Rank 0 of the Awakener Special School - Chapter 62

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Rank 0 in the Awakener Special School
Episode 62
It felt like I had been dreaming.
A dream from when I was very young, back when my parents were still alive—playing with Seol Ji-hyo in the garden, building a toad house together.
……
I opened my eyes slowly.
Beside the slightly open window, crisp white curtains billowed inward, then contracted.
And beneath them.
Jet-black hair caught the sunlight, swaying gently.
“…You’re awake.”
It was Moon Yu-jin.
I pushed myself up gradually.
“You shouldn’t be getting up yet.”
“…It’s fine.”
I pressed my forehead and glanced at the table beside my bed. There sat the ointment Rim-sa had given me, arranged in neat rows.
Taking the ointment, I asked, “The exam?”
“It ended.”
“…When?”
“Two days ago.”
……
My lips parted slightly, then closed again.
Two days had passed, which meant……
‘Grandfather must have already left.’
My grip tightened on the ointment.
My fingers were covered with raw scratches from who knew when. The fact that wounds that should have healed quickly were still visible was proof that my body hadn’t fully recovered yet.
“The exam scores have been tallied too.”
……
“First place in all categories. Congratulations. It’s the highest score ever recorded at Gaon since its founding, they say.”
No response came back.
Yu-jin studied me intently.
‘…He doesn’t look happy.’
After he’d worked so hard, too.
Even when he’d gotten a perfect score on a written test, he’d been delighted by a single piece of candy.
So why now—
“Moon Yu-jin.”
I opened my mouth suddenly, still toying with the ointment in my hand.
There was actually a lot I wanted to ask him.
How I’d ended up being transferred to the Medical Wing. Whether they’d run any tests on me. If anything unusual had been found.
……Whether something that shouldn’t have been discovered had been.
But pushing all of that aside, what tumbled out of my mouth first was something entirely different.
“Why did you do that?”
“Do what?”
“In the final Contaminated Environment Endurance exam. You were right next to me, weren’t you?”
Just before I’d lost consciousness, I’d heard an announcement through the speaker.
Moon Yu-jin’s name had come through clearly.
“Why did you forfeit?”
I clenched my left hand, which was resting on the bed, and wrinkles appeared across the pristine white sheets.
Was I angry?
Or was my pride wounded?
I didn’t know. I just wanted to understand why.
If that reason was pity……
“I just felt like it.”
“…What?”
His voice was so matter-of-fact that I looked up reflexively.
A face as serene as always, unchanged.
I furrowed my brow.
“Are you messing with me right now?”
“No.”
“Then why are you saying something that doesn’t even sound like a joke? You’re ranked first in school, aren’t you? If I got the highest score in the previous events, you should have scored something there too—”
“Maybe.”
……
What in the world was he talking about?
“You don’t know what you were like then.”
“What?”
Even when I asked back, Yu-jin didn’t give me a real answer.
He tilted his head slightly and looked out the window.
—Your foot……
……That day, Seol Ji-hyo had cried.
Gripping his ankle.
Though she seemed unaware that she was holding his ankle, and even now appeared to have no memory of it.
‘Why did you forfeit,’ she had asked.
…Honestly, I don’t fully understand it myself. Even thinking about it now, it’s rather surprising.
The only thing I’m certain of is that the moment I saw those tears, my thoughts stopped.
By the time I realized what was happening, the forfeit declaration had already left my mouth.
After all the exams ended that day.
Mother had left the viewing gallery and found me to express her anger.
—Why in the world did you do that? You’re not trying to make us a laughing stock, are you…!
Mother raged, saying he wasn’t usually like this, asking if adolescence had finally hit him.
It was Uncle Orion who stopped her.
—Let it go. You’re scaring the boy.
—Brother, you’re too soft on Yu-jin! Am I the crazy one? He was always so obedient, and now he’s doing something he’s never done before!
While Mother and Uncle argued, Father simply stared at me in bewilderment.
And I found that scene……
—You…… why are you laughing?
…amusing.
It was the first time. Mother, always so graceful and refined, raising her voice like that.
Father, usually so wooden and textbook-like, unable to say a word in his confusion.
Uncle, fumbling in front of them both.
It all looked like a child’s carefully stacked sand castle crumbling down.
What was the big deal about this?
I’d simply lost the first place I always had, that was all.
“You were right about one thing.”
Yu-jin, still gazing out the window, spoke.
“Being first place… turned out to be less fun than I thought.”
……
I closed my mouth.
If Moon Yu-jin had deliberately forfeited because of me, I’d meant to be angry with him.
To tell him it wasn’t necessary, that his interference was uncalled for.
But looking at that relieved expression on his face, somehow all my indignation drained away.
I drew my knees up to my chest and rested my forehead lightly against them.
And spoke quietly.
“…Either way, don’t do it again after this.”
“After this? Are you talking about the second-year exams?”
“Anytime. Don’t ever do it again.”
“What about you?”
“What?”
I looked up slightly, as if to say what he meant—
“Will you promise not to do the same thing?”
Yu-jin’s gaze had settled on me.
His eyes, approaching without warning, left me momentarily speechless.
“You know you pushed yourself too hard, don’t you?”
……
“While you were hospitalized, the captain came by. The vice-captain too. They’ll be back soon. You should prepare yourself for some scolding.”
The captain and vice-captain……?
Yu-jin stood and rummaged through the school jacket hanging on the chair before adding, “They postponed the detailed examination.”
“…What?”
“Rim-sa said it seemed like you don’t like hospital treatment. She asked your parents separately.”
Rim-sa’s parents were researchers at Gaon’s research facility. That meant they had some connection to the Medical Wing staff.
‘But…… why would Rim-sa……?’
When had she noticed that I was avoiding hospital treatment?
And more than that—
—You won’t understand anyway.
I’d said something like that.
I reflexively dropped my gaze to the ointment I was holding.
—But we can still be friends even if you don’t understand.
Why was that?
A sharp ache bloomed in my left chest.
“The Medical Wing has handled the external injuries for now. If you need any further tests, you can request them yourself.”
……
“And this.”
Yu-jin pulled something from his school jacket pocket.
Only then did I tear my gaze from the ointment to look at it.
“…What is it?”
“A note left by someone from your family.”
My jaw tightened.
Hesitantly, I took the note and unfolded it.
I will see you during vacation.
……Ah.
My hand trembled faintly.
This seemed to be from the secretary to my family, not from grandfather himself.
And the secretary usually stays at the main family house, by grandfather’s side.
Which meant that phrase about seeing me during vacation……
‘Does that mean I can meet Seol Ji-hyo?’
My heart began to race.
Without letting it show, I carefully refolded the note and looked at Yu-jin.
“Why do you have this?”
“Th—”
Th?
“……The director asked me to pass it on to you.”
I should get going. Yu-jin stood and brushed himself off.
“You won’t be able to be discharged right away. A medical staff member will come by later, so ask them for the details.”
With that, Yu-jin walked briskly toward the door.
“…Moon Yu-jin.”
Still staring at the folded note, I lifted my chin slightly.
After a brief hesitation, I added very quietly:
“Thank you.”
At that, his feet—which had been walking toward the door—suddenly stopped.
He stood rigid for a moment, then slowly turned his head—
‘Oh.’
The curtain billowed wide.
The crisp white chiffon fabric gently obscured my vision, then faded away.
I blinked slowly.
“I’ll come again.”
Moon Yu-jin.
Was smiling.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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