When the results of the first semester exams came out in the Imperial Academy of Excellence, there was perhaps not a single individual who wasn't shocked.
Amos Black, the heir to the Black Tiger Corporation, managed to secure the fifth place in the freshman high school grade, and obtained the qualifications to transfer to class A!
Although it was actually quite normal for people to enter and exit the topmost class, especially from class B, the number of times a class S student had managed to do so was perhaps only once every several years.
This in itself was already big news, but no one cared about that.
Not even Amos.
Because even more shockingly, Crystal Miller, the undisputed star of the freshmen year, the girl who had achieved the highest score in the entrance exam in the past hundred years… was third.
Even if she had been second, it would have already been shocking enough. But the girl was actually in third place, which was absolutely mind boggling to not just the students, but the staff as well.
So much so that when they had been compiling the results, even Mr. Jefferson, the man who hated working even a single nanosecond more than he absolutely had to, went through all three of the top student's maths answer sheets twice.
But the results remained the same, and so it was confirmed that indeed, it is what it is.
Perhaps the only one who wasn't in shock from this result was Crystal herself, who was well aware of what kind of state her mind had been in at the time of giving the exams.
In fact, she didn't even care what kind of place she got before the results came out.
But that wasn't the case now, because the heroine deeply regretted not focusing more, and not obtaining just a single extra mark.
Because the one sitting right above her position, in second place, was Randy Bourne, that bastard. With just one fucking mark.
And the reason Crystal cared about losing the 'second place' so much, and what everyone was most shocked about, was because… Emilia White ranked first.
First in the freshman year, in the same batch as the girl who held the record of achieving the highest score in the academy's entrance exam! This was an achievement in itself, not to mention that the girl wasn't from class B, or even class C, but from the 'special' class S, meaning that she didn't even 'need' to study so hard at all.
With Emilia's already prominent fame, it was as if the whole school was set on fire, and the discussions about her on the result announcement day were even more common than love gossip.
Especially since love gossip was also a part of these discussions anyway.
"To think that the golden couple actually got both the top positions, aahhh, I'm so jealous of them!"
"Shh! Not so loud, do you want those 'Knights' on your ass?"
"Eek!"
Of course, such discussions only made Crystal's day worse, to the point where she decided, for the first time in her life, to skip the rest of the day to take a sick leave.
Even when she got home, she ignored her concerned mother's inquiries and buried her head in a pillow to let out a scream of frustration.
==
If Crystal was going through shock and regret, then the feelings of the hero could be summed up with only a single word, rage.
No one knew just how hard Amos had worked to get that fifth position.
Long before the Imperial Academy had conducted its entrance exams, Amos had prepared for and attempted it with very thorough preparation, only to barely miss the cut for class A by one mark.
It was a great moment of regret for him, and he wished he had worked just a little harder, or gotten just a little luckier.
Even with all the misfortunes he was going through, he had never stopped studying for this exam. Because he knew that not only was it a requirement to turn the situation around, it would also allow him to get closer to the love of his life.
After all, being together with her in class A, he would not only be able to protect her from the claws of that witch, they would also be able to enjoy more time together, and their love could blossom even more beautifully.
But all of that was now ruined. Because what beautiful love can blossom under the disgusting sight of that vile woman who was sure to follow him around wherever he went? No matter how she pretended otherwise, he knew she would follow him to class A.
After all, there had to be a reason for her to manipulate the results like that.
"That fucking bitch! How can that fucking bitch be first?!"
It was impossible for her to have gained such a position fair and square. Even with the Imperial Academy's previous stubborn attitude, it was possible that they might have bent the knee in front of the White Deer Corporation when put under enough pressure.
That was the only way this could have happened, after all.
Amos knew better than anyone just how dumb that bimbo was. Always wagging her tail around with that retarded looking smile on her face, just obediently doing whatever she was told.
Even if she had started following someone else's instructions now, probably that father of hers, she was still just a pretentious bimbo. Whatever image she projected now was clearly all just fake. Whether it was being intelligent or kind, it was nothing but a farce in the eyes of the hero.
For her to be above him in any way, much less actually take the first place that belonged to the love of his life, was simply a joke. It didn't make any sense at all.
Amos screamed as he kicked another chair down to the ground in his mansion. "Even if you want to do this kind of thing, can't you have some decency, at least? To even strip away poor Crystal's position… truly, the depths you can sink to… there's no limit, is there?"