Back at Era University, Juniper''s arrival in the ssroom caused a stir. She had picked up her textbooks the day before, only to be whisked away to the suburbs to witness the drama of her ''boyfriend hunting her siblings.'' Today was her first real meeting with her ssmates.


    "Juniper, sit here!" one of the boys called out excitedly, with others echoing the sentiment. "I wiped the chair down for you!"


    "Sit with me, Juniper! The view is better here."


    One after another, the male students vied for her attention, their eyes shining as if they''d discovered a priceless treasure. Juniper had brought great honor to theputer science department during the military training camp. She had personality, skill, and looks. Plus, their freshman ss had very few girls, making her an


    absolute gem.


    "Thest guy who confessed to our goddess is still moping around somewhere," Hattie said with a knowing smile as she tidied her desk.


    "Why?" another student asked curiously.


    "Because..." Hattie cleared her throat dramatically. "Rumor has it he met her boyfriend and was so crushed that he realized he was just a small fry dreaming of a queen."


    The other fries in the room fell silent, feeling personally attacked.


    "Have some candy," Juniper said with a slight smile, walking straight to the empty seat beside Hattie.


    "Juniper," Hattie leaned in, her curiosity piqued. "Do you really have a boyfriend?"


    "Mmm," Juniper replied, casually flipping through a textbook, a small smile on her lips.


    "Wow, I thought that was just a rumor," Hattie said, her eyes wide as she gave Juniper a thumbs-up. "Your boyfriend must be an amazing person."


    "Why do you say that?" Juniper asked.


    "Anyone who could win you over has to be amazing," Hattie said with a grin. "In my mind, no one is good enough for you."


    She was dying to see just who had managed to capture her goddess''s heart.


    "Actually, wait," Hattie paused, ncing around before lowering her voice. "There is one person who might be a good match for you."


    Juniper popped a candy into her mouth, suddenly interested.


    "It was that guy from..." Hattie started, her voice filled with excitement, "from the opening ceremony! Shanley Schwartz!"


    Juniper''s eyshes fluttered, and she chewed her candy a little more slowly.


    "Oh my god, his looks, his physique, that whole vibe..." Hattie sighed dreamily. "But he is a little old for you. And she leaned in even


    close whispering, everyone


    says he''s almost thirty and still single, so he''s probably gay."


    "I don''t think so," Juniper interjected quietly. "I heard he has a girlfriend."


    "That''s probably just something he said to deal with the public pressure," Hattie


    sighed, pushing a bag of snacks towards Juniper. "I feel sorry for whatever poor girl has to be his beard."


    Juniper, that very unlucky girlfriend, felt a ratherplex mix of emotions.


    Her morning was filled with general lectures for her major, but the afternoon was reserved for her


    specialized sses in the Geniuse


    Program Ever


    student in the program was assigned a personal


    faculty advisor, and since there were only three students epted this year, Juniper''s top score gave her first pick.


    Before she chose, Hattie had given


    e2


    her a warning about one of the professors. He was brilliant and incredibly knowledgeable, but he had a reputation for being entric. White other professors chased research grants by focusing on simpler topics, he did the exact opposite, deliberately tackling the most difficult andplex problems. On top of that, he was an notoriously strict mentor, which was why very few students ever chose to work with him.