Chapter 4: Rank Ascender (4)

After all, what could I do?

"Sir, I would like to be placed in a different class."

"Hmm? What, like, class C?"

"Yes."

"You know it's not time for grade advancement yet? We do the placement tests at the end of the semester."

The dean scratched his ears and flipped through his book without so much as sparing me a glance.

"I'm going to take this year's college entrance exam and get into to a good university. I can't waste a single day. I know that I'll do better in class C."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then you'll have to pay an extra administrative fee and a personnel fee. Hmm, pay about a hundred thousand won as exam fee."

I was utterly speechless for a moment.

I wasn't even a new applicant.

Why did I need to pay for a placement test?

He was probably wealthy without this money.

To think he would make a poor student pay!

"There's no such rule."

"Well, there's no rule that I need to let you take a placement exam either."

I let out a sigh at the dean's stern expression. I looked at the plaque with his name inscribed on it.

I wondered if this was what it meant to be on a power trip.

Well, whatever. The Mobius Superstring had promised a reward of one million won.

I decided to gamble money worth a month's food.

"I'll do it."

The dean seemed to be taken aback by my confidence.

It seemed that all he wanted to do was chase away an annoying class D fly.

But I was being serious.

"Are you sure? Don't come crying for a refund later."

"Sure."

"Come here and write up a contract," the dean, excited to earn some money, put his book down and took out a piece of paper.

I signed the contract, took out some money from my crumpled-up wallet, and handed it to the dean.

"What time should we do this?"

"When is the latest that I can take it today?"

"Hahaha! You're in a hurry, aren't you? All right, I'll tell one of the teachers to stay late. Come to room C41 at eleven."

"Thank you."

After thanking the dean, I left his office.

I met up with Dong-jun who was smoking in front of the school.

"Hey! What took you so long?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Haha,"

I looked back and glared at Boran Prep Academy.

For the first time in a while, I was filled with a feeling of inferiority that society had thrust upon me.

The bitter aftertaste would discourage anyone, even the most confident person.

Therefore, no matter what, I would make sure that I made it into class C tonight.

*

The PC cafe wasn't recognized as a community I was a part of.

No matter how long I stared at the dot above my head, it would only tell me my rank from the cram school.

On the other hand, regulars at the PC cafe, like the owner and Dong-jun, had a separate PC cafe rank.

"Oi, Dong-jun. I haven't seen your friend around here before. Are you trying to ruin his grades as well?"

"Hehe. Of course! I won't die alone."

"Ha! What a friend you are!? Okay then, have fun."

Dong-jun paid for two seats.

I played whatever game he was playing.

Interestingly, although I had 0 points, I did not gain any skills to excel in the game.

I was always bad at games, and it was hard for me to get used to it.

Compared to Dong-jun, my mouse moved too slowly.

I couldn't keep up with his swift movements. I didn't know he was so good.

"Haha, do you want me to go easy on you?"

"For real. Bro, you're too good."

"Oh, come on. Loosen up. I'll go easy on you. Don't get mad if I beat you."

"Haha. I won't get mad over this."

Dong-jun looked happy to be doing something that he knew he was good at.

It also seemed that he was happy that he was beating me and feeling a sense of victory or whatnot.

He was enjoying showing off.

"Hey, time's up."

Before we knew it, thirty minutes were up.

Although it hadn't been very enjoyable, having continually lost every game, it had been a small price to pay to appease Dong-jun.

My mind was so clear that it didn't really feel like I had taken a break.

The place I would've actually enjoyed being would've been the academy with the Mobius Superstring.

"Bro, I'm going to head out."

"Huh? Already? You're really only going to play thirty minutes?"

"Yeah, sorry. I have something important. I'll let you know if everything goes well."

"Really? Well, I can't stop you if you have something important. See you later."

"Sure, you too. I enjoyed the game."

*

Leaving Dong-jun behind, I grabbed my bag and returned to the academy study room.

It was a space full of people focused on studying.

Speaking of, there were only people I had never seen before.

They must've all been from class A or B.

"Ah!"

I stretched as I found a seat and sat down.

I opened the books I had brought from my locker and began to read through them.

The most important subjects were Korean, English, and Mathematics.

To advance a grade, I would need to get above a certain score in those three subjects.

Apart from that, I had to also perform well enough in other subjects and fulfill certain requirements.

I decided to focus my energy on the three subjects.

[Superiority Point acquired: 1 point]

I had been studying comfortably right before I acquired the point.

It had been almost as easy as breathing.

I didn't need to take a break, and I was at 100% efficiency.

I could understand things I previously had trouble with and recall things that I thought I had forgotten.

However, as soon as I gained a point, my focus and efficiency dropped sharply.

"Damn it!"

I looked around the room. There was nobody I knew.

I decided to spend the point on nothing.

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"Excuse me?"

"Yes?"

I didn't plan on wasting my points like this all the time but for the time being, I had make the best out of the situation.

I would make a difference starting here.

And to do that, I needed to get back to 0 points.

"Could you lend me your eraser?"

[Activate Power Trip: 1 Superiority Point spent]

"Sure."

It seemed that the minimum number of points I could use was one, no matter how small the order was.

That was a relief.

It would let me spend the points without drawing too much attention.

"Thank you."

I pretended to erase something and handed it back to the person.

I had 0 points again.

"Phew."

My mind became instantly clear.

It felt like I had taken a deep breath after holding it in for a long time and nearly suffocating.

It was funny. That having no points was the requirement to be 1000% efficient.

"Phew."

I focused on the books again, and before I knew it, another hour had passed.

Funnily enough, the female student from who I had borrowed the eraser was still sitting in the same spot. I used the same trick again.

When I looked at her properly this time, I saw she was quite attractive.

Her skin was so clear.

"May I use your eraser again?"

[Activate Power Trip: 1 Superiority Point spent]

"Sure."

I continued my studying spree for eight hours like this.

The reference books and sample papers piled up beside me, but I never once lost my focus.

The expression of the female student beside me turned increasingly sour as I continued to ask to borrow her eraser or pencil lead.

However, I didn't notice. I was too lost in the joy of studying.

"Hh!"

I stretched a little and stood up.

It was dinnertime already.

There was still some time until the re-placement test.

The results of my studying were much better than I had expected.

Since I had already studied these topics before, it felt more like filling out the gaps in my knowledge.

Although, the gaps were too large to be filled in completely.

"Pheew."

When I was leaving the study room, I remembered how bad I used to be at studying.

"Hey, you."

I turned around at a voice calling to me.

I couldn't help but be surprised.

It was the female student who had lent me her writing supplies every hour.

"Yes? Oh, hey. Did I forget to return something I borrowed?"

She was even prettier from the front.

"Are you leaving?"

"Ah, yes. I'm heading out for some dinner."

"Oh. Okay. You know, it was quite interesting what you did."

"Pardon me?"

What was she talking about? I assumed she would react similarly to Dong-jun.

I wonder what was interesting. Was borrowing her school supplies every hour that interesting?

"Are you playing dumb? What were you trying to do? Borrowing my stuff, every hour, on the dot! I've seen people leaving me notes or asking me for my phone number, but this is definitely new."

"Ah..."

I was in trouble. This girl thought that I was making a move on her.

I hadn't ever had a girlfriend, let alone made a move on a girl.

I was tall, being 183cm and all, but I had no redeeming features other than that.

But my biggest flaw was that I was shy in front of women.

I couldn't believe this was happening.

"You know, I thought I was just overthinking. But it was too obvious and all. Even the way you looked at me."

I had looked at her apologetically from time to time for using her to spend my points, but she must have taken it as looks of admiration.

"Well, the thing is...," I was so dumbfounded that I couldn't speak.

I was speaking face to face with a beautiful girl.

"You said you were going for dinner. Let's go."

"Um, okay...."

I followed her timidly.

I had made a move on this girl unintentionally.

"Normally, I hate lending out my stuff to other people. But since we had been studying for over eight hours, I made an exception for you. Do you understand?"

"Ah. Thank you very much."

*

I found myself at a snack bar with the girl.

I didn't know how I had ended up in this situation.

To think that she thought so much about having to lend me her things. She was as confident as she was beautiful. Some people really had it all.

"Oh! My name is Choi Yeo-jin. This is my first year retaking the exams!"

When I looked at her porcelain hand, I felt my face blush and my heart racing.

I couldn't let go of this opportunity. I took her hand and shook it.

Just as I thought, her hands were as soft as they looked.

When I held her hand, vacantly, for some time, Yeo-jin pulled her hand back.

Then she gave me a look that said, 'as I had expected!'

Although the order had gotten mixed up, I had definitely become interested in her.

Her confidence and beauty, not to mention how diligently she could study.

Was this love at first sight?!

"H-Hi, I'm Kim Jun-hoo. Also, first year."

"Oh, I guess we're the same age then."

We told each other our respective birthdays and confirmed that we were, indeed, the same age.

Yeo-jin was more excited to learn that than I was.

"Wow. How come I haven't seen you in my class? There's only one class A so I would have seen you... Oh! Are you in the night classes?"

"Oh... no. I'm not in class A."

"Really?"

Yeo-jin looked quite surprised.

Judging from my study habits and endurance, she must've assumed that I was in class A.

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