Chapter 7: The Physics Challenge

"Nia, why don't you come up and solve this problem?"

Ugh, just her luck. The one thing she'd been hoping to avoid!

Nia stood up, her usual calm demeanor faltering ever so slightly. Her eyes swept over the complicated physics problem on the board, and she felt a pang of frustration.

She had no idea how to solve it.

The classroom fell silent, all eyes now on her. Though her heart raced, Nia's face betrayed nothing but composure.

"Sorry, sir. I don't know the answer."

A collective gasp rippled through the room.

Wait—did she just admit that out loud? And with so much confidence?

If any of them had said that to Mr. Tian, their strict physics teacher, they would've been lectured into oblivion.

Mr. Tian's eyebrow twitched. He opened his mouth to respond, but another voice beat him to it.

"Teacher, may I give it a try?"

All heads turned as Evan stood up, his tone calm and assured.

Nia blinked, her confusion evident as she glanced at him. What was he doing? Was he… trying to help her out?

The sunlight streaming through the windows lit up Evan's features, making him look even more striking. Nia couldn't help but stare for a moment.

Every girl dreams of a knight in shining armor, and Evan seemed to fit the role effortlessly.

In that moment, a tiny seed of something unspoken was planted in her heart.

"Oh?" Mr. Tian said, his curiosity piqued. "Well, Evan, you're new here, but I like the initiative. Go ahead."

The boys in the class exchanged annoyed glances.

"Show-off," one muttered.

"Bet he's just trying to impress everyone," another sneered.

Evan ignored the whispers as he walked to the board. Picking up a piece of chalk, he studied the question briefly, then began to write.

In less than a minute, he put the chalk down.

"Done, sir."

The boys leaned forward, ready to find flaws, but Mr. Tian's expression was unreadable as he studied the board.

"This method..." Mr. Tian's tone softened. "You've used principles from university-level physics, haven't you?"

"Yes," Evan replied casually. "You didn't specify we couldn't. But if you prefer, I can solve it using the standard methods for high school physics."

A hush fell over the class.

Who was this guy? A transfer student who not only understood advanced physics but could also solve the problem multiple ways?

Nia's gaze lingered on him, curiosity sparking in her chest.

"Well," Mr. Tian said after a pause, "if you're that confident, let's see the high school-level solution."

Evan nodded and picked up the chalk again. This time, it took him about three minutes to write out the equations. When he was done, he stepped back and gestured to the board.

"Here you go, sir."

Mr. Tian reviewed the work, nodding with satisfaction. "Perfect. Excellent work, Evan."

The class erupted into whispers.

"Are you serious? He got it right again?"

"What kind of genius is this guy?"

Mr. Tian turned back to Nia. "Nia, as the class physics representative, I'd like you to work with Evan moving forward. He has a lot you can learn from."

"Of course, sir," Nia said, her voice steady. It was already her plan to ask Evan for help, but the teacher's comment made her more determined.

Evan, however, didn't look entirely pleased. He stood up again and said, "Sir, if I may, this problem is actually beyond the high school syllabus. I think there's an error in the exam design. Also, your decimal placement on the third line is incorrect."

The room fell silent.

He corrected Mr. Tian? Mr. Tian?

The teacher froze for a moment, then laughed softly. "You're sharp, Evan. Good catch."

The tension broke, but the class was still buzzing. Evan had done the unthinkable—he'd challenged the teacher and won.

Meanwhile, Nia found herself thinking about him more than she liked to admit. Maybe after class, she'd finally work up the courage to ask him for help.