430

 [Chapter 124]

[C Between B and D (3)]

The day of the comprehensive evaluation dawned.

Students gathered in the auditorium stared at the stage with stiff faces.

The first year head instructor standing on stage quickly scanned them and opened his mouth.

"Everyone seems too tense? We're not going to eat you, so relax everyone."

The first year head instructor trying to ease the tension while laughing.

Some students laughed along with him.

But Eun-ha knew.

That the first year head instructor was laughing wickedly inside while smiling kindly on the outside.

They shouldn't let their guard down.

If they let their guard down, they'd end up getting swept along by the instructors' flow.

"The purpose of this comprehensive evaluation is focused on having you who just entered the academy recently improve your skills pleasantly and enjoyably. So I hope you gain a lot through the comprehensive evaluation."

Pleasantly and enjoyably.

It was something that could come out from the instructors' position.

For students who have to choose options relying on luck, it's just annoying and dumbfounding.

Though the words about gaining a lot might be true.

Eun-ha listened attentively while swallowing a sneer.

"You must all be hungry since you didn't eat breakfast. Players who always have danger by their side should eat when they can eat. So─!!"

It's a very natural flow.

Though students seemed absorbed in the first year head instructor's explanation.

Eun-ha could tell the lines coming after these words were the start of the comprehensive evaluation.

"─Let's start by filling our stomachs first. Don't we need energy to have strength? We've prepared delicious lunch, so you just need to choose one of the menus shown on the screen."

""""...""""

With those final words.

Students who felt betrayed twisted their faces in disbelief.

They started chattering among themselves as if the instructor no longer mattered.

Jajangmyeon and jjamppong.

Students had to move to the place where their choice appeared.

It was a situation where they had to determine their grades with one food item.

"What is this... How are we supposed to choose without any hints..."

"Jajangmyeon? Jjamppong? Are they joking?"

Though they would have looked up information on their own.

Students who were caught off guard and suddenly received an out of the blue question all fell into panic.

Eun-ha's friends were no exception.

Eun-hyuk's pupils shook, while Min-ji angrily spoke in a tone of disbelief.

"Guys! I think I know the answer!"

Just then Jin Pa-rang who thinks with his body not his head jumped up.

When friends' gazes turned to him, Jin Pa-rang excitedly gave a long speech.

"I saw a detective cartoon similar to this situation at my grandmother's house long ago. To tell the conclusion first, the answer is to stay without doing anything! The jjamppong and jajangmyeon groups move and the group that didn't choose anything automatically becomes the third op..."

"There are only two options."

Actually no one expected anything.

Friends turned their attention away from Pa-rang who dejectedly lowered his tail at Mok Min-ho's abrupt words.

Meanwhile, the time limit for choosing options was passing.

"─Okay. I've decided. I'll eat jajangmyeon. The side dish that goes with jajangmyeon is pickled radish, not jjamppong."

And finally.

As students gradually moved, Choi Eun-hyuk was the first among friends to choose an option.

Soon he moved his steps to the jajangmyeon option without showing any lingering attachment.

Eun-hyuk, have a hard time.

I won't see you for a while.

Eun-ha looked pitifully at Eun-hyuk moving away.

It's a predetermined hell.

The appearance of one walking into that hell looks truly admirable.

However, Eun-ha had no intention of going that path at all.

He just prayed Eun-hyuk would return stronger.

"I'll go with jajangmyeon too."

"I want to eat jajangmyeon now."

"There seem to be more people over there so I'll go with jajangmyeon too!"

Time flowed mercilessly.

Friends gradually chose options too. Min-ho who pondered deeply left, Bae Su-bin decided impulsively, and Jin Pa-rang gave up thinking and was swept along with the majority.

As expected, On Tae-yang chooses jajangmyeon this time too.

As Lee Cheon-seo and Yu Do-jun were walking away.

Eun-ha discovered On Tae-yang and Jo A-ra walking to the jajangmyeon group not far away.

He hoped he would achieve noticeable growth in this life too.

Then I guess I'll choose now too.

By now there were only a few friends left around Eun-ha.

Eun-ha decided to take friends who didn't need to go to Mara Island among the remaining friends.

Jung Ha-yang, Jin Seo-na, Kim Min-ji.

It seemed difficult to take Kaede who was among other students. Moreover, she would likely find his advice unpleasant.

Eun-ha decided to abandon Kaede, and poked Jung Ha-yang's side who was right next to him.

"Ha-yang. Have you thought about where to go?"

"Hmm... not yet. Honestly I don't know which one to choose."

"Then let's go together."

"With you?"

Jung Ha-yang widening her round eyes.

Eun-ha who whispered to her nodded his head.

As <The Seed> of the Zodiac <Index > receiving education, she didn't need to go to Mara Island.

"Hmm... What are you going to choose, Eun-ha?"

"Me? Jjamppong."

"Did you hear something from Seo-young unnie by any chance?"

"No, it's not that, but my intuition is telling me to choose jjamppong. You trust me right? Just trust and follow me."

"...Hmm..."

Ha-yang's eyebrows twitch.

She looks at him with a suspicious face, as if trying to find if there's any scheme.

But Eun-ha was confident without anything to hide.

"If you just follow me, you won't have any hardship at all. I'll make sure you don't get your hands wet."

"Tch, what's that. Okay."

Jung Ha-yang withdrawing her suspicious gaze.

She said she trusts Eun-ha and headed towards the jjamppong group.

Then Cha Eun-woo followed too.

It seemed she had been waiting for Jung Ha-yang's choice.

"Seo-na, you come with me too."

"Hmm... what are you going to eat?"

"I'm thinking of eating jjamppong."

"Is that so?"

Meanwhile, Eun-ha spoke to Seo-na who was observing surrounding students and analyzing as objectively as possible.

Her eyes glinted.

The fox who asked affectionately soon─.

"─Then I'll eat jajangmyeon."

"No, why? Didn't you hear what I said?"

Jin Seo-na chose the opposite path from Eun-ha.

Eun-ha was dumbfounded.

When he asked for the reason.

"Because it's obvious I'll 100% have a hard time if I follow you Eun-ha. So actually, I was waiting to see what you'd choose. So I'll go eat jajangmyeon! Bye! See you later!"

Jin Seo-na smiling brightly.

The fox waved her hand regardless of what Eun-ha said, and ran to the jajangmyeon group without looking back.

"Fine... that's your fate Seo-na. Don't regret it later."

Eun-ha clicked his tongue watching her hop like a rabbit into the crowd of students.

The fox fell for her own trick.

Eun-ha couldn't help but feel sorry thinking of the foolish fox.

Meanwhile─.

"─I like hot things so I'll go eat jjamppong."

"Hmm... I like oyster jjamppong so I'll go with jjamppong."

"Ah! Come to think of it, you can mix rice after eating jjamppong? I should eat jjamppong~"

Bong Gu-rae and Kang Si-hyeong finished choosing too.

Ariel was about to go to the jajangmyeon group but changed direction midway.

Kaede could be seen moving to the jjamppong group after long deliberation in the distance.

"Eat Min-ji. Have you decided what to eat?"

"...I can't eat jjajjamyeon?"

"Give up."

"I know. I was just saying."

Now only Kim Min-ji and Yoon I-byeol were left in place among friends.

Kim Min-ji was still narrowing her eyes watching the trends of each group.

Then she blurted out.

"Maybe what to eat for lunch isn't important. Logically, it doesn't make sense to determine the program with one menu."

"So?"

"Maybe they're trying to adjust program difficulty according to the number of people. Like making the difficulty harder for the group with more people."

"It could be as you say, but any group looks similar? We won't know which group has how many without directly counting..."

"No. I think we can know."

"How?"

"Generally, right-handed people are said to be more than left-handed people. And right-handed people tend to prefer the right side."

"So?"

"The right group has more people. So I'll go to the left."

It was a somewhat rational inference.

Eun-ha was quite impressed by Min-ji moving to the jjamppong group before he could even give advice.

"Where are you going, No Eun-ha?"

"I'm going with jjamppong."

"Hmm, same direction. You're not following me are you? How petty."

"I'm not."

The center of the auditorium was empty.

There was only about 1 minute left in the time limit.

Eun-ha decided to move his feet now too.

But Yoon I-byeol still seemed to be hesitating in confusion.

To be precise, she had been sending glances at him while pretending to look at the screen for a while.

With a gaze as if asking him to speak to her too.

Eun-ha gave a bitter smile.

"Have you decided, I-byeol?"

"I'm not sure what to choose... Have you decided, Eun-ha?"

"I'm going with jjamppong."

"Ah, I see."

Though she would have heard through conversations so far.

Yoon I-byeol pretends not to know.

Then she suddenly speaks as if aiming for a natural flow.

"Should I go with jjamppong too..."

Yoon I-byeol fidgeting with her fingers.

She looks at his reaction as if asking for a response.

Eun-ha suddenly felt mischievous.

"No. You do jajangmyeon."

"...Huh? Okay... I'll do jajangmyeon."

Yoon I-byeol wearing contacts makes a sad face as if she lost the world.

Soon Yoon I-byeol who lowered her head drooped her shoulders and was about to move to jajangmyeon.

Eun-ha giggled watching her.

"I'm joking. There's not much time left so let's move quickly. Let's go eat jjamppong."

"...Huh? Okay!"

Yoon I-byeol's face brightens.

Eun-ha matched his steps with her and entered the jjamppong group.

Soon after, the time limit passed.

The first year head instructor revealed his hidden intentions towards students who chose jajangmyeon.

"─Then students who chose jajangmyeon will move to the next location and proceed with selection questions. Oh, by the way, students who chose jajangmyeon can only finish the comprehensive evaluation after eating jajangmyeon on Mara Island, Jeju."

""""Whaaaaat─!!?""""

It was truly a crucible of panic.

In contrast, students who chose jjamppong laughed their heads off watching students who would roll through hell.

"I knew this would happen."

Eun-ha also burst into laughter he had been holding back.

And he was certain─.

─As expected, the future is in my hands.

Eun-ha believed without a doubt.

☆

Students who chose jajangmyeon left.

Eun-ha saw off Choi Eun-hyuk looking at the ground with a pitiful face, the fox who fell for her own trick, Yu Do-jun who drew a blank, with a very regretful heart.

"Ah, what to do. I feel like I'm going to cry."

Min-ji was even worse.

She's laughing while wiping away tears.

But those who chose jjamppong generally showed the same attitude as her.

The academy is a world of meritocracy, in other words, a place that prioritizes oneself.

In the end, it's fine as long as it's not me.

"See? You did well listening to me."

"That's right. You were right, Eun-ha."

"Just trust and follow oppa during this comprehensive evaluation, okay?"

"Tch. Yes, oppa."

Eun-ha and Ha-yang exchanged jokes out of joy.

Her eyes seemed to be full of trust.

Eun-ha's confidence surged.

"You guys just listen to me from now on too. I'll give you a smooth ride."

Now a kind of camaraderie was circulating among students who chose jjamppong.

Eun-ha beat his chest and made grand promises to friends who made the same choice.

He decided to just comfortably enjoy traveling with friends during this comprehensive evaluation period.

Just then, the first year head instructor shouted loudly towards students chatting in high spirits.

"Then students who chose jjamppong will continue with selection questions without moving locations."

The screen changed.

One side red, one side white.

Students were placed in another situation of choosing between two options.

"Eun-ha, what should we choose?"

Students are in confusion.

But friends including Cha Eun-woo trusted Eun-ha and waited for his answer.

"Yeah, let's see... Just a moment..."

Eun-ha leisurely fell into thought.

Anyway, the moment students chose jjamppong, it was as good as decided they would go to Gyodong.

The remaining questions were about how to subdivide students and make them go to Gyodong in what way, and what missions to have them perform.

Strangely, the instructor who explained they would go to Mara Island when choosing jajangmyeon didn't say anything to students who chose jjamppong.

The instructor must have forgotten.

People can forget sometimes, right?

Eun-ha didn't think much of it.

Now it won't be as hard as Mara Island no matter what they choose.

"Let's go with white since Ha-yang is here."

"What's that. Don't joke around..."

"No. I got a feeling from Ha-yang. You guys trust me, right?"

The color that comes to mind with jjamppong is red.

So the majority of students chose the group pointing to red.

Therefore, Eun-ha decided to choose white which had fewer people.

The time limit passed again.

"Students who chose red will now move locations. Students who chose white will continue here."

Students who chose the red group left.

It was strange that the first year head instructor didn't give any explanation.

Nevertheless, Eun-ha didn't panic.

We'll end up going to Gangneung no matter what we do anyway. No need to panic.

Eun-ha believed in his luck.

Not knowing how arrogant that was.

He continued choosing the group with fewer people in subsequent binary choice questions.

Each time, he kept remaining in place.

Finally, when about 100 people were left in the auditorium─.

"─Congratulations on making it this far. I'll step down here, and Instructor Lee Guk-jong will be in charge of the rest. I hope you all have an enjoyable comprehensive evaluation."

The first year

Instructor Lee Guk-jong who received the microphone from him stepped forward onto the stage.

Behind him stood assistant instructors managing the respective groups.

Eun-ha discovered Shin Seo-young there.

The joy was momentary.

Why is that noona acting like that?

Because Shin Seo-young was frowning.

As soon as she made eye contact with No Eun-ha.

Eun-ha tilted his head.

"...is Instructor Lee Guk-jong who will lead. Let's all make a fun! Enjoyable! Comprehensive evaluation! Don't you all want to eat jjamppong soon!?"

""""Yes─!!""""

Meanwhile.

Instructor Lee Guk-jong elicited a response.

Students answered loudly.

Instructor Lee Guk-jong, famous for preaching that experience is most important for gaining enlightenment, was popular with students for his cheerful personality aside from lecture content.

"Does anyone know where we're going? Where is famous for jjamppong─!?"

""""─Gyodong!!""""

There were quite perceptive students too.

Even among Eun-ha's friends, some caught on midway.

When they gathered their voices and shouted, the atmosphere heated up.

Instructor Lee Guk-jong grinned as if in a good mood too.

Even Eun-ha who usually doesn't like noise found the commotion enjoyable just for this moment.

"─Bzzt! Wrong!"

""""...""""

Until Lee Guk-jong said that.

The heated atmosphere cooled rapidly.

Students who abruptly stopped laughing soon wore bewildered expressions.

Instructor Lee Guk-jong continues explaining.

"Tsk tsk... Gyodong isn't the only place famous for jjamppong."

It feels like blood is running cold.

Eun-ha looked at Instructor Lee Guk-jong with an expression saying this can't be.

Throughout his previous life, his sense as a player was telling him.

─Something's wrong.

A sense of dismay.

But it was already too late to turn back.

Eun-ha could only listen to Instructor Lee Guk-jong cheerfully explaining, unable to do anything.

The future had changed.

"─We're going to Japan to eat Nagasaki jjamppong!!"

""""...""""

"Of course, we wanted to go to Nagasaki but unfortunately due to circumstances we decided to go to Yokohama instead of Nagasaki!"

This can't be.

It's a story without a shred of realism.

Students stood dumbly, unable to speak properly.

"─Then let's go go go to eat delicious jjamppong in Yokohama Chinatown!"

Somehow the story flowed.

They ended up going to Yokohama located near Tokyo instead of Nagasaki.

After hearing all the explanations, Eun-ha couldn't help but say this.

"...Is that person crazy?"

That instructor must have lost his mind.

Eun-ha turned around to look for friends thinking the same as him.

His friends─.

""""─You're the one who's really crazy?""""

As if facing a high-rank monster.

Were surrounding him before he knew it.

If you're arrogant, you're bound to self-destruct.

Eun-ha gained enlightenment.