Chapter 91
Entrance Ceremony
“Why… aren’t we in the same class….”
“….”
“We’ve always been in the same class until now….”
Yeonha’s ears were folded in half.
She wore a dead expression and let out a long sigh.
A melancholic voice flowed from her as she gazed down at the table.
Even when I was in 6th grade of elementary school, in 7th grade, 8th grade, and 9th grade of middle school, we were in the same class… I even went as far as asking the principal and Chiseong to make sure we were in the same class every night…
“Oh… is that so?”
“Yesterday, I even prayed while pouring purified water in my room. I did it again when I woke up in the morning…”
“…”
She prayed to become my classmate.
I never imagined that Yeonha would be making such efforts behind my back.
In my mind, I could see her kneeling in front of the veranda where the moonlight shone, fervently praying with her hands clasped.
The thought of my significance to her made me feel awkward yet proud.
On one hand, I found it cute how she must have believed a miracle had happened for us to be in the same class all this time.
“Maybe it’s better not to reveal it. Let’s keep it a secret for life.”
Although I felt sorry for deceiving Yeonha, making her believe her prayers reached the heavens.
In reality, the reason we had been in the same class all this time was due to the influence of our families.
By utilizing the power of the Shingeom Dogga, it wasn’t difficult for us to enter the same middle school and be in the same class.
Since the elementary and middle schools we attended were sponsored by our families, we couldn’t refuse.
So, every year, I would ask my father, and he would gladly make it happen.
The reason I didn’t tell her about this was because of her reaction.
“Oh, I’m relieved. We’re in the same class again. Take care of me this year too, Gyunwoo.”
“Of course. Take care of me this year too.”
“It seems like we’re destined to be in the same class. Don’t you think so?”
“…”
I already knew the outcome, so I wasn’t worried, but Yeonha was different.
She was restless and anxious on the day the class assignments were announced.
But once she confirmed we were in the same class, her anxious face turned into a joyful one, bright and radiant with a smile.
At that moment, I couldn’t bring myself to tell her the truth.
“Don’t tell the heavens. That’s the secret to getting good grades.”
“Alright, is there even a need to explain? Just let the heavens be pleased.”
Sometimes, it was good to keep things unsaid, and being overly explanatory wasn’t classy.
So, I kept it a secret.
“I wanted to ask my dad to ensure we were in the same class at the academy as well…”
Unfortunately, that was impossible.
While our elementary and middle schools were completely under the influence of our families, the academies in the city of academies were entangled with various families and interest groups besides the Shingeom Dogga.
The Geumgang Academy was no exception.
Apart from the Shingeom Dogga, it received sponsorship from other Ten Clans.
Therefore, using the power of our family conspicuously would have been noticed.
She could have faced restrictions, and most importantly, there was a possibility of being out of the sight of Chairwoman So Hye-ryul.
She was known as one of the strongest figures in the Academy City, someone who couldn’t be easily touched even in the New Inspection Department.
Though it was unlikely, one had to consider the scenario where she might inform that she would no longer accept the support of the family.
Unlike its early days, the Geumgang Academy, which now stood out as the top academy in the Academy City, could operate smoothly without the support of the New Inspection Department.
Ironically, other families might try to intervene without even realizing it.
“Why… how…”
Young Yeon-ha, who was unaware of such circumstances, was still looking gloomy.
I comforted her.
“Don’t be too disappointed. After all, morning classes are the only ones scheduled, and in the afternoon, you can attend classes independently, right? We can have lunch together, attend classes together. So, don’t worry about being in a different class from me.”
“But still…”
Yeon-ha pursed her lips.
However, unless the outcome could be changed, she too had to eventually resign herself.
As she sought confirmation, she asked decisively.
“Will you really have lunch with me?”
“If I don’t have any special plans, let’s eat together. For breakfast, for dinner too.”
“Will you attend afternoon classes together?”
“It might be difficult to attend all together, but let’s try to attend together whenever possible.”
“Fine… Got it. Is it a promise?”
After hearing my answer,
Yeon-ha seemed to gather some strength.
Her bunny ears gradually perked up.
Yet, despite her revived spirit, she still seemed worried about being in a different class from me.
I, too, felt a bit concerned.
“Will she be fine even without me?”
I’m not particularly sociable, but Yeon-ha was even more introverted than me.
She was cautious, shy, and not the type to initiate conversations.
I worried if she would be able to establish good relationships with her classmates in the same class.
“At least it would be nice if she got along with someone she knows, like Ha-nya….”
I don’t know in which classes the people in the group chat were placed.
By now, they must have received their class assignments and would be chatting about it in the group.
Perhaps there might be someone who ended up in the same class as Yeon-ha.
It was at that moment when I was about to check the chat.
“Oh, found you. Haneul! Gyun-woo!”
“Thankfully, you haven’t left yet.”
“Are you two here to have breakfast too?”
Goeun-bi and Lisa, who noticed us, approached with trays in hand.
The two, dressed in the Geumgang Academy uniform, looked like illustrations from a game.
They soon took their seats beside us.
As Goeun-bi sat next to Yeon-ha, she casually brought up a topic.
“Have you checked your class assignments too? Which classes are you both in? I’m in Class 8!”
“I’m in Class 12.”
“Oh, really? I’m in Class 8.”
“Wow! Seriously? Haneul, you’re in Class 8 too? Then we’re in the same class!? We can hang out together from now on!”
“Wow, it’s enviable to be in the same class. Gyungwoo, which class are you in?”
“I’m in Class 17. I never thought I’d be in the same class as Haneul, but fate brought us together like this.”
It was lucky that Goeunbi was in the same class as Haneul.
If it was her, Gyungwoo felt like he could entrust Haneul to her without any worries.
“I knew someone…”
“Is it so great to be in the same class as me? Haneul is the pretty one here!”
“Ah! Eunbi, don’t do this…!”
Haneul also seemed relieved to be in the same class as Goeunbi.
Normally, she would have been flustered by Goeunbi’s skinship, but today she was quietly enduring it and found it amusing.
Although she verbally rejected it, her face showed a different expression.
I chuckled as I watched the two closely attached people.
Meanwhile, Lisa, who was sitting next to me, seemed envious of the two.
“It must be really nice… I wish I could be in the same class as someone I know…”
Lisa expressed her regret.
Letting out a sigh, she poured milk into her cereal.
The elegance showed as she stirred with a spoon.
I said to her, “Even if you don’t know anyone in your class, there are probably good people there, right?”
“Thank you for comforting me.”
“It’s not just comforting.”
“I hope there are indeed good people in my class, as Gyungwoo said.”
Although Lisa seemed skeptical.
In my past life as a gaming enthusiast, I knew who she would end up in the same class with.
“If things go as in the game, she’ll end up in the same class as Kang Hanbyeol.”
Not only the protagonist of the game, Kang Hanbyeol, but also Dr. Park, were assigned to the same class.
As a result, Lisa would become close to them, and she would be the female character most involved in the incidents caused by Kang Hanbyeol.
The reason players treated her as the main heroine in the game was because of this.
“Well, Kang Hanbyeol never harbored romantic feelings for anyone.”
Well, there was one exception, just one person.
His childhood friend, Nuna.
Kang Hanbyeol liked her, so in the game, he didn’t develop romantic feelings for the women he became friends with; he saw them as comrades.
As a result, the term ‘heroine’ used by players referred to female characters who were close to Kang Hanbyeol or had a liking for him, significant to the story, without considering whether a romantic relationship would develop.
In any case, Kang Hanbyeol never dated anyone until the end of the game.
Anyway, I subtly reassured Lisa, “I can assure you, don’t worry. You’ll meet good people. You’ll have to endure a lot though…”
“…You’re encouraging me, right?”
Lisa had nothing to worry about.
I subtly hinted at the future to her as if passing on compliments.
She seemed puzzled as to how to react.
“By the way, what about the others? Do you know which class they’re in?”
“They should be in the group chat.”
“…It seems like a lot has piled up.”
I entered the group chat to check which classes others were in.
Scrolling down, I could find the information.
After reading the contents, I left a message.
From Noble mtl dot com
[Yonghaerang]: I’m in Class 5. Doh Yeonwoo! What about you?
[Ttommari Geum]: We are in Class 22! The three of us are in the same class again this year!
[Ttommari Eun]: A miracle has happened!
[Ttommari Dong]: How is this possible? We’re in the same class again lol
:
[Me]: Get a clue, Geum Eun Dong
[Ttommari Geum]: ????????
[Ttommari Eun]: It’s starting from the morning…
[Ttommari Dong]: Why the fuss? Even if we’re not in the same class as Haneul?
* * *
Central Hall of the Cultural Center where the entrance ceremony was taking place.
Yeonwoo and I went there to rehearse for the entrance ceremony.
As we entered the central hall, people preparing for the ceremony were bustling around.
At that moment, someone who appeared to be a staff member approached us.
“Hey students. Judging from your ties, you seem to be freshmen entering this year. Are you the students in charge of representing the freshmen?”
“Yes, that’s right. We came for the rehearsal. Where should we go?”
“I was just looking for you. Please follow me backstage quickly.”
As soon as the staff member finished speaking, they hurried off to attend to other matters.
We passed through a space capable of accommodating over 10,000 people and headed towards the backstage.
People were bustling around even in that place.
“The atmosphere is chaotic.”
Not only instructors and staff, but also sporadic students could be seen.
They seemed like seniors performing on stage during the entrance ceremony.
Turning our gaze away from them, we approached a nearby staff member.
“You’re the freshmen representatives, right? The top and second in entrance exam scores. We’ll start rehearsal soon, so please wait.”
After a brief explanation to the staff member,
we decided to practice or do something for the remaining time by sitting on chairs in a corner.
“…145th intake of Geumgang Academy, Yeon, Hah, Neul. Ugh… Nervous. Trembling.”
“I’m good at it now without stuttering. What’s there to be nervous about?”
“Well, now there’s no one around, but later, we’ll have to swear in front of a lot of people. Just the thought of it is dreadful… I want to graduate quickly…”
“We haven’t even enrolled yet, you know?”
“Oh… that was something I said to you.”
Ignoring the people around us,
Yeon and I repeatedly rehearsed the oath we would swear during the entrance ceremony.
Having practiced for days, it had now become second nature to us, without needing to look at it.
Yet, she still seemed uneasy, unable to shake off the tension.
In that situation,
[We will now begin the rehearsal. We have limited time, so we’ll skip the national anthem and patriotic songs. We will also skip the speeches by the chairman, student council president, board of directors introduction, and instructor introduction. The performance in the middle will be delayed due to stage preparation. For now, let’s start with the freshmen oath, so freshmen representatives, please come to the stage.]
We were the first to be called out for the rehearsal.
Yeon immediately looked distressed.
“Why are we first… Why are we the ones starting this…”
“If you think about it, it’s better this way. It’s better to finish quickly and rest than to wait for our turn and get more nervous.”
“Ugh…”
“It’s just a rehearsal, no need to be nervous.”
Whether it’s the first or the last turn, what needs to be done remains the same in the end.
Reluctantly, Yeon got up from her seat following me.
We walked onto the stage and stood at the podium.
Then, we took the microphone and began to recite the oath confidently.
[Geumgang Academy, 145th intake, Do, Gyun, Woo.]
[Geumgang Academy, 145th intake, Yeon, Hah, Neul.]
“Student Yeon, your voice is a bit soft, please speak louder during the entrance ceremony. Don’t be nervous.”
“Yes…”
During the oath recitation,
Yeon, unlike me, bit her tongue, stuttered, and her voice quivered.
As her voice only murmured within her mouth, it was hard to hear.
Due to this, she couldn’t avoid the criticism from the instructor leading the rehearsal.
Whether she realized her mistake or not, her face darkened.
Descending from the podium and returning backstage, she couldn’t hide her worry.
“What if I’m like this at the entrance ceremony…? And my voice is naturally soft, how am I supposed to speak loudly…”
“I should’ve spoken closer to the microphone. Don’t just let your voice come from your mouth.”
“I don’t think I did that…”
“Just think of it as talking comfortably to me like you are now. Your voice is louder than before.”
“Gyunwoo.”
“Why?”
“Could you speak for me instead since I’ll just be moving my lips?”
“Syncing my lips?”
“Yeah. Please…”
“Will that work?”
“What should I do? I can’t do it…”
“It’s okay, you can do it. You used to make people stumble during exams.”
“That’s different from this! Ugh… Aren’t you nervous at all? Aren’t you worried about making a mistake and embarrassing yourself?”
“Even if you mess up the freshman oath, it won’t lead to the end of the world, so what’s there to worry about?”
In this world, there were several flags that could lead to ruin if you made the wrong choice.
The person right in front of me, Yeonhaneul, was one of the flags leading to ruin.
Just a freshman oath couldn’t possibly create anxiety.
Even if you mess up, the world won’t end.
In fact, it wasn’t just the freshman oath; most things in the world were like that.
With that in mind, I didn’t feel nervous about most things.
“Yeah. The world won’t end, but I’ll probably embarrass myself…”
But it seemed like Yeonhaneul didn’t quite grasp that idea.
She responded pessimistically.
It was at that moment.
“Gyunwoo, Haneul.”
“…Nuna?”
“…Sieunie unni?”
My cousin, Doh Sieun.
This year, she became the student council president and walked towards us.
We greeted her warmly.
“I saw you guys practicing just now. Haneul seems very nervous.”
“Ah… Nuna saw us too…”
“Can I give you a tip?”
“A tip? What is it? I’m all ears.”
Even though she must be busy as the student council president.
It seemed like she was worried about the nervous Haneul on stage.
As she was about to give advice, Haneul perked up, listening intently like a rabbit with its ears pricked.
“I get nervous and anxious too when I have something important to do like you.”
“You get nervous too, Nuna?”
“Yeah, I get nervous. I’m worried I might make a mistake while giving a speech at the entrance ceremony.”
“What do you do at those times, Nuna?”
“Yes, I…”
“….”
Dosieun nodded with a blank face.
She was nervous too.
It was quite unexpected considering her usual image.
“Could she have lied on purpose out of consideration for Haneuri?”
That thought crossed my mind for a moment.
But knowing her personality, it didn’t seem likely that she would lie about something like this.
It was hard to believe, but even the student council president seemed tense.
I became curious about how she would ease her tension.
So, I listened carefully.
“…Think about what you want to do after it’s over. Whether it’s eating something delicious as a sign of working hard today or buying something you want…”
“Is that all, unnie?”
“Yes, surprisingly, it’s nothing special, right? But in its own way, it seems to be effective. Rather than worrying about making mistakes, thinking about what to do afterwards makes the mind more at ease and comfortable.”
“…No, unnie. I think your advice is better than what Gyunwoo suggested. I’ll take it into account. Thank you so much!”
Contrary to my expectations, Dosieun’s advice wasn’t anything extraordinary.
Still, as she said, it seemed to have some effect.
It was helpful advice.
However.
“Heaven… Doesn’t it seem like there’s a significant temperature difference in how you treat me and Siaeun unnie?”
My advice wasn’t that bad either.
Yeonaheul took Dosieun’s hand, shaking it and helping her up.
Her long ears were twitching like a rabbit hopping around.
It was quite pitiful to see.
As time passed from that moment.
[We will now begin the entrance ceremony for the 145th class of Geumgang High School Academy.]
Finally, the entrance ceremony began.