Chapter 12 Cheating

Amanda let out a tired sigh as she walked back to her seat, the tension from earlier still lingering in the air. She eased into her chair, rubbing her temples as if trying to push away the lingering frustration. Liam, standing a few steps away, watched her curiously. His mind kept circling back to the man from before. The way Amanda had reacted, the way she had stepped in between them—it was obvious she knew him. But what was their connection? A decent schoolteacher like Amanda and a guy like that? It didn't add up.

Liam finally broke the silence, his voice calm but probing.

"Miss Amanda, who was that guy?"

Amanda glanced up at him, her expression unreadable. She hesitated for a second before shaking her head.

"It's not something you should be worried about," she said simply, her voice dismissive.

Liam frowned. That wasn't the answer he was looking for. He wasn't the type to push for answers, but something about that man felt... off. There was something she wasn't telling him.

Before he could press further, Amanda reached into a stack of papers, pulled one out, and slid it across the desk toward him.

"Sit down," she said. "Start your test."

Liam glanced at the sheet in front of him. The moment his eyes landed on the questions, his stomach twisted into a knot.

Mathematics.

Goddammit.

The numbers and equations on the page blurred together, turning into nothing more than gibberish in his eyes. His brain immediately went into shutdown mode. It wasn't that he didn't know some of the answers—it was that every time he saw them on paper, his mind just... froze.

This had always been his problem. He wasn't the brightest student. It wasn't like he didn't try, but he was the kind of guy who got cold feet the moment a test was in front of him. And now, after missing an entire week of classes, expecting himself to solve these problems was nothing short of a joke.

Amanda, watching him furrow his brows in deep concentration—or, more accurately, deep despair—sighed and shook her head slightly. She knew Liam wasn't the best student, and frankly, she hadn't expected much from him in this test.

But just as Liam was about to accept his fate and prepare to write random numbers in a desperate attempt to salvage his score, he suddenly heard a ding sound.

A notification flashed across his vision.

[Ding]

[System Assistance Activated]

[Displaying Solutions...]

Liam's eyes widened slightly as, in the corner of his vision, a set of neatly written answers appeared, hovering just above the paper. His heartbeat quickened.

Was this... real?

He blinked twice. The answers were still there, clear as day. This was basically cheating... except there was no way for him to get caught.

Slowly, a grin spread across his face.

Well. This just got interesting.

He picked up his pen and began writing, copying the answers exactly as they appeared before him. The more he wrote, the more confident he became, and before he knew it, he was completely engrossed in his work, solving problem after problem with an ease he had never felt before.

He was so focused that he didn't even notice Amanda watching him.

Until—

[Ding]

[Charm - Activated]

Liam frowned slightly at the new notification. What the hell was this about? He glanced up in confusion and was met with an unexpected sight.

Amanda was staring at him.

But not just any kind of stare. There was a strange intensity in her gaze, as if she were seeing him in an entirely different light. Her lips were slightly parted, her posture unusually relaxed, and for a split second, Liam could swear there was the faintest hint of pink dusting her cheeks.

He narrowed his eyes, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Uh… Miss Amanda? You good?"

Amanda blinked rapidly, snapping out of whatever trance she had been in. Her entire body tensed as she quickly looked away, clearing her throat.

"I—uh—yes, I'm fine," she said hurriedly. But as much as she tried to play it off, Liam caught the way she shifted in her seat, her fingers subtly gripping the edges of her desk as if grounding herself.

His lips twitched upward.

So, that's what Charm Activation does.

He decided not to press further, simply shrugging as he returned his focus to the test. He continued writing, filling in every answer as fast as he could.

Amanda, now desperate to distract herself from whatever just happened, kept glancing at the clock. Liam was taking longer than she expected. In fact, she had assumed he would give up halfway through.

Finally, unable to contain her curiosity, she spoke.

"Don't sweat it, Liam," she said, her voice more relaxed. "Eighty percent of the class tried and failed. Just do your best."

She had spoken at the exact moment Liam was finishing his last problem. The timing was almost eerie.

With a small, satisfied smirk, he set his pen down and leaned back slightly in his chair.

"What if I pass?" he asked, his tone light but teasing.

Amanda let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "Then I'll take you to dinner."

Liam raised an eyebrow. He hadn't been expecting that response. His smirk deepened as he leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the desk.

"And what if I score a hundred percent?"

Amanda snorted. "Not possible."

"Humor me."

She tilted her head, considering it for a moment before giving him an amused look.

"If you score a hundred percent, I'll invite you to dinner at my house."

Liam's smirk widened. Now that was an interesting offer.