× the assessment ×

                                    

                                          
[Jisung's P.O.V] 
                          
I tap my foot on the ground, clenching and unclenching my fists in nervousness. I know I shouldn't be nervous - we have assessments at the end of each month back at the academy. I'm gonna do fine. But what if I shouldn't do fine? Should I go all out, or should I limit myself so people underestimate me, and they aren't prepared?
                          
I nudge Hyunjin lightly, who's sitting to my right.
                          
"Psst, Hyunjin. Are you nervous?" I whisper to him. Hyunjin scoffs and shakes his head.
                          
"Why would I be? We've been training for this for the majority of our lives, Jisung, you'll do fine." 
                          
I nod, taking a deep breath. Hyunjin's right. I'll be fine no matter what I do.
                          
Hyunjin leans back towards me and adds, "Just don't fuck it up, yeah? Everyone's watching. Show them the best you can do." 
                          
"No one's watching but the judges," I look at him, confused. "It might be better to not do as well as we can so people underestimate us, don't you think?" 
                          
Hyunjin shakes his head back and forth. "There's cameras, Jisung. Our parents are watching. And our district. Do you want to look weak in front of them?" 
                          
"I mean, they only care if we win the games, right? The assessments are just for the everyone here to get an idea of who they're up against." 
                          
"It's more than that. You don't wanna be known as the career who scored lower than a ten." 
                          
"I don't care all that much. We both know we're capable of scoring higher, why not let them underestimate us? It's a solid strategy."
                          
Hyunjin laughs quietly. "Alright, go ahead, hold. back. I would actually like a place to come home to if I win the games." 
                          
I sigh, tapping my foot nervously. "I'm sure our parents won't care much how we do in assessments."
                          
"Maybe yours won't. You haven't met mine."
                          
Hyunjin is called up for his assessment before I can respond.
                          
I give him a thumbs up as he enters the assessment room and the doors close behind him. Leeteuk, sitting on my left, turns to me.
                          
"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Hyunjin's reasoning was wrong - don't worry about your parents, they aren't the ones planning to kill you - but overall, he was right. Don't hold back in there. You're a career, Jisung. You don't wanna be an underdog here. Show them what you can do. Psych them out. Your goal is to leave everyone in this room intimidated and fearing you when that starting cannon goes off in the arena. Got it?" 
                          
I nod, my usual confidence returning a bit. "Got it. I won't disappoint you, Leeteuk." 
                          
"I know you won't. You never have, and you never will." 
                          
Unlike the other tributes and their mentors, I have a strong connection with Leeteuk. So does Hyunjin. Leeteuk has been a teacher in the academy ever since he won his games at sixteen, which was eighteen years ago. Our training at the academy began when we turned five, starting out easy, of course, and Leeteuk had been our strategy and combat teacher ever since we started.
                          
"Han Jisung, District 2." sounds from the speaker in the corner of the room. I stand up just as the doors open and Hyunjin walks out, a smirk plastered on his face.
                          
He holds his hand out slightly to the side and I slap him a high-five as I walk towards the doors.
                          
"Good luck," I hear from behind me, but the voice definitely doesn't belong to Hyunjin or Leeteuk. I turn to see Minji, the girl I talked to in training, looking at me with a face so red it appears unnatural.