NOVEL NEXT Chapter 45: Online Marketing?
The little incident between Jimmy and Henry barely caused a ripple in the class.
On the other hand, Xanthia, with her new hairstyle and outfit, attracted more and more attention as the classroom filled up. Her presence became increasingly noticeable; it was undeniable that a beautiful girl always stirred up gossip.
"Hey, let me tell you something. You won't believe it, but that Xanthia—you know, the one next to Dematero—is an absolute hidden gem. She's stunning!" exclaimed a boy who had just arrived in the classroom, engaging his deskmate.
"Xanthia? Oh, let me take a look..." His classmate replied with a grin, unpacking his bag. "Wow, just changing her hairstyle makes a difference. She might even challenge for the 'class beauty' title now. Luciel really needs to up her fashion game."
"It's not just the hairstyle. You can only see her upper body in that white blouse right now, but you're missing the best part. Damn, Dematero is sitting there, completely blocking the view!"
"What's the best part?"
"Her legs, obviously! Those perfectly proportioned legs were wasted under those ordinary school pants. Now with the pleated skirt and over-the-knee socks, she's a knockout!"
"You're exaggerating a bit, aren't you?"
"Just wait. She'll have to get up for water or leave the classroom eventually. Watch and see!"
"Dude, did you not play enough Fortnight over the break? You’re talking like you’re waiting for the perfect moment to engage in a team fight..."
"Hmph, I'm sitting close to the water dispenser. I have to get a good shot. Missing out on her today would be a lifetime regret!"
"Come on, don't go crazy over one girl. Keep it together!"
Conversations like this echoed in several corners of the classroom among the boys.
However, not everyone appreciated Xanthia's dramatic transformation. Some students silently labeled her as a "poor student," thinking she was more focused on her appearance than her studies. They decided to keep their distance, not wanting to be influenced by her perceived lack of dedication.
This attitude showed that Thessaloniki First High School maintained a decent academic atmosphere. In other schools, a girl like Xanthia, who appeared easy to bully, had few friends, and dressed so boldly, might have faced much harsher consequences.
Even so, some classmates with darker thoughts eagerly awaited her failure in the upcoming monthly exams. No matter how pretty she was, poor grades would still mark her as inferior.
Meanwhile, Dematero finally completed his holiday homework. As a chatterbox, he couldn't stay quiet for long and initiated a conversation with Xanthia. Mostly, he did the talking while Xanthia, multitasking, occasionally responded while reading her manga.
"I'm going to get some water," Xanthia said. Noticing her empty water bottle, she got up to refill it.
Dematero wanted to do it for her but feared his intentions might be misunderstood. Xanthia's water bottle was quite distinctive, a light pink thermos.
He stepped aside respectfully, watching her leave. In that moment, he couldn't help but admire her perfect silhouette, feeling a sudden urge to write poetry.
But impulse remained impulse; he needed to stay composed and restrained. His poems were meant for his 'goddess' alone.
Xanthia approached the water dispenser, slightly bending forward as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Focused on filling her bottle, she was unaware of the impact her graceful profile had on the boys secretly watching her, striking them like a lightning bolt.
Some of the boys who had been waiting for the perfect moment to take a picture of Xanthia successfully captured the scene.
In fact, Xanthia's new outfit had already caught the attention of many students from different classes and grades as she walked from the school gate to her classroom. It was the peak time for returning to school, and some students, dazzled by her appearance, couldn't resist discreetly taking out their phones to capture the stunning sight.
On Thessaloniki First High School’s campus forum, and even in some class-based private online chatgroups—those used for gaming and chatting, not the official class groups where teachers could see—questions started popping up: "Hey guys, who knows anything about this girl? Urgent! I’m desperate here!"
Others posted: "Rate this rising star. What score would you give her?"
In this world, forums hadn't fallen out of favor, especially campus forums, which had essentially replaced the old school bulletin boards. Enthusiastic students loved organizing "school beauty contests" on these forums, rating girls with comments like "goddess level," "absolutely stunning," "just makeup magic," or "not as good as xx."
The boys enjoyed these posts immensely, while the girls, despite publicly denouncing them, secretly checked their own ratings, especially the prettier ones.
Additionally, there was the "school confession wall," a feature popularized by the forums and widely embraced by students. Thessaloniki, the provincial capital, had numerous high schools, with Thessaloniki First High School and Thessaloniki Foreign Language High School at the top of the food chain, both prestigious on a national level. However, when it came to the quality of the school beauties, the top-tier schools couldn't compete with the sheer number of students at the other high schools, which had a larger pool to select from.
Some boys from First High School and Foreign Language High School, dissatisfied with their own school's "beauties," would post confessions on other schools' forums, declaring their admiration for the top beauties from those schools.
This often led to mockery from students at the other schools, who would laugh and say, "The so-called 'geniuses' of the top schools are still falling for our school beauties!"
Although Xanthia's stunning image had already appeared in Thessaloniki First High School’s forum and various private class groups, it hadn't been long enough for her influence to fully spread.
However, one enthusiastic student from Class 1-3 quickly shared a candid shot of her with Marcus El Postacio, the influential figure in the class, treating it as if it were a tribute.
Marcus hadn’t come to school that day. He often skipped evening self-study sessions and, with the afternoon being free time, he had even less incentive to show up. Upon receiving Xanthia’s photo, he was both astonished and slightly panicked. He couldn’t believe how daringly Xanthia, the quirky young lady, was dressing.
Habitually, he forwarded the picture to Dionysius with a message: "Brother Dionysius, big trouble. Did I say something wrong the other day that upset Miss Xanthia?"
