Chapter 21 – Advanced Calculus

“It’s just a basic skill.”

If you've spent any time at Orbital Tech, you've probably heard those words escape the lips of the most arrogant person on campus—Myrrh Alicent. It could practically be her catchphrase, always delivered with a sultry confidence that dripped with authority. She had a way of looking down on everyone she crossed paths with, her gaze slicing through people like they were beneath her.

But today? Karma had different plans, and it was Myrrh's turn to face it head-on.

For this day, we had Advanced Calculus, a subject notorious for causing dread. Our professor, Doctor Remus, had a reputation across the university for being a terror in the classroom. So, it was no surprise when he handed out a pop quiz—one hundred brutal items divided between WAIFUs and their support units. We only had one hour to solve them. That meant I had fifty questions to tackle, and my partner would take on the rest.

The room had been silent for what felt like ages, the kind of silence that suffocates the air. Myrrh, who prided herself on breezing through challenges, had been staring blankly at her test sheet for over fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, I had dived into my half of the quiz, feeling the strain of each complex problem, but something about Myrrh’s stillness caught my eye.

I glanced at her, and what I saw nearly made me laugh out loud. Her wide eyes looked hollow, her sockets sunken like she hadn’t slept in days. Her pale skin, drawn tight over her face, made her look like she had just walked out of a horror movie. And the way she raked her fingers through her hair, messing it up into wild strands, was the final touch. She was gritting her teeth as if enduring some unspeakable agony.

“Why the face? Are you constipated?” I whispered, unable to resist.

“I... I don’t understand a thing,” Myrrh hissed back, her voice strained. “Seriously, I don’t get any of this... Hnnngh…”

I leaned in closer, a smirk forming on my lips. “It’s just a basic skill,” I said, throwing her infamous line right back at her.

“Hnnngh…” Her breath hitched, and then she began to cry, quietly, her tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. Frustration radiated off her like heat. “I think I’m going to fail... I’m going to flunk this subject... My scholarship…”

Watching Myrrh hit rock bottom like this was oddly satisfying—refreshing even. I’d pay a hundred bucks just to see that devastated look on her face again. Yet, as much as I reveled in her downfall, a part of me couldn’t help but feel a little pity for her. I let out a deep sigh, knowing full well what I was about to say was stupid.

“Just answer whatever you can. I’ll handle the rest,” I offered, half-resenting myself for throwing her a lifeline.

Her wide, puppy-blue eyes locked onto mine, flickering with doubt. “B-but this is a partnership effort... Are you sure you can do it all on your own?” she asked, her voice small and fragile in a way that was completely unlike her usual self.

“What choice do we have?” I replied, shrugging. “I’m almost done with mine anyway. Let’s switch.”

We swapped our questionnaires and answer sheets, and I dove into the mountain of unanswered questions she had left behind. The clock was ticking, but I didn’t let it faze me.

“T-thank you, Zaft. I owe you... another one,” Myrrh murmured, her tone soft and defeated, a far cry from her usual haughty demeanor.

I didn’t respond. My mind was already submerged in numbers. Math had always been my thing, ever since high school. Advanced Calculus might have been challenging for most, but for me, it was almost thrilling. Weird as it might sound, solving equations was like a mental high. Each problem was a puzzle, and the more complex it was, the more I wanted to tear into it.

But now, my workload had doubled. I had to think faster, solve quicker, all while the seconds bled away on the clock.

As I furiously scribbled away, Myrrh rested her chin on her hand, her defeated expression replaced by a small, almost peaceful smile. She just watched me, quiet and content, as if the storm raging inside her had finally passed.

<><><>

The bell echoed through the university’s P.A. system, signaling the end of our final subject for the day. A collective sigh of relief swept through the classroom as students slumped in their chairs, exhausted from the ordeal. That so-called “pop quiz” had felt more like a surprise exam, dragging on for a full hour with its hundred questions. My hand throbbed from the strain of tackling two workloads, and my head was still spinning with numbers—sin, cos, integrals—all jumbled together in a mathematical haze. I had a feeling I’d be dreaming about formulas the moment my head hit the pillow tonight.

“Haaa…” Neil, who sat in front of me, let out a long, tired sigh. “That pop quiz was brutal.”

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Really? I actually found it enjoyable,” his WAIFU partner, Fei Xian, responded with a calm smile. Her serene demeanor was such a contrast to the stress in the room. “I think I got forty-nine out of fifty on my half.”

Neil turned to her, his expression shifting from exhaustion to admiration. “Wow! You’re amazing, Fei! I hope your score can carry me through this mess!”

Fei blushed slightly, twirling a strand of her long black hair between her fingers. “I hope so,” she said, her voice soft. “But I think you did well too, Neil.”

Neil shook his head with a self-deprecating chuckle. “Not as good as you, though.”

As their conversation flowed, Myrrh, still somewhat deflated from the exam, edged closer. Her usual confident energy was muted, but she tried to reinsert herself into the conversation with a hesitant, “Um, hey… Miss Fei.”

“Ah, Miss Myrrh!” Fei greeted her with a warm smile. “How was the surprise exam? Are you going to ace it again, like you always do in every other subject?”

Neil chimed in, his voice brimming with admiration. “Yeah, you’re incredible! You’re such a Miss Perfect. I bet Myrrh Alicent will be getting another perfect score!”

“Ahahaha…” Myrrh let out a nervous laugh, her cheeks flushing slightly as she scratched the side of her face. “Actually... I needed some help with the Advanced Calculus exam.”

She shot a quick glance in my direction. I was still slumped over the table, mentally wrestling with the remnants of double integrals and quadrant formulas swirling in my head. The aftereffects of that monstrous test clung to me like a fog, and I was in no mood to engage. Listening to the conversation around me was all I could manage as I tried to shake off the calculus hangover.

Myrrh then turned her gaze back to Fei, who tilted her head, slightly puzzled. “Zaft actually ended up doing my entire workload this time. I don’t want to drag him down, though, so... could you teach me how to solve these Advanced Calculus problems?” she asked, her voice softening as she swallowed her pride. It was rare to see Myrrh ask for help, and she did so now with a quiet humility that felt almost out of character.

Fei glanced at Neil, and they exchanged a brief look before both of them smiled. Fei’s expression brightened as she looked back at Myrrh, her eyes shining with sincerity. “I’d be happy to help! Actually, I’ve been wanting to learn more about how you move your Frame Unit so efficiently during our practical exams!”

“Let’s form a study group!” Myrrh’s eyes lit up as she clasped Fei’s hands, excitement creeping back into her voice.

“Yeah, let’s!” Fei beamed, her enthusiasm infectious.

“Can I join, too?” Neil asked, leaning forward with a hopeful grin.

“Of course! The more, the merrier!” Myrrh replied, her usual confident smile softening into something kinder, more genuine.

I always knew Myrrh had a friendly side, but I never expected her to swallow her pride just for the sake of a scholarship. Then again, with her and her mother barely scraping by, she couldn’t afford to hold on to that arrogance for long. She had a lot riding on this, and it seemed like her usual bravado had finally cracked.

“Hey.” Myrrh nudged my arm gently, snapping me out of my thoughts. “What about you? Are you going to join the study group?”

“Wat?” I exaggerated a sluggish response, pretending I hadn’t been paying attention.

“C’mon, join us, Zaft,” Neil chimed in, leaning over his desk with a grin.

“I’d love to study with you, Mister Callahan!” Fei added, her excitement bubbling over as she pumped her fists in the air, looking at me with an eager smile.

I turned slowly, meeting Myrrh’s gaze with a deliberately disinterested glare. “You already have Fei to teach you Advanced Calculus. What the hell do you still need me for?”

Myrrh blinked, flustered by the question, then fumbled for an answer. “W-well, as I said earlier... the more, the merrier… haha,” she said, forcing a laugh that was as awkward as it was fake. Then she leaned in closer, trying to be charming, her voice shifting into something almost pleading. “Please, pretty please, with a cherry on top.”

“Fine, fine,” I sighed, rolling my eyes in mock annoyance.

“Great!” Myrrh’s face lit up as she clapped her hands, and Neil and Fei joined in, their faces equally bright with enthusiasm.

And just like that, our little study group was born, with a mix of excitement and... dread hanging in the air.

<><><>

For the first session of our motley study group, we gathered in the bustling cafeteria. The cold weather outside made the sweet warmth of hot chocolate feel even more comforting as we settled in, books and notes spread across the table. Fei took the lead, patiently teaching Myrrh some Advanced Calculus tricks—things that even I hadn’t known. She had a natural way of explaining concepts, and Myrrh, for once, seemed genuinely attentive. But once the serious studying came to an end, the conversation drifted into something more casual.

It was Myrrh who broke the ice, of course.

“You know,” she said, her voice laced with a teasing tone and her lips curling into a smug smile, “I’ve noticed you two get along really well. Are you… lovers?”

Fei’s entire face turned the shade of a ripe strawberry, and Neil looked just as caught off guard by the sudden question.

“Huh? Oh, well…” Fei stammered, her blush deepening as she tried to find her words.

“We’re not quite at that level yet,” Neil quickly added, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, clearly thrown by Myrrh’s boldness.

“Y-yeah, that’s right,” Fei agreed, her voice soft and shy. “First, we have to be friends, and once we know each other well, maybe... w-we can think about love…”

Her blush lingered as she said those last words, and the air between her and Neil suddenly felt charged with something unspoken.

But Neil wasn’t going to let Myrrh off so easily. With a grin, he shot the teasing question back at us. “How about you two? You seem to know a lot about each other. Were you guys… past lovers? Like ex-boyfriend and ex-girlfriend?”

“No, no way,” I replied instantly, my voice colder than I intended as I shook my head emphatically.

“Did Miss Myrrh reject you, and now you hate her?” Fei asked, her curiosity getting the better of her, eyes wide with interest.

“Of course not,” I said, sitting up a little straighter, my tone suddenly full of pride. “I’ll have you know, I’ve never been rejected in my entire life.”

Myrrh’s smirk widened, and she leaned back in her chair with a chuckle. “That sounds good for a lady killer. But coming from a hooligan like you?” She paused for effect, letting her gaze linger on me before finishing with a mischievous grin. “It makes you sound more like an incel.”

It’s almost funny how fast things turned—how a girl who was nearly in tears a few hours ago now sits across from me, teasing me with that same smug grin. I should’ve just let her crash and burn.