The second Ms. Elizabeth walked out the door, the classroom turned into a total zoo.
Since they hadn't seen each other all winter break, the students immediately clumped together in twos and threes, turning the room into a massive gossip session.
High school cliques didn't really follow a set pattern:
Some groups formed based on grades—you had the brainiacs and the slackers.
Others formed based on shared backgrounds, turning into tight-knit crews.
And some were just drawn together by looks, hobbies, or just enjoying the same vibe.
"Hey, Mike. Wanna come hang out back there? A lot of guys are dying to hear what you've been up to..." Georgie Cooper walked up to the front row to extend an invitation.
Thanks to his connection with Mike, Georgie had actually gained some popularity in the class.
It was strange—some people might not have a gift for academics, but they had a weirdly magnetic talent for making friends. Even though the semester had just started, Georgie had already used that unique talent to assemble a little squad of underachievers.
Mike, on the other hand, was in a different boat. Even though his popularity had skyrocketed over the last semester, he wasn't exactly tight with his own classmates.
It made sense. When someone is ridiculously good at everything, unless they actively try to bridge the gap, there's a natural barrier. Regular people feel a bit intimidated just trying to get close.
That was Mike's current situation.
Maybe he didn't even notice it himself, but in the eyes of his classmates, he had this "untouchable" aura about him. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but being disconnected from the herd wasn't exactly great, either.
Georgie probably realized this, which is why he wanted to introduce Mike to some new faces.
"Maybe next time," Mike said, glancing at the cluster of slackers in the back row, then at Paige, who was sitting next to him and looking his way. He turned Georgie down.
Truth be told, Mike wasn't interested in pointless networking.
"Come on, Mike, do me a solid. It won't take much time..." Georgie glanced back at his crew, then turned around and whispered a plea.
Okay, judging by Georgie's face, Mike had overestimated him earlier.
He wasn't inviting Mike out of kindness; he just wanted to flex in front of his new friends by doing something nobody else could do—getting Mike to hang out.
Classic clout-chasing.
Of course, Mike saw right through Georgie's little scheme. Just as he was about to refuse again, Lena walked up to the front row.
"Paige, how about I introduce you to some new friends?" Lena asked.
Since Paige was new, making a few friends quickly would help her settle in.
"Go ahead, Paige," Mike said, nodding to the little girl who was looking at him for approval.
The girls in Lena's circle were mostly part of Mike's fan club. It was safe to assume they wouldn't bully Paige. Plus, with Mike and Lena watching, there was no way the little girl would get the short end of the stick.
Besides, for a kid who didn't have many playmates, making friends was definitely a good thing.
Paige was smart enough to get it. She said a quick bye to Mike and followed Lena over to the girls' side of the room.
Meanwhile, seeing that Mike was done dealing with Paige, Georgie tried again, looking pathetic. "Mike..."
"Stop. Fix your face," Mike interrupted, rolling his eyes. He stood up. "Let's go. We can chat in the back."
"Yes!"
Seeing Mike actually agree to give him some face, Georgie cheered excitedly.
Then, looking like he had just accomplished a heroic mission, he puffed out his chest and led Mike to the back row.
With that, aside from a few loners sitting in the corners, the only person left in the front row was little Sheldon, who was oblivious to the world, studying his new textbook all by himself.
---
Class time without a teacher always flies by. In a blink, it was lunch break.
"How are you feeling about everything, Paige?"
In the school cafeteria, Mike, carrying two trays of food, asked the little girl trailing beside him.
"Not bad. The students here are friendly, and the vibe is way more relaxed than my old school," Paige thought for a moment before answering.
Since her dad was a dentist, Paige's family was well-off, so she had previously attended a private high school. Compared to the cutthroat environment of a private school, the free-range style of a public high school was obviously much more laid back.
"That's good." Seeing the little girl looking more cheerful, Mike smiled.
For super-geniuses like Paige and Sheldon, it didn't really matter where they went to school. If anything, a relaxed environment was better for their growth.
After all, for a genius, having a healthy mental state is much harder to come by than encyclopedic knowledge.
Along the way, after acknowledging a few greetings from other students, Mike led Paige to a table right in the center of the cafeteria.
"Mike, did you see Regina and the girls' performance the night before last?" Lena asked as they sat down.
Compared to guys, girls were definitely more gifted in the gossip department.
The performance Lena was talking about was the debut of the "Bombshells" trio (Regina's group) on the National Spring Special.
Compared to the local Christmas shows, the National Spring Special was broadcast nationwide—it was bigger, with way more reach. Most people invited to perform were A-list celebrities.
The fact that the three girls were lucky enough to perform on that stage showed just how much "Miracle Corp" valued them.
Of course, it also proved that the girls had the potential to be massive stars.
"I saw it. Their fundamentals have improved a ton," Mike said honestly.
Actually, a few days before the group went on the national stage, the three girls had called Mike specifically to tell him the good news.
The results were solid. The girls proved with their performance that they hadn't wasted their time; their hard work paid off.
Putting aside a critical professional eye, their debut was a huge success.
However, Mike had underestimated the impact of three young, gorgeous girls hitting the scene.
"I heard reporters are already digging into Regina's background..." Mary said with a serious expression. "Mike, the fact that you wrote their songs probably won't stay a secret for long. It's only a matter of time before those reporters come to the school to harass you."
The sudden rise of the group was a pleasant surprise for audiences across the country this spring. But a group with that much buzz was blood in the water for the press.
To get a scoop, entertainment reporters wouldn't hesitate to go full paparazzi and dig up any dirt they could find.
"It's fine. I can handle it," Mike said calmly. His physical constitution was superhuman; he wasn't worried about reporters.
Worst case scenario, even if he couldn't make them go away, he could easily outrun or avoid them.
"As long as you're prepared..."
Seeing how calm Mike was, Lena dropped the subject.
Guided by Lena, the table—including Katie and Paige—shifted the topic to the new school year.
Naturally, Mike mostly played the role of the listener while the three girls chatted away.
On the other side of the spectrum, the school's outliers, Dan and Sheldon, had taken their usual spots in the library to eat their lunch.
"So, Sheldon, how does the new semester feel?"
Trying to keep the atmosphere from being too depressing, Dan, who had pulled out some homemade curry rice, tried to start a conversation.
"It feels acceptable to be back learning knowledge," Sheldon said earnestly, pinching his packaged sandwich as he thought about it. "Although, it would be preferable if the students in class could maintain silence while I am studying."
"Uh, right. Okay..."
Dan, who had tried to lead the conversation, was a smart kid himself, but he still couldn't quite wrap his head around Sheldon's obsessive attitude toward studying.
The conversation died there, and Dan lowered his head to eat small spoonfuls of his curry.