Part- 404:
The two girls exged looks, her willing to admit to any rivalry, but their subtle jabs suggested otherwise. Emdad, sensing the tension, threw fuel on the fire with a grin.
“Why don’t we settle this right now?” he suggested, barely holding back his ughter. “James, whie of these fine dies is the best study partner?”
James’s eyes widened in surprise, pletely unprepared for the question. He gnced from Mili to Toya, both of whom were now looking at him expetly, a mix of amusement and challenge on their faces.
“Well, uh…” he began, scratg his head nervously. “I mean, Mili and I do make a good team when it es to te-night study sessions.”
Mili looked triumphant, crossing her arms as if to say “case closed.” But before she could say anything, Toya’s voice cut in.
“Late-night study sessions?” Toya echoed, feigning a look of shock. “Wow, Mili, I didn’t know you were so itted. James, you never mentiohese ‘te-night sessions’ before.”
James groaned internally, realizing he’d dug himself into a deeper hole. “It’s just… group studies, you know?” he said, trying to downpy the ent, though he couldn’t help but notice Mili’s slightly satisfied smirk and Toya’s challenging grin.
Emdad couldn’t resist jumping in. “Hey, I might just make a bet on this. Who wants to take bets on who ends up as study buddy for our resident genius here?” He looked betweewo girls, openly enjoying the tension he’d stirred up.
Mili and Toya both ignored Emdad’s suggestion, though their rivalry only intensified. Mili shot Toya a sidelong gnce, her eyes glinting. “Well, some of us actually focus on studying and not… other things,” she said, voice ced with a subtle taunt.
Toya gave her a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Oh, I focus just fine. Maybe James just prefers studying with people who don’t treat it like a petition.”
“Ladies, dies!” Emdad cut in with a grin, sensing that things were heating up fast. “Let’s not fet who the real genius is here: me, for ing up with this brilliant idea to have both of you pete. Right, James?”
James shot him a desperate look. “Emdad, please. You’re not helping.”
Just then, a few other students passed by, having overheard parts of the versation. One of them, a tall kid named Farhan, grinned and called out, “James, the new brainiac of the css! Heard you dethroned Rafi. What’s the secret, man? And don’t tell me it’s these two dies fighting over you.”
The ent earned a round of ughter, and James, feeling ered, ughed awkwardly. “Oh, e on, Farhan. It was just hard work… and maybe a bit of luck,” he added quickly.
Farhan smirked. “Sure, but looks like you’ve got more ‘luck’ than any of us thought,” he teased, gng meaningfully at Mili and Toya, who were now both gring daggers at him.
Emdad, loving every sed of the unfolding drama, gave James a light pun the shoulder. “Well, well, well. From best national judoka to css topper to heartthrob? James, I think you’ve got a lot moing on than you’re letting on.”
James shook his head, though he couldn’t help the slight smile f. It felt strange, even surreal, to be the ter of all this attention, to be the focus of both academic rivalry and… something else that he hadn’t quite figured out yet.
