, there'd be no reason for Kitty to keep contacting me, asking to meet.
This is a cold, logical judgment.
"Oof."
I arrived at the destination.
After getting off the bus, I was walking toward the station when.
"Huh?"
Some guy walking from the opposite direction was staring straight at my face. What? Someone I know? A classmate? Thinking that, I stared back.
"K-Kim Geun-cheol?"
The guy was acting like he knew me.
"Ah, hello. Who are you? Do you know me?"
"Oh, uh... You don't remember...?"
The guy seemed oddly scared. He hesitated, then pointed a finger at himself and said.
"It's, um, me. From the orphanage."
"Huh?"
Orphanage?
Orphanage?!