Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: The Betrayed Outsider
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*** Han Si-a's Point of View
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I was born and raised in a wealthy family.
My grandfather was a self-made businessman in America, and my father used that fortune to make aggressive investments in Korea, becoming one of the top 100 richest people in the country.
My mother passed away when I was young, caught up in a gun crime while we were living in the States. I heard that incident was the decisive reason I no longer stayed in America and started living as a Korean.
When I entered middle school, my father remarried the daughter of a prominent political figure to build connections in Korea's political world.
My stepmother was a young woman closer in age to me than to my father. I didn't hear the details, but it was probably a loveless arranged marriage, more like a business deal.
I've never seen my father and stepmother look happy together. The only time they smile around each other is in official settings, with shareholders and reporters watching.
To sum up my stepmother simply: she's a woman obsessed with ambition.
As the daughter of a powerful politician, she'll do anything to climb higher. There's even a rumor that she was the one who first demanded the marriage to her father, a key political player, to use my father's wealth to rise even further.
My stepmother is always thirsty for results and achievements.
Leveraging her position as the daughter of a political heavyweight and wife of a tycoon, she attends every gathering and event to build her name recognition. To get information that would please her father, she's even willing to liquidate her personal assets.
And when it comes to playing the role of mother to me, she prioritizes visible results and achievements above all else.
For example, my school grades or my recognition among the elite. Proof that she's doing a great job as a mother.
I can't deny that she's capable, of course.
In fact, I used the tutoring and cram school info she gathered to study, and I held the top spot in my middle school the entire time.
Being dragged to events since I was little taught me how to fake friendliness with people and dodge annoying issues.
But as a mother, she's a total failure.
At the start of the semester, when she found out I didn't get first place overall on the high school entrance exam, she threw a fit in front of me like a madwoman.
She said that even though she'd spoon-fed me everything, I was too stupid to even swallow it. That I was a sly bitch deliberately slacking off to get kicked out of the house. That after all her efforts to make me study, I'd ruined it by getting careless.
It's not a rare occurrence. Whenever something threatened her perfect record, she'd always have a hysterical meltdown. She was weak like that, even when I was in middle school.
It's heartbreaking. At first, I really wanted to call her Mom.
That's why I say my family is wealthy but never comfortable.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ When I talk to my dad about all this, he always says the same thing.
"There are no good people in this world. Don't turn a blind eye to reality. Your stepmother is just a tiny fraction of the rotten masses in this world—a wall you'll have to overcome yourself someday. Compared to the abyss you'll be thrown into later, this is nothing more than a sunny beach."
"Don't make mistakes. Don't fall for the illusion of 'good people' and let someone you love die."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Ah, recently my stepmother boldly declared in front of my dad that she'd find me a cram school or tutor attended by perfect scorers on the entrance exam.
It was her self-promotion, bragging about how well she was doing as a mother.
But two weeks later, there's still no word.
Since he's in the class next door, she nagged me to go ask him myself. I didn't manage to find out, though.
Honestly, seeing her starting to watch my dad's reactions, I think, "Serves her right."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Mid-April, with midterms approaching. Thanks to advance studying from middle school, I've already finished the high school curriculum. All that's left is endlessly working through mock midterms.
To get used to the test environment, the cram school has classrooms identical to school—same desks, chairs, blackboards, room layouts.
We repeat the exact school procedures: solve predicted questions printed on the same paper stock within the time limit, mark the OMR cards.
The more we repeat, the more comfortable the environment feels, mistakes decrease, and solving speed increases.
Today, I finished without errors and left the classroom for dinner.
Even with my father's money and stepmother's info network helping my studies, maintaining grades ultimately depends on my effort.
As my dad says, my stepmother is a wall I must overcome.
For that, I need achievements others recognize—something eye-catching. A prestigious university name is the ultimate example.
And unlike middle school, where I crushed my classmates' scores, this school has a real "rival."
Long-term goals matter, but having a reason to study hard for these exams right now is surprisingly motivating. I'm more fired up than usual.
If I beat Jeong Yi-an this time, he might drop the Bitcoin nonsense and start studying seriously.
Ah, but then he might quit the sandwich shop job. That'd be a problem... I'd lose my sanctuary. Maybe it'd be better to share cram school info so we go to the same one. How does he study anyway? Hiding behind Bitcoin talk makes me even more curious. Instead of sharing info, I could trade for his study methods. Or just observe him closely while attending the same academy. He looks like he exercises more steadily than his peers, so if he's juggling workouts, the part-time job, and studying... If Jeong Yi-an gets serious, can I even beat him? I wouldn't be so sure...
"What are you spacing out for? Time's short—come here."
Outside the classroom waited a woman dressed flashily for her age.
...My stepmother.
Without a word, she handed me a yellow envelope.
More info on test prep?
Inside were printed photos of some notebook pages, shot on a phone camera—poor quality, hard to read, but the writing was legible.
It looked like an analysis of past exam questions from our school. I'd solved many myself, recognizing some items.
All were ["Choose the MOST correct"] or ["Choose the LEAST correct"] types.
Someone had analyzed our school's past questions obsessively, pinpointing the exam setter's tendencies—not just for those specific formats, but exactly what separated right from wrong answers.
Like a top student who'd mastered every topic but researched to block point loss from question flaws...
I was genuinely impressed by my stepmother's resourcefulness.
No cram school teacher analyzes one question type from one school this deeply.
I've heard mega cram schools in Daechi-dong do this for a few elite Seoul high schools... but that's it.
How did she get this? Even bribing the teacher who makes the tests wouldn't yield it—they probably didn't realize it themselves.
She knew it too; her face was smug as hell.
I ignored her and dove back into the prints. I hate her, but chances like this are rare.
But as I absorbed the content greedily, my eyes froze on the last page.
-Baekseung High School, Grade 1 Class 2, Jeong Yi-an.
The final page was a photo of the notebook's cover.
My mind went blank.
All this treasure I'd been devouring was what Jeong Yi-an built while juggling his part-time job and workouts. The feed bag he wouldn't reveal even when I asked directly. His last shot at beating me on midterms. No way he'd hand this to anyone rationally...
"...Stepmother? How... did you get this?"
"I told some kids around Jeong Yi-an to take money and find out. Club seniors snuck photos and sent them. He's smart, but doesn't know how to manage people around him...~ Well, that's taught, not innate, so unavoidable? Pfft. If he were my stepson instead of you, he'd be way easier to raise... You should be grateful you were born rich, kid. Sigh... I shouldn't have made that dumb declaration and gone through this hassle. Now I can coast for a while again."
Ah... Jeong Yi-an's secret weapon got used to satisfy this vile woman's need for approval, then tossed in the dirt.
I... This wasn't the rivalry I hoped for...
"...I could've beaten him without you pulling this crap."
"What?"
"Winning like this means nothing!!! Why do something so awful to Jeong Yi-an?? What am I supposed to say to him now...!"
-Slap.
Stars exploded in my vision.
My stepmother had slapped my cheek.
"Why? You were gobbling it up like crazy when you didn't know whose it was, but now that you do, it's not tasty anymore? You idiot. If you liked his stuff so much, you should've wagged your tail and fetched it when I told you to get info. Why'd I have to go through all this roundabout bullshit~?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I don't remember much after that. When I came to, I was in front of the sandwich shop, like always.
But it was peak dinner time—the place was packed.
I should've headed back to cram school by now.
But now I just hated everything... I slumped against the building wall. No more thoughts of cram school or exams.
I resented my stepmother so much.
But I'd already eagerly read the info she stole... so I've become just like her.