Chapter 4 – The Boy I Never Noticed

The afternoon sun streamed through the classroom windows, casting long golden shadows across the desks.

The final bell had rung nearly twenty minutes ago.

Most of the students had already gone home.

Only a handful remained.

Serena Sinclair sat quietly in her seat, surrounded by textbooks and practice papers.

Her eyes were fixed on a difficult mathematics problem.

"...Why is it still wrong?"

She checked her calculations again.

Then erased them.

The paper was soon covered with messy eraser marks.

She frowned.

"I remember my first life..."

"I remember every regret."

"But I don't remember mathematics."

She let out a helpless laugh.

"So changing my future won't be as easy as I thought."

She picked up her pen again.

Five minutes passed.

Ten minutes...

The answer was still wrong.

She rested her forehead on the desk.

"I can't even solve one question..."

"What makes me think I can get into a top university?"

Just as she was about to close the book...

A calm voice sounded beside her.

"You're using the wrong formula."

Serena looked up in surprise.

Standing beside her desk was a tall boy with neatly arranged books in his arms.

His expression remained calm as always.

It was Ethan Hayes.

The quiet student who always ranked among the top three in the class.

In her previous life...

She had never once spoken to him.

No...

She hadn't even noticed him.

Ethan pointed at the notebook.

"May I?"

Serena immediately slid it toward him.

"Of course."

He glanced over the page for a few seconds before shaking his head.

"Your method isn't wrong."

She blinked.

"It isn't?"

"No."

He picked up a pencil.

"You skipped an important step."

Instead of writing the answer himself, he wrote only the first equation.

"Try solving it from here."

Serena stared at the page.

She followed his steps carefully.

One line...

Two lines...

Three lines...

Her eyes slowly widened.

"Oh..."

"I understand now!"

A bright smile appeared on her face.

"So that's where I made the mistake!"

Ethan nodded.

"Exactly."

"If you rush through the steps, even a small mistake changes the entire answer."

Serena looked at him with genuine gratitude.

"Thank you."

"I've been stuck on this question for almost half an hour."

"It's nothing."

He closed the notebook.

"You figured it out yourself."

"I only reminded you where to look."

His words surprised her.

In her first life...

Whenever she asked someone for help, they either laughed at her or simply gave her the answer.

No one had ever patiently guided her.

For some reason...

She felt warmth spreading through her heart.

"Ethan..."

He looked at her.

"This is the first time someone has actually taught me instead of solving everything for me."

A hint of surprise flashed across his eyes.

Then he smiled faintly.

"Understanding is more important than memorizing."

Serena lowered her gaze.

"I wish I had understood that earlier."

There was a brief silence.

She took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

She hesitated.

"I know we're not close."

"And I know this might sound strange."

"But..."

She looked at him seriously.

"I really want to improve my grades."

"I'm willing to work hard."

"If there are questions I don't understand..."

"Would you teach me?"

Ethan studied her quietly.

Everyone in class knew Serena Sinclair.

She was the wealthy young lady who hated studying.

She skipped homework.

She loved shopping.

She spent all her time following Nathan Cole around.

But the girl standing before him now...

Was completely different.

Her eyes were determined.

There wasn't a trace of arrogance.

Instead...

She looked like someone who genuinely wanted a second chance.

He asked softly,

"Will you give up after a week?"

Serena shook her head immediately.

"No."

"I've already wasted too much time."

"I don't want to waste another day."

Ethan remained silent for a moment.

Finally, he nodded.

"Alright."

"I'll help you."

Serena's eyes lit up.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"But I have one condition."

She looked at him curiously.

"What is it?"

"If I teach you..."

"You have to solve every question yourself first."

"I won't let you depend on me."

Serena smiled.

"Deal."

"I don't want shortcuts."

"I want to learn."

For the first time, Ethan smiled a little more.

"Good."

"We'll start tomorrow."

"The library."

"Four o'clock."

"I'll be there."

"I won't be late."

As Ethan packed his books, Serena watched him leave the classroom.

She couldn't help but whisper,

"In my first life..."

"How did I never notice someone like you?"

At that moment...

Footsteps echoed outside the classroom.

Nathan Cole had returned to pick up the notebook he had forgotten.

As he reached the doorway, he stopped.

Through the glass window, he saw Serena smiling as she spoke with Ethan.

It was a smile he had never seen before.

Not forced.

Not arrogant.

Just... sincere.

Nathan frowned slightly.

For some reason...

He couldn't look away.

Then, without making a sound, he picked up his notebook and walked away.

Neither Serena nor Ethan noticed that someone had quietly witnessed everything.

And somewhere in the school corridor...

A pair of jealous eyes watched Serena leave with her books.

One of her cousins slowly curled her lips into a cold smile.

"So..."

"You've suddenly become interested in studying?"

"We'll see how long that lasts."

A new game had begun.

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