The cool morning air drifted around me as I waited for the mana-powered bus to arrive, and I couldn't help but let my thoughts wander to the upcoming examinations.
They were just a few weeks away, and the pressure was already weighing down on my shoulders.
Last semester, I'd worked myself to exhaustion, but even then, I'd never managed to surpass him.
No matter how much effort I put in, how many hours I spent memorizing spells and refining techniques, he always stood one step ahead.
Effortlessly occupying the top spot as if it was his birthright.
I frowned, pushing down the irritation that rose just from thinking about him.
It didn't make sense—he wasn't the kind of person who locked himself away with his books and notes, hunched over with ink-stained fingers, driven by the need to excel.
If anything, he was the complete opposite.
