Translator: Dreamscribe
At 5:20 AM, Tae-jin woke up to the sound of rain tapping on the window.
“Ah, now it’s even raining… Perfect.”
Forcing his sleepy eyes open, he grabbed his towel and toiletry bag and stepped out into the hallway. Some students, who had likely stayed up all night, were stumbling unsteadily after splashing cold water on their faces.
“Oh! Seo-ha’s up too.”
Even Seo-ha, who usually woke up at a fixed time, had a tired expression.
When Seo-ha raised his fist to the wobbling zombies as if to cheer them on, they all lightly exchanged fist bumps with him as they passed. Tae-jin also bumped fists lightly with Seo-ha and walked toward the shower room.
[Shower: 3-Minute Limit!]
The warning sign was still up, but someone had crossed out the ‘5’ with a marker and written ‘3’ instead. Maybe because of that, the line in front of the shower felt shorter than yesterday.
“Hey, if you use my shampoo, I won’t let it slide, got it?”
“Why would I use yours?”
“Then why does it feel like the amount’s gone down?”
“Maybe it evaporated.”
It was a joke, but no one laughed. Laughing took too much energy.
The whole time he was showering, Tae-jin kept repeating to himself while looking at his reflection in the mirror.
‘Endure it. You have to endure.’
When he went down to the cafeteria, the menu had switched into exam mode.
Chicken porridge rich in protein and easy to digest, seaweed soup, bananas, boiled eggs, and salad were served. Tae-jin received the food on his tray and sat down in an empty seat.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Do you think I could?”
They exchanged a warm greeting and began eating.
Tae-jin looked around. Everyone was the same. With one hand, they were eating with a spoon, and with the other, they were holding a printout. Everyone was reading the same material.
「Duck Lord’s Solutions Compilation (Latest Version V.2.4)」
Seo-ha, who was eating chicken porridge next to him, looked at the printouts of the students and had a puzzled expression. Then he cautiously spoke.
"Is that printout really that helpful? I'm worried it might be a waste of time."
At that moment, the students reading the printouts all turned their eyes toward Seo-ha.
Clack.
A student from the next class slammed his spoon down.
“What did you just say? You’re saying you don’t trust the Duck Lord?”
“Yeah, yeah! Even if it’s you, Seo-ha, you can’t disrespect our Duck Lord-nim. That person has already transcended humanity.”
“If it weren’t for Duck Lord, things would be way tougher right now. The scope is too broad.”
Seo-ha’s eyes widened at the intense reaction from the students. Seeing him like that, Tae-jin calmly opened his mouth.
“There are even versions sorted by subject.
But after reading it, I understood. That thing is basically a collection of high-difficulty past exam problems. And only the ones that we’d struggle with are compiled there. So how could it not be helpful?”
“Exactly, there’s nothing better for final review than this. We can quickly figure out what you don’t know.”
“If I didn’t have this now, I couldn’t prep for the exam. Last year’s past papers don’t match this year’s scope.”
At the students’ explanations, Seo-ha nodded awkwardly. Then, after hurriedly finishing his meal, he picked up his tray and stood up.
As Seo-ha was leaving, someone called out.
“There’s a 2.5 update today, so make sure you get it too, Seo-ha!”
For some reason, the tray in Seo-ha’s hands felt heavier.
‘Update?’
He had just answered questions, but somehow it had been printed out and versions were being managed.
Back in the dorm, he turned on his laptop.
When he logged into the intranet, the situation had already spiraled out of control.
[Duck Lord’s Solutions Compilation - Chemistry Version V.2.1]
-Uploading this because there were many requests to divide it by subject. It’s also organized by chapter. If you find any typos, please report them to the email below. Some comments asked if I even study, but editing this basically works as review.
Also, do not update without permission. If you do, don’t use the official version and make sure to put your name on it. It’s hard to organize if multiple versions pop up.
└What would we have done without the editor?
└Auto review is real. I memorized everything just by reading.
└Even chemistry is now blessed by the Duck Lord ㅠㅠ
└Is V.2.5 a simultaneous update for math and physics?
└No Korean or English?
└Hey now, how dare you! Duck Lord only appears where there are numbers and symbols!
The textbooks for the science track at the Gifted High School were mostly college-level texts.
Therefore, there were no commercially available workbooks. That was why the students had no choice but to cling desperately to organized materials like past exam questions and compilations.
The ‘Duck Lord’s Solutions Compilation’ was, to them, as precious as rain during a drought.
Seo-ha resolved that from now on, whenever he wrote an answer, he would do so with a bit more responsibility.
***
Drip.
Drip.
Nosebleed drops fell onto the book.
Su-jeong wasn’t surprised to see this. She just picked up a tissue and plugged her nose with an annoyed look.
Her still-damp hair, which she hadn't dried properly after washing, was lazily tied with a rubber band.
On the desk, printouts, notebooks, a calculator, pens, and the remains of empty coffee cans and energy drinks were piled up like the ruins of a collapsed fortress.
“This crap will be over soon enough.”
Not being able to graduate early because of IMO prep was her biggest regret.
She went to the bathroom, pulled out some tissue, and washed her hands. When she looked in the mirror, there was a stranger staring back at her.
Dark circles drooped heavily under her eyes, and her lips were dry and cracked.
“Who’s this hobo?”
She used to be told she was pretty all the time, but the person in the mirror didn’t even look like her anymore.
Su-jeong let out a dry chuckle, pulled out the rubber band, wet her hands, and smoothed down the strands of hair sticking out. Maintaining the top academic rank in this place was by no means easy, even for her.
She rolled up some tissue again, plugged her nose, and washed her hands.
Exhaustion, self-contempt, pride, and sheer willpower.
Those were the emotions keeping Su-jeong going in this situation.
‘Is that kid doing okay?’
Suddenly, Seo-ha came to mind.
A boy who had entered the Gifted School at a young age, walking the same path she had taken.
He must be lonely and struggling too. This school wasn't easy enough to allow even the top student a happy school life.
Su-jeong recalled her own first days here.
No friends she could trust, no adults to rely on. Just time she had to endure, always alone. She's immune to it now, but back then, she’d felt like she was going to die.
“He's probably just like I was.”
Once the thought reached that point, she couldn’t sit still.
Su-jeong changed the tissue in her nose to a fresh one. In front of the mirror, she pressed down her hair with her palms and straightened her clothes.
Even just this much made her look presentable.
“Yeah, I’ll just go and ask him to grab a bite.”
Su-jeong opened the door and walked out into the study hall corridor.
When she went down the stairs, the rain had already stopped. The smell of rain and wet earth mixed together, creating a pleasant afternoon atmosphere.
As she walked, she heard laughter coming from the direction of the athletic field. A group of boys were walking together, laughing and joking about something.
“Huh?”
Su-jeong rubbed her eyes.
Seo-ha was there, surrounded by students.
Boys who looked like they were in his class playfully nudged him. Seo-ha laughed cheerfully and shrugged his shoulders.
‘What is this?’
It wasn’t the scene she had imagined.
She had been sure he must be just as worn out and isolated as she had been.
Su-jeong’s heart sank with a thud.
Seo-ha turned his head and spotted her. He immediately smiled brightly and waved.
“Su-jeong noona!”
Unlike Seo-ha, who looked happy to see her, the boys around him flinched.
“Hey hey, it’s the Demon King sunbae.”
“Why Demon King?”
“She’s been ranked first in the whole school forever. The upperclassmen tried to form a Hero Party to take her down, but they kept failing.”
Hearing the whispers, Su-jeong let out a small sigh. But inside, she was boiling with anger.
‘I’m not your noona, you punks! I’m the same age as you!’
She wasn’t a queen, not even a witch.
A joke made by boys in the same grade had somehow spread like this.
“Hyungs, go on ahead.”
Noticing the change in Su-jeong’s expression, Seo-ha sent his group ahead.
“Noona, what’s wrong? Are you feeling sick?”
Before she realized it, Seo-ha had come closer and was checking her face.
“No, I was just passing by.”
She suddenly felt small and shabby. Su-jeong thought she had to get out of here quickly.
“Wait a second! Do you… want to grab a snack?”
“Huh?”
That was exactly what she had planned to say...
When Su-jeong stood dazed, Seo-ha came closer and took her hand. Su-jeong, pretending to give in, let herself be led by Seo-ha to the cafeteria.
Clack.
Seo-ha brought over a warm cocoa and some cookies.
“Here. These are Seo-eun’s favorites. She says they make her feel happy when she eats them.”
But Su-jeong had something she wanted to ask first.
“You... you... you, how do you even have friends?”
She was so shocked that the words wouldn’t come out right. Her face looked like she had just suffered a deep betrayal.
“Huh? Doesn’t noona have lots of friends too?”
He casually said something that cut deep. Su-jeong’s clenched fists trembled slightly.
“This can’t be... I thought we were comrades walking the same path.”
She picked up a cookie and bit into it roughly.
Slurp.
After drinking some cocoa, her body felt a little warmer.
"There's no such thing. No need for it either. I thought you were the same."
Even if you make friends, all they do is get jealous behind your back. Su-jeong had realized this long ago.
At her cold words, Seo-ha quickly looked dejected.
“I thought noona was a precious friend to me, though.”
Seeing him lower his head like a puppy caught in the rain, Su-jeong felt a pang of guilt.
‘Did I lose my mind because of exams? Why did I drag the kid into this.’
“N-no, what I meant was that I can endure on my own even without friends. I didn’t mean I don’t need you.”
Seo-ha’s face lit up instantly.
“Really? So I’m your friend too, right, noona?”
“Yeah.”
‘The world really is unfair.’
If she was the Demon King, then the boy in front of her was something like the Great Demon King or a Demon God. How could someone like that get along so well with others?
Su-jeong, who had grown used to being the target of jealousy and criticism, felt at ease for the first time in a while in front of Seo-ha. This boy must be someone far removed from such emotions.
“Seo-ha, where are you going for college? Are you going to the U.S.?”
“No, I think I’ll go to KAIST.”
“Hmm. I see.”
The corners of Su-jeong’s lips curved up slightly.
She finished the remaining cocoa.
After eating the cookies too, she felt like she had the strength to study again.
“But why did you think I’d have lots of friends?”
It probably wasn’t said with any malice. He must’ve genuinely believed that. Still, it was the first time in her life she’d been misunderstood that way.
“Well, because you’re the kindest and most courageous person I know.”
Su-jeong always looked out for Seo-ha.
And she was someone who boldly carved out new paths.
“...You’re the only one who thinks that.”
Su-jeong’s voice cracked as she answered.
Even a Demon King, in front of a Demon God, was nothing more than a cute creature.
***
Anonymous bulletin board,
[Exam Week Notice]
-Period 1 starts at 09:00 sharp. Enter at least 20 minutes early.
-Shower and change clothes. Do not cause discomfort to others during the exam.
-Calculators, phones, and all electronic devices are strictly prohibited.
[Duck Lord’s Solutions Compilation V.3.0 Final Release]
-This is the editor. The final version is now released.
-Includes math, physics, and chemistry combined + special commentary by Duck Lord.
-Duck Lord is not a student. Anyway, just know that. If you want to keep receiving the materials safely for the next exam, do not commit blasphemy.
~~~
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to you all! 🎄🌟