Chapter 5

After the morning classes ended, it was lunchtime.

Everyone but me hurried off to the cafeteria. Thinking that going now would only make it more crowded, I stayed in the classroom to study. While I was doing this, Jungina approached me.

“Not eating?”

“Of course, I will.”

“Let’s go. We can eat together.”

It felt as if she had decided from the start that we would eat together. Without much thought, I followed Jungina out of the classroom and headed to the cafeteria.

Jungina waved to friends she met in the hallway, and I awkwardly turned my head away each time.

Jungina had a lot of friends, regardless of gender. It seemed like she had dozens of friends just in the hallway. Despite greeting so many friends, she didn’t look tired at all, unlike me.

“Every time I see this, I feel there are so many trees.”

As we crossed the playground to head to the cafeteria, Jungina said.

As she said, there were an incredible number of trees here. It seemed like the remaining spaces after the buildings were built were all filled with trees. Thanks to this, the air was fresh.

“This is a pine tree? There’s a willow too. What’s that... What kind of tree is that?”

“Royal cherry tree.”

“Oh, cherry tree. I’ve never seen it before it blooms.”

Jungina laughed, looking a bit embarrassed. The cherry tree that hadn’t bloomed yet was covered in buds.

“But what’s the difference between a cherry tree and a royal cherry tree?”

“Not much. The color of the petals is a bit different, I think.”

“...Do you want to be a botanist? You know a lot.”

I just smiled without answering.

Among the Loa, there are those related to plants. They have a very elegant personality, and using their power, they can make a newly sprouted seed grow into a giant tree instantly. Of course, the side effects are enormous.

Thanks to this Loa, I am well-versed in plants.

“When will the cherry blossoms bloom this year?”

Jungina looked up at the sky absentmindedly and suddenly said.

It was just a simple monologue, but her eyes, recalling something from the past, were unfocused. Her eyes were drooping, and her mouth was tightly closed.

She looked a bit depressed.

“Why not? Want to go see the flowers?”

“I don’t know if I can go this year. I might be busy.”

“Did you go every year before?”

As I continued the conversation, Rekba said, sounding annoyed.

Before he passed away, my father taught me many things. Among them were psychology and conversation skills. The reason was that a religious person should be good at speaking and able to read others’ minds.

Backtracking, regression, and other difficult terms, but I silently learned them.

With my limited experience in talking to girls, I could naturally continue the conversation with Jungina, all thanks to my father.

“Yeah. I usually go every year. I like cherry blossoms.”

“Really? Where do you usually go?”

“I go to the Han River, and there’s a small stream nearby, right? The walking path there is also nice.”

I nodded in agreement and occasionally asked questions to draw out answers.

The more I did this, the brighter Jungina’s expression became, and the sad look faded. It was fortunate.

I continued the conversation using the conversation skills I learned from my father.

“You must have gone last year too.”

“Last year? I went with my brother. He was still around then.”

However, Jungina’s face suddenly darkened.

She had a smile on her face, but it was a forced one, just for show.

“Ah... I’m sorry.”

I used my father’s conversation skills to cheer her up and change the gloomy atmosphere, but it had the opposite effect.

“It’s nothing to be sorry for! My brother isn’t dead, and I’ll find him soon.”

Seeing Jungina force a bright smile, I felt a complex emotion again. I wondered if her brother’s kidnapping was my fault.

“Yeah. He’ll be back soon.”

I could only offer such a bland consolation.

As we stood in line in front of the cafeteria, chatting about trivial things, someone at the front of the line waved and joined us.

It was Go Junhyuk.

Go Junhyuk’s friends were looking at him with a bewildered expression.

“This is a new combination. Are you two eating together?”

“What? Why are you suddenly acting friendly?”

“Why not?”

Go Junhyuk and Jungina had a playful conversation, with me in between. There was no awkwardness in their conversation; it seemed they had known each other before entering the school.

“Why don’t you just eat with your friends?”

Jungina asked bluntly, and Go Junhyuk smiled charmingly.

“What’s wrong with that? It’s better for me to join you two. It looks more natural that way.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

Jungina frowned. I immediately understood what Go Junhyuk meant, but Jungina looked completely clueless.

Indeed, it would look more natural for Go Junhyuk to join us rather than for Jungina and me to eat alone.

Teenagers often misunderstand trivial things.

“The food today is good.”

Go Junhyuk said while eating. The cafeteria food in Florence was really delicious. The quality of the food in a well-funded private school was exceptional. It made me realize that the food I had eaten before was more like feed than food.

After finishing the meal, Go Junhyuk stretched and said,

“Ah, but it’s so annoying to have a test just three days after starting school.”

“Why? Didn’t you prepare?”

Jungina replied with a snort.

“Of course not. I’m not good at studying.”

“You’re boasting.”

I couldn’t understand their conversation at all.

What test? I vaguely remembered there was a test schedule at the beginning of the semester.

My memory was hazy.

“Do Seonwoo, did you study? I saw you working hard this morning.”

Go Junhyuk asked casually.

“What test was it?”

“Eh? What? You didn’t know? There’s someone even worse than me!”

Go Junhyuk laughed heartily. It wasn’t a mocking laugh but more like a sigh of relief.

Jungina looked at me with a worried expression.

“The freshmen diagnostic test. Didn’t you know? The teacher mentioned it during the opening ceremony.”

“He was sleeping then.”

“Ah.”

Jungina sighed, looking sympathetic.

Freshmen diagnostic test. Why did I forget about it?

My mind went blank, and my vision darkened. It was a truly philosophical contrast. It was that shocking.

“Hey, it’s okay. Failing one test won’t ruin your life.”

Go Junhyuk said optimistically. I felt bad, but it didn’t comfort me.

* * *

Freshmen diagnostic test.

A written test traditionally taken shortly after enrollment, with no ‘direct’ impact on grades.

In other words, it could have an ‘indirect’ impact.

The results of the freshmen diagnostic test are posted on a large notice board in front of the main building the next day. Teachers use the results to gauge the level of freshmen and provide invisible support to top students, such as ‘pushing for in-school awards.’

Naturally, it’s advantageous to score high on the diagnostic test if you want to become a high-ranking cleric.

Therefore, I also intended to do my best on this diagnostic test.

I’m not sure how well I’ll do since I haven’t studied.

“Hey, which one are you going to choose? I’m going with 2.”

“I’m going to solve it.”

“Come on, just guess. If you guess in a straight line, you’ll get 1 out of 5 right.”

Go Junhyuk said with a playful laugh.

“Good luck on the test!”

Jungina encouraged me loudly. It was a formal encouragement, but it gave me some strength. After a brief exchange, we dispersed.

The venue for the diagnostic test was the auditorium. As the name suggests, it was a massive hall that could accommodate up to 1,000 people.

All seven classes, named after the seven great selectors, gathered there. With hundreds of people in one place, it was very noisy and chaotic. I wondered if it was even possible to take a test in such an environment.

I went to my assigned seat, marked with my name and number, among the rows of desks.

There were still five minutes before the test, and I used this time to check my writing tools and study a bit.

Then, someone walked over from a distance. It was a student with a very distinctive appearance.

I was naturally drawn to her.

Rekba muttered quietly, but my eyes remained fixed on her.

Her skin was so pale that the phrase ‘white as jade’ seemed inadequate; it was almost pure white. Her long hair, reaching down to her waist, was also entirely white like snow. In contrast, her eyes were deep and pitch black, creating a mysterious atmosphere.

She was so beautiful that anyone would marvel, and she completely dominated the attention of those around her.

Sung Hyeon.

One of the seven representatives of the freshmen, she holds the symbol of ‘purity.’ She is very popular due to her beautiful appearance.

However, I dislike her. I can’t like her even if I want to.

There are two reasons why I dislike her so much.

“Ah.”

First, she has a bad personality.

While walking, she tripped over a chair leg and bumped into my chair. She let out a short scream and then brushed off her knees and stood up.

Then, with a frowning face, she looked down at me and said,

“Ah, sorry.”

and continued on her way, as if she didn’t want to touch someone like me for even a second. Her contemptuous expression was very memorable.

She suffers from albinism, a rare disease. Perhaps due to her condition, she has an excessive obsession with cleanliness and a bad temper. She especially dislikes talking to men.

Second, her father is an inquisitor.

An inquisitor. A cardinal-level cleric, one of the high-ranking clerics respected by all. Sung Hyeon grew up comfortably under such an inquisitor father.

The important thing is that her father was the one who sent my parents to their deaths.

He led the crusade and executed my father by burning, and he imprisoned my mother in the Vatican’s underground prison. An enemy of the Boudicca, who can never be forgiven.

The daughter of that enemy is Sung Hyeon. Although her father committed the wrong, and Sung Hyeon herself is innocent, I still dislike her.

Rekba pulled me out of my anger and distractions. I managed to regain my composure and focus on my studies.

Occasionally, memories from my middle school days with Sung Hyeon and the bad experiences I had with her would surface and distract me.

I shook my head to forcibly dispel these thoughts.

– Now, we will distribute the test papers. Please put all your textbooks and Bibles on the desk into your bags. The test duration is 60 minutes, and there are 40 questions. All 40 questions are about understanding the Bible. Please note that any cheating will result in a score of zero.

Soon, the proctor’s instructions echoed through the speakers installed throughout the auditorium.

At the same time, the test papers were distributed, and the students, upon receiving them, immediately focused on the questions. Everyone knew that this test would significantly impact their future lives.

I also picked up my pen and started solving the questions as soon as I received the test paper. However, the difficulty of the first question was considerable. It was not just difficult but overwhelmingly so.

1. The following is a conversation among students about ‘this person.’ Choose the correct description of ‘this person.’ Note that one of the students in the conversation is lying.

Ga Young: I was born a Nazarene and became a judge.

Naru: I had a bad relationship with the Bresians but fell in love with a Bresian woman.

Da Jun: I built a ship from a pine