# Chapter 30
Swallowing the inexplicably uneasy feeling, I returned to my seat with mixed emotions but soon shook it off. Winning was a good thing, not something harmful. Of course, it would have been better if luck had struck somewhere that brought in money rather than at a place like this.
While thinking such pointless thoughts, I found myself looking at the neatly arranged table. There was after-meal tea placed tidily on the table, but I didn’t feel like reaching for it. Maybe it was because I’d already drunk two cups of cinnamon ssanghwa tea, but I just didn’t feel like drinking anymore.
As I was quietly fidgeting with my hands, someone approached me from the side and hesitantly waved.
“Taeho, hi. I didn’t know you were here.”
“Oh, Kyungsu. I didn’t know you’d be here either, but it’s nice to see you.”
“Ah, yeah.”
Ko Kyungsu, who looked even younger in casual clothes than in his uniform, lowered his head shyly at my words and then glanced repeatedly at those sitting with me. He seemed to be trying not to show it, but I was grateful he’d purposely come to say hello, so I slowly got up from my seat.
After giving a nod to the guys looking up at me, signaling that I’d be getting up for a moment, I grabbed Kyungsu’s arm and moved away.
“Wh-where are we going?”
“I’m just standing up. I’ve finished eating, so I thought I’d get some fresh air and help with digestion.”
Hearing my explanation, Kyungsu nodded and said as if suddenly remembering something.
“I saw you won the accommodation earlier. Congratulations.”
“Ah… yes. Did you try too?”
“Yeah. But I lost.”
Kyungsu made a sad face as if disappointed, then quickly took the lead after staring at me with envious eyes for a moment.
Wondering what he was doing, I saw him opening a door that, unlike during the day when it had been wide open, was now firmly closed. Showing his manners by continuing to hold the door for me to follow, I thanked him, and as he grinned, he brought up a topic I’d been curious about all along.
“It’s fine because my goal was the exemption ticket anyway. I don’t know if I’ll succeed, but I’ve been trying every month with whatever tickets I get.”
“…About that exemption ticket. Is it certain they give it if you finish eating within the time limit?”
“Yeah. Are you going to try too, Taeho?”
I nodded and thought about it. Should I ask directly what you can do with the exemption ticket? He might find it strange, but he probably won’t look at me with that pathetic expression like Yoon Taean would…
“What will you use the exemption ticket for if you get it?”
Figuring I could deduce the answer from his response, I decided to probe as if I was just curious.
“Well… I’ll have to use it when the results of next week’s monthly evaluation come out.”
So it is related to the class ranking system. Kyungsu looked at me as I fell silent in thought, then smiled as if embarrassed. Then, scratching his cheek, he added:
“If I get a failing grade in this monthly evaluation, I’ll have to lose one star. It’s a bit touch and go this time… I’m not confident I can get good grades, so even though I don’t know if I’ll succeed, I have to at least try this.”
I held back a sigh that was about to escape while inwardly rejoicing. I’d thought it was at most an exemption from homework or tardiness, but if it could prevent demotion, there was definitely reason to try for it.
“You can only participate once, right? Will it be very difficult?”
I was determined to succeed and get the exemption ticket, but I also had a lot of worry and anxiety, so I muttered almost to myself. I wasn’t particularly expecting an answer, but Kyungsu readily replied.
“Huh? No. You get two attempts. Events at the school cafeteria that offer homework or tardiness exemptions happen frequently, so they only give one chance. But since Ace opens once a month, they give more opportunities.”
“Ah, really?”
“Yeah. I guess the participation rate is high despite the difficulty because it’s quite desirable.”
My eyes must be sparkling right now, even if it’s not visible. I had felt that homework or tardiness exemptions were good enough, but given how many opportunities there were to challenge for them at school, they seemed to be lower-value prizes. Instead, the exemption tickets from Ace were superior enough to maintain your rank, proportionate to how rare the opportunities were.
Understanding how it worked, I smiled at the game system that seemed worth trying. Unless it was truly the worst-case scenario, being able to try twice made it well worth attempting. Ah, but what if I succeed from the start?
“If I succeed from the beginning and don’t need the second chance, does it just end there?”
At my question, Kyungsu laughed emptily as if he’d heard something absurd. Then, with a complicated tone, he said:
“No one has succeeded on the first try so far… so that probably won’t happen.”
“…But what happens if someone really does succeed?”
“Hmm, well… I don’t know about that either.”
Kyungsu tilted his head with a puzzled expression. I nodded in understanding and was about to turn around, thinking we should head back inside.
“Oh, what’s this? Why are you two together?”
Hearing a flippant voice, I turned around and couldn’t help but frown. The sharply slanted eyes and protruding mouth looked full of spite. The grinning mouth shape that seemed to be sneering was enough to make anyone who saw it feel uncomfortable.
Son Gyucheon wasn’t alone but was with other people. They seemed to be the same group I had encountered at school before. I glanced at Kyungsu. His face had turned pale—he seemed scared.
I grabbed Kyungsu’s arm just as I had when we came out and led him along. Kyungsu followed obediently, and I sent him inside first before entering myself. Son Gyucheon, whom I expected to say something or grab me, just snickered behind me and remained still until the door closed.
What’s with that bastard showing up at all hours, both during the day and now? I should absolutely avoid running into him.
When I returned to my seat, Kwak Junhee asked if I’d gone outside.
“Yes. Just got some fresh air.”
When Kwak Junhee stared at me intently while saying “I see,” my face grew hot and I turned my head away. Moon Seoheon was quietly gazing elsewhere.
At that moment, I recalled the conversations of other students who had been dissatisfied in the afternoon. It doesn’t seem like he came to use the fourth floor. Since he lost, it’s water under the bridge anyway, and that guy must have been aiming for the exemption ticket originally too.
I don’t know if Moon Seoheon is good at studying, but seeing that he’s in the lower ranks of Middle Class, he must be below average or so. As a sports scholarship student, it might be okay if his grades aren’t good, but he would also need an exemption ticket to maintain his class.
While understanding why he was participating, I couldn’t help but laugh hollowly. Since he can’t taste flavors, his chances of success are probably high.
“It should be starting around now. Shall we go?”
After quite some time had passed, Moon Seoheon nodded at Kwak Junhee’s words and started to get up, but then looked at me. I also silently stood up and followed them. Seeing them heading toward a staircase that led underground, as if there was a separate venue, I hesitated for a moment before walking faster.
“Hyung, are you really going to do it?”
Yoon Taean, who was following behind me, asked again with a sullen expression. It seemed like he was genuinely concerned, but I was getting tired of it, so I just nodded vaguely.
“If you feel like you’re going to throw up or your stomach feels weird, spit it out.”
“Okay. You worry a lot.”
Ignoring Yoon Taean, who frowned at my words, I went over to where Kwak Junhee and Moon Seoheon were, and saw food displayed on one of the tables. Seeing that, my mouth involuntarily opened slightly.
On the table, perhaps as samples for tasting, five plates of food were placed behind a sign marked ‘Sample’ in English.
As I’d heard, it was chicken, but the colors were quite varied. In order, they were orange, green, blue, brown, and yellow. It didn’t seem like they just added food coloring. I could guess from the visible form of the seasonings and the accompanying ingredients.
The green chicken was mixed with finely chopped cucumbers, so it was cucumber chicken. And the brown was chocolate, the orange was ssamjang sauce? I wasn’t sure what the blue one was, but maybe because of the color, just looking at it made me lose my appetite. The yellow one looks normal. I guess it’s regular fried chicken. They seemed to have prepared something proper too.
As if to change my assessment, a staff member nearby approached immediately and introduced the types of chicken.
“In order, we have ssamjang chicken, cucumber chicken, spicy chicken, chocolate chicken, and banana chicken. If you’d like to participate in the challenge, please write your grade, class, and name on the list and begin.”
Not a single normal one among them. So this is what they call special food.
Seeing that they had just started, I looked at the students sitting at each table eating chicken.
“…Ugh.”
“Ha, bitter… whew!”
The students who had been making indescribable exclamations soon began gulping down water with agonized expressions, then either gave up or got up while waving their hands in refusal.
I approached as I saw Moon Seoheon writing his name on the list.
“Should I write your name too?”
“Yes.”
I nodded gratefully to Moon Seoheon, who wrote my name below his, and waited quietly. After checking the list, the staff member soon guided us to our seats. As Moon Seoheon and I sat down, the staff placed two timers on the table and said to wait a moment before turning around, presumably to bring the food.
I tried to decide what order to eat the chicken in as I recalled the types. The blue one is the spicy chicken, right? Judging by people’s reactions, it seems extremely spicy, so I’ll eat that last… While I was contemplating how best to eat them, Yoon Taean seemed to have the same thought as he pulled me toward him and whispered in my ear.
“Hyung, eat that blue spicy chicken last. It’s going to be extremely spicy.”
“I will.”
Yoon Taean was still making a face like he couldn’t understand, but he soon backed off and stood beside Kwak Junhee, watching us.
“Good luck. If you succeed, you’ll get the exemption ticket.”
No sooner had Kwak Junhee’s encouraging words ended than the staff member arrived pulling a trolley. On it were large plates with chicken for Moon Seoheon and me. The staff lifted the plates and placed them in front of us. The five varieties of chicken, each in separate containers to prevent mixing, were boneless for easy eating.
The quantity wasn’t much, but with so many varieties, I wasn’t sure if we could eat them all within 5 minutes.
“Please press the timer when you finish. Shall we begin?”
At the staff’s question, I looked at Moon Seoheon. Seeing him blink as if to say it was okay, I picked up my fork as if preparing myself mentally. After taking a deep breath, as soon as I said I was ready to start, the staff pressed the timer and backed away saying, “Begin!”
