Parents were allowed to watch the test, and I saw Mom wave from her spot along the wall. Dad fiddled with his camera. I was happy Mom traded shifts with someone at the last minute, but having them both there made me more nervous.
“Hey, where’s your mom?” I asked Madison.
“She doesn’t come to tests. My dad brought me. He’s over there,” she said pointing. “He’s the one who pays for all my classes and gear anyway. He used to take taekwondo, too. When he was a teenager.”
“Oh,” I said. That’s all I could come up with. I was too nervous and still trying to wrap my brain around what I’d found out about Madison and the note. I suspected that was going to take a while. But I didn’t have time right then and there. I had to focus on the test.
I looked around at the other students. Some were standing like Madison and me. Others were running in place or practicing their forms.
I tried to avoid looking at the front of the room. I’d made that mistake when I first came in. There was a long table there. The table was covered with a black cloth, which had a bunch of gold Korean writing on it. On top of it were about a dozen folded belts. Most of them were yellow. There were a few other colors, too. But what was scary was the three chairs behind the table.
I imagined the test being like a normal class. I didn’t think it would be so formal. Or have three judges.
At exactly ten o’clock Master Kim and two other black belts came in and walked in front of the table.
“Good luck,” Madison whispered in my ear. “Don’t be nervous, be awesome.”
“Thanks,” I said, “Good luck to you, too.”
“Students,” Master Kim called, “Charyut!”
I stood at attention like everyone else. After Master Kim called roll, he lined us up by belt color. For a change, the white belts were in the front. This didn’t help my nervous stomach. Next he introduced the two guest judges. One was his father, and the other one was his brother. That only made me more nervous. Three masters in one place!
Master Kim bowed us in and wished us luck. Then he and the other judges sat down behind the table. The room went quiet, and my legs went to jelly.
We warmed up with jumping jacks. Landing on both feet at the same time made my tailbone hurt. I tried landing one foot at a time and kicking the other foot out, and that helped. I hoped Master Kim wouldn’t notice I was doing the jumping jacks a different way from everyone else.
We ran through our punches, kicks, and blocks. First, Master Kim called them out in Korean. Then we repeated the command and did it. Lower block, face block, middle block, knife hand strike, front kick, roundhouse, side kick, push kick. Once I got moving, I was too busy trying to remember everything to think about the pain in my behind. Or to worry about Mom and Dad watching. I wasn’t too busy, though, to forget that I was being watched by Master Kim and two other master black belts.