"...This way, even the simple act of opening and closing a door in everyday life won't become troublesome. The key point is that the door, wall, and hinges all remain the same as before. We only need to embed a few magnets inside them. Unlike earthquake-resistant structures, which require buildings to be redesigned from scratch and can't easily be applied to existing buildings, our product can be installed directly in ordinary homes and apartments. Understand now?"
Several students nodded slowly.
Their expressions suggested they were struggling to keep up with the rapid explanation.
Which was understandable.
We had spent an entire week researching this topic. Even when technical explanations came one after another, we already understood all the context behind them.
For the audience hearing these concepts for the first time, being presented with the problem and solution all at once was naturally difficult to follow.
But that wasn't important.
We had already explained everything necessary.
Now, only one question remained:
Does it actually work?
That alone would decide everything.
"That concludes our explanation. And now, as our final demonstration, we'll show whether this product truly works. Principal?"
"Yes?"
"Would you be willing to come up on stage and test it yourself?"
"Hehe..."
The principal, seated at the judges' table, chuckled happily.
"Well, if a student invites me, how could I refuse?"
Still smiling, he stood up and walked toward us.
When he reached Hayoon's side, he turned toward the audience again.
"Alright then, let's see if there's really a difference. Hehe..."
I pulled the hinge from my pocket and attached it to the miniature door Hayoon was holding.
Then I tightened the bolts at the top and bottom to simulate a situation where the door was being compressed from above—like during an earthquake when the ceiling collapses.
"This simulates a ceiling pressing down during an earthquake. Mr. Principal, please try pushing the door."
"Hmm, let's see... Hff!"
The principal placed his hand against the miniature door and began pushing.
Even though it was only a model, the door didn't open easily.
"Hup! Hup!"
He put more and more strength into it.
Only after enough force pushed Hayoon slightly backward did the door finally begin to open.
Creeeak—
A harsh, unpleasant scraping sound echoed as it dragged against the floor.
"Ah, it opened. This counts as opening, right?"
"Yes, sir. Now let's try the exact same situation, except this time we'll remove the hinge. Please go ahead."
I closed the model door again and pointed toward the hinge.
"Pull the hinge off by hand, then push the door again."
"This one? Alright... Hup! Hmm?"
Click.
With only a small amount of force, the hinge came off immediately.
The principal laughed in surprise.
"Wow, that was easy! It comes off that simply?"
Before he could push the door again, I quickly explained.
"The conditions are exactly the same. The door is still being pressed down from above. The only difference is that the hinge has been removed. Now please try pushing it again."
"Alright. Hup...!"
This time, the moment he pushed—
Thunk!
The door immediately fell forward and lightly leaned against Hayoon's chest.
"Wow! It's definitely easier The difference is obvious!"
The principal burst into laughter and nodded repeatedly.
I bowed politely.
"Thank you very much, sir. You may return to your seat."
Clap clap clap clap...
Applause erupted throughout the auditorium.
After escorting the principal back to his seat, enthusiastic applause continued from every corner of the room.
"It actually works..."
"How did they prepare all this in just four days?"
"Seriously... that's incredible."
"Thank you. Of course, to determine the exact difference in force required, we'd need to conduct tests using a full-sized door. But even with this model, you can clearly feel the difference. That concludes our presentation. Thank you for listening."
As I bowed to signal the end of the presentation, another wave of applause swept through the room.
Students, parents, and teachers alike seemed thoroughly impressed.
"They've already won."
"I feel bad for the teams after them."
"Those kids are amazing. Did they receive special training or something?"
"Seriously..."
A moment later, Han Ahri, who had been moderating with her usual gentle and professional tone, spoke again through the microphone.
"Thank you for your hard work. Would the participants please come to the center of the stage for the judges' questions?"
Hearing that, Sunah, Jinhee, Deokhun, who had been waiting offstage, and Gyeong-won, who had been busy with his laptop, all gathered beside me.
"You were amazing, Prez."
"Thanks."
"Joon... I think we really did great."
"Thanks."
"oi oi you did a great job prez"
"Thanks"
Jinhee slapped my back.
I turned toward the judges' table, wondering who would ask the first question. The vice principal was already holding a microphone and smiling at us.
...Wow. She can smile?
The vice principal was famous for being a strict, perfectionist middle-aged woman.
But thinking about it, none of our previous conflicts had happened in this timeline.
Officially, this was our first meeting.
Though I couldn't be sure how she might feels as a member of cult of void but as a teacher, she had no reason to dislike us.
"Your presentation was very—"
Thum!
Just as the stern-faced Vice Principal
was about to speak with a gentle smile.
Suddenly, Teacher Choi Jungim reached out and tried to snatch the microphone from her hand.
"...!"
".....?"
The Vice Principal flinched mid-sentence, and the microphone let out a sharp screech from the impact.
[Special ability, Lip Reading has activated.]
["...What are you doing?"]
[" give it to me. I'll go first."]
At the sudden situation, the Vice Principal whispered quickly.
But the stubborn Teacher Choi Jungim still wore an unyielding expression, her hand outstretched as if begging for the microphone.
The members of my team exchanged meaningful glances.
She's finally making her move. Just as expected.
The vice principal questioned her quietly, asking why she was suddenly acting this way.
But Choi Jung-im insisted she hadn't spoken even once and that it was her turn.
["I'll speak first. Give it to me."]
["What is this...? Why are you suddenly...?"]
Despite being lower in both the school and church hierarchy, Choi Jung-im remained stubborn.
Eventually, the vice principal reluctantly handed over the microphone.
Even the principal looked over with a confused expression.
The students and parents began whispering.
Then, without any greeting or introduction, Choi Jung-im immediately spoke.
"I have a question."
She stared directly at us.
"Building doors can weigh dozens of kilograms. Do you seriously expect magnets to support that kind of weight?"
"....."
"In my opinion, this idea is completely unrealistic."
The warm atmosphere vanished instantly.
"Well? Answer me. Why are you silent? Or do you simply not know?"
...This woman is insane.
Students and parents stretched their necks to get a better look.
Meanwhile, Choi Jung-im stood with her chin raised high, looking down on us.
Fine. I'll answer everything.
Keep attacking.
You won't find a single flaw.
I raised the microphone—
But before I could speak—
"Not you. Put the microphone down. The little girl next to you speak."
"....."
"That student should answer. Hurry up."
The air in the music room instantly grew heavy.
Finally, people begin to notice the unusual tension in the atmosphere.
The students' eyes widened, glancing
back and forth between us and Teacher Choi Jungim at the judges' panel, wondering what was going on.
"Let her. Or can't she?"
"... I'll answer it myself. The magnets can support-"
"No, I told you not to answer. Why do you make me repeat myself? Don't you understand Korean? Tell that female student to answer. Can magnets really hold up such heavy steel doors, and what made you come up with such an unrealistic idea?"
This was crazy, really.
To act like this here?
I slowly scanned the room.
The people were wearing expressions of shock.
They were on our side.
'You've lost it. Go ahead and make a Scene, just try.'
This will become your public execution ground.
Before handing the microphone to Sunah, I politely asked, feeling both a bit resentful and with an intention to provoke her.
"Why am I not allowed to answer?"
"You already gave the presentation. Stop playing word games and hand it over quickly."
Murmur, murmur.
Gradually, whispers rose among the students.
An atmosphere where everyone was
poking each other and asking what was going on.
The Principal's eyes widened in surprise, and he leaned forward to stare at Teacher Choi Jungim sitting two seats over.
The Vice Principal, wedged between them, had a stiff face and was just staring straight ahead.
"...Yes, I understand. Alright, Sunah."
I handed the microphone to Sunah. And in a hushed voice, I whispered with my mouth.
"Do it as we practiced. It was on the question list."
"...Okay. I got it."
Sunah nodded and grabbed the microphone with both hands.
And in a voice that was slightly quiet but still clearly audible, she began speaking into the microphone.
"..The neodymium magnets we will use can exert up to 50kg per hinge unit..Considering that wooden doors weigh between 5kg and 10kg, and iron doors between 30kg and 40kg, installing multiple neodymium magnets could theoretically support doors weighing hundreds of kilograms.. They are also inexpensive... Installing them on an
entire door would only cost tens of
thousands of won..."
The voice was small.
But the pronunciation was clear.
Sunah no longer stuttered or stumbled Over her words.
She simply repeated exactly what I had taught her, word by word.
This is the effect of leveling up!
Her new abilities included clearer articulation and composure.
The timing couldn't have been better.
The audience nodded.
But Choi Jung-im wasn't satisfied.
"So they're that strong? Fine. Then if magnets that powerful are installed in homes, wouldn't all the electronics break? Does that sound realistic? And dust and metal filings would stick everywhere! Stop making things up just to win a competition!"
Sunah calmly answered again.
"...Magnetic force only affects ferromagnetic materials, so ordinary dust would not stick. Metal particles originate from weathered rock, so such particles generally wouldn't be present indoors..."
"I asked about electronics. Why are you talking about dust?"
"...The hinges would be located in hidden corners of the door, making direct interaction with electronic devices unlikely. Also, household appliances such as refrigerators and microwaves already contain magnetic fields and coexist without affecting one another..."
"...Ugh!"
Choi Jung-im's face twisted.
Then she pointed at Jinhee.
"You! Blond-haired girl! Magnetic fields weaken over time! Buildings need to last for decades! How can you put something so unrealistic into a presentation?! Answer me!"
"Uh... give me a second..."
Sunah immediately handed the microphone to Jinhee.
Jinhee accepted it lazily with one hand.
"Let's see..."
She narrowed her eyes and looked down.
Apparently, she had written notes on her palm.
"...Magnets start changing at around eighty degrees? Or two hundred? Something like that. Anyway, they don't weaken under normal household temperatures. And..."
She scratched her head.
"Neodymium magnets have strong magnetic retention, so outside magnetic fields don't affect them much. Some are coated to resist corrosion. They're resistant to acids and bases too, so there shouldn't be any practical problems..."
"Y-you thieves!"
Choi Jung-im suddenly screamed.
"What if a burglar comes and removes the hinge from outside?! What about security?! Why didn't you think of something so important?! This is wrong!"
Teacher Choi Jungim shouted in a frantic voice, and gradually the students began to murmur among themselves, wondering what was Wrong with that teacher.
Again, Jinhee glanced at the cheat sheet on her palm, and this time Dukhun leaned toward her with his hands behind his back, answering as if it were nothing.
"That can easily be solved by making sure they don't protrude from the outside..."
"Hey! You be quiet!"
Teacher Choi Jungim pointed at Dukhun, spittle flying as she shouted.
People widened their eyes in surprise, and some even burst out laughing, muttering, 'must have gone crazy~'.
"What's Wrong with her? Why is she acting like that?"
"Isn't that the 3rd year science teacher?"
"Are they on bad terms? Seriously.. "
Murmur, murmur-
"I asked the one with yellow hair, not you, her! I was asking her, not you! Listen properly!"
Dukhun moved his head up and down once, his hands still clasped behind his back.
"Hey, answer me, yellow hair. Those hinges you're talking about.. they're not actually used on front doors! Where did you get this scam from!"
"...of course, for front doors, these hinges' can also be used? I guess. But the same principle can be applied just as well, and there are also no electromagnets..."
"This... do you really think this topic has practical applications? Is this something that can be used in real-world society! Tell me that too! Answer me! Can't you?"
Huh! Teacher Choi Jungim spat with force.
Jinhee looked at her palm with bleary eyes, saw that the question wasn't written there, then slowly raised her head and rolled her eyes for a moment.
"...Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?"
"What?!"
"It works, doesn't it? You just saw it working."
"....!"
Silence.
Then—
"Hahahahaha!"
Laughter broke out throughout the room.
Because everyone had seen it.
The principal himself had tested it.
The device worked perfectly.
Which made all of Choi Jung-im's arguments look increasingly ridiculous.
Her face turned bright red.
Finally, the principal seized the opportunity and took the microphone.
"Yes, yes, that's true. Who says it's impossible? Hehehe... nothing is impossible..."
Choi Jung-im could only tremble in frustration.
She had completely run out of attacks.
It's over.
We won.
Though somehow... it didn't feel entirely satisfying.
The vice principal still sat stiffly between the principal and Choi Jung-im.
Meanwhile, the principal resumed control of the event.
"Our teacher got a little too enthusiastic, so things became somewhat heated~ Hehe. Alright, let's stop here and move on to the next team! Thank you for your hard work~"
"Thank you~"
"Thank you very much..."
"Yes, yes. Hehehe..."
We lined up, bowed politely, and returned to our seats while the principal continued laughing awkwardly, trying to restore the atmosphere.
"Already~ let's stretch a little before the next team! You shoudnt sit too long~ Now, follow along! One, two! Two! Streeetch"
Suddenly, the Principal came to the center of the stage and instructed the audience to stretch.
People were still whispering and glancing at Teacher Choi Jungim, but since the situation had escalated and ended so abruptly, they didn't seem to delve deeper.
They simply got swept up in the Principal's booming command, wearing bewildered expressions as they laughed awkwardly and
stretched.
"Alright~ Now that you've stretched, it's time for the next team! Come on up, next team! Who is it? Oh dear, I see. It should be Teacher Han Ari hosting, but I ended up speaking. Here you go..."
"Yes, thank you..."
After receiving the microphone, Teacher Han Ari, in her gentle and steady voice, called upon the next team, and we returned to our seats under excited looks.
"Phew, that was nerve-wracking."
"You bet."
We sat down side by side in our seats, and as we leaned back, Gyeongwon pushed his glasses and spoke to me.
"Still, it went well, Prez. You countered all their questions."
"..That's true, but."
I looked at the next team moving up, and with a pang of regret, I answered him.
"AIl we did was deflect their attacks, it's not like we really struck back. That teacher won't face any disciplinary action for behaving like that."
".True,"
Even if she acted disrespectfully and
arrogantly, she was someone with decades of seniority both at the school and in the teaching profession, so it didn't seem like she would face any real disciplinary action.
From the school's perspective, her tone was merely aggressive, but the questions themselves were all valid, so they would likely just give her a warning.
The teaching staff also had no reason to needlessly side against one of their Own.
'..Damn, that's infuriating. Hope someone could really teach them a lesson.'
Even though she had lost, I watched Teacher Choi Jungim, who was still clenching her lips tightly with a twisted expression, and felt she had fully tasted the bitterness.
Now I was aiting for a chance to, refreshingly , hit her with a dose of reality.