My High School Nerd Rival - Chapter 31
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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 31
“Wow, this is ridiculous.”
Ibi muttered to herself, staring at the closed door.
Locked in the Storage Room—was it really possible to fall for something so clichéd, so ancient it practically reeked of mold?
The absurdity was so complete that she couldn’t even muster anger.
It hardly mattered now that she understood why Emily’s hands had trembled the whole time—she’d been forced to do this.
Probably against her will.
Or if it really was Emily’s choice, then Ibi must have done something wrong. She didn’t seem like a bad person, after all.
“…Whatever.”
Ibi decided to take a calmer view of things. For now, that was the better approach.
“They’re not planning to turn me into a corpse in here, at least.”
In a day or so, whoever had used Emily to torment her would come to the Storage Room and laugh at her pathetic state.
If she played up the misery, they’d get their satisfaction.
And if things really went south, Owen—who worried about her with almost frightening intensity—would handle it somehow.
As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she approached the door on the off chance and pressed her ear against it. Silence.
No one would come here unless by some miracle a dormitory prefect from another year decided to visit.
“I’m going to freeze to death.”
Ibi felt along the wall and pulled out a Curtain. The stiff fabric felt uncomfortable, but it was better than nothing.
Then she crouched on top of a Box stacked in the corner and leaned her back against the cold wall.
They lock you in, but couldn’t they at least leave a Tablet? Consider the plight of modern humans—can’t function without a screen.
If only she could watch some cute animal videos.
Ibi had recently started using Social Media in earnest to connect with her dormitory friends, and the Algorithm had naturally guided her toward cute animal content.
Animal videos.
Surely that was the modern person’s only oasis.
The delicious ecstasy of guiltless pleasure!
At first she’d gravitated toward familiar animals like dogs and cats, but the Algorithm taught her an ever-wider world of creatures.
Without Social Media, she’d never have discovered that reptiles could be this adorable.
Lately, she found solace watching short clips of Leopard Gecko “Lord Pickle.”
How charming it was, the way he moved lazily in his owner’s hand, adorned with a red wish bracelet.
If only she could see that wriggling little creature, this underground facility might be bearable.
Ibi shifted positions again and again, letting time drift by. But time always seemed to move slower in moments like this.
Of course, without a watch, she couldn’t actually confirm whether it was faster or slower.
Gradually, the pain in her hands became unbearable.
At first, only the fingertips were numb with cold. But the Bandage underneath grew stiff and rigid, and then came the searing pain of torn skin.
“It’s because I don’t have a Tablet—it’s an essential for modern humans. Ah, I really want to see Lord Pickle.”
Even attempting to lighten her mood with humor couldn’t make her forget the pain.
Ibi wrapped her hands around herself and tried to move her fingers gently. But they’d swollen thick, and only moved dully.
“Ugh…”
She closed her eyes, thinking sleep might help, but it only made her focus more on the pain.
Ibi finally couldn’t hold back and began to unwrap the Bandage with trembling hands.
The moment the pressure released, she felt almost alive again. A cool sigh escaped her involuntarily.
But it was brief. The moment the wound touched the cold, damp air of the Basement, it began to throb and swell unbearably.
“…!”
Ibi curled up on the floor, gripping her own wrist tightly. The cold from the ground seeped into the wound itself, but she lacked the strength to lift her body.
Quinton’s warning had been accurate.
But what good did it do to realize it now?
It was funny, really—at the moment when pain was about to kill her, she found herself thinking of that glasses-wearing idiot instead of Owen, who always helped her.
Ibi gritted her teeth.
If she didn’t, she feared tears would come in this ridiculous situation.
* * *
Quinton searched the campus thoroughly.
But he couldn’t find Ibi anywhere. With an ominous feeling settling over him, he returned to the dormitory.
The hall of the Third Dormitory was empty, well past Lights Out Time. He suddenly noticed a small notice from Ibi pinned to the bulletin board.
[Check the QR Code for details, and come find me if you need anything.]
What was this about?
He pulled out his phone and scanned the QR Code. It contained a list of items meant to deceive the housemistress’s eyes.
Then he remembered the conversation from that afternoon.
No.
He shoved his phone into his pocket and tore open the stairwell door, rushing downward.
When he reached the Storage Room door, locked tight with a padlock, he knocked on it several times.
“…”
Only silence answered.
Maybe it wasn’t here?
True—with the door locked, there couldn’t possibly be anyone inside.
There couldn’t be someone crazy enough to lock a person inside a Storage Room in a school, after all.
He turned to search elsewhere, climbing up another step. But a strange instinct seized his ankle.
He turned back.
Tap.
This time, he heard it clearly.
“Bolt Cutter. Now.”
Quinton called his roommate Logan first. He couldn’t afford to go hunting for Housemistress Holden.
Logan found a Bolt Cutter and brought it, and Joy, hearing the news, ran downstairs with him.
Quinton took the Bolt Cutter and squeezed the padlock tightly. The thick metal’s resistance transmitted through the handle. As he applied force, a dull metallic sound rang out and the padlock fell to the ground.
His hand gripped the door. The rusted hinges shrieked like a living thing, and light from the stairwell poured into the damp darkness.
Ibi was at the edge of that light. Wrapped in the Curtain like a quilt, she lay face-down on the dusty floor.
“Ibi!”
Joy cried out in alarm, while Quinton stepped inside to check Ibi’s condition.
Her shallow breathing continued steadily.
But her body was far too cold. She’d been lying on the cold, damp floor, relying only on the Curtain and a thin Box—of course she would be.
And on her hand where the Bandage had come loose, dirt clung to oozing fluid in a filthy mess.
Quinton removed his hoodie and draped it over Ibi. She was so slight that it wrapped around her almost like a blanket.
That was probably fortunate.
“Logan, go to the Infirmary first and explain the situation.”
“Right now?”
Logan paused and asked, seemingly conscious of the fact that it was past Lights Out Time.
“Hurry!”
Quinton raised his voice, unusually sharp, and Logan and Joy dashed out of the Storage Room, understanding his urgency.
In the meantime, Quinton carefully lifted Ibi into his arms. Her trembling body radiated almost no warmth, and without thinking, his grip tightened.
There was no time to waste. Right now, that was all that mattered.
* * *
Ibi woke in a bed. The blanket was uncomfortably warm.
‘Warm?’
Ibi found her own thought strange. She’d been trapped in a cold, damp place after falling for a simple trap—there was no way she could feel warm.
Click.
Suddenly she heard a book close beside her. When she turned, Sirius was there.
The book he’d been reading by the light of a small Desk Lamp looked like a science textbook from the title alone—enough to give her a headache.
Why was he sitting next to her? More importantly, where was she…?
“Wake up. Take your medicine.”
Regardless of her confusion, he spoke tersely, gesturing with his chin toward the water and Painkiller sitting on the table next to the bed.
Having learned the value of medicine, she should take it before asking questions. Ibi tried to sit up quickly.
Though her body had no strength, and she only managed pathetic groans.
“Seriously annoying, you are.”
He set down his book and approached, grasping her arm and helping her up. His tone was curt, but his hands were surprisingly gentle.
After taking the medicine, Ibi looked down at her hands.
The throbbing remained, but it was bearable now—nothing like it had been down there.
“Quinton.”
“Take your medicine and go back to sleep.”
“What happened?”
“Complicated. Get some rest and I’ll explain later.”
He returned to his reading, clearly unwilling to talk more.
But when Ibi remained awake and kept watching him, he finally set the book down and explained what had transpired.
And at the end, he even added a rebuke as an extra service.
“I told you to stay in your room quietly until you healed.”
“That was the plan.”
“I’m sure it was.”
He twisted one corner of his mouth upward in a smirk. The sarcasm was unmistakable, but she didn’t particularly mind hearing it.
“But, Quinton.”
Ibi tilted her head slightly as she looked at him.
“Why are you here?”
Earlier, he’d said he, Joy, and Logan found her. And all three of them went back to the dormitory on the teacher’s advice.
So why was Quinton still here, ignoring the teacher’s instructions?
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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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