I forgot to bring a No. 2 pencil, so I filled out my SAT exam with a red pen.

The proctor warned me it would count as cheating, and I just shrugged and told him it didn't matter.

Tyson Jenkins, the school heartthrob who ranked near the bottom of the class, suddenly got anxious.

In my last life, we went back to school to pick up our acceptance letters.

I already had a guaranteed spot at Kingsford University. And yet, I was the only one who didn't receive a letter.

Tyson had used a system to swap our exam scores.

Because my score showed up as zero, Kingsford University revoked my guaranteed admission.

I demanded a review of the scoring, but Tyson, who had suddenly become the top scorer out of nowhere, sneered at me.

"Kieran, couldn't cheat your way through the exam this time, huh? Everyone knows you only got that guaranteed spot by cheating. You've got some nerve playing the victim!"

I went to our homeroom teacher to clear my name.

I never expected her to cry on camera and say, "I tried to talk Kieran out of it in private. It's not fair to the other students if he does something like that, but he used his family's influence to pressure me into staying out of it."

Overnight, I was at the center of a storm.

Before I could even explain, a group of fanatics dragged me up to the roof and shoved me off.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day before the exam.

"Big day tomorrow, so try to relax. I hope every one of you pulls off a miracle."

The moment I saw the teacher standing at the podium, my chest tightened.

I couldn't believe it. I had been reborn on the day before Tyson Jenkins used his system to steal my SAT score.

"Please, let me be the one who shocks everyone this year."

"It's got to be Tyson. He's been grinding for three straight months."

Their voices blurred together.

Tyson gave a modest smile. "No way I can beat Kieran. He's already locked in at Kingsford University."

I was just about to say I wouldn't even be taking the exam, but Tyson beat me to it.

"Kieran, you're doing this with us, right? There are 56 people in this class. No one gets left out."

He had said the exact same thing in my last life.

I didn't have many friends to begin with. After getting guaranteed admission, people started treating me differently.

Tyson told me they just felt like I wasn't part of the group anymore since I didn't need to sit for the exam. He said if I joined more class activities, things would get better.

So when he asked me to take the exam with everyone else, I agreed without thinking. I just wanted to fit in.

I didn't realize I was walking straight into a trap.

Tyson needed me in that exam so he could use the system to switch our scores. He took my results and became the top scorer.

As for me, I got his blank paper.

A zero.

By the time I figured it out, my guaranteed admission was already gone.

I tried to explain. After my homeroom teacher Lydia Graham spoke to the media, however, they decided I must've cheated my way into that spot, too.

For three days straight, I got ripped apart online.

I went back to school, trying to find proof. Instead, I found them celebrating.

"Good thing you were ready, saying Kieran cheated!" Tyson said. "If they kept digging, they might've found out I used the system to swap scores."

Lydia laughed. "The system only works once. Of course, we had to make it airtight."

I kicked the door open and demanded to know why they did it.

Tyson barely looked at me.

"You're the one who had to show off with that guaranteed admission. I was just going to teach you a lesson. Now that you know, I can't let you walk away."

They tied me up, dragged me to the roof, and shoved me off.

I died on the spot.

The memory still made my body go cold.

I looked at Tyson now and let out a quiet, humorless laugh. "I already have a guaranteed spot. I'm not taking the exam."

He didn't expect that. His face darkened on the spot.

"You can't do that! We've been classmates for three years. You went behind everyone's back for that admission, and nobody said anything. If you skip the test, you're messing with everyone's head."

Paul Dittman, Tyson's lapdog, snorted.

"Figures. Took the easy way out and doesn't care about anyone else. That 'guaranteed admission' isn't even that impressive. Don't know what he's so proud of."

Right before I died last time, I found out that this whole idea that the guaranteed admission was some cheap shortcut came from Tyson.

People were already jealous. He just gave them the excuse they needed.

Paul slung an arm over Tyson's shoulder and smirked.

"If he won't take it, it just means he's scared. He's supposed to be a Kingsford admit. What if he scores lower than you after all that studying? That'd be humiliating!"

He shot me a look.

"Don't worry, Kieran. Even if you bomb it, Kingsford will still take you. Perks of being 'guaranteed,' right?"

I let out a cold laugh.

"That's even more reason for me not to take the exam. If I mess it up and Kingsford pulls my offer, which one of you is going to take responsibility for that? Instead of standing here talking about me, you should be studying so you can scrape together a few more points.

"Especially you, Tyson. You're third from the bottom and still waiting on a miracle. Don't hold your breath."

Tyson's expression hardened.

"Kieran, my grades slipped because of you! You owe me for that. Take the exam and compete with me fair and square. If you hadn't stolen my guaranteed spot, I wouldn't have spiraled and ended up dead last! Beating you is the only thing keeping me going, so if you don't show up, you're screwing me over."

I stared at him, completely confused. I had never taken anything from him.

Before I could say a word, everyone had already decided I was guilty the moment he said it.

"Wow, Tyson treated him like a brother, and this is how Kieran pays him back."

"And now he's trying to mess with Tyson's head before the exam. That's seriously messed up."

"Kieran, just do something decent for once! He only wants to compare scores, not ruin your life."

I knew exactly how these people worked.

They weren't defending Tyson. They just wanted something to watch, and I happened to be the easiest target.

I had no interest in arguing, so I turned and walked out.

When I refused to agree, Tyson stepped in front of me and blocked my way.

I called a teacher over. The entire class glared at me, but I didn't bother looking back and went straight home.

This time, I wasn't even planning to set foot in the testing center. I wanted to see how Tyson was going to pull off swapping my score if I never showed up.

I never expected what happened next.

At 5 a.m., Paul showed up at my house with a group of people and forced their way inside.

Before I could react, he swung a stick and hit my head. Pain burst through my skull as I clutched at it, but they jammed something into my mouth before I could even cry out.

"Tie him up and get him in the car, then find his ID and admission ticket." Paul clamped a hand around my throat and stared me down. "Whether you take that exam isn't up to you."

I tried to fight back, but he kicked my leg out, and I collapsed.

They dragged me all the way to the testing center, even though I had no intention of going in.

Students I didn't even recognize pushed me forward and told me to hurry and check in, and the proctor had already taken my ID.

Once I was forced into my seat, my thoughts started to race.

If I stood up and left now, it would cause a scene. Skipping the exam might make Kingsford question my ability and cancel my offer.

While I was still thinking, the exam began.

"Please use a No. 2 pencil to fill in your answers," the announcement echoed across the room.

An idea came to me.

I slipped the No. 2 pencil into my pocket and picked up a red pen instead. By the time the proctor noticed, I had already finished more than half the test.

He hurried over and said, "You can't use a red pen. It'll be marked as cheating, and you'll receive a zero."

I didn't even look up. "Then mark it as cheating. I don't care."

I used the red pen for the entire test.

By the last section, the proctor finally couldn't hold it in anymore, so I said, "I've already been accepted to Kingsford University. I just wanted to see how hard the exam really is. If I use red ink, it won't even get scored."

When he heard that, he relaxed.

The night the exams ended, I got on a plane and started my graduation trip.

The class group chat stayed quiet for a full month.

When it finally became active again, it was because Tyson was getting engaged to a wealthy woman named Scarlett Poole.

[Tyson really got lucky. He turned his grades around in three months and landed a rich fiancée.]

[So are you getting married right after graduation?]

[Mr. Jenkins, please help me get a job!]

I scrolled through all the flattering messages and paused at the name "Scarlett Poole". It sounded familiar. When I looked closer, I realized she was the daughter of one of my father's executives.

Tyson replied, [When we check our scores at school tomorrow, I'll bring invitations for everyone.]

Our school had always carried a strong reputation. Every year, there were students who surprised everyone, along with a few who were fought over by top universities.

That was why we all had to go back in person to check our scores and collect our admission letters. The media would be there.

In my last life, Tyson ruined me the day we picked up those letters.

This time, I would be the one surprising him.

When I arrived, a crowd had already gathered around him and was praising him nonstop.

"Tyson's got it all. He turned things around in three months, and now he's engaged to a rich girl!"

"Yeah, he's calling it around 1550. I wouldn't even put myself at 1400."

I let out a quiet laugh. A 1550 was out of the question. A zero sounded a lot more believable.

Someone spotted me and shot me a look dripping with contempt. "Kieran, we'll see if you're still smiling when the scores come out."

Tyson met my eyes and said, "You got lucky once, riding off someone else's score. Don't tell me you actually think you're smart now."

I let out a cold laugh. "I've always been at the top of the class. What's this? You brought an audience to watch me give study tips when the media shows up?"

The second I finished, laughter broke out around me.

Paul looked at me like I had just said something pathetic. "Kieran, do you even hear yourself? You only got into Kingsford because you stole Tyson's spot, and now you're strutting around like you earned it? Everyone here knows Tyson is the real genius."

More voices joined in, one after another.

They went on about how Tyson had covered the entire high school curriculum in three months, saying only a genius like him deserved a guaranteed spot at Kingsford.

Paul let out a cold laugh.

"Sucks for you! Even after you stole his guaranteed spot and tried to mess with him, Tyson still got into Kingsford in three months. Now he's engaged to a rich girl, and once he graduates, he's basically set with an executive job. Bet you can't steal that."

I glanced at him. "You're trying so hard to suck up to him. What are you, his pet?"

Paul's face twisted, and his fist came straight at my cheek.

My face swelled almost instantly. I clenched my teeth and looked at Paul. "I'm warning you. I'm supposed to take my photo for the honor wall today."

"Still dreaming, huh?" he shot back. "Let me wake you up!"

He grabbed his thermos and flung hot water at my face. Heat scorched across my skin, and my body locked up from the shock.

Before I could react, he kicked me to the ground.

Tyson stepped forward and crushed my hand under his foot, grinding down hard before crouching in front of me.

"Back to reality yet? If not, we can strip you and drag you into a cold shower."

Paul handed him a pair of scissors.

Tyson smiled as he sliced into my collar. I struggled, but the others pinned me down, their feet pressing into my back and shoulders.

His hand clamped around my throat, his eyes bloodshot.

"Kieran, I was ready to let go of what you did with my spot, but you just had to keep pushing me and rubbing it in my face. I'm obviously the one with the looks and the brains at this school. So why does a thief like you get all the attention?"

He stood and looked down at me.

"Get on your knees and apologize! When the media interviews me later, maybe I'll be kind enough not to mention how you stole my spot."

I let out a low laugh. "Those scores were mine to begin with. You don't need to wait for the results. You can start planning your repeat year now."

Tyson drove his foot into my side. "Still running your mouth, huh? When Kingsford accepts me, I'll report you for cheating myself. Just wait until they pull your offer!"

Right then, someone shouted, "My scores are out!"

The website had been overloaded with everyone checking at once, so most people were refreshing their accounts or waiting for the email to come through.

Within seconds, phones started buzzing all around us.

Everyone got their results.

Everyone except Tyson.

His expression tightened. He glanced at me, then stepped closer, his voice low and tense. "What did you do? Why haven't I gotten mine?"

I smiled. "Why are you asking me about your score?"

One of his followers quickly jumped in. "It has to be in the top 50 in the state. They always delay those."

I almost laughed.

In my last life, my score really had been in the top 50.

But this time, I had written everything in red ink. There was no way that was happening.

Still, everyone bought it instantly and started congratulating Tyson in advance.

He hesitated for a moment, then firecrackers went off outside.

A second later, the principal walked in with a group of staff members, the school band right behind them, horns blaring as they turned it into a full celebration.

It was obvious.

Someone from our school had made the top 50 in the state.

Tyson shot me a smug look. "Kieran, just wait for Kingsford to kick you out."

I frowned slightly.

Would they even bother scoring a test written in red ink? Before I could figure it out, reporters had already rushed in and surrounded Tyson.

They fired questions at him from every direction, asking whether he would choose Kingsford University or Redmont College.

He didn't hesitate. "Kingsford."

When they asked why, he glanced back at me, his gaze sharp, and mouthed silently, "You're finished."

He turned back toward the cameras, ready to soak it all in.

Just then, the smile on his face suddenly froze.