“Did you really just talk back to the transfer student?”
“What do you mean? And what’s it to you?”
“It’s just that I’m saying this for your own good, so please think before you speak…!”
“You think just because your grades are higher than mine now, you’re hot stuff? Just wait until 2nd grade; I’ll definitely catch up, so leave me alone.”
Si-hoo bitterly smiled as he recalled Seo Yu-na, who had left without looking back.
Thinking about Seo Yu-na at the start of the semester, her change was simply astonishing.
The naive country girl who just came to the city was nowhere to be found, replaced only by a personality as sharp as a well-honed blade that represented her true self.
Si-hoo had already cautioned her several times about her behavior in the past.
[Try to be more considerate of your friends.]
[Why should I care about other people?]
[If you keep this up, you won’t have anyone left around you.]
[I can manage just fine on my own.]
But even as she became increasingly isolated among her classmates, her rank in school skyrocketed at an alarming rate.
She started from a rather ambiguous position at 30th place and managed to snag 2nd place in the final exam of the second semester.
Even though no one defended her actions, there’s no denying the effort Seo Yu-na put in.
At the Academy, human relationships are just as important as grades, but Yu-na had long since declared her abandonment of them.
Because of this, her classmates also avoided creating unnecessary conflicts with her, and Yu-na didn’t seem to mind much either.
So, Si-hoo decided to stop paying her attention.
But this time was different.
The new transfer student, who might have bad intentions, fell right into Yu-na’s radar.
And it was obvious who would be the first target.
No matter how much Seo Yu-na annoyed him, Si-hoo couldn’t wish for her to get into trouble.
He had to somehow prevent the clash between Seo Yu-na and NoName.
That was the conclusion he came to after an entire day of distress.
The morning commute to Sephiron Academy was indeed chaotic.
It was the day when the results of the aptitude test covering grades 2 through 6 were released.
Most students were tearing their hair out at the main gate as they denied with their whole bodies the future that awaited them.
‘If only Yu-na would somehow get 1st place this time…’
Si-hoo quickly shook his head.
If Yu-na got 1st place, she would certainly stop caring about her friends, but that didn’t justify Si-hoo willingly giving up his 1st place.
He was determined to seize 1st place again in 2nd grade.
Crossing the Cloud Bridge, the hallway of the northeast building where the 2nd-grade classroom was located was already packed with over 50 kids.
All their gazes were fixed on a large poster.
It was the ranking list for the aptitude test—an award for those diligent in their studies, and a punishment in itself for those who slacked off.
With a pounding heart, Si-hoo joined the crowd.
‘Am I 1st? There’s no way Yu-na finished it all since time was short. Hopefully, Kim Han-gyeol and Lee Ha-ru didn’t either?’
Si-hoo could confidently declare that this test had been the toughest he had ever faced.
“Oh, Si-hoo, hi.”
“Hey, Kyung-won. How did you do on the test?”
“Just like last finals. But did you… see the results?”
“Why?”
Si-hoo began reading the names from the top of the list without hesitation.
However, upon seeing the very first name, his expression turned to one of shock.
[1. NoName (100)]
“1st place… is it… not me?”
Moreover, the score was a perfect 100 out of 100.
He gulped down his dry throat.
‘Is this even possible?’
[2. Yoon Si-hoo (84.4)]
[3. Seo Yu-na (82.6)]
The names of Yoon Si-hoo, who had always boasted of being the overwhelming 1st place, and Seo Yu-na, who was steadily following behind him, felt pitifully insufficient.
[4. Lee Ha-ru (79.1)]
[5. Go Kyung-won (78)]
[6. Kim Han-gyeol (76.5)]
[7. Han Seori (73.3)]
…
[Average: 48.3 / Standard Deviation: 22.4]
“Is this crazy? The transfer student definitely finished in 15 minutes!”
“Don’t be ridiculous. The teachers purposely made it time-crunching; how could anyone finish?”
“It’s true! Everyone in our class saw him leave to go to the bathroom early.”
“It’s the first time I’ve seen Yoon Si-hoo look human!”
Students were each voicing their thoughts.
However, Si-hoo was too stunned to participate in that discussion.
And this was the same for another girl who arrived late to class.
“What the heck is that…”
It was Seo Yu-na.
She threw her bag aside and pushed her way to the front of the crowd.
Seemingly unable to accept the results, she kept rubbing her eyes.
“Why… why…?”
Her whole body trembling with anger, she slammed her fist against the poster.
“Hey, let’s go to the classroom. You never know what might happen if you’re next to Jae-wang.”
“Ugh, what am I supposed to tell my mom later?”
She wouldn’t be able to understand.
Yu-na had found it laughable when NoName quit the test early yesterday.
Besides, she had already completed the coursework up to the 6th-grade level during the break, and now was the actual test.
She started out at a disadvantage as a 1st grader but instinctively felt she was now right on Si-hoo’s heels while taking the exam.
It was a challenging test, but she felt like she’d done better than usual.
But Si-hoo was still in top form, and now there was an additional mountain she couldn’t possibly hope to climb.
“How am I supposed to… win this…?”
She couldn’t leave. Her feet wouldn’t move.
Yu-na stood staring blankly at the poster.
Then she wandered quietly to a corner of the empty hallway, wiping away her tears in silence.
*
Ah, a perfect score.
It didn’t really evoke any profound feelings.
It was embarrassing for a grown-up to play king among kids.
The only discomfort came from how the class atmosphere was affected by my presence.
“Everyone, we need to work on group activities, so please push your desks together in groups of four.”
Si-hoo and I turned our desks 90 degrees and greeted the kids at the back.
One was an earnest kid named Bae Yohan, and the other was… that girl, Seo Yu-na, who shot daggers at me with her glare.
Is this a Korean class or a staring contest?
“We all have different thoughts even when we read the same poem. Some felt that when it says, ‘the spring rain falls and sits,’ it reminds them of a person, while others think it feels like the rain is falling gently.”
“Now, let’s share experiences when our thoughts differed from those around us, shall we?”
Utilizing the break in between lessons for a group activity.
While other groups were confidently sharing their opinions, our group’s atmosphere was incredibly gloomy.
It turned out that the top three students in the school were in the same group.
“If everyone’s out of ideas… should I go first…?”
Yohan timidly glanced around.
It might be difficult for young children to recall experiences of differing opinions or thoughts.
At best, they might say something like, “I hate the rain, but someone else loves it.”
“I really love the days when it snows, but my brother grumbles about trash falling from the sky every time it snows.”
Predictably, the answers were unimaginative.
It’s clear—life is continually conflict and opposition as stated in textbooks.
Because we all have different backgrounds, values, and goals, we can’t help but find ourselves in countless confrontations in life.
If only adults had half the ability to listen to and understand other people’s values as elementary school students, many problems might be solved.
The essence of education institutions should be to cultivate such abilities early on.
“I like to play the guitar in my free time, but my father thinks instruments are useless, so I felt pretty self-conscious about it.”
Si-hoo reluctantly chimed in for the sake of the group activity.
That’s a rather cool hobby you have there.
Suddenly, Yu-na crossed her arms and frowned.
“I work my butt off every day, yet some people wonder what to do while playing at home, then try to lecture me—it’s really bleeped up.”
“Hey, Seo Yu-na, chill. You’ve crossed the line.”
“Having to discuss whether to buy new lunch items or not is bleeped up too… Especially you, transfer student! Acting like you’re all that while pretending it doesn’t bother you is the most bleeped up of all.”
“Seo Yu-na!”
Si-hoo shouted in frustration.
But with her emotions already overflowing, Yu-na continued her speech, laced with tears.
“You guys have no idea how hard it is to wake up every dawn to come to school!”
Her eyes were blazing with anger.
Eventually, Yu-na shoved her chair back and stormed out of the classroom.
“What happened?”
Teacher Jackie, who had been organizing materials for the next lesson, was taken aback and approached our group.
“It seems she’s stressed from the exam. I’ll go check on her.”
“Don’t!”
Suddenly, Si-hoo grabbed my wrist to stop me.
What’s wrong with her face? She looks like she’s seen a ghost!
“She probably went to the girls’ bathroom. Are you going to go in?”
