Nine o'clock in the morning, the date was December 12th, 2023.
Michael was in the Technological Institute of the Philippines, specifically in the chanical Engineering Departnt. There he t his professors from different subjects. He waved a hand at them and they happily waved back. In front of him, was Mr. Delgado.
"You looked like you haven't slept all night," Delgado observed, looking at Michael from top to bottom.
"Well I have been busy sir," Michael rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He looked around, noticing it was him the only student present inside the faculty.
"Anyways, it seems that I am the first to arrive. Where are they, sir?"
"Oh, they just ssaged , they'll arrive in a minute or two. They're just wrapping up sothing from their last class." Mr. Delgado glanced at his watch, then back at Michael. "In the anti, why don't we go over your product for the PS? Solar panel was it?"
"Yes," Michael confird with a nod. "It's going to be groundbreaking and revolutionary in the field of renewable energy."
'Is that so?" Delgado mused, his interest piqued.
Just as they were about to delve deeper into Michael's project, the door swung open, and two students entered, both carrying hefty bags filled with books and papers. They were Kenneth and Janine, second-year chanical engineering students known for their exceptional academic performance, boasting GPAs of 1.2 and 1.3 respectively.
"Sorry we're late, Sir," Kenneth said, catching his breath. "Our last class overran, and we had to sprint here."
Janine nodded in agreent.
Mr. Delgado waved off their apologies with a smile. "It's fine. You're here now, and that's what matters. Now, I want you to et Michael Reyes, the third mber of the team."
"Pleasure to et you," Michael extended his hand, greeting both Kenneth and Janine with a firm handshake.
"Pleasure is ours," Kenneth replied. Janine simply nodded with a smile, equally interested.
"Now that you three have t, let's dive into the competition. The competition will consist of a question from higher levels so we have to et every day at an agreed ti for to teach you those subjects. It's easy so you don't have anything to worry about. We will compete with the top engineering schools, it's going to be fierce. The reward for getting first place will be 100,000 pesos plus a school scholarship from the Technological Institute of the Philippines. Additionally, you'll have the opportunity to represent our school at the national engineering conference next year, which is a huge honor and a fantastic networking opportunity."
Kenneth's eyes lit up at the ntion of the competition's stakes, Janine too. But Michael, was unfazed from the ntion of the price as he already had a million in his bank account. But glancing at his teammates and seeing their expression that they wanted to win it, he couldn't help but smile. Okay, he'll do it for them and get that scholarship.
"Rember the competition will take place on the 17th, so there is not much ti, I want you to read in advance the lessons we are going to cover, I'm going to send it to our group chat."
"Yes sir," the three intoned together.
"Okay, that's for the introduction, see you tomorrow."
The eting wrapped up quickly after that. Michael, Kenneth, and Janine gathered their things, exchanging contact information before parting ways to prepare for the intense study sessions ahead.
As Michael was about to attend his next class, he received a ssage from Catherine.
[Uhm...Michael, can we et at this coffee shop? (With a location attachnt).]
At last, for over a week, they finally had a tutoring session. Well, not that he'd care as even if there was no session, he is still getting paid. It's just Catherine's decision on whether she wants to top her class or remain average.
[Sure, Catherine. I can et you there after my classes, around 4 PM. Is that okay with you?]
He waited for a mont before Catherine's response popped up.
[Yes, that's perfect. Thank you, Michael.]
The rest of the day passed in a blur of classes, study sessions, and planning etings with Kenneth and Janine. As 4 PM approached, Michael made his way to the coffee shop where he was to et Catherine. But, he didn't see her.
"Possibly, she hasn't arrived yet," Michael murmured while looking around at the cozy coffee shop. He sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, offering him a view of the road and the parking slot of the establishnt. Monts later, a customized Ford Raptor arrived and parked right in front of the coffee shop. Michael's attention was imdiately drawn to the vehicle. It was a stunning piece of machinery, its sleek, dark exterior exuding power and luxury. The Raptor's aggressive stance and the roar of its engine as it idled briefly before shutting off made an impression on him.
A man stepped out from the driver's side, and Michael couldn't help but take notice. He was tall, easily over six feet, with a build that spoke of regular visits to the gym. His attire, a well-fitted casual shirt paired with designer jeans, complented his handso features. His hair was styled perfectly, and the confidence with which he moved was that of soone who was used to being in control. The man walked around the vehicle with a purposeful stride and opened the passenger door.
To Michael's surprise, it was Catherine who stepped out, a delighted smile gracing her face. She looked up at the man with evident admiration before turning her attention to the coffee shop, where Michael was seated. The man offered her his hand as she navigated the step down from the high vehicle
Michael felt a twinge of envy at the sight. Not only did this man possess a vehicle as impressive as the Ford Raptor, but he also had the looks and the deanor of soone who was well-off, possibly coming from a wealthy background. The ease with which he handled himself and the car suggested he was no stranger to luxury.
Catherine and the man exchanged a few words, their interaction comfortable and familiar before she headed towards the coffee shop entrance. The man took a mont to lock the vehicle and follow her at a leisurely pace, his gaze briefly eting Michael's through the window, a smirk subtly playing on his lips.
"What the hell..." Michael said to himself. "Why is he smirking at ? Is he looking down on ?"
Catherine and the man entered the coffee shop.
"Joshua, et Michael, Michael et Josh," Catherine introduced them with a cheerful tone. Joshua extended his hand, the smirk now replaced with a neutral expression, though a hint of appraisal lingered in his eyes as they shook hands.
"Nice to et you," Joshua said. His gaze was piercing, sizing Michael up in a way that felt almost confrontational. But as his eyes landed on Michael's simple attire and the older model phone that Michael placed on the table, his posture relaxed slightly, an almost imperceptible nod acknowledging Michael's presence without further judgnt.
Michael, picking up on the subtle shift in Joshua's deanor, felt a mix of irritation and relief. It was clear that Joshua had initially perceived him as a potential rival, possibly for Catherine's attention, but had quickly reassessed him as no threat based on his economic status. But why would he? Sure Catherine is beautiful but he doesn't like her romantically.
"These rich kids again," Michael inwardly thought, the corner of his mouth tugging into a smirk.
"Catherine ntioned you've been helping her a lot with her studies," Joshua comnted, taking a seat next to Michael, with Catherine sitting beside him. "I appreciate that."
Michael nodded, deciding to keep the conversation professional. "It's no problem. Catherine's a quick learner. We're just going over so advanced topics to prepare her for the exams."
Catherine bead at the complint, then turned to Joshua, explaining, "Michael's been amazing. I've learned so much already."
"Is that so? Well, I'm going to pick you up at six o'clock. After that, we go to BGC for dinner."
Catherine nodded. "No problem."
At this point, Michael realizes that Catherine is infatuated with this man. But the insulting gaze he cast on him earlier made him want to face-slap him. He opened his phone and browsed the Ford Raptor. It cost around 2.3 million.
But if he wanted to send a ssage that he's better than this guy, he must avail a more expensive vehicle, like three tis that price. And that's where he ca across this vehicle.
Ram 1500 TRX, srp, 8.85 million pesos.
"Give three days," Michael promised to himself. After all, if he's planning on starting a business, having his own vehicle would be convenient to travel from one location to another.
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