the truth(20)

The air in the classroom is tense, the scratching of pens against paper the only sound filling the room. It's the final year of their second year in middle school, and the ultimate challenge among friends has begun—the battle of the final exams.

(Michael, Emily, Ethan, Alex, Marie, and Lisa are all seated in different spots around the classroom, their faces locked in deep concentration. The teacher paces through the aisles, watching as each student tackles the brutal exams.)

Lisa (thinking): "I've studied harder than ever for this. There's no way I'm losing to them!"

Marie (glancing at her paper): "Alright, this isn't so bad… I think."

Alex (smirking slightly): "Piece of cake."

Ethan (focused): "No mistakes. Just keep going."

Emily (gripping her pen tightly): "I refuse to lose. I'm going to beat Michael this time!"

Michael, meanwhile, is completely at ease. He leans back slightly, scanning the questions with an amused smile. He fills out his answers without hesitation, as if the exam is nothing more than a warm-up.

Michael (thinking): "Too easy. They should at least try to challenge me a little."

The day of reckoning arrives. The students gather around the results board, their hearts pounding. The rankings are listed from lowest to highest, and all eyes scan the board for their names.

Ethan (grinning): "Alright, let's see who's got the best score."

Alex (pointing): "Lisa, you got a 92% average. Not bad."

Lisa (crossing her arms): "Tch, not bad? I was aiming for higher!"

Marie (gasping in delight): "I got 94%! That's better than I expected!"

Alex (smirking as he spots his name): "96%. As expected."

Ethan (grinning widely): "98% average, baby! Let's go!"

Emily (eyes narrowing): "99%... So close! I was so close to a perfect score!"

And then, at the very top of the board…

Alex: "And of course, we all knew this was coming…"

Lisa (groaning): "Ugh. Of course."

Emily (gritting her teeth): "Dammit…"

Ethan (laughing): "Well, well, well, if it isn't the untouchable one."

Michael (grinning smugly): "100%. As expected of me."

The classroom erupts in murmurs as students glance toward Michael, some whispering in awe.

Student 1: "He's insane. A perfect score?"

Student 2: "No one's ever gotten that before…"

Student 3: "No wonder they call him a genius."

As the results spread, Michael's name skyrockets in popularity. The media quickly catches on, and soon, headlines start appearing across the country.

"Michael: The Unbeatable Genius of America!"

"The Brightest Mind of His Generation: Who is Michael?"

"The Most Promising Child in the Country—What's Next for This Young Prodigy?"

Michael finds himself the center of attention at school. Reporters try to get interviews. Teachers use his work as examples. Even some university professors start to take notice.

Alex (grinning): "Look at you, Mr. Famous."

Ethan (laughing): "Michael the Genius. Michael the Unbeatable. The Most Promising Child in America. You got way too many titles, man."

Emily (crossing her arms): "Hmph. Even though I was just one point away."

Michael (smirking): "One point is still a loss, Emily."

Emily (grumbling): "I hate you."

Lisa (sighing): "This is ridiculous. How does he stay so calm with all this attention?"

Michael shrugs, unfazed. "It's only natural."

To celebrate their achievements, the group's families all go out to a high-end restaurant. The atmosphere is lively, filled with the aroma of delicious food and the chatter of excited parents.

Marie's Mom: "We're all so proud of you kids. You've done amazingly well!"

Lisa's Dad: "It's incredible to see how much effort you put in."

Michael's Dad (grinning): "Well, it's not surprising that my son got first place."

Michael (smirking): "Of course."

Alex (laughing): "You're enjoying this too much."

Ethan: "So, what's the plan for summer vacation?"

Emily: "Beach trip, obviously!"

Marie (clapping her hands): "That sounds amazing!"

Lisa (nodding): "I could use some time to relax after all those exams."

Michael (leaning back, smirking): "Sounds good. I'll make sure to dominate at the beach too."

Emily (raising an eyebrow): "Dominate? At the beach? How exactly?"

Michael: "Being the best swimmer, the best at volleyball, the best at everything, obviously."

Ethan (laughing): "Dude, you're already the number one kid in the country. Let the rest of us have something."

Michael (grinning): "Nope."

(The group bursts into laughter, enjoying their meal and looking forward to the summer.)

The warmth of the restaurant fades. The voices of laughter vanish. The lively atmosphere is replaced with the cold, quiet dungeon where Dakota and his group rest near a flickering fire.

Dakota leans against a rock, watching the flames dance as his mind drifts back to his past life.

Dakota (smirking to himself): "I remember being the number one genius…"

(A moment of silence. Then, Liam, Ava, and the others turn to him, giving him deadpan looks.)

Liam: "Dakota… even in this world, you're still the number one genius."

Dakota (blinking, then chuckling): "Oh yeah, I am."

(The group collectively sighs.)

Ava: "You seriously forgot?"

Mia: "Of course he did."

Lucas (shaking his head): "Same old Dakota."

Dakota (laughing): "Well, it's about time we get to the third year of middle school—the final year."

(The fire crackles as the group settles in, preparing for the challenges ahead, both in this world and the one buried in their memories.)

Dakota: "Okay before we get into the third year of Middle School first of all we're going to see the memory of of me being in the beach with my friends."

Ava: "I mean okay that should be pretty entertaining, will be quite entertaining to see what do you think guys."

Liam: "yes that will be pretty entertaining to see."

Dakota: "well let's get into it."

Dakota thinking: you know I really liked this memory, it was a pretty good moment at the beach with all my friends, and the summer vacation was also pretty good. Can't wait to see the memory again... If it wasn't for this world I wouldn't have ever got to see it again. I'm glad I reincarnated into this world.