Chapter 1

Three days before the SAT, someone was handing out energy drinks outside the school, claiming it sharpened one's mind and guaranteed high scores on exams.

Sasha Jepsen climbed onto a chair and called out to the whole class, "Hurry downstairs and get one! They'll be gone if you wait. Drink it and your brain will work faster than anyone else's!"

In my previous life, I insisted on stopping them.

"This product isn't even regulated, and there's no manufacturer listed. Don't drink it! What if something is wrong with it?" I said.

No one appreciated what I was trying to do.

They accused me of being jealous and said I was secretly trying to take the top spot for myself.

I couldn't talk them out of it, so I went to my homeroom teacher. She confiscated the entire batch and told everyone not to fall for these shady shortcuts.

When the scores came out, Sasha didn't even meet the minimum score for college admission.

She posted a long rant on Facebook, crying that I "stole" her energy drink and left her unable to think clearly during the SAT.

The whole class turned on me. "If Willow Lawson hadn't meddled, we would've gotten into college after drinking that stuff!"

All their hatred came crashing down on me, and I endured two months of their bullying before finally jumping from the 18th floor.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the exact moment Sasha was standing on a chair, calling out to everyone.

I sat in the corner without even looking up.

Let's see what kind of incredible scores they get after drinking this stuff.

Chapter 1

Less than ten minutes later, the students came pouring back into the classroom with plastic bottles in hand.

Some twisted open their bottles and took a sip. They smacked their lips and said, "It's a little sweet." Others stuffed theirs into their bags, saving them for the SAT.

Sasha Jepsen went even further. She carried an armful of the drinks, leaving a bottle on every empty desk.

When she reached my desk, she put on a perfectly convincing look of regret and spoke in a sickly sweet voice.

"Oh, Willow. I think I gave yours to someone else." She bit her lip, wearing an expression that said she was very sorry. "It's all my fault. I was in such a hurry that I didn't count them properly."

Then she continued, "When we came back up, the stall looked like they were about to pack up. If you hurry downstairs and ask them now, maybe they'll still have a bottle for you!"

I shot a glance at her.

She could barely hide her smile, and the gloating in her eyes was almost impossible to miss.

This wasn't the first time she had done this. Whenever there was something for the whole class and I wasn't around, she would always find some perfectly reasonable excuse to leave me out.

As class president, I used to put the class first and let things slide. I dealt with these little problems on my own.

But this time, I couldn't be bothered.

I turned to the next page of my workbook and looked up at Sasha.

"No thanks." I smiled. "Keep it for yourself. Drink up."

The smile on Sasha's face froze.

Before she could react, a mocking voice came from behind me. "Well, well. Our class president has such high standards. Why would Willow want some cheap freebie?"

A few guys swaggered over, and the one in front gave me a sideways look. "Sasha, why do you even bother? You're just embarrassing yourself trying to be nice to her."

Seeing that she had found her reinforcements, Sasha immediately put on a pitiful look.

"Willow, what are you upset about? I told you I didn't do it on purpose. Why are you being so petty?" she asked. "I just thought that since we're classmates, we should share the good stuff. Aren't you tired of always keeping to yourself?"

Her tone made it sound like I was some horrible person just because I refused to take the free energy drink.

I couldn't be bothered to argue with her, so I looked back down at my work.

But they refused to let it go. At Sasha's quiet prompting, the guys even came over and tried to pull me to my feet.

"Come on, Willow. It's just a quick trip downstairs. Don't make this unpleasant for everyone!"

Chapter 2

I couldn't help but scoff. In my previous life, I tried to stop them out of concern, but they accused me of being unable to stand seeing other people do well.

This time, I chose to stay out of it. Yet they were determined to force this mystery drink down my throat.

Just as they were about to touch me, I slapped my pen down and looked straight at Sasha.

"Sasha, what I drink is none of your business," I said. "Is this some kind of magic potion? If I drink it, can I pick any top college I want?

"If it works that well, I'll report it to the school office right away. We can ask the principal to get a case for every student and teacher. How does that sound?"

Sasha's face instantly turned bright red. She knew better than anyone that if the teachers got involved, she would be the one in trouble. After all, I had always been at the top of my grade, so the teachers had favored me.

If things were blown out of proportion, the homeroom teacher would see right through her shady schemes to form her own little clique.

Sasha rolled her eyes in frustration and spat through clenched teeth, "I was only trying to help you, and this is how you treat me?

"I was only reminding you because I considered you my best friend. No wonder no one wants anything to do with you!"

Hearing that, I let out a scornful laugh. "Sasha, do you really think going along with you would make these people accept me?"

Caught in her lie, Sasha went pale. Her lips trembled, but she couldn't get a word out.

Sasha looked embarrassed and turned to whisper with the people beside her. It was clear she was talking about me behind my back.

But before she could say much, our homeroom teacher, Carl Lester, walked in.

Carl frowned as he looked around at the chaos in the classroom. Then he walked to the front and said sternly, "The SAT is coming up. Focus on your studies.

"I'll say it again. Watch what you eat and drink. Don't consume anything from an unknown source. If it upsets your stomach and affects your performance, it won't be worth it!"

As soon as he said that, the whole class turned to look at me.

Sasha was quick to make a snide remark. "Don't worry, Mr. Lester. Our energy drinks are perfectly safe. I just wonder if some people can keep their mouths shut!"

The students around her immediately chimed in, "Yeah, we all drank it, and we're wide awake. We're not like some people who just have to be different.

"Just wait till they get sleepy during the SAT. It'll be too late to regret it then."

I stayed in my seat, unfazed and with no intention of defending myself.

Carl gave us a few more reminders about the SAT, then left the classroom.

The moment he left, Sasha came over to my desk, wearing that same phony smile.

"Willow, surely you'll want to listen to Mr. Lester. Being in top shape for the SAT is what matters most!" she said. "Don't let your pride ruin your future. If you apologize to everyone, we'll get you a bottle. How about it?"

Seeing that look on her face, I couldn't help but laugh. If they wanted to treat some mysterious drink like it was precious, that was their choice. I wasn't about to risk my future over it.

Worst case, I would get a good night's sleep the day before the SAT. If I brought a strong coffee with me, there was no way I would be sleepy.

It was better to rely on myself and be fully prepared than to depend on others.

I packed my bag and walked straight out of the classroom.

When I reached the school gate, the pop-up drink stand was still set up by the roadside.

The vendor spotted me and immediately waved me over. "Miss, try our miracle energy drink! It'll keep you sharp and guarantee you'll ace the SAT."

I took the bottle.

When I got home, I opened it and took a small sip. It was sweet, with a strange herbal taste.

I didn't drink anymore. After that one sip, I screwed the cap back on.

Chapter 3

Three hours later, I realized something that sent a chill down my spine.

My memory had started to go blank for short periods.

I had just memorized a poem and gone over it several times, but once I closed the book, my mind went blank. I couldn't remember the lines at all.

Another hour passed, and the feeling slowly faded. My memory came back.

I stared at the bottle of energy drink and finally understood.

This wasn't a supplementary drink that sharpened your mind. It was a short-term memory blocker.

By the time the SAT was over, the memories would come back.

One would just think, "I know I studied this. So why can't I remember it?"

There would be no way to prove what happened.

That was the worst part.

In my previous life, I tried to stop them, and they blamed me for meddling.

This time, I decided not to stop them.

They chose this path themselves. They could see it through.

…

The night before the SAT, I sat at my desk and checked everything I needed for the next day.

I had my SAT admission ticket, photo ID, all the usual school supplies, and a thermal flask filled with black coffee I brewed myself.

I stared at the coffee briefly, then took a spare pen from my drawer and stuck a small marker on the bottom of the flask.

The next morning, I grabbed my bag and headed out.

As luck would have it, Sasha and a few of her followers had been assigned to the same test center.

As soon as I walked through the entrance, she hurried over.

I tried to walk around her, but she blocked my way and shoved a bottle of the energy drink into my hands.

"Willow, we're about to go in. Why are you still being stubborn?" she asked. "I went out of my way to secure this for you. Drink it. It'll keep your mind sharp during the SAT!"

The cheap plastic packaging made my stomach tighten. I took a step back and said firmly, "Take it away. I don't need it, and mind your own business."

But Sasha wouldn't let up. She grabbed my wrist and held on tight.

"Why are you so impossible? This is something the whole class is doing. Do you really have to be the odd one out?" she asked.

As we struggled, one of the teachers in charge, Henry Gould, came over and stopped us. "Enough! The SAT is about to start. Get your things ready."

With Henry here, I pulled free from Sasha and moved to his side.

Sasha was livid. She stomped her foot and stormed away.

Henry looked over at the crowd and took my backpack. "Willow, go up front and help everyone find their assigned rooms. I'll hold your bag for you."

I nodded and pushed my way through the crowd. After noting down the room numbers for several classmates, I quickly made my way back.

But when I returned, the backpack I had left with Henry was gone.

Henry explained that he had stepped away to take a call, and Sasha offered to hold the bag for him. But now, Sasha was nowhere to be seen.

My SAT admission ticket, photo ID, and all my school supplies were in that bag.

Cold sweat instantly drenched my back. I looked around in a panic, nearly going to a police officer for help.

Just before security checks began, Sasha rushed out from behind a large tree. Out of breath, she roughly shoved my backpack into my arms.

"Willow, where have you been? The SAT is about to start, and you're still wandering around!" she said.

I grabbed my backpack and unzipped it. The coffee was still there, but the marker on the bottom of the thermal flask had misaligned—Sasha had opened it.

I unscrewed the lid and smelled it. There was a faint sweetness in the coffee, exactly like the energy drink.