Return of the Genius Photographer

As night fell, the streetlights illuminated the alleys.

Following the orange glow of the streetlights through the maze-like alleyways led to my home.

A house with a blue roof and grayish-white walls.

Knowing that this neighborhood would eventually disappear due to redevelopment made it all the more nostalgic for me.

I stood outside, staring at the house, and then entered with a smile.

“I’m home.”

“You’re back? You’re quite late.”

As soon as I walked in, my mother greeted me. It seemed she had been waiting for me to return.

“Where’s Dad?”

“He went out for a work dinner with his colleagues. Not sure when he’ll be back.”

I nodded at my mother’s words, feeling relieved inside.

I needed to tell them about the photography job interview and that I needed their consent to work.
Convincing both parents at once would be tough, especially since my father was more challenging to persuade.

I needed to convince my mother first before my father returned.

“What? A part-time job?”

My mother asked, as if she hadn’t heard correctly.

“Yes. I went for an interview today. To work, I need a parental consent form. Could you please sign it?”

“No.”

When I explained again, my mother flatly refused.

“You’re a student, you should be studying. If you need money, I’ll increase your allowance.”

Her reaction was somewhat expected. Even in my past life, my mother was against me working early.

She wanted me to study hard and go to a good college, like other children.

My parents wanted me to have a respectable job, unlike their own.

They felt guilty for not being able to afford proper tutoring for me due to our financial situation.

“Woojin, you can always earn money later. There’s a time for everything. Don’t regret it, just focus on your studies.”

My mother said the same when I declared I was moving to the US.

She got so upset that she eventually cried.

I still remember her face vividly from that time. I promised her I would return successful.

But all I ended up showing her was a son who lost everything and became blind.

What a good-for-nothing son I turned out to be.

Maybe my mother was right. My life before I regressed was full of regrets.

Hiding my guilt, I answered my mother.

“Mom, it’s not just about the money. This is something I really want to do.”

My mother looked at me intently. Her face was reflected in my eyes.

She looked younger than I remembered.

Thinking about it, my mother’s current age was younger than I was before I returned. No wonder she looked young.

Because of that, her angry face didn’t scare me but looked rather endearing.

“I know what you’re worried about, Mom. But there’s nothing to worry about.”

I meant it. My parents would never have to worry about me again.

Not just in terms of my studies, but my future as well.

But first, I had to get through this hurdle.

I spoke the words I had prepared to persuade her.

“You can even make a bet with me. If I achieve the grades you want, you sign the consent form. How about that?”

My mother was silent. She seemed surprised by my confidence and was probably wondering what grade I would propose.

“Alright, if you rank within the top 50 in your grade, I’ll sign the consent form.”

“Top 50?”

“Yes. Does it seem too hard? If you can’t achieve that, the consent form is off the table.”

She spoke firmly after making up her mind.

I had asked again because it seemed too easy, but she misunderstood.

Well, there’s no need for me to correct her.

To my mother, a top 50 rank probably seemed very high.

In high school, my grades were so bad that I couldn’t even get into a common local university.

“Alright, I’ll rank within the top 50.”

“Okay, no backing out later.”

I readily agreed to the condition. My mother seemed certain I couldn’t do it, but we’ll see.

As I said, the trick to making a deal isn’t to make the other party accept, but to make it so they can’t refuse.

Considering who was leading this conversation, the outcome was obvious.

*****

The day of the exam arrived.

“Once it’s time, the English broadcast will start. Quickly turn over your test papers and start writing your name first.”

Our homeroom teacher, Kim Yongcheol, distributed the exam papers while urging the students.

As soon as the broadcast began, all the students in the classroom perked up their ears and focused on the sound coming from the speakers.

Kim Yongcheol quietly walked between desks, observing the students.

‘Look at this guy.’

Among the students focused on the exam and the broadcast, one student caught his eye.

‘Ah, him. Of course he’d give up on this exam too.’

Yongcheol sighed softly as he confirmed the face of Woojin, the protagonist who consistently ranked near the bottom of the class with an average grade of 7.

True to his reputation among teachers as ‘Lucky Seven,’ it was certain he had given up on this exam as well.

Leaning back comfortably, Woojin stretched out his arms, briskly checking off the exam questions.

It was unclear whether he was listening to the broadcast or not.

And the same attitude continued after the broadcast ended.

Wasn’t this an English exam? Even just reading the passage would take quite some time.

He was solving the problems so quickly that it made one wonder if he was actually reading.

Yongcheol wanted to scold him for his lack of sincerity, but he decided not to disturb the other students who were concentrating.

Instead, he glared at Woojin with furrowed brows.

Meanwhile, Woojin was effortlessly checking off the answers.

‘Is English supposed to be this easy?’

His speed was so fast that others might suspect he was guessing, but Woojin was honestly reading and solving the questions.

After all, having started from scratch in the U.S. and lived there using English like a native language, high school English exams were a piece of cake, even if he didn’t know much about grammar.

He had almost finished solving all the problems effortlessly. All that remained was transferring the answers to the OMR card.

Even including the time for the English broadcast, not even 30 minutes had passed since the start of the exam.

‘Hmm?’

Before marking the OMR card, he leisurely glanced at the time and locked eyes with Yongcheol.

His homeroom teacher was giving him a cold stare, his expression clearly displeased.

Ah, could he be mistaking that I’ve already finished marking all of them?

He almost chuckled at the thought but restrained himself to avoid causing a misunderstanding.

Let’s wait and see. The results will speak for themselves soon.

***

Kim Yongcheol struck the table with a stick.

“Alright, quiet down. The grades you’ve been waiting for are out today.”

Skillfully grabbing the attention of the students, Yongcheol delivered the news, eliciting sighs and surprise all around.

“Oh, why?”

“Is it already out? I’m doomed.”

“How am I supposed to show this to my mom…”

Although the murmuring grew louder, Yongcheol continued without paying any attention.

“Starting now, I’ll call each of you up one by one. Come forward to receive your grades. I’ll be contacting your parents, so make sure to show them.”

As Yongcheol called out each name, the students stood up to receive their grade sheets.

‘It seems like this exam was quite difficult.’

Observing the students collecting their grade sheets, Yongcheol speculated.

With ten years of experience as a homeroom teacher, he could now easily discern how the students had performed on the exams without even looking at their grades.

But was it because this exam was particularly challenging?

He couldn’t spot any notably bright students among them.

‘Well, whatever.’

This atmosphere wasn’t exactly Yongcheol’s cup of tea.

Because it was the teacher’s role to lift the spirits of the class when the mood became gloomy.

As a neighboring homeroom teacher once said, motivating a comrade whose morale has dropped is the mark of a great leader.

Anyway, what should he say? Yongcheol pondered.

And then, Woojin’s name was called.

“Nam Woojin.”

At that moment, Yongcheol paused.

‘Oh, right! That guy!’

The moment he read the name, he remembered.

It was the name that had been circulating among the teachers since this morning’s meeting: the miraculous ‘Lucky Seven’ who had shown significant improvement in grades.

Yongcheol thought of a good idea and refocused the students’ attention.

“Everyone, pay attention!”

With Yongcheol’s call, all eyes turned to Woojin.

“I’m not sure if everyone knows, but Woojin’s grades have improved significantly this time. Let’s give him a round of applause!”

As Yongcheol clapped, the students followed suit, applauding Woojin.

“How much did his grades improve?”

“He’s first in our class. Seventh in the whole school!”

“Seventh? That’s amazing!”

“He used to be around 210th.”

“I heard he got a perfect score alone on this English exam?”

“Wow, is that even possible?”

The students’ murmurs about Woojin increased, asking questions about him.

However, amidst the noisy classroom, Woojin himself remained indifferent.

“Don’t feel too down just because you didn’t do well on this exam. You can do better on the next one. Look at Woojin; anyone can do it.”

Yongcheol struck the desk again, quieting down the noisy students.

“Anyway, that’s the end of today’s session. Don’t hang out too much this weekend; go straight home.”

***

Woojin’s school occasionally allowed early dismissal without evening self-study sessions on Saturdays, known as “Fun Saturdays.”

Young-ho, who had been friends with Woojin since childhood, walked in the same direction after school.

“Congrats, man.”

“For what?”

Young-ho matched Woojin’s stride, saying, “You studied without taking it easy, and your grades shot up.”

“It’s only natural. So what?” Woojin replied indifferently.

Honestly, I don’t understand why everyone is making such a fuss.

Is it really so surprising that my grades have improved? Studying is one of the most straightforward things there is.

I mean, I can understand why Young-ho is impressed, since he’s always seen me up close. But others… I wonder if this deserves such applause.

School studies pay off as much as you put in.

Though it is nothing compared to the effort I put into becoming a photographer in my past life.

Back then, I didn’t know anything, but I had to keep learning endlessly to make a living.

Making a living is the hardest thing, no matter where you go.

‘I’ve even spent three days and nights waiting just to capture a leopard in Kilimanjaro.’

I’ve spent over 20 years pondering the unanswerable question of ‘how to take beautiful pictures?’

This high school exam with predefined answers is not even on the difficult end of the spectrum.

Effort was my greatest weapon during my challenging past life.

Moreover, perhaps because I’m younger now, my brain absorbs knowledge like a sponge.

“Hey Woojin, what are you planning to do with all this studying?”

At that moment, Young-ho asked.

Why is he asking this out of nowhere? Without answering, I stared at Young-ho until he continued.

“Suddenly seeing how hard you’re working, I wonder if I should change too… But I’m not sure what I should do. What about you later?”

Young-ho had a serious expression, which was unusual for him.

I wasn’t sure if he was inspired by me or if he was just hitting puberty and starting to think more deeply about the future.

‘I don’t really like to talk about myself…’

But if my friend is worried, I can’t just keep quiet. Young-ho is one of the few friends in my life.

“I’m going to become a very successful photographer.”

I answered Young-ho. Without saying anything, Young-ho nodded.

He seemed to be thinking deeply about something. Well, he has a lot to think about.

“Hey, Young-ho. Just do what you want. Don’t think too hard. I’m off. See you next time.”

I said goodbye to Young-ho, patting him slightly on the shoulder. There was still quite a distance ahead, but it was better to part ways early.

He probably needs some time alone right now.

If the opportunity arises, maybe I’ll give him life advice as an adult next time.

I feel sorry for Young-ho, but I have important matters to attend to.

I had to go home to see my mother as soon as possible. I was curious to see her reaction.