Chapter 128 Chapter 128
The next day, during individual study time.
With only a few days left before the dreaded National Chemistry Competition, which was to take place that Saturday, coordinator Antony Wilson was visibly anxious about the progress of the selected students. During the break, he strode over to Katherine's desk and stopped, arms crossed, taking a quick look at the student.
She was leaning back in her chair, with the relaxed posture of someone on vacation, leafing through a comic book.
“Again with a bunch of comic books, Katherine?” Antony scolded, lowering his voice so as not to cause a scene, but the urgency was clear. “The Chemistry Competition is this Saturday! You signed up yourself, didn't you? Hurry up and study. Just look at your classmate, Cauan.”
Antony pointed with his chin.
“He's working so hard that he's already completed and reviewed all the tests from previous years.”
Hearing his name used as an example of excellence, Cauan Laser, who was sitting next to her, immediately straightened his spine. He cleared his throat, gripping his pen more tightly, and looked with almost theatrical seriousness at his exercise book.
Katherine remained unperturbed. Without even looking up from the colorful page of her manga, she replied with cutting dryness:
“I'll study in a little while.”
“In a little while? And when exactly is your ‘in a little while’? Where are your review materials?” Antony sighed, rubbing his temples.
“Don't tell me you plan to show up on test day without any preparation, just to be present.”
With her free hand, Katherine opened her desk drawer and pulled out a thick stack of neatly bound papers.
“I have some materials.”
Antony frowned. He picked up the notebook and flipped through a few pages.
To the coordinator's surprise, it wasn't a jumble of scribbles. There was brilliant logic there. There were certain similarities between mathematics, physics, and advanced chemistry, and, being an unacknowledged science prodigy, the notes connected these disciplines in a way that allowed even the most complex concepts to be understood with frightening ease.
“Not bad...” Antony murmured, his eyes shining with professional admiration. “Actually, this is excellent. Where did you get these materials?”
The materials from Cauan Laser and the other elite students had hard covers, logos from famous publishers, and registration numbers. They were standardized. Katherine's materials, on the other hand, had no branding whatsoever; they had simply been compiled, typed, and printed in an exclusive and surgical manner by the author herself.
Katherine rested her chin on her hand, her lips curving into a subtle, casual smile as she remembered the imposing man who had left this for her.
“A very dedicated ‘older brother’ gave it to me.”
Antony Wilson nodded, satisfied with the answer and not wanting to pry into his student's personal life. He put the chemistry materials back on the table, but his eyes fell on the row of brand-new comic books stacked in Katherine's drawer.
He reached out, ruthless.
“Read fewer useless books this week. I'll keep them for you in my office until Saturday.”
Katherine shrugged and didn't stop him. She didn't care; her photographic memory had already recorded every panel. She had already finished reading them all anyway.
In an instant, the colorful row of comic books was confiscated, leaving more than half of Katherine's drawer sadly empty.
As she pulled out her chemistry materials to finally take a look, she suddenly felt a burning gaze on the side of her face. Turning her head slowly, she saw Cauan Laser looking away hastily and awkwardly.
He quickly turned to the next page of his test, his forehead furrowed, pretending to be deeply concentrated.
“Do you want to read it?” Katherine asked, her voice calm and direct, noticing his interest in the “secret” materials she had.
Cauan pursed his lips. His pride as a top student spoke louder. He remained silent for two long seconds, refusing to look at her, and replied stiffly:
“Actually, no. I'm busy.”
“Oh. Okay.”
She looked away just as quickly, completely indifferent to his refusal, and began to examine João's materials.
It turned out that the entire next class was devoted to individual study. Silence reigned in the room. With the mind of a genius who had designed secret molecular bases, high school chemistry was like reading a children's book to Katherine. She finished reviewing all of João's material in less than forty minutes.
When the bell rang, she casually placed the papers on the table, picked up her backpack, and calmly left to meet Jessica in the cafeteria for lunch.
This time, it was Cauan Laser's turn to be the last to leave.
He attached enormous importance to this chemistry competition. He examined each question with the unwavering determination to reach the final and bring glory to himself.
The truth was that he had never felt so pressured and motivated to study before. Ever since the mysterious Katherine Lutz sat down next to him, he inexplicably felt an oppressive and silent force that forced him to double his efforts. He did not want to fall behind in any way.
Five minutes later, when the classroom was completely empty and silent, the door opened. Dandara, in her perfectly aligned uniform, entered with a smile.
“Hey, genius! Aren't you going to eat?”
Cauan Laser looked up, relieved, and rubbed his tired neck.
“Dandara, you're here. Perfect. Sit here and help me with this question. I've been racking my brain for ten minutes and I can't understand the logic of the solution in the book.”
“Wow, you're really taking this seriously this time!” exclaimed Dandara, laughing.
This was the third time that week she had said something like that.
She had never, in her entire life, seen Cauan Laser so obsessed and dedicated to his studies. The two had been childhood friends and had attended the same schools for years. He was naturally intelligent, but it was only that semester that he began to study as if his life depended on it. “You're all going to participate in the competition on Saturday, right?” Cauan muttered, focused on the paper.
“If you all pass the preliminary round and qualify, how am I going to be able to look you in the face if I fail?”
Dandara's face flushed slightly at his closeness, and she scolded him with the kindness typical of a childhood friend:
“Is there anything else you've been thinking about lately besides that damn test? Relax a little.”
Despite her scolding, she pulled up a chair, sat down next to him, and picked up the test to help analyze the question.
The two pored over the advanced stoichiometry problem. After looking at the calculations and the textbook answer for a while, Dandara also frowned, feeling a little confused. The method in the book was a mathematical maze.
At that moment, as she leaned over, her hand slipped and accidentally landed on the neighboring table. She unconsciously turned her head to look.
“Huh?” Dandara muttered.