Seeing the person leaning against her desk, she raised her eyebrows slightly.

"Well, what a rare guest." Sarah Grant took off her little bee-shaped voice amplifier and placed it on the desk.

Grace Bennett: "Didn't I come here yesterday?"

"I'm saying it's rare for you to come on your own initiative." Sarah Grant sat down in her seat. "So, what's up?"

Grace Bennett got straight to the point: "I want to change seats."

"To where?"

"The last row, next to the podium, anywhere is fine."

Sarah Grant took a sip of water. "Either give me a reasonable reason, or stop wasting both our time."

Grace Bennett: "My new deskmate is affecting my studies."

"?"

Sarah Grant looked at him in surprise, unable to figure out how he could say something like that with a straight face.

"How is he affecting you?"

"His writing is too noisy, he smells bad, he looks down on underachievers—"

"Nonsense!" Sarah Grant picked up her lesson plan and smacked him with it. "This time, it was Brian Brooks who asked me to switch seats. Why would he look down on you?"

Grace Bennett was silent for a moment, then repeated, "He asked for it himself?"

Sarah Grant: "What else?"

Damn.

Why is this guy so annoying?

"Why does he get to sit wherever he wants?" Grace Bennett said, then suddenly felt the words sounded familiar.

Yesterday, Matthew Lee seemed to have said something similar.

"What do you think?" Sarah Grant said. "The top student in the whole grade takes the initiative to help a classmate with weaker academic ability—how is that not a great thing?"

"Give this great thing to someone else, I don't want it."

"That's not up to you." Sarah Grant waved the pen in her hand and said decisively, "Go back to the classroom. When your math score has an extra zero at the end, then come talk to me about changing seats. By then, you can sit wherever you want—even if you want to sit in Mr. Howard's office, I'll find a way to make it happen for you."

"……"

Grace Bennett had a very sour look on his face when he returned to the classroom.

Seeing the person sitting next to his seat, his face got even worse.

During the break, people in the class were either sleeping or chatting, and some had gone to the cafeteria to buy food. Only Brian Brooks was still sitting upright, working on problems.

"Grace Bennett, where did you go?"

Anna Walker had been moved to the group next door. Now that both of Grace Bennett's front deskmates were gone, he just sat in someone else's seat for the time being.

Grace Bennett sat down without even glancing at the person next to him. "Bathroom."

"Oh, why didn't you ask me to go with you?"

"What for? To keep watch?"

"Wouldn't be the first time." Anna Walker turned around in his seat, resting his hands on the backrest, and complained, "Man, you have no idea how miserable I am. My new deskmate, the discipline committee member, doesn't watch anything in class except me. I can't even play on my phone... No way, I have to ask Sarah to change my seat. Whoever wants this unlucky seat can have it."

"I'll take it." Grace Bennett said. "Want to switch with me?"

Anna Walker was stunned, subconsciously glancing at the person next to Grace Bennett.

Brian Brooks kept his eyes down, not even pausing his pen.

He glanced at the problem set under Brian Brooks's hand. Good grief, just one look made him sleepy.

He always felt there was something odd between this new top student and Grace Bennett, but it didn't seem like what Grace Bennett said.

"Wouldn't be impossible." Anna Walker played along. "But shouldn't we ask the top student if he's willing?"

Grace Bennett frowned. "What's it got to do with him..."

"Not switching." came a deep voice from the side.

Grace Bennett: "."

He didn't expect Brian Brooks to respond. Anna Walker was also taken aback.

"Not switching, not switching, we were just joking. Once Sarah sets the seats, basically no one can change them," Anna Walker scooted over and seized the chance to ask the question he'd been holding in all night, "By the way, top student, yesterday you said you liked to sit closer so you could see... see what exactly?"

Bang.

Grace Bennett's hand shook, and the phone he had just taken out fell to the floor.

Brian Brooks said, "To see—"

Grace Bennett: "Mr. Howard."

Brian Brooks: "."

Anna Walker: "......"

Anna Walker squinted in confusion. "Mr. Howard? Fat Tiger? What's he got to do with this seat?"

"Yeah," Grace Bennett said, face calm, "From this seat, if I stand up, I can see the office downstairs."

Anna Walker: "How come I never noticed?"

Of course, even the person involved hadn't noticed.

Brian Brooks glanced at Grace Bennett's mouth, unable to figure out how this guy could talk such nonsense.

Anna Walker stood up to try it out. "Can't see anything."

Grace Bennett: "You're too short."

"Damn." Anna Walker looked at Brian Brooks. "Top student, you like Fat... Mr. Howard? Why? He doesn't even teach a class, does he?"

Sensing the fierce glare from the person beside him, Brian Brooks held his pen between his fingers and was silent for two seconds.

"Yeah," he said emotionlessly, "I like the math handouts he writes."

Anna Walker: "......"

Grace Bennett picked up his school uniform, tossed it on the desk, made it into a pillow, and started shooing people away: "Go back to your seat, I'm going to sleep."

Break ended, the bell rang, and the physics teacher walked in with a stack of textbooks.

The class monitor called for everyone to stand, Brian Brooks stood up, and found the seat next to him was empty.