After her rebirth

On the weekend, Katniss moved back to Aurora's place.

She didn't have much stuff when she first came to Welsey's home just one box. Now, she had a few more things, thanks to Wesley and Daphne.

Micah, despite his sharp tongue and lack of kindness towards Katniss, still did what needed to be done. He even helped carry her suitcase upstairs.

"If you're moving back, then be tough. Don't come crying to us if you get bullied again," Micah shot Katniss a glare, grabbed his suit, and walked off without another word. Katniss chased after him and called out at the stairway, "I got it, Micah."

Life went back to normal. After passing the transfer exam, Katniss got her books and schedule. She'd officially start classes this week.

On her first day at medical school, Katniss looked at the grand, unfamiliar building and finally felt like she had escaped her tragic past. She wouldn't let herself make the same mistakes again. After finding her classroom, Katniss picked a seat by the wall, where she could see the yellowing ginkgo leaves outside. When the wind blew, they fell gently.

But once she sat down, she noticed a lot of people staring at her.

It seemed like she shouldn't be sitting there.

"Who's that? Never seen her before," someone asked.

"Is she another fangirl trying to get Cecil Marshall's attention?" another said.

"Just wait, when Cecil gets here, she'll be in for it," someone sneered.

Hearing the murmurs, Katniss didn't care. She opened her book to start previewing. Passing the exam was just the beginning; the real challenge was ahead. There was still a lot she didn't know, and she needed to work even harder.

As class time approached, more people filled the room.

Suddenly, the back door swung open, and a group of tall boys walked in. The one in the middle had an arrogant, unapproachable look, with cold, glassy eyes. They walked to their usual spot, only to find someone already sitting in Cecil's seat.

Cecil paused, his eyes showing impatience and irritation.

Byron Reyes and Daryl Fields, Cecil's close friends, exchanged mischievous smiles and whispered, "From the back, this girl looks pretty good."

From their angle, the girl had long hair draped over her shoulders, a delicate side profile, long, curled eyelashes like butterfly wings, and a slender neck that exuded an alluring charm. Her innocence was a captivating disguise for a seductive allure.

Daryl said, "She doesn't seem to be from our school. If she was, all the other girls would be scrambling for second place."

The most beautiful woman in the medical school was Byron's crush, Ashley Cross. He immediately protested, "What are you talking about! Ashley is always the most beautiful in the medical school. If it weren't for Clara having so many supporters, Ashley would be the most beautiful in the whole school."

As the two were discussing, Cecil walked up to Katniss with a cold face and slammed his book on the desk with a loud bang. Katniss was startled and looked up at him.

"Get out," he shouted.

The guy was handsome, with sharp features. Dressed in black with a skull necklace, he looked more like a rebel than a med student. Maybe someone else would have been scared and left crying immediately.

But Cecil's tone was nothing new to Katniss. In the past, whenever Clara had any issues, the Manners family would blame her.

Katniss looked up at Cecil, her face expressionless. "Are you in elementary school? If you want this seat, come earlier next time." With that, she lowered her head and kept reading.

The classroom buzzed with whispers because of Katniss's words.

"Who is she? She's so bold, daring to talk back to Cecil!" someone asked.

"Oh, I remember now. I heard last week that someone transferred from another department. Could it be her?" another replied.

Cecil's face darkened, glaring at Katniss. "Don't think you can get my attention this way. Next time, I'll throw you out."

Cecil sat down next to Katniss with a cold face.

Katniss, with the mentality of someone much older, sighed helplessly at such words.

She continued reading, marking key points with a pencil, and said, "Do you need me to diagnose you? I'm pretty good at it. I think you need to see a neurologist." Cecil was stunned.

Byron and Daryl, sitting behind them, burst into laughter.

This girl was strong!

Daryl, laughing uncontrollably, poked Katniss's arm and said with a grin, "I need a diagnosis. Can you check me out?"

Byron turned his head in shock, mouthing, "You're shameless."

Katniss twirled her pencil with her slender fingers, glanced at him, and actually turned halfway, rolling up her sleeve to reveal a small part of her arm. She placed her hand on Daryl's wrist.

After a moment of contemplation, Katniss said, "You are weak. Your mom probably took the wrong medication when she was pregnant with you. Exercise more, or you'll have trouble with fertility."

Hearing that Daryl might have fertility issues, Byron couldn't help but laugh, realizing Katniss was just messing with them.

Daryl had never shown any signs of poor health or medication issues.

Daryl, however, stared at Katniss in disbelief, then quickly withdrew his hand. "Nonsense, I'm perfectly healthy." Katniss also withdrew her hand and calmly turned back. "Suit yourself."

He was a patient and a medical student himself, if he still avoided treatment, it was beyond her concern.

Cecil, who had been pretending to nap on the desk, opened his eyes, glanced at her, and then closed them again. Katniss was busy in medical school, with not only theoretical knowledge but also many lab classes later on.

At noon, class finally ended, and Katniss packed her things to leave.

She hadn't spoken a word to Cecil during the class.

Just as Katniss reached the door, Juniper suddenly appeared and hugged her. "Katniss!"

"Juniper, what are you doing here?" Katniss was pleasantly surprised, showing a bright smile.

"You just transferred, so I came to check on you and see the legendary most handsome student in the medical school, Cecil! Is he really that handsome?" Juniper stood on tiptoe, craning her neck to look into the classroom. Katniss chuckled. "You might be disappointed. He's probably got some mental issues."