Wednesday.
Mistvale No. 1 High School (Class 3).
With sunlight outside the window casting a few bright stripes across the desks, the ten-minute break had the whole classroom buzzing.
I turned down Dexter and Baron when they tried to pull me into a chat, and I stayed locked in on a physics competition problem set.
Ever since I triggered the Thought Thief skill at the café that weekend, the way class feels has completely changed.
Boring definitions and theorems don't feel like a wall of nonsense anymore, and they click into place like they automatically match a 3D model in my head.
Instead of passively taking it in and memorizing it like a robot, I feel like the knowledge grows on its own and builds into a system.
So this is what it's like in a top student's world?
The way the ideas move while solving problems is wide and flexible.
Stuff that used to take me endless re-checking just to barely understand now takes one quick look, and the path to the answer shows up right away.
I can even spin out two or three different solutions at the same time, and every one of them is short and efficient.
Do those freaks with natural talent run their brains in this state every day?
Compared to them, normal thinking is slow as a snail.
I looked down at the draft paper filled with dense calculations, and a quiet fear crept up from the bottom of my chest.
Good thing.
Thought Thief showed up early enough.
If it hadn't, then no matter how hard I worked, I probably still couldn't cross that gap called talent.
By the time the college entrance exam ended and the scores came out, I'd be dead on arrival.
As for the side effect, hearing stuff related to Nina every night…
I'm laughing. It doesn't affect me at all.
With that focus buff on me, I study like crazy until three in the morning, and then I pass out the second my head hits the pillow.
I sleep so deep it's like I'm dead.
The horny cries of stray cats downstairs can't wake me up, so whatever tiny sounds Nina might make on her end won't either.
So yeah, Thought Thief is basically an insanely broken cheat skill.
It's strong in a way that makes no sense, and no wonder it shot straight to the ban list the moment it went live.
A one-month trial… damn.
I really want it to become permanent.
That thought flashed through my head, and then a more urgent problem surfaced.
I suddenly stopped writing and sat up straight.
To keep the skill running, I need one valid five-second physical contact with my Thought Source every week.
Oh shit, my lifeline.
I immediately dug my phone out of the desk, unlocked it, and opened that green social app called Fin.
I tapped the cartoon rabbit avatar and typed fast.
[How's your burn?]
I hit send.
Time dragged, and the screen still didn't respond.
The shouting from the sports field outside got more and more annoying.
I tapped my fingers lightly against the cold back of my phone, once after another, and the rhythm kept speeding up.
She's the cheat code I'm living off right now, and she's my ticket to winning the college entrance exam.
If she decides not to come work this weekend because of that burn, or because her childhood friend's girlfriend came to pick a fight and she feels like crap…
If the skill cuts off and I go back to the days when physics problems looked like alien language, I won't even have time to cry.
That anxiety didn't last long, because the screen lit up and the phone gave a small buzz.
[Nina: I'm totally fine now! Not even a scar, and it's all thanks to you handling it so fast that day.]
[Nina: See you at the café this weekend! (Happy_Bunny.gif)]
There was even a moving sticker at the end.
A white rabbit hugged a carrot and bounced around happily.
The tight knot in my chest finally loosened, and as my nerves relaxed through my whole body, I let out a long breath.
Good. Good.
I was about to type a one-word reply, but then I remembered the Fin transfer record from that night.
5000$.
All I did was handle her burn and walk her home, and she paid a full five grand.
That's insanely generous.
My thumb paused in midair.
A top student's favor really never gets repaid.
I deleted the cold reply and typed again.
[Okay. See you this weekend.]
I locked my screen and shoved the phone back into my desk.
"Bro! Let's go. Hit the school store and grab a soda."
With someone smacking my shoulder hard, Dexter's acne-covered face and Baron's big head popped in from left and right.
I capped my pen and stood up. "You guys go. I'm heading to the office."
"Tch, going to play model student again?"
Dexter rolled his eyes, didn't push it, and dragged Baron out of the classroom.
The hallway was packed and loud.
My thoughts drifted to Seraphina.
That woman really is a patient hunter.
After I went cold on purpose to create that mental drop, she stopped all her little moves and totally left me alone.
That hot-and-cold push-and-pull is a killer move on teenage boys with hormones in their brains.
If it were someone else, they'd probably already be hooked, getting restless, and running over to beg for some answer.
I'm happy with the peace and quiet.
Honestly, this sudden calm lets me study without distractions, and I get to enjoy the massive efficiency boost from Thought Thief.
When I reached the teachers' office, I raised my hand and tapped the wooden door three times.
"Come in."
I pushed the door open.
Mr. Liu, the homeroom teacher, was behind his desk with thick reading glasses on, and he was grading papers with a red pen.
He looked up and seemed surprised. "Luke? What is it?"
I walked up to his desk and lowered my head slightly while I put on an awkward, uneasy expression.
"Mr. Lewis, about the physics competition group…"
I kept my voice low and unsure. "My performance at the city competition wasn't great last time, and I might've dragged the team down."
He stopped marking.
He set down the red pen and comforted me in a mild tone.
"Luke, competition takes time. Don't put that much pressure on yourself."
"Mr. Lewis, I've been thinking about my study direction, and I might be better off focusing on building up my basics instead of competitions."
I said the lines I'd prepared. "So I want to apply to withdraw from the physics competition group."
That was a lie.
The real reason obviously couldn't be said out loud.
Seraphina is in the physics competition group too.
That means sharing space with a dangerous person who's basically carrying a timed bomb.
Since I can't predict when she'll use it to mess with me and trap me in a situation I can't escape, I might as well bail early.
Cutting this possible connection as soon as I can is the safer move.
And in Seraphina's eyes, quitting because I got ignored and threw a fit probably looks exactly like a target starting to shake.
One move, multiple wins.
Mr. Lewis thought for a moment and wrote a few lines on a form.
"Since you've thought it through, I respect your decision, but…"
"Your math foundation is strong, and your logical thinking is strong too, so don't waste that talent."
He opened another booklet and spoke in that adult tone that leaves no room for arguments.
"Mr. Logan in the math group has a competition team. Your math grades have been rising fast lately, so go try the math group."
"Talk more with real top students. It'll help you down the road."
A math competition group?
Yeah… that's not a bad thing.
With the Thought Thief buff, mixing with real top students really could push my math up fast.
Math matters just as much in the college entrance exam as physics does.
And Seraphina Xavia doesn't seem that interested in math competitions anyway.
That's a clean separation.
"Okay, Mr. Lewis. I'll do it."
"Good. That's the spirit. Learning more never hurts when you're young."
Mr. Lewis nodded with satisfaction and pushed a printed sheet toward me.
"I'll tell Mr. Logan in a bit and add your name. Fill out the form first."
I took the withdrawal form, and my eyes naturally fell onto the A4 sheet listing the math competition group members.
I scanned it casually, but then I saw a familiar name under Team Leader, printed in bold font.
Runa Selol.