Part 30

The final exam.

Yoonhee sits at the testing site, unable to rid herself of her nervousness. She breathes in and out. She doesn't think she can even write properly, because her hands are shaking so much. She looks at Sunjoon sitting next to her. His face seems as though it's aged, because he's studied so much that it was almost as though it took the life out of him. But thanks to him, she could focus on her studies just as much. Jaeshin studied hard for the first time since his entrance to Sungkyunkwan, and Yongha, who didn't have anyone to play with, studied alongside them too.

But Sunjoon's been strange. He's closed his eyes, sitting properly, as he's always done, but his hands are shaking. He's never been like this for other exams. He's never shown any sort of nervousness before, and she doesn't understand why he's so afraid this time. She's also a little angry, because even now, he won't even say a word to her.

Yoonhee looks at Yongha, who sits behind Sunjoon. She grins when she sees his fancy outfit; he's obviously using every trick in the book to try and pass. There's a rumor that if he wears the inner clothes of a student who's successfully graduated he will meet the same fate and pass, too. Yoonhee is laughing because she knows that inside those fancy clothes is someone's old inner clothes. Jaeshin, who's sitting behind Yoonhee, gives her a light kick.

"You must not be worried, seeing as how you're smiling like that."

"Ah, it's not that..."

Yongha glances at Yoonhee and smiles, aware that she is smiling because of his secret. Even with his smile, it's obvious how nervous he is. Jaeshin too. Yoonhee looks at Sunjoon one last time, but Sunjoon does not even glance at her.

The testing starts, and the three start writing.

The four return to Sungkyunkwan after they're done, but Sunjoon, without a word, heads to Bicheondang with his books to study for the second testing. It seems as though nothing matters to him, except this exam. Yoonhee, Jaeshin, and Yongha all look at him, worried.

"I think he is really under a spell or something. He can't possibly be like this unless he’s  possessed by  a ghost. How can he be so hard on himself?"

"Yeah, there's only the Jeon-shi left... Why is he studying so hard?"

Yoonhee starts packing her books to follow Sunjoon, but Jaeshin stops her.

"Why are you going too? The Hwe-shi just ended! We can rest today, at least!"

"I can't leave Garang Hyungnim alone--"

"Just forget about him! He's already a lost cause."

"Don't kid around like that."

She gets up, but Jaeshin pulls her down by her wrist and throws the blanket on top of her. He yells at Yongha, "Go and bring Garang back! I'm going to force Daemul to sleep."

"How will you put him to sleep like that? He'll suffocate first."

"Now!"

"How will I bring him back? He's so stubborn."

"Just do something!"

Yoonhee tries to get out of the blanket. "Let me go! I'm going to study!"

"Shut up and stay here! I've been too nice lately. You should listen to your Sahyung!"

Yongha leaves, and Yoonhee calms down. Jaeshin rests his head on the lump of body under the blanket, and says calmly, "I've seen a lot of students go just as crazy before an exam. I understand that it's good to graduate to start a career. It's commendable to study hard, but doing it today is a bit much. He's out of his mind."

After a moment of silence, Jaeshin speaks again. "Garang is probably going to graduate this time around. What are you going to do then?”

Yoonhee doesn't say anything. Even if Sunjoon graduates, even if Sunjoon, Yongha, and Jaeshin graduate, or even if she graduates along with them, she can't escape the farewells she'll have to face. She's been trying to run away from this thought for so long. She wonders if Sunjoon is thinking that way too. Is that why he hasn't even tried to look at her? Yoonhee, buried under her blanket, doesn't know that Sunjoon is outside the room, listening to the conversation. She swallows up the tears that come up. She feels as though her insides will explode of sadness.

[Soon after is the Jeon-shi. Everyone looks beat up and tired because of the nonstop studying, and Sunjoon still seems surprisingly shaken at the exam site, but the four finish the testing in without falling ill. The results are to be announced later by the King. Announced will be 3 Gap-Gwa (The three top tests, the first/best tier of the examinees), 11 Eul-Gwa (the 11 next best tests, 2nd tier), and 23 Byung-Gwa, (the 23 tests after that, 3rd tier), a total of the 37 of the best tests (its basically picking the smartest 37 people out of the country).

Before the results, all the students are given their day off. Yoonhee returns home and dresses as a woman again, and she gets a visitor. It's a woman who claims to be a merchant. When Yoonhee tries to tell her nicely that she has no money to buy anything, the woman tells her that it's okay, and that she just wants to have a conversation with her. Yoonhee thinks it's strange how elegant and well-mannered this merchant is, and takes interest in what she has to say.

The woman seems very interested in Yoonhee and engages her in a story. She tells Yoonhee about how when she was younger, she took the name of her brother and tried to test for school, but failed. Yoonhee is glad to find someone like her and tells her that it's unfortunate that she failed, but the woman laughs, saying that she was lying. How could a woman even take a test? The woman gives a comb to Yoonhee as a present and goes on her way, leaving Yoonhee dumbfounded. The woman, when she comes a good distance away from Yoonhee's house, gets into a carriage waiting for her, and directs her servants to take her back to Bookchon. (That is where Sunjoon lives, if that's any hint to who this woman_is.)

It's not clear if she is a woman from Hyo Eun’s household (the noblewoman who wanted to get engaged to Sunjoon) because she wanted to confirm what she suspected as to why Sunjoon rejected the engagement, or maybe it was a woman from Sunjoon’s household, sent by his mother?)

[While at home, her mother tells Yoonhee that when she comes out of Sungkyunkwan she should get ready to wed. Yoonhee convinces her mother to postpone her marriage, and tells her to reject any proposals that are sent to their house. Yoonhee's mother and Yoonshik note how sad Yoonhee looks, and her mother wonders why, especially when Yoonhee will now be safe from danger after she gets out of the school.]