Ethan's Perspective

  Date: February 3 , 2025

  Ethan had already known about the competition. Hannah had mentioned it in passing, and he’d thought about the problem for fun, running through potential solutions in his head.

  When the CEO stepped onto the stage, the room quieted, attention shifting.

  The rules were simple: analyze a dataset, identify an opportunity, and present insights. A pointless prize, some company swag, and—more importantly—a meeting with the CEO.

  The last part was what made people sit up. Visibility mattered.

  Ethan didn’t care about that part, he just wanted to see how people approached the problem.

  He noticed the small tells in the room. Samantha had already started scribbling. Some were nodding, some whispering to each other, others already overthinking. Ada gripped her notebook slightly tighter.

  Ethan noted the look in her eyes, the way her jaw tensed. Scared, determined, stubborn. He smiled wryly, reminded of himself. It would be interesting to see what the new generation churned out this year.

  Nathan’s Presentation: A Familiar Concept

  Ethan had seen it coming before Ada had. Each time he had passed the juniors gathered around the desks during lunch, that kid, Nathan had been asking too many questions, prodding a little too obviously.

  So when Nathan stepped up and presented her idea, almost unchanged, he saw the way Ada’s shoulders stiffened.

  She didn’t react outwardly, didn’t cause a scene. But he could see it—the flicker of realization, the way she re-centered herself like she was already planning her next move.

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  He said nothing. But he watched.

  Cheating irritated him. It always had. And while he wasn’t about to get involved, he found himself waiting to see what she would do. She finished her presentation, her voice shaking slightly --not enough for most people to notice, but Ethan did. He watched her half stumble back to her seat, face pale. He wondered if she knew, that everyone knew, and that what she did next was the real test.

  Beside him, Leo leaned back, eyes flashing with interest. “Well, that’s interesting…”

  Samantha, arms crossed, looked like she was ready to start a war. “You’re not just leaving it like this, right?”

  Ada didn’t answer immediately, but Ethan saw her hands clench into tight fists in her lap.

  Emotional, he noted. He looked away. Maybe he was wrong after all. Maybe she wouldn't last.

  Late Night: Fixing the Problem

  Ethan was finishing up some work for the night and had just returned after making himself another coffee, the stronger stuff he kept in his locker. That's when he saw her.

  Ada was sitting at her desk, staring at her screen, looking exhausted but determined.

  He stopped for a beat, took in the tense way her shoulders drooped, the bags under her eyes, and what looked like a vein that was close to popping near her temple. Ethan wasn't quite sure why he did what he did next, but he found himself standing next to her, setting the cup of coffee down beside her.

  She blinked at it, then at him. “What’s this?”

  “Something stronger than the break room stuff.”

  She didn’t question it, and took a deep sip. Then she lifted her hands to her head, rubbing her temples. “I don’t even know where to start fixing this.”

  Ethan sighed, and sat down beside her, glancing at her screen. “You don’t need to start over. Your model was good, but it wasn’t perfect.”

  She turned to him, brow furrowing. “And you didn’t say anything?”

  “You would have figured it out yourself.” He paused. “But given the situation, I’ll make an exception.”

  He leaned over, pointing at the flaw—one she might have caught if she’d had more time. A way to refine the model beyond what Nathan had stolen.

  She stared at it, then slowly nodded. “That… actually makes sense.”

  “Of course it does.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Don’t ruin the moment.”

  Ethan bit back a smile. He studied her for a second, wondering if he should say anything more.

  “You didn't do anything wrong,” he finally said.

  She didn’t answer. But something in her posture shifted, she turned her head and muttered her thanks.

  Ethan got up, his good deed seemingly complete, and headed out for the night. As he walked out of the building he cast his eyes up to their level, where he could still see the lights on. He imagined she was still there tapping away.

  Ethan had no idea why he had just helped Ada Watanabe. Vaguely, he wondered if he was getting old.