This Time, I’m the Fool Chapter 04
Chapter 4 A Trap on the Podium
“What?!” Maisie’s expression instantly turned a multitude of colors. She stomped her foot, spat out a
curse, and bolted out the door at full speed.
I figured she was rushing to fix things. After all, she was the only one who wouldn’t be able to sit for the
exam if this wasn’t resolved.
Once the truth came out, the class chat finally relaxed. The anger died down almost immediately. Maisie, however, wasn’t so lucky. After scrambling all night, she still failed to replace her admission slip.
Naturally, she missed the national professional exam the next day and could only wait an entire year to
try again.
Later, I deliberately walked up to her, fidgeting with my fingers and putting on a teary–eyed expression.”
Maisie, I’m sorry for being so clumsy. I really hope you won’t blame me…”
Her face darkened. She looked like she was about to explode, gritting her teeth to keep herself from
unleashing a string of curses.
After that, she switched to giving me the cold shoulder full–time. Strangely enough, that bought me a long stretch of peace and quiet. That was, until one class reached the group presentation segment.
Out of nowhere, Maisie spoke up, her tone sharp and unquestionable. “Naomi, you’re usually the slowest.
This is a good chance to practice your speaking skills. You’ll represent our group for the presentation.”
I couldn’t quite tell what she was planning, but I nodded anyway. “Okay.”
Standing at the podium, I met a familiar pair of eyes in the crowd. Only then did I remember this was a
joint lecture with the neighboring class–Vincent was here too. Shaking off the distraction, I plugged the USB drive into the computer, dismissed the pop–up prompts, and opened the presentation file–only to find a completely blank screen.
As if on cue, Maisie rushed up to the podium and snatched the mouse from my hand. “What happened? What did you click?”
But even after all of us from the dorm fiddled with it together, every single file was still gone. Maisie panicked, her voice shooting up. “How could you be so stupid? You can’t even handle something this
small!”
Her words instantly silenced the seventy–plus students in the room. Eyes from all directions snapped toward us.
I clenched my fists, holding it in as I said, “I didn’t touch anything…”
She cut me off immediately. “How is this not your fault?! Everyone saw it–everything went blank the moment you opened it!”
“Alright, enough. Stop arguing and think of a solution. The class and the professor are still waiting,”
Chloe whispered urgently along with another roommate.
Maisie showed no restraint at all, her tone arrogant and biting. “Am I wrong? If it weren’t for her last time,
would I have missed my exam?!”
With that, she turned her face away in a clear ‘I’m done with this‘ gesture.
The other two roommates were visibly irritated now as well, glaring at me with disappointment.
Surrounded by the low buzz of whispers from the audience, I tightened my fists in humiliation. I wanted
nothing more than to tear into Maisie right there and then, to rip the mask off her face in front of
everyone. But I forced myself to calm down, my mind racing for a solution.
Then it hit me–I had saved a copy of the file.
Taking a deep breath, I spoke softly. “Don’t panic. I think I have a backup on my laptop.”
With that, I returned to my seat and brought my laptop up to the podium.
A flash of unwilling frustration crossed Maisie’s face, while the other two roommates clearly relaxed.
One of them suggested, “Maisie, you should present instead–just in case Naomi messes something else
up.”
Maisie snorted before reluctantly stepping back up to the podium. She connected the laptop to the projector, casting the screen onto the wall.
Then her eyes flickered. Sharp–eyed, she spotted a folder on my desktop labeled, ‘Sexy Photos–Do Not
Open.’
