This time around, she was entering the design competition under the alias "H," a designer with a hefty international reputation. Known for crafting niche designs, H had gathered quite the online fanbase. Her participation caught even the show’s organizers off guard, and a slew of well-known designers had already booked their spots just to see her work in person.
Some folks thought H joining a basic local contest was overkill, while others figured she was aiming to expand her career back home, where opportunities and offers from big companies would be rolling in by the dozen.
Fiona logged out of her game and took a peek at the trending news. The top three headlines were all about designer H, brimming with gossip and hearsay.
“Man, this H is so mysterious. I can't dig up any info about her online, just that she's a woman. Not even a single blurry photo. Isn't that a bit much?” someone commented.
“You think you can track down H? That's bonkers. I remember a company tried to recruit her; they even hired a dozen hackers but couldn’t trace her. In the end, their own data got leaked,” another noted.
“H is that amazing? A genius designer and a top-notch hacker?” chimed in someone else.
Fiona frowned at these over-the-top claims. Was she really all that?
Truth is, a company did try to poach her once, but things didn’t pan out. When they tried leaking her details, Fiona had to put her foot down. She never went looking for trouble, but she wasn’t about to let anyone walk all over her.
Because H was competing, the organizers decided to stretch the preliminary round by two days just for her. As the last one to sign up, her involvement had already wrapped up two days prior. But this extension brought the show a level of buzz they’d never seen before.
The media was practically camping outside to get the scoop. Apart from the show's crew, nobody had direct access to H.
When Yvenne caught wind of H's involvement, she was beside herself with frustration. She had been banking on making a splash in this competition to rake in fame and fortune. The sudden appearance of H was driving her up the wall.
Why did everyone have to jump in?
The comments were harsh, seemingly determined to crush her last bit of hope.
“I bet H’s gonna win this whole thing. She’s so talented, and her designs are always top-notch. They’re not even that pricey, but good luck trying to snag one!” a commenter observed.
“Who knows, though? Winning isn’t always straightforward. There’s also a dark horse from Westbrook High School, a student who might just give H a run for her money,” another added.
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