It’s an Academic Fact That Rankers Are Model Students – Chapter 30

Chapter 30: How Well Do You Have to Study to Get into Seoul National University? (2)

“Alright, everyone, have a great summer vacation, and I’ll see you next semester.”

The homeroom teacher’s declaration of vacation!

“Woohoo! It’s vacation!”

“I’m looking for people to go on a trip to World this summer!”

“Count me in!”

“Me too, me too!”

The above was a conversation between the “insiders,” and the conversation between the “outsiders” was as follows:

“Ugh, the insiders are trying to take over even World, the only sanctuary for us outsiders……”

“Trip my ass, I’m going on a 10-hour herb-hunting grind in World starting today.”

“What village are you in right now? Let’s meet up and hunt together if you’re nearby.”

Most of the students were busy thinking about playing games during vacation.

Of course, the game of choice was The World.

The World was so popular that people even went on trips within the game.

Of course, not all students were only interested in games.

There were also those who were interested in studying.

“Human Calculator Kim Chul-soo? 2nd place and 3rd place were taken, so now it’s 4th place for Kim Chul-soo?”

“Ugh! Park Young-hee, you……! You only got 3rd place after getting 2nd place taken away too!”

“I’m fine because I was originally in 3rd place. But you dropped twice as much from 2nd to 4th, right?”

“Argh! I should’ve at least gotten 3rd place! Lee Kyung-joon! Why did you suddenly pop out and interfere with my solid future plans?!”

Human Calculator Kim Chul-soo, who had never once fallen out of the top 3 in his entire life!

But this time, Kyung-joon suddenly rose to 2nd place, pushing him down to 4th.

He should’ve at least gotten 3rd place, but he lost that to Polyglot Park Young-hee as well.

This greatly shook his solid future plan of going to Seoul National University’s Department of Game Studies.

“Ugh! I’m going to study my ass off without a single day of rest this vacation! Hidden Power Lee Kyung-joon! Polyglot Park Young-hee! I’ll crush both of you…!”

“Hidden Power Lee Kyung-joon? What kind of bizarre nickname is that?”

“Lee Kyung-joon, the one who hides his power! How did a kid who used to only mess around in the back suddenly skyrocket to 2nd place in a few months? He must’ve been hiding his power…!”

“Why bother?”

“There’s no need for a reason for someone to hide their power! I’m going to unleash the power I’ve sealed away and reclaim my rank next semester! Argh! Seoul National University’s Department of Game Studies! I won’t miss it……!”

“What a load of crap.”

Although Polyglot Park Young-hee said that, she was interested in Kyung-joon, similar to Kim Chul-soo.

“But it’s definitely intriguing. I need to meet Lee Kyung-joon and have some free talking time.”

Kyung-joon and Park Young-hee, who had never had a conversation other than official ones despite being in the same class.

She wanted to ask him a few things while having a conversation.

Things like how he studied, which academies he went to, and so on.

“Huh? He’s gone? He’s not here?”

Park Young-hee tried to talk to Kyung-joon, but he had already disappeared from the classroom.

“Ugh, did he already go to study? Hidden Power Lee Kyung-joon! I can’t lose either……! I need to ask my mom to get me one-on-one tutoring from the best teacher in Gangnam!”

In Human Calculator Kim Chul-soo’s mind, Kyung-joon had already become a rival a long time ago.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

While Park Young-hee and Kim Chul-soo were in full bloom talking about Kyung-joon, he was headed to the teachers’ office.

‘Why did the math teacher suddenly call me?’

He had a vague idea.

It was probably because he suddenly got 2nd place in the entire school.

Good thoughts and ominous thoughts overlapped at the same time.

The 2nd-year math teacher was also famous for being a student counselor.

Maybe he was calling him to praise him for his sudden improvement in grades.

On the other hand, it could be the complete opposite, and he might be suspected of cheating.

‘Usually, in cartoons and novels, when a kid who wasn’t good suddenly gets good grades, they get accused of cheating…… No way?’

Thinking like that, his thoughts kept flowing in a negative direction.

What if the math teacher was actually bribed by Park Young-hee’s or Kim Chul-soo’s mother?

What if they were trying to falsely accuse him of cheating to raise their own child’s rank?

It was like something out of a crazy drama, but somehow, it didn’t seem impossible.

“Teacher, Lee Kyung-joon is here.”

“Oh, there you are, Kyung-joon. Have a seat.”

Inside the teachers’ office, in the counseling room.

Math teacher and Kyung-joon were sitting facing each other.

The reason why the math teacher called Kyung-joon was clear.

He didn’t want to beat around the bush, so he asked Kyung-joon directly.

“I saw your grades went up. You’re aiming for college, right?”

“Yes?”

Kyung-joon was a little flustered.

It wasn’t praise for his improved grades, nor was it suspicion of cheating.

As a student counselor, he went straight to the point about academics.

“Which university are you aiming for? No, what exactly is your goal? SKY? SKY+, or maybe Sungkyunkwan, Hanyang, Ewha, and Kyunghee? Are Chung-Ang, Konkuk, Inha, and Hongik too low to be your goals?”

The math teacher rattled off all sorts of university abbreviations, leading the conversation.

Kyung-joon, who only knew about SKY but not much about other universities, tilted his head at the abbreviations he was hearing for the first time and then said something completely different.

“Well… Actually, I don’t have a specific university in mind.”

“What?”

It was true.

Kyung-joon didn’t start studying with a specific university in mind.

Kyung-joon began to tell his story to the math teacher one by one.

“No, I do have a clear goal. It’s just not specific.”

Kyung-joon’s goal was simple.

To live a better life.

To succeed.

Whether it was money or fame, he wanted to rise to the top.

The primal human desire for ascension.

That was his goal.

Besides this, if there was one direct trigger…

“It’s not like we’re so poor that we’re starving to death and begging for help, but…… we’re not very well off. But I have a lot of younger siblings. I started studying because I felt like I had to do something.”

About 10 minutes passed.

Kyung-joon finished his story.

After listening to it, the math teacher thought for a moment and then spoke.

It wasn’t pity or consolation for Kyung-joon’s situation.

It was a remark that could be considered very rude……

“That’s a good story.”

“Yes……?”

The math teacher’s words were incomprehensible.

For a moment, Kyung-joon wondered if he was insulting his situation, but the math teacher realized this and immediately apologized.

“Oh, I didn’t mean ‘story’ as in you made it up. Sorry if I offended you. I just meant that your story is the best story for college admissions.”

“College admissions……?”

“Yes, college admissions. Especially for admissions officers, it’s the kind of story they’d eat up.”

Gulp, gulp.

The math teacher took a moment to drink some water and wet his throat.

Thud.

Then, with a grin, he grabbed Kyung-joon’s shoulders and made a seemingly grand proposal.

“Kyung-joon, how about we give Seoul National University a shot?”

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

The day before the closing ceremony.

All the final exam papers had been graded, and all that remained was to enter the grades in the report cards.

That day, after seeing the grades of the key students, the math teacher went to the principal with a report.

“Principal, here’s the report you requested.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Kim Soo-hak.”

The principal began to look over the report that the math teacher had handed him right there and then.

Yoo Seol-ha, Park Young-hee, Kim Chul-soo, and so on……

It was a report that meticulously documented the evaluations of all the key students.

“……There’s a student I’ve never heard of before. Is this the student that delayed the report?”

“Yes, I was a little late because I was taking a closer look at student Lee Kyung-joon.”

“By ‘taking a closer look,’ you mean……?”

“It took some time to figure out if he’s the real deal or just an average student.”

“According to this report, it seems like he’s the former, not the latter.”

“Yes, this student is the real deal.”

The principal paused on one page of the report.

Student Lee Kyung-joon’s grade graph.

『1st Year 1st Semester Midterms: 473rd Place』

『1st Year 1st Semester Finals: 441st Place』

『1st Year 2nd Semester Midterms: 457th Place』

『1st Year 2nd Semester Finals: 415th Place』

『2nd Year 1st Semester Midterms: 173rd Place』

『2nd Year 1st Semester Finals: 2nd Place』

The graph, which had been lingering at the bottom, was now soaring sky-high in just the last few months.

A student like this had never appeared before.

There were only a handful of students whose grades had risen from the bottom to the top.

However, Kyung-joon was the first in Cheongshin High School’s history to break through the top 10% wall and reach the ceiling.

“So, according to this report, Teacher Kim Soo-hak, you’re suggesting that we give Student Kyung-joon the principal’s recommendation for Seoul National University along with Yoo Seol-ha?”

“As you can see, that’s correct.”

The math teacher was convinced after this final exam.

Lee Kyung-joon, this kid was the real deal.

A kid who originally didn’t even know the basics of studying picked up a pencil and surpassed the 2nd and 3rd place students in less than half a year.

He surpassed those who had been trained for over 10 years through academies and private tutoring in just half a year.

However, the principal was hesitant.

He also felt Kyung-joon’s greatness, but……

“There was a tacit understanding that either Park Young-hee or Kim Chul-soo would receive it. But suddenly giving it to Lee Kyung-joon instead?”

It was true that Kyung-joon beat Kim Chul-soo and Park Young-hee for 2nd place in this final exam.

However, those two had consistently held the 2nd and 3rd place ranks since their 1st year.

It would be too much special treatment for Kyung-joon to tell them to step aside just because they lost their ranks once.

Moreover……

“Don’t you think it’s too early? We still have the 2nd semester of 2nd year and the 1st semester of 3rd year left, Teacher Kim Soo-hak.”

“Of course, I’m not saying we should finalize it right now. Naturally, we have to keep observing his progress and make different choices if necessary.”

“So you’re saying……?”

The principal caught on that the math teacher still had something to say.

“Honestly, wouldn’t students Kim Chul-soo and Park Young-hee be able to get into Seoul National University through regular admissions even without the principal’s recommendation? Including student Yoo Seol-ha.”

Seoul National University’s regular admissions.

It’s where all the top students from general, specialized, and international high schools across the country gather.

That’s why it’s even more competitive.

The principal’s recommendation for Seoul National University allows students to avoid competing with these high-flyers.

Of course, Park Young-hee and Kim Chul-soo had good grades and enough extracurricular activities since their 1st year, so they were capable enough to compete in regular admissions.

And Ultimate Daughter Yoo Seol-ha went without saying.

It was uncertain whether Kyung-joon could compete with these students.

“In Student Kyung-joon’s case, his grades were at rock bottom in his 1st year. He has almost no awards or extracurricular activities to speak of. With this, he’s bound to get eliminated right away in the first round of document screening. Because that’s how Seoul National University is.”

Why is Seoul National University Seoul National University?

It’s a place that students who didn’t do well in school can only dream of.

It’s a place that even students who went from being bad to good at studying have to think twice about.

That’s right.

Seoul National University was a school for the elite of the elite, where only those who were born good and are still good go.

“However, it’s a different story if it’s the principal’s recommendation.”

“Are you saying we should cover up his low grades in his 1st year with the principal’s recommendation?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”

The principal pondered for a moment and then continued.

“I understand the scenario you’re painting, Teacher Kim Soo-hak. We ask the students who were originally at the top to understand and give a little extra push to student Lee Kyung-joon, who’s a bit of a diamond in the rough……”

“Who knows? Maybe that way, we’ll have four Seoul National University acceptees from Cheongshin High School alone.”

Four Seoul National University acceptees from one school!

As South Korea became one of the world’s four major powers after the collapse of the North Korean regime, the reputation of Seoul National University also rose.

Now, Seoul National University has become one of the most prestigious universities in the world!

To be a school that produced four Seoul National University students at once would be an unparalleled honor.

The principal finished his contemplation and gave instructions to the math teacher.

“Then, let’s proceed with that in mind. I trust you, Teacher Kim Soo-hak, you’ve done well so far.”

“Yes, I will make sure to rewrite the history of Cheongshin High School’s college entrance exam success.”

The math teacher had no doubt that Kyung-joon would be the main character of the upcoming college entrance exam success story.

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