To Maxim, the variables x and y were like shy ghosts—disappearing the moment he tried to pin them down. He looked at the clock: 9:00 PM. His parents were watching a movie in the next room, and his best friend, Denis, had stopped answering texts an hour ago (likely because Denis had already finished his homework).

He closed the tab. For the first time all year, he didn't just want the answer—he wanted to prove he could do the next one, Exercise 453, on his own. He scribbled furiously, his pen flying across the squared paper. When he finished, he checked the site one last time. Match.

"Exercise 452," he whispered, clicking his pen rhythmically. "Simplify the expression."

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