I Studied With the Last-Ranked Boy… Then Came in Second Chapter 04

I Studied With the Last-Ranked Boy… Then Came in Second Chapter 04

“Mr. Bennett. I want to write the next quiz.”

Adrian spoke again.

“Our school tests usually use standard Olympiad problems off the shelf. Students can easily find similar solutions online”

“But my private tutor is a former International Math Olympiad coach. He can help me create an original exam. There won’t be any answers online.”

“If Elena wants to prove she’s innocent, this is the fairest way.”

Under his smug stare, I closed my eyes.

My voice was quiet, but steady.

“I agree.”

Back in the classroom, Declan—usually glued to his game—actually asked me first.

“So… you’re transferring back to the General Education class?”

I shook my head.

“The teacher gave me another chance. Next week’s quiz is being written by Adrian. If I score higher than I did this time, he’ll restore my grade.”

“That’s going to be tough. Scoring over 70 this time was already overperforming. Next time might not be so lucky.”

“And Adrian’s definitely going to make the test as difficult as possible.”

He’d hit the exact thing I was worried about.

“I’ll give you a workbook. Forget resting this weekend. Go to the library and get through as much as you can. Ask me if you get stuck. Can you do that?”

My eyes lit up. I nodded hard.

“Absolutely!”

I don’t have talent. But hard work? I’ve got more than enough.

Adrian always told me grinding was useless, that I didn’t have the brain for Olympiad math.

But I still wanted to try.

I spent the entire weekend in the library.

When it closed at eleven, I’d nap on the table, then wake up at four in the morning and keep going by flashlight.

If I got my fundamentals solid enough, no matter how weird or new Adrian’s problems were, they’d all come back to the same core.

By Sunday night, after I’d finished the last practice exam, Declan finally nodded.

“You learn fast. Relax. I believe in you.”

Monday came. The teacher started handing out the quiz.

I sat at the desk right next to him.

The moment everyone received the exam, groans filled the classroom.

“These questions are nothing like what we’ve practiced!”

I skimmed through the test.

The problems really were unfamiliar.

But I didn’t panic.

Following the test-taking strategies Declan had taught me, I started with everything I knew.

My pencil flew across the page.

Just then, Adrian walked to the front of the room with his exam paper.

“Mr. Bennett. I’m finished.”

After handing it in, he didn’t leave. He stood beside me for several seconds.

My heartbeat instantly sped up.

He let out a cold laugh—the same mocking laugh I’d heard countless times before.

My palms instantly went clammy.

The old nerves came flooding back. The embarrassment. The dread of being mocked.

A voice in my head whispered—

Is my work ridiculous? Am I going to fail again?

Then I heard Declan cough softly.

I immediately understood.

He was reminding me not to let Adrian get inside my head.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to focus.

I kept writing.

When the bell rang, Mr. Bennett collected my paper.

A few questions had stumped me. But I’d done everything I could.

The next class was P.E., but the STEM class spent the whole hour discussing the quiz.

I quietly listened from the side, telling myself it was fine if my score wasn’t great.

The exam had been hard for everyone.

Even if my score wasn’t great, that didn’t matter.

My improvement was real. That’s what mattered.

After PE, we walked back toward the classroom.

Just as someone reached the back door, they suddenly screamed.

“The scores are already posted!”