[2019, May 27th | Monday, 4:30 PM
[Lee Joon: Number of Attempts- 2]
[Ghost Story Points: 715]
[Causality Rate: 33%]
The competition room was buzzing with people, packed to the brim with students of all grades.
"Wow, damn.."
"'So many people?"
Although the first-year students made up the majority, there were also the Occasional second and third-year name tags scattered among them.
In the back, a few neatly dressed parents could also be seen sitting, chatting casually while they waited.
"Whose moms are those? There's a dad there too."
"Yeah."
Gyeongwon's face turned red.
Looking closely, it was Gyeongwon's dad, whom I had seen at the supermarket the day I first unlocked the Lip Reading ability at the beginning of the semester.
I pretended not to notice and turned my head away.
"Wow, there are more people than I thought..."
"We should probably grab some seats first."
"Ugh, this is so damn annoying.."
While pushing through the crowd, I wondered why it was so packed. After thinking it over carefully, I realized it was because no one knew there was
Such an event.
Or perhaps they thought it was too high-level and didn't participate. If it were held at the level of a campus-level preliminary, everyone would have been willing to participate.
'So many people applied, I can't believe she was shamelessly trying to railroad it so only her team could be sent.'
The third-year science teacher, the more I thought about it, the more annoyed I became.
"Come on. Let's go."
"Yeah...."
We were looking around the music room, bewildered and wondering if there was any seat for us to sit.
Suddenly, Teacher Han Ari called out to us from the teacher's desk, so we headed over.
"Are you first-years? Are you participating in the competition?"
"Yes... "
"Could one of you come here and download your team's PPT file in advance? Just one person is enough."
"Okay, I'll do it."
I asked the club members to reserve a seat for me and then went Over to Teacher Han Ari.
"Hello."
"Yeah."
Teacher Han Ari, the cute chick-like teacher with a student-like appearance.
However, standing here in such a formal setting, with makeup heavier than usual and fully dressed in formal attire, she actually looked a bit more grown-up this time.
'Well, she still gives off the vibe of a new graduate heading to a job interview.'
Wearing a black formal suit with a white blouse underneath, Teacher Han Ari was both neat and adorable.
"Here. Just save it to the desktop. Rename the file with your team name."
"Okay."
The teacher stepped aside to attend to other tasks, and I took the laptop and turned on the internet.
Then, I went to Naver, logged into my account, and downloaded the PPT file
sent by Gyeonwon from my inbox.
[Ghost Story Club - School Preliminary- Magnetic Hinge (Second version, a revision of the edited final draft) .pptx]
The PPT file name was laden with all sorts of modifiers, as if Gyeongwon had put a lot of effort into it.
I deleted all the strange modifiers in
parentheses at the end and saved it to the desktop.
Meanwhile, Teacher Han Ari seemed completely overwhelmed, bustling around to prepare for the competition.
"I'm done. I've saved it to the desktop."
"Yeah, thank you for your hard work. Could you wait a moment? I need to check."
"Yes. But by the way..."
I cautiously asked Teacher Han Ari, who was untangling the microphone cords.
"Are you also serving as a judge today, Teacher...?"
"Me? Yeah, that's right."
Even amid the busyness, the teacher nodded without showing any sign of annoyance.
She seemed nervous about being in charge of preparing for a competition for the first time, so she was moving rather briskly.
"Why?"
"No, nothing."
I gave an awkward smile, feeling relieved.
"I guess you would judge fairly. More than the third-year science teacher, at least."
"Teacher Choi Jungim? What about her?"
"That teacher has her own team in the
Competition, right? I'm worried she might give a biased judgement."
"Really? Ahahaha..."
The teacher just chuckled softly and brushed that aside.
But maybe it's because she was like a superior, so it was difficult for her to respond more specifically.
Soon, after finishing untangling the microphone cord, the teacher quickly walked over to me, took the laptop back, and asked.
"The Ghost Story Club - Magnetic Hinge' on the desktop, right?"
"Yes."
"Okay... The file opens fine. You're all set, you can go in now. You're up fifth."
"Okay~ Thank you~"
"Yeah. Fighting! I'll make sure it's fair."
"Yes!"
Despite the busyness, the cute teacher in a suit raised her fist encouragingly.
I bowed once more to her and then returned to where the other members were seated.
"Excuse me, coming through. Just a moment, please..."
"Prez, over here."
Even though the music room was about 2.2 times larger than a regular classroom, it was still quite spacious.
The room was incredibly crowded with teams preparing for the competition, making it difficult to move through the aisles freely.
"Huu, it's tough getting in and out."
"Yeah, really."
As soon as I sat down, Teacher Han Ari
started making an announcement over the microphone.
[The competition is scheduled to begin at 5 o'clock, so if you need to use the restroom, please do so now. And if you have team members who haven't arrived yet, please contact them right away and have them come as Soon as possible. We'll close the doors at 5 o'clock.]
During class, she often trembled and stuttered, but unexpectedly, she seemed quite adept at handling these official tasks.
I had only ever seen her clumsy side, but I realized once again that she was, after all, a university graduate and an adult.
"Teacher Ari, her natural personality doesn't seem all that timid, does it? It's just that she doesn't seem to be that good at teaching."
"Yeah, I guess so."
Gyeongwon just agreed absentmindedly, as if he wasn't really interested.
While waiting for the competition to start, I looked around at the surrounding students, wondering how so many people had signed up.
Sure enough, in the front row, I could see Chaerin and Yeseul engrossed in an animated conversation.
True to her sharp and decisive personality, Chaerin was explaining something with great passion, while Yeseul was carefully checking something on a piece of paper. It
seemed like they were probably practicing their presentation remarks.
And over there in the far corner, as expected, was the second and third-year seniors from the Chemistry Club.
"....There they are."
"Hmm."
The seniors didn't seem particularly in a hurry.
They just sat silently, occasionally checking their watches.
'Usually, those types are the real talents.'
People like Chaerin are all talk and no substance, often just empty noise.
Those who sit quietly and wait like that are the ones with real skill.
Seeing them sitting quietly made me feel strangely tense.
"...Gyeongwon. Our model is safe, right?"
"Yeah, it's here."
Gyeongwon tapped the model door standing by his feet with his hand.
"It's fine."
"Okay."
I craned my neck to look at Sunah and Jinhee sitting in the seats next to me.
"You guys have the question prompt well memorized, right?"
"Uh, uuhh...."
"Well, a bit..."
Sunah and Jinhee nodded with uneasy expressions.
Hayoon and Dukhun were sitting silently in the very last row.
'....We'l be fine. Besides, I have regression abilities.'
I steadied my increasingly nervous heart and waited for the competition to begin.
Soon, 5 o'clock arrived.
[Please be seated. Take your seats.]
As Teacher Han Ari spoke those words into the microphone, the bustling music room instantly fell silent.
A few boys who had just returned from the restroom hurried in through the door, moving quickly to their seats.
[Please close the door. Alright.. Now, let's begin the competition.]
As Teacher Han Ari finished speaking and removed the microphone from the stand, the sound of steady, deliberate footsteps began to approach from the outside toward the silent music room.
They walked in, chatting among themselves, and soon with a creak, the door to the music room opened, and they entered.
"Hmm?"
The Principal, who opened the door first, slightly raised his eyebrows as he looked around the quiet room.
Following him inside were the Vice Principal, and then Teacher Choi Jungim.
Teacher Han Ari, holding the microphone, bowed her head slightly toward them as they entered.
"Ah, yes."
The Principal raised his hand once toward Teacher Han Ari, then glanced around the room before heading toward the judges' seats.
"Why is it so quiet? Was everyone waiting for me?"
Haha.. A few people chuckled softly.
"I came right on time. Hehe."
His light-hearted joke, meant to ease the solemn atmosphere, echoed through the competition room.
However, the atmosphere inside remained solemn and tense.
This year's school competition was the first to be held at Nakseong High School.
Moreover, this wasn't just an ordinary school competition, it served as a qualifier for the regional and national contests, so the atmosphere was heavier than expected.
We too grew increasingly tense, stealing glances at one another.
Gyeongwon leaned in and whispered to me quietly.
"...Prez. The atmosphere is much more
serious than I expected."
"Yeah."
With parents, the Principal, and even the Vice Principal all present, the competition was arranged with special consideration for time and venue.
This was no occasion that could be taken lightly.
Soon, Teacher Han Ari projected the PPT onto the screen using the projector.
[Nakseong High School]
[Science Exhibition Preliminary Round]
[Before we begin the competition, first we will have the National Anthem, followed by the Principal's opening speech. Now, let us proceed with the National Anthem.]
At Teacher Han Ari's softly spoken words, the students instinctively scrambled from their seats one by one.
[Please, everyone, stand up from your seats and face the national flag at the front.]
The screen changed, displaying the national flag.
The judges at the front also straightened their clothes and stood up from their seats.
'"hey're even doing the National Anthem, Prez."
"Probably because the parents are here."
I glanced briefly at the dozen or so parents sitting in the back row before turning my gaze back toward the national flag at the front.
[Salute to the National Flag.]
As Teacher Han Ari spoke and set down the microphone, a solemn trumpet fanfare soon resonated through the air.
Pa- pam- pa- papam- pa- pam-
Before the proud national flag, I solemnly pledge to devote my body and soul to the eternal glory of the nation and its people, pledging my utmost loyalty.
[At ease.]
People lowered their hands from their chests.
[You may now be seated.]
The students shuffled and settled back into their seats.
[Next, we will have the opening speech from the Principal. Principal...]
"Oh dear"
When Teacher Han Ari turned around and respectfully offered the microphone, the Principal rose from the judges' seat with a smile and walked over.
"Here.."
"Yes~ yes."
After handing over the microphone with a slight bow, Teacher Han Ari stepped back respectfully.
Soon, the Principal chuckled lightly and surveyed the audience.
[Although the room is quite spacious, so many people have come that the place feels almost cramped. Both the students and parents have truly honored us with your precious presence here today. For that, first
and foremost, I sincerely thank you. I am Shin Moonhyup, serving as the Principal of this school, pleased to meet you all!]
As the Principal bowed his head to a full 90 degrees along with his booming greeting, applause erupted throughout the room It was hard to believe he was retiring at the end of this year when he still seemed so energetic and full of vigor.
After taking hold of the microphone again, the Principal delivered the usual remarks.
[This is our very own Nakseong High School Science Fair. Although it's a small-scale event, no matter what kind of competition it is, the experience you gain from preparing and participating will surely become a valuable asset for all of you. You are the individuals who will become the future leaders of the 21st century, equipped with strong character and ready to lead the future
of the ubiquitous network....]
'...He's really passionate about the ubiquitous network.'
The future of ubiquitous networks was a topic he had always mentioned whenever he took the stage.
I felt like I had mostly heard it from older people, but honestly, I was not even sure what it meant myself.
'Like the B-rank ghost story.'
A term that sounds plausible, so everyone uses it, but in reality, nobody truly knows its true meaning. Like a kind of ghost story created out of thin air.
[...That's all. Yes~ Thank you!]
As the Principal stepped back after loudly expressing his thanks, the audience once again broke into applause.
Clap, clap, clap-
Taking the microphone once again, Teacher Han Ari continued the event in a gentle, soft voice, a stark contrast to the boisterous atmosphere that had filled the room just moments before.
[Next, I will explain how the competition will proceed. First, the participating teams will come forward and use a PPT presentation to explain the topics thev have researched. It is
important to note that the research topics must be ones that can be realized as actual exhibit items for submission.]
Matching with the name 'Science Exhibition', we could not end with just
theory.
It shouldn't just end with empty talk like We did this~ without any substance. Rather, it means that based on the topic we've explored, something must be created and displayed in a tangible form that can actually be shown.
'of course, for today's competition, all we need is a PPT presentation.'
Still, we came prepared with a model.
Teacher Han Ari continued her explanation.
[And once the participants' presentations are finished, the judges will take turns asking questions and assigning scores. The scores will not be revealed immediately but will be
announced later during the results presentation, along with overall evaluation.]
"...So we won't know whether we did well or not until the very end."
"Hmm."
The club members murmured softly.
[Before we begin the presentations, I would like to first introduce the judges.I would request you to stand up as your name is called. We'll start with Principal Shin Moonhyup, who was introduced earlier. Let's give him a round of applause.]
Clap, clap, clap-
The Principal stood up again, chuckling heartily as he waved his hand. After accepting the applause, he took his seat Once more.
[Yes, next, Vice Principal Jang Yeuk. Let's give her a round of applause.]
Clap, clap, clap.
Vice Principal Jang Yeuk, the strict, middle-aged woman, stood up to greet the audience, and the audience responded with a round of applause.
"I don't like that person..."
"Me neither."
I gave a small nod to Sunah, who muttered under her breath.
Although we've rarely clashed directly, aside from the Principal who acted as more of a figurehead, she was essentially the one in charge of administrative affairs within this
school.
[Next, we have Teacher Choi Jungim,
the 3rd-year science teacher. Let's give her a round of applause.]
Clap, clap, clap.
Teacher Choi Jungim stood up from her seat, gave a slightly irritable greeting, and sat back down.
Wow, she still can't manage her expression even in a place like this.'
What was it that seemed to bother her so much?
She came across as someone with a genuinely neurotic, nitpicky vibe.
[Next is me, Teacher Han Ari, the science teacher. I'm in charge of 1st-grade science, and I'll also be hosting the event alongside being the fourth judge. Thank you.]
Clap, clap, clap.
A slightly louder round of applause echoed through the room.
As expected, the students were drawn to the young, pretty, yet charming, face of Teacher Han Ari.
[Then, let's begin the competition. First,
the first team, the Pumped-up Steamed Bun', please come forward.]
**
"Teacher Hwaeun~ Aren't you going to go watch the competition? I heard the kids are up next."
"Zzz.."
"Ýou're sleeping? Really?"
"....."
The noisy Hanja teacher shook Hwaeun a few times, but Hwaeun remained motionless, her heavy bottom pressed firmly against the chair.
The Hanja teacher shook Hwaeun a few more times before finally clicking her tongue and walking away.
"You must be really tired..."