My High School Nerd Rival - Chapter 87

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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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Episode 87
Ivy returned to her room and opened her laptop, pulling the headset down over her ears. She had to put together a playlist for the Dance Party her senior had asked her to organize.
It was work she’d normally find tedious, but today it didn’t feel quite so unbearable.
Listening to new music from last year’s list, Ivy’s fingertips tapped along to the beat.
“You’re in a good mood?”
The headset suddenly came off, and Joy’s voice reached her ear.
Ivy jumped and spun around in her chair.
“You scared me. When did you get here?”
“Just now.”
Joy leaned against Ivy’s desk.
“So come on, tell me. What happened?”
“What? Nothing happened.”
Joy gently stopped Ivy as she tried to put the headset back on.
“Something happened between you and Cyrus, didn’t it?”
“What?!”
Ivy’s immediate defensiveness made her answer too quickly—and she regretted it at once.
Why couldn’t she have responded more naturally?
Joy laughed aloud, while Ivy’s face fell.
“Ivy Underwood. You’re absolutely terrible at lying.”
“I’m just… surprised, that’s all.”
She mumbled the excuse.
Meanwhile, Joy had taken the headset away entirely.
She held it like she wouldn’t give it back unless Ivy told her everything.
“I’m your roommate and your closest friend. If you’re hiding something from me, I’d call that a betrayal.”
“It’s just… we were going to do some research together.”
“For what class?”
Her eyes drew closer, bright with curiosity. Ivy’s lips fumbled for the words before she managed a quiet answer.
“It’s… about clothing. Not a class, exactly…”
“Ah.”
Joy fell quiet for a moment, then clapped her hands once and spoke loudly.
“You two are going on a date?!”
“Absolutely not!”
Ivy shot up from her chair.
There was no way she’d do something like that with Cyrus!
“So it’s not a date?”
Joy approached with a playful look and straightened Ivy’s loosened necktie.
“Cyrus, this necktie suits you so well. I wouldn’t have guessed blue would work on you so perfectly. Though, isn’t it a bit too formal? What do you think?”
Joy ran her hand over the necktie a few times and stepped back.
“Like this, right?”
She was thoroughly enjoying herself.
“Do you know what we call this kind of behavior? A date.”
“It’s nothing so… clingy as that.”
Ivy was only going to choose colors with Cyrus. There was nothing strange about that—no neckties being adjusted or anything.
“Clingy? I’m not even talking about him helping you with the zipper on the back of your dress.”
“What exactly have you been watching these days?”
“You interested? I can send you the link.”
“I am not!”
Ivy sat back down at her desk with a sulky face, and Joy returned the headset.
“Are you sulking?”
“A little.”
“Fine, fine. So you’re going to do research with Cyrus, is that it?”
Her tone was almost coaxing. Ivy held her lips tight as she looked at Joy, then finally nodded.
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Sunday.”
“Let me pick out your outfit. Then come on, make up with me, okay?”
Actually…
That didn’t sound so bad.
As “Ivy” and not “Evelyn,” she’d rarely worn anything besides her school uniform or athletic clothes.
“Just… don’t pick anything weird, okay? It’s just a research investigation.”
“Would I ever put you in something weird? Don’t worry. I’ll give you the perfect research investigation look that’s ready for exploration.”
Somehow, that didn’t sound entirely reassuring.
* * *
The walk back to the Dormitory after dinner still carried the heat of the summer sun.
“If Sunday’s this hot too, I should probably pick something cooler.”
Joy ventured the subject with her usual subtlety. It was about Sunday again.
“Don’t you think this dress is cute?”
On the mobile phone she held out was a picture of a lightweight summer one-piece dress. Ivy quickly waved it away.
“Why are you deciding already?”
“It’s better to prepare early.”
“You want to do research investigation preparation for a research investigation?”
Ivy gave her a look of disbelief.
“Better late than never… wait, that’s backwards. Better early than late.”
Joy opened the Dormitory doors. The blessed cool of the air conditioning washed over Ivy’s flushed cheeks.
In response to students’ persistent requests, the school had reluctantly extended the air conditioning hours.
As a result, the Dormitory Hall was now filled with a pleasant chill distinct from the outside world, and students gathered here to spend their time.
Huddled together on sofas in layers, chattering endlessly.
As the party drew near, romantic activity levels in the dormitory had hit an all-time high, and gossip about it all spread through the Dormitory Hall.
Even Ivy, who was normally slow to rumor, had heard countless stories of who was dating whom and who had broken up.
Of course, it wasn’t as if Ivy had deliberately eavesdropped on such things.
It was simply…
“This is insane, seriously?”
“Who knows. How did they even find out?”
Their voices were just too loud. As always today.
“A princess?”
She stopped in her tracks.
What did they just say?
In an instant, her head turned toward them. They were simply exchanging mobile phones back and forth.
“Ivy, what are you doing?”
Joy called from the base of the stairs. She seemed not to have heard their conversation.
“Oh, nothing.”
Ivy quickly climbed the stairs.
Behind her, whispers seemed to continue a bit longer.
Something about a princess.
‘It can’t be anything serious.’
This had happened before. During a chemistry experiment, she’d overheard the word “princess” once and nearly ruined the entire lab.
It had turned out to be nothing back then.
This time, it was probably the same. Curiosity about royalty existed everywhere.
With that thought, her frantically beating heart seemed to settle a little.
She entered the quiet room.
Ivy sat on the edge of the bed and untied her sneakers, while Joy was tapping at her mobile phone as if messaging someone.
A quiet, ordinary evening.
“Ivy.”
A mysteriously excited voice.
Ivy raised her head with a grimace. It was probably about the research investigation again.
“What is it?”
“Did you see this?”
Joy crossed to Ivy’s bed and held out her mobile phone.
It was probably about what to wear on Sunday again, but she could just pretend to listen.
Ivy sighed and lowered her gaze.
* * *
ANONYMOUS BULLETIN BOARD — WHOLE SCHOOL
[HOT]
Princess Evelyn is supposedly enrolled at our school
Author: Anonymous | 19:47
As the title says. It’s secondhand, so no clue if it’s true.
[Anonymous 1]
Been waiting for your new work!
[Anonymous 2]
This one’s a hit ㅋㅋㅋㅋ look at the view count rising
[Anonymous 3]
Source?
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[Anonymous 1]
Fiction doesn’t need sources
[Anonymous 4]
She’d hire tutors and study at home, so why come to this decrepit prison????? Would you even want to?????
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[Anonymous 5]
Never
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[Anonymous 2]
Not even if I died22
[Anonymous 6]
Starting today I’m putting peas under every mattress
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[Anonymous 7]
ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ the springs are already shot ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
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[Anonymous 6]
Dammit
[Anonymous 8]
But if it were true, that’d actually be pretty cool.
[Anonymous 9]
Would our school have someone that gorgeous???? [Attached: 0101_2.jpg]
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[Anonymous 10]
She wouldn’t walk around as herself. Obviously she’s in disguise
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[Anonymous 2]
What, wearing glasses or something? ㅋㅋㅋ
└
[Anonymous 9]
Suspension of disbelief destroyed ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
* * *
Everyone was laughing.
A tremor ran through her fingertips. She clenched her fists to hide it.
Her heartbeat echoed in her ears like someone’s footsteps.
As if they might come running any moment to seize the shoulder of Ivy—no, Evelyn.
“If it were true, wouldn’t that be huge?”
Joy’s delighted voice.
Ivy slowly lifted her gaze. She managed to pull her lips into a smile.
“I… guess so.”
“Everyone’s in an uproar about this. My mobile phone won’t stop buzzing because of it.”
As if on cue, a notification arrived.
[Carter! Do you know who the princess is?]
“I’ve actually met the princess once, you know.”
It was true that I had met Joy as “Evelyn.”
It was at some party long ago, and we’d exchanged greetings in passing.
“I didn’t get a proper look at the princess back then, but I have good instincts—if I’d seen her, I’d definitely have recognized her later. Wouldn’t I?”
“I… guess.”
“Anyway, I can’t believe some people love making up strange rumors like this.”
A few more notifications arrived. Probably similar questions.
“Thank goodness you’re not interested in this kind of gossip. A princess couldn’t possibly be here, right? I swear, these people never get tired of this stuff.”
She could neither confirm nor deny it.
Fortunately, Joy’s attention had already shifted to the flood of incoming notifications.

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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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