My High School Nerd Rival - Chapter 33

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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 33
Tiffany glanced at the shopping bag sitting on her desk. The lizard had been making dreadful clicking noises, but now it had finally fallen quiet.
‘Is it dead? Or sleeping?’
Either way, it didn’t much matter.
Then something odd caught the edge of her vision.
Her head turned of its own accord, and Tiffany lurched to her feet.
“Ugh! This is insane—what’s that monster doing wandering around?!”
That cucumber-looking lizard had climbed right onto her expensive bag on the desk!
The moment her eyes locked with its stubby legs and that hideous bulging gaze, Tiffany went rigid with shock.
“Why, why—!”
But the escape wasn’t the worst part. On the glossy leather, there sat a dark and white substance that made her stomach turn.
“Good Lord, this can’t be real!”
Forgetting that her roommate was there, Tiffany shrieked without thinking and rushed toward the bag. Startled, Pickle scurried away and hid.
In the chaos, the foul, filthy substance on those tiny feet smeared across the leather with a sickening crunch.
“What is this?!”
Tiffany grabbed the wet wipes and desperately tried to scrub away that hideous mess.
But the stench lingered, and worse—it had left a clear mark on the white stitching.
At this rate, it would soak in deeper.
“Where on earth did you get that thing…?”
Tiffany glared at Pickle’s tail, which poked out from behind the shopping bag.
‘I’m never letting this go.’
Of course, that didn’t mean she could actually touch the lizard herself. She spun around to face her roommate, her expression dark with fury.
“Angel! Get that filthy thing in the bathroom right now and flush it down!”
She intended to teach this vile creature a lesson it wouldn’t forget—one that cost her an expensive bag.
“What?! Me?!”
“Why not? That’s harsh. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten who gave you those shoes you’re wearing?”
Her roommate pouted but got up anyway, plucking a handful of tissues from the box. She barely managed to catch Pickle before the creature could escape.
“Tiffany.”
Her roommate hesitated, turning to look at her.
“You really… want me to kill it?”
“W-who said anything about killing it?”
The bluntness of the question sent a pang of guilt through her.
But then she saw the stain on her bag again, and her resolve hardened.
“That damn lizard ruined my bag! And who said to kill it? I just told you to flush it. Whatever happens after that—that’s not my problem, is it?”
Her roommate sighed and disappeared into the bathroom with Pickle.
Tiffany’s legs felt weak, and she collapsed onto her bed. She’d probably need to take the bag to a professional cleaner.
Emily had been annoying and loud about it, but who cares what some friendless library nerd whines about?
Besides, it was wrong of her to bring something that disgusting to school in the first place.
Wasn’t it forbidden by the School Rules? So Tiffany had done nothing wrong.
She picked up her mobile phone out of habit.
The notification badge on her screen had long since overflowed past 999+.
She rarely bothered checking messages unless it was something urgent.
Just then, her phone vibrated softly.
A push notification appeared—the yoga instructor she’d met during New Year’s Resolution Week had posted a new story.
Just seeing that account brought back humiliating memories, so Tiffany irritably tapped the notification to dismiss it.
Then she froze.
[Sir. Pickle (@Sir. Pickle) didn’t post a photo, so morning lessons were harder today.]
And in the background of the image, there was a photo of a lizard that looked oddly familiar.
Tiffany immediately checked the @Sir. Pickle account.
@Sir. Pickle
Famous models and influencers in the fashion world that Tiffany followed were all following this account.
“What… is this?”
Tiffany hurriedly scrolled through a few photos, then checked the most recent post from two days ago.
[Sir. Pickle needs to escape the cold #SirPickle #14yearsold #LeopardGecko]
hxppy_dxy93 I came in today because I didn’t get a notification, but is Sir. Pickle still sleeping?
wxrkout.hxlic Is something wrong?
lisaxilliamx Refreshing every ten minutes.
cxfe_lxtte_love I’m worried with how cold it’s been lately.
hxwd9x It looks like the handler’s account went dark too.
The fans’ worried comments kept pouring in, for the “morning photo” that had been uploaded every single day for years had suddenly stopped appearing.
Among the concerned messages, Tiffany even recognized some of the accounts.
‘So that piece-of-trash lizard was… this famous?!’
Tiffany’s breath caught in her throat.
At that very moment, a cheerfully bright sound rang out from beyond the bathroom door.
Splash!
* * *
Rewind a few hours to this morning.
Iby woke up in the Infirmary and immediately checked beside her.
During the night, she’d woken briefly several times and found Cyrus there, but now the spot was empty.
He must have gone back to his room.
Iby was slowly trying to get up when the Infirmary door opened.
The person who came in was Emily.
Her face was streaked with tears.
Iby didn’t know what to say, so she raised one hand to wave in greeting.
The one that wasn’t injured.
.
At that, more tears spilled from Emily’s eyes. Iby realized her greeting had backfired and quietly lowered her hand.
“Sorry… I am.”
A tiny voice came out. But in the quiet morning, and given the sincerity in those words, Iby heard the apology clearly.
“Okay, I’ll accept it.”
Emily’s eyes went wide with surprise.
“You… you’ll accept my apology?!”
“Oh, wasn’t I supposed to?”
“No, that’s not it!”
Emily stepped forward hesitantly, her knuckles white where she clenched her skirt.
“I really… did terrible things to you. And you were hurt, and you were even trying to help me… and I…”
Emily’s gaze sank lower and lower. Iby watched her for a moment, then rose from the bed she’d been leaning against and stepped toward her.
“Was it Tiffany?”
The question included the word “was,” but Iby was almost certain of the answer.
There weren’t many students at this school who disliked Iby, but the only one who’d have a grudge against her right now was Tiffany.
“…That’s…”
Emily hesitated for a long moment before nodding.
“I’m sorry.”
At this third apology, Iby shook her head.
“It’s not your fault. I’m sure of it. In some ways, I should be apologizing to you.”
Tiffany had only manipulated Emily because Iby had provoked her in the first place.
She’d held a grudge ever since being called a knockoff—though Emily insisted it was a limited edition made only for her.
And during New Year’s Resolution Week, she’d been glaring at Joy and Iby whenever the yoga instructor’s attention shifted away from her.
“So tell me—how exactly did that girl blackmail you?”
“That’s… difficult to explain.”
Emily kept her lips tightly pressed together, her head bowed.
“…I know it’s unfair to leave you in a difficult position like this, but…”
“No, it’s fine.”
When she thought about it, being blackmailed meant having some weakness exposed.
It would be hard to share that vulnerability with another person—especially someone who wasn’t particularly close to her.
“I was being insensitive asking like that. Let me rephrase.”
Iby looked at Emily with concerned eyes.
“Are you… going to be okay now?”
Emily’s pupils trembled once, sharply.
Then tears spilled down again.
What should I do?
Iby had never comforted anyone who was crying.
After hesitating, Iby awkwardly patted Emily’s arm the way she’d seen it done somewhere.
At the same time, she remembered how her governess had once comforted her when she cried.
Her governess’s comfort was the gentlest thing Iby could remember.

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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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