“Ahem! You all know Kang Joon-Woo was late for his CSAT. ‘Why?!’ you cry? Well, if you read the last chapter, you'd know. But for those loyal readers supporting Love Formula and even for you brave chapter-skippers (you know who you are)... I still love you. Just don’t skip the next one or I’ll haunt your Wi-Fi. Now—FLASHBACK TIME!”

---

[Flashback: 7:15 AM – Town Square]

I was sprinting like my life depended on it. Cold air smacking my cheeks. Breath fogging like dragon smoke. Legs pumping like a K-drama lead chasing a departing train.

Me (yelling):

“CSAAAAAT!!!”

Narrator Robot (zooming into your soul):

"Quick lesson! CSAT—the Korean Boss Battle of Doom. 9 hours. 1 test. All planes grounded. Coffee sales spike 300%. Students cry. Parents cry. Even teachers cry. Crying? Free. Good luck? Sold out."

Mid-sprint, I heard a voice that made my soul trip before my legs did—

Fish Uncle (waving with squid in hand):

“AYGO! Joon-Woo-yah! Why are you running like your shoes are on fire?”

Me (gasping):

“CSAT! Must! Go!”

Fish Uncle (squinting):

“Cat? Why you chasing cats?”

Me:

“NOT CAT! C-S-A-T! The College Exam!”

Fish Uncle (nodding like he understood but didn’t):

“Ah, boring. Anyway, help me move these boxes. You’re strong. Like young octopus.”

Me:

“Uncle, I’m literally—"

Fish Uncle (cutting me like sashimi):

"You’re too nice. You can’t say no. You help now.”

Me (dead inside):

“…Why am I like this.”

And there I was—destined for academic greatness—hauling twelve boxes of frozen mackerel like I was auditioning for “Seafood Olympics.”

---

[Meanwhile Outside the Exam Hall – 7:30 AM]

Dad (rage meter: volcanic):

“If this boy shows up late and says ‘I forgot something’—I’m going to lose my mind!”

Mom (wringing hands like noodles):

“Maybe someone asked him for help… he can’t say no…”

Dad (leveling up):

“WHOEVER IT IS—THEY'RE DEAD TO ME!!”

---

[Back at the Stall – 7:35 AM]

Fish Uncle (sipping anchovy tea):

“Just six boxes left now.”

Me (snapping):

“UNCLE. NO. I HAVE TO GO. CSAT. NOW.”

Fish Uncle:

“Okay, okay! Good boy. Take this dried fish. For stamina.”

Me (grabbing it like a power-up):

“Thanks, Uncle. I gotta ruuuun—”

---

[Robot Narrator spins in—woosh!]

“FLASHBACK OVER! BACK TO THE PRESENT!”

---

[Location: Seoul National Examination Center – 7:55 AM]

Joon-Woo burst onto the scene like a K-pop idol in a drama climax.

Dad (seeing him):

“You look like my debtor who said ‘Dad's not home’ but got caught.”

Mom (trembling like she’s at her son’s funeral):

“Oh no… my baby…”

Dad (slapping his shoulder):

“WHERE. HAVE. YOU. BEEN. You gave us stress that shaved ten years off our lives!”

Mom (cutting in):

“Yobo, enough! He still has five minutes! Focus on what matters!”

Mom (checking him like a detective):

“ID? Admission ticket? Everything?”

Joon-Woo:

“Got it all, Mom. Don’t worry.”

Mom:

“No pressure, just do your best, okay?”

Dad:

“And don’t sass the proctors.”

Joon-Woo (grinning):

“Appa, I got this.”

Parents lined the gates, whispering prayers and giving last-minute pep talks. The cold November air made every breath visible — and every goodbye dramatic.

The school gates loomed ahead like the gates of destiny.

---

[Exam Hall – 8:00 AM Sharp]

Hundreds of students shuffled in, eyes wide, hearts pounding.

Then came silence.

A single boy walked in like a calm breeze before a typhoon.

Kang. Joon. Woo.

Second-hand blazer. Scuffed sneakers. Country boy vibes.

But it wasn’t his clothes people noticed.

It was the calm.

Girl 1:

“Is he… a Daechi-dong genius?”

Boy:

“No. He looks like he’s already passed.”

He walked in like it was a casual Wednesday. Took the back row seat — the “Cursed Corner” as students called it.

Joon-Woo? He called it “optimal eye-span coverage.”

Proctor (sweating):

“Five minutes till eternity...”

He opened his test booklet like a villain revealing his evil plan.

---

Inside the Room

Other students were sweating like they were in a sauna. One kid was literally vibrating.

Joon-Woo? Calm. Relaxed. He even tapped his eraser rhythmically.

Inner Monologue:

“Fear is the real enemy. Let them drown in it.”

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Someone puked into a bin. Joon-Woo didn’t even blink.

---

[Math Section]

Question: Advanced Multivariable Integral with a Möbius Fold Constraint

Joon-Woo (closing eyes):

“If it folds over the constraint… then the axis loops… yes… it reflects through zero.”

He wrote the answer backward. On purpose.

Proctor:

“…huh?”

---

[English Listening – 10:15 AM]

Robot Narrator (popping in):

“FYI, Koreans hate the English listening section more than spoilers and soggy tteokbokki. As seen in 78 Kdramas!”

Speaker:

“What does the woman imply—SKKRSHHHHH—”

Audio dies for 3 seconds. Everyone panics.

Joon-Woo (still):

“She implied sarcasm. Clearly C.”

Circles it without flinching.

---

[After the Exam]

Students groaned. Some cried. Others debated Section 3’s logic question like it was the SAT Final Boss.

Joon-Woo?

He took out a half-eaten sweet potato. Munched. Looked at the sky like it owed him rent.

A girl approached cautiously.

Girl:

“That last question. Rotating cube. Mirror coordinates. What did you answer?”

Joon-Woo:

“They forgot to reflect the z-axis. The question was flawed.”

Girl (eyes wide):

“Wait… what?!”

Joon-Woo (smiling):

“I answered anyway. In case they fix it later.”

He walked off, chewing his sweet potato like a war hero walking away from an explosion.

---

To Be Continued...