No matter that I was in the middle of a hospital stay, there was no way to avoid the test.
While classes can be excused with proper hospital documentation, exams aren’t so easily bypassed. If you’re not in your seat on test day, you automatically get a zero, no matter the circumstances.
I hadn’t accumulated any points so far, so if I were to get a zero on this pop quiz, retaking the course would be pretty much set in stone. To avoid this, I had no choice but to take the exam, whether I liked it or not.
In the end, I dragged my ailing body to the lecture hall.
“So, when Marcocius spouted flames with a whoosh! The spoon appeared and blocked it, right?”
“Wow, really?”
After a long absence, I returned to the lecture hall. The first thing I noticed was Moon Shin-chung sitting far away. His neck tattoos and ugly face were as prominent as ever.
Moon Shin-chung had cornered a few first-year students, bragging to them about something.
“That spoon gave us the time we needed for reinforcements to arrive!”
“Wow… so in a way, that one spoon saved everyone?”
“You could say that! Oh, and by the way, the owner of that spoon is one of my best friends!”
“Huh… really…? You know that spoon’s owner…?”
Turns out he was using me as a subject to grab the attention of the first-years, loudly exaggerating as if it were his own achievement.
What kind of guy does this?
I quickly approached Moon Shin-chung.
“Are you talking about me right now?”
“Oh, spoon! You showed up just in time!”
Even when I appeared, Moon Shin-chung didn’t flinch. Rather, he happily threw his arm around my shoulders.
“Over there are the first-year rookies. They’re also your juniors.”
Moon Shin-chung pointed to the first-year students nearby. All were members of the Combat Division, about three of them.
“Hello, senior!”
The three simultaneously bowed their heads ninety degrees as if they had rehearsed.
What is this, a gang initiation? I felt my face burning in the center of the lecture hall.
“We were just hearing about your heroic deeds, Senior! You took down an A-Rank monster! We were really surprised!”
“Not really. A simple act like blocking a single attack doesn’t count as heroic…”
“I also hope to become an excellent awakener like you someday, Senior!”
It seems my words were falling on deaf ears. All three kept staring at me with sparkling eyes.
They had every reason to be impressed. These students had no real combat experience; they had yet to even face a D-Rank monster, let alone an A-Rank one. It was only natural they looked up to me.
There aren’t many C-Rank awakeners willing to face off against an A-Rank monster.
…
But how did the conversation turn to this?
I only came to the lecture hall to take the pop quiz.
Why am I casually conversing with juniors I don’t even know?
It’s all Moon Shin-chung’s fault. Thanks to him selling me out, we’ve come to this.
Grabbing some prestige in front of his juniors at my expense? This was the first time I’d encountered such an absurd situation.
*
The lecture I was here for was titled <Strategy & Tactics Theory and Practice>, a required general course. Since it wasn’t divided by year, first-years were also mixed in the room.
That’s why I managed to exchange some words with the juniors earlier.
Anyway,
The pop quiz went smoothly. All thanks to the notes Arna brought me. Even without attending the lectures, those notes were detailed enough to help me solve all the problems.
Arna, indeed. I should definitely ask her again when the final exam period comes around.
For every subject.
—Everyone worked hard on the test.
The instructor, standing on the podium, gathered the test papers and gave concluding remarks.
—Next week we’ll have a practical evaluation, remember?
Continuing from the pop quiz, next week would bring a practical assessment. The course name being <Strategy & Tactics Theory and Practice>, it made sense that it would include a hands-on element.
Even though these weren’t midterm or finals, I couldn’t help but wonder why it had to be this intense. It almost felt stricter than my major courses. A moment of doubt about whether it truly was just a general subject arose.
—As announced during the orientation session, the practical evaluation will be done in teams of two. Make sure to form a team; otherwise, it will be marked as zero points. Understood?
Similar to the combat ability measurement during the previous physical inspection, a team will simulate battle in a given situation.
Scores will be assigned based on individual performances within these engagements.
—Then, I’ll see everyone next week at the outdoor Training Center.
Having concluded with those words, the instructor left with the test papers cradled in his arms. The lecture hall, previously quiet, started bustling like a crowded marketplace as everyone searched for partners.
—You don’t have a team yet, right? Want to do this with me?
—I don’t like that idea. You’re much stronger than me. I know you’re trying to be the star here.
Since this was a simulation for evaluation, personal performance mattered more than team victory. It is, after all, an exam, and points need to be earned.
Most students avoided teaming up with anyone stronger to prevent overshadowing their own contributions.
“Hey, Spoon. It looks like you haven’t found a partner yet. Let me, as your senior, specially… Hey! Hold on! Where are you going!”
Taking advantage of this dynamic, Moon Shin-chung approached me first, but I ignored him and stood up from my seat.
I didn’t have much ambition for this evaluation like the other students. I simply aimed to meet the passing threshold which, in this case, was achieving victory in the mock battle.
What I needed to do now was find not a weaker student but the opposite—a much stronger one. Someone so powerful that they could effortlessly secure a victory even without me.
At this moment, I was heading toward just the right person.
Arna. I intended to ride her coattails during this practical exam.
“Hey, monster-breast, can I talk to you for a moment?”
“…”
Today, Arna seemed unusually sensitive. Her gaze was sharper than usual.
Additionally, she remained silent.
“Are you just going to ignore someone calling you now?”
“And why not? What is it?”
Arna reluctantly responded, her voice sharp and unfriendly.
She was clearly upset.
“Did something irritate you? Did you do a self-search before the exam?”
“I didn’t do anything like that!”
Hmph!
Arna turned her head away. It seemed she was indeed mad at me.
Was there something I did recently? I couldn’t recall being particularly cruel as I was focused on my recovery.
The only thing that might have upset her…
“Could it be because we didn’t eat together the last time?”
“…!”
Arna’s body trembled. I must have hit the nail on the head. The grudge from that incident seemed to still linger.
“Seriously. To get mad over something like that. You really are acting like a child.”
“It’s… it’s not exactly because of that…!”
“Alright. When I’m discharged, we can eat together. I’ll treat you.”
“It’s definitely not about that…!”
Though she protested verbally, her body language told a different story. Her flushed face betraying her as she loudly insisted it wasn’t about the meal. Had she nothing to complain about, she wouldn’t have reacted this way from the start.
In a way, she was quite easy to understand. Arna, that person.
“Well, anyway…”
It was time to get to the point after having somewhat defused her anger. I extended the notebook I borrowed earlier and asked Arna.
“Have you found a partner yet?”
“Eh? Partner? Are you talking about the practical assessment?”
I nodded, affirming her question.
At that, Arna smirked, seizing the opportunity.
“Heh, you still haven’t found a partner? You’re quite pitiful, aren’t you?”
Arna mocked me. It was annoying but understandable. If I wanted to hitch a ride on Arna’s success, I had to endure this humiliation.
Still, there was no other choice but to bow to her this time.
“But what can I do? I’ve already formed a team.”
“…”
I was taken aback, jutting my head out in surprise.
A partner already? Who had managed to snatch Arna up? Were they so careless about their own score? They’re bound to get low marks once they’re overshadowed by Arna during the evaluation.
Is there another person thinking like me—only aiming to pass the required line?
If that’s true, then they’re an incredibly arrogant opponent, someone only looking to benefit.
“So, who’s your partner?”
“It’s me.”
Just then, a female voice came from behind—familiar but far from welcome. The voice alone reeked of sourness.
As unpleasant as a stinky rag.
“Baek Joo-hee…”
“Sorry, but it looks like I’ve taken Arna away!”
Baek Joo-hee stood boldly beside Arna and wrapped her arms around Arna’s waist, purely to provoke me.
“…”
What is this situation?
My Arna, my protagonist… has fallen into the hands of that stinky rag? Are they close enough to form a team? When did they become friends?
I can’t accept this. I cannot let Arna be taken away, especially not by Baek Joo-hee who reeks of sourness.
The protagonist is mine; it’s my duty to protect her.
I boldly extended my hand toward Baek Joo-hee.
“Baek Joo-hee, I challenge you to a duel. Let’s duel for Arna.”
“A duel? Or should I say, it’s a mock battle, you moron!”
Whatever.
I hastily reached into my pocket, ready to retrieve my weapon—the spoon.
“Ah.”
But my hand froze mid-motion. A vital fact suddenly struck me.
I forgot.
My spoon is broken.
