Eighteen’s Bed

I think of the shortest things in the world.
My father's thumbnail, Sunday evenings, and summer break.
The shortened summer vacation, courtesy of the school’s new policy, slipped by without leaving room for anything.
Before I knew it, the homeroom teacher was standing at the podium, explaining the second semester's college entrance process. The white chalk struck the blackboard with a sharp snap.

"First, the final stretch. If you can't secure an early decision spot, throw everything into the regular admissions."

"Second, make a realistic plan. Figure out which colleges you can actually get into."

"Third, don’t get obsessed with a college’s name. Sometimes, the major is more important. And of course, my door is always open for counseling."

“You guys are the type to actually study, aren’t you? I’ve seen this entrance exam game play out a few times. You kids—the ones who study just enough—are always the biggest problem. You know that only a few at the top can break through to the best schools, right? Ever heard the one about a camel passing through the eye of a needle?"

The classroom mood sank into gloom.
This was the time of year when everyone started realizing their place.
The teacher’s words drew an invisible line, separating the top from the almost top.
A few eyes turned to me.

“……”@@novelbin@@

“If you’ve been studying on hope until now, it’s time to face reality. Korea National University? Unless your grades are in the national top tier, forget it. Sure, there might be a couple of you who make it.”

Tension swallowed the room whole.
If it were the class next door, someone would’ve cracked a joke about 'hundred-day warriors' to ease the mood.
But not our class.
The teacher’s gaze skimmed the room and landed on me.
I gave a stiff, awkward smile and dropped my head—feeling the weight of a few sharp stares.

"But listen, even if you’re not top-tier, second-tier schools aren’t bad. With the right major, you could do better than Korea National. But we’ll talk more about that during counseling. For now... So, did you all enjoy your blink-and-you-missed-it summer break? Hope you didn’t just waste it slacking off, though. But hey, I know my class. You wouldn’t do that, right?”

A tense chuckle swept the room—heavy and joyless.
Everyone here had spent their summer buried in academy desks, eyes locked on past exam papers.
Me included.
Nothing but mock exams and previous CSAT problems, day in and day out.

I turned my head.
And met his eyes—Go Yohan.
The second he caught me looking, he stretched his mouth wide in an exaggerated grin and mouthed the words:

‘I
did
nothing.’

Then, he pulled a mock crying face.
I was floored.
That damn face—so smug, so punchable.
I narrowed my eyes at him, then forced a smile back, my lips barely curling compared to his exaggerated grin.

‘Yeah.’

Without another glance, I turned away.
No one cared about us anyway.
The whole class was neck-deep in the same dilemma:
Shoot for the stars and risk burning up—or play it safe and aim low, letting pragmatism win over pride.

I glanced down at my desk.
Three sentences scribbled on the surface.
I was rereading the third one when I felt the teacher’s eyes on me again.
He smiled faintly and, almost playfully, drew a small ‘X’ in the air with his finger.