As Noah took his seat, still smirking inwardly, he muttered to himself, “You better fulfil your promise, Mark. Otherwise…” The thought trailed off as he casually glanced around the room.
Suddenly, the clear voice of Ms. Elara rang out, cutting through the low hum of morning chatter.
“Quiet down, everyone,” Ms. Elara commanded, her eyes sweeping across the class. The buzz of conversation dwindled as students turned their attention to the front. Her tone was calm but firm, the kind that immediately commanded respect.
“As you all know,” she began, her gaze briefly flickering toward Noah, “yesterday’s exam results caused quite a stir.” She paused, letting the weight of her words settle over the class. “Many people were suspicious of one of our friends and classmates—Noah,” she said, casting a quick look at him before continuing.
Noah remained composed, meeting her gaze with steady eyes, though he could feel the shifting energy around him. A few students glanced in his direction, whispering among themselves. Lily, seated next to him, shot him a curious glance, wondering what Ms.Elara is going to say next, although she had a hunch.
Ms. Elara continued, her voice growing firmer, “Yesterday, all of the teachers of every subject gathered at the principal’s office. And with us was Noah.” The room seemed to grow even quieter, the air thick with anticipation. “The principal decided to test Noah on the spot, using questions he couldn’t have possibly cheated on, especially since he didn’t know what the questions would be.”
The students sat up straighter, their eyes widening in interest. Ms. Elara’s words hung in the air, charged with tension.
“Each one of us—every teacher present—asked Noah two of the hardest high school questions we could think of,” Ms. Elara stated, her tone unwavering. “And Noah answered every single one of them correctly, without a single error.”
The room exploded into whispers. The students turned to one another in disbelief.
“No way.”
“Is she serious?”
“Did he really do that?”
Ms Elara let the chatter continue for a moment before raising her hand, demanding silence once more. “And he did all of this by…” She paused, her eyes sweeping over the class before delivering the final blow. “…just using his brain without any pen or paper.”
The room was stunned into silence for a beat. Then, the shock hit them all at once.
“Noah is actually a genius?” one of the students muttered aloud, their voice tinged with disbelief. “Has he been hiding all this time?” another chimed in. “Did he just decide to show up right before the final exams?” The students buzzed with conversation, piecing together the mystery that had surrounded Noah for so long.
Lily, still beside Noah, couldn’t help but steal another glance at him.
“I figured,” she muttered silently, as she waited for Ms Elara to continue.
The commotion grew as more students began to talk amongst themselves, speculation flying across the room. Some cast amazed looks at Noah, while others seemed a bit wary, as though they suddenly didn’t know who he was anymore.
Ms. Elara allowed the chatter to continue for a minute longer before shutting it down with a sharp clap of her hands. “Enough!” she said, her voice cutting through the noise like a blade. “Noah couldn’t have possibly cheated. Everything was checked thoroughly by the principal and the teachers.” Her eyes scanned the room, silencing any lingering doubts. “He answered each question immediately, without hesitation, without delay. And he did it all without using ink or a sheet of paper.”
A murmur ran through the class once again, but this time it was quieter and more thoughtful.
Ms. Elara’s gaze softened, and with a touch of pride in her voice, she added, “Noah is a genius, and our school is proud to have him. The principal himself has said that anyone who doubts his exam scores or spreads rumours that tarnish his reputation will be severely punished by him personally.”
As she spoke, her eyes lingered on Mark, whose face had lost all colour. He sat frozen in his seat, dazed, the weight of her words crashing down on him like a tidal wave. His eyes flicked toward Noah, and for the first time, there was no trace of arrogance or malice—only fear.
Ms. Elara’s gaze lingered on Mark for a second longer before she turned back to the class. “So, let this be a lesson to all of you. Hard work and intelligence will always prevail. Doubts and rumours have no place here.”
The murmurs of admiration from his classmates swirled around him.
But Noah didn’t pay much attention to her or anyone else. His focus was on Mark.
Mark, who had once made his life miserable, now sat completely defeated. The tables had turned. Noah had shown his true strength—and there was no going back.
Mark’s hands trembled under the desk as he heard Noah’s voice cut through the classroom like ice.
“Mark.”
Noah’s tone was calm, but there was an undeniable edge to it—one that sent shivers down Mark’s spine.
Noah’s voice had him locked in place, as though his whole body had seized up. He felt a drop of sweat roll down the back of his neck, and he swallowed hard, trying to steady his breathing.
“You remember what I told you yesterday, don’t you?” Noah’s voice was cold, and the weight of it pressed down on Mark’s chest like a mountain.
His body jerked slightly, almost involuntarily, as though he’d been jolted awake from a nightmare. But this was no dream. This was reality, and the terror that gripped him was far worse than anything his imagination could conjure.
“Shit! Shit! Shit!” Mark’s thoughts spiralled in a frantic loop, replaying the events of the previous day. Why did I do this to myself? Why couldn’t I just keep my stupid mouth shut?!
Noah’s presence loomed over him, and Mark could feel every second stretch into eternity as he sat there, too afraid to meet Noah’s gaze. He could barely think straight. Yesterday had been a turning point—a cold, hard slap of reality that left him reeling.
His mind flashed back to that moment after school when the black limousine had arrived outside the gates. The middle-aged man inside, dressed in a crisp suit, had casually inquired about Noah.
After getting embarrassed, he quickly ran away from the scene. But something about the exchange had unsettled him.
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
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