My High School Nerd Rival - Chapter 8

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

Chapter 8
Even today, every student except Ivy made silent promises to one another with just a glance—they would partner up together.
Even Quinton was talking with his roommate Logan.
‘Who’s left?’
More than half the class had already left, but among those remaining, Joy stood out. Ivy rose from her seat and approached her.
“Carter, would you want to be my Lab Partner?”
Joy, wearing an elegant hairband with her lips pressed into a thin line, didn’t even glance at Ivy.
As if she hadn’t heard the proposal at all.
“I know I’ve been arrogant up until now. Please, just give me a chance to make it right.”
Joy, carefully placing each of her luxury fountain pens into a leather case one by one, finally offered a brief reply.
“Why should I?”
“Well……”
Ivy searched for a proper answer but ultimately failed. It was clear that she was in a position where she could only beg for Joy’s mercy.
“Please. I have things I want to talk about with you.”
“How amusing—the idea that you’d actually want to have a conversation with me.”
Joy finally rose from her seat and faced Ivy directly.
“Fine. If you have something to say, say it.”
She clearly treated that remark about having “things she wanted to talk about” as a lie—a convenient excuse to start a conversation.
But Ivy truly did have something to say, and it was the kind of thing that would be difficult to bring up with other students around.
“It’s……”
As Ivy hesitated, Joy smiled bitterly, as if she’d expected exactly this.
“If you’re going to lie, at least do it convincingly.”
“No, I really do have something to say. It’s just……”
“Then say it! I’m giving you the chance, aren’t I? The very chance you’ve been longing for.”
Ivy, who had been hesitating, let out a sigh and lowered her voice as much as possible.
“Carter, about last night. You didn’t… drink anything, did you?”
Joy’s eyebrow twitched slightly. Her face remained as composed as ever, but Ivy didn’t miss the subtle tension that gripped the hand holding her Bag.
Ivy had started to explain how she’d come to that conclusion but stopped herself.
It wasn’t anything remarkable, really. Ivy had grown up observing drunk adults at parties since childhood.
People reeking of alcohol like that always show changes in behavior—in their expressions, their tone of voice, the way they walk.
Of course, it was possible that Joy simply had an exceptionally high tolerance for alcohol.
But in all the time Ivy had known her—from when they first started sharing a room until last night—Joy had never once shown such a gap in her composure.
Only the smell had lingered.
“……What are you talking about?”
After a brief silence, Joy spoke.
“Don’t twist me into whatever shape your wishful thinking demands.”
Sharp as a blade, Joy turned and walked swiftly out of the Classroom.
“What, did I just get rejected?”
Soon after, some students from another Dormitory whom Ivy barely knew approached her from behind. They sat in the same class but she didn’t even know their names.
“I guess you could say that.”
Ivy shrugged her answer, and the group eagerly crowded around her, surrounding her.
“Would you want to partner with one of us instead? One of us is left without a partner, anyway.”
“Really? You’d let me?”
“Of course—we just heard some rumors that your reports are impressive.”
A compliment laced with mockery. Ivy had a bad feeling, and she was right.
They pulled out a sheet of paper they’d hidden behind their backs and held it before her—the embarrassing Printed Material she’d made yesterday.
And then they began to read from it aloud.
In an exaggerated theatrical manner, no less.
“Did you know? The moment you go up to the Dormitory Rooftop, your Demerits go up as well!”
“But what about the Library Terrace?”
“Oh, that’s perfectly safe and legitimate, they say.”
Having finished their performance, they burst into delighted giggles. They seemed to be having the time of their lives making fun of Ivy.
And yet Ivy had never done a single thing wrong to them!
“Yeah, that’s absolutely pathetic.”
Ivy snatched the Printed Material from their hands and returned to her seat. Behind her, they kept up their antics, making sounds like, “Oops, we accidentally received a demerit mark!” and similar nonsense.
Ivy turned her back to them and simply began organizing her Bag. When she didn’t react, they apparently lost interest and left the Classroom without making any further noise.
It looked like she would need the teacher’s help finding an experiment partner.
She could just ask them to pair her with whoever was left.
As she thought this and moved toward the Classroom door, she caught sight of those three immature boys from moments ago talking with Quinton and Logan in the Corridor.
Where had they gotten that Printed Material from? Could it have been Cyrus?
‘He doesn’t seem like the type, but……’
Wait, that was the boy who’d answered, “Don’t bother me,” even after she’d helped him.
“Hey there.”
A female student tapped her shoulder from behind.
“You know who I am, right?”
Without even getting a proper look at her face, the girl was already asking if Ivy knew her.
From just the high-end Bag she was carrying and the flashy Key Ring with about five charms dangling from it, Ivy could pretty much figure out who she was.
Tiffany Vance.
An influencer on some loud short-form platform, known for posting strange dances around the Dormitory.
“Hi, Vance.”
“Call me Tiffany, Angel.”
“I’m Ivy Underwood.”
“Sorry, I just call dull people Angel.”
She said this outrageous thing without batting an eye, fiddling with the brand logo on her hot-pink Cardigan.
“Angel, if you don’t have a Lab Partner, would you like to work with me?”
Ivy’s ears almost didn’t believe what they’d heard.
Tiffany Vance? Why?
“You’ll write good reports—including mine, obviously.”
There’s at least one advantage to short-form content, it seems. How direct she was about her intentions.
So not everything can be bad, after all.
“I do tend to write reports well when I invest the time.”
“Excellent.”
“And if you’re my Lab Partner, you’d have to invest that amount of time with me. That’s non-negotiable.”
Ivy added this quickly.
It wasn’t as direct as what Tiffany had said, but fortunately, the meaning seemed to come across.
“Unfortunate, but I don’t have time to spend on reports. I have tight upload schedules because of advertising contracts.”
“Then, what—”
“Oh, did you think I was planning to exploit you without any compensation? Good heavens, Angel! I’m not that disreputable. Don’t you know how strict modern society is about these kinds of controversies? I’ll pay you, don’t worry.”
“Pay me?”
“Want to come to my room? I have plenty of pretty things.”
Ah, she probably meant to give Ivy some bags or clothes she was discarding.
The confident way she said it suggested this method had worked a few times before.
But what could she do about it? Ivy probably had more “pretty things” in her closet than that.
Not that her closet here in the Dormitory was anything to speak of.
“Well, all I ask of my Lab Partners is cooperation.”
Ivy said this firmly and slung her worn backpack over one shoulder.
“Then excuse me.”
And she turned to leave without hesitation.
She did need a Lab Partner urgently, but not badly enough to pair with someone like that. She’d rather ask those immature boys from earlier.
“Alright, Angel. I’ll cooperate with you.”
But an unexpected answer came from behind her. Ivy stopped in her tracks and turned back.
“You’re saying you’ll write reports diligently?”
“That’s not what I mean, Angel. Instead, I’ll……”
Tiffany drew her red-painted lips into a slow smile and stepped closer to Ivy.
“Give you an incredible secret about how to make that annoying Joy Carter completely obedient. What do you think?”
* * *
Anonymous Message Board—School-Wide
[HOT]
Third-year class rep and Joy fighting in chemistry room ㄷㄷ
Posted by: Anonymous | 14:47
Anyone see it?
[Anonymous 1]
The argument was insane. Couldn’t tell what it was about though
└
[Anonymous 2]
I saw it too and the atmosphere was absolutely terrible
└
[Anonymous 3]
Joy’s expression was seriously scary
[Anonymous 4]
Was Underwood telling her to follow school rules again?
└
[Anonymous 5]
They were whispering so I couldn’t hear
└
[Anonymous 6]
From Joy’s reaction it seems like her weakness got touched on??
└
[Anonymous 1]
Writing fiction now lol
[Anonymous 4]
But did the third-year rep end up without a Lab Partner?
└
[Anonymous 6]
Yeah
└
[Anonymous 2]
Honestly, school should just ban group projects.
Anonymous Message Board—School-Wide
[URGENT]
Joy filed a complaint to the headmaster!!
Posted by: Anonymous | 15:13
Right as she left the chemistry class she went straight to the headmaster and complained about the third-year rep’s competence—what execution
[Anonymous 1]
For real??
[Original Post]
She was frantically searching for the headmaster and caught him in the Corridor—straight-up complained. The audacity is unreal
[Anonymous 2]
So what happens to Underwood?
└
[Anonymous 3]
Let me tell you something. Joy’s family donates the most to the Royal Academy’s fundraising

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