Nia turned back to her seat, putting away her English book and taking out her physics test paper again.
Today, I have to conquer this last physics problem. If I can't solve it today… then tomorrow it is. Keep trying.
"Why are you still working on that physics test?"
Romy frowned, looking slightly exasperated. Since yesterday afternoon, Nia had been obsessing over the same paper.
To Romy, it was completely baffling—how could a test paper possibly be more captivating than a handsome guy? In her eyes, there was no comparison at all.
"There's just over a week until the monthly exam," Nia explained as she adjusted her grip on the paper. "I didn't do well in physics last time, so I need to catch up."
Physics was her weak point. To push herself harder this semester, she had even volunteered to run for the position of class representative for physics.
Luckily, she was elected, and the added responsibility gave her the motivation she needed.
With the next class being physics, she still hadn't figured out how to approach the last question. Her teacher, Mr. Tian, had announced that he would focus on this particular problem during the lesson.
As the class representative, there was a good chance she'd be called on to answer it.
That thought alone made Nia uneasy.
What if I get called on and mess up?
No, let's hope that doesn't happen.
Seeing Nia's distressed expression, Romy tried to reassure her.
"Don't stress about it too much. Nobody in the whole year has solved that last problem. Don't be so hard on yourself."
"Mm, I know."
But deep down, Nia felt helpless.
From the seat behind them, Evan leaned forward slightly and gave Nia a gentle tap on the shoulder.
"Hey, Nia. Mind if I take a look at the problem?"
"Wow, you're getting pretty comfortable, aren't you?"
Romy, despite her usual carefree demeanor, couldn't ignore the familiarity in Evan's tone.
"It's only been one class, and you're already calling her by her nickname?" she teased. "Be honest, have you fallen for my Nia?"
Before Nia could react, Romy continued with a playful smirk.
"Don't be shy. Nia's so pretty that countless guys are interested in her. One more or less doesn't make a difference. But you know what? I kinda like you, Evan. After all, proximity breeds opportunity…"
"Romy!"
Nia's face turned pink, and she quickly cut her off with a sharp glance.
Evan smiled faintly, unbothered by the teasing.
"Nia Xi," he said with a calm tone, "you can just call me Evan."
Before Nia could respond, the door creaked open, and a man in his fifties entered the classroom.
It was Mr. Tian, their physics teacher.
As soon as he walked in, the classroom fell silent.
Nia shot Romy a pointed look, making her shrink back into her seat like a scolded child.
Evan caught the entire exchange, his lips curving slightly.
So adorable, he thought.
At the front, Mr. Tian placed his books on the desk and sipped from his thermos. As his eyes scanned the room, they paused briefly on Evan.
The transfer student, huh?
In all his years teaching at Zenith, Mr. Tian had rarely encountered transfer students. The concept was foreign to him, which piqued his curiosity.
"New student," he called out, "introduce yourself to the class."
All eyes turned to Evan.
Unfazed, Evan stood slowly, his sharp features calm and composed.
"Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Evan Leaf—Evan as in evergreen, and Leaf as in the leaf on a tree."
The afternoon sunlight poured in through the windows, illuminating him and adding to his charm.
A ripple of admiration swept through the classroom, especially from the girls.
Wow… he's gorgeous.
No, stop it!
Their thoughts betrayed their flustered expressions, as several girls struggled to suppress their blushes.
Meanwhile, Nia kept her head low, her focus unwavering on the problem in front of her. She jotted down calculations on her scratch paper, seemingly oblivious to the commotion.
Evan noticed, the corners of his lips curving upward.
So diligent, as always.
"Take your seat," Mr. Tian instructed, his tone neutral but firm.
"I'm Mr. Tian, your physics teacher. You can call me Mr. Tian."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Tian."
"Alright, let's start class."
"What?!"
A collective groan erupted.
There were still five minutes until class officially began! How could he just steal their break time like that?
"Enough!"
Mr. Tian's stern gaze swept over the room. "Have you forgotten your last monthly exam scores already? This is senior year, not junior year. Get your act together!"
The classroom fell silent again.
"Take out your physics test papers. Today, we'll be reviewing this test."
At his command, every student pulled out their papers—except for Evan. Mr. Tian noticed and looked at Nia.
"Nia Xi, Evan doesn't have a test paper. Share yours with him, and look at Romy's together."
"Um, what?"
Nia looked up, slightly bewildered. She had been so focused on her work that she hadn't heard the instruction.
"You weren't paying attention, were you?" Mr. Tian's tone softened. "Evan doesn't have a paper. Lend him yours and share with Romy."
"Oh, right. Got it."
Without hesitation, Nia handed her paper to Evan and pulled Romy's paper closer, resuming her calculations as if nothing had happened.
Romy, on the other hand, stared at her incredulously.
I'm just a tool at this point, aren't I?
Evan took the paper, his eyes lingering on Nia's neat handwriting. A soft smile touched his lips.
Her handwriting is just like her—delicate and beautiful.
"Alright, let's begin."
Mr. Tian's voice snapped everyone back to reality.
As he started the lesson, the initial reluctance in the students' faces faded, replaced by serious expressions.
After all, at Zenith class, slacking off wasn't an option.
...
Halfway through the lesson, Mr. Tian paused and wrote the last problem from the test on the board.
"Who can come up and solve this?"
Silence.
Mr. Tian's expression darkened as he set his thermos down with a loud thud.
"You've had over two weeks, and still no one can solve it?"
The classroom remained eerily quiet.
"Nia Xi," Mr. Tian called out, "come up and give it a try."