Chapter 19 

The students stood in line by class. There were two advanced classes, six honor classes, six general classes, and six liberal arts classes. Altogether, there were 20 groups made up of a large crowd. 

First, Timothy Thompson, the principal of Linkon First High School, spoke. Then, Matthew Sullivan, the vice principal for the senior year, took the stage. 

Their speeches were nothing new. 

“Students, we’re here today for this motivational assembly. The main goal is to…” 

Nathan had heard such clichés too many times. He was numb to them. He even wondered if all school leaders nationwide gave the same speech. Why couldn’t they learn from someone like the committee chair? 

“Everything is vibrant and flourishing, right before our eyes.” 

Now, that sounded better. 

When the school leaders finished, it was time for the student representative to lead everyone in taking the pledge. 

The student chosen to lead the pledge was from Class One, who had scored over 680 points in the third semester’s exams. He was ranked second in the school. 

The top scorer, of course, was Lily Aeris, the academic prodigy. She was the only student to score over 700 points. 

She was supposed to lead the pledge, but her severe social anxiety kept her from doing so. 

“Fellow students, after 12 years of dedication and three intense years of study, we’re just 30 days away from the exams that will shape our future. 

“We’ve aimed for distant horizons, so let’s not fold our wings. Youth knows no fear, and chasing our dreams brings triumph. Push through the darkness, and the dawn will be ours.” 

The student representative would say a line, and the students below would repeat it. 

Nathan moved his lips but didn’t make a sound. In his head, he couldn’t help but criticize, wondering who came up with that pledge. It was so cringy. 

However, as the pledge went on, Nathan noticed that many students around him were getting emotional. Even Oscar, standing right beside him, had tears welling up in his eyes. 

It was dramatic, but this was what youth was all about. 

Again, Nathan was the rare exception. No one could experience both youth and fully grasp its meaning as he could. 

Chapter 14 

Finally, the pledge ended. Just when they were about to be dismissed, the grade dean took the stage again. After talking for a while, he smiled and said, “In this recent exam, Nathan from Class Six performed exceptionally well, improving his score by nearly 80 points from his last 

exam. 

“Let’s welcome Nathan to the stage to share his study tips.” 

With that, the dean began to clap, leading the applause. But only a few students joined in. 

It was 5:00 pm, and the sun was still beating down. Everyone was hot and irritable. Who wanted to hear Nathan–whatever–his–name–was study tips? 

Especially the students in the advanced classes, who all looked annoyed. 

Why should they bother to listen to some honor class kid who just got lucky with his high score and now wanted to share his study tips? 

In the midst of the awkward silence, a slender figure began clapping enthusiastically. 

Her face was flushed, and her almond–shaped eyes were slightly narrowed. The only person clapping from the advanced classes was Lily. 

Nathan walked briskly to the podium, picked up the microphone, and spoke calmly. 

“Hello, everyone. I’m Nathan Frank from Class Six.” 

At that moment, the sunlight was just right, and the breeze was soft and comforting. 

Below, the crowd of over a thousand students couldn’t care less about what he had to say. Except for the girl with rosy cheeks, whose palms were reddened from clapping too eagerly. 

Just being able to hear Nathan speak was enough to make her happy.