Hiraya took a sip of water, her expression calm. "Just stay focus and calmly recall everything that you've learn so far. If you just panic, it will be harder to think."
"That's easy for you to say. Your even probably studying in your dreams." - Lin Jing said with a laugh
The girls chuckled and even Hiraya smiled a little bit because of Lin Jing silliness. But soon, their conversation shifted as they noticed Stella at a nearby table, surrounded by her own group of admirers. She was smiling brightly, her voice sweet as she answered questions about the exams. But even from a distance, Hiraya could see the tension in her posture, the way her shoulders were drawn tight.
She's putting on a good act. But still a few hours since we were reborn but she's starting to crack. Hiraya thought
.
.
The Chinese Literature exam start at 1 O'clock in the afternoon and they only have an hour and half which was not enough for most of the students.
And soon, the final exam of the day arrive. It was Science.
Hiraya took a glance at her paper and saw that it was a mix of physics, chemistry and biology and it was an easy questions for Hiraya as she didn't strugled even a little bit.
Stella on the other hand, strggled to keep up. By the time the bell rang at 4:10 PM, her hands were already moist, and her head throbbed in pain from thinking too much.
As the students filled put of the hall, Hiraya walked with a quiet grace, her expression serene. While Stella trailed behind, her fists clenched at her sides.
I cant lost to her again - Stella thought fiercely.
I won't.
.
.
The setting sun painted the open grounds of the Academy in hues of gold and orange. It was already 5:45 PM, and the students were beginning to grow retless. The rankings announcement that is scheduled to start at 5:00 PM had been delayed by forty five minutes. Yet no one dared to leave. They still need to confirm to know who top ten of the placement exam this year.
So the students could only stood in small groups together, chatting quietly to pass the time. Some speculated about the rankings, their voices tinged with anticipation.
"Do you think anyone scored close to Hiraya this year?" - A girl asked, Fiddling with the edge of her blazer
"Not a chance." - Her friend replied
"It's Hiraya Zhao we're talking about. She's so smart."
At the edges of the crowd, Hiraya stood calmly, her expresson composed despite the murmurs swriling around her. She glanced briefly at her watch before shifting her gaze towards the empty stage.
"Why are they so late?" - Chen Mei muttered besides her
"Probably double checking the scores to ensure there is no mistake." Sun Yi said
.
.
Meanwhile, inside the teacher meeting room, the atmospehere was tense yet productive.
A large screen displayed a split view of twenty separate meeting rooms, each occupied by principals, directors, and senior teachers from the country's top 20 high school.
In the room representing Capital Academy, Principal Zhu sat at the head of the tabel, hie expression calm but his hands folded tightly in front of him.
On the shared screen, a test paper was displayed, it was essays written during the placement exam. All eyes were on the screen as the group reviewed the essays for more than thirty minutes already.
"Let's be honest." - One principal began
"This essay is already comparable to those written by the top scholars in our country. The depth of thought, the elegance of the arguments… I see no reason to deduct a single point."
There were nods of agreement from the other screens.
"Yes, I feel the same. At first, I thought it might be too generous to award a perfect score, but after reading through it again, I am convinced. She deserves it."
Another principal leaned forward, adjusting his glasses.
"It would be a disservice to deduct even half a point. Publishing this essay in an academic journal would be more appropriate than scoring it in a High School exam."
"I'm glad you all see her worth. Miss Zhao is indeed an exceptional student." - Principla Zhu said with a proud smile
"She is only 17 this year, correct?" - Another principal asked
"Yet, she is already displaying this level of skills? That is incredible."
"Yes." - Princiap Zhu replied