Become A Star

Chapter 101

The rain had been pouring since night, but fortunately, it subsided to a drizzle in the morning. It is said that the rain ushers in spring, but it seemed like winter wasn’t over yet. The moment Woo-Jin stepped outside, every breath exhaled was blown away by the wind due to the piercing cold. There was still a long way to go before spring arrived, and winter was still here to stay.

“It’ll be warm at the exam center, right? Do you want to carry a lap blanket with you just in case?”

“It’s enough; I’m good.” Even if it wasn't, Woo-Jin still shook his head while closing his sufficiently packed backpack. They kept giving him more and more items to carry along with him, and even though he would be going by car, they had given him too much to carry.

Woo-Jin was on his way to take his first bar exam. His parents were more nervous than him and were anxious the entire way to the exam center. As Choi Min-Woo drove, his neck and shoulders seemed stiff throughout the journey, while the unreligious Park Eun-Soo kept praying to all the gods in the world. On the other hand, Woo-Jin was sitting comfortably in the backseat feeling at ease; he dozed off and opened his eyes only when it was time for him to get out of the car.

“Please drop me off here.”

“It’s still a distance away, though?”

“It’s faster for me to walk from here. If you go around the alley, there is no sidewalk in the first lane, and there are a lot of cars, so it’ll be hard to get out.” Woo-Jin had checked the traffic conditions around the exam venue beforehand. He pointed to the area he wanted to get off at, and as soon as Choi Min-Woo pulled over, Park Eun-Soo grabbed Woo-Jin’s hand and stroked it, just as he was about to get down from the car.

“I’m worried because it’s raining. What if you catch a cold after walking in the rain?” Woo-Jin smiled gently upon hearing his mother’s concerns. He grabbed his scarf and shook it. He felt sorry for the other people taking the exam, but this weather helped him instead.

“Don’t be nervous. Even if you don’t do well, it’s okay.”

“I’m not expecting much either,” Woo-Jin said it jokingly, but his mother glared at him instead. Seeing that his mother still hadn’t given up on her wish, Woo-Jin laughed awkwardly as he got out of the car. Just like how Woo-Jin couldn’t give up on his dreams, his mother couldn’t abandon the ideas she had for her child that easily either.

After repeatedly telling each other to get going, his parents eventually drove off first when they realized Woo-Jin wouldn’t budge before seeing them leave. Not wanting their son to stand outside even a second longer, his parents hurriedly left. As soon as they left, Woo-Jin finally made his way towards the exam venue.

He had to cover his face as much as possible, so he didn’t have the luxury to look around him, but the faces and facial expressions of the people standing under the umbrellas were all different. There were people of all ages, ranging from the early 20s to 40s, with various expressions — some looked energetic, while others looked worried or had nothing on their minds.

The alley was very congested with a line of cars heading towards the exam venue, along with people going there on foot. Even though it only took approximately ten minutes to get to the gate of the high school, numerous people walked past Woo-Jin. Nobody knew if the weather reflected people’s moods or if people’s moods fluctuated depending on the weather, but most people there looked glum. It was as though only this area was from a different world — it was tense and gloomy.

Woo-Jin was very self-conscious, worrying about causing any disturbances towards the test takers. Still, he managed to finish the exam without a hitch. Nobody noticed him even when he removed his hat, mask, and scarf, leaving only his glasses on. People glued to their books even during lunch and break weren’t that curious about the person sitting next to them. The invigilators were the only people that recognized Woo-Jin; they paused for a moment after seeing him but calmly ignored his presence soon after.