LOVER | YANG JUNGWON

Late night talks

I rubbed my hands down my pants multiple times, my hands were getting sweaty. My stomach started hurting, it was the same feeling that I got in my stomach before I had a match or had to present in front of the class. I got closer to the class, seeing Mrs. Jung holding a small container in her hand. The students that were walking in, placing their phones in.

I had to wake up two hours earlier since the test was happening before classes began. For what reason, I have no clue. Why would the do it this early, don't they understand that everyone is going to be tired? Well I cant speak for everyone else but I know that I am. It would make more sense to just pull the students out of class and take them to a separate room. Even after school would be better.

"Iseul." Mrs. Jung nodded her head to me as I dropped my phone in the box.

I looked for a good seat that wasn't taken already. I made my way towards the last row and sat and the opposite side of where the windows were. If I sat next to them then i'd get distracted with everything outside.

More sleepy looking students walked in, they still looked half asleep. Im pretty sure most of the students here were either forced by their parents or pressured by Mrs. Jung just how I was. I dont think anyone really wants to be here at 6:30 in the morning willingly.

I took out my pencil case and grabbed the first pencil I saw as well as an eraser. I played with the writing utensil in my hand waiting for the test to start. I tried to remember as many formulas and theorems I could and recited them under my breath.

The teacher finally walked in after everyone arrived and repeated the instructions and rules for the test. We cleared our desks, and she began to hand out the test. It was three pages long. Which did scare me.

I wrote my name and date at the top right corner of my scratch paper. We were given the actual test questions, along with the sheets to bubble in the answers and a paper to work out the problems. I made eye contact with Sunoo from across the room who sat near the front, I mouthed a 'good luck' and small smile to which he returned.

I turned back to my own paper, taking a deep breath I finally began. We were only given an hour to complete it. I read through the first problem and wrote down my thinking. If I saw an equation that I didn't understand I put a little star or circled the number so I could remember to go back to it before I turn it in.

A little halfway through the test I could feel how tense the atmosphere was, every once in a while you could hear a mumbled 'what?' coming from a confused student. I could feel myself growing anxious, the deeper I went into the test the more I was starting to understand it less. My fingers rubbing my temples trying my best to remember any practice questions that were similar to the one I was solving now. Nothing was coming to mind.

I look up to see if anyone in the class was near done yet, of course there was always that one kid who finished way before everyone else. They had a confident face that matched their perfect posture and attitude, waiting for the time to end so they could leave. I wish I could be that kid.

She announced that there was only ten minutes left before we had to stop writing, I had half of the last page to do still. If I finish this in five minutes I can have the other five to check my work. Is it as much time as id like to have? No, but I'm going to work with what I got.

I went over all the answers that I didn't feel confident about, calculating how many points I think would get taken off my score if it was wrong.

"Times up! Turn your papers over." The little timer she had set up on the top of her desk went off and she stood up to collect everyones tests.

When she grabbed one I finally felt a sense of relief yet worry at the same time. I let my head drop onto my arm that's laying across my desk, letting out a sigh of ease now that it was finally done.