Letters and Latte | Ryeji

24 - Finals

"Any form of chatting will be considered as cheating." A senile man in his late fifties insinuated in concise, peregrinating across the inclusive pathways riving the students in an effectual distance. Once he pierced everyone's head was absorbed by the paper, the ambiguous man discreetly promenaded the room and omitted his personal belongings upon the teacher's table for a cloistered purpose.

The last exam on their finals.

As the door straightaway croaked its creaking sound, the murmurs of most students droned in the four thick walls like buzzing bees and wasps garnering for some saccharine goods.

When the cat was away, the mice played.

Thus, not all students were actually doing the devil's deeds. Yeji was at peace in the middle, specifically on the foremost row. Well, she always opted to be sat there. She brushed off the extraneous cacophony circulating all over their room, eyes and brain were eliciting stirring advertence on her own paper, doing her best to attain not just good but better remarks for the exam. After all, Biology was her favourite.

The five page written exam was replete with different kinds of question. Although, it didn't hinder the greatest student to answer each of them with such confidence. It was a piece of cake. Fortunate for her, a disaster for some.

There was a convulsive quake on the legs of her seat, Yeji completely neglected it at first knowing there was a mess occuring behind her. The shake became aggresive and rapid, causing Yeji to be unwary in the midst of the battle. She let out a gentle whistle, signalling whoever behind to squelch themselves from pestering her focus. But, it only turned worse.

"Hey, Yeji." The muffled voice disturbed her. Apparently, it was one of the douche bags. In fact, she was surrounded by the group which was their initial plan for them to fish out for the answers from their brightest classmate.

"What's the answer for number forty-one?" The guy on her right side butted in, resting his hand on her chair while he scanned the paper of the cat eyed girl shamelessly. "Wait, don't flip this page, I'm not yet done."

His hand faltered her motion, Yeji had her mouth agape, getting distressed. Her heart rate went frenzied, she wasn't talking in any form but the commotion was now measured as cheating. "Yeji, I know you want everyone in this room to graduate high school. I need the enumeration part, here's a paper for you."

A piece of paper was handed to her from the guy on her left side. Yeji refused to accept it, but the guy slumped the paper down violently over the surface and she was petrified what would the guy and his friends do to her for not obeying. "Come on, just do it, smart ass."

He added furthermore, sticking a strawberry lollipop inside his mouth and plugged in airpods. The guy behind Yeji mislaid his short patience and stood up with his phone in his hand. He took photos of her answers and sat back on his seat as if that was probably the most decent thing to do in this world.

Of course, all of the electronic devices were confiscated during major examinations. No matter how well-disciplined and prestigious a university was, there would always be a bunch of troublemakers around to go against the implemented rules.

The background clamor that sprawled like a fire was turning a deafening silence for Yeji. Her mind was preoccupied with gruesome circumstances. She couldn't believe those happened all at once, she couldn't fathom why her own hand was inveigling her article of belief. Maybe, she was blindly nice. Maybe, she was too appalled on what these sickening guys might do to her. Maybe, she was just Yeji.

A word never escaped her mouth.

Until she finished up her paper, Yeji found herself absentmindedly staring on the glass board. She had never done that in her entire life. She was so used to seeing students cheat, but seeing herself did it was a different case.