Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Avenging Outsider
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*** - Song Chang-won’s Perspective ***
This project seemed pretty challenging, but I was confident we could pull it off.
Bio was my strong suit, and the team was motivated.
"I didn’t understand a single thing from the lecture. At least Chang-won here got some of it, so we should be fine."
"Tell us what we should research first. Let’s all pool our efforts, grasp the content quickly, and figure out how to apply it to the project."
I’d taken the team leader role by showcasing my bio knowledge, handling daily planning, task assignments, and steering the whole process.
The team followed my lead perfectly.
The only issue was that obvious deadweight, Jeong Yi-an—I’d booted him early to keep him from poisoning the vibe.
This was a group of kids who’d aced top-tier Korean education; tossing in some average kid from a normal family would just drag us down.
Sure, I’d lost Han Si-a in the process... but it wouldn’t derail the project.
I’d tried pulling her out of that mangy mutt’s orbit for her own good, but she rejected it while pretending to be all noble.
That’s why she lost to me in last year’s program, Han Si-a—acting like an idiot.
If I’d managed to keep her on our team, things would’ve been smoother... but we’d just work a bit harder together.
As long as we stuck to my plan from here on out, we’d deliver results that met the adults’ expectations again this year.
I’d spied on Jeong Yi-an’s team during downtime, and they’d started prepping but quit almost immediately and bailed.
Obviously, they got frustrated fast since they couldn’t hack it no matter what they tried.
If that punk Jeong Yi-an just gave up cleanly, Han Si-a might come back to us. Incompetents are a plague wherever they go.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Project Day 2. Jeong Yi-an shared an unfinished draft of his presentation slides.
...Honestly, the quality was so high I couldn’t believe he made it.
All the slides I’d ever put together looked like child’s play by comparison.
I had no idea what sorcery he pulled off, but he wouldn’t cheat, so I had to acknowledge it.
That bastard Jeong Yi-an actually had the chops to join this program.
...
After gawking at Jeong Yi-an’s slides, we snapped back to reality.
But my laptop screen, with its steadily progressing slides, suddenly felt like garbage.
Our team’s slides were just a blueprint—nothing solid beyond basic research, really just “we’ll structure it like this.”
Even that blueprint felt fundamentally flawed next to Jeong Yi-an’s work; I couldn’t shake the feeling.
No matter how ideally things went from here, we wouldn’t top his slides.
Still, I pulled myself together, rallied the team, and got back to work.
This program wasn’t about beating someone—it was about learning.
We didn’t have to crush Jeong Yi-an to keep studying.
Plus, the project wasn’t just the slides. If we gave our all elsewhere, we could still win!
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Project Day 3. The team’s motivation visibly tanked.
They’d sneak off during work, slack around, or zone out at their seats, lost in thought.
I chewed them out, hoping to refocus them...
"You’ve always been into bio, so this is fine for you. Not us."
"Sigh... We’re stuck in hagwons all summer with no fun— if we’re gonna lose anyway, just let us rest. Look at them. Han Si-a and Jeong Yi-an are casually strolling around."
My two key members bailed.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Project Day 4.
"I’m done. No real breaks, just grinding every day. This stuff’s way too hard for us, no matter how much we study."
The two youngest middle-schoolers quit too.
I should’ve cut them more slack when assigning tasks—they’re still kids. My fault for pushing too hard.
Now we were too shorthanded to follow the plan.
Should I try convincing yesterday’s deserters to come back?
I tracked them down, but they refused.
We’d have to lower our targets...
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Project Day 5.
I realized it.
Forget winning or losing—this whole mess started when we subconsciously made Jeong Yi-an’s slides our benchmark for “complete.”
If the end result wouldn’t measure up, why bother?
Until yesterday, we’d aimed for a decent level.
But adjusting targets down for our reduced manpower killed what motivation the rest had left.
"Why should we bust our asses for that?"
...Presentation tomorrow, and I’d lost everyone. I was alone.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ***
Time flew, and morning of Day 6 in the gifted program dawned.
No lectures or outings today—just grinding for the evening presentation rehearsal.
But now that I thought about it again,
Han Si-a had a real talent for presenting.
Sure, looks, voice, delivery, enunciation—all key for speakers, and she had the full cheat-code package, but setting that aside...
Like at our high school entrance ceremony where she spoke for the freshmen, she never got nervous in front of crowds.
No matter how prepared you are, practice means fumbling a bit until you’re comfortable.
Yet Han Si-a nailed her first rehearsal without a single mistake.
"Han Si-a, you’re really good at this... Am I in the way? Shouldn’t have suggested we present together to ease your load?"
I’d made most of the slides to lighten her burden, proposing we tag-team.
But in rehearsal, she outshone me.
"I’ve been training presentations since I was little. In today’s world, it’s essential for CEOs. And with slides and a script this polished? Piece of cake."
"Still, presenting always feels nerve-wracking."
This came from experience. I’d presented countless times up to age 35, and it was always stressful.
"Really? I don’t remember ever feeling that shaky."
She shrugged it off like no big deal.
...This talent monster. Great family, gorgeous, smart, popular, and a presentation pro? Pay more taxes, girl.
She probably already did.
As I inwardly envied her gifts, she changed the subject.
"By the way, will this really count as revenge? Just nailing the presentation prep?"
She still wasn’t sold on my revenge plan.
Hey, if I were on the receiving end, I’d probably beg someone to shove me down the stairs.
"Sure, sure, Si-a. Talented kids like you can’t grasp us normies’ pain. But watch Song Chang-won’s face during his turn—you’ll be satisfied."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ That evening.
The program’s finale—the project presentations—kicked off.
We used the same venue as the lectures, but packed with people, the vibe was electric.
Parents, invited speakers, non-presenting students, external guests...
No one would believe this was just high schoolers presenting.
Han Si-a and I delivered flawlessly as planned.
Q&A afterward? Pure praise from observers and judges.
Academic-looking uncles asked tough questions without mercy, wearing slightly apologetic faces—but anything too expert for her, I handled perfectly.
Our content and Q&A were beyond high school level...
The next team probably felt dead inside.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ *** - Song Chang-won’s Perspective ***
My mind’s gone completely blank.
I’m stammering from nerves but forcing words out—though I barely grasp what I’m saying.
Our slides couldn’t touch Jeong Yi-an’s, but we’d prepped decently, finished the script sans practice.
This was beyond that.
Hearing Han Si-a and Jeong Yi-an’s presentation and Q&A, it hit me.
I hadn’t understood half the project.
My slides were riddled with errors.
What now?
Correct mistakes mid-slide?
Too panicked to even read the script properly—real-time fixes? Impossible.
Skip the shaky parts boldly?
No—too much gone, presentation over in two minutes.
Blame the deserters?
Parents in the crowd wouldn’t stand for it.
Plead youth and play it off cute?
Han Si-a and Jeong Yi-an were my age—no dice. And Dad would slap me tonight for the embarrassment.
Somehow mumbling through the chaos, the script’s end appeared.
This hellish presentation was finally over.
"That concludes my project presentation. Thank you for listening. Now, Q&A time."
...
Silence.
Even after the moderator’s “hands up if you have questions,” nothing.
Han Si-a and Jeong Yi-an’s session overflowed with queries.
Mine? Parents, speakers, students, observers—all averted eyes with awkward faces.
Someone, anyone, ask something.
Even pointing out my screw-ups would be fine...