Chapter 14: 428
[Chapter 124]
[C Between B and D]
"You've probably all heard a famous philosopher's quote at least once."
Turning back time to March.
The high academy instructors held a meeting about the comprehensive ability evaluation for the first semester in the conference room.
It was a meeting that all instructors in charge of first years this year had to attend mandatorily.
Exceptionally, <Empress> Shin Seo-young who wasn't in charge of any grade was also attending.
She was scheduled to be deployed as auxiliary personnel for this comprehensive evaluation.
"─Life is C (Choice) between B (Birth) and D (Death)."
The first year head instructor opened by looking at the audience.
Some instructors nodded, and Shin Seo-young listened attentively with her legs crossed.
"The comprehensive evaluation that this year's first year students have to take is exactly that. There may be people here who came up from middle academy and those who haven't been in charge of first year comprehensive evaluations. So I'd like to take this opportunity to explain the plan for this comprehensive evaluation."
Unlike middle academy where comprehensive evaluations can be flexibly modified.
High academy comprehensive evaluations had somewhat of a system for each grade.
It was to ensure there would be no problems as combat-capable personnel even if a situation arose where students were deployed as supplementary forces in an emergency.
Thus, in the case of first year comprehensive evaluations, they usually conducted a program to grow players' overall capabilities.
Students jokingly called this test the 'choice exam'.
What kind of test did Eun-ah's class take then?
Eun-ah complained to me saying it was hard back then...
Shin Seo-young quietly stared at the screen while recalling Eun-ah who is now called by the alias <Fairy> in the industry.
Choice exam.
Students receive a question with 2 choices on the day of the comprehensive evaluation without knowing anything.
And depending on the choices students make, they end up wandering the country in various ways and evaluation contents.
As a result, the time when comprehensive evaluations end varies, so in unlucky cases, students might have to go straight to class the next day after doing the comprehensive evaluation for 2 weeks.
It was truly hit or miss.
Moreover, it's not just one question.
Since there are many students, it's inevitable to divide them into groups to some extent.
Shin Seo-young had participated in first year comprehensive evaluations a few times as auxiliary personnel.
Each time, she was deployed to the highest difficulty choice.
It would probably be the same this time too.
But there was one thing bothering her.
Eun-ha is among this year's first years, I hope nothing happens...
No Eun-ha, the academy's hidden dragon.
However, to her he was no different from a troublemaker who brings all sorts of incidents.
Though she couldn't express it in words.
Her intuition was telling her.
Somehow it feels like she'll get entangled with Eun-ha in this comprehensive evaluation.
But I'll probably be in charge of the most difficult choice...
Given Eun-ha's personality with good intuition, he might not choose the difficult choice.
Nevertheless, she decided to deny her uneasy intuition to maintain mental stability.
Meanwhile, the first year head instructor finally decided to receive ideas to diversify the plan.
Whether to dip or pour tangsuyuk sauce.
How many squares of toilet paper to use.
How many hamburgers one can eat.
Various opinions came out.
Shin Seo-young quietly listened to opinions, then decided to select the core idea through anonymous voting along with other instructors.
"─Then we'll use the idea that received a total of 22 votes as the main point for this year's first year comprehensive evaluation."
Soon after, the voting results came out.
The instructors looked at the single idea that appeared on the screen.
Whether to eat jajangmyeon or jjamppong for lunch... Not bad.
Jajangmyeon vs Jjamppong.
Shin Seo-young nodded her head.
Originally, the simpler the core idea, the better.
Because then they could come up with various ideas to flesh it out.
"Everyone! When we say jajangmyeon, wouldn't it naturally be Mara Island, which can be called the southernmost part of our country?"
"Mara Island is good? We can set various travel methods to get there, and students could even experience naval battles, so it doesn't seem bad for cultivating students' situational response abilities."
Ideas poured out from all over.
Make students who choose jajangmyeon go to Mara Island.
Shin Seo-young gave a bitter smile.
It was obvious students would have a hard time.
On the other hand, instructors would happily watch students struggle too.
And since she was an instructor too─.
"─I think Mara Island would be good too. I just heard that <Sword Marquis> is living near Jeju Island, so if we're lucky, she might be able to pass on teachings to students."
"Oh, that's not bad?"
Since she'll be in charge of the difficult choice anyway.
She decided to go see the nature of Jeju Island and meet <Sword Marquis> Hwang Jin-hee while at it.
<Sword Marquis> Hwang Jin-hee.
She was called a living legend who personally experienced the <End of Century Destruction> along with <Iron Fortress> Moon Jun, <Divine Spear> Nam Gung Seong-un, <King of Darkness> Baek Seo-jin and others.
However, she chose a life of wandering the country after giving up her life as a player after stopping the world's destruction.
According to occasional news, she seemed to be living in Jeju Island recently.
"Hmm, if <Sword Marquis> is there... It seems good. It could be a valuable experience for students."
"Then what should we do about jjamppong?"
"What region is famous for jjamppong?"
"When we say jjamppong, isn't it naturally Gyodong? How about sending them to Gangneung?"
Various other opinions came out too.
But instructors didn't readily agree like before.
While one group is sent to Mara Island, the other group should be sent to a region with a similar distance.
But no suitable region came up.
Just then─.
"─May I say something?"
Lee Guk-jong who became a high academy instructor this year raised his hand.
☆
May, the time for comprehensive evaluations arrived.
The academy only briefly mentioned the comprehensive evaluation starting next week.
That it would be a test where they choose one of two choices and solve problems accordingly.
"I heard from seniors that this comprehensive evaluation will be harder than the ones we did in middle academy."
"I heard too. They say no matter which one you choose, it'll be hell-like hard..."
Min-ji and Seo-na exchange information.
Eun-ha who finished dinner was calmly listening to what the two people and friends were saying.
Looks like other kids are going around gathering information too.
Well, since they don't properly notify us, we have no choice but to look into it ourselves.
1st floor lounge of girls' dormitory building 1.
There were many students besides Eun-ha and friends in the lounge that allows male students to enter until roll call time.
The table spacing isn't wide.
So conversations from other people could be heard occasionally.
Everyone knows this but pretends not to know while exchanging information.
"Hmph, what does it matter if the comprehensive evaluation is difficult. People who have trained from usual should be able to get good scores."
"Still, there's a saying that knowing yourself and your enemy leads to victory in every battle. Knowing in advance rather than not knowing will help in taking the comprehensive evaluation."
Bae Su-bin made a hmph sound, and Min-ho gently admonished her.
Eun-ha still didn't join the conversation and drank coffee.
He falls into thought about his previous life.
I know all the comprehensive evaluations that will be held at high academy.
Of course I know what will happen in this comprehensive evaluation too.
I experienced it once before regression.
Therefore, Eun-ha could leisurely drink coffee unlike his friends.
Though he struggled endlessly in his previous life, now Eun-ha who knows the future was confident he wouldn't struggle so hard.
'What the hell is this because of you Eun-ha! Why do I have to go all the way to Mara Island just to eat one jajangmyeon!'
Looking back, it was a memory.
Eun-ha recalled the words Lee Yu-jeong blurted out in frustration to him before regression and raised the corners of his mouth.
Jajangmyeon and jjamppong.
In a situation of choosing between the two, Eun-ha chose jajangmyeon back then.
Lee Yu-jeong who had to clean up after him at the time had no choice but to choose jajangmyeon too.
Thus the two had to cross the sea to Jeju Island, and to Mara Island even further south, because of jajangmyeon.
It was really hell back then.
We didn't even know how to regulate our breathing properly yet.
We endured almost purely with willpower.
It took 2 weeks wandering around lost.
We ate one bowl of jajangmyeon and returned, then immediately went into class, I don't know how tired we were then.
Above all, Eun-ha doesn't know how envious he was of students who chose jjamppong and rested for days after returning from Gangneung.
'If I could turn back time... I'd somehow persuade that No Eun-ha kid to go eat jjamppong.'
How much more so for Lee Yu-jeong who had no choice but to follow him.
After that day, whenever she recalled her academy days, she extremely regretted choosing jajangmyeon.
Eun-ha didn't say it because he felt sorry, but he too vowed to never choose jajangmyeon again if he encountered the same situation.
So this time─.
─I can't choose jajangmyeon.
Eun-ha resolved here.
That in this life, he would choose jjamppong and comfortably go on a gourmet tour.
Though students who chose jajangmyeon back then noticeably improved their skills, Eun-ha intended to choose jjamppong without regrets.
What's the point of me eating jajangmyeon?
It might be different before regression, but now I won't gain any realizations or experiences to become stronger there.
Eun-ha was confident in his skills.
Though <Sword Marquis> is on Mara Island, he didn't feel the need to receive her teachings.
Moreover, even if he went to Mara Island, he couldn't be sure if she would teach him.
She refused in his previous life. The only person she passed on teachings to was On Tae-yang.
Barring any unexpected changes, On Tae-yang will probably receive <Sword Marquis>'s teachings in this life too.
"No Eun-ha. Are you just going to stay still? Don't you have any information you've heard?"
"That's right. Don't just make us talk, hurry up and tell us if you know anything."
Just then Min-ji spoke up.
Eun-ha who woke from his reverie looked at Seo-na who was glaring with red eyes while grumbling and shrugged his shoulders.
"Well?"
"Do you know or not?"
Min-ji gave criticism as if frustrated.
Eun-ha looked at his friends' faces and realized there were too many listening ears around.
It didn't seem necessary to mention anything here.
Eun-ha shook his head with a gesture of not knowing.
"Aren't you close with Seo-young unnie? Why don't you ask unnie once? Wouldn't unnie know something?"
"That noona is old-fashioned in this aspect so she probably won't tell."
"Still. What's wrong with asking once."
The fox pouted her lips.
Eun-ha calmly replied.
Some friends also said to ask Shin Seo-young once, but he ultimately stuck to his opinion.
There's no need to ask Seo-young noona when I already know.
Confidence filled with certainty.
As if reading his mind.
Min-ji and Seo-na's sharp gazes didn't leave him.
Nevertheless, Eun-ha was shameless.
"You, you know something don't you?"
"This guy is really suspicious. His swagger seems worse than usual today."
"What would I know?"
He could fully understand his friends' anxious feelings.
It was better to make thorough preparations for the comprehensive evaluation lasting 1-2 weeks at shortest and longest.
But he thought the moment he told them, friends would surely choose the easy path rather than the difficult one.
That can't happen.
Because growth varies greatly depending on what you choose in this comprehensive evaluation.
Eun-ha remembered clearly.
That On Tae-yang's skills improve by leaps and bounds with this comprehensive evaluation as a catalyst.
He and himself, people who chose jajangmyeon showed growth in a short period.
So it was better for students still judged lacking to choose the path guaranteeing growth even if arduous and difficult.
"Suspicious. Really suspicious. You're not trying to roll us again are you? I'll tell Eun-ah unnie if you are, so know that."
"When have you seen me lie?"
"That's right. You don't lie but you always don't tell us important things so we end up rolling and rolling, you know."
"Don't be too suspicious and trust me."
A fox with good intuition too.
The fox was very suspicious.
Eun-ha nonchalantly responded to Seo-na speaking with strength in her eyes.
Even if she told Eun-ah, he could just play dumb.
"But I do know this one thing. That this comprehensive evaluation will be a big help to you guys."
Friends might resent him.
Friends who end up choosing jajangmyeon will surely be noticeably stronger than before when we meet again.
Though he can't get stronger even if he walks that path since he experienced it in his previous life.
Above all─.
"I'm looking forward to this comprehensive evaluation. I wish next week would come quickly?"
─As long as it's not me.
Eun-ha spoke while hiding his true feelings.
☆
"Yes, Instructor Lee Guk-jong. Go ahead and speak. This is a place where you can speak freely."
Turning back time to March again.
The first year head instructor gave Instructor Lee Guk-jong a chance to speak.
Then Lee Guk-jong who stood up from his seat shouted confidently.
"While Mara Island is far away, Gangneung is closer in comparison. So in my view, there will likely be a big difference in skills between students who chose Mara Island and Gangneung when the comprehensive evaluation ends."
"I think that's correct too. Moreover, students who choose Gangneung will be able to take a relatively long rest after finishing the comprehensive evaluation. If this happens, students who chose Mara Island might feel relative deprivation."
"Luck is of course an important factor too. But it doesn't seem like we're testing players' luck in the comprehensive evaluation."
"Well, the difficulty is too different even if different. We need to raise it as much as we can raise it."
The opinion Instructor Lee Guk-jong presented.
Some instructors added to his opinion.
Shin Seo-young agreed with the thought of raising the difficulty too.
"Therefore, I propose two methods for this. One is to introduce variety in the method of going to Gangneung to raise the difficulty."
Lee Guk-jong opened his mouth again.
The instructors' gazes turned to him.
The opinion he presented was among the general ones.
So there was no particular change in expression on the instructors' faces.
Until they heard the second method.
"─And the second is to select a different region, not Gyodong."
"Where is that?"
Ending with one instructor's question.
Instructor Lee Guk-jong raised the corners of his mouth as if he had been waiting.
"Everyone! When we say jjamppong, where else is there besides Gangneung Gyodong!? Let's broaden our perspective once!!"
""""...""""
Instructor Lee Guk-jong was mixed-race born to a Japanese mother while being Korean.
Thus, he also had some grasp of information about Japan─.
"─When we say jjamppong, isn't it Nagasaki jjamppong, everyone!?"
""""...""""
Crazy. Andromeda. Shocked.
Though the instructors' emotions
The instructors' emotions were varied, but they all had the same expression of being speechless.
While they were trying to find something to say about this ridiculous idea, the alien continued to speak loudly.
"Some of the students who chose Jjamppong are sent to Japan instead of Korea! I don't know what it was like in the past, but isn't Kaguya also friendly to our country, and isn't the Sirius Group regularly exchanging with Japan?" """"… … .""""
"It's not impossible, is it?"
It is not impossible.
At the Korea-China-Japan summit two years ago, Kaguya expressed her desire to interact with Player Academy if the opportunity arose, and the Sirius Group has been seeking to advance into Japan for the past few years.
Sending the entire student body is risky, but sending only a small number of students would not be a big burden.
"crazy…."
"No matter what, it's still like that…."
"This is too much work that requires permission!" "...But it's not that bad. In some ways, it might not be that different from Marado."
"Japan might take a little longer, but I don't think the difference will be that big… Hmm, it doesn't seem so bad."
The instructors' opinions were mixed.
At first, people said I was crazy, but when they thought about it more closely, it actually sounded appealing.
… Even if the fairy's permission is not granted, I don't think it would be a bad thing.
By borrowing Sirius's power, we can ensure the safety of the students so that they can have a smooth stay in Japan.
Shin Seo-young also felt embarrassed at one point.
Some people think that way, so she too, as if possessed by something, began to think that way.
I don't know if it will get approved or not, but the plan itself is really attractive.
And then, as some positive opinions began to flow in, the alien species spoke as if it had been waiting for it.
"Shall we have some delicious Jjamppong?"
The fluttering of a butterfly's wings, which may seem insignificant, is nonetheless something that cannot be ignored.
Instructor Lee Gook-jong, who survived the Hongseong County incident the year before last, won the approval of the instructors attending the meeting that day.
In the end, one person's idea caused a storm.
And so─.
"─If this is the case, then the most difficult choice is not Marado…. Why did I stupidly agree to it…."
Shin Seo-young is said to have been caught in a storm.
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