Chapter 9.2 - Act 9: Whimsically 2 (1/2)

Act 9: Whimsically 2

I stayed blank-minded for a bit before carefully thinking back on it.

Did it take this long for the results of the prac test to come out?

No.

It could be different from my memories by a day or two but it had already been a week since the prac tests were over, with only a few days to go until the final exams.

If this was my previous life, a few days would’ve passed already ever since the announcements of the results.

Besides, it was impossible for me to have forgotten the exact date.

On the day when the results of the prac test were out, the entire school was in a rowdy mood because Kim Wuju and Lee Suh-ah had both gotten full marks which were historically quite rare.

…Plus it was a shocking day on which I received a C+ myself so my memories were quite accurate. Marks any lower than that would never be given unless you totally failed the test so it was pretty much the lowest possible mark…

I was lost in my memories for a bit before contemplating with folded arms.

‘That means the future has changed…’

The future changed? Although I did get a lot better than the past, was that something that required a reschedule of the announcements?

Tilting my head, I thought when Lee Suh-ah sitting on the other side of the table entered my sight. She was blankly staring at her textbook.

I stared at that face before glancing around with a shrug of my shoulders.

Library.

Our friends had gathered at a table to study for the final exams. Apart from Chloe, Lee Suh-ah, Han Dasom and Noh Jusup who I always stayed with, there was also Song Mirae, Kim Wuju and Jun Shihyuk whom I sometimes chatted with.

Although it wasn’t a lot of people, it was miles different from the past when I was alone.

My surroundings had changed this much so it wasn’t strange for the likes of an announcement date of the prac results to change, and it would surely arrive if I sat back and waited patiently right? I turned my eyes back to the textbook with a faint smile when Noh Jusup opened his mouth with a complaint from the side.

“Seriously. Why finals straight after the prac test? It’s so annoying.”

His crumpled expression suggested that he was regretful for not being able to play around much.

What could we do though? That was how packed the schedule of Future Arts High was and we all entered despite knowing that.

“Just bare with it. The first semester will be over soon after the finals.”

“Eheww…”

I grinned after seeing him sigh.

“At least it’s better than doing the prac test after finals. Now, the most important songs are finished so we can study with a relaxed heart.”

When he heard my words, Noh Jusup shook his head with a serious expression.

“No. It’s better to sit the finals first. That way, I can say I was preparing for the pracs and couldn’t study even if I failed the finals. But now? There’s time to study so I can’t use that as an excuse.”

“…Maybe they scheduled it like this so that you can’t make such excuses?”

Looking at Noh Jusup wearing a smile, I shook my head when a voice suddenly sounded from the side.

“Ah, how do I solve this~?”

When I turned around, I saw Song Mirae supporting her chin with her hands looking like the stems of a flower.

In front of her was an opened maths exercise book.

I was staring blankly at the question booklet which strangely had way too many red crosses when Song Mirae quickly added more words after stealing a glance.

“Maths is too hard~ Is there anyone that could help me?”

“…”

When I stayed silent while dully blinking my eyes, Song Mirae finally met her eyes with mine.

“Yunjae~ Weren’t you good at maths as well? Help me with this please!”

“Lee Suh-ah’s good as well. Ask her.”

“…”

I turned my gaze away from Song Mirae who rapidly crumpled her expression back to my textbook.

Hmm… I guess there wasn’t anything too difficult so far. I glanced over the questions that could potentially come out in the test when Han Dasom suddenly whispered from the side.

“Can you please help me here…?”

“What is it?”

Fortunately, it was on German which I knew very well. When I immediately told her the answer, she made a bashful smile in response and whispered thanks. Then, she turned her head over to Song Mirae and I caught sight of her lips being raised to a side.

“…Hutt.”

What were they doing?

They were doing something quite funny so I watched on from the side when Chloe opened her mouth after a long stretch.

“Uuunn…! Phew… I wish the finals would be over soon…”

“Yeah. It will be the holidays as soon as the finals are over.”

After wording it out, I became slightly surprised myself.

Holidays. It was already nearing us.

I could still vividly remember somewhat forcibly being returned in time to the admission day and yet it was almost the holidays now… While I was caught in the midst of a strange recollection, Chloe turned to me with a sparkling gaze.

“What are you planning to do during the holidays Yunjae?”

“I don’t know. Maybe practise singing?”

“Huhuh. Not that. You won’t be doing anything fun?”

Hmm? Isn’t singing fun?

I tilted my head when Chloe suggested with a bright smile.

“Do you wanna learn the piano? I think you’ll be very good!”

…She was like this ever since the song presentation and kept on nagging me to learn the piano.

With a sullen expression, I shook my head.

“…Like I said, I can’t play the piano.”

“Just try it oncee~ The piano genius Chloe will be teaching you~”

“You’re really thick-skinned now huh?”

“Huhuh.”

While having such minor conversations, we kept studying when the library suddenly started turning noisier. The voices were different from our whispering voices and were noisy in excitement.

Wondering what was happening, I frowned my eyes when bits and pieces of their voices started entering my ears.

“…prac test is…”

“The results… are on…”

“Seri… no wa…”

Slowly, words started being formed in our heads.

Prac test. Result. Announcement.

We who raised our heads up in a flash looked into each other’s eyes.

*

The prac test results of Future Arts High were always announced the same way.

On the entrance of the main building, on the large wall that appeared to be inside a large hole. It was usually for all sorts of announcements but the prac results of the top achievers would be placed there.

Of course, only the names of students with marks above A- were revealed because it would be too much to reveal the names of C+ students. In other words, it was like a hall of fame that displayed the names of high achievers with marks above A-.

“…”

We headed towards the first floor of the main building with the guys that had been studying with me, but our steps were heavy.

We didn’t want to go, but at the same time we wanted to and although we didn’t want to check, we wanted to. The paradox of emotions filled my heart and started fiercely battling one another.

Ah whatever.

The top mark, A+ was only available for two students. It was that position which allowed an entry in the Prac High-achievers Concert; that position which had been taken by Lee Suh-ah and Kim Wuju in my previous life.

Will I be able to reach that position… even if I didn’t, I should at least get an A right?