"Didn't I tell you she was a genius," Violet declared proudly.

Alex, who'd been staring at the floor in silence, cleared his throat. "Yeah, you did... It's just hard to believe someone our age is already a 3rd Circle Mage."

The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

Is it?

"Guys, it's not a big deal," Nicole sighed. "It's not like the entrance exam was that complicated... Besides, who's to say Violet only scored a few points less than me? For all we know, the top twelve students may have all had similar scores."

"While that may be true, ranking third in our grade is on an entirely different level than ranking twelfth," Simon countered. "Not to mention, you're a 3rd Circle Mage."

Nicole rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows there's hardly any difference in power between a 2nd Circle Mage and a 3rd."

"Well, that's debatable," Simon responded.

While Nicole had made a valid point, I couldn't dismiss Simon's perspective either. Being in the top twelve was commendable, but being in the top three was a whole different level of achievement. It was extraordinary. However, I also couldn't imagine a significant gap in the entrance exam scores between the top students, at least from a mathematical standpoint. Just like Nicole suggested, for all we knew, the top students could have all gotten very close scores. As to how the rankings had been decided if that were the case, was another matter altogether.

"You really think you're a genius, huh?" Vanessa suddenly interjected. Something seemed to be bothering her.

"No, I don't," Nicole replied. "In fact, I've been trying to argue the exact opposite. Just because I did well on one simple exam, doesn't mean I'm a genius!"

Vanessa rolled her eyes. "You're doing it again."

"Doing what again?"

"Acting as if you're smarter than all of us."

"No, I'm not!" Nicole exclaimed.

Vanessa scoffed. "Yes, you are! For the last couple of minutes, all you've done is belittle the significance of the entrance exam. You're making it sound like it was a piece of cake."

"Well, it's not my fault I found the exam easy."

"See... You're doing it again!"

"No, I'm not!"

Before Vanessa could respond, Violet cleared her throat and stepped in. "I think what Vanessa's trying to say is that you're being inconsiderate, Nicole. You have to consider that not everyone found the exam easy. Even though I know that's not how you meant it, saying the test was easy kind of undermines the hard work—and intelligence—of the rest of us."

Violet's explanation of the situation was downright on the mark. She'd laid out the root of the issue in a way that was neither offensive nor unsound.

Even though I wasn't offended by Nicole's words, it was easy to see how they might upset others. By claiming the entrance exam was easy, she was in a way unintentionally discrediting the efforts and skills of others who may have found it difficult.

"It seems I was being insensitive after all," Nicole said after a moment.

The brown-haired girl slowly stood up from her chair and bowed her head. "I apologize if I offended any of you. That was never my intention. I'm truly sorry..."

Vanessa let out a weary sigh. Despite Nicole's apology, she didn't look the least bit relieved. If anything, she appeared even more irritated. But why?

Man... I had no idea high school could be this stressful.

"So, Alex... Have you found yourself a cute girlfriend yet?" Violet asked, steering the conversation in a new direction.

"Huh?!"

"Weren't you the one who said your goal was to get a girlfriend by the end of our first year?"

"What... Hey?! That... was a secret!"

"How interesting! Why didn't I know about this?" Chloe inquired, leaning toward Alex.

Alex blushed as he scratched the back of his head. "You guys realize it's only the first day, right? Classes haven't even started..."

"It's never a bad idea to get a head start, you know." Violet winked.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever..."

Violet's smile grew as she turned her gaze to Simon. "What about you? Is there anyone you have your eye on?"

"That's none of your business," Simon replied. Despite his attempt to look composed, his cheeks were a little red. Violet's gaze was making him nervous.

"You know, now that I think about it, didn't you say one of your childhood friends was also attending this school, Simon?" Vanessa cut in. The air of displeasure around her seemed to have vanished.

"How... How do you know about that!?" Simon stuttered.

"I can't recall."

"There's no way you'd know... The only person I told is..."

Simon's eyes widened in shock as they turned to the pink-haired girl.

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"About that..." Chloe smiled apologetically. "I might have accidentally mentioned something to Vanessa."

"Traitor!"

As the conversation in the group shifted to more casual and playful topics, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. My initial reluctance to hang out in a group had faded, replaced by the realization that this was an opportunity I couldn't afford to miss. This was my chance to learn how people my age interacted.

By paying close attention to their conversations, I could get a better sense of their personalities. The way they talked, joked and reacted to each other. Once I had a good grasp of their mannerisms, I could start incorporating some of those traits into my behavior. It wouldn't be easy, but considering everything I'd gone through to get here, I felt confident I could pull it off.

"What about you, James... Do you have a girlfriend?" Vanessa suddenly asked.

Until then, the conversation had revolved around Alex and Simon. The poor lads had been subjected to a relentless barrage of questions from the girls. With their interrogation seemingly at an end, it appeared I was next in line. Despite my desire to be a silent observer for the remainder of this hangout, it seemed that option was no longer on the table.

"No... I don't have a girlfriend."

Chloe, who'd been staring at me strangely, cleared her throat. "Then, how many relationships have you been in?"

Before I could even formulate a response, Violet chimed in with her own question. "How long ago was your last relationship?"

"On a scale from 1 to 10, how cute was your last girlfriend? I bet she was at least a 9..." The barrage of inquiries continued as Vanessa joined in. It seemed she had some questions on her mind too.

Feeling a wave of discomfort rising to my cheeks, I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Their sudden interest in my love life caught me off guard. I had never seen it coming.

What I found even more baffling, was how convinced the three girls were that I had a dating life. I couldn't fathom where they got such a notion. Had I said something to imply it? Or perhaps, was it my demeanor?

Maybe they mistook my quiet nature for confidence, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. As much as I wanted to convince myself that staying silent was a way to learn about other teenagers, deep down, I knew it was just a defense mechanism.

By keeping quiet, I was reducing my chances of saying something stupid and looking like a fool. It was a way to protect myself. But unfortunately, it seemed my plan had backfired. I was going to have to speak up now. The girls had me cornered.

"So... Are you going to tell us or what?" Vanessa demanded.

"Don't even think about lying," Chloe cautioned, moving closer until our eyes locked. "I have a knack for spotting liars."

I hesitated for a moment, trying to formulate a response that would deflect their interest.

"Uh, well... I've never had a girlfriend, actually," I admitted sheepishly, casting my eyes downward.

The confession seemed to spark a flurry of reactions from the group. Violet's eyebrows shot up in surprise, while Vanessa and Chloe exchanged incredulous glances. Even Alex and Simon seemed taken aback by my admission.

"No way! I call bullshit!" Alex exclaimed. "You're telling me you've never dated anyone?"

I shrugged awkwardly, hoping to downplay the conversation. "Yeah, I mean... I've just never been good at dating, I guess."

The girls exchanged skeptical glances, clearly unconvinced by my words.

"But you're, like, super cute," Chloe chimed in, her tone teasing. "I find it hard to believe you've never had a girlfriend."

"Oh... Uh, thanks."

The truth was, I had never been called cute before, and I wasn't entirely sure how to react to the compliment. Was being cute a good thing? Did it mean I was good-looking? The thought left me feeling more confused than anything.

In my mind, my appearance had always been something of an afterthought—average at best, and certainly nothing to write home about. But then again, I didn't know what the standards were for good-looking men these days.

"I don't buy it either," Vanessa declared, shaking her head. "There's no way James hasn't had a girlfriend. I mean, look at him! I'm sure he's had plenty of girls chasing after him..."

Her words only served to intensify my discomfort, and I felt a flush of embarrassment creeping up my neck. No matter how hard I tried to portray myself as a loner with no dating history, my efforts seemed futile. It wasn't like I was making this up. For once, I was actually trying to be genuine.

"Alright guys, let's give him a break. I'm sure he's had enough of our interrogation."

Just like I'd hoped, Violet came to my rescue once again. I felt a surge of gratitude toward her for stepping in.

"Fine..." Vanessa yielded reluctantly. "I'll shut up... for now..."

What the hell does that mean?

"The same goes for you, Chloe." Violet shot the pink-haired girl a suspicious glare.

Chloe took a sip of her coffee before responding. "If can I ask one more question, I'll stop... Would that be alright, James?"

I hesitated for a moment, unsure of what she might ask next. But with a resigned sigh, I nodded in agreement. At this point, I didn't think there could be any more questions that could be as troubling as the ones I'd already heard.

"So, what class have you been assigned to?" Chloe asked, leaning in eagerly.

I relaxed slightly, relieved that her question was relatively harmless.

"I've been assigned to class 1-C," I replied, hoping to put an end to the interrogation once and for all.

"Ah, darn," she muttered, sounding genuinely disappointed. "I was hoping we'd be in the same class."

I glanced over at Vanessa, who wore a similar expression of discontent. I couldn't help but wonder why they wanted to be in the same class as me. It wasn't like we were friends or anything. We'd only just met.

Before I could dwell on the matter further, Violet's cheerful voice cut through the tension.

"OMG... What a coincidence! You're in the same class as Nicole and I! How great!"

"Yeah, it's... uh, great," I muttered, my voice trailing off as I struggled to muster up the same level of enthusiasm. I was taken aback by her lively reaction.

"Isn't this incredible, Nicole?"

"Oh, yes. Totally..."

I glanced at Nicole and saw she didn't look the least bit excited about the news. If anything, she seemed more disgruntled.

Alex and Simon didn't look pleased either. They were throwing daggers at me with their eyes.

"Come on, Nicole, don't be such a downer," Violet chuckled. "It'll be fun!"

Nicole forced a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah, I guess..."

I glanced around the table, feeling a sense of awkwardness settling over me like a heavy blanket. It was clear that Nicole wasn't thrilled about the prospect of being in the same class as me, and I couldn't help but wonder why.

Geez... Am I that bad to be around?

Despite her unfriendly behavior, Nicole wasn't the only enigma I was trying to solve.

Truth be told, Violet's behavior puzzled me more. From the moment we met, she'd been too nice. I wasn't used to people treating me nicely. Especially strangers... I wondered if I was overthinking it. Perhaps she was simply a genuinely good person.

Despite my mixed thoughts, one thing was certain. Teenage girls were proving to be much more complicated than I anticipated. Trying to read their thoughts was like deciphering a book written in a foreign language—one that I had no clue how to interpret.