Whirlyrick-!
A ranking chart, drawn in a brisk curve through the air, flashed past my mind. I blinked blankly as I read the numbers written on it.what? A sense of doubt welled up in me. I picked up the fallen grade sheet and reread the number written on it. 171. Not 1st, 17th, or 1.7th, but 171st. This insignificant three-digit number on the grade sheet not only represented Seo Yeo-ju's ranking, but also the undeniable fact that my girlfriend of ten years, Seo Yeo-ju, had, as the saying goes, failed the exam. I couldn't believe it. Seo Yeo-ju, who used to easily be the top student in the entire school, was 171st, a mid- to lower-ranking student. This was a blatant lie. I couldn't believe it.
"Poohahaha!!! What the heck, Min Yoongi, are you shocked? Your expression is so fucking funny right now."
"Shit."
Yes, 171st place. 171st place... That's what I mean. 171st place out of 300 students.... After lightly responding to Seo Yeo-ju's words, I opened up Seo Yeo-ju's grade table once again. After I recovered from the shock of 171st place, the grades for each subject caught my eye. I slowly read them. Korean 3.... Math 5.... English..... Wait, Math 5???
"Are you crazy??"
"??? What, why are you acting up so suddenly?? Are you crazy?"
"...."
Math is a 5. That can't be true. Not me, but 'that' Seo Yeo-ju? That can't be true unless the grading system has changed.
Seo Yeo-ju. She was easily one of the top five math prodigies in school, a genius no less. Ever since elementary school, she'd been routinely swept the Olympiads, competitions, and the like, solving problems of daunting difficulty that others would never dare attempt, solving them effortlessly and winning prizes. Seo Yeo-ju, who'd already mastered high school math by her fourth year, was a fifth-grade student. What the hell was that? I was mulling over the various study-related information I'd gathered over the past dozen years, and eventually, I reached a definite conclusion.
This kid did this, partly.
• • •
Let's think about it. If I gave Seo Yeo-ju's grades to another student, she'd probably get a deep bow of gratitude, maybe 990 times, and a 90-degree bow. She'd probably actively express her willingness to help me in the future. Anyway, Seo Yeo-ju's grades were that excellent. It's laughable that I'm ruminating on these things, not even my own, but the grades of my girlfriend of ten years, but I persist. So why did Seo Yeo-ju throw away her top-tier grades, which guaranteed a solid path to college admissions if she maintained them, and just fail the exam? Seo Yeo-ju's expression just now showed none of the negativity typical of someone who's messed up an exam due to a minor mistake (I mean, overstudying). Which means Seo Yeo-ju's grade drop was planned by her, but why on earth would she plan something like that? My mind was racing again. It seemed she'd reached a level of capability beyond my own intelligence. I paused for a moment and collapsed on the bed in my school clothes. I knew I'd get in trouble if I didn't change, but who cares? Everything was too much of a hassle.
The bed was soft. Lying on that soft bed, memories of earlier moments, not so soft at all, came to mind, and my mind once again filled with Seo Yeo-ju. Why, why did she give up those good grades? I wanted to ask some psychology PhD for advice. What on earth was Seo Yeo-ju's intention? What was she doing such a crazy thing? Thoughts about Seo Yeo-ju were spiraling out of control. This couldn't be happening... To stop the thoughts from rising, I rolled out of bed, stretched, sat down at my desk, and opened my thick notebook. Coincidentally, it wasn't a full page, which took up more than half of the notebook, but a blank one. I wrote each letter as neatly as I could.
Seo Yeo-ju Observation Project
Hypothesis: Seo Yeo-ju is experiencing a sharp drop in rankings for some reason.
cause : ???
conclusion : ???
, aka Seo Gwan-p. Another project was created in the notebook where I've written down the records of countless projects I've worked on. You might think, "Who would do this with a girlfriend?" But that's not true. Given my personality and my current career path (I want to be a psychologist), this project will provide me with a great insight, whether good or bad. Plus, I'm curious about why Seo Yeo-ju would do such a thing, so it's killing three birds with one stone. I stretched out my head in satisfaction once again. I guess I'll have to observe Seo Yeo-ju at school the next day. My mind was spinning trying to come to a conclusion.