Chapter 243: A Campus in Uproar
When Sierra arrived at North University with her admission letter, she was completely unprepared for the commotion she caused. Salem’s biochemistry department was renowned worldwide, surpassing even Northwind University. News of her arrival spread rapidly, and students crowded outside the department building, eager to catch a glimpse of the prodigy the school had personally invited.
Sierra was caught off guard. She stood frozen, staring at the crowd in disbelief. The department chair chuckled at her reaction. “They’re just curious,” he said. “No ill intentions. If you’re up for it, you should talk to them. They’ve been waiting with plenty of questions for you.”
Sierra hesitated. She had never experienced anything like this before. For most of her life, she had faced nothing but rejection and hostility. Now, faced with so many people genuinely interested in her, she didn’t know how to respond. She had always been reserved, keeping to herself. Aside from Jonathan, around whom she occasionally allowed herself to act spoiled, she wasn’t used to such attention.
But she had worried for nothing. Her classmates were genuinely enthusiastic about her, especially those in her lali. She had been assigned to an esteemed professor, someone whose name she had heard before but never imagined she’d have the honor of studying under: Professor Finn.
Seeing her excitement, a woman nearby smiled and said, “Professor Finn had no plans to take any more students, but then she met you. You’re officially her disciple now. And finally, I won’t be the only one! Do you know? You’re only the second female student she’s ever accepted.”
The woman, who introduced herself as Autumn, had short, neatly styled hair and a confident air about her. “Hey, now that you’re here, we’re all going to be second place,” another student chimed in, introducing himself as Erwin. “I’m the oldest in the group and Professor Finn’s longest-standing student.” Azure and Finn, the other two students, also introduced themselves, though they were noticeably quieter. Finn, in particular, eyed Sierra critically. “I’ve read your research,” he admitted. “It’s impressive, but it’s just one paper. I hope you can prove yourself further. Don’t end up a one-hit wonder.”
With that, he turned and left. Autumn sighed. “Ignore him,” she said. “He’s always like that. He was the professor’s star pupil until you came along. And lately, she’s been singing your praises. He’s just feeling a little threatened. Also, the most important reason—”
Autumn cleared her throat, flashing a teasing grin. “You stole his idol.”
Sierra blinked, confused. “Jonathan?”
“Bingo!” Autumn nodded. “You know how big of a deal your Mr. Jonathan is in the academic world, right? He’s got a cult following. Finn is one of them. To them, Jonathan is practically a god—untouchable, beyond mere mortals.”
Autumn dramatically mimicked a prayer pose, successfully making Sierra laugh. She was starting to like the Capital and Salem.
Autumn, full of energy, took it upon herself to show Sierra around. She led her through the campus, highlighting the library, the laboratories, and the cafeteria. “We’ll introduce you to the other places later,” Autumn explained. “These three are the most important, especially the labs. Keep some instant noodles or snacks in your locker. Our professor may look kind most of the time, but if you don’t deliver results, you’ll find out how terrifying she can be.”
Autumn shuddered dramatically. “According to our seniors, there’s only one person she’s never scored in her entire career.” She turned to Sierra with a meaningful look.
Sierra instinctively answered, “Jonathan?”
“Exactly,” Autumn nodded. “Back when he was here, our professor smiled every day. But after he left? She started tearing into everyone, always telling us we’re nothing compared to him.” Autumn wiped away imaginary tears. “Kid, do me a favor. If you ever get the chance, introduce me to Jonathan. I need to see for myself if he actually has two brains.”
Sierra chuckled. “You won’t have to wait long. He’s already here.” She motioned for Autumn to look ahead. Jonathan, who clearly couldn’t bring himself to trust Sierra being alone on campus, had come early to pick her up. He was walking toward them. Autumn instantly froze before frantically fixing her clothes and hair. Noticing Sierra’s amused expression, she quickly defended herself.