Copyright 2020. 안생. All Rights Reserves.
※This is a human genre with no romance or flings.※
I hope you take this into consideration.
It's okay if you don't have a dream.
It's okay if you're not good at studying.
What you have is worth it.
"I did it, I... put the test paper in Kim Seokjin's bag."
***
A "clap" sound echoed through the study, and Hayeon's head turned completely to the right. Hayeon blushed at the sudden turn of events, covered her cheeks, and looked at her father.
"You're so fucking ugly."
"If you just took the test like this, you would have been first in the whole school."
"Why are you doing this because you're ugly?"
The cause of this incident was a notice from the school's disciplinary committee regarding Hayeon. When Hayeon's father tore up the notice, crumpled it, and threw it in the trash, Hayeon screamed.
"It's not me who's the MIXX, it's my dad."
"Take it easy, I already gave you the time."
"I did it, so I'm going to take the lead. Is that so wrong?"
Hayeon's resentment, which she had been holding back, finally exploded. She couldn't go out with friends on her birthday, so she had to rely on cake and allowance instead. On weekends, she studied according to the CSAT schedule. It was practically like there was no vacation.
"I'm the same as Kim Seokjin."
"I also got a top grade in my grades, and I'm sure I'll get a perfect score on the test."
The reason Hayeon ranked lower than Seokjin wasn't simply her grades and school life. Like Seokjin, Hayeon had good relationships, a good image, and got along well with everyone at school. Despite all this, the reason she ranked second in the entire school was...
"Oh, that's just it. Kim Seokjin is just a little better than me."
"He can do things I can't do no matter how hard I try, and he's just a little better than me."
"So, that's why it's not me, but Kim Seokjin who is number one."
I wanted to live a life of peace and contentment, but reality was that all eyes were on me, hoping to rise to a higher and more dangerous position.So I had to pretend to work harder and be greedy.
***
That afternoon, Seoyoung returned home early and was spending her time singing songs, as the school had ordered all classrooms except the teachers' office to be closed after school for the time being due to the exam period.
Then, her phone vibrated and she looked at the screen to see that Ha-yeon was calling. Seo-young quickly turned off the song and answered Ha-yeon's call.
- "hello?"
- "it's me."
Hayeon's voice, coming from the other end of the phone, sounded deeply muffled, as if it were a key. Seoyoung hesitated for a moment before answering, hearing Hayeon's voice, which sounded a little more melancholic and low than usual.
- "Ah... uh, why?"
- “Kim Seokjin’s suspension will be lifted soon.”
- "Well, the lead won't open either."
After Hayeon's words, no words were exchanged between Hayeon and Seoyoung. Hayeon's first words—that Seokjin's suspension would be lifted—had left Seoyoung with a blank mind, unable to comprehend the situation.
- "··· What does that mean?"
- "I told everything to the teacher."
Just before school, she'd spoken to Hayeon for the last time, and then she'd left the classroom and left early without anyone noticing. As this scene flashed through Seoyoung's mind, she figured she'd thanked herself and gone to the teacher's office to tell the truth to her homeroom teacher.
- "Please tell Kim Seok-jin, I absolutely can't do this."
- "Hey, wait a minute-"
Before Seoyoung could finish speaking, the call was cut off. "What the hell is going on?" Seoyoung stared at her own blank expression reflected on the black, dead phone screen. Then, she put on a thick layer of clothing and left the house.
***
Seoyoung, out of breath in the cold weather, ran to Seokjin's house. Seokjin had once mentioned that he'd be late to school on Fridays and would finish at 8, so Seoyoung was waiting for him to arrive.
But it was past 8 o'clock, and when Seoyoung took her first step toward home, Seokjin, who had not come no matter how long she waited, finally encountered Seokjin coming home.
"seokjin kim."
Seokjin also stopped walking for a moment when he saw Seoyoung, and then tried to ignore her and go in, but he had no choice but to stop when Seoyoung called out to him.
"···Thank you for your hard work."
Seokjin saw Seoyoung's expression, complex and full of things to say. He'd thought she'd come to tell him to talk to Hayeon again, but Seokjin was suspicious of Seoyoung, who spoke as if everything was over, saying she'd had a hard time.
"Baek Ha-yeon said, 'Your suspension will be lifted soon.' The punishment will also be minimized."
"How can I trust him?"
"Baek Ha-yeon told the teacher that she did it."
Baek Ha-yeon... asked me to tell you. With this, Seok-jin's accusation of being a test thief was finally cleared. But even at this moment, Seok-jin wondered why he kept relaying his crimes through others.Is it impossible for the perpetrator to be honest in front of the victim?
"The exam is just around the corner."
"You have to show the kids that you got first place in the whole school with your own strength."
You must believe in your own abilities and push through to the end.
- Rosalynn Carter -