Chapter 89 Being All Academic Intensity
She was freakin' out about missing Bella's birthday, but lucky for her, the book showed up just in time the day before.
Bella clutched it like it was gold. "How'd you know I've been hunting for this original set?"
"You've only mentioned it a million times," Camilla smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Kinda hard to miss."
"You shouldn't have stayed away so long. But hey, thanks, babe, I really dig this gift."
Bella beamed, pulling Camilla into a warm hug, her eyes soft as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I remember you used to rock long hair, why'd you chop it off?"
Camilla leaned into her. "Doesn't it look good short?"
"It looks awesome. You looks good no matter what!" Bella said with confidence.
Camilla grinned, snuggling closer.
"You aced the written exam, and the interview's coming up soon, right?" Bella asked, "Shouldn't you be heading back to Imperial City?"
Camilla hesitated and softly replied, "Yeah."
Bella chuckled. "I knew it, Starlight City can't keep you. Go on, do your thing."
Camilla's eyelashes fluttered a bit, and she whispered, "This time, I won't let you down."
In the kitchen, Alistair was wielding a spatula, watching the mother-daughter duo whispering, and yelled, "What top-secret stuff are you two sharing? Come wash up and eat!"
"Coming!"
The next day, Camilla hopped on a train back to Imperial City.
After being gone for over half a month, the place was cold and dusty.
She dropped her bags and checked on the fish tank first, making sure her little buddies were still kicking. Satisfied, she fed them some fish food.
Then she glanced at the succulents on the balcony, still thriving despite the neglect.
She cranked up the floor heating, cleaned the place top to bottom, swapped out the bed sheets, and threw a fluffy pink cover on the sofa.
It felt super soft and comfy.
By the time she was done, it was almost six.
Camilla didn't feel like hitting the store, so she ordered some groceries from a nearby market and started cooking under the warm glow of the lights.
As night fell, the streetlights flickered on one by one.
Sebastian, who'd been grinding away in the lab all day, walked up to the apartment building and suddenly stopped, looking up.
He noticed the windows on the seventh floor, dark for over half a month, were now lit up.
His heart skipped a beat, and he picked up the pace.
In the stairwell, Sebastian was still catching his breath when the door across from him swung open, light spilling out.
Naturally, the person inside noticed Sebastian, her eyes lighting up with surprise.
Camilla's eyes curved into a smile, "Hey there, Sebastian."
Her smile was like magic, and Sebastian couldn't help but grin back, "Hey, when did you get back?"
"Today."
Camilla paused, curious about how he knew.
Sebastian said, "Juniper told me you went home. Congrats on nailing the written exam, by the way."
"Thanks." Camilla smiled, as easy as ever. "I made dinner, wanna join me?"
Sebastian waved it off. "Already ate, maybe next time. Let's celebrate after you crush the interview."
Camilla raised an eyebrow, teasing, "You're so sure I'll pass? What if I bomb it?"
Even she wasn't totally confident.
Sebastian's eyes had a hint of a smile. "I believe in you."
Camilla's lips curved up. "I'll take your good vibes then."
The interview at Harmony College was set for early March.
Camilla picked out a formal outfit, paired with low-heeled black shoes.
A safe choice, not flashy, but definitely not wrong.
Before heading out, she thought for a sec and casually grabbed an orange and green floral scarf to tie on.
The plain outfit instantly had a pop of flair.
It had rained the night before, the ground was wet, and the wind had that sticky feel.
It felt like the whole world was wrapped in a plastic bag.
Camilla watched as people kept coming and going from the waiting room, some sighing, some super nervous.
She stayed pretty chill.
"Hey, aren't you nervous?" A Moore girl behind her poked her shoulder and whispered.
Camilla replied, "Not really. I'm not that anxious."
She'd been gearing up for this day for a long time.
Right now, she felt no fear, just a kind of excitement like she was going into battle.
"Number 45, Camilla."
"Here."
Camilla stood up, smoothed out her clothes, and was led to the interview room.
As soon as she walked in, Camilla was floored.
Among the row of interviewers sat Sebastian!
Sebastian was rocking a gray suit today, with gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, his brows slightly furrowed, looking more serious and unapproachable than usual.
But then, Sebastian looked up, his gentle gaze sweeping across Camilla's face.
At that moment, Camilla felt at ease.
Then the interview kicked off.
The interviewers started with a few professional questions, which Camilla nailed since she had prepped in advance.
Seeing her smooth responses, the remaining interviewers threw a few curveballs.
Camilla still handled them like a pro.
"Sebastian, your turn."
"Alright." Sebastian looked up, a sharp glint in his eyes. "You applied for the bioinformatics program, so you should know this field is an interdisciplinary science based on biology, math, and info science, requiring high comprehensive abilities from researchers, involving physics, biology, chemistry, computer science, and more. You get that?"
"Yep." Camilla nodded.
"So, my next questions won't be limited to biology; they might touch on physics and chemistry. They might not even be in a Q&A format but require you to do calculations on the spot. Can you handle that?"
Camilla nodded. "I'll give it a shot."
"Explain the physics of quasi-crystals with data support."
At this moment, Sebastian was all academic intensity.
Camilla fell into deep thought.
She thought, 'I need to use data to explain the physics of quasi-crystals.
'No context, no parameters, this isn't even a question within the field of pan-biology!
'Feels like writing a popular science essay.'
This question not only stumped Camilla but also left the other interviewers looking at each other, puzzled.
"Is this even a biology question?"
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