The Humanity Formula

Crushes, Coffee, and Concerts

Humans...

Are they inherently good or evil?

It's only natural to want the best grades, to get ahead. To be the smartest. To get the best job. And of course the best jobs make the best money. Money to buy the best things with. Buy the best clothes. To look the best.

The best nose, best chin, best eyes.

Humans want to be the best. They can do good or evil to achieve their goals but I don't think that's how humans start out. Reading any psychology book you'll quickly get down to the core of it: humans are inherently selfish.

And because we're selfish, we hurt others.

...

As soon as the teaching assistant has all of the graded tests handed out, I'm immediately peeking at Hanbin's paper. A 98. Exactly the same score as mine.

The professor tells us lecture is over for the day but most of the class has ignored her in favor of exchanging answers. I grab at Hanbin's test, comparing it to my answers. We studied together and shared notes, so it would make sense that our tests are similar but I didn't want to get in trouble if all of our answers were the same. My lips are pursed together tightly as I peruse the tiny black font and Hanbin's chicken scratch scrawl, stark against the white paper.

"Can we go now?" Hanbin mumbles, his backpack already on, half his ass hanging off the chair and ready to go. "You can do that later, Hayi. I'm hungry."

"Just a second..." My finger taps at a question, looking back and forth between the two tests. Our answers were the same but Hanbin got the question right. I shove my test paper at him, showing the question ruthlessly X'ed out in bright red pen. "Nam graded these wrong, we have to go to his office so he can change my grade."

Hanbin squints at the paper with tired eyes. He nods that, yes, it was the same. He gives the test back to me, standing up.

"Don't bother him about something like that, you still got a good grade." Hanbin sighs, moving hair from out of his face. Did he just roll his eyes at me? "Be happy with your 98, Nam'll just laugh at you. Do you need to beat my grade that bad?"

"Hey, Kim Hanbin." I huff as I stand up to face him, glaring up at his stupid face. "I don't care if I beat you or not. Are you even my competition? It's just about getting the grade I worked for. Why would I take a lower grade?"

I throw his test at him and storm out, stomping down the stairs to the teaching assistants' office. I swing the door open harder than I intended to and immediately bow as I make eye contact with our TA, NamTae. He stifles a small laugh as he watches me bow clumsily, making my way toward his desk by the window. I noticed another student in the room when I had entered but I wring my hands nervously when I see who it was.

Piano Boy. What's he doing here?

I peek at him from the corner of my eye, feeling bad for being loud while he sits quietly with his headphones on filling out some piece of paper.

"What brings you here, Hayi?" NamTae asks with a knowing smile. He just handed out graded tests, of course he'd be visited by students. I feel dumb, knowing I'm just inconveniencing him, and consider just turning around to join Hanbin at lunch.

"Here." I shove my test toward him, slightly crumpled out of anger and flipped to the page where the mistake had been made. I stare down at my shoes as he looks it over. "Hanbin and I were looking at our grades together and noticed there was a difference in how this question was graded. We both should have gotten it right but mine had points taken off."