Midterm Exams – 1

Why didn’t my mom give birth to me as a genius?

If my mom heard this, she’d weep tears of blood saying she gave birth to a beast, not a son, but exam period made all kinds of thoughts cross my mind.

“Ah, why is this so difficult…”

“Hey, just give up. Studying is something you should do regularly in advance.”

“…Yoon Do-hyun, are you showing off? What grade did you get last year that you’re so relaxed?”

“Me? Grade 7.”

“…?”

“I told you. Studying is something you do regularly in advance. We’re already too late.”

Is he crazy?

He sat next to me giving advice while looking at his phone, so I thought he might be good at studying, but it wasn’t that he was good—it was the relaxed attitude of someone who had given up early.

It’s ridiculous now to think that when I first saw this guy, I thought he had the definitive class president look. The more I got to know him, the more I realized he was an idiot.

“…Why don’t you at least study a little now? There’s only one week left.”

“Ah, Mom. I’ll handle it myself. Forget it, just hang out with me. Jin-hyuk’s always studying like that too, so I have no one to play with, no one.”

“He’s aiming for Grade 1. He was like that last year too.”

As Yoon Do-hyun said, once exam period began, Jin-hyuk cut ties with us, true to his nature of going to academy after school.

Until I met Ye-rin, I had been like the current Yoon Do-hyun, saying ‘Exams? Aren’t those based on your usual skills?’ and preparing half-heartedly.

—But now I can’t do that.

Ye-rin, Jin-hyuk, and even Han Se-ah were all in the upper ranks. I couldn’t be the only one comforting myself with “hehe, middle rank isn’t so bad, right?”

But still.

“Hah…”

It’s hard. It’s too hard.

My grades had improved a lot compared to before, but that was about it.

…Maybe I should go to an academy too.

But I’m studying to be worthy of Ye-rin, and if going to academy reduces my time with Ye-rin, what’s the point?

All kinds of thoughts crossed my mind as I looked at the workbook in front of me.

“Hey, did you say your girlfriend is a year younger than us?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Why?”

“Is she good at studying?”

“Hmm, I think she said she was around Grade 2…?”

I thought this guy couldn’t even be sure about his girlfriend’s grades, but then again, if he had changed girlfriends 7 times, it would be understandable if he got confused. He was indeed a man who would soon have an 8th.

“Your girlfriend is good at studying. Doesn’t that make you want to study hard too?”

“Me? Why?”

“…Because you’re not good but she is? Don’t you want to show her your best side?”

“What’s that…”

Yoon Do-hyun laughed as if it made no sense.

“Hey, everyone has something they’re good at. Just because she’s good at studying doesn’t mean I have to be good at it too.”

“What are you good at?”

“……I’m sure there’s something, jerk. In the first place, if she was the type to think badly of me because I’m not good at studying, we wouldn’t have started dating.”

I felt a bit sorry for Yoon Do-hyun as he couldn’t immediately answer what he was good at, but as I listened, I found myself accepting his point since it wasn’t entirely wrong.

Conversations with Yoon Do-hyun were always like this.

I couldn’t fully agree with everything, but somehow, as I listened, it strangely made sense…

“Besides, honestly, it’s not like I’m going to marry her, so why does it matter?”

Damn.

This guy just has a different approach.

“…Have you never thought you might?”

“She probably wouldn’t want that either.”

“……”

With that kind of mindset, such thoughts are possible.

In some ways, it was impressive, and in other ways, it was pitiful.

**

Scratch, scratch.

After class, being a man who knew himself well.

Since I couldn’t focus alone, I came to a study cafe with Ye-rin, Jin-hyuk, and Han Se-ah.

I sat with Jin-hyuk, and Ye-rin sat with Han Se-ah, pairing up.

Just because we came to a study cafe didn’t particularly mean we would study.

Jin-hyuk, who opened his workbook as soon as he sat down and solved problems without hesitation, looked impressive.

“Hey.”

“……What.”

“How do you start studying right away?”

“I shouldn’t have answered.”

…Damn. You didn’t have to say it like that.

Feeling awkward, I slightly turned my head and saw Ye-rin and Han Se-ah sitting at a distance, talking with serious expressions.

…What are they talking about to look like that? Since they’re both good at studying, maybe they’re discussing study plans or something.

Sigh. I should study too, I thought, sighing as I opened my workbook.

 

At that moment.

“…Se-ah.”

“Yes~?”

“I want to buy Oppa pajamas…”

“Ye-rin. You know you’ve been talking about this for a month, right? I think I’ve heard it at least five times just today~?”

“But still…”

It was good to come to the study cafe when Oppa suggested studying together, but even after sitting down, I couldn’t focus on studying.

…No, more importantly, why do I have to sit separately from Oppa?

Of course, I understood intellectually that sitting with classmates from the same grade would be better for studying and less distracting.

But still.

But still…

Woo-jin Oppa could help me with problems I don’t understand…

I desperately tried to think of reasons why we could sit together.

Of course, there weren’t any problems I didn’t understand yet. But if there weren’t any, I could create some, right?

“Why are you suddenly fixated on pajamas?”

“The pajamas Oppa gave me for my birthday turned out to be more to my liking than I expected… Every time I’m about to put them on before bed, I think of him, and while wearing them, and when I lie down to sleep, I think of…”

“Stop. As a sister, I don’t want to hear such detailed accounts of you thinking about your Oppa~?”

“…Anyway, I thought it would be nice if Oppa had the same experience.”

“With that reasoning, neither you nor Oppa need pajamas.”

“…Part of it is also that I want to get matching couple pajamas.”

“Ah-ha~”

At Se-ah’s gaze, looking at me with a smirk as if to say ‘so that’s your real purpose?’ I felt a bit embarrassed and turned my head away.

“Do you have something in mind?”

“…This.”

Just imagining what kind of pajamas would suit Oppa was enjoyable.

Recently, one of my daily routines was to search for pajamas that would suit Oppa until I drifted off to sleep.

“Ah! Cute, dog pajamas?”

“…Yes. I think they’ll suit Oppa well.”

“Since there’s already Ye-rin kitty, right~?”

“……”

From the beginning, I hadn’t even considered anything other than dog pajamas.

Oppa must have done the same.

“Whoa, but they’re quite expensive?”

“Yes, that’s why I can’t buy them now…”

“With your allowance, couldn’t you buy them by next month?”

“I’ve been saving separately for something since last year, so I can’t buy them next month either… Maybe the month after next… no, then I wouldn’t be able to buy a birthday present…”

“…? What are you saying? Isn’t this the birthday present?”

“…? This is just something I want to give Oppa…?”

We stared at each other with round eyes as if we were asking what the other was talking about.

“…You want to give this expensive thing just because, not as a birthday present?”

“Yes…”

“Um… couldn’t you look at something a bit cheaper~?”

“That’s not an option. It’s for Oppa…”

“……But you said you don’t have enough money…?”

“I’ll have to start saving from now…”

“……Then how about saving these pajamas to give on his birthday?”

“I don’t think I can wait that long… and I also want to give a birthday present…”

“……………W-well, how about compromising on the birthday present, maybe something less expensive than last year…”

“Mmm, I can’t. It’s for Oppa…”

Se-ah bowed her head, clutched her chest as if in pain, and let out a small groan, ‘Ungh…!’

…I know why Se-ah finds me frustrating right now.

But even if it’s Se-ah.

When it comes to Oppa, I can’t compromise.

…It’s more important to me than anything else.

“I don’t know. I don’t know, I don’t know. From now on, no more talk about Oppa’s pajamas in front of me!”

“…That’s mean. I’m going to be upset.”

“Saying that with yellow eyes doesn’t work~”

…Did I talk about it that much?

If Se-ah, who would usually laugh and listen no matter how much I talked about Oppa, or join in by talking about Jin-hyuk Oppa, was acting like this, I must have talked about it a lot without realizing it, so I felt a bit sorry.

“Ugh… that’s unfair. Fine, I’m going to sit next to Woo-jin Oppa.”

“…Isn’t that just an excuse to sit next to Oppa~?”

Ignoring Se-ah’s grumbling from behind, I moved towards the table where Oppa was sitting.

Oppa, who had been looking at his workbook with furrowed brows as if the problems weren’t going well, soon noticed my approach and looked up with a smile.

I too, reflexively smiled at the sight of Oppa.

“What is it? Is there something you don’t understand, Ye-rin?”

“Yes, that and…”

I couldn’t say that I had no answers regarding Oppa’s pajama gift.

After thinking briefly about what other reason I could give, a familiar figure caught my eye.

“Jin-hyuk Oppa asked if we could switch seats…”

“Seo Jin-hyuk?”

“……Huh? Me? Did you just mention me? What did I do?”

…Sorry, Oppa.

Jin-hyuk Oppa, who had been diligently solving problems, was startled as if he never dreamed his name would come up in our conversation.

“Oppa asked if we could switch seats…”

“……Me?”

“Yes.”

Although Oppa had never said such a thing to me.

Oppa and I share the same blood, so surely we must have had the same thought, right?

Thinking so, I nodded, and Oppa’s eyes trembled.

“……That’s right. It’s better if Jin-hyuk and I can help you with anything you don’t understand.”

Jin-hyuk Oppa, who in the past would have just agreed and given up his seat, now played along as if he was used to it and moved seats.

“You could have just said you wanted to sit here. Jin-hyuk looks like he’s going to cry.”

Woo-jin Oppa laughed as if he couldn’t help it, watching our behavior.

Just as Jin-hyuk Oppa had become accustomed, Woo-jin Oppa too, who would have been uncertain in the past, now made room for me as if he was used to it.

“…Oppa.”

“Yes?”

“I came because I wanted to sit next to you…”

“……You should say that to Jin-hyuk, not me.”

“But Oppa told me to say it…”

However.

Seeing Oppa in front of me now, avoiding my gaze as if embarrassed.

I thought it was indeed good that I had changed seats.