Ch.216IF Side Story: Somehow, Everyone Seems to Like Me (17)

The time passed at a pace I couldn’t quite define—whether it was leisurely or rushed and nerve-wracking, whether it crawled or flew by.

Each day dragged on. Classes were boring, self-study was boring. Even studying with the other kids was, honestly, a bit boring. I preferred playing around.

But after repeating those boring days a few times, a week or a month would suddenly slip by.

As the college entrance exam approached, I started feeling some tension. I had confidence with reasonable grounds, but as the test drew near, I couldn’t help feeling nervous.

On top of that…

“……”

“……”

I had a consultation with my homeroom teacher.

This year’s homeroom teacher was different from the ones I had in first or second year. Hayun and I were in the same class again in third year, but it seemed our homeroom teacher didn’t follow us this time.

Well, third-year students get teachers suited for third-year students.

Whether that would help me now, I wasn’t sure.

Though this was my first time having them as a homeroom teacher, they weren’t unfamiliar to me. There weren’t many decent teachers at this school to begin with.

Well, I suppose not all teachers need to be saints. They must get stressed when students act up. Some people probably became teachers because they wanted to, but others probably just heard about the job security.

This school did have some proper teachers—but well, unfortunately, those teachers didn’t have much influence over me.

The teacher sitting in front of me once saw a kid repeatedly jabbing my back with a pen during an exam and just walked past. Probably because the trash doing the jabbing came from a wealthy family.

Even if I didn’t throw the first punch, those types would try to corner me and put me down at least once.

In those situations, instead of hitting them directly, I’d dodge around until they fell and hurt themselves, and that’s how I’d get rid of them.

They say perpetrators don’t remember, but they should at least remember how they “mistreated” me.

That’s why things are awkward now.

The “poor orphan kid with no family” now had friends who were all incredibly wealthy. Plus, they came from good families, and one of them was still learning the ropes but was essentially the owner of what might be the most successful company on Earth.

Were they regretting it now?

“…Well, so,”

As I stared blankly, the teacher spoke first.

“Do you have a university or major you want to pursue?”

“I do.”

I mentioned the university my seniors attended and the major I wanted to study. I wasn’t sure how much I’d learn in that major, but well, I’d do what I could for now.

Later, I could change majors or pursue a double major if needed. I’d figure that out when the time came.

I might not know about the department, but I wanted to try attending the same school as my seniors. Three magical girls were already at the same university, so shouldn’t the rest of us juniors at least try?

“I see.”

That was all the teacher said.

They’d probably just help me fill out applications. Trying anything else at this point would be like stepping on a landmine.

The consultation ended that simply.

In the end, all I could do at this school was just try my best.

…And that’s what I intended to do. Somehow get accepted and never look back at this school again.

My memories weren’t tied to the school anyway, but to Hayun.

And to other friends who attended the same school, to Jihye who was always with me, and to Pang Pang who was a colleague.

…

Oh.

Come to think of it, that’s really true.

I was able to live thanks to the people around me, not because of this school. Everything I enjoyed now was because of them.

As I left the faculty office, I couldn’t help but smile slightly.

Yes.

With those friends, I felt like I could somehow manage anything.

This too was confidence “with reasonable grounds.”

*

And so, on the day of the exam.

“Today’s the last day.”

I said to Hayun.

“It is.”

Hayun smiled.

For some reason, this college entrance exam felt like the final stage of all my resentment.

It was like saying goodbye to my childhood that I had pushed into depression myself. Well, it would be embarrassing to say that out loud to others.

“…Should we meet and eat during lunch break?”

Hayun asked.

The teachers at the orphanage had woken up early to prepare lunch boxes for us.

They always did that whenever someone from our orphanage took the college entrance exam. Or when we went on trips far away.

If the teachers at our school were unfortunately a collection of problematic individuals, our orphanage was fortunately a gathering of amazing people.

“Yeah, let’s do that. But no discussing the answers, okay?”

I said, looking not just at Hayun but at the other kids too, who all laughed softly.

“Good luck, juniors. We’ll be cheering for you from outside.”

Seo-hee said, clenching her fist. Yeonwoo and Chaeyeon did the same. Seeing Chaeyeon make a fist and cheer was somehow moving. Well, her expression was still the mildest among the three.

Hmm, that might be unfair from Chaeyeon’s perspective. Among our magical girls, she was standing between the two who smiled the brightest, so she looked subdued by comparison.

“I’ll give you rice cakes after the exam.”

I laughed at Seo-hee’s words.

Well, at least they came in the morning to cheer us on. Better than me.

Phew.

I took a deep breath and nodded.

“Let’s go.”

Toward the real end.

*

By sheer luck, Jihye ended up taking the exam at the same school as us. Come to think of it, since Jihye and I had the same address, maybe it couldn’t be helped.

The others lived close enough to attend the same school too.

And it’s not like anyone would pull strings for the college entrance exam.

However, we were all split up into different classrooms for the test.

For the first time in a long while, completely alone.

There were both bad and good points to this. The bad point was obviously the loneliness.

Hmm, thinking about it again, maybe the others had made me this way. Before, I was somewhat used to being alone, but now I felt awkward without someone familiar beside me.

In my room, at school, even on the way to and from school, I was never alone.

There was always at least one person right by my side—

But at the same time, the good point was also the loneliness.

Overcoming this final trial of my teens in the state I had been in until now had its own meaning.

Well, at least I’d be able to concentrate throughout the exam.

As I was reviewing what I had memorized one last time, the exam proctor entered the front of the room.

Yes, this is the end.

Let’s do well. I’ve put in the effort.

I took a deep breath and received the exam paper the teacher handed out.

*

By the time the exam ended and we came out, the sky had completely turned to night.

“Ugh.”

Jihye groaned as she stretched.

“My whole body aches from sitting in that hard chair for so long.”

“Exams lasting over an hour are really tough.”

I agreed.

Well, there’s probably a reason the college entrance exam is set up that way, but sitting in one place for over an hour was honestly painful. School chairs aren’t exactly comfortable.

“…But it’s over now.”

“Hmm, is it really?”

As I looked up at the sky saying that, Ju-a walking beside me spoke.

“What if we don’t get into the same university?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“No, it’s just that there was a math problem that was a bit ambiguous—”

“Now, now.”

I gently placed my index finger in front of Ju-a’s lips.

“Let’s not talk about the exam, at least for today. Just for today, I want to be free.”

When I said that, Ju-a smiled, her lips curling slightly.

…She did that on purpose.

“Pfft.”

Jihye laughed as if my words were funny. Hayun beside her did the same. Both of them couldn’t laugh out loud and just shook their shoulders.

“Really, how did you hold back from saying that during lunch?”

“Well, I was just teasing. I don’t want to have that conversation right after the exam either. Today—”

“Hey, juniors!”

“—Yes, I also want to properly rest a bit.”

In the distance, Seo-hee, Yeonwoo, and Chaeyeon were waving their hands.

Even those three looked somewhat like adults now. They had been in university for two semesters after all.

I took a deep breath and exhaled.

Though it wasn’t quite fully winter yet, the winter breeze was cold. No, it actually felt somewhat refreshing.

“…Let’s go.”

After saying that for no particular reason, I moved my feet,

And slowly walked out through the school gate.

Toward the outside where our seniors were waiting.