The surroundings of the research institute looked like a jungle.
Before I arrived, the plants didn’t grow quickly, but now the trees along the street were in full bloom, and the boxwoods commonly seen on the sidewalk had already grown so tall that they surpassed my height.
The gardeners in charge of these plants said they felt like they were dying. They were pruning the plants almost every day. Not all areas were like this, but the plants around our research institute grew unusually fast.
I wondered if it was because of me. The plants in my vegetable garden also bore fruit or bloomed almost every day. The plants we grew at the research institute were said to have an oddly rapid growth rate.
I wanted to help, but unfortunately, the research institute didn’t let me go outside. I was looking at the outside scenery while riding in Maru’s car. Outside, people were gathered and busy pruning. As summer approached, the plants were growing rapidly. Despite the typhoon that had swept through last time, the plants showed an incredibly tenacious vitality, as if the damage had never happened.
“Hana, isn’t today your final exam?”
Maru suddenly remembered and mentioned it. As Maru said, today was the final exam. Although it might seem like a big deal, for me, it was just a dessert after a meal. I had studied hard for the memorization subjects and only covered the basics for Korean, English, and math. The problems were easy enough to solve.
“Yeah.”
“Are you going to top the class again, Hana? You’re good at studying!”
Maru’s excessive praise made me feel shy. It was like an adult participating in a children’s boxing match. Even without going all out, one punch would knock out the kids. They were no match in terms of weight class or skill.
There was no way kids could handle my decades of exam skills. Still, the reason I didn’t slack off was the prizes. Every time I topped the class, Bora, Haru, or Maru would buy me something nice, so I had no choice but to aim for first place.
“I’ll top the class again this time!”
“Hana, you can definitely do it!”
Maru’s encouragement gave me strength. But soon, I felt exhausted. The distance required a 30-40 minute drive. It was too far. If I took the bus or subway, it would take over an hour. Thinking about spending over two hours commuting made me shudder.
If I had to commute by bus or subway, it would be daunting. Fortunately, driving made it bearable. A 30-minute drive was manageable, especially with conversation along the way.
In fact, Maru, Bora, and Haru had it tougher. They had to drop me off and then pick me up again. After dropping me off at school, they didn’t just hang around; they returned to the research institute to work and then came back to pick me up after school.
So, I wasn’t the only one in a tough spot. As an adult, I could endure the commute. Of course, I longed for the school vacation these days. After the final exams, the vacation would start, and I could sleep in or relax in my air-conditioned room.
As I chatted with Maru, we soon arrived at school. I got off at the school gate, checked to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything, and waved goodbye to Maru. Last time, I left my bag behind and had a hard time, so I double-checked to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything.
“Thanks, Maru! Bye!”
I waved my arm to say goodbye to Maru. Maru also acknowledged my farewell and said,
“I’ll come pick you up after school! Good luck on your exam!”
Compliments always made things better. While insults made everyone feel bad, compliments lifted spirits, so there was no reason not to share them. After seeing Maru off, I hoisted my backpack and headed toward the school gate. Since it was exam day, the atmosphere among the kids walking to school was gloomy.
Once the vacation started, this atmosphere would brighten. I steeled myself and entered my classroom.
“Hey, Hana, you’re here?”
“Hi!”
Yumi greeted me warmly. I also greeted Yumi. Greetings were essential for building strong relationships. They say the first step in social life is greeting. But Jiyu looked as tattered as an old fish-shaped pastry.
Even the lively Jiyu didn’t greet me, which showed how dangerous the final exams were. They were a terrifying and vicious spell that drained people’s energy. I sat down…
I sat down and pulled out my book bag. It was supposed to have books and stationery inside, but…
“Yah!”
I pulled out some snacks hidden in a secret pocket inside the bag. Since the staff didn’t really like it when I ate snacks from the morning, I hid them like this and ate them at school. Plus, sharing them with friends made them taste even better. When I ate alone, I didn’t notice, but when we chatted and shared, the flavor seemed to double.
“Snacks!”
Even Jiyu, who was half-dead, came back to life at the smell of snacks. Snacks were truly amazing. They had this magical charm that could even revive the dead. I took out the snacks and shared them with Jiyu and Yumi. Since exams were coming up, replenishing our sugar levels was actually the right thing to do.
For the brain to work smoothly, various nutrients are important, but the most crucial one is sweet sugar. Isn’t there a saying about being “sugar-deprived”?
Nom nom!
Just as we were massacring the snacks, class time approached.
With a creaking sound, the teacher opened the door and entered the classroom.
“Here she comes!”
“Let’s retreat for today!”
The boys who were playing some card game in the corner hurriedly left their seats.
“Hide it!”
“Ugh! I want to eat more!”
We were no exception. We quickly hid the snacks in the desk drawer. It should be fine since the snacks didn’t have a strong smell. Though it was a shame we couldn’t finish them.
The teacher stood quietly at the desk, watching the kids bustling around until everyone sat down. She could’ve scolded us to hurry back to our seats, but she probably worried someone might get hurt if they moved too fast. Once everyone was seated, the teacher began to speak.
“You all know today is the final exam, right?”
“Yes!”
“Then, do well on the exam today!”
With that, the teacher left. A few minutes later, another teacher came in with a bag full of test papers and placed it on the desk.
“Everyone, move your seats! Sit according to the order on the screen!”
We moved our seats according to the order on the screen. But something felt off. Did I leave the gas on? Or did I forget to turn off the faucet?
Soon, I realized what that uneasy feeling was.
“Teacher—there are snacks in the drawer!”
“Ah!”
I forgot about the snacks I had hidden in the drawer earlier. You’re not supposed to have anything in the drawer during an exam. The teacher looked straight at me and said,
“There’s only one person I know who hides snacks in their drawer…”
I had no choice but to stay silent.
—
Ding dong!
“Good job, everyone. You’ll be taking many more exams, so it’s good to get used to it~”
The bell rang, and the exam was over. My head was throbbing from all the thinking. Even though it was elementary school level, there were a couple of questions that seemed designed to prevent perfect scores, making the difficulty spike. Still, it was just third-grade material.
I got up from my seat, banged my head on the desk, and walked over to Jiyu, who looked half-dead. I raised my hand and chanted a magical spell while moving my fingers to help her wake up.
Tickle tickle!
“Hahahaha!”
Jiyu burst out laughing and lifted her head from the desk. Tickling was indeed the best remedy for someone feeling down. Even Jiyu, who had bombed the exam, was laughing thanks to my handiwork. Yumi walked over from the side. Her expression didn’t look bad, so it seemed she did well on the exam.
“Yumi, did you do well on the exam?”
“Yeah. I think I did better than usual.”
Wow!
It’s rare to see someone admit that. Normally, people would say, “Ah! I messed up!” and hide their strength. And then the subtle mind games would follow, but maybe because everyone was so honest, there was none of that. Everyone was straightforward.
