Hearing Eun-woo's reply and seeing the confident, knowing smile on his face, Principal Kim was momentarily taken aback. Then, he let out a hearty laugh.
He pointed a finger at Eun-woo, chuckling as he spoke. "You little rascal, you're sharp. That's right. I had the department heads prepare a special set of test papers for you. If your total score reaches 650 points," his expression turned serious, "I will personally recommend you for the sole special admissions quota our school holds for the engineering program at KAIST this year."
At these words, not only Teacher Park but Eun-woo himself was stunned.
Scoring 650 on the Suneung was impressive, but one had to remember: the lowest admitted score for KAIST's engineering program in their district last year was 698. The humanities program was 657. And that was last year's score, which had been the lowest in recent memory. This year's cutoff could easily break 700.
After a moment of surprise, Eun-woo recovered and shook his head with a rueful smile.
With his current capabilities, he truly didn't need a special admissions quota. If he wanted to, becoming the national top scorer wouldn't be an issue.
His goals had shifted. He might not even be aiming for KAIST. Where he went would largely depend on where Han Seo-jin was accepted. With her grades, she could sweep any top-tier university in the country.
However, in Principal Kim's eyes, that rueful smile and head shake were signs of regret—regret over an unattainable score. A flicker of disappointment passed through the principal's eyes.
If Eun-woo couldn't reach that level, then his grand plan—to promote the inspirational story of 'Daehan High's Worst Student Makes Miraculous Comeback on Eve of Suneung, Earns Prestigious Special Admission'—would fall apart. This was the real reason he was willing to stake the school's precious quota on Eun-woo. If they could turn the school's biggest underachiever into a KAIST student, on top of having a once-in-a-decade prodigy like Han Seo-jin… future enrollment and funding would never be a problem again.
Of course, all this hinged on Eun-woo possessing genuine, extraordinary talent.
"Haha. Perhaps my expectations were a bit too high," Principal Kim said, his tone conciliatory. "How about this: score 620 points, and the recommendation is still yours."
Seeing the principal lower the bar, Eun-woo's smile grew even more ironic. The misunderstanding was clear.
"It's alright, Gyosunim," Eun-woo said, his tone respectful but firm. "I know how valuable this quota is. It would be better given to a classmate who truly needs it."
Seeing the principal's face fall further into disappointment, and noticing Teacher Park frantically widening her eyes at him from the side, Eun-woo chuckled and continued, "Gyosunim, didn't you say you had a test for me? Bring it out. I'll take it now. There's only half an hour left before dismissal, and I'm in a hurry to get home for lunch."
Huh?
The principal, who had been mentally scrolling through a list of alternative students, was caught off guard by Eun-woo's sudden eagerness to take the test. "If you can't even score 620, there's no point in taking it," he said, confused.
Eun-woo rolled his eyes. "When did I say I couldn't score 620? Come on, Gyosunim, if we keep talking, I'll miss lunch…"
Seeing the boy's audacious, almost roguish demeanor, Principal Kim finally, with lingering doubt, walked to his desk. He retrieved a thick manila envelope and placed it on the coffee table in front of Eun-woo. Then he simply stood there, watching.
Eun-woo didn't hesitate. He reached out, tore open the envelope, and pulled out the stack of test papers inside. The sharp smell of fresh printer ink hit him—these were hot off the press. Without a second thought, he grabbed a pen, gave the first page a cursory glance, and began writing, his hand moving with startling speed.
It looked less like test-taking and more like frantic, thoughtless scribbling.
Principal Kim's frown deepened. He shot an unhappy glance at Teacher Park, as if to say, 'Is this the hidden genius you told me about? Do geniuses not even read the questions?'
Teacher Park, feeling the weight of his gaze, grew flustered. She couldn't meet his eyes and instead focused intently on the paper under Eun-woo's pen.
The next moment, her own eyes widened.
Eun-woo was working on the English section. Teacher Park, a veteran English instructor, had helped design this very test. And as she followed his answers… every single one was correct.
He really was holding back! Her confidence surged. Looking at his speed and precision now, it was even faster and more assured than when he'd taken the test in her office.
Feeling vindicated, she dared to look up at the stern-faced principal and gave a small, confident nod.
Principal Kim raised an eyebrow in surprise, but seeing her certainty, a spark of hope ignited in his eyes. Could it be?
Swish—
Four minutes later, Eun-woo reached out and flipped the completed English test paper aside. Every section except the listening comprehension (which required audio) was finished.
His hand didn't pause for a second, moving immediately to the next subject.
Seeing this, Teacher Park quickly scooped up the English paper and began checking it question by question.
Ten minutes later, as Eun-woo finished his third subject's paper, Teacher Park set the English test down, her face a mask of stunned disbelief.
Principal Kim immediately looked at her, his eyes questioning.
Teacher Park grabbed a red pen from the pen holder on the table and, careful not to disturb Eun-woo, quickly wrote a number at the top of the page: 120.
Seeing the number, Principal Kim drew in a sharp breath. "A perfect score?! How is that possible?!"
It was indeed perfect. The paper totaled 150 points, with 30 allocated to the absent listening section. The remaining 120 points were all accounted for. Even the essay had received full marks.
Seeing Teacher Park's confirming, almost dazed nod, the principal's eyes began to shine with an intense, excited light. A broad, incredulous smile broke across his face.
The small commotion caused Eun-woo to pause his pen for a split second. He glanced up, saw their expressions, and couldn't help but shake his head with another private, wry smile. And they're only seeing the English paper…
Swish—
While the two adults were still reeling, Eun-woo had already finished another subject's test.
The next paper was Chemistry. Principal Kim, who had once been a chemistry teacher himself, couldn't help but lean forward, his gaze fixed intently on the page. He wanted to see if this boy could truly perform a miracle right before his eyes.
[To be continued…]