I paid no attention to all of this and dedicated all my time to my studies. Whenever I encountered something I didn’t understand, I would seek guidance from my teachers. My parents even hired a private tutor for me. After school each day, I focused on strengthening my weaker subjects.
Following the second mock exam, my grades improved significantly, and I secured a place in the top ten students in the entire grade.
My homeroom teacher called me into her office, his face filled with pride but tinged with a hint of regret as he patted my shoulder.
“Your friendship with Nash has always been excellent. It’s a shame.”
Another teacher chimed in, “He’s such a talented student! Yet, that Yvonne doesn’t seem to study at all, and she’s influencing good students.”
I quietly left the office, passing by the hallway where I spotted Nash and Yvonne sharing a cigarette. Yvonne exhaled a puff of orange–scented smoke in Nash’s direction, kissed him, and then handed him the half–smoked cigarette.
Nash, seemingly accustomed to Yvonne’s playful nature, skillfully exhaled a cloud of smoke. He wasn’t wearing his usual white shirt but had donned a T–shirt with bold patterns, much like Yvonne’s.
When Yvonne noticed me, she nudged Nash and playfully raised her chin toward me. “Hey, it’s your little crush. No greeting? She’s in the top ten now, you know.”
Nash glanced at me, his gaze strangely distant, as if we had never met before. His thin lips formed two words. “Not interested.”
Yvonne burst into laughter. Ever since Mr. and Mrs. Xander stopped caring about Nash, he had become unrestrained.
Just a few days ago, he even got into a fight with a troublemaker from our school. Coincidentally, the troublemaker happened to be Yvonne’s ex–boyfriend, and he couldn’t resist provoking them when he saw them together.
Yvonne couldn’t stand it and egged Nash on to fight the guy. Nash didn’t hesitate, delivering a single punch that broke the guy’s nose.
Mrs. Xander came to our school for the second time. The wealthy lady, accustomed to a life of luxury, was now humbly apologizing to the teachers and parents.
Nash stood silently by her side, tightly holding Yvonne’s hand without uttering a word. Mrs. Xander was seething with anger, rendering her speechless. Our homeroom teacher, unable to bear it any longer, stood up and scolded Nash.
