C8 Group Test

"This is the latest math mock exam for the term," Victor announced as he tossed the test onto Luke's desk. "There's about forty minutes left until school's out. If you can't finish, I'm willing to stay with you until dusk."

"Uh." Luke took the exam, gave it a brief glance, and his expression eased. He assured Victor, "I'll have it done before school ends, no doubt!"

"Good!" Victor nodded, then passed a sheet of A4 paper with writing on it to Hildur. "I, Victor, always strive for fairness and impartiality. This sheet has the answer key. Shortly, our class president Hildur will grade your exam!"

"Teacher... I..." Hildur began, a hint of hesitation in her voice as she accepted the answer key.

"Just mark the paper carefully against the answers. It's not your concern whether they're right or wrong."

"Got it," Hildur acknowledged with a nod.

"Everyone else, give Luke some space. Don't distract him. Let's see if he's gold or just glitter, based on his own merit!"

With a huff, Victor turned and settled himself at the teacher's desk, legs crossed, the picture of contentment.

Meanwhile, Luke pulled a fountain pen from his pencil case, gave it a couple of flicks, and neatly penned his name at the top of the exam. Victor's instructions had kept the other students at bay, leaving Luke's test questions unseen by curious eyes—even Emerson and Clark, who might have wished to lend a hand, were powerless to assist.

Before seeing the exam, Luke had felt a twinge of anxiety; the notorious difficulty of high school mock exams meant acing them was no small feat. However, a quick scan of the paper washed away his concerns.

Name now at the top, Luke dove into the questions, writing with such speed it seemed as though he was barely reading them, his pen dancing across the page with ease.

In that silent classroom, the atmosphere thick with anticipation, all eyes were fixed on Luke. The only sound was the soft scratch of his pen against the paper.

In that instant, Luke was the embodiment of mathematical genius, channeling the spirits of Archimedes, Newton, Gödel, Einstein, and countless others, as solutions appeared in his mind almost reflexively!

Five minutes later, Luke abruptly tossed his pen aside and called out to Victor at the podium, "Finished!"

"Eh?" Victor paused, then scoffed, "You're giving up that fast?"

Laughter rippled through the classroom again. Everyone was well-acquainted with these mock exams. Five minutes was scarcely enough time to even read the questions, let alone answer them. Naturally, no one believed Luke had truly completed the test.

"I'm done writing. You can grade it now," Luke insisted, passing his exam paper forward to Hildur.

"It's in your hands," Victor said nonchalantly, remaining seated at the podium.

Hildur accepted the paper, her eyes widening as she saw it was indeed filled out. She grabbed the answer key and began to scrutinize it meticulously.

As the seconds ticked by, the atmosphere shifted. The room was filled with schadenfreude, everyone seemingly eager to witness Luke's embarrassment.

Hildur's examination of Luke's work was thorough. Initially, she appeared relaxed, but as she progressed, her expression grew increasingly grave. She glanced at Luke several times, her clear eyes brimming with astonishment.

Nearly ten minutes passed before Hildur abruptly stood and approached the podium. She whispered something to Victor.

"Louder, I can't hear you!" Victor unfolded his legs and frowned at Hildur.

"Luke's answers... they're all correct!" Hildur finally raised her voice, albeit reluctantly.

"What?!"

At her words, the classroom erupted into an uproar. Victor, who had been smug just moments before, nearly toppled off his chair. He looked stern as he pressed Hildur, "Are you certain? He got everything right?"

"Yes," Hildur confirmed with a gentle nod.

Truth be told, as Hildur graded, dozens of eyes were fixed on her. There was no chance for any trickery.

"This can't be. Let me see!" Victor snatched the exam from Hildur, adjusted his silver-rimmed glasses, and began to mark the paper himself.

But it wasn't long before Victor's expression darkened, and he fell silent.

"Luke, step outside," Victor commanded, gesturing for Luke to follow him out of the classroom.

The pair made their way to the end of the hallway.

"You're despicable," Victor accused Luke in a deserted corner of the corridor, jabbing a finger at him. "Come clean, when did you sneak a peek at this test?"

Victor still couldn't fathom how Luke had managed to get every answer right on the test.

"If I were you, I'd cut the crap!" Luke stood his ground, locking eyes with Victor. "Be a man and accept defeat. You've lost, and now you owe my mother an apology!"

"What... what did you just say?!" Victor's rage made him tremble all over.

"Apologize!"

"Ah!" Victor was taken aback by the fierce determination in Luke's gaze, sending a chill down his spine.

He hadn't expected the once feeble Luke to suddenly become so assertive, and it left him momentarily rattled.

"You don't have to publicly declare yourself a terrible teacher; I'll spare you that much. But you must apologize to my mother, right here, right now."

"I... I'm sorry. I misspoke earlier. I shouldn't have insulted your mother," Victor conceded after a brief hesitation, his lips tight.

"That's settled then, we're square," Luke said, his anger subsiding considerably upon hearing the apology. "And just so you know, I'm definitely entering the math competition."

"Fine," Victor nodded, leading Luke back into the classroom.

The room, previously abuzz with the day's events, fell deathly quiet as everyone awaited the outcome of the wager.

"Let's have some quiet," Victor commanded upon reentering the classroom, instantly reverting to his stern demeanor. He straightened his glasses and continued with a smile, "I have an announcement. The three slots for the Grand Prix of Mathematics have been filled. In addition to Cathleen and George, I've decided to award the final spot to Luke. His grades may not be the best, but his ambition is commendable, and that's something all of you should emulate."

Listening to Victor, Luke thought to himself, This sly old fox really knows how to play the teacher's role. He's quick-witted, deftly defusing the situation while showing the magnanimity expected of an adult. He's got some moves.

"Luke, I hope you'll double down on your studies and aim for a top spot in the upcoming competition. It's not just about bringing honor to our class and school; it's about your future too!" Victor said, turning to Luke with a grin and giving his shoulder an encouraging pat.

"Thank you for the encouragement, Mr. Petersen," Luke replied, seizing the moment with a grateful smile before heading back to his seat.

The school bell chimed just as Luke settled into his chair, signaling the end of the day. Victor turned and exited the classroom.

"Luke, did you actually get all the answers right on that test?" With Victor gone, classmates swarmed around Luke in an instant.

Luke's standout performance both on the field and during study period had swiftly turned him into the class's man of the hour.

"If you want to know about the test, you should ask Hildur; she's the one who graded it," Luke said, not keen on lingering over the chatter. He nodded towards Hildur at the front, signaling everyone to direct their questions to her.

Seizing the momentary distraction, Luke made a beeline for the exit. He couldn't bear to stay at school a second longer than necessary.

He was eager to see his mother.