My High School Nerd Rival - Chapter 83

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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 83
The moment Sports Day ended, the heat intensified with each passing hour. Ivy found herself beginning to understand what it meant to feel like a dumpling in a steamer.
It wasn’t an exaggeration. The news ran daily warnings about temperature records being broken for the first time in decades.
Yet Royal High School persisted in its tedious campaign: “Air Conditioning Minimum Temperature Compliance and Usage Time Restriction.”
As student complaints mounted, the entire Dormitory Student Council decided to lodge a formal objection with the administration.
Ivy took charge of compiling hourly average temperatures from each room and gathering student opinions to support the seniors at the forefront of the fight.
Of course, throughout all this work, she’d told herself at least forty times: “I absolutely will not become Dormitory Leader next year.”
Near the Library’s old air conditioner, which wheezed with the sound of a motor running idle.
Suddenly, something cold pressed against Ivy’s cheek as she drew her graph.
“……!”
She nearly yelped in surprise but caught herself, remembering where she was, and bit her lip hard.
Turning around with wide eyes, she found Cyrus. The cold thing against her cheek was an icy Strawberry Ade.
“You startled me. I said come quickly.”
Ivy shot him a glare and moved her bag from the seat beside her.
In this heat, it felt terribly inconsiderate to save a Library seat. Even more so when it was a prime spot where the air conditioning actually worked.
The moment Ivy claimed this treasure of a location, she’d contacted Joy.
But when Joy said she couldn’t come immediately, Ivy reluctantly(?) called Cyrus instead.
It wasn’t that she had other intentions—she simply thought that since she’d found such a good seat, it might as well be occupied by someone she knew well.
……Though the way she was desperately making excuses now did seem rather odd. In any case.
“Sorry.”
He set the Strawberry Ade on her desk and sat in the adjacent seat, efficiently pulling out his study materials from his bag.
How irritating.
Ivy wrote a small message in the corner of his open notebook.
[You’re seriously preparing for an exam right in front of me like that?]
He glanced at what she was doing with her laptop and wrote a response.
[I think I’ve mentioned this before, Ivy.]
He paused mid-sentence and looked up briefly. His eyes, visible beyond his Glasses, were calm and composed.
[If you want something from me, just say it directly. Don’t hide it.]
For a moment, his pen stilled.
For reasons she couldn’t fathom.
Then he drew a line through “hide it” and rewrote it.
[Don’t be petulant.]
Ivy scribbled “How annoying!” next to his response, and once again he crossed out her words and countered.
[It’s a wise approach to effective communication.]
Of all people, being lectured on communication by Cyrus!
For Ivy, recently lauded as the best Dormitory Leader, it was quite a blow to her pride.
[I’m jealous that you get to study while I work.]
[So?]
[Help me.]
When Ivy finally answered honestly, he lifted one corner of his mouth. It seemed like he was pleased at having won somehow, which made her even more irritated.
[Send me the File. I’ll consolidate it.]
Cyrus took out his Laptop, and Ivy immediately sent him the student survey File.
Since she genuinely appreciated him stepping forward to help, Ivy took several pieces of Chocolate from her bag and placed them beside his Laptop.
Then she picked up the Strawberry Ade and shook it gently in his direction. It was her way of saying thank you.
“You’re welcome.”
He answered in a low voice, then began organizing the documents she’d sent.
With Cyrus’s help, compiling the data finished much faster than expected.
As class time approached, Ivy was the first to stand up.
“See you later at the Cafeteria.”
“Yeah.”
Ivy hastily shoved her Laptop and pens into her bag and turned to leave.
“Ivy.”
Just as she was pushing open the Library door, she heard someone call from behind.
It was another male student from the Dormitory—though she couldn’t quite remember his name. She vaguely recalled sharing a few classes with him.
“What is it?”
“Have you already decided who you’re going to the Dance Party with?”
The Dance Party question that had been the talk of the school for so long had somewhat quieted down after Sports Day ended and exams drew near.
But Ivy still found herself asked this question from time to time these days, and she’d grown rather used to it.
“You’re asking because of Joy, right? I’m sorry, but Joy and I already have plans together.”
“Oh.”
The boy looked troubled and hesitated.
“It’s not about Carter. I was asking about your situation.”
“Huh?”
That was unexpected.
After a brief moment of confusion, Ivy quickly apologized to him, uncrossing her arms.
Good grief, how rude of her.
“Sorry, I misunderstood you.”
“It’s fine. I know the situation from what I’ve heard. You could easily have misunderstood.”
He fidgeted with his neck, looking embarrassed, and asked again.
“So what are you thinking?”
What was she thinking.
Well, Fabian had suggested she might as well go with him for now.
Ivy didn’t respond to that, and he didn’t press her further.
And after that……
Ivy’s gaze drifted toward Cyrus, sitting in a corner of the Library. Without her realizing it.
Not that he had anything to do with this matter.
Ivy quickly looked away from him and answered.
“Sorry, but I’m afraid that won’t work out.”
There was no particular reason. She simply couldn’t imagine it.
“……I see. Well, there’s nothing to be done about it.”
He smiled brightly and turned back toward the Library’s shelves.
And Ivy looked back toward where Cyrus sat—only to find, surprisingly, that their eyes met directly.
He had been watching her.
Cyrus raised his arm and tapped the area near his wrist.
Check the time?
Ivy pulled out her Mobile Phone to check and turned pale, dashing out of the Library.
She was going to be late for class!
* * *
After classes ended, Ivy met Cyrus at the Cafeteria as promised. Of course, Joy and an uninvited Logan were also there.
These days, the four of them often went around together.
Today’s atmosphere was no different from usual.
Logan spoke, Joy shot back, Ivy tried to mediate, and Cyrus sighed.
Nothing else changed.
And yet…… something felt off, no matter how much Ivy thought about it.
“About earlier.”
As she walked back to the Dormitory with Joy along a path where heat still lingered even in the evening, Ivy asked carefully.
“Didn’t Cyrus seem a bit strange to you?”
“He’s always strange.”
Joy answered lightly, but recognizing that Ivy was asking seriously, she fell into thought for a moment.
Still, she soon shook her head.
“I’m not sure. What made you think that?”
“Oh, it wasn’t anything serious.”
It was just a feeling she’d gotten.
From the moment she’d been waiting in front of the Cafeteria earlier.
He’d seemed about to tell her something, but the moment Joy arrived, he’d shaken his head and said it was nothing.
This was the same person who’d even given her communication advice that afternoon, saying “If you want something, just say it.”
‘It must be my mistake.’
It didn’t suit Cyrus, of all people, to hold his tongue.
It was the very next day when Ivy realized it wasn’t a mistake.
Today, Cyrus had claimed a spot in the Library first, and the moment Ivy received his message, she arrived within three minutes for the air conditioning.
The moment she sat down, she was finally about to begin studying when——
Buzz-buzz.
Her Mobile Phone in her pocket went off.
Who on earth could that be?
She pulled it out to check and saw it was the Senior Dormitory Leader. The message began with praise, which immediately made Ivy nervous.
[You have no idea how amazing the playlist you made for Sports Day was.]
Oh no.
The conclusion of this sort of conversation was all too predictable.
‘What is this about?’
Cyrus wrote a question on his notebook, and Ivy simply turned the screen to show him.
[So here’s the thing—could you organize music for the Dance Party by situation? It’s not urgent, so take your time.]
As Cyrus read the message, Ivy wrote an answer on his notebook, holding onto a faint hope.
[What kind of songs am I supposed to pick?]
But the moment the words were out, she realized how foolish the question was.
Cyrus was the type who’d chosen to stay alone and guard the Chemistry Lab during Sports Day.
Ivy quickly wrote another answer.
[Besides, you won’t even be there anyway.]
It was funny to even ask someone like that what songs should be played.
Tap. The tip of Cyrus’s pen struck his notebook. Ivy’s gaze shifted back toward him.
[No.]

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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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