Ryu Ji-ho handed his report card to his father, who was getting ready to leave for work that morning.
His grades weren't stellar—not enough to crack the top ten in his school. Since starting high school, Ji-ho had hovered around 120th place, and that's what he'd achieved in his first exams. Still, it was enough to keep his parents content.
As his father, Ryu Min-sang, signed the report card, he asked, "With these grades, can you get into a university in Seoul?"
Before Ji-ho could respond, his mother, Sim Yeong-suk, cut in with a smile, "Doesn't Shinpo High usually send 70 or 80 students to Seoul National University every year?"
"That was a long time ago, Mom," Ji-ho answered softly.
"Isn't this the prestigious Shinpo you're attending?" his mother asked again, still curious.
"Times have changed, Mom. The system's different now," Ji-ho explained.
