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“Oh no, Hyodon’s crying!”
“No one cries from their forehead and cheeks. That’s sweat.”
“It’s so cold though?”
Late at night, in the Jiikhoe study room before the last day of the final exam.
Maeng Hyodon was cornered by the math exam.
The heating inside the room was operating albeit weakly, and Maeng Hyodon’s energy waves seem to be normal, but he was sweating a lot.
I tried to think of a reason.
Perhaps Maeng Hyodon’s stone head was heating from being overloaded.
“He doesn’t have a fever though.”
“…What the. Vice President.”
I checked his body temperature using my device just in case, but he had no fever.
Seeing that his body temp and energy waves were normal, there seems to be no problem with his body.
We don’t know what’s wrong with him.
‘He understands all the basic principles, and he’s done memorizing what’s needed. He practiced a lot too. If he stays calm and solved the problems, he won’t fail.’
While I was thinking about why Maeng Hyodon was struggling so badly…
Maeng Hyodon cooled his head and returned to being a human again.
“Why are you so good at math when you’re not taking the subject?”
It’s natural to study math since it’s part of the CSAT.
But we’re not really concerned with college tests yet since we’re freshmen, so perhaps that excuse won’t work.
I decided to answer honestly.
“I studied it a long time ago.”
“A long time ago? You’re talking like you’re thirty.”
I thought about our classmate whose real age was 5,000 years.
That old man treats me like a child.
I was worried that I would be suspected, but the other kids seemed to think that I did some advanced study.
Though Maeng Hyodon still seems to be wary.
In any case, I hope Maeng Hyodon will focus on studying math now.
‘Focus… Is he thinking about his lethal move while studying math?’
It was in the third year of high school that Maeng Hyodon acquired derived skills.
At that time, Maeng Hyodon’s life was at risk at the fight club.
His physical condition was terrible, making it difficult for him to acquire derived skills.
Although he has no experience now, his physical status is better than then, and Tak Geosan, master of bare-handed fighting, teaches Maeng Hyodon well.
However, if he lacks hands-on experience, winning experience to be exact, it will still be difficult to acquire skills.
‘Should I give him hints?’
Maeng Hyodon was born a fighter, but he still lacks faith in his abilities.
He didn’t believe in his messed up body in PMH, and he still lacks learning and experience in this world.
He overcame the harsh training after Bang Yoonseob ran away, receiving praise from Tak Geosan.
‘The same would be true of math problems.’
Although Maeng Hyodon is a stone head, he took all classes faithfully during the semester and received one-on-one tutoring from me.
He knows how to solve problems, but he doubts himself first.
He can’t trust himself because he’s lived as a stone head for a long time.
As a result, even the easy problems become hard, and his score drops.
I understood Maeng Hyodon’s tendencies and gave him advice.
“When you solve problems, why don’t you try not to hesitate and just think of a solution right away?”
“…But I could get it wrong.”
“That’s possible if you didn’t study well, but you did. Mistakes can be corrected while you’re calculating.”
During the broadcasting station incident, Maeng Hyodon judged in a split second that Jegal was in a dangerous situation.
However, he couldn’t immediately catch Jegal.
Even though it was clear, he hesitated to act because he couldn’t believe whether he was right or not.
Hesitating until the last minute, Maeng Hyodon must’ve remembered Tak Geosan’s advice to trust his gut in battles.
As a result, Maeng Hyodon tied Jegal’s feet with his light skill, effectively saving the professor.
“Just trust your thoughts and senses.”
“Vice president…”
Maeng Hyodon tried to understand my words, but I’m not sure if he got what I meant.
However, when he read the next questions, the speed of his pen noticeably increased.
I hope even after the exam, he wouldn’t forget what Tak Geosan and I said.
On the other hand, Kwon Lena had safely completed the subjects she had difficulties with, including the practical test.
She looked very tired because of the series of tests, but she seems to be at ease now.
“You’ve passed all the subjects you were in danger in, so you’ll be fine…”
“I’m rooting for you, Lena.”
The dorm kids who saw Mok Wooram’s appearance turned speechless.
A dark shade was hanging over Mok Wooram’s crumbly face.
He may be a strange guy, but his grades and abilities are excellent so I don’t think it was the tests that caused this.
“Have you been sleeping, Wooram-ah?”
“I haven’t slept for about three days, but I’m fine.”
“I think you haven’t slept since the exam period started though.”
“I took a nap three days ago.”
It was natural to look tired because it was the exam period, but Mok Wooram looked worse.
Don’t tell me he’s been doing something stupid and sacrificing his sleep.
Mok Wooram stayed in his workshop when we weren’t having exams, so maybe he keeps working until late at night.
Observing Mok Wooram, Hani suddenly spoke.
“Let’s do what Yuri said.”
At Hani’s suggestion, Kwon Lena exclaimed “Ah!” with a bright face.
Kwon Lena pulled out her energy violin card.
Kim Yuri nodded when she realized that her suggestion will be done.
It was an excellent suggestion from our class president.
“Wooram-ah, I’ll play a lullaby. Sleep!”
“Ah, I can’t. I’m not done with it yet. I can’t fall asleep right now.”
Mok Wooram must be creating something in his workshop.
He shook his head desperately, but the platinum-colored violin was already in Kwon Lena’s hand.
Kwon Lena seemed to want to put Mok Wooram, who helped her hard with her studies, to sleep.
“Ah…”
When Kwon Lena moved the bow, the violin sang, unlike the last time.
The song she played was Schubert’s Wiegenlied No. 2 D. 498 (Op. 98), a lullaby played for the one and only Mok Wooram.
It was impossible for Mok Wooram, who regards Kwon Lena as his muse, to resist the melody.
He listened to her play with a bewildered look on his face.
After a few bars, Mok Wooram fell in a frightful way.
Lying on a three-person sofa, Mok Wooram had the happiest pushover face in the entire world.
“I don’t know if he fainted or if he’s sleeping…”
“He looks happy so let’s leave him alone. Let’s wake him up before the test.”
Hani, who suggested it first, looked worried, but Saeum of April reassured her brightly.
My playable character said he’d wake him up, so I decided to trust him.
Kwon Lena covered Mok Wooram with a blanket.
***
We had freedom after finishing the final exam.
I checked the provisional scores, and all the kids in my class survived.
I was nervous because there were some questions that Maeng Hyodon said he was confused about, but after solving the problem to some extent, he excluded options that couldn’t have been the answer, successfully getting the question right.
‘If he chooses math again next year, he’ll be in trouble. I hope he’ll be okay.’
After safely avoiding failure, Maeng Hyodon excitedly contacted his old math teacher, his homeroom teacher in his third year of middle school.
Seeing him like that, I was worried that he’d choose math again.
And there was something else I was worried about.
‘I wonder if the kids who aren’t attending school yet did okay.’
I had no way to know the scores of the attention-seekers, the dark swordsman, and the others who don’t attend school.
There were no rumors or signs that kids from Class Zero failed, so I thought it would be okay.
“I want to have an after-party to celebrate the end of the final exam, but we don’t really have time since it’s the festival soon. Take a good rest today and let’s see each other for the festival preps tomorrow!”
Exhausted with the preparations for the final exam, the kids agreed with Kim Yuri’s suggestion.
Our class’ festival entry was almost done, but there was still some work to do.
‘We should have a big party after the festival.’
Christmas is awaited after the festival, so I want to give the kids time to relax at least once before that.
Maybe I should book a reservation in advance.
I organized a list in my head while I was about to head back to my dorm.
That was when Hwang Jiho called me.
“Good job with the exams, Jo Euishin. Why don’t you stay at the mansion today?”
I was about to reject him right away, but I stopped myself.
Somehow, I thought there would be a guest who visited the mansion beside me today.
“Some people have returned to Korea after a while. How about we welcome them together?”
Yong Jegun and Jeokho are back.
***
The night after the exams.
Beyond the underground secret passageway between the student association and student council halls.
In the otherworld from the simulator, the stiletto knife that Sung Siwan wielded stopped just before the former head of the association’s Adam’s apple.
[Excellent.]
The former head of the association said so, his rotator cuff was damaged and blood dripping from his mouth due to Sung Siwan’s successful attacks.
His face was eerily similar to Sung Gukeon, so seeing him injured like that made Sung Siwan feel complicated.
Sung Gukeon doesn’t hesitate to put himself in danger to keep his promises.
And even if he was seriously damaged, he would smile like that in front of people.
Without withdrawing the stiletto knife, Sung Siwan spoke.
“I think you’re going easy on me, Grandfather.”
[I’m not. I adjusted it to your level.]
Sung Siwan felt bitter.
As he expected, his grandfather wasn’t giving his all.
He felt angry, but he knew he couldn’t beat him at his current level.
‘He can’t help but go easy on me.’
Sung Siwan passed the test, but he hasn’t given up yet.
He took the opportunity to vow to try again.
As if he read his mind, Sung Siwan’s grandfather smiled.
The end of the simulation was handled, and the injuries on the former head of the association disappeared like nothing.
[You succeeded. I will hand over the data as promised.]
“I’ll take it after Idam succeeds.”
[You mean the hoobae who’s waiting outside?]
Fwoosh!
The former head of the association gestured and the door of the boss room opened.
The moment that it did, Gye Idam ran inside.
“Siwan hyung, are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m good. It’s your turn, Idam-ah.”
Even though Sung Siwan said he was okay, Gye Idam double-checked his condition carefully.
Only after confirming did he look at the former head of the association.
Gye Idam had been thinking about something since he heard what the former head’s abilities were.
Although it’s not within the scope of the test, Gye Idamrepeatedly pondered while studying abilities that attack the mind.
“You can show a person’s past and memories and show them a fantasy. Perhaps the range is limited depending on the mental strength of the subject.”
[…]
The former head was silent.
Gye Idam made up his mind, but words didn’t come out easily.
It was eerie and frightening to be shown one’s ugly, pathetic, disgusting, and regrettable past without filtration.
But there was a huge malice in this world that targets Eungwang High, and that same thing could take away someone he cares about.
His fear of loss was far greater than the fear of revelation.
The sound of iron mixed with Gye Idam’s voice sounded heavier than usual.
“Please analyze my memory.”
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