Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
52. Holidays and school anniversary (7)
The long holidays ended and the midterm exams started.
During the midterm preparation period, big and small incidents exploded continuously.
In the school, the 2nd year class 0 clashed with the Broadcasting Club, and outside of it a certain Eungwang School’s public party made an incident with good meaning.
The people, who during the 1st semester gathered to capture and personally beat up the wanted with a bounty criminal Choe Pyeondeuk, were steadily gathering people and the party continued to operate.
While they occasionally changed from the bounty wanted criminal hunting party to the study party, their will to find Choe Pyeondeuk was burning bright.
Midst of it, they personally caught a Player wanted criminal, whose movements were unknown for a long time.
The bastard was said to have a similar criminal pattern as Choe Pyeondeuk, but because she wasn’t an ordinary felony criminal, they received a reward from Association and police.
That incident also became a topic in our class.
“How the hell did they capture her…?”
“Did they say they would keep the party going until they catch Choe Pyeondeuk? Aren’t they going to catch a few more criminals if it goes on like this?”
After Choe Pyeondeuk’s story came out, Maeng Hyodon glanced at me, and then turned his head.
During Choe Pyeondeuk’s birthday party I rescued Maeng Hyodon, and Choe Pyeondeuk’s actions became known to the whole world.
And Maeng Hyodon knew that I was there.
After that, he would surely keep thinking about Choe Pyeondeuk, who was missing, but he didn’t ask me a word.
“Guys-ah! Miro came!”
Kim Yuri shouted with a bright voice, while entering the classroom.
At Kim Yuri’s side stood Dokgo Miro with the pink hair, and a hat and mask on her face.
It seemed that she covered her face to avoid chaos, because her popularity grew as she showed a good performance in Playlist.
After Dokgo Miro entered the classroom, she took off her hat and mask, and friendly greeted the children.
“Hi! Long time no see. Have you been doing well? I wanted to come to school in the meantime, but there was no time, so…”
Dokgo Miro attitude became more natural since the previous time we saw her.
Among the eleven people, who planned to take midterm exams at school, Dokgo Miro joined us the latest, but she harmonized with the children in an instant.
Dokgo Miro especially talked a lot to Han Yi, and while Han Yi made a subtle face, she responded to all of Dokgo Miro’s words.
‘There are many times when she deliberately pretends she can’t hear and ignores what Hwang Jiho says.’
The self-proclaimed childhood old friend Hwang Jiho seemed to laugh as if it was good, even though he knew Han Yi was acting like this deliberately.
Dokgo Miro, who exchanged a word with each of the children, hesitated for a moment and then spoke up:
“… If I survive this week, I’ll be able to step out on the final stage, where they chose the final one.”
Even during the exam period, the Playlist shooting continued, and the participants were gradually decreasing in the process of choosing the ones for the last Playlist.
Because Dokgo Miro was surviving safely now, she even participated in the Chuseok special broadcast, and maintained the good rankings.
Her live broadcast performance still gave an awkward impression, but Dokgo Miro’s recordings sales and the video clicks continued to increase.
Thanks to that, Dokgo Miro was picked as another strong victor candidate beside the Saint of Naejang Mountain.
“If it’s okay with you… would you want to come watch the last stage? My participation isn’t confirmed yet, but PD-nim said I can invite family and friends.”
At Dokgo Miro’s suggestion, the class children brightened.
“I’ll go!”
“I want to go!”
Following Sawol Seeum, Min Geurin actively expressed an intention to watch.
She said that these days she listened to Dokgo Miro’s songs even while working, so it seemed she wanted to see her live one more time.
‘If it’s a broadcasting station, there will be a lot of unknown people, but she came forwards to say she will go. She probably thinks that she can go if she is with the class children, right?’
Min Geurin got accustomed to others enough that she could go to most of unspecified locations.
As she went to the sports game ground where there were many unfamiliar Military School’s cadets, and even kicked the ice puck and smashed it into the ring, she really grew a lot.
Even though Playlist shooting was said to be late at night, besides Min Geurin, all class children also replied they would gladly go.
Knock knock.
When we chatted for a while, as we made the group watching plans, I heard a sound of knocking.
As there was still time until the beginning-of-day meeting, it didn’t seem to be teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim.
“Come in, please.”
After I, who was the closest to the door, spoke up as a representative, the automatic door opened after a moment.
In front of the door an Eungwang School’s female student, with a 2nd year nametag, was standing.
In her hand she held a basket wrapped with a pink ribbon, and it was entirely covered with Dokgo Miro’s photos.
‘I seem to have seen her somewhere. Ah, isn’t it homema, who took Dokgo Miro’s pictures during the sport exchange’s opening ceremony?’
The senior, who seemed to be Dokgo Miro’s fan, couldn’t speak properly, and she kept opening and closing her mouth, while looking at Dokgo Miro.
She was clearly nervous.
“Th-that…”
Dokgo Miro recognized that senior straight away and greeted her sociably.
“Hello! You’re the one who took my pictures during the last shooting, correct?”
When Dokgo Miro recognized her, the senior shared a conversation with her with a touched face.
It seemed that Dokgo Miro, who was sensitive to cameras just like before, recognized who and from where the homema was, and remembered her.
After Dokgo Miro thanked her for taking pretty pictures, the homema senior was happy, though still shy.
“… Miro-ah, good luck with exams. And stay strong on the Playlist. I’ll cheer for you this week too.”
“Yes, thank You! Good luck with Your exams too, senior-nim!”
Senior, who left the tribute, hurriedly ran out.
A loud sound came from the corridor, so I was worried if she didn’t run and tripped over.
Not a long time after the homema senior left the classroom, when teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim appeared to start the start-of-day meeting.
“The midterm exams start today. Everyone, I wish you luck[1].”
Teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim encouraged the children with short words.
As if he wanted to give more time to study even now, teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim tried to finish the start-of-day meeting earlier than usual.
Before that, Kim Yuri raised her hand and asked.
“Teacher-nim! Are the kids, who aren’t attending school, going to take the exam?”
“There are five students who applied for a remote exam. Entire 1st year class 0 is planned to take the midterm exams.”
Our class had 16 people in total.
The students, who attended the school today to take the exam were 11.
In other words, there were five students who didn’t come to school, but it seemed that all children planned to advance.
‘I hope there won’t be any failures in our class.’
I regretted thinking that straight way.
I made such a sound and then Min Geurin failed, so… I was anxious for no reason.
* * *
The midterm exam period passed in a flash.
In the case of General Enemy Studies, because every moment with teacher Gong Cheonghwon-nim was in the exam scope, there were students who were dying a day before the exam.
Among the students of the General Enemy Studies, the one with the most free time was Hwang Jiho.
“Are you checking the answers? This one will do it with you.”
In the place for the group study, I and Han Yi were comparing each other’s exams answers, when the geezer cut in.
Han Yi looked at him with the eye containing the thought ‘What answers you who will get 40 points have to check anyway?’.
As result of answer checking, Hwang Jiho got 40 points as expected, and Han Yi got everything right excluding some problems.
Han Yi faithfully tried to analyze the problem she got wrong straight away.
“Speaking of the ‘In case the Puppet category Shiryō species appears as the floor master of the Dungeon type Otherworld of SR or higher rank, describe at least three conquest methods’ problems… What did you write? I wrote two, but I didn’t come up with the last one.”
Before I answered, Hwang Jiho abruptly replied:
“There is one if you consider the ‘category’, three if you concentrate on the ‘species’, and you can come up with one more based on the particularities of the floor master of the Dungeon type otherworld, right? Which among the five did you use?”
“… One point I used was that Shiryō species has a weakness to light, and the other was a method of utilizing the trap gimmick that appears in the SR rank of higher Dungeon type otherworlds. Those were the two.”
“Then it would be better to look more into the method of a conquest based on the ‘categories’ and ‘species’, eh?”
Hwang Jiho recited the theory so fluently it was difficult to think he got 40 points.
While listening to Hwang Jiho’s explanation, Han Yi threw additional questions and took notes.
“… Thanks, but it’s frustrating.”
“Hahahaha! I’m flattered!”
Han Yi and I looked at Hwang Jiho, who was laughing as if it was good, with similar expressions.
There were bastards, who played frauds of different meanings like Hwang Jiho, but the class children mostly studied diligently with proper methods.
“I wanted to ask about the ‘Player’s battle theory 2’. I don’t understand very well the existence of the skills and Gwangrims, whose abilities increase and decrease based on the number of party members…”
“It’s easier if you see an example first and then study the theory.”
“There are no noticeable examples in the textbooks… Ah, is there perhaps a famous Player’s ability that I should take a look at?”
“That’s right. Unlike senior Seong Gukeon-nim’s alias ‘Nation Matchless’, His Gwangrim and skills are superpowers that don’t work very well when used alone.”
As I presented an example of Seong Gukeon’s superpowers and explained the theory, Sawol Seeum understood right away.
Mang Hyodon also didn’t give up until the end, and held onto the math, so the class children’s midterm exam period was going mostly favorably.
If there was an exception, it was Kwon Lena, whose complexion wasn’t good throughout the exam period.
‘… Shouldn’t I talk to her when the exams end?’
If I speak up for no reason during the midterm exam period, Kwon Lena’s condition might crumble.
The best I could do right now was to frequently check Kwon Lena’s complexion, while she studied with Mok Uram.
* * *
Midterm exams ended.
After the exams were completed, the results were announced the next day straight away.
Even during this exam, there were no changes to the top 20 people in all grades.
‘This time Yeom Junyeol also missed the first place…’
It was amazing enough that he maintained the second place, while shooting Playlist and participating in the Student Council’s president election.
Before my disciple gets depressed, it seemed I should congratulate him.
I was worrying for a while what kind of congratulatory phrase I should write.
“This time there is one person who failed in the 1st year class 0.”
“Ack!”
My worries were halted by Kim Yuri’s shocking comment and the fail candidate Maeng Hyodon’s scream.
“Hyodon-ah! Didn’t you say it seemed you got over 40 points?” [2]
“Because I got a few questions right when shooting, I got 48 points, but…”
As if he thought of the worst scenario where he made a marking mistake, Maeng Hyodon gradually broke into cold sweat.
If he checked the grade sheet sent individually to the device it would be known if he failed or not, but it seemed he wasn’t able to think that far.
“The names of the failed students don’t appear on the re-test notice, but the subject names appear, so if you look at it, I think we will be able to know for certain if Hyodon failed or not.”
Min Geurin had an experience with failing, because she got 0 points at the 1st semester midterm exams, as she fled just when they were about to start.
Accepting the suggestion of Min Geurin, who was experienced in re-tests, Kim Yuri checked the bulletin board notice.
“It’s not Hyodon. There is no math among the retest subjects!”
“Ah, I survived!”
Maeng Hyodon raised his fist high into air.
The class atmosphere got better.
“If it’s not him, wouldn’t it be one of the bastards, who took remote exams?”
“I think so.”
“Will they be able to take the retest remotely too?”
“The 1st year class 0’s fail came out in the general subjects.”
“Ah… That Gwangrim and skills one were somewhat difficult.”
It seemed that the class children relaxed thinking ‘wouldn’t the failed kid be among those refusing to come to school?’.
Ching, tok.
At that moment, a sound of a bag and a notebook falling to the floor rang out.
The origin of the sound was from Kwon Lena, who was sitting down.
The face of Kwon Lena, who was looking at the hologram, turned pale.
‘No way…’
From where I was sitting I didn’t see the entire content of the hologram of Kwon Lena, but looking at the page’s top, it seemed like a style of the grade notice.
I guess Kwon Lena was checking her grades with the device.
“That’s…. me…”
“Uh?”
Kwon Lena’s head dropped.
“It’s me who failed…”
*~*~*
[1] I wish you luck — literally ‘I wish you a fighting spirit’.
[2] “Hyodon-ah! Didn’t you say it seemed you got over 40 points?” — Sawol Seeum’s sentence.
Translator’s note: Ahh…. No, Lena, and everyone who failed their exams, you will be alright *pat pat*, have a cookie.
And, Happy New Lunar Year~!
Few fixes to make a better year:
1/4,2/4 etc Student Representative Meeting is changed to 1st, 2nd, 3rd as I finally get out of my logic spiral and got it.
Third Sacred Terrestrial Branch Hall is changed to Exalted Tiger Hall.
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