Yoona

Welcome to the Annual Mahthathon was printed in red on a banner that was hanging above the stage. It was that time of year when math whizzes compete to get the giant, plastic gold trophy. I dreaded for this mathathon to end, but Mr. Cho wouldn’t be able to excuse me without getting a private interview with this year’s mathathon winner. I couldn’t help, but look at my watch. Watching the small hand strike three made me lose hope, knowing that there were two hours left until the whole competition ended. I kept glancing at it every fifteen minutes. It was as if time was slowing down to burden me. Nope, I’m pretty sure the God of Mathematics is forcing me to sit through this. 

I spotted the participants’ parents in the front row, all smiles and happy. Kidding, they looked exhausted and most of them were on their phones. To let time pass, I played Marble on my phone. I was definitely on a roll because I finally got past level twenty-three. I couldn’t contain my victory so I proudly fist pumped the air. Gladly, no one saw. I checked my watch and prayed that the competition would end soon. 

1 hour and 45 minutes left. 

I let out an agonized moan. The rest of my journalism mates were probably sitting in the teacher’s lounge, eating up the whole contents of the fridge. None of them had the heart to accompany me to watch the five hour competition. Mr. Cho used the I have a meeting excuse. I figured pondering would be the best time waster so I decided to stare at the back of a random dude’s head. The buzz cut is a total disaster. I noticed some pus-filled pimples on the back of his neck. Is it bad that I had the urge to poke them with my bull point pen? After all, I would be doing him a favor. 

1 hour and 25 minutes (of judging the back of students’ heads) later…

“23.5,” Yixing spoke into the microphone. I could hear the lack of confidence in his voice and his feet tapping nonstop against the floor. The buzzer rang and Yixing’s smile soon became a frown. Since he’s one of my closest cousin, I had a huge feeling that he wouldn’t handle this well.

“I’m sorry, but that answer is incorrect,” the judge calmly stated. Yixing kicked his chair with anger and gasps from the audience filled the