Chapter 7 - Proving oneself

Lin Yunfeng's whole plan of finding a part-time job was disrupted by his entrance exams. Sighing, he laid down on the table. The classes that followed after math all sounded like alien languages to him, especially history. He was already weak in history back in his world, and now he had to learn about his new world's history. He silently cried about his situation.

His limpid eyes peered at Jai, who was focusing solely on the class. Even back in his world, this guy was a studious student. It was all thanks to Jai that he was even able to pass most of his exams. That is also why his mother and father liked Jai a lot.

He poked him with a pencil.

Jai looked down at him through his glasses.

"Can you tutor me, please?" he pouted, giving him the most pitiful gaze.

Jai raised a brow. "Says the guy who scored a hundred."

"Only in math. I suck at other subjects. Can you please help me…." He blinked his beautiful long lashes. He knew how to use his looks to get what he wanted. Jai and his family were weakest to his pitiful, tear-filled eyes.

As he had expected, Jai sighed and agreed.

Smirking, Yunfeng sat up straight. "Great! With you by my side, I can even get into the best college in this whole wide world."

Jai chuckled softly and tapped his head with his pencil. "That is if you can pass your entrance exams."

Yunfeng ignored his offense and continued to sleep in class.

The classes dragged on for so long, and Yunfeng got a very good sleep. While leaving, that buff guy mocked him secretly about his scores behind his back.

Yunfeng's good mood went down just like that.

In all his two lives, he had been quite sensitive about this topic. He hates being called a cheater. He had never been a cheater.

As he was walking through the corridor, he noticed a few girls casting their eyes their way shyly. Some of them even openly discussed how good he looked.

Smirking, Yunfeng nudged Jai. "See, your best friend is famous now."

Jai rolled his eyes. "I'll make a study plan. You have to follow it by the minute. I am sparing my time to teach you, so don't you dare waste your time chasing after skirts." He said with a serious gaze.

Yunfeng nodded like he was pounding ginger. "Yes, boss."

"Good, I'll prepare tests every day and make them for you. In one month, you will at least have a passing grade," Jai confidently said so.

With those words, Yunfeng was assured.

They walked over to the canteen to catch a quick snack before leaving home. Along the hallway walls, something caught his eye.

On the bulletin board was a small notice for the mathlete competition in G City. "Jai! Jai! Look," he grabbed him by his sleeve and pulled him back. "They even have a cash prize of 5000 dollars!" he excitedly grinned.

Jai curiously gazed at it. "They have a preliminary round in our school this evening. Maybe this is your chance to prove to people that you are actually good at math."

"Yes! And earn money!"

Jai gave him a look. Strangely, Yunfeng had been talking about money before. In the ten years he had known him, this guy had not cared much about money. Even when he revealed that he was a millionaire's son, Yunfeng had not bothered about it.

Before he could ask anything, Yunfeng ran to the gates.

"Yun, wait," Jai gazed at the direction he was running at.

It was his best friend's sister, Hana.

Hana was waiting by the school gates, kicking some pebbles by her feet.

He watched them chat with a frown. Jai walked up to them.

Hana gazed at her elder brother with a small smirk. "That is if you win the competition. Anyways, I'm having my interview in ten minutes. I came around to inform you to go out alone. Eat well and drink water before you leave school. Don't you dare faint mid-way like last time? We really can't afford the hospital charges, Yun," she seriously gazed up at him.

"I know. Good luck with your work."

Hana cast him a smile and walked away with a slight hop in her step.

Jai watched her and his friend with a frown. 'She's just sixteen. Why is she taking up part-time… something must be wrong at his home. Why didn't this bozo tell me anything?' He gazed at Yun with his eyes narrowed.

"Come on, we have a competition to win!" Yunfeng dragged him back into the school to the classroom and signed up for the preliminary round.

The mathlete competition had simple rules. They must be a team of two to five. So, Jai was dragged into it as well.

His friend seemed reluctant to take part in it, though.

"If we win, I'll give you four percent of the winnings. I get the higher cut 'cause I have a lot of troubles at home. I-is that okay with you?" He awkwardly gazed at him.

Jai went silent. "I don't want your cut. I just want to sleep."

"Ah, poor guy, you can sleep during the competition. Let me pull the weight."

Jai raised a brow. "If you say so."

During the preliminary round, they had to face off against two teams from the school in S City. Many of them were reputed schools, too.

Since their own school had to send at least two teams to the prelims, they had graciously allowed Yunfeng and Jai to participate.

Of course, that annoying guy from his class was also a part of the other team representing their school.

Yunfeng did not even know his name, but he already hated him so much. He glared his way and continued to write down his answers.

The first test was a written test; they were given an hour to finish it all.

Yunfeng finished the paper in ten minutes.

The testing committee collected the papers and corrected them on the spot.

Jai and Yunfeng passed the initial round along with two more students. That included the buff guy.

Yunfeng pulled Jai's hand. "What is that guy's name?"

"Huh? Fu Lee."

Yunfeng scoffed. "Fu Lee… the name suits his face." Their eyes met across the room. That Fu Lee guy glared at him, gritting his teeth. "Tsk, we have to work together as a team now." He grumbled loudly so he could hear them.

Those were the rules of the game. People who passed the individual tests had to team up with their respective school members and form a team. Two teams that passed the second round would be sent to G City for the semi-final round.

Yunfeng's seat was in the middle of Jai and Fu Lee. To his frustration, Fu Lee took the second level of the test. Once again, they were given a question paper, but this time only one copy was handed out. They had to answer it as a team.

"I'll do the answers. I don't want other team members to drag us down," he said, giving a look pointedly his way.

Yunfeng gaped at him. "This man! Why is he so annoying?" he pounded on Jai's arm.

"Ow, why are you hitting me?!" Jai glared at him.

Sputtering, Yunfeng plucked the question paper from that annoying guy's hand and started to solve it. In about three minutes, he completed all three parts of the question paper and handed it back to him. "I did my part; you better complete the rest. I hope YOU don't drag us down."

Gritting his teeth, Lee completed the rest of the paper and submitted it. He didn't even bother to check the answers he had done.

As expected, they passed the second round and were qualified to be sent to the semifinals.

Yunfeng happily cheered, then something hit him. "Wait, if we are all a team, how will we split the prize?"

"You have to participate individually for the finals."

"Oh, thank god." He let out a breath of relief.

"Are you like, poor?" a voice suddenly interjected, startling him.

Yunfeng snapped back at the tall figure behind him. "Yeah, so what?"

"Oh… I didn't know. You always looked well put together," Fu Lee said, awkwardly scratching his head.

Yunfeng frowned.

"And… sorry," saying so, he left the classroom without looking back.

"Did you see that, Jai? He acknowledged my intelligence." He cheerfully pulled at his clothes.

Jai gave him a droll stare. "Wait until he sees your other subject scores."

"Oh, fuck, I really need to catch up on my game."

On the way back, Jai stopped him by the school gate. "You know my dad owns the restaurant chain in the city…. I asked him, and he said that he can offer you a job. The work time can be accommodated according to your schedule, and if you want, I can ask him to pay you more…"

Before he could even finish his sentence, Yunfeng threw himself into his arms and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, thank you so much, Jai."

Jai blushingly pushed him away and adjusted his spectacles. "Idiot, why didn't you tell me before? I could have helped you much earlier."

Yunfeng smiled softly. "I just got to know of my family situation when I was in the hospital." He kicked a small rock by his feet. "Mum has aged a lot, and… I want to do better since dad is not here. I don't want them to feel the lack of a man in their household. Sorry, I didn't tell you before."

He was not aware of what happened to the Yunfeng of this world, but it was safe to assume that he was no more. Yunfeng felt a strong sense of guilt. He got the family he wanted, but 'Yunfeng' of this world lost everything.

So, he wanted to compensate.

'I'll make my family live a very rich and carefree life. For that, I need to work harder.'

Jai gently patted his saggy shoulders. "Don't think too much."

Yunfeng smiled and shook his head. He half-hugged him and dragged him out the school gates. "How will you tutor me, though? Can you make me some condensed notes?"

"Sure."

A black Mercedes was parked beside the school gates, and a man in black got down.

Shin Jai gestured for him to leave.

The man bowed and left.

Shin Jai gazed at his friend's cheerful face with a content smile. He had been friends with this dufus for ten years now. Some might say it was an unconventional friendship.

He was reserved, and Yunfeng was outgoing.

Them being friends was actually a happy accident. He came from a very rich Shin family, so his own parents were never there for him. He grew up watching empty walls and silent maids. So when he started school, his communication skills were quite lacking. This led to him being bullied by the other students. But that was when he met Yunfeng.

A child with a broken tooth came up to him with a bright smile and asked him to teach him math.

He could still remember the way the boy lit up the whole room.

Jai smirked, remembering their sweet memories. "You're still a dufus."

"Tsk, want some ice cream?" he happily dragged him over to the convenience store.

Shin Jai laughed out loud and nodded. "Let's get the grape one."