Chapter 202: Chapter 202: The Runner-Up

“You certainly seem to know him quite well, don’t you? I can hear a significant amount of pent-up resentment and emotion in your voice.” Julian Sterling remarked, his tone laced with a hint of playful curiosity as he observed his new friend.

Upon hearing the observation of Julian Sterling , Kian Foster could not help but let his shoulders slump forward. He released a long, weary sigh that seemed to carry the weight of years of exasperation: “We are childhood friends, unfortunately. We grew up as neighbors and were forced into the same social circles. We attended the same primary school, dragged each other through middle and high school, and eventually ended up at the same university. Later, due to several personal and academic reasons, I submitted my application to transfer to Saint Lawrence University. I never expected that someone as stubborn and fixated as Vince Sutton would insist on following me here. He fought tooth and nail to pass the entrance exams just so he could squeeze himself into the very same department as me.”

Julian Sterling listened in silence for a moment, his mind immediately beginning to construct a dramatic scenario out of the fragments of information. He couldn’t help but ask: “Don’t tell me this is a case of him pursuing you for years? Perhaps you repeatedly rejected his advances, and now he’s stalking you across academic institutions because he can’t take no for an answer?”

“What kind of delusional, nonsensical script are you dreaming up right now?” Kian Foster countered sharply, his defensive instincts flaring up as he shot Julian Sterling a look of pure disbelief.

“I don’t know.” Julian Sterling teased, his eyes dancing with mischief: “The narrative arc sounds exactly like the classic trope of the overbearing, arrogant CEO and the hardworking, poor little wife who overcomes all odds, the kind of stories I often find in the novels I read.”

“I am begging you, Julian Sterling , please stop reading those ridiculous, hallucination-filled romance novels.” Kian Foster groaned, burying his face in his hands briefly to hide his embarrassment.

When Julian Sterling heard his new companion scold him in such a manner, he simply pouted, his expression one of playful defiance. Internally, he thought to himself that if he hadn’t spent so much time immersed in those “ridiculous” stories, he never would have had the specialized knowledge required to navigate his current situation after being transmigrated into this world. However, he decided not to voice this particular defense. Instead, he remained quiet, waiting for Kian Foster to provide more context regarding the situation with the flashy student at the back of the room.

“I told you already.” Kian Foster continued after regaining his composure: “Because he was spoiled and coddled since he was a toddler, Vince Sutton has developed a pathological need to be the center of everyone’s attention. He is the type of person who physically cannot stand it when someone else is more talented or successful than he is. While Vince Sutton undeniably possesses a terrible personality and an ego the size of a planet, I have to be objective and admit that he does have some actual artistic talent. Preparing for and passing the entrance exams for Saint Lawrence University was well within his capabilities. The only reason he didn’t apply here originally was simply because he was too lazy and preferred an environment with less competition. He knew that this university is frequently populated by the sons and daughters of truly powerful, old-money families, the elite class with deep roots and immense social capital. His family of ’newly rich’ status doesn’t have the leverage to bully or impress those kinds of people. That is why he initially chose to attend a more ordinary university with me, where he could easily play the role of the king among commoners.”

Based on the personality traits of Vince Sutton that Kian Foster had just described, Julian Sterling began to connect the dots. He made a bold deduction: “And then, I assume, he heard the news that you had successfully transferred to Saint Lawrence University. Feeling that his pride had been wounded and unable to bear the thought of you surpassing him, he decided to knuckle down and follow you here at any cost?”

“Exactly.” Kian Foster confirmed with a nod: “He is a person who craves validation and attention above all else. He cannot tolerate anyone else stealing his glory or standing in his spotlight. That is exactly why he has been spending the last hour aiming those bullet-like glares at you. Do you understand now?”

Upon hearing the final explanation, it was the turn of Julian Sterling to feel a sense of profound confusion. He tilted his head slightly, lost in thought, and once again took the time to carefully inspect his own appearance from top to bottom. He checked to see if he was accidentally wearing any flashy jewelry or if his clothing was from some high-end luxury brand that might appear ostentatious and provoke the ire of his peers. The answer, as he expected, was a resounding no. From the top of his head to the soles of his shoes, Julian Sterling radiated the aura of an average, everyday student who was remarkably unremarkable in every way.

“But why glare at me specifically?” Julian Sterling wondered aloud: “I’m not exactly spending my free time preening like a peacock or intentionally dressing up like a neon chameleon to steal the spotlight away from him, am I?”

“Pfft…” Kian Foster once again burst into a fit of giggles at the colorful metaphors used by Julian Sterling: “It isn’t because of your clothes, Julian. It is because you entered this university with the highest honor possible, you are the valedictorian of this entire transfer intake. Before anyone had actually met you in person, people were reading the public admission lists and assuming you were some wealthy heir with an elite educational background. If that had been the case, Vince Sutton might have been angry, but he would have been forced to swallow his pride and keep his mouth shut. But after coming to class today and seeing how simply you are dressed, he couldn’t help his petty nature from surfacing…”

“So, you are saying that because he thinks I am just a person from an ordinary, middle-class background, he feels bold enough to openly display his attitude and hostility?” Julian Sterling clarified.

As Kian Foster nodded in confirmation, Julian Sterling let out a small, amused chuckle. He casually tossed out a remark that sounded like a lighthearted joke: “Well, in that case, he is quite mistaken. My family background is anything but ordinary.” Immediately after saying this, before Kian Foster could ask any follow-up questions about his lineage or his connection to the Sterling Group , Julian Sterling quickly shifted the conversation to a different topic. “But even so, even if I hadn’t participated in the exams this time, there is no guarantee that someone with his specific level of skill would have taken the top spot. I mean, just look at his disastrous sense of aesthetics…”

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