Chapter 245
Chapter 245
At Greenmeadow International School, only two students made it to the Autumn Gold Academic Bootcamp this year: Hanley and Cordelia. Previously, Cordelia, Everard, and Keen were inseparable. Although Hanley was good at math, he wasn't quite in their league.
He could only watch Cordelia from a distance, grinding through problem sets in hopes of catching up to her. The girl who was once his fiancée now seemed worlds away. But then she dropped out of classes to play esports? What the heck? Hanley felt it was a waste of her talent in math!
Cordelia glanced at him but said nothing. Even at Greenmeadow, it was clear Hanley was overly dramatic. They barely knew each other, yet he couldn't help but meddle.RêAd lat𝙚St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only
Without a word, Cordelia entered the exam room. Daisy had saved her a spot, knowing she'd be back today. Handing over her notebook full of recent class notes, she said, "Here you go, genius!"
Cordelia took it, saying, "Thanks." Just as she was about to dive in, Keen's voice came from behind, "Esports fun?"
Turning, Cordelia saw Keen standing there, a slight smile on his lean, somewhat frail figure.
Cordelia nodded, "It's okay."
Keen responded, "Alright then, good luck on the exam. Let's see who gets the top score."
Cordelia replied, "...Sure."
When Mr. Waldron entered with the test papers, he gave Cordelia an approving look before saying, "Today's test includes an extra challenge question. Those who finish early might want to give it a try."
He specifically glanced at Cordelia after mentioning it. This was to challenge her, a math problem he thought would truly test her skills. Mr. Waldron was genuinely concerned for her. If Cordelia didn't score perfectly, he'd have the chance to scold her, "You can do better!" hoping she'd give up esports and return to math prep. Why focus on games when studying is what matters most?
Mr. Waldron, old-school in his thinking, distributed the papers, beginning the lengthy exam process. He paced the room, eventually stopping behind Cordelia, unable to hide his admiration.
Cordelia was a math prodigy they'd discovered, wasting her talent on games instead of competing. He secretly hoped she'd bring home a gold medal in the international math olympiad. To his surprise, Cordelia worked through the problems with ease, barely pausing for the more complex ones. Within an hour, she tackled what others couldn't in three.
And then she started on the extra challenge. Finishing it in half an hour, Cordelia stretched, casually checked her work for mistakes, then stood to submit her paper.
Mr. Waldron, already anticipating her, asked, "Finished already?"
Cordelia replied, "...Got a practice match later."
Mr. Waldron, puzzled, accepted her paper, impressed by her neat, perfect answers. "Have you been studying with Mr. Everett?" he inquired, referring to Everard.
Cordelia nodded, "Yes."
Understanding dawned on Mr. Waldron. "Keep learning from him," he advised.
"Will do!" Cordelia waved goodbye, and as she did, Keen also handed in his paper, offering to walk her out.
"Wait up," he said. Together, they left the room, leaving a lasting impression on everyone.
Daisy watched them go, daydreaming, "They're so perfect together! Why am I so distracted at a time like this?"
Outside, Keen walked Cordelia to the
gate where a sleek car awaited. Everard leaned against it, cool and aloof, his attention on his phone until he heard footsteps. Glancing up, his expression softened at the sight of Cordelia.
Her hazy eyes brightened slightly as she turned to Keen, "I've got to go."
Keen nodded, "...Okay." He watched Cordelia get into the car before heading back alone.
As soon as they walked into the
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gaming house, they caught Karl sneaking a glance their way. The had this boyish, somewhat eerie vibe about him, cautious and on edge. He looked at Cordelia for a moment before tentatively asking, "So, Lia, how did it go?"
Cordelia replied with a noncommittal, "It was okay, I guess."
At that, Karl, Clay, the top laner, and Waller exchanged looks. They all coughed awkwardly before offering her some words of comfort, "Don't sweat it, Lia. It's no biggie if you didn't ace it this time! What matters is we'll nail it next time, right?"
Karl nodded vigorously, "Exactly! Look, we even got you a cake to celebrate... I mean, a cake makes everything better, right?"
It's rare to find someone with a high level of formal education in their circle. Plus, Lia had been so caught up in team practices and drills with them all day, she hardly had any time left for studying.
Karl was genuinely worried. What if Lia got upset about her results? He was the worst at comforting girls!