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Time passed at a speed that left me unsure if I was just taking it easy or if I was actually busy and anxious.

Days dragged on slowly. Classes were boring, and self-study was equally dull. Studying with the other kids was honestly a bit tedious too. I preferred hanging out instead.

But after repeating those tedious days a few times, a week or a month would fly by in no time.

With the college entrance exam approaching, I felt a bit of tension build up. I had some self-confidence based on my reasoning, but that didn’t change the fact that as the exam drew closer, I couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Moreover,

“……”

“……”

I even had a meeting with my homeroom teacher.

This homeroom teacher was different from the one I had in first or second year. Although I was in the same class as Ha-yoon in third year, it seemed they didn’t just follow the same homeroom teachers along.

I guess it’s true that each grade has teachers suited for it.

Whether it would help me now was uncertain.

It was my first time meeting them as my homeroom teacher, but I wouldn’t say I didn’t know them at all. Honestly, among the teachers at this school, there aren’t many proper ones.

Well, sure. Not every teacher has to be a saint. If the students are acting up, the teachers will definitely feel stressed. Some might genuinely want to be teachers, but I’m sure some just came for the stable job security.

There were some teachers who were proper teachers at this school—but, unfortunately, those who had the influence to affect me were a bit lacking.

The teacher sitting in front of me once ignored a kid who was poking me with a ballpoint pen during the exam. That brat probably had an upper-class background or something.

Even if I didn’t punch first, those types always tried to pick on me.

During times like those, instead of hitting back, I would just dodge and let them trip over and get hurt.

They say the perpetrator doesn’t remember, but I’m sure they’d at least recall the times they “wronged” me.

So, that’s why it feels awkward now.

The “poor orphan with no family” is now surrounded by friends who are all doing exceptionally well. Plus, one of them is the owner of a company that might just be the best in this area, while one is still figuring things out.

I wonder if they regret it?

“……Um, so,”

As I stared at them intently, the teacher spoke first.

“Do you have a university or major you want to go to?”

“I do.”

I mentioned the university my seniors were attending and shared the major I wanted. I didn’t know how much I could learn in that department, but hey, I’d at least give it a shot.

If I ended up switching majors later on or taking a double major, I could always think about that when the time came.

I might not be sure about the major, but I definitely wanted to hang out with my seniors. I mean, since three of the magical girls ended up going to the same school, I ought to try to see if the rest of the juniors could get in too, right?

“Is that so?”

The teacher only said that much.

They’d probably help me with my application. Trying to pry more into it now would be just stepping on landmines.

So ultimately, the consultation ended pretty simply.

In the end, all I could do here was just try my best.

…And that was exactly my intention. I’d somehow make it in, and I’d never look back at this school again.

After all, my memories aren’t with this place but with Ha-yoon.

And with Ji-hye, who accompanied me through school, and Pang-pang, a former work colleague.

…

Huh.

Thinking about it, that’s really true.

I was able to survive thanks to the people around me rather than this school. Everything I’m enjoying now is because of them.

As I left the teacher’s office, I couldn’t help but smile slightly.

Yeah.

With those friends, I somehow feel like I can manage to get through anything.

This, too, was my own form of “justified” confidence.

*

So, exam day came.

“Today’s the last day.”

I said to Ha-yoon.

“Right.”

Ha-yoon smiled.

For some reason, this entrance exam felt like the final phase of all that pent-up frustration for me.

Perhaps it could be seen as a farewell to my gloomy childhood that I had pushed myself into. Well, it’s a story that’s a bit embarrassing to tell others, so I couldn’t just freely say it out loud.

“…Shall we meet up for lunch?”

Ha-yoon asked.

Our lunchboxes were prepared early in the morning by the orphanage staff.

That’s how it’s always been whenever someone from our orphanage was taking the entrance exam. Even if we had to go somewhere far away.

If the teachers at our school were a collection of problematic people brought together poorly, the staff at our orphanage were extraordinary people who were genuinely good.

“Sure, let’s do that. Oh, but no discussing answers, okay?”

I replied, looking around at not just Ha-yoon but also the other kids, who all chuckled softly.

“Hang in there, juniors. We’ll be cheering for you outside.”

Seo-hee raised her fist as she spoke. Yeon-woo and Chae-yeon echoed the same sentiment. Seeing Chae-yeon pump her fist for encouragement was oddly nostalgic. Well, her expression was the weakest of the three, though.

Hmm, Chae-yeon might feel a bit unfair now. With the two other magical girls known for their big smiles right beside her, she’d inevitably look a bit outshined.

“You’ll get your rice cake after the exam.”

I chuckled at Seo-hee’s words.

Well, they did come to cheer for me in the morning. They were definitely better than I was.

Whew.

I took a deep breath and nodded.

“Let’s go.”

Toward the genuine finale.

*

Honestly, I really liked Jeong-rae, so Ji-hye ended up taking the exam at the same school as us. When I think about it, Ji-hye and I live at the same address, so it makes sense that this would happen.

The other kids were also close enough to each other that they could attend the same school.

Considering the entrance exam, there was no way anyone used connections to manage anything.

However, we all ended up in different classrooms in the exam hall.

For the first time in a long while, I was totally alone.

There were both pros and cons to that. The bad probably being that it felt lonely.

Hmm, when I think about it again, maybe it’s the other kids who made me this way. Despite being used to being alone until then, I now felt a bit disoriented if there wasn’t a familiar face beside me.

I wasn’t alone at home, at school, or even on my way to school.

At least there was always one person who was close by—

But at the same time, the upside was also the loneliness.

It felt significant to overcome the final trial of my teenage years in the same manner that I had dealt with things so far.

Well, at least I would be able to concentrate well throughout the exam.

As I was reviewing my last-minute notes, the supervisor walked in ahead of me.

Yeah, this was it— the final stretch.

Let’s do our best. I’ve worked hard for this.

I took a deep breath, received the exam papers from the teacher, and—

*

By the time I was leaving after the exam, the sky had completely turned to night.

“Ugh.”

Ji-hye stretched and groaned.

“It hurts all over from sitting in that stiff chair for so long.”

“Yeah, sitting for over an hour for an exam is a bit much.”

I nodded in agreement.

I suppose there’s some reason for the time limits with entrance exams, but honestly, sitting still for over an hour was painful. The school chairs weren’t exactly the best either.

“…But, it’s over now.”

“Um, is that so?”

As I looked up at the sky and said that, Jua, who was walking beside me, chimed in.

“What if we can’t get into the same university?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“What I mean is, there was a bit of a tricky problem on the math exam—”

“Whoa, whoa.”

I raised my finger lightly in front of Jua as I interjected.

“Let’s not talk about exams at least today. For today, I just want to be free.”

As I said that, Jua chuckled as she raised her drink.

…She was clearly doing it on purpose.

“Pfft.”

Maybe my words were amusing to Ji-hye, who let out a laugh. Ha-yoon beside her was doing the same. Both were shaking their shoulders, struggling not to burst out laughing.

“For goodness’ sake, I was hoping to talk about that over lunch!”

“What? I just said it for fun. I really wouldn’t want to have that kind of conversation the day after the exam, you know? So today—”

“Hey, juniors!”

“—Yeah, I want to take some time to properly relax too.”

From a distance, Seo-hee, Yeon-woo, and Chae-yeon were waving at us.

Now those three were starting to seem a bit more grown-up. They were already in their second semester of university, after all.

I took a deep breath, held it in, then exhaled.

Although it wasn’t quite time for it to really get cold yet, the winter breeze was chilly. No, it felt rather refreshing.

“…Let’s go.”

After saying that, I moved my feet,

slowly stepping out of the school gates.

Towards the outside where my seniors were waiting.

 

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