From a young age, Zhang Yunya had consistently received A grades. Even in college, her assignments were always A+, and this trend continued unbroken into her high school years. The only exception was when she achieved an S rank, a grade higher than A. Thus, she had expected nothing less this time. Yunya possessed both the ability and the confidence to justify her expectations.
However, the B+ grade was entirely unexpected. Before she could even protest, an announcement that the system was shutting down echoed, and Yunya found herself ejected from the virtual reality, her voice deflated as she rose from the device.
She thought she must have seen it wrong, but then a piece of paper resembling a receipt printed from the device.
"Awakening Grade: B+"
"Please proceed to the Awakening Registration Center to issue your Awakener's Certificate."
It wasn't a mistake. Her awakening grade was indeed "B+."
Confused about where things went wrong, Yunya remembered being told that the average time to complete the test was three hours, yet she finished in under one. Even for a non-combat specialized awakener, cutting it down to nearly two hours seemed enough for an A rank. The criteria for a B grade were beyond her understanding.
Staring blankly at the test paper for over twenty minutes, she was soon joined by Haicheng, who had also completed his test.
"Wow! I thought I was out first, but you're already done?"
"……"
"Why so serious?"
Haicheng's excitement waned as he sensed the odd atmosphere, cocking his head in confusion. It was only when he came close enough for Yunya to feel his breath on her neck did she jump in surprise.
"Ah..."
"What's got you so spaced out? Something wrong?"
After scrutinizing the paper in Yunya's hand, Haicheng's golden eyes widened in disbelief.
"Eh, B? Isn't this a machine error?"
It seemed Yunya wasn't the only one to find the grade peculiar. Casually folding the paper and tucking it away, Yunya turned to Haicheng.
"What did you get?"
"Grade?"
"Yeah."
"I got an A."
"...Right."
Even Haicheng, who finished 20 minutes later, had received an A. With a slight raise of her eyebrow, Yunya left the capsule room. Waiting outside was a man who nodded at both Yunya and Haicheng.
"You're out early as expected."
"I think there's been a mistake with my grade."
"Excuse me?"
"I finished the test in 59 minutes but got a 'B+.' It doesn't make sense, especially since I didn't quit midway. I'd like to speak to the judges for a detailed explanation."
Her tone was calm but carried an underlying dissatisfaction. Relying on her past experiences of contesting strange marks or errors with teachers, Yunya met the man's gaze directly. Upon showing him the test paper, his confusion was evident. He too had not anticipated such a grade.
"One moment, I'll make a call."
After a brief phone conversation, the man returned with an unexpected reply.
"There's no error in the grade, I'm told. The judges are unavailable right now due to upcoming tests."
"No error?"
"Yes."
He looked as skeptical as Yunya felt. Without seeing the reason for herself, she wouldn't be satisfied.
"Can I at least have a brief meeting with them?"
"That's not something I can decide."
"Even just a minute would do. Or should I make a separate inquiry at the center?"
Frustration made her thoughts clearer. Considering her next words carefully, she managed to elicit a sigh from the man.
"I'll see what I can do and get back to you. It might take some time, so feel free to wait in the lounge."
Though phrased as a suggestion, it was clear she was being directed to wait. With no intention of causing further trouble, Yunya complied and headed to the lounge, led by Haicheng due to her unfamiliarity with the layout. The silver-haired boy, more agitated by the unfair grading, expressed his anger openly.
"How is it not an error? Even a five-year-old wouldn't fall for such an excuse. Did you ever offend the association, Yunya?"
"Not that I can think of."
If the association had a grudge, it was one-sided as far as Yunya was concerned.
Could it be because she rejected a scout? But she had already signed with another agency, something they should understand. The offer had come from their side, so the judges likely had nothing to do with it. Swallowing her frustration, Yunya pondered further.
Was finishing the test too quickly a factor for deduction?
Even considering this possibility seemed absurd. Where in the world would speeding through a test result in lower marks? With her questions unresolved, her frustration remained as she entered the lounge. The children, sprawled across chairs and desks, killing time
, perked up at her arrival.
"Oh? You're here?"
"You're faster than I thought."
"Why does Zhang Yunya look like that?"
After the sequential remarks from Haicheng, Seo Woo, and Da Un, Yunya merely twitched her mouth and shook her head slightly. She had no energy left to respond.
"What's really going on?"
"What happened to her?"
Already drained from the mental exertion of taking the test, Zhang Yunya sprawled over the desk, prompting the other kids to naturally turn their questions towards Haicheng, who was always brimming with energy 365 days a year. He took the lead, explaining what happened in the capsule room with his distinctive, clear voice. The kids, who had been listening quietly, now looked at Yunya with a mix of scoffs and clucks, showing various reactions.
"Did you really get a B+?"
"Yeah."
"And that's why you're upset?"
"Just... It's ridiculous."
Yunya added softly. Ha Min, who had initially wanted to tease Yunya about wanting an A, closed his mouth upon sensing her unusually low spirits, as if sensing the atmosphere required him to tread carefully. He glanced at Yunya with rolling eyes, muttering curses towards the association.
Regardless, Yunya was still fixated on why she received such a low grade, absently picking at her nails. Her nails, which had grown a bit due to recent neglect, broke miserably under her frustrated fidgeting.
"What could be the problem..."
No matter how much she pondered, Yunya could only conclude that the association had deliberately slighted her. As she squinted her eyes in thought, the door to the lounge opened, and a figure entered.
"It's time for Baek Gunwoo and Ban Haru. Both of you, please follow me."
Whether it was due to her request or because he had argued with the judges, the man looked even more exasperated as he called out for Gunwoo and Haru. Yunya stared at him intently, her gaze demanding an explanation about her inquiry. The response she got was that a meeting had been arranged for after the current test session.
Yunya couldn't understand why there was a delay. Just seeing the person directly seemed like it would resolve the issue faster, but she also felt grateful for securing even this opportunity. She simply nodded without a word in response.
Tick, tick.
Her nail-picking intensified until Daun couldn't stand it any longer and grabbed Yunya's hand.
"Just sleep it off until they return. You're more irritable now because you're in bad shape."
"..."
"If you keep this up, it'll make us all anxious. Just try to get some rest."
Daun seemed to understand Yunya's condition better than she did herself. Considering his words, Yunya realized he might have a point, given her heightened senses from the test. Without waiting for her confirmation, Daun shrugged his shoulders.
"If lying down is uncomfortable, I could lend you my lap?"
"What? No, it's fine."
"Suit yourself. Jihye, you want to lie down?"
Daun tapped his knee lightly, offering it up. Jihye, who also declined, ended up letting Daun rest on her shoulder instead, patting him gently. Surprised at first, Daun soon giggled, playing around with Jihye. It was as if she was taming some wild beast.
Watching this fascinating scene, Yunya noticed Ha Min, who had been observing her since she returned, pull up a chair to sit closer.
"Jealous? Want me to do it for you?"
"Are you crazy?"
"Look at this discrimination. You were way nicer to Jung Daun, weren't you?"
"Just leave the tired kid alone, Ha Min."
For once, Yu Seowoo said something Yunya agreed with. Nodding vaguely in agreement, Yunya headed towards a sofa at the back of the lounge. Although small, if she curled up a bit, it seemed like she could manage to sleep.
She wasn't sleepy but closed her eyes anyway. With nothing but darkness in view and focusing solely on her breathing, her mind seemed to ease. After taking a deep breath, Yunya lay down properly, not caring that her ankles stuck out over the sofa's armrest.
Time passed unusually slowly, and Gunwoo and Haru's test ended after an hour and thirty minutes.
"50 minutes?"
"Yes."
Haru responded calmly to the surprised query. Yunya, who had barely managed to finish her test in under an hour by scraping together every bit of mana and using all her copy attempts, was astonished at Haru, who completed all tests in the 50-minute range. It seemed an impossible feat.
Even the man was surprised, declaring it a record time, so it was obvious Haru's grade was an A. Gunwoo, who took about 1 hour and 25 minutes, also received an A.
Out of the four who had taken the test, Yunya was the only one with a B+. The results for Seowoo, Ha Min, Jihye, and Daun were predictable, so Yunya frowned and looked towards the man at the door.
He nodded slightly, signaling her to follow. Leaving a message for the others, Yunya left the lounge.
"You have 10 minutes for the
meeting. They said extending beyond that would be difficult."
"That's enough."
Considering only the time needed to hear her case, even a minute would suffice. After expressing her gratitude for arranging the meeting, the man sighed deeply, messing up his neatly done hair.
"The officials can be quite rigid. They're not pleased about the complaint against the grading..."
"It's fine."
Yunya responded calmly to his hesitant tone. The man glanced at her a few times, sighing as if to say he was caught in the middle.
"I'm just a civil servant caught in the crossfire."
"What?"
"Never mind."
Yunya heard it all.
Following the man's lead, they arrived at the reception room. Upon entering, four individuals presumed to be the judges were sitting. Yunya bowed her head in greeting, closed the door, and sat down on the sofa to face the people across from her.
Despite the man's warning, the atmosphere wasn't hostile; most looked quite benign except for one who sent a displeased glance her way. Catching the hostile gaze, Yunya faced the man, likely in his forties.
Silence filled the room.
It was him.
The moment their eyes met, Yunya could guess he was the one responsible for her B+ grade.
Thank you for reading this far! You can access more chapters from HERE by joining my Patreon community. You'll gain exclusive early access to the COMPLETE NOVEL.
As a member of my Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For $5
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public.
- You also get access to all the novels I'm translating, you can find them here HERE.
- Your name will be featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
For $10
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- You get access to Digital art.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
For $20
- You get to recommend a Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
