EP 5 The Demon of the In-Seoul Retake Academy Class
The Hankuk University entrance exam divides applicants into seed groups. There are simply too many applicants. Countless examinees crammed into a single test. No matter how refined the exam becomes, with numbers like these, proper differentiation becomes nearly impossible. Even the very best students who absolutely must pass could fail due to sheer luck. To prevent such a disaster, Hankuk University distributes recommendation rights to every Hyunmo-yangcheo High School across the country. A single recommendation letter held by each school's principal—that is the ticket into the seed group.
...Of course, that was the original ideal. Now that competition between the Hyunmo-yangcheo schools has intensified, those recommendation rights carry a different meaning. They have become a school's brand. Every Hyunmo-yangcheo High School in the nation fights an image war every year for its own honor and allocated budget. They boast about their elite university admission rates or the number of students accepted into Hankuk University, but the most symbolic metric of all is the seed group ranking. In essence, the entrance exam has become a proxy war between the schools.
Of course, there are rewards. Recommended students are exempt from document screening and interviews, allowing them to proceed directly to the main exam and focus entirely on competing. It is Hankuk University's consideration so that they may deliver their best performance.
Lady Lee Seon-hee had taken notice of those recommendation rights. Lee Ah-rang had only graduated middle school. She had no high school transcript. Any university application would be cut off at the document screening stage. Of course, if she possessed certificates or experience to substitute for academic credentials, the story would be different—but Lee Ah-rang had none of those either. In other words, for her to enter Hankuk University, she needed a recommendation from a Hyunmo-yangcheo High School principal. The exemption from documents and interviews granted to recommended students was essential.
That was why Lady Lee Seon-hee had come up with a plan: transfer Lee Ah-rang into her third year at Daejeon Hyunmo-yangcheo High School and secure her a recommendation.
"...Excuse me? Me? Ah... I just want to play around with Ji-tae for a while longer."
At her granddaughter's declaration of "I still want to play," Lady Lee Seon-hee's vision went dark.
The chirping of sparrows drifted in from outside the window. I had only just lain down in bed, yet morning had already arrived. When I lived alone, this never happened, but ever since I started living with Lee Se-rin, my sleep had become unusually comfortable. When I opened my eyes, the older sister who had already risen was staring straight at me. Huh?
"KyaAAAAAARGH!!!!"
"Uwah?! Are you all right? Did you have a nightmare?!"
Lee Se-rin climbed onto the bed in large strides.
"Don't come closer! Stay away!"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm truly sorry!"
Lee Se-rin knelt formally on the floor, both hands raised as if begging for forgiveness, her face crumpled in distress. I calmed myself and looked around. This was the Chirnik dormitory. There was no older sister. I must have mistaken Lee Se-rin for her.
"Ah. Right. Sorry."
My heart felt like it was about to drop. These incidents had become more frequent ever since I started living with Lee Se-rin. I pulled the blanket over my head and took several deep breaths to steady my mind and body. Whenever I saw Lee Se-rin, I was suddenly reminded of my older sister and ended up screaming like this.
...But why had Lee Se-rin been standing at my bedside while I was asleep?
"Enough. You startled me. Don't tell me you were watching me like that all night?"
"No, it wasn't like that. Um... just a little."
Lee Se-rin scratched her cheek and looked away before finally admitting the truth.
"...That's called a bad hobby."
At my words, Lee Se-rin seemed about to say something, then lowered her head deeply.
"Ah... Um. Yes. I'm sorry."
I looked at the calendar. The red X marked over today's date stood out. Come to think of it, today was the store's regular closing day. As the exam date drew nearer and my finances improved, I had decided to increase my training time. That was why I had created a regular holiday—so I could focus on training. And that holiday was today.
While waiting for Lee Se-rin to prepare breakfast, I organized my plans going forward. I had already raised Man-sang Pajigwon-gakbeop to Lv.6, but considering how the technique improved the more I trained it, my goal was to push it all the way to Lv.10, the upper limit of the Refined Realm. After all, I needed to at least meet the minimum specs in stamina, strength, and mana if I wanted any chance of struggling through the exam.
Then a thought occurred to me: what were the average specs of last year's Hankuk University admits? I searched the internet.
[Last Year's Hankuk University Admitted Students — Bottom 30% Specs]
[Name: Kim XX]
[Stamina: 8.90]
[Strength: 9.50]
[Mana: 9.10]
[Skills: 8 Basic Magic (4th Grade) Lv.10, 5 Ordinary Magic (3rd Grade) Lv.10.]
[Special Notes: General high school, 1,300 hours of volunteer work, 3 years as club president of the school Hyunmo-yangcheo Club, student council president in 2nd year. Average rank over 3 years: 1.16th place.]
'Doesn't bottom 30% mean 70th out of 100?'
I double-checked just in case. That was exactly what it meant. Even with these specs, this person was in the lower ranks among the admitted students.
'...Can I really do this?'
I suddenly remembered that Lee Se-rin had graduated from university. If it was her, she might be able to give me proper advice. I had no experience with university entrance exams, but she did. Until now, I hadn't mentioned that I was preparing for university, but if there was someone nearby who could act as a teacher, it would be right to ask for help.
"Um... Are you angry...?"
"...Huh? No. Not really."
Lee Se-rin was picking at her food.
"..Um."
"Yes. Please speak."
I hesitated, unsure how to begin.
'...Still, I can't keep going like this.'
"Um. I'm planning to go to university. Through training."
"...Yes?"
Lee Se-rin dropped her chopsticks. After several seconds of silence, she answered.
"Isn't there a special admissions track?"
"I don't want that... I'd have to meet other women."
"......."
"So... could you help me a little? With advice or something."
"......Yes."
Lee Se-rin stared blankly for a moment before nodding.
"For now, I'll be your sparring partner during training. Let's start with that... I'll go home and bring the training uniform."
*****
The living room of Lady Lee Seon-hee's mansion. A maid set down Earl Grey tea and pastries from a famous bakery on the table. Every item was extremely high-class. But Lee Ah-rang had no eyes for the pastries or tea. Her grandmother had made an insane proposal.
"Grandmother. Suddenly telling me to transfer into high school and become the top student in the entire school? That's impossible. Besides, there are only 70 days left. What could I possibly achieve by starting now? This year, I'll just play around with Ji-tae, and I'll work hard starting next year. They say you have to play well to study well, right?"
"...Is that so?"
"Yes. Right now, I'm planning a 14-night, 15-day hot spring trip to Hokkaido with Ji-tae."
"...Ah-rang."
"...Yes."
When Lady Lee Seon-hee snapped her fingers, a maid inserted a video into the television. As the screen lit up, high school girls in gym uniforms appeared. Scenes of them competing in tournaments, attending classes, and receiving certificates played.
"Even while you laze about eating and sleeping every day, other girls are honing themselves through bone-grinding effort."
"...Yes. Well."
"Then what will your fiancé think of you? If he sees you lazing about without studying, squandering the family's money in your room every day... even the kindest man would lose interest quickly, wouldn't he?"
Lee Ah-rang's lips stiffened.
"That's a bit harsh."
"It isn't harsh. Look."
On the television screen, a girl in a gym uniform stepped onto the podium. The sight of her smiling as she received a gold medal was so angelic that even Lee Ah-rang watching unconsciously let out a gasp of admiration.
"Now. If you were Yoo Ji-tae, which would you choose—the you who plays and eats at home, or that beautiful woman over there?"
"...Uh. Um. Since I'm cuter, he'd probably choose me."
"......Now. Watch this high school training footage."
The television screen changed. Beautiful girls in gym uniforms were running across the field. Their faces were flushed and sweat poured down like rain, yet their skin remained pale and their expressions showed not a single wrinkle.
"They're all competitors. Where do you think those children are running to? They're all running toward your fiancé, Yoo Ji-tae. Look, they're smiling. Every one of those smiles is directed at your Ji-tae."
Lady Lee Seon-hee poked at Lee Ah-rang's soft belly.
"While you're sitting here like this, those beautiful girls are running toward Yoo Ji-tae. Do you really have the confidence that they won't steal your husband from you?"
"Ugh.... Still."
Lee Ah-rang scratched her silver hair and looked away. Lady Lee Seon-hee sighed at the sight.
'She doesn't even realize she's a genius.'
Ability awakening meant a transformation of the body. A body that originally could not use mana learned how to wield it and completely rewrote its own structure. Cells learned to consume mana, internal organs digested it and sent it throughout the body. The heart shot mana through the bloodstream to every part of the body, and the brain consumed mana as energy.
Awakening normally manifested slowly through training and discipline. Occasionally, however, life-threatening awakenings occurred. For reasons unknown, those who awakened in such a manner gained tremendous power and talent by crossing the line between life and death. Intense change left traces on the body. Those traces were called awakening marks.
And among the countless possessors of awakening marks, those with unusual hair color were geniuses among geniuses. In the 14-category classification of awakening marks, they belonged to the second position. Considering that the first position was almost nonexistent, they could practically be called the very best.
Lee Ah-rang's silver hair signified overwhelming talent.
"Ah-rang. With your talent, the Hankuk University entrance exam is nothing."
Lee Ah-rang's face turned pale. Even if someone who had been enjoying Roblox and TikTok were suddenly told they were being placed in a special 7-year-old exam prep class, they wouldn't make that expression.
"...Yes? Me? But the other kids have been preparing for three whole years. I'm only going to study for 70 days...? And on top of that, you want me to transfer into a Hyunmo-yangcheo school and become the top student in the entire school? No way...."
"Hmm. That's a bit different."
Lady Lee Seon-hee corrected Lee Ah-rang's misunderstanding.
"The recommendation for Hankuk University's seed group is given 40 days before the main exam. So if you transfer into your third year at the Hyunmo-yangcheo school and take first place, you'll have about 30 days left."
Lee Ah-rang despaired. She lunged desperately at Lady Lee Seon-hee, trying to persuade her.
"Th... that doesn't make any sense. 30 days? Think about it! The other students—even the retakers—are taking elixirs and training hard every day! How am I supposed to take first place there?!"
"What are you saying? What does it matter if they take elixirs? If those children take 100-million-won elixirs and 1-billion-won elixirs, then you simply take 100-billion-won elixirs."
"...No matter how expensive the elixir, wouldn't there still be a limit?"
"...Ah-rang. That is the talk of people who have limits when it comes to money. Don't worry. You can do it. The time you lack can be sufficiently filled with money and talent."
"Ah. Um."
Lee Ah-rang averted her gaze. The posture of someone desperately appealing, "I don't want to study. I still want to play a little more." Lady Lee Seon-hee looked at Lee Ah-rang. Lee Ah-rang looked away. Several seconds passed like that.
Lady Lee Seon-hee took a sip of her tea. Her expression was perfectly serene, as if her previous attitude had been a lie.
"I see. I'm sorry. You've only just risen from your sickbed. Grandmother was wrong."
"Ah. No. Then may I go?"
"Yes. Do you have urgent business?"
"Ah. No. Just..."
She couldn't say that she had been staying up every night lately playing Strategy of the Three Kingdoms by Yokohama Mitsuteru.
Lady Lee Seon-hee asked Lee Ah-rang, who had risen from her seat, as if tossing the question casually.
"...Ah-rang. Is there anything strange on your chest? Like a silver lump or something?"
"Excuse me? No?"
"...I suppose wanting that much would be greedy."
The highest class among awakening marks. The awakening mark on the chest.
'There are occasional cases where two awakening marks appear, so I wondered if perhaps... but I suppose not.'
'Well, the chest awakening mark is called a calamity. There's no need for talent of that level.'
Once Lee Ah-rang had left, a maid approached and bowed her head.
"...Will it be all right to leave her like that?"
"What do you think is the reason a woman neglects her training?"
"Excuse me? Ah... probably because training is difficult...."
"No. That is not it."
Lady Lee Seon-hee drank her tea.
"The reason a woman neglects her training is because she lacks competitors. If there are plenty of women around the man she likes, she will take care of it herself."
Lady Lee Seon-hee rose from her seat.
"Cancel all of tomorrow's schedules."
"Yes, my lady."
Visiting in the middle of the night would be rude. It was also about time to sleep. Well, perhaps a text message would suffice.
*****
The next day. Lady Lee Seon-hee made her way to the Chirnik dormitory where Yoo Ji-tae resided. Three maids carrying gifts followed behind her. Since Yoo Ji-tae was not from the upper class, she had judged that an excessive gift offensive would have the opposite effect.
Thus, as Lady Lee Seon-hee entered the Chirnik parking lot—
"Hah. Like this here! Like this! Like this!!!"
"Ugh! Ah! Ah! Harder!"
She witnessed two people entangled on a single mat spread across the outdoor parking lot. Lee Se-rin, wearing form-fitting Pilates clothes, was roughly pinning Yoo Ji-tae down, while Yoo Ji-tae groaned from beneath her. Whenever Yoo Ji-tae roughly scratched Lee Se-rin's back, Lee Se-rin pressed her stomach and chest against his face and squeezed his torso tightly with her thighs.
"How is it? Ji-tae-nim? Do you like it? Then I'll do it even harder?"
"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!"
The maid in the driver's seat covered her mouth at the sight.
"Outdoors! And fully clothed...!"
Lady Lee Seon-hee's vision grew even darker.