“Why does Jiyu look so down in the dumps?!”
I stood behind Jiyu, wrapping my arms around her neck. Just last time, she was so hyped up, but who knew she’d hit such a low… Midterms are really scary, huh?
“I hate exams…”
Jiyu spoke in a lifeless voice.
Even though elementary school midterms and finals don’t really mean anything, she’s still like this. Are elementary school grades even important these days? Back when I was in school, elementary and middle school grades were completely useless. Unless you were aiming for a specialized high school, it didn’t matter if you did well or not.
It was only from high school that grades started to matter. That’s when you learned about managing your GPA. Of course, I slacked off even in high school, so I never bothered with that. That’s why I never even set foot in what people call a prestigious university.
But if I start studying now, even with my not-so-great brain, maybe I could still make it to the lower ranks of a top university? I heard it’s easier to get into college now since there are fewer people and less competition compared to when I was a guy.
Honestly, I heard that by the time kids born now reach college age, half of the universities in the country will have disappeared. It’s because of the declining birth rate and the lack of school-age kids.
We’ve gone from 700,000 births to 200,000, so it’s totally possible.
Anyway, I poked and prodded Jiyu’s cheeks while getting ready to head out for the exam. Yumi sighed deeply watching us. Did she think I hadn’t studied? But I actually aced the last few tests…
“Hana! Stop bothering Jiyu!”
Oh! Seems like she misunderstood. She probably thought I was teasing Jiyu. I quickly backed away from Jiyu and tried to explain to Yumi.
“I was just trying to cheer Jiyu up…!”
“Really? Then it’s better to leave her alone. Jiyu gets super sensitive during exam season!”
I learned something new about Jiyu. Above her head, it was like a dark cloud pouring rain, just like in cartoons. I held Yumi’s hand and had no choice but to head into the classroom for the midterm. It felt awkward to approach Jiyu again.
———————————————————————-
“Alright! Everyone, clear your desks! Anything other than writing utensils will result in disqualification!”
With the teacher’s words, the kids started bustling around. I was one of them, putting my books into my bag. I felt confident since I’d been studying until the last minute.
“Hands on your heads! I’ll hand out the test papers now!”
The teacher distributed the test papers one by one. I licked my lips, eager to see what kind of problems would excite me.
“Hands down, and the test starts exactly at 9:00 when the bell rings~”
With five minutes to go, I closed my eyes and tried to meditate. Glancing at Jiyu and Yumi, their attitudes were completely different. Jiyu looked pale, like she was being chased by something, while Yumi was her usual calm self.
Ding-dong~
As the bell rang, I flipped over the test paper. It was Korean, so there were reading passages. Maybe that’s why the test paper felt so thick. But the questions weren’t too bad. Considering it’s elementary school, the test time was only an hour, and there weren’t many questions.
I breezed through the Korean section. There were no tricky grammar questions that required memorization, just literature and non-literature passages where you could find the answers by reading.
That’s probably why I finished with 30 minutes to spare. After finishing, I let out a sigh. I was tired because I hadn’t slept well last night.
—————————————————–
“Uwaaah!”
Jiyu was pretending to cry, face down on her desk. After the exam, she looked completely defeated. Yumi was comforting her.
“Jiyu, it’s okay… Elementary school exams aren’t everything.”
It was a surprisingly mature way of comforting her. I stretched and said,
“At least we’re going home soon!”
On exam days, we got to go home early, and I loved that. I did well on the test, and I got to go home early? Nothing could be better. Hearing that, Jiyu sat up and said,
“I should watch anime when I get home!”
Jiyu was an anime fan like me. However, she said she didn’t watch *Little Magician Lumi*, which I was watching, so I was trying to tempt her into watching it. But Jiyu wasn’t easily swayed. She said the anime I watched was childish!
How could she call it childish! It’s an anime overflowing with love and justice. And once Jiyu discovers the hidden quotes and true meanings in the anime, she’ll have no choice but to like it. Right now, she just can’t see the deeper meaning, so she’s lost interest.
While we were chatting, the teacher walked in.
“Did you all do well on the test?”
“Yes~”
“No!!!”
The kids’ voices mixed together. Those who did well said “yes” with a smile, while those who didn’t said “no.” From what I could hear, it seemed like a 50-50 split.
After that, the teacher just mentioned a few quick reminders and then left. Finally, it was time to go home! I tried to quickly grab my bag and be the first one out, but the other kids were way faster and more agile than me.
“Ugh!”
Before I could even leave, half the class had already rushed out like a receding tide. And since I had to leave with Jiyu and Yumi, I couldn’t dash out like the other kids.
“Hana, let’s go!”
Yumi was taking her time, leisurely getting ready to leave. Jiyu and I, with our bags on, stared at her intently. Yumi just smiled and finally put on her bag.
“Taking it slow is good too!”
She had a point. Rushing out could lead to collisions and injuries. Just look at the subway or other crowded places—people rushing around can lead to stampedes and disasters.
Anyway, when we stepped out of the classroom, there were so many kids like us. Since the whole school had taken the test, the sight of everyone pouring out of the classrooms was quite a spectacle.
With the test over, everyone was coming out with smiles on their faces. The kids who didn’t do well had already disappeared, probably off to the PC bang or somewhere else to play.
“Hmm…”
I was checking my phone. These days, they don’t hand out answer sheets anymore; they just post them on the school bulletin board. So instead of comparing answers with friends, everyone was just waiting for the answer sheet to be posted.
——————————————
“Hana, did you do well on the test?”
Maru came to pick up Hana. Hana waved her test paper with a smile.
“Yeah! I think I did well!”
Hana looked so happy, it seemed like she aced the test. Is Hana a genius? Even though she grew up in a different environment, she adapted to society like a local. It was shocking even to Maru.
She’s never experienced Korean culture before, so why does she seem so Korean? I’ve thought about it hundreds of times. But Hana is definitely a living being, so there’s no way to know where she learned it all. Maybe she picked it up from her phone or TV… that’s all I can guess.
Her mind is so sharp, her future looks really promising. Even though she’s only in 3rd grade, she’s smart enough to be top of the whole school.
“Maru, if I get first place, I can definitely get Lumi’s transformation outfit set, right?”
“Of course, of course.”
Actually, even if she didn’t get first place, we were planning to give her Lumi’s transformation outfit set. We already got it and hid it deep in the office. We were going to surprise her with a party.
But judging by how Hana was talking, it seemed like she really was going to get first place. It’s only her first year, and she hasn’t even been in school for half a year, yet she’s about to surpass all the other kids and take first place… Maru felt so proud of Hana.
“Lumi Lumi Lumi~”
Hana, in a good mood, started singing along to Lumi’s anime theme song. The room was already full of Lumi merchandise, but Hana wasn’t satisfied with that. At the rate she’s collecting Lumi goods, she’s going to need a separate storage room soon. Like how celebrities turn a whole room into a closet.
