Chapter 500: CSAT cold wave (7)

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Friday, the day after the CSAT.

School went back to normal, but the center of conversations in Eungwang High was still the CSAT.

First was the enormous Jegal statue that welcomed students in front of the clock tower at the main gate.

“I thought the Year Two Class Zero sunbaes made this to cheer on the CSAT takers? Why did they put it in front of the gate?”

“I don’t know, but let’s take a picture first.”

“Oh, the clothes are different from yesterday. I guess it’s new.”

“I wanna see other outfits.”

“I’ll jump high using an item, and then take a picture of me with the professor!”

Jegal had a lot of fans other than his homeroom class.

I was among them, of course, and although he’s not here, there’s Jegal’s old student who always keeps track of him.

Dingdong.

Just when I was taking a picture of the Jegal statue wearing a different outfit, a message from his old student came immediately.

[Hong Gyubin] Euishin-ah, I heard the news. The professor-nim’s statue is wearing a new outfit?

How did he know that?

He might be checking posts under the Eungwang High tag.

[Hong Gyubin] Euishin-ah, I got a building for the professor’s statute.

Uhh, what?

There’s no way the Year Two Class Zero seniors would give the statue up so easily, so why did Hong Gyubin secure a building for it?

He’s been under a lot of stress lately, so I wonder if he’s winding down through shopping.

‘I guess this means he wants me to ask for it.’

Just as I expected, Hong Gyubin’s next message was as follows;

[Hong Gyubin] I prepared one where it can fit easily based on my estimation from the picture, but I need to know the exact measurements to place it.

[Hong Gyubin] If you have time, can you check the exact size of the statue?

What does it matter if he hasn’t acquired the right to the statue yet?

Hong Gyubin is getting a little too ahead of himself.

Still, I was in the main gate to look at the statue anyway, so I decided to do Hong Gyubin a favor.

‘I should give him treats from time to time.’

After approaching Jegal’s statue closely, I used an application to get an exact measurement.

When I sent the results to Hong Gyubin, a disaster of thanks poured out.

[Hong Gyubin] Thank you, Euishin-ah! Now that I know its exact measurements, I can prepare some furniture and clothes for it hehehe

So that’s what Hong Gyubin is planning.

Well, he has an order from Seodol, Neuru’s designer, so I guess he can make that work easily.

It’s questionable whether Hong Gyubin can win the statue, but he asked me to take photos of it whenever it gets a new outfit.

“Oh, the news is spreading quickly!”

I took a few more photos before heading in when Moon Saeron approached me.

She must’ve come here to write a story.

“You’ve been busy lately Suspicious VP, so I’ll let you take this one. It looks like I’m a little late!”

Moon Saeron thinks I’m here for the newspaper department.

I haven’t been able to participate in their activities recently.

I belatedly felt a sense of guilt, so I decided to write a good article about this.

The Year Two sunbae-jerks would want to show off the statue anyway, so I’m sure they’ll respond eagerly to an interview request.

While I came up with a plan for the article, Moon Saeron brought up one of the most frequently mentioned topics in Eungwang High.

“Hey, have you heard about the DoWonWooKiHwan ranking?”

Do Wonwoo and Woo Kihwan were why CSAT was still a hot topic in Eungwang High.

The news was confirmed on the Eungwang High bulletin board.

This year’s CSAT was rumored to be difficult enough to turn the CSAT cold wave into hellishly hot for the test takers.

There was someone who proudly scored a perfect score.

“If it was an emergency, I would’ve explained it to you right away instead of having you read it. It’s not like that.”

“Then why?”

Hwang Jiho took out a thermos bottle when I asked again.

I became wary, thinking I’ll be given medicine again, but when he opened the bottle, the scent of fragrant tea flowed out.

It must be pure tea since there’s no way Hyangrok’s medicine could smell this good.

Hwang Jiho offered me a cup.

“You’ll read this anyway, whether it’s now or later.”

That’s true.

I can’t miss out on reading a report made by Jeokho containing information that he obtained by going through such a hard time.

I intend to read it thoroughly without missing a word and use it as a basis for my next course of action.

“I thought it would be better for you to read it in the presence of someone else.”

What does that mean?

I couldn’t put a finger on it, but I decided to read the report first.

I read it quickly, occasionally taking a sip of the tea prepared by Hwang Jiho.

In a business-like style, Jeokho summarized what he had experienced — the people he met, his speculations, and his appreciation.

Beyond the facade of a professional report, immeasurable pain was conveyed.

Jeokhoadded notes, expressing his thoughts, most of which were regret and self-deprecation.

Jeokho concluded the report by admitting that he was in such a state of mental breakdown that he couldn’t tell whether it was snowing or raining at the end.

“I see you’re done reading.”

As soon as I read the last sentence, Hwang Jiho spoke to me and I was brought back to my senses.

Maybe because Jeokho wrote the document too well, I felt like I returned to the miserable world of PMH.

If I was alone, I might’ve obsessed over it.

Hwang Jiho poured another cup of tea and floated a hologram.

“There’s a part of the report that bothered me.”

What emerged in the hologram was the summary of the conversation that Jeokho had with Ahn Dain.

Jeokho seemed to have paid keen attention to her in PMH.

‘Jeokho and Ahn Dain became close quite quickly and trusted each other.’

The reason wasn’t revealed in PMH, but I thought it was because Ahn Dain was supposed to be a student of Kim Shinrok.

However, after reading the report, it felt like that wasn’t the only reason.

Jeokho didn’t trust and help all the other children in Year One Class One.

Was it because of Ahn Dain’s talent and character then?

Jeokho was paying such a close attention to her that he included a conversation in the report that he wrote.

— When my abilities awakened, I met someone who has predictive power. No, maybe he was just a crook.

— I was told to follow the stars at dawn when it got dark. But...

In Cheonik Mountain, Ahn Dain mentioned a prophecy.

It caught my attention a little, but it seems like Hwang Jiho was completely baffled by it.

‘There wasn’t anything like this in PMH.’

Ahn Dain said the prophecy might be fraudulent, but I don’t think so.

It’s not like Ahn Dain to take a con artist’s words to heart.

“A star at dawn... It reminds me of what Hyunmoo said to you.”

When we went to China for an overseas coverage trip with the newspaper department, we heard from Hyunmoo, one of the gods of wisdom.

— I like your name.

— Eui means ‘righteousness’ and Shin means ‘dawn’. I think the name is worthy of your power.

— I hope this child’s talents will help you and give you the strength to endure until the dawn.

Hwang Jiho was next to me when he said that, so he must’ve remembered.

“...Right, you weren’t in that world.”

Hwang Jiho looked at me quietly, beyond the words “Star of Dawn” displayed on the translucent hologram.

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