"But..."
Before Kiki could argue, her whole body suddenly froze—she saw several adults approaching in a group in the distance, standing chatting at the back of the crowd, and among them was her Stella.
Kiki suddenly felt a crushing weight descend upon her, as if someone had taken a heavy stone slab and smashed it right down on her forehead—
She truly wished there was a heavy stone slab smashing down on her forehead right this second!
If it were just an ordinary quiz competition, she wouldn't care how many rounds she lost, but... but in front of Stella?
In the crowd, Stella noticed Kiki looking toward her direction and waved at her. However, Kiki immediately looked away, and nothing could describe the terror she felt at that moment.
When her foolishness, her awkwardness, her ignorance... were all exposed in front of Stella, the other would know that she wasn't some orca-like little girl at all, that she was merely a little sardine who could do nothing, and that she didn't deserve to be watched over and cared for like that—
"Kiki!" Eleven shoved Kiki's shoulder. "Don't zone out! It's starting!"
Kiki glared resentfully at her side's friend, yet Eleven wasn't looking at her at all.
...Yet what wrong had Eleven done? When it came down to it, it was still because she herself was too useless. Such a sham, a clever person like Stella would see through it sooner or later... This quiz would only make her realize the truth of the matter a little sooner.
Amid the bustling noise, Kiki could only clench her fists, trying her best not to let herself be defeated by fear.
Down in the audience, Stella went to sit beside Xia Yixue. "...What's the situation now? Are the three of them going to