I grabbed my belly fat and thought. I don’t think I’m that fat…?
No matter how I looked at it, I didn’t seem to have gained any weight. Feeling something was off, I decided to eat less.
“Hana, aren’t you eating too little?”
I was eating so little that even Haru was worried. Of course, it was only half of what I usually ate, so even though I wasn’t full, I thought it was a challenge I had to endure. Anyway, eating this much was fine.
But when I got back to my room, I couldn’t help but be surprised when I unconsciously took out a box of snacks. No wonder I’m gaining weight if I eat snacks like this!
I coughed and decided to stick to the optimal eating routine until the next check-up. It was superhuman endurance for a child’s body. Even I was surprised.
But when I saw my weight had increased again at the next health check-up, I couldn’t help but wonder. I worked so hard to manage it, so why am I still gaining weight?
Bora seemed to think the same.
“Hmm… Hana worked so hard to manage it, so why is her weight increasing?”
“Ugh…”
I couldn’t help but shake my head in depression. Then I noticed something strange about the scale. Even when I stepped off it, the scale’s needle slightly went up. It was easy to notice since it wasn’t a digital scale.
“Bora! Isn’t this scale weird?”
“Let me see… You’re right! The needle is slightly up even when nothing is on it…”
Bora adjusted the scale a few times, then put it down and said to me.
“Hana, step on it!”
Finally, I could see my original weight. It wasn’t my fault that I was gaining weight. And if I had really gained weight, my clothes wouldn’t fit.
“Hehe.”
Feeling good, I ate until I was full that evening.
———————————————
“Ugh…”
I walked across the middle of the playground. The children seemed happy, each walking and chatting with their friends. This age was indeed fun; even the wind brushing past was amusing.
The younger you are, the more laughter there is. As you get older, you either hide your emotions or lose the ability to laugh because life wears you down.
Anyway, I was somewhere in the middle. My body was that of a child, but my mind was clearly that of an adult.
My bag was light since there was nothing in it. I wasn’t foolish enough to carry books around; I left them in my locker.
“Hana!”
I heard someone calling my name from somewhere. I turned my head and saw Yumi and Jiyu walking towards me. I waved back happily.
“Hi!”
The two of them stuck close to me and started chattering away.
“What did you do yesterday, Hana?”
“Yesterday, I watched TV at home!”
“Don’t tell me you watched Little Magician Lumi again?”
If I watch TV, it’s Little Magician Lumi. Isn’t that common sense? I nodded.
“Hana is just Hana!”
“Right.”
After spending two weeks together, there was hardly any distance between us. Kids are amazing. They didn’t stop talking even for a second until we entered the classroom. I wished I had that much energy.
But when the topic of today’s test came up, the two of them suddenly became gloomy. The change was so drastic, it was like they hadn’t been laughing just moments ago.
“I don’t want to go into class today… We have Korean, English, and Math tests.”
“Me too… Homework is enough, why do we have to take tests?”
Jiyu and Yumi seemed to have awakened to philosophy. A single test made them reflect on their lives. Of course, to me, they were just kids. They hadn’t even lived half as long as I had, yet they looked like they had seen it all.
“Hana, aren’t you worried?”
Jiyu asked, seeing my unchanged expression. To students, a test was a huge threat.
“Isn’t it just a quiz or something?”
Being from an older generation, I thought tests that weren’t midterms or finals weren’t a big deal. If it didn’t affect school grades, it wasn’t important. But Jiyu made it sound much more serious than I thought.
“No! It’s not just a quiz. At Starlight Elementary, no test is unimportant! And this test will have rankings announced, so it’s even more important…”
“Ji!”
Already ranking from the start… When I was in school, I heard that if you studied hard from middle school, you’d be fine. There were even rumors that you could get by with moderate studying until high school. That’s how easy the elementary and middle school curriculums were. Of course, maybe it was just me.
“Did Hana study hard?”
“Well, I did enough.”
Actually, that was a lie. Lately, I hadn’t been studying at all. Even someone who usually struggles with studying would find third-grade elementary school problems a piece of cake. I had even done some prep before starting school. My Korean skills were solid, and there was no subject that could stop me.
Still, I couldn’t just say, “I didn’t study…” That would be too weak. And in a way, saying that and then getting great grades would just be rubbing it in their faces. So I made it sound like I had studied and worked hard. When I said that, Jiyu and Yumi squinted their eyes and looked at me like they didn’t believe it.
They probably saw me just sleeping in class, but studying stuff I already knew felt like sitting on a bed of thorns. It was really boring. Of course, I stayed awake and paid attention during memorization-heavy subjects.
Anyway, it hadn’t been long since school started, and there was already a test. Seems like even elementary school kids have it tough these days.
—
After arriving in Class 1 of the third grade, the test setup was quickly arranged. We slightly moved our desks apart to take the test. This action brought back the nostalgic scent of school life. I never thought I’d take a test like this again, so it felt quite strange.
Taking a test among elementary school kids… If there were a technology to see someone’s soul age, I’d probably be the first one dragged out.
“Hana… Jiyu, fighting!”
Yumi whispered encouragingly to Jiyu and me. We were free to talk until we got the test papers. I smiled back at Yumi’s encouragement, and she grinned in return. It seemed like my response was good, so that was a relief.
The once noisy classroom had quieted down. Each student was preparing for the test in their own way. Some closed their eyes and took deep breaths, while others fiddled with their pencils.
It was natural to try to relax before such a heavy task as a test. I slowly closed my eyes and relaxed. The third-grade problems didn’t seem too hard. And thankfully, we only had to take Korean, English, and math.
If there had been memorization subjects, even if the test was easy, there was a chance I’d get something wrong. Those subjects literally required memorization, unlike the basic skills needed for Korean, English, and math.
All I could hear was the sound of the kids’ breathing. Everyone looked visibly nervous. No matter how much they tried to relax, it didn’t seem to work. Well, they’re only 10, so they probably haven’t had much test experience. By today’s age standards, if their birthday hasn’t passed, they’re only 8, right? They haven’t even lived 10% of their lives yet.
The teacher opened the door and came in, holding neatly packaged test papers in both hands.
“The test will start at 9:30 and end at 11:30. Do not flip the test papers until further instructions are given. When the test ends, stop everything and raise your hands above your heads. If you don’t raise your hands when the bell rings, it will be considered cheating.”
The teacher was explaining some important test rules. Everyone seemed to be listening intently, as even the sound of breathing had disappeared.
“Don’t be too nervous. The test might be hard, but that’s not your fault. I hope you take the test with confidence.”
The teacher was trying to ease the kids’ nerves with words of encouragement.
As soon as the teacher finished speaking, the bell signaling the start of the test rang.
