My Girlfriend Is Very Good To Me [EN]: Chapter 64

Ep. 63

“What am I doing? What else but studying? Tomorrow’s the SAT.”

─Ah~ I don’t take those, so I wouldn’t know?

“Yeah. Go back to your post at the snack bar.”

─Shibal… [A Korean swear word, similar to ‘damn’ or ‘shit’.]

I was flipping through the textbook casually while talking to Yunseong. I said I was studying, but I didn’t think it was good to overwork my brain until the day before the SAT, so I was just looking at it without really focusing.

While the other kids were adjusting their condition and preparing for tomorrow, whether they had studied hard or not, this guy was free from all those constraints.

Because he already had a job lined up. A hell gate, no less.

“Wow, but how can you even think of working there? Can you survive?”

─Don’t say that… I’m already dreading it… From next March, you guys will be college students, but I’ll be a full-time employee at the snack bar.

“Still, they said they’d pay you a lot.”

─If a high salary was enough to make a place bearable, we wouldn’t still be looking for part-time jobs.

“True.”

Still, the days I worked there were a kind of memory. After becoming a senior in high school, I never went to help, no matter how busy I was. Since I was focused on studying, Yunseong didn’t ask me either.

I heard Kim Suhwang went a couple of times in my place.

─What about Lee Heena? Aren’t you meeting her today?

“We’re texting, but we decided to rest well today and meet after the exam tomorrow.”

─Is it possible for you to go to the same college as her?

“Impossible.”

─Look at that decisiveness. Not possible even if you ace the SAT?”

“Maybe if I do as well as winning the lottery?”

The last mock exam I took, my average grade was 2, so if I guessed all the answers right and did really well, I might be able to compete.

Wow, me with an average grade of 2. I couldn’t thank Heena enough.

Even if I mess up this SAT, I’ll still do hundreds of times better than my grades before I met Heena.

Thinking back to the spring and summer of my sophomore year, I was lucky to get one or two 3s, and mostly got 4s.

Now, if I mess up a little, I’d probably average around 2.5?

─Still, you’ll get into a Seoul university.

“Unless something happens on the way and I can’t take the test, it seems likely.”

─What if your stomach starts hurting like crazy during the test?

“This bastard is calling to curse me out.”

─Just kidding~ Then I won’t see you tomorrow. How about we get together sometime this weekend?

“Sure. I’ll tell Heena.”

─Tell her well, seriously. You don’t know what her face looks like when you take you away, do you?

“Don’t slander Heena.”

─It’s not slander… No, never mind. Anyway, good luck on the test tomorrow.

“Yeah.”

With those words, the call ended, and I just closed the textbook I had only opened. The thought that tomorrow was finally the SAT made me feel restless, and I couldn’t concentrate on studying at all.

Because it was the day when all the efforts I had made would come to fruition.

For the past week or two, even Yoonjung noona [older sister or female friend] had refrained from visiting our house. She said she wouldn’t come often for a while because I would be sensitive.

Actually, it didn’t really matter. Maybe my nerves were thicker than I thought, but I didn’t really care if someone was walking around or talking nearby while I was studying.

But since she was being considerate of me, I couldn’t really tell her not to.

When I think about it, I think I also played quietly at home during my brothers’ exam periods.

-Drrrring

With the phone vibrating again, I immediately answered the call without even checking who was calling. It must be Heena.

Even though it was for studying, I had been seeing her almost every day for the past few months, but since we decided to rest at our own homes today, I expected her to call because texting alone wouldn’t be enough.

In fact, I thought it was Heena earlier too, but Jung Yunseong unexpectedly called instead of texting.

“Hello?”

─Yeonhoo~ How’s your condition?

“I’m fine. But I don’t feel like studying.”

─Don’t study today, just rest well. But you were on the phone for a long time, who was it?

“Ah~ Yunseong said we should hang out together sometime after the SAT.”

─Really? And with me?

“The days I don’t see them are the days I hang out with you.”

─Good, pretty words, pass!

My love life with Heena was still smooth. Closer little by little, treating each other naturally, more comfortable, day by day.

Even so, my heart still flutters when I see her flower-like bright smile.

─Don’t eat too spicy food. Don’t try to go to bed earlier than usual because it’s the exam tomorrow. Always at the time you usually do. Got it?

“Yes, Mom.”

─Taking the subway instead of the bus or taxi might be a good idea tomorrow. It could be congested, and there could be an accident. Check the school again too!

“Okay, okay. What about you? Are you in good condition?”

─Yeah. The best.

“That’s a relief. What should we do after the test tomorrow? Should we watch the movie you wanted to see last time?”

─Uh-huh, let’s rest together at home tomorrow. Can you come to my house after the test?”

“Okay~”

Only a year and a half.

Already a year and a half.

That’s how long I’ve been with Heena. She’s still pretty, her mind has gotten even better, and she’s still so good to me. It’s been another year and a half that I’ve been trying to keep up with her heart.

And after the SAT, the day that I, that Heena has been waiting for, will soon come.

Even in situations where we were about to cross the line, we put everything off with just one excuse: that we’re not adults yet.

But it’s almost here. That age when I can be a little more responsible for myself.

─Then sleep well! If anything happens, be sure to contact me!

“You sleep well too. I love you~”

─I love you too! I’ll visit you in your dreams, so wait for me!

“Should I prepare a glass of aloe?”

─Please~ Good night! Mwah!

I hung up the phone, listening to her kiss sound.

There was still some time before bedtime, so I stretched once and loosened my body. My body felt stiff from being on the phone for so long.

As I turned my arms and neck and walked to the living room, I saw my parents, brothers, and Yoonjung noona quietly watching TV.

She hadn’t been coming often lately, but she’s here again today. It was so quiet that I didn’t even know she was here.

“Are you done with your call?”

“Yeah. Mom, the lunch box you’re packing for me tomorrow is kimbap [Korean seaweed rice rolls], right?”

“You asked me to make that. Do you want to eat something else?”

“No, I was just checking.”

I don’t know about other people, but I thought that was just right. I had even been eating kimbap for lunch on purpose for the past week.

After confirming, I turned my head and saw everyone staring at me with slightly burdensome eyes.

“Yeonhoo, fighting!! Do well on the test tomorrow!!”

“Do well on the test.”

“If you fail, let’s run a game farm together. The income is good.”

Noona, Junghoo hyung [older brother], and Sunhoo hyung gave me words of encouragement in turn. Sunhoo hyung was a bit suspicious, but I guess he meant not to feel too pressured.

“Should Dad take you?”

“It’s okay. I’ll fail if I get motion sickness from riding.”

“Hmm, you’re going by subway?”

“I was originally going to take the bus, but Heena told me to take the subway just in case.”

“Yeah. Listen to Heena. The subway would be better.”

Everyone does, but Dad especially likes Heena too much. He says there’s no other daughter-in-law material like her. Well, I also think there’s no girlfriend like Heena.

Anyway, I came out to stretch and have a glass of water, but after receiving encouragement from my family, I returned to my room.

I had a good feeling.

I had been studying well until recently, and my last mock exam score was also good. My family and my girlfriend were always my strength.

A moderate, pleasant tension was surrounding me.

No matter how I looked at it, I had a sharp feeling that tomorrow would be a complete success.

—

SAT day.

The condition from last night continued as it was, and I was in excellent condition from the morning. Heena, who gave me a morning call earlier, also said she was in very good condition, so if only I did well on the test today, everything would be perfect.

When it was time to leave the house, my family, except for Sunhoo hyung, woke up early and gathered in front of the front door.

“Son, fighting!” [A Korean expression of encouragement, like ‘Good luck!’ or ‘Go for it!’]

“Thanks, Dad!”

“Do your best. Don’t be too upset if it doesn’t go well.”

“Ah, of course. If I fail, I’m going to run a game farm with Sunhoo hyung. Hyung, are you in?”

“Ha… seriously, Han Sunhoo. You’re saying useless things to Yeonhoo… You’ve worked hard, so you’ll definitely do well! Good luck!”

“Thanks, Noona.”

“Start leaving soon. It’s better to go early and wait than to be late.”

“I will. I’ll enjoy the kimbap, Mom.”

Receiving a send-off from my family, I checked one last time to see if I had forgotten anything, such as my admission ticket or writing utensils, and left the house.

Because it was the day of the SAT, there weren’t many people walking around except for students like me, and the weather was clear.

[Heena: I’m going to turn off my phone now because I’m going to enter the school! See you after the test! Yeonhoo, fighting! I love you♡]

I was texting with Heena on the way, but she moved earlier than I did, so the text soon stopped. I checked her last text and entered the subway station.

I tried to calm my increasingly pounding heart. Fortunately, the subway came right away, so I arrived at the station where the school was located in less than 20 minutes after leaving.

When I got off the subway and looked around, I didn’t even see many test takers. Heena must have arrived very early, but I also moved relatively early.

Rather, near the entrance of the stairs, there was an old woman struggling to climb the stairs, carrying a bag that looked a bit heavy.

“Aigo… [An expression of weariness or frustration] why am I so tired today…”

She lamented loud enough for her voice to reach my ears as she climbed the stairs step by step. Seeing that, I moved to help her up to the top of the stairs, even if only that far. With the thought that if I did a good deed, my luck for today might increase a little.

Besides, the other test takers who were there had already gone far up, and there didn’t seem to be anyone else around to help her.

“…Huh?”

However, before I could even climb a few steps towards her. The back of the old woman, slowly tilting, came into view.

Like a scene from a movie, she slowly, falteringly, fell backwards as if watching in slow motion.

What should I do? Should I catch her?

What if something goes wrong?

Even a small injury could interfere with the test.

But if she falls like that, it’ll be very dangerous.

What should I do─

In that fleeting moment, countless thoughts and worries flashed through my mind.

But my body was already moving.

I quickly threw myself and stretched out my right arm. Grabbing the old woman’s shoulder, which had already fallen halfway, and pulling her towards me as much as possible, using my body as a cushion.

-Thud!

“Ugh─!!!

I fell down the stairs with her.

-Tingle

“Ugh, ah─”

At the same time, I felt an enormous pain in my right elbow. The pain that surged up in an instant was so great that I couldn’t even scream properly.

In the midst of that, only one cry dominated my mind.

Ah, shibal! The SAT!