Hwarang and The Jewel.

Chapter 8

I woke up this morning feeling unrested and a little grumpy to go along with my nervousness. 

Today was D-day. I had kept tossing and turning- worried that I would wake up late and not make it to the exam. As a result of my student hyped brain, I was up and ready two hours before I saw another human being enter the cafeteria, and even then it was only the cooks.

"Alice." Sun-woo said in greeting as he entered. I followed him as he went to collect his breakfast. "Are you prepared?"

"Yes. I write my answer many time and A-ro check for me." I said. The past couple of days when A-ro had been inside Hwarang house, we had gone over and over the characters I would have to write on the paper. It was essentially what I had said to the head teacher Hwa-gong in the first lecture I attended, with a few words linking it to the text he had asked us to mirror our answers to. To be honest, it was a basic assessment form that would been easy for me to ace - if only I could elaborate more in English.

The cafeteria slowly filled as more jittery Hwarang-do forced themselves to eat and study at the same time. A group of Hwarang-do at the back of the hall looked like they were stuffing notes in their clothes and I immediately turned away. Nothing good ever came from cheating.

                                                                         o0o

 As soon as we had finished handing in our answers, Hwa-gong had made quick work of deciding if we would pass or fail right away. Ji-dwi and Sun-woo had both given verbal answers when they were called out, and I felt a stab of annoyance when Ji-dwi got a pass and Sun-woo a fail. 

"Miss Alice." It wasn't a call for my attention, but I watched him read my answer. He must have read it at least twice- it wasn't very long. "Fail."

I instantly felt like crying, and it took all my courage to raise my head. "Why fail?"

"This answer is not your own. I find it hard to believe that in a matter of weeks a young lady would learn how to write in another language and understand the meaning behind the characters she had very carefully traced onto paper."

"My answer is mine. I ask for help in writing, not because I not write, because I only one who know my language so I write answer in your language, to make easier for you."

"You can read and write in your native language?"

"Yes, and some small amount in others. Your language is new, I not learn quickly, but I try! How can you fail me if you not read my answer in my own language? I can write again?" I asked hopefully.

Without a word Hwa-gong handed my paper back to me. "You have until I finish marking the others."

I didn't bother to reply, I flipped my paper over and took out the small brush from my writing brush case. A-ro had been kind enough to buy me a brush that was thin with short bristles, it made it easier for me to write the english translations of the words I was learning.

I was fairly used to writing with it- only slightly slower than my normal writing with a pen- and roughly three graded people later I smacked my brush down and blew on the paper. Once I deemed it suitably dry I stood and walked over to place it on Hwa-gong's desk.

The Hwarang-do remained silent as Hwa-gong inspected my paper. "This is your language?" He asked.

"Yes. English, but I not from England, I from other place but we all use English language."

"Very well." Hwa-gong said a little reluctantly, "pass."

"Thank you."I turned, and instantly wanted to turn away again. Most of the Hwarang-do were either glancing at me, or glancing at each-other. I caught some whispers of 'unfair'  and 'cheat' on my way back to my desk. Before I fully sat down though Sun-woo flicked at my ankle and gave me a thumbs up.