If 0.5 Setre has passed on the spaceship, that translates to 33 days in Earth time.
At that moment, in early April, after the beginning of the semester in March, the second-year middle school students were approaching.
About 3 to 4 weeks remained until the test.
First assessment, first semester midterm exam, first written evaluation.
Though the students spoke of it in different ways, they all referred to the same concept.
With the existence of a test they were about to take for the first time while attending school, the second-year students held a fair amount of tension and even anticipation.
They felt a nervous excitement about needing to do well on their scores…
While others, not thinking much about studying, were just looking forward to a day when school ended early.
“This question is going to be on the test; I’m just changing the numbers—”
“Excuse me? Which one?”
“I’ll say it once more; it’s problem number 3 from the practical exercises on page 52.”
By this time, the students started to divide into three categories.
The first group consisted of the honor students who underline every word the teacher declares to be on the exam or important, dedicating themselves to their studies and aiming to achieve the best scores possible.
Next were the majority of students who underline the important parts but end up falling asleep or dozing off, leaving many blank pages, entrusting half of their grades to luck.
Lastly, there were the slackers, who had discarded studying the moment they started middle school, indulging in distractions like smoking.
If you were to ask me which group I belong to…
‘Why am I so sleepy…’
I fall into the mid-tier category, a luck-based student with blank pages galore.
The evidence of this can be seen during history class, where I find myself resting my head on my desk as if under some spell.
Though I had been struggling to stay awake, the moment I come to, the bell for recess rings.
When I look up in the classroom, silent except for the scraping of chairs, I can see my classmates who couldn’t withstand the lullaby of the history lesson collapsing.
A few who did manage to escape the lullaby often belonged to the students referred to as the honor roll.
When looking at them, seemingly focused and awake, it even felt like they belonged to a different species.
“Ahhh….”
I let out a long, drawn-out yawn in the hushed classroom as I got up.
The sound of dragging chairs reverberated, breaking the silence of the classroom.
Be it as it may, my classmates remained undisturbed, lying still as if they could tolerate a bit of noise.
In a classroom where the heating was working lavishly, making it almost sweat-inducing hot.
I took steps to escape the stifling warmth and moved to the cooler corridor.
‘Ugh, it’s hot.’
Leaving my coat in the classroom, I leaned against the windowsill near the open window in the corridor, vigorously fanning my neck.
In the midst of trying to cool down, the bell signaling the start of class rang.
With a sound that felt like it would pierce my ears, I shifted my foot and prepared to enter the classroom.
Did they happen to change the ringing of the school bell?
In that moment, I paused, thinking, wait, is this the class bell?
Turns out, it was the alert for the monster’s appearance, which I initially thought was the class bell.
Once I properly recognized the source of the sound, the first thought that flickered in my mind was simply a single word, ‘Why?’
‘Of course, I’ve done wrong recently…’
But did it merit breaking a specified time? I hurriedly opened the back door of the classroom and sat down as nonchalantly as I could.
With the alarm beginning to blare, a few students stood up one by one, glancing around with expressions wavering between whether to evacuate or not.
Among the students observing each other, I quickly shoved my hand into my bag.
Notebook, and beyond the pen I thought I lost a few days ago, I came across Gomtaengi…
Ah, I mistook it. This is a wrist pillow.
Beyond the wrist pillow, I felt a soft object.
This time, whether it was the right one or not, it signaled me by poking between my fingers.
Of course, I hadn’t expected to bring it out and had moved it from my usual pocket into my bag.
No, I surely didn’t think it would show up now.
With lightning-fast reflexes, I swiftly tucked it back into my pocket, waiting for the opportune moment to exit the classroom…
“Hey, everyone, head to the playground—”
Suddenly, the front door swung open, and the teacher came in to relay the message to the classroom.
The sounds of chairs dragging and desks shifting mingled chaotically as even the students who had been asleep started to get up in succession with the other awake friends.
In a school where the awareness of safety was practically non-existent in Korea, what on earth was happening?
Well, it seems someone must have reported the school for not evacuating even when the alarm rings.
…That’s right, actually, it was me.
As the preliminary step toward such a change, various classmates from different grades and classes packed tightly into the corridor and stairs.
It felt like some sort of fire drill evacuation, with footsteps feeling slow and irregular echoing everywhere.
Well, even if it’s not quick, at least they’re showing signs of seeking safety.
Thus, in the crowd, I slipped into the bathroom and locked a stall.
“…Sun.”
After calmly murmuring the transformation incantation, I undid the lock and quietly stepped outside.
Before anyone could see, I swiftly lifted my body and slipped out between the window and the fall-prevention bar, moving nimbly.
The teddy bear I had clutched so tightly slipped out of my hand and floated at an eye level similar to its height.
“Hey, can’t you put it in your pocket or something?”
It seemed to be waiting eagerly to come outside, immediately chastising me the moment our gazes met.
“Ugh, having a plushie in middle school is… kinda awkward, isn’t it?”
“Even so, there are things you should and shouldn’t do…”
Scratching the back of my head in embarrassment, I found every retort coming from it to be spot on.
Just a few years ago, it would only talk nonsense, but lately, it has been making keen observations.
Still, I decided to divert the topic, pointing out Shiyeon, who was also oblivious, as well, saying, “I’m not the only one at fault.”
“Seeing Shiyeon is still not up, didn’t the sea serpent also end up in your bag?”
“No, it was thrashing around in my pocket, but I couldn’t wake up.”
Unlike me, Shiyeon, who had deftly put her mascot in her pocket, must have already received a report from the sea serpent, as she effortlessly spat out the facts without needing to focus.
While one side was oblivious to the situation, Gomtaengi’s sharp words feeling like daggers were inserted into my chest, confirming there was no way out of it.
Damn, there’s no escape.
After just reflecting that I should keep it in my pocket next time, I had no choice but to fly toward the appearance location.
So, while flying in the direction pointed by Gomtaengi, the monster compass, I reached 11:34 AM, well past the promised time.
Seeing Gomtaengi express curiosity regarding the odd situation, it spoke up.
“By the way, what do you think happened?”
“Right?”
Curiosity regarding the other party’s circumstances mirrored mine.
Mixing in half-jokes, I remembered how monsters used to be treated during elementary school, feeling my fingers twitch as I bent and straightened them separately.
“Did they miss the pain and torture?”
“Surely not, typically when something unusual occurs, irrational reasons tend to be involved…”
Hearing that, Gomtaengi wondered if that was really the case, affirming that in such situations, irrational circumstances were often at play.
Now that I think about it, wasn’t there that peculiar crocodile monster that appeared around the festival time labeled as ‘the misconduct of high-ranking officials’ by the medic or whatever?
When I heard that, it seemed the lives of monsters and the struggles of military life in Gangwon Province were overlapping, invoking a sense of sympathy to directly ask what circumstances were entangled.
“Should we try talking before fighting?”
“If someone capable of holding a conversation shows up…”
Hearing their ambiguous affirmation, I increased my speed.
The destination was an alley not far from the school.
On the narrow asphalt road, just able to fit two cars side by side, there was a stationery shop and a café on either side of the alley.
There stood a bipedal monster resembling a bear, walking cautiously and glancing around with a wary demeanor.
Adjusting its posture like a frightened herbivore, it seemed concerned that anything might touch it rather than causing damage… as if it had just escaped from a zoo and was uncomfortable without a caretaker in sight.
If it didn’t have three forelegs, one might even think it had escaped from a nearby zoo.
“Hey.”
“Wah, wahhhh!!!”
As I called out to the creature from above, a heavy sound reverberated from Gomtaengi’s paw slicing through the air.
Startled, the creature reflexively swung its arm in fear, its instinctive behavior.
Wholly forgetting to walk on two legs, it backpedaled slowly with an expression full of fright, all five paws pressed flat against the ground.
With its breath coming in quick bursts, it held a look like it was thinking, ‘I didn’t want to be here,’ its trembling eyes letting out a heavy sigh from me.
On the sidewalk where people were passing by, I plopped down on a low ridge, resting my elbows on my knees and lowering my chin with my fingers against my cheek as I spoke.
“Phew… let’s calm down, and why don’t you tell me why you’ve come here at this hour?”
“Fue, fue…”
“Hmm?”
At that, the creature stammered, only able to repeat, ‘Fue.’
It seemed it wanted to say something, but was having difficulty voicing it due to its anxiety.
“Are you not angry? For appearing at this hour…”
Was the end of the monster’s sentence awkwardly phrased, possibly implying it felt rude, yet still probing my feelings.
It seemed aware that its actions would be deemed annoying, with monsters presumably becoming adept at reading human atmospheres.
I knew that the localization of monsters was progressing rapidly through several conversations, but I didn’t realize it had reached this extent.
Setting aside their emotional development, I needed to inquire further about the appointment that had gone awry and yield a suggestion steeped in negative implications.
“Well, would you be a little upset if the explanation is delayed?”
“Yes, I will explain right away.”
