DEVIL BESIDES YOU

Chapter 5

Rows of information about the Olympics appeared on the computer screen. Aurel and Samuel read carefully sentence by sentence.

"Oh, the Akihiro Foundation is organizing a big Olympiad for our school to give potential students in this school the opportunity to study in the Sakura country as part of the Asian Student Exchange. Genius students who will be selected at this school, have the opportunity to follow the level of learning there," Samuel explained.

"So, our school has selected 100 students for each subject category, Math, English, and Natural Sciences. So, the total number of students who have passed the level 1 selection is 500 students. Students who make it to the level 2 selection will be made into groups, each group consisting of 5 students per subject area," Aurel continued.

"Yes, something like that. So, if there are 50 people who enter the level 2 selection, which consists of 10 students per field of study, it will be formed into 10 groups. Each group consists of 5 potential students in each field."

Aurel smiled cheerfully, then said, "Wow, if I have the opportunity to participate in learning there, I would be very happy. Especially, if it's with Zhian. Ouch, it must be exciting!"

Samuel smiled wryly, his face suddenly sour when the beauty mentioned Zhian.

"Hey, don't get your hopes up. You're only in the eleventh grade, there are still many genius students in this school who have the opportunity to enter the selection. Especially, if your intentions are as strange as that!" teased Samuel.

"You're just discouraging me. That sucks! Ah, never mind, you better open up the information about the 500 students who have been selected for the second stage of the selection, the next selection!"

"Yes, yes."

Samuel opened another row of info. For the math category, the 100 students who passed the selection they read one by one.

"Nico, he deserves to be selected. Then, Dicky William, that nerdy student, and-"

Aurel's heart skipped a beat when her eyes caught the name of the student she admired. Zhian.

"Cool! Zhian came in too. Then, I'll look up my name. You see, I'm also a potential student at this school," Aurel hoped as her eyes sparkled with love, not caring if there was a shower of jealousy from Samuel's gaze.

Samuel could only frown in annoyance. 'Why is Zhian the only one on her mind? I'm handsome too. What good is that mysterious student? If I had known from the start that Zhian would be my love rival, I wouldn't have idolized him.'

"Great! Apparently, I'm ranked 99th in the Chemistry category," Aurel's excited voice drowned out Samuel's frustration.

"Wow, Aurel is great. You got into the selection too, even though you were at the end."

Samuel had a smile on the corner of his lips, while his mind was already muttering incoherently. 'Alright, then, I should be able to get in too. I won't let Aurel have to suffer being close to that strange man.'

"Hey, Samuel, you're also ranked 50th in Biology," Aurel exclaimed again.

Samuel furrowed his brow, smiling uncomprehendingly. "Hey, how come? Don't I always get nauseous when I smell chloroform in the lab? I also have a hard time determining the key to chordate determination, or I also have the hardest time memorizing the taxonomic systematics of animals and plants, then?"

"Then you're the most proficient in the reproduction chapter! You brain p*****t!"

"I'm also a man. When it comes to that ...."

"Ah, no need to talk about it!"

Aurel smiled, imagining the beautiful moments with Zhian, while Samuel, who couldn't see Aurel's aura of love, chose to search for information on the school's website.

"Hey, Mark passed the English selection, 1st place," Samuel exclaimed suddenly, he also chuckled.

"Huh? Really? Yeah, it's only natural, he's been in Japan for 5 years, lived in America too. No wonder his English is good."

"You're praising them. Why can't I?!"

Aurel poked Samuel's head while breaking into a light smile. He saw Samuel's face look stupid as hell.

"You're so cute. I like it."

Samuel lit up, as if he wanted to fly when those words came from Aurel's smiling little lips. "Really? You like me?"

"Yes, because you're nice and funny."

Aurel quickly left Samuel with a smile on her face. The young man became misty-eyed and smiled incoherently. "I'm getting more confident. Who says I can't beat that Zhian? Yes, I'll get Aurel. I can do it. I can!" he shouted.

Samuel was in pain as he was hit on the head with a book by the guard of the free internet room.

"Noisy, you!"

"Sorry, sir!" Samuel quickly ran out of the cold room.

"Hey! Turn off the computer!" the shout echoed.

Samuel just smiled ruefully. What a man with a strange but funny and warm personality.

*

Monday, January 14, 2015, 8 AM.

The atmosphere in the big hall of Nirvana School was quiet. The morning was filled with an aura of seriousness for the 500 students who took part in the Level 2 selection for each category of study tested. Zhian was seen in aisle 1 casually answering questions. Aurel also looked earnest, occasionally, Zhian's face flashed through her mind until she smiled to herself.

Samuel looked stressed as he scratched his head incoherently or banged his head, annoyed that what he had memorized seemed to be blurred, or sometimes he prayed for inspiration and could answer all the scary questions correctly.

Unlike them, in the back seat, Mark put his head on the table. He had finished the question sheet.

The atmosphere was so quiet, no less than the atmosphere of a graveyard in the middle of the night that was creepy.

The ticking of the clock was clearly audible. An hour had passed, the 100 questions that were tested seemed to make the participants flood with sweat. Only Zhian was too relaxed with his usual cool style.

Time is over!

All the students stopped their efforts with different expressions. Zhian pursed his lips, Aurel smiled while praying, Samuel mumbled while scratching his head incoherently.

As usual, Mark still didn't wake up even though the exam was over. All the students walked out of the grueling room. Aurel immediately ran to the door, then stopped. She hoped to see her idol coming out of the same door.

"Hey, what are you doing? Like you're looking for someone," Samuel interrupted at Aurel's side.

"Why is Zhian nowhere to be seen?"

"Oh, Zhian, huh?"

"Did you see him?"

Samuel shrugged. "It's like you don't even know her. As soon as the bell rang, she left the room. Besides, she came out from the main door. Why are you waiting at this door?"

Aurel tapped his forehead. "Ouch, I'm so stupid!"

"Hey, don't talk like that. You're beautiful and smart."

Aurel glanced at Samuel, while the young man realized what he had said, becoming confused and clumsy.

"What did you say?"

"Ah, no," Samuel evaded.

"What a freak!" grumbled Aurel.

"Uh, I'll go first. I think I have a bad stomach from all the stuff I've been piling up. I hope my overtime last night wasn't in vain. Bye!"

Samuel immediately ran off, leaving Aurel who didn't understand Samuel's strange behavior. Perhaps, Aurel was unaware of Samuel's love and affection.

However, Samuel was grateful that Aurel didn't know about it. Because if Aurel knew, he wouldn't have been able to approach and be by Aurel's side like he has been these past few days.