When They Beg, I Rise!

Orion stood straight, his voice cool and detached, "So, what's the outcome?"

"I nailed it, of course! The principal had me retake a different test, and I scored even higher than on the midterms."

Lemira couldn't help but lift her chin a bit in pride. It seemed like the joy of her victory found its true significance only upon seeing Orion.

Orion, his gaze slightly lowered, asked in a calm tone, "Did they apologize?"

Lemira paused for a moment, was he referring to Evelina and Alaric? She shook her head, "Only the scapegoat said sorry. The ones pulling the strings didn't, but I couldn't care less. I've already given them a taste of their own medicine!" And it felt fantastic!

A smile graced Orion's refined features as he spoke, "Meet me after school." With that, he left.

Lemira noticed someone approaching in the hallway, so she didn't ask any further questions. Turning around, she headed back to her classroom.

The usually noisy classroom had quieted down a bit.

The teacher soon came in to announce that Lemira's scores were legitimate, clearing her of any cheating allegations.

Evelina, slouched over her desk, was in a foul mood, her interest in even cakes waning. She needed a plan. There was no way Lemira could outperform her. How could Lemira possibly be better than her?

---

After school, Lemira made her way directly to the infirmary.

Orion, sitting in a chair, glanced back at her, "Finished your homework?"

"The teacher had us review our mistakes, and I've done that."

She hadn't made many mistakes, only on topics she hadn't reviewed well or fully understood.

Orion tapped the computer beside him, "Ready for a game? Got an account?"

"Yeah, but I feel like starting a new one."

"Perfect, I'm not using my main either."

Orion didn't plan on using his main account to play with her.

After Lemira launched the game, she randomly picked a username: SweetLemon. Once they entered the game, she looked at Orion, "What's your username? Let's add each other as friends." Lemira sneakily glanced at his screen, finding his username somewhat familiar: Time Rewind. It instantly reminded her of something.

In her past life, she had an online friend with the exact same name.

Orion raised an eyebrow, "What are you looking at? Accept the friend request."

Lemira's cheeks flushed as she hurriedly accepted, feeling a wave of excitement looking at their avatars in the game.

But in her past life, she didn't meet her online friend at this time. Maybe it was just a coincidence?

Lemira sneaked another look at him, "Why did you choose that name?"

Orion paused, his gaze lowered, "Just picked it randomly."

Lemira nodded, thinking maybe it really was a coincidence.

Once they started playing, they headed straight for the beginner's area to start their quests.

Lemira could tell Orion wasn't a newbie. He probably switched to a low-level account to play with her, but she didn't pry. Yet, his gameplay reminded her so much of that person. She couldn't help but ask, "Is your main account also named this?"Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.

"No."

"Is this the first time you're playing games with this name for an account?"

Orion looked at her, "Yeah, why?"

Lemira quickly looked down, feeling her face heat up, "No reason."

She was conflicted. Could he really be that person? But it didn't align with when she met her online friend in her past life.

Back then, it was after the playoff that she encountered him. He taught her how to improve her gaming skills, helping her advance to the finals.

Even though she never met her online friend before she died, she was grateful for his support during her toughest times.

Distracted, Lemira and Orion managed to complete their tasks and move out of the beginner's area. As they were about to start another quest, they ran into another team. Lemira revealed a scornful look as she saw the team's name. It was Alaric and Evelina.

Orion's eyes narrowed slightly, "Wanna go for it?"

"To do what? We're on low-level accounts, and our gear can't match theirs. It'd be suicide." Though she said that, Lemira felt a spark of thrill.

Orion suggested, "Let's wait until they're almost done with their quest. When they're low on health, we'll swoop in and steal their Boss."