CHAPTER 2: THE SECRET SKILLS

As the principal continued explaining the details of the program, the students around Mikaela began whispering excitedly. Some were already imagining themselves studying in a foreign country, while others were quickly calculating their own grades, hoping they might meet the requirements.

But Mikaela? She just sat there looking bored, shaking her head slightly, and thinking that this opportunity had nothing to do with her.

When one of her classmates leaned over and asked, “Hey, Mikaela! Are you going to apply? Everything is fully covered, right? That would be such a great chance!”

Mikaela simply waved her hand lazily and answered bluntly, “No thanks. I don’t want to. I already find it hard enough to keep up with classes here, so how much more would it be somewhere else? I would probably just get lost or embarrass myself. I’ll pass.”

To everyone else, her answer made perfect sense. They all knew her academic record was nothing to be proud of — so why would she even consider something this challenging? Even Mikaela herself firmly believed that she had no place in such a prestigious program.

However, what no one knew was that behind those low scores and easy‑going personality, she possessed a hidden talent that no one had ever suspected.

Growing up, her aunt had a long‑time partner who was originally from Russia. He visited their home often, and when Mikaela was still a young child, she would follow him around, ask endless questions, and spend hours playing near him. At first, she only mimicked the sounds he made and picked up random words and phrases just for fun. But as the years went by, she found herself actually understanding more and more of what he said.

And since she easily grew bored with standard school subjects, she decided to teach herself other languages as well — Italian, Spanish, and even a little bit of French and German. She did it purely out of curiosity and interest, not because she wanted to impress anyone or earn higher grades.

The only problem was that she never had the chance to use these skills.

At school, no one spoke these languages. Her family and friends only used English or their local dialect. There was no one to practice with, no one to hold a conversation with — so she simply kept this ability to herself, like a secret she saw no reason to share. It felt useless anyway, she thought. If she could not use it, why mention it?

So while the officials were still speaking, and the translators were busy repeating every sentence in English, Mikaela understood every single word that the Russian visitors were saying among themselves.

They were discussing which schools to visit next, reviewing the list of applicants, and even making observations about the students present.

“Most of them look too timid to even meet our eyes,” one man said in Russian. “I wonder if any of them would have the confidence to adapt to our way of life and culture.”

“We are not looking for perfect scholars,” another replied. “We are looking for those who can learn quickly, adjust well, and show real potential. Grades alone do not always reveal what a person is truly capable of.”

Mikaela listened to every word clearly, but she gave no sign of understanding. She kept her face neutral, acted as if the conversation was just meaningless noise to her, and continued fidgeting with the edge of her uniform. She did not want to draw attention to herself, and she certainly did not want anyone asking how she knew what they were saying.

After all, in her mind, What good is being good at languages if I struggle with Mathematics and Science? That is surely not what they are looking for anyway.

But what she did not realize was that the man who had been watching her earlier — the one who appeared the most serious and authoritative — had also noticed something. He observed how her eyes shifted slightly when his colleagues spoke in their native language, and how her expression showed no confusion at all, but rather the quiet focus of someone following every word.

As the program continued, he made a silent decision.

She said she was not interested. She said no.

But he had a strong feeling that this girl was hiding far more than she showed — and he was not the type to accept “no” as a final answer just yet.

To be continue....

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