Chapter 312

The exam center assigned to Jin-hyeok was an agricultural high school located in another area, which was also different from his previous life.

‘Is this my third visit here?’

Once during the preliminary gathering for the college entrance exam, and once during the TOEIC exam in his past life.

After being discharged from the military, he took the TOEIC exam to apply for a contract position at Sein while helping with Shin Woo-sung’s business. That was when he had visited this school.

“I’ll be back. The traffic is bad, so just go ahead.”

Cars carrying examinees were lined up, and with heavy snowfall, there was no time to delay.

Beep-. Beeeep-.

The police kept blowing their whistles, controlling the vehicles to clear the area in front of the school.

However, Son Kwang-yeon, reluctant to just send his son off, got out of the car and followed Jin-hyeok.

“Mr. Hyun-woo, take your time. I’ll see my son off and follow you.”

“Yes, CEO. Just follow the road.”

The exam ticket was packed in the backpack, along with two extra-large insulated lunchboxes and computer pens, just in case, stuffed in every pocket.

He also packed the hot pack given by Hwang Ga-young. It was a gift from his innocent older sister that always warmed Jin-hyeok’s heart, so he couldn’t leave it behind.

He also carried the “Perfect Score Cushion” specially made by Hwang Ga-yun with new materials. A cushion that guarantees a perfect score—typical of the cool-headed Hwang Ga-yun to name it so intuitively.

At the main gate, parents were comforting examinees, praying while holding rosaries.

Reporters and cameramen who had come to cover Son Jin-hyeok were stomping their feet and blowing into their hands.

Kim Yu-deok, who was fiddling with a hot pack, spotted Jin-hyeok and waved.

“Jin-hyeok! Look here, here. It’s your sister. I’ll just take a video. Give me an interview after the exam, okay?”

As expected of a nationwide reporter.

It would be quicker to check where that reporter wasn’t.

“Is the chairman here yet?”

“Ugh, I’m nervous.”

Just then, Lee Seung-hoon and Shin Woo-sung arrived together in Shin Woo-sung’s father’s car.

Right, Lee Seung-hoon said he would sleep at Shin Woo-sung’s house and come together.

Woo-sung, this guy, if you’re nervous, you should study more.

It seems only those who didn’t study are trembling. Lee Seung-hoon looks calm.

“Jin-hyeok hyung! Do well on the exam!”

“Son Jin-hyeok! Perfect score!”

“Lee Seung-hoon! Shin Woo-sung!”

“Taeyang High! Taeyang High!”

Ooooh-!

He waved to the juniors from the sports team cheering for their seniors and the student council officers singing the school anthem.

He turned around in response to the careful hand brushing snow off his son’s shoulder.

“Dad, I’ll be back. Have a good day at work.”

“Oh my, my son… Hmm-hmm-hmm.”

Wow, this dad is crying again.

Jin-hyeok hugged him tightly, shielding him from the camera.

Pat pat-.

“I’ll do my best and come back.”

“Hmm-hmm-hmm.”

What is he even saying?

Sigh, I can’t just stuff him in my pocket and take him in.

He’s such an emotional dad, it takes a lot of effort.

***

It was an exam he had taken before.

That’s why he knew.

‘It’s different. Completely different.’

The questions were nothing like what he had solved in the past.

‘There will be a lot of crying guys, right?’

The level was worlds apart from the usual mock exams.

Just a guess, but maybe the level has risen because some companies occasionally require college entrance exam scores for hiring? Even in the language section, there were quite a few questions requiring data analysis and logical thinking skills similar to civil service aptitude tests.

Sigh-.

Huu-.

Agh-.

Sighs and groans could be heard from everywhere.

Ugh-.

Hey, who’s taking a dump in the exam hall?

Ah, it’s a senior retaker.

Well, it happened in the past and will happen in the future.

This is a separate issue from the world changing or the exam’s discriminatory power.

Was there ever an exam in the past that wasn’t torturous?

‘Math is absolute hellfire.’

The last question in the multiple-choice section tripped Jin-hyeok up.

Even Jin-hyeok, who had come to like math, was scratching his head at the difficulty.

‘I’m confused.’

He clearly understood what the question was asking.

He had finished analyzing the given data.

But no matter how much he solved, none of the answer choices matched the result he derived.

He was wasting time helplessly.

Whoosh-.

【The guy in front is 1, the guy behind is 3, the guy on the left is 2, the guy on the right is 4, the guy at the very back is 5, the guy at the very front guessed.】

‘You shouldn’t show up now…’

Grr-.

Jin-hyeok gritted his teeth and held on at the sudden appearance.

【I came because you called so desperately. I’m leaving. Good luck.】

Whew-. He almost lost focus on the problem.

This jerk, he didn’t even give the answer, just helped with cheating, and the answers are all different?

The proctor, who had been watching Jin-hyeok, gave him a worried look.

Jin-hyeok pretended nothing was wrong and moved on to the next question.

‘Let’s solve the subjective questions first and then calculate again.’

He couldn’t just wing it.

He had promised Yoo Jin to proudly show her his best score.

He had made another promise too.

When his younger sibling goes to college, they would go together.

– “Oppa! I’m going to MIT! They say their engineering is good. I think it’s co-ed.”

Whatever, working hard for 9 or 10 years and then living a college life in America with my sibling sounds fun. Maybe by then, my mental age, which is slowly getting younger, will be similar to my peers.

Of course, it wasn’t for the degree or the campus romance.

By then, he could actively help Yoo Jin recruit talent to lead the aerospace industry.

‘By then, my friends will start families, so we’ll drift apart…’

Ah, focus.

*

Lunchtime came, and Lee Seung-hoon and Shin Woo-sung came by.

It’s the college entrance exam day, can’t you guys eat separately?

“Wow-. Woo-sung, what’s in your lunchbox?”

Jin-hyeok’s eyes widened at Shin Woo-sung’s generous lunchbox, which looked like he had brought the whole rice cooker.

“Mom made braised short ribs for the chairman and Seung-hoon to eat together. It’s Hanwoo beef.”

Lunchboxes are best enjoyed with friends.

*

‘Social Studies 2 seems easy.’

Science, especially physics and chemistry, was at a level Jin-hyeok could handle easily. As for social studies, the more difficult it was, the more Son Jin-hyeok, who was strong at memorization, enjoyed it.

He finished English in less than 40 minutes and even completed the answer memo on the back of the exam ticket.

I’ll use this exam ticket to do a preliminary score check at home.

*

“This year marks the fifth anniversary of the College Scholastic Ability Test. Examinees who have finished the exam are leaving the test center. Perhaps due to the intention of measuring not just college admissions but also the culture and intelligence of future members of society, the increased difficulty has left many examinees with grim expressions. Nevertheless, we will cautiously conduct interviews. Son Jin-hyeok, should we call you a student? Let’s meet Son Jin-hyeok. How was today’s exam?”

“It was somewhat difficult, but I think it was at a level that appropriately stimulated intellectual curiosity and problem-solving desire. However, I think the exam time should be extended or the difficulty lowered.”

“Why do you think so?”

“If the passages are long, more time should be given to think. Even though I read a lot, it took a long time to read the passages. In the language and social studies sections, many passages were unfamiliar because they were taken from places that weren’t textbooks or classics.”

“Son Jin-hyeok, if you were to predict your score, what would it be?”

“A perfect score seems difficult. I guessed on two questions in the science section.”

Outside the camera angle, Kim Yu-deok made a face. The people watching also opened their mouths in shock at the outrageous statement.

Ignoring everyone’s reactions, Jin-hyeok calmly shared his thoughts on the exam.

Thanks to the candy Yoo Jin gave him, he seemed to have found the answers well. He even managed to solve the last question in the math section.

“Solving problems is always fun.”

“Ah… yes. Annoying-, no, thank you. Good job.”

After the interview, he patted his waiting friends on the back.

“Good job. Seung-hoon, Woo-sung.”

“Chairman, you worked hard too-.”

“It’s over now. Ahhh-! School was really fun.”

Woo-sung really had fun. Even though the school provides meals, he brought his own lunchbox and ate it.

‘Me too. It was fun.’

As it got darker, the cold became more intense, and Jin-hyeok, with his red nose, chuckled.

“I can’t believe it’s over.”

Lee Seung-hoon sniffled.

For such a big guy, he’s quite sentimental.

‘Is it really over…’

It feels like it’s just the beginning.

My friends’ college life, everyone’s youth, Jin-hyeok’s social life.

Everyone knows it in their heads, but they can’t clearly picture the future.

That’s what the future is like.

Like winter waiting outside the door without anyone noticing.

I hope the future in this life is spring.

“Chairman, do you want to go eat dinner at the restaurant? Let’s have a company dinner. Seung-hoon, you call Mi-kyung too.”

“Huh? Should I?”

“I want to go home early today. See you at school tomorrow.”

Shin Woo-sung’s father was waiting with the car, but Jin-hyeok waved him off.

He wanted to go home to his waiting family.

He had said he would use public transportation on the way back, so he walked along the icy, bumpy road.

Following this road would lead to the terminal, and then home.

‘Wow. The terminal is so far from here.’

Son Jin-hyeok doesn’t always think ahead and act accordingly.

***

Maybe because he used his brain all day and came home.

The awakening effect hadn’t worn off.

Cheon Gil-ryong’s older brother called this blooming.

Regardless of the dictionary definition, his head kept spinning with heat, comparable to the shock of blooming.

His floating heart wouldn’t settle, so he wandered near his house.

Heheheh-.

As the snow poured down, Jang Gun-i, his old friend, stayed by his side.

Crunch-.

About halfway along the ridge, something stepped on the snow beneath him.

Maybe because the temperature had dropped so much that the snow didn’t melt, a dry newspaper appeared.

“Who left a newspaper here-?”

Looking at the date, it was less than a week old. It seemed Jeong Sang-tae had forgotten it while taking a walk last night. That uncle carries a newspaper around for show without even reading it.

「National Audit, Businessmen and Current Administration Figures Summoned」

「High-Stakes Hearing, Responsibility Battle」

「⨯⨯⨯ 〇〇Group Chairman Arrested, Embezzlement and Tax Evasion Charges」

「◆◆Steel’s Transformation, Soaring in Sein’s Arms. Overcoming Bankruptcy Crisis in 10 Months.」

「Jeong Dae-soo, YS Receives Hundreds of Billions. Calls for Regime Judgment Grow」

「Foreign Capital’s Indifference, Korean Economy Unaffected Despite Asian Cold Wave」

Jin-hyeok’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.

Thanks to Hong Ki-jun fulfilling Jin-hyeok’s request, the past cold wave wouldn’t repeat. Who knows when the next crisis will come, but at least we’ve overcome this one.

Last winter, Richard Hammond’s words, whom he met through Hong Ki-jun’s introduction, came to mind.

– “Richard isn’t interested in money. He’s only interested in making money. Korea? It’s a subordinate market to America except for Sein. America is controlled by Richard. So Richard’s words mean that he can control the Korean market if he wants to. Ah, don’t take it the wrong way. It’s the truth, isn’t it? Too bad. We could have conquered Korea under the RB flag, but Raymond said no.”

The fat man’s words made his head spin.

The chaos was caused by the anxiety that the market, except for mega-corporations, was insignificant and could be swayed at any time.

But at the same time, he felt relieved.

Because a monster like Hammond was on their side, they could overcome the crisis.

He looked up at the gray sky.

Thick snowflakes fell on his lips, nose, forehead, and eyelashes.

‘Will those friends go to college?’

Red stickers all over the house.

Peers who lost their heads of household and carried liquor bottles and tambourines instead of pens.

Guys who carried sand-filled backpacks and cement bags instead of books, knives instead of pens, and pig legs on their shoulders.

A friend who, after entering art school, worked as an instructor at an art academy to make ends meet.

Guys who envied friends following girls around and handed out entertainment business cards to make a living.

Guys who, after barely entering college, had their youth mortgaged for scholarships and were forced into long military service, swept up in the world’s currents.

And that’s not all.

There are countless others.

‘That damn college. Even after graduating, it’s not much.’

Because the world’s system is like that, and the times flow like that, everyone lived as if it were natural.

Well, regardless of the value of a college diploma, the fact that their lives could be lived in the direction they wanted was a comfort to Jin-hyeok. Even if it was a path half-forced by social systems.

Now, the world no longer takes college diplomas for granted, and going to college after graduating from a humanities high school is no longer a common path.

In the gardens of ivory towers tainted by commercialization, banners announcing academic discussions and Olympiad achievements fluttered instead of exciting MTs or noisy festivals.

Walking along, he reached under a persimmon tree.

Woof! Woof!

Jang Gun-i barked while looking up. He spun his tail like a propeller. It’s what he does when he’s happy.

A ripe persimmon, bright red, hung high on the tree, enduring the pouring snow.

Whether it had frozen and cracked or been pecked by a magpie, its translucent flesh glowed against the dark sky.

‘Magpie food…’

Jin-hyeok crouched down and brushed the snow off Jang Gun-i’s head.

“Our Jang Gun-i, do you want to eat a persimmon? Let’s leave that one alone.”

It’s magpie food.

It’s rare for Jin-hyeok to speak so softly and considerately to Jang Gun-i.

Heheheh-.

Jang Gun-i licked Jin-hyeok’s chin, as if he liked the tone.

‘I hope everyone is happy.’

He sent a comforting thought to those who no longer exist, who must have struggled.

He also remembered the loneliness of those who were 10, 20 years younger than Jin-hyeok, who sometimes faced a harsher world.

Ah, what does age matter? They lived in the same era and will continue to be comrades.

Eventually, he pictured everyone, even those older than Jin-hyeok, in his mind. Hoping that lives swept up in the world’s currents would never repeat.

He also included encouragement for his current friends, who had suppressed their passions and clung to exams, now becoming adults.

A comfort for humanity, who lived steadfastly despite being pushed around.

He imitated Éluard in title and form.

「Title: Cheering for Youth

Cut by the blade of the wind

You, crouched in the cold corner

Tomorrow is dark

Your life is heavy

On the path you’ve stepped out on with all your might, the whole world is stripped bare

When you look around, there’s no one who won’t smile at you

Like magpie food trembling in the frost

Even if your lonely hanging state is pitiful

You, don’t cry

Run and run through the darkness

Let’s shed those painful tears

You can live waiting for the sunlight」

The moment he mentally punctuated, he knew.

After writing the poem, he realized.

This was a tribute to Jin-hyeok himself.

A soul who couldn’t be comforted by anyone, a man who could only embrace himself.

How can you long for someone, comfort someone, when you can’t even look after yourself?

The exhilarating feeling of enlightenment, reserved for those who have realized, didn’t matter.

‘My heart feels at ease.’

A bright smile spread across his face as he raised the corners of his mouth.

“Oppaaaa-! Dinner’s readyyyyy-!”

The second-floor window opened, and Yoo Jin called out.

He waved to his younger sibling and turned his steps. Toward home, where his family was waiting.

“Let’s go, Jang Gun-i.”

Heheheh-.

Crunch crunch-.

With snow like this, even the chaotic, flipped world of the past would shine white, looking like a new world.

The snow falling more fiercely quickly erased the man’s footprints.

Finally, the man’s silhouette disappeared into the white curtain.

That figure was no longer lonely.