Natalie was furious, but she softened her voice and said, “Aiden, please don’t be upset. Maybe this is exactly what she wanted. We’re a team, and on such an important day, we can’t let others laugh at us.”

The others spoke softly, trying to convince Aiden. “That’s right, Aiden. Josie isn’t part of our team anymore, so there’s no point in thinking about her.”

“That’s right—everything is behind us now. Let’s keep looking forward, and our team will only continue to improve!”

The teacher scheduled to present the awards took a long time to reach the stage, leading to ongoing conversations throughout the venue. Before long, the growing buzz of the audience completely drowned out the voices of Aiden and his companions.

Someone asked, “Who do you think will win the Grand Prize this time?”

“Is there even a question? It will certainly be Aiden’s team again—after all, aren’t they the Grand Prize winners in every campus competition?”

“I also believe it is them—Professor Lawson’s team. How could they possibly lose to anyone else?”

Natalie and Kyle switched seats. “Aiden, everyone is saying we have a chance to win an award. So please, don’t be upset with Kyle anymore, okay?” Natalie reached out and gently took Aiden’s arm, hoping to charm him as she had before.

“Sit properly. We are in public; be mindful of your conduct.” Aiden’s expression was less than pleased. “Is it not normal for us to win an award? Why should we be so excited about it? Moreover, I am not angry with Kyle, so there is no need for you to speak on his behalf. My only regret is that, when Josie was still part of the team, I failed to realize that Kyle had been lying all along.”

Kyle’s face shifted between pale and flushed; he wished he could disappear. Thankfully, the teacher in charge of presenting the awards quickly took the stage, and the room fell silent, effectively rescuing him from his embarrassment.

As the teacher finished the speech and the award announcements began, Josie kept her hands tightly clasped. “Why are you so nervous?” Claire asked, gently prying Josie’s fingers apart. “It’s okay if we don’t win. This is our team’s first time competing, and we only have a few members. Not winning is perfectly normal.”

Sean also looked over and said, “She is right. You do not need to put so much pressure on yourself; try to relax.”

“Alright, I’m not nervous,” Josie replied. It wasn’t the possibility of winning an award that made her anxious; rather, she was worried that Aiden’s team might once again outshine Joseph. Even though she had learned from her previous experience, she knew nothing was certain. Until everything was decided, she refused to let her guard down.

In particular, people at the back kept whispering to each other, “I heard that the Grand Prize again went to Aiden’s team. When the prize was being decided, several teachers argued—some thought another group’s work should have won instead.”

“But what’s the use? The advisor for the other group isn’t Professor Lawson, so how could they possibly compete with Aiden’s team?”

“That’s true. Aiden’s team does have priority—because their advisor is Professor Lawson. Even if their work isn’t outstanding, no one else can compete.”

“Please lower your voice so they don’t overhear and make you a target.”

Sean suddenly reached out and took Josie’s hand. “Don’t believe a word they say. The school would never joke about something like this—they will absolutely be fair and impartial!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than he heard the teacher on stage announce their team’s name: “Would the members of Sean’s team please come to the stage to receive your award? Congratulations to all three students for winning the First Prize in this school competition.”

They were stunned. Josie was bewildered; she thought, ‘First Prize?’

“Why are you still sitting?” Sean took her hand and stood up. “Let’s go accept the award.”

“Yes, that’s right. Let’s go accept the award,” Claire said as she turned and took Josie’s hand. Together, they walked onto the stage, hand in hand.