My High School Nerd Rival - Chapter 28

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 28
“St-strange rumors?”
Ibis tensed at once, asking carefully—worried it might be about her identity.
“What kind of rumors?”
“Just… well. About Quinton.”
And Choi hesitated again.
It made sense to pause before spreading someone else’s gossip.
“So they’re saying he’ll do anything to keep his Rank 1 position…”
Choi looked at Ibis with worry etched across her face.
“He hasn’t done anything to you, has he? You’re sure?”
“What?”
Ibis relaxed at once—the rumor had nothing to do with her.
With her anxiety gone, she turned the gossip over in her mind and let out a stifled laugh.
“Isn’t that just common knowledge? Everyone already knows that. He doesn’t let go of a book even while eating. He really does do whatever it takes to hold Rank 1.”
“Ibis.”
Choi’s rebuke was deadly serious, as though to say now was not the time for jokes.
“By ‘whatever it takes,’ I mean things that could be legally problematic.”
* * *
General Anonymous Bulletin Board
[Junk Post]
During chemistry lab just now
Posted by: Anonymous | 14:35
The dorm rep spilled sodium hydroxide on herself. Is that really an accident?
[Anonymous 1]
What are you talking about?
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[Original Post]
Her lab partner was Rank 1
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[Anonymous 1]
So?
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[Original Post]
Maybe Rank 1 did it on purpose
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[Anonymous 2]
Credibility: zero. Creativity: two. Total score: two.
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[Original Post]
If you don’t know, stay quiet. I’m not joking
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[Anonymous 2]
Huh?
[Anonymous 3]
I know what you mean lol yeah that’s pretty messed up
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[Anonymous 2]
What is it?
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[Anonymous 3]
Just old stuff. Back in junior level
[Anonymous 4]
Just delete it. The board’s standards lately are honestly… please stop making rumors.
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[Anonymous 3]
It’s not a rumor just because you don’t know about it
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[Anonymous 4]
???
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[Original Post]
[Deleted comment]
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[Anonymous 4]
For real?
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[Original Post]
Yeah
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[Anonymous 4]
No way. That’s insane.
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[Anonymous 2]
What is it? What was the content?
[Anonymous 1]
What was that comment?
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[Original Post]
[Deleted comment]
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[Anonymous 1]
Dang… thanks anyway.
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[Anonymous 2]
Missed it again
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[Anonymous 1]
Have a sharp day lol
[Anonymous 2]
Am I the only one who doesn’t know?
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[Anonymous 5]
2222
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[Anonymous 6]
333333lol
[Original Post]
Ugh just gonna post it here. Don’t make derivative threads.
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[Anonymous 6]
Hurry up
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[Anonymous 2]
F5F5F5
[Original Post]
She’s abnormally obsessed with Rank 1. Stole an exam during junior level—that’s a fact. Later made the second-place student drop out.
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[Anonymous 6]
Drop out??? Forced to?
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[Anonymous 5]
That doesn’t make sense? How’d she force someone to drop out
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[Anonymous 2]
Why would she steal an exam in the first place? She’s already Rank 1.
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[Anonymous 7]
I’ll admit she’s good at math and science, but literature? French? Yeah right lol Never got a single question wrong for years? Anyway, it’s a fact.
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[Anonymous 2]
But if she stole the exam, why didn’t she get expelled? That’s a serious issue, right?
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[Original Post]
Heard the school covered it up because of her competition awards in math and debate.
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[Anonymous 7]
Lol unbelievable
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[Anonymous 3]
My cousin told me the exact same thing. Basically the second-place student couldn’t take it anymore and quit school entirely, then quietly warned close friends to watch out for Cyrus. Said to be careful.
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[Anonymous 8]
What happened to the second-place student? Or did they just bail because it was gross? Either way, that kid’s a victim here.
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[Anonymous 3]
Not exactly sure. But if nothing had happened, they wouldn’t bother warning people. And honestly, Rank 1 is kinda off, you know?
Knock knock.
While reading the bulletin board, Ibis heard the sound and set down her phone.
Who could that be? She wasn’t expecting anyone.
When she turned toward the door, a familiar voice reached her.
“It’s me.”
It was Quinton.
Ibis and Choi’s eyes met in mid-air. Their pupils flickered slightly—unmistakably because of what they’d just read on the board.
“I should probably head out.”
Choi started to rise, but Ibis held her back.
“No.”
She’d learned a few hard lessons at this school, and one of them was that letting yourself be swayed by rumors of unknown origin was never wise.
“I’ll go.”
“Will you be okay?”
At Choi’s careful question, Ibis simply answered with a smile.
She opened the door to find Quinton’s long shadow stretching across the hallway floor all the way to her feet.
“Here.”
Without preamble, Quinton held out a bag through the crack in the door—the bag she’d left in the Chemistry Lab. She’d been so flustered she’d forgotten all about it.
“Oh, thanks for grabbing that. Must’ve been heavy?”
“Not really.”
He answered plainly, as though he’d done something perfectly ordinary.
‘No way is it that simple.’
Why would Cyrus Quinton steal an exam? What would he need to?
From working with him as a lab partner, she knew he already carried in his mind far more than what was taught in class.
‘Someone who’d sabotage others wouldn’t bother returning a bag they found.’
If he were really the type to harass a second-place student, he wouldn’t have treated her hand either.
He’d have left that bag in the lab, or dumped it somewhere.
‘And that time in the Gymnasium…’
He’d helped her score a goal.
He’d even let her use the humiliating label of “physically hopeless,” but the outcome was good—and he’d also made a genuine contribution to Dormitory 3’s standing.
On the strength of these clear facts, she decided to set aside what she’d just read.
What mattered was her own direct experience, not hearsay from unknown sources.
“Oh, right.”
He set the bag inside the door and continued with another matter.
“Teacher Chen’s arranged a separate makeup lab session. Once we check how your hand’s doing.”
“It’ll heal fast.”
“Let’s hope so.”
“Quinton.”
When she called him back, those deep teal eyes turned toward her again—calm as always.
‘He probably doesn’t even know the board’s lit up.’
Of course he didn’t.
Now that she thought about it, Quinton didn’t seem the type to waste time on such things.
“So, um… have you by any chance—”
Ibis almost asked if he’d seen the Anonymous Bulletin Board, but caught herself and closed her mouth.
What was she thinking? Why would she say something like that?
Telling him would be cruelty disguised as kindness—nothing more.
“By any chance…?”
Unfortunately, Quinton pressed her to continue, his tone inviting the rest of the sentence.
What could she say?
“By any chance… don’t you think it’s weird how fruit gets sweeter when heat-treated?”
‘What am I even saying?’
This was basically confessing “I have something suspicious to tell you” out loud.
She cursed her complete lack of quick wit. Quinton had to think she was acting strange.
“It’s less weird than inevitable. Heat breaks down the fruit’s starch into sugars.”
…Mercifully, he didn’t seem to find her strange at all. He even answered straightforwardly, matter-of-factly.
This actually worked?
“Right, and if you heat it long enough, the water evaporates too.”
“Which concentrates the sugar. Add higher temperatures after that, and you get Caramelization.”
It was nonsense, but somehow it was turning into a pleasant conversation.
“Mm-hmm, and then the color changes, and you get that deeper kind of sweetness.”
“Yes. Quite fascinating, actually.”
Quinton stroked his chin and nodded slowly, as if he’d just heard an academic presentation.
Ibis didn’t agree with his conclusion at all, but she realized something important.
Long ago, Quinton had told her he saw no strengths in her. That was never true. He had one supreme strength.
He had the generosity—no, the grace—to let her clumsy improvisation pass without remark.
From that angle, he really was a good person…
“Underwood. So what were you about to say before you dodged the question like that?”
“…”
No. He wasn’t fooled at all. He’d simply answered her earnest nonsense with equal sincerity.
So what now?
“Um.”
Ibis looked up at Quinton with an awkward expression, while he waited with his unchanging face.
“Are you free tonight? Around seven or eight?”
Behind his glasses, his eyes narrowed slightly.
“I’m busy.”
“Then help me out anyway.”
Quinton’s brow furrowed. His expression seemed to ask: ‘Didn’t you just hear me say I’m busy?’
“What are you plotting now?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————