What comes with winter in November?
Some may think of the first snow and get lost in romance. Others may recall the smell of well-baked fish-shaped pastries and reminisce about old memories.
However, for high school students, winter is the season that holds the harshest challenge — the college entrance exam.
The “Suneung,” the big event for the Korean people.
The moment when the hopes of all mothers and fathers, and the entire family, come together.
Today was the day of the Suneung.
A massive exam that would evaluate twelve years of schooling: six years of elementary school, three years of middle school, and three years of high school. It had arrived at Hanul, too.
On the Hanul campus, there were as many outside visitors as there would be during a major event or competition. Most of them were dispatched by the education office and the Korean Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation to supervise the exam.
There were also students wearing uniforms from other schools, not Hanul’s.
“Since the school building is so large and the student allocation is spacious, they said other school students come here to take the exam.”
Of course, most of those taking the Suneung were Hanul students.
Despite the school having a unique atmosphere with a majority of students aiming to study abroad, many still considered the domestic university entrance exam. So, as the Suneung approached, the anxiety of high school students, particularly in the senior year, was becoming palpable.
“…Will we be taking it next year?”
“D-365, it’s starting!”
“300 days for the Suneung is enough to prepare. So let’s just enjoy the remaining 65 days.”
“I’m going to boldly aim for the 100-day preparation plan.”
“Why am I so excited?”
“What’s so exciting? It’s the Suneung, not a dream.”
The students who were normally moving between classes in Building B, used as the exam hall for the day, had no classes, including first- and second-year high school students. As a result, the lounges in each dormitory were filled with students passing a restless holiday.
And in our seventh dormitory… The lounge, where students aiming to study abroad gathered (though there were some unusual cases like me who entered through special admissions), had an unexpectedly relaxed atmosphere.
“Actually, among the students aiming for prestigious overseas universities, very few worry about grades…”
Except for me, of course.
Hehe.
In my past life, I totally messed up the Suneung…
And then I messed up my second attempt and ended up in the military…
In the end, I didn’t go to university and became a high school graduate…
“…..”
Sigh
“One-chan doesn’t know these struggles…”
“Hana, I’ll peel some tangerines for you.”
“Yum!”
“Hana, eat mine too.”
“Yum.”
“Mine too…!”
“Yum…”
–Chew, chew
Perhaps because of the bitter taste in my mouth, the tangerines were especially sweet.
We were sitting together in the lounge, which had warm air circulating, eating tangerines and watching TV. The TV was constantly updating the news about the Suneung.
“-Again this year, there were many cases of students visiting the wrong exam hall. In some schools, students were taken in police cars and moved between exam halls, creating an unbelievable scene.”
On the screen, there was a male student sitting on the back of a traffic cop’s motorcycle, his eyes red and teary. Around him, people could be seen laughing at the situation.
Kang Jina, lying on the floor while watching TV, suddenly spoke up.
“Wow, this is crazy… Ah-choo! …It’s so cold. Maybe it’s the Suneung cold wave?”
“…?!”
Cold… no, it’s freezing…?
Did she just say “freezing”…?!
But I was the only one who knew the joke from 20 years in the future. So, there was no interruption to her “freezing” comments.
Na Aeri, hearing Kang Jina’s words, went to the corner of the lounge and grabbed a blanket. They often fussed over each other like this.
“Here’s a blanket. They said the weather isn’t as cold as last year.”
“Oh, thanks. I think I’m especially sensitive to the cold… But it’s good we’re close to the exam hall. The students from the Art High School have to take a bus to the nearby Humanities School. It’s already nerve-wracking, but they have to do their last review in a cold bus… That sounds terrible.”
I was secretly surprised.
“I thought Jina-sunbae wouldn’t care about stuff like this. It’s unexpected.”
Kang Jina’s daily routine… always eating, running, running when bored, playing soccer with the boys, laughing with her skirt flying, and taking naps on benches… She lived like a wild animal.
Yet, it seemed even Jina-sunbae was a little concerned about her grades. And the one replying, as always, was Na Aeri, gracefully sipping tea from a teacup.
“…Is that so? But isn’t being close to the exam hall more nerve-wracking?”
“Why would being close make you nervous?”
“Well, with exams like these, I think being in a completely different environment with fresh air and a slight numbness helps reduce the tension. But in a familiar environment, when you take the exam, it feels real, so you get nervous.”
“I don’t know about that… Your tea mindset is too unique… What about you, Yoo Jin?”
Oh Yoo Jin, wrapped in a blanket, chewed on a tangerine as she answered.
“Me? I’m fine with anything!”
“Ah, right. You do well no matter what, so I guess it doesn’t matter.”
“Yeah! I was ranked 1st on the 9th-grade mock exam last September. The seniors said that’s like being in the 98th percentile. I’m not sure how it’ll change with the new grading system this year, though.”
“Y-yeah…”
“Hehe… Unfortunately, I missed a perfect score this time.”
“…..”
By the way, Oh Yoo Jin was a second-year high school student. Academically, she was already an accomplished student.
Her smile was brighter than ever.
“Hehe.”
“…..”
“…..”
“…..”
Everyone in the lounge was frozen in terror, unable to express it.
It felt as if the goddess of wisdom from Olympus had appeared, and everyone was trembling in awe. Of course, I, as a high school graduate from my past life, couldn’t help but tremble as well.
Hoeyoung…
‘Is this the confidence of someone who will complete their master’s degree at New York University…?!’
Honestly, I think it’s a bit of a scam when it comes to how well students in physical education and the arts do academically… Shouldn’t there be something a little off with those students?
“This is a scam…!”
I began scanning for any flaws in Senior Yujin, hoping to find something. And, once again, I couldn’t help but be shocked.
Appearance: Innocence. Will stay pretty until 36 years old.
Personality: Simple and humble. Overflowing confidence, but with solid grounds for it.
Academics: Scheduled to complete a master’s degree at the School of Art at New York University, Steinhardt.
Abilities: One of the future representative artists of South Korea.
I was just listing her objective credentials, yet I shivered internally.
“…?!”
No.
This can’t be.
She doesn’t have a single flaw…?
I thought we were from the same tribe…!
Ah, I see now.
I’m the only one who’s weird here.
Hehe☆
“Tsk… What should I even believe in anymore? Mari’s like this, and so is Senior Yujin…”
Sigh
The tangerines were delicious today.
“Nom…”
While I ate a tangerine, lost in thought, Kang Jina and Na Aeri turned their eyes away with pained expressions.
“Whenever I listen to Yujin talk, I feel like something is numbing inside me. It’s the same feeling I had with the seniors who were preparing for the RCA in London or the grands écoles in France…”
“Yeah, we don’t even have confidence in our portfolios, so we’re just studying for the college entrance exam…”
“Is this really the vibe of a genuine study abroad class…? Is this the difference in class?”
“Even though the departments are different, I want to learn from those aspects.”
“Agh.”
“Hoo…”
Seeing the atmosphere, Senior Yujin awkwardly spoke up.
“E-everyone has their strengths, right? Don’t worry too much!”
“…Haha.”
“…Ahahaha.”
“Wait, is this one of those lines where she says ‘everyone has their strengths!’ and then adds, ‘…but they’re worse than me’?”
“Na Aeri! It’s not like that!”
Sigh, “From Senior Yujin’s perspective, we must look like pitiful commoners.”
“Jina, no!”
“Ugh, Senior Yujin, please make me your servant…! I’ll do the laundry and organize the studio every night!”
“Hana, why are you saying that too? I can do the organizing myself…!”
Hmm? Where’s all this arrogance coming from…
…She couldn’t even do organizing or hand-wash laundry until she was 36. And she once cried on the phone, saying she didn’t know how to use a washing machine at night…
-P-please, Author Go Hoon, could you help me with the washing machine…
Recalling that memory, I felt a little at ease.
“Heh heh heh…”
“Hana, what’s with that meaningful laugh?”
“It’s nothing.”
And so, we spent the cold day of the college entrance exam with warm laughter in the lounge.
However, despite the warm atmosphere, the exam this year ended in tragedy, with the largest-scale cheating and proxy testing ever detected. Additionally, the rule prohibiting the entry of electronic devices into the exam room was also introduced this year.
*
“…What does that have to do with Hanul’s entrance exam?”
“Exactly!”
What came through the phone was Juri’s frustrated voice.
“Because of the phone ban for the college entrance exam, now even Hanul’s film and theater exams are banned from bringing phones… So what about people like me who relax by talking to my mom during the waiting time? What am I supposed to do?!”
“…..”
“What if I can’t talk to my mom and mess up my practical exam because I’m too nervous… What should I do, Hana? I’m so worried!”
“…..”
‘Huh, what’s this? Her way of relaxing is cute.’
Just like that, Juri’s sudden attempt to charm me caught me off guard. We’d known each other for just over two weeks, but when she made these surprise appeals to her cuteness, it was hard to respond.
‘…If I honestly tell her she’s cute, she’ll get mad.’
How should I put it?
It’s like… she’s unexpectedly cute?
That was the feeling.
But what was funny was that she was completely serious about it.
“…..”
I pondered inwardly.
‘Hmm, what should I do?’
At this point…
Charm appeals… Honestly, this was a kind of talent. But for Juri, who had temporarily left the entertainment industry, this talent couldn’t be fully used for at least another 10 years.
‘Do you want to become a VTuber with me, uncle?’
The best job a cute girl could do.
That was being a VTuber.
‘A painter and an actress, could there be a crazier character combination?’
In just 10 years, it would be 2014.
I’d be about 21 years old, and Juri would be around 23.
By then, the first VTuber would probably emerge a few years earlier.
It was a blue ocean. If the two of us became VTubers with a college girl concept… We could shake up the internet broadcasting world. We’d be problem children, but we could still be the strongest. The first VTuber duo to surprise Japan and captivate China.
But….
But….
That was still 10 years away.
The problem we faced right now was Hanul’s entrance exam.
I couldn’t help but feel disappointed about that.
“Sigh… This is so frustrating.”
“Isn’t it frustrating?” Right?
“Yeah?”
“Huh?”
“…..”
There was a brief silence.
Unfortunately, Juri was overly perceptive.
“…Hana.”
“I was listening. I just spaced out for a second.” No, wait.
“…I see.”
I honestly admitted it, but I could feel Juri’s energy drain through her voice.
“…Sorry, I’ve been calling too much.”
“……”
It would have been better if she got mad, but Juri was the type to go from being excited to suddenly digging herself into a hole. It felt like a status window was flickering in front of my eyes.
[Juri’s motivation has decreased by 10!]
[Juri’s motivation has decreased by 10!]
Ugh.
At this rate, Juri was going to turn into a menhera…!
‘This isn’t some idol training game…!’
I hurriedly tried to resolve Juri’s worries.
“Is there anything other than the phone that’s not allowed in the exam room?”
“Huh? Oh… yeah, they said only things like walkie-talkies or phones are banned because of cheating or proxy exams.”
“Then how about recording your mom’s voice on a recorder and listening to it? If it’s just a one-way communication device, would they let it slide?”
“…?!”
Juri answered in a slightly trembling voice.
“Y-you’re a genius…? Ah, yeah, you’re definitely a genius.”
“Hah, hah…”
No, I’m just a high school graduate.
But I couldn’t let Juri fall back into a menhera state, so I continued chatting with a carefree attitude. Eventually, Juri seemed satisfied and hung up the phone.
-Click!
“Phew…”
I suddenly felt exhausted and slumped onto the dorm room bed.
Rrring!
“Huh…?!”
When the phone rang again, I checked it and saw that it was a call from Mari.
I picked up the phone again and said,
“Hello?”
“Hana! Did you talk to your uncle again? You talked for such a long time, didn’t you?”
“Huh? No, I was talking to a friend.”
“Uh, huh?”
“Huh?”
“What, what did you…?”
“Fr, friend, talking to him and…”
“…..”
“…..”
‘…What is this?’
I don’t know why, but it just felt like a sudden gut feeling.
Once again, I saw a status window flickering in front of me.
[Mari’s motivation has decreased by 10!]