Chapter 48

I was often told that I was smart like my mother.

At first, I didn’t believe it.

[Seviron Academy Acceptance Notice]

But I really got accepted.

Thanks to the elementary school textbooks picked from the recycling bin, my brothers taught me late into the night.

I once thought to myself, could it be that I’m a genius too?

Academy classes were tough, but I enjoyed learning magic.

However, that mindset was brutally shattered during the first midterm exam.

[Class Ranking: 7/20]

[Overall Ranking: 32/80]

“Wow, Yuna, you did well on the exam! You ranked 7th in the class!”

“Is this… doing well?”

No.

It couldn’t be.

32nd out of 80.

I couldn’t accept the fact that I was just an average student at the academy.

The top student in our class was a friend named Han Gyeol Kim.

He didn’t listen to the teachers well, but he was popular and loved to play with his friends.

For the first time, I hated someone.

Initially, I was confused by this feeling, but soon I realized.

“Han Gyeol, how can you do so well on the exam?”

“Me? I just had some private tutoring at home, that’s all.”

Jealousy, anger, and hatred.

I was so angry at the kids who enjoyed what I couldn’t have carelessly…

I bit my lip tightly.

“32nd? How many places does the scholarship go up to?”

“20th…”

“Okay… Good job on the exam, Yuna.”

The day I showed my report card to Maru Oppa, I cried in my mom’s arms the entire day.

I’m so sorry, everyone.

I’ll do better from now on.

So please don’t hate me.

From that day on, I started studying late into the night for the first time until midnight.

I felt bad for Maru Oppa, who should have been sleeping at that hour, but I thought this was the only way I could repay him.

However, I was so reluctant to walk 45 minutes to school every day that during exam periods, I would ask the security guard for permission to rest in the lounge and sleep secretly.

No-Eul was right.

If you don’t harden, you can’t grow.

I learned as much as I could from my friends who were good at studying and sometimes helped them with their homework.

I didn’t even talk to friends with low grades. Time was precious.

Whenever I saw a workbook that seemed unused for a long time in the lockers, I would sneak it and solve it, and during assignments, I made sure I only took on prominent roles to get good scores.

Still, time was lacking.

[Class Ranking: 3/20]

[Overall Ranking: 10/80]

‘I did it…!’

The combined rank for the midterm was thankfully 20th.

This would mean I could at least get a half scholarship!

But for the final exam, no one asked about my grades like before.

I was supposed to be sitting beside my desk with a partner, but mine was a little far from my classmate.

But there was nothing I could do.

I have no regrets.

In the end, my method was right, and I gained confidence.

I don’t feel happy at all about friends praising me.

Just my mom, Maru Oppa, and No-Eul Oppa’s praise is enough.

So I can endure if someone criticizes me.

Maybe.

* * *

“Seoyuna, wake up your partner.”

“…”

“Seoyuna, can’t you hear me? The exam starts in 10 minutes so wake Han Gyeol!”

“No, why should I?”

“Wow…”

I don’t understand why I should take care of someone who chose to sleep.

However, Iharu seemed to think differently and scolded me.

“Are you going to talk to me for a bit after the exam?”

“Sure, that’s fine for a moment.”

In the end, Han Gyeol woke up with a smack on the back of his head thanks to Iharu.

If he’s still half asleep, he won’t do well on the exam.

Wouldn’t that be a good thing for me?

I was really confident for this midterm exam.

It was the perfect opportunity to beat Iharu and Han Gyeol, who constantly competed for 1st and 2nd place in the class.

I had successfully completed all the exams held on the first and second days.

From general subjects like ‘Korean,’ ‘Math,’ ‘Fall’ to academy subjects like ‘Safety Rules’ and ‘Records of Magic.’

All I had to do was get through the last and most important subject, ‘Basics of Rune Language.’

During the 40-minute allotted time, I managed to solve all the questions in just 30 minutes.

Since memorization was my strongest suit, I might be able to get a perfect score of 100, the first in my grade.

The teacher said there hasn’t been a student who got 100 yet.

After the exam, Iharu was waiting for me behind the school.

She looked very upset.

“Seoyuna, do you know what the classmates call you?”

“No, I don’t.”

“They call you ‘the regent.’ A lame outcast.”

“… Really?”

I expected it, but it was a more shocking nickname than I thought.

It’s not like I’m Anne of Green Gables, openly being an outcast…

“Doesn’t that make you think at all?”

“…”

“Then did you think about why you’re being called that?”

I had gradually felt that the kids were avoiding me.

But why is Iharu telling me this?

“You weren’t like this at the beginning of the semester. You were kind to the class, came to school early to bring milk for the lunch, and did other kids’ homework. What’s up with you lately?”

“Does being nice mean you do well in your studies?”

“What?”

“I’m going to make sure I’m the first in the class, no, the first in the entire school. While you and Han Gyeol are playing during breaks, I’ll study and catch up.”

“You’re really funny.”

“Think what you want. Anyway, after this exam is over, I won’t talk to you guys anymore.”

I didn’t think Iharu was genuinely concerned about me.

She was always the center of the girls.

In the end, Iharu was just like them.

“Do you think saying that will let you catch up to Shin Si Hoo? You absolutely can’t.”

Iharu scoffed.

“Who is Shin Si Hoo?”

“Don’t you know? He’s the first in the school. He’s never missed being first.”

“I will definitely catch up with him.”

“As an outcast without a dad…”

I didn’t mind being insulted.

It was none other than my fault, so it was natural for me to endure it.

But how can she belittle my dad so easily?

“Do you want to die?”

I was angry.

I repeated things that No-Eul Oppa often says.

“What? It’s true, you poor child.”

I felt like I would regret this day for the rest of my life if I didn’t hit her mocking face at least once.

But strangely, at that moment, the image of a child I saw during the sports competition suddenly came to my mind.

She wielded aura all over her body and struck a senior, who was at least two inches taller than her, on the chin.

Surely,

the mana circuit,

would be like this.

My heavy head suddenly felt light.

I realized how foolish I had been for struggling until now.

The reason I was continuously ignored was that I appeared weak.

To ensure I wouldn’t crawl back again, I swung my fist near Iharu’s most treasured necklace.

“Ahhhhh!”

Kids are really stupid.

Why don’t they know that there’s nothing in this world you can’t achieve with effort?

No matter how poor my home is and how I don’t have a tutor,

time is given equally to everyone.

Academy high school seniors study for 12 hours even on weekends.

But no one in elementary school puts in that much effort.

If they studied for 12 hours, I would never be able to catch up.

So I’ll be the first to stand above them while I’m still young.

[Class Ranking: 1/20]

[Overall Ranking: 2/80]

My brothers cheered when they saw my report card.

Today, I could share happy news with my mom, whose illness was getting worse day by day.

I hope my mom can hold on until the day I graduate from the academy and go to college.

But my report card felt a bit uncomfortable.

Being ranked 2nd.

The existence of 1st place.

Is Iharu’s ‘Shin Si Hoo’ still in first place again?

I think I’ll have to visit Class A next week.

* * *

“Can you call Shin Si Hoo if he’s in your class?”

“Sorry, I have to go to the store with my friend! What do you want to eat?”

This friend too.

“Could you call Shin Si Hoo?”

“Why don’t you just go in and call him yourself?”

This friend as well.

None of them would fulfill my request.

Is it because I’m an outcast?

The feeling of being ignored by someone I don’t know didn’t feel good.

But I can’t just walk into another classroom.

I could get demerits if someone else tells the teacher.

So every break, I waited in front of Class A until Shin Si Hoo came out.

“Are you Shin Si Hoo?”

“Yeah, so what?”

He was definitely a familiar face.

Since there aren’t many students in the academy, six months excluding the vacation made it easy to remember everyone’s face at least once.

He was slightly shorter than me but wore a neatly tailored uniform, so he had to be Shin Si Hoo.

“You ranked first this time, right?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Let’s solve the ‘Records of Magic’ exam together, starting from the beginning.”

The other grades were probably similar.

The only subject I scored low in was ‘Records of Magic’ with an 84.

There are limits to the knowledge taught in school.

With magic, the difference between just memorizing and actually practicing is huge.

Even if I’m already familiar with it, when asked to draw a magic circle, my mind often goes blank.

I need to see how the first student in the entire school solves problems this time.

“When are we doing it?”

“Can’t we do it right now?”

“Not right now, I left the test paper at home.”

Shin Si Hoo scratched his head.

But time is of the essence.

“It’s okay. I remember all the questions. You do too, right?”

I figured if I remembered, Shin Si Hoo would be the same.

“… Well, I do remember everything.”

My assumption turned out to be correct.