The summer flew by, and before I knew it, I was back at school, walking through the gates as a grade 12 student. I felt a mix of emotions - excitement, nervousness, and a hint of curiosity.
As I scanned the school yard, my eyes landed on a new face. Tall, with chiseled features and piercing brown eyes, he was impossible to miss. I watched as he charmed his classmates with ease, flashing a bright smile and laughing with them.
"Who is this guy?" I wondered to myself. "And why does he seem so confident?"
As the days went by, I learned that his name was Zheng Zhiyu, and he was a transfer student from another city. I also discovered that he was a basketball player of national renown, and his skills on the court were matched only by his academic prowess.
A rival," I thought to myself, feeling a spark of competitiveness. "Someone who can finally challenge me."
I joined the board casting club and the science club, eager to pursue my passions and meet like-minded people. Zheng Zhiyu, on the other hand, joined the science club, basketball club, and swimming club, his diverse interests and talents on full display.
Despite our shared membership in the science club, we never really talked. We'd argue over trivial things in class, our debates fueled by a growing sense of rivalry.
As I walked home from school, I couldn't help but think about Zheng Zhiyu and our rivalry in the science club. Little did I know, our club moderator, Mrs. Chen, had something exciting in store for us.
THE NEXT MORNING OF SUNDAY ~
I received a message from the Science Club group chat:
[02:34 PM] Mrs. Chen: Hello, Science Club members!
[02:34 PM] Mrs. Chen: I hope you're all doing well. I wanted to announce that this year, we'll be working on research projects!
[02:35 PM] Zheng Zhiyu: What kind of projects?
[02:36 PM] Mrs. Chen: You'll have the opportunity to investigate scientific questions through independent research, including data analysis and presentation of findings.
[02:37 PM] Wang Mei: Sounds exciting!
[02:38 PM] Zheng Zhiyu: I'm thinking of researching renewable energy sources. Anyone want to collaborate?
[02:40 PM] Wang Mei: I'm actually thinking of researching black holes. And I'm going to make sure my project is the best one in the club.
[02:42 PM] Zheng Zhiyu: Oh, is that a challenge?
[02:43 PM] Wang Mei: You can take it however you want. But I'm not going to let anyone beat me.
[02:44 PM] Zheng Zhiyu: Game on, Wang Mei. I'll show you what I'm capable of.
[02:45 PM] Mrs. Chen: Alright, alright. Let's keep the competition friendly. We'll discuss these projects further in our next club meeting.
[02:46 PM] Wuhao: Looking forward to it!
[02:47 PM] Lily: Me too!
[02:48 PM] Yang: Let's make this year's science club the best one yet!
[02:49 PM] Zheng Zhiyu: I'll make sure of it.
[02:50 PM] Wang Mei: We'll see about that.
But as I thought about it more, I started to feel a sense of unease. How was I going to defeat him? He was already so confident and self-assured. And what if he was actually better than me?
I shook my head, pushing aside the doubts. I was not going to let him beat me. I was going to work harder than ever before to make sure that my project on black holes was the best one in the club.
I settled down at my desk and started researching. I spent hours pouring over books and articles, taking notes and making diagrams. I was determined to learn everything there was to know about black holes.