The timer on the screen started counting down.
10:00
Round Two had begun.
The first question was already on the screen, and it looked far worse than anything from Round One.
I stared at the problem for a few seconds.
"Okay… that's ridiculous."
Ethan leaned closer to read it.
His eyes moved quickly across the lines.
"Not ridiculous," he said calmly.
"Just complicated."
"That's the same thing."
He ignored my comment and pointed at the screen.
"Look at the second condition."
I followed where he pointed.
"…Oh."
"Exactly."
The problem wasn't about solving everything.
It was about eliminating the impossible options first.
Once I saw it, the solution became much clearer.
I wrote the answer quickly.
8:37
One question down.
The Next Challenge
The second question appeared.
This one made my brain hurt immediately.
I leaned back slightly.
"I hate whoever wrote this."
Ethan almost smiled.
"They probably hate students too."
I stared at the numbers again.
"Wait… this looks familiar."
"It should," Ethan said. "We practiced something similar yesterday."
My eyes widened.
"You're right."
I started writing quickly while Ethan checked each step.
For a moment, we moved in perfect rhythm.
He analyzed.
I calculated.
Then we switched.
No arguing.
No rivalry.
Just teamwork.
Across the stage, I noticed Daniel from Westbrook glancing in our direction.
His team was still working on the first question.
I looked back at Ethan.
"Good news."
"What?"
"We're ahead."
"Don't get comfortable."
Of course he would say that.
The Final Question
With two minutes left on the timer, the last question appeared.
And this one…
Was brutal.
Even Ethan froze for a moment.
"That's… new."
I looked at him.
"You've never seen something like this?"
"Not exactly."
Great.
The timer kept moving.
1:52
The audience was completely silent.
Every team on stage looked stressed.
Ethan leaned closer to the paper.
"It's not a math problem."
I blinked.
"Again?"
"It's a pattern."
He pointed to the sequence.
"Look here."
I studied it.
Then suddenly…
"Oh!"
I grabbed the pen and wrote the answer quickly.
0:48
We finished just before the timer ended.
Results of Round Two
The judges collected the answer sheets again.
This time, the waiting felt longer.
The audience whispered loudly.
Students from our school were staring at us with hopeful expressions.
Ethan looked calm.
Too calm.
"How are you not nervous?" I asked.
"I am."
"You don't look like it."
"That's the point."
Before I could respond, the main judge returned to the stage.
"The results for Round Two are ready."
The room went silent.
"Two teams once again performed significantly better than the others."
My heart started beating faster.
"Westbrook Academy…"
Daniel's team smiled confidently.
"…and Ridgeway High."
The audience erupted again.
Another tie.
I looked at Ethan.
"Seriously?"
He shrugged slightly.
"Looks like they're good."
Across the stage, Daniel gave us a small clap.
Then he pointed two fingers toward us like a challenge.
Next round.
After the Announcement
As we stepped off the stage again, Ethan spoke quietly.
"They're strong."
"I noticed."
"But we're still tied."
I nodded.
That part felt good.
But something else caught my attention.
From the audience section, Clara was watching again.
But this time…
She looked worried.
And for the first time during the competition, I started wondering why.