My High School Nerd Rival - Chapter 89

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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 89
“Cyrus, could you hold on for a moment?”
Bennett paused Cyrus’s explanation and turned toward Ivy.
“Underwood, do you have something to say?”
At last Cyrus turned to look at her too—expressionless, impassive.
Ivy lowered her head slightly and answered in a small voice.
“…The boundary value.”
Bennett examined the board again, and Ivy continued.
“In the third case, the equality sign is missing from the treatment.”
The teacher, tracing back through the solution, nodded.
“That’s right. If we don’t include the equality there, the entire range afterward becomes incorrect. You were paying close attention, Underwood.”
Even at the teacher’s praise, Ivy felt little joy.
In the meantime, Cyrus corrected the solution and began writing it out fresh.
As though nothing had happened.
This time, there were no errors all the way to the end.
* * *
Third Dormitory Anonymous Bulletin Board
[Trivial]
Did Cyrus Bot break down?
Author: Anonymous | 10:47
Got the problem wrong in class.
And of all people, it was the class rep who pointed it out—bet he was seething inside lol
[Anonymous 1]
Finally the class rep scores one
[Anonymous 2]
Cyrus got it wrong? No way?
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[Anonymous 3]
Yeah I saw it too
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[Anonymous 1]
Even the teacher looked shocked
[Anonymous 4]
The class rep must be thrilled right now
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[Anonymous 3]
She was holding her head down but smiling so hard lol
[Anonymous 5]
But Cyrus’s expression was even funnier. He was gritting his teeth and pretending nothing happened
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[Anonymous 6]
Isn’t that just how he normally is?
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[Anonymous 5]
I mean, usually doesn’t he get a little embarrassed?
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[Anonymous 7]
Cyrus Bot’s reputation won’t go anywhere.
[Anonymous 8]
But sometimes the vibe between him and the class rep feels kinda weird
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[Anonymous 5]
Lol that’s funny
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[Anonymous 9]
Cyrus Bot has no interaction function lol
* * *
The Library was quiet during lunch hour.
Ivy passed between the shelves and made her way to the reading area in the back. She spotted Cyrus sitting in a corner seat.
She sat down right beside him.
He must have been concentrating so hard he didn’t notice her approach. He didn’t move at all.
Ivy covered his notebook with her hand.
Cyrus’s head lifted slowly. Sharp eyes emerged from behind his dark hair.
“Why?”
The brazen question caught her off guard.
“Cyrus, shouldn’t I be asking you that?”
“You’re the one who covered my notebook.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
Ivy turned to face him fully, crossing her arms.
“You wouldn’t make a mistake like that.”
No matter how she thought about it, something didn’t add up.
He’d volunteered to solve the problem himself in class, and yet he’d made such a careless error.
“There’s nothing I can’t do wrong.”
“No, there is. You can’t afford to make mistakes like that.”
She spoke with unmistakable conviction.
At least, the one who always steals first place from her couldn’t possibly commit such a ridiculous blunder.
Cyrus answered with a crooked smile tugging at one corner of his mouth.
“Even Euler made errors.”
“…What?”
“In his proof of the Basel problem. Other mathematicians filled in the gaps later.”
She had no rebuttal. His words were fact.
“Regardless, I don’t understand why you would do something like that.”
Ivy answered stubbornly, clutching her bag.
“And what about you?”
An unexpected question shot back at her.
“Huh?”
Ivy lifted her head. But the moment their eyes met, she found herself instinctively looking away.
“I’m asking.”
She couldn’t say what he was asking about.
She already knew.
He was referring to how unusually quiet she’d been during class.
What that had been about.
“…I’m just tired.”
She gave a perfunctory answer and turned to sit properly at the desk in front of her.
She pulled out a book and Tablet from her bag, arranging them neatly, then opened her pencil case.
But she didn’t write a single character on the notebook she’d spread open.
Instead, she took out her Mobile Phone and habitually checked the Anonymous Bulletin Board.
There were a few posts about Cyrus’s mistake, and then…
“It would be amazing if it were true.”
Just then, she heard murmuring from the table across from her.
“We’ve been close to her all this time, and it turns out she’s a princess. Will we get invited to the palace later?”
Her attention drifted that way against her will.
“There’s probably one among the top students, right?”
Her fingers stiffened.
“Who knows. She might actually be a disaster in school.”
“But what if—what if there really, actually is a princess here?”
Their voices grew quieter. Though listening to this would do her no good whatsoever, Ivy found herself holding her breath, straining to hear.
“What would happen if we found out?”
The voice brimmed with anticipation.
“She’d leave.”
“I mean, hiding it means she’s been living a lie.”
“Besides, she wouldn’t think of us as equals anyway.”
No.
She bit down hard on her lip.
Their conversation continued, and Ivy wanted to cover her ears.
But she couldn’t. Doing so would be the same as confessing.
It was then that Cyrus’s pen, which had been moving steadily, came to a stop.
He lifted his head and quietly fixed his gaze on the students across from them.
He said nothing.
“…Sorry.”
Yet an apology came from across the way, and they quickly began gathering their things.
Silence returned to the space around her.
“……”
Ivy glanced sideways.
Cyrus was concentrating as before, unchanged.
She tried to focus on her studies again, relieved, when her Mobile Phone vibrated softly.
[Can you come by for a sec?]
A message from Fabian.
* * *
As she opened the door to the Seminar Room, she saw Fabian leaning casually against the window frame.
“You got here fast.”
“I was in the Library. So what’s going on?”
Ivy set her bag down on the desk with a thud.
She’d rushed straight here after checking his sudden message, worried that something had gone wrong with the translation assignment.
“You’re so predictable.”
Fabian stepped closer and bent slightly to examine Ivy’s face quietly. His breath was almost touching hers.
“…What?”
“Your eyes are swollen.”
Ivy instinctively adjusted her Glasses.
Now she understood.
Why Fabian had called her in separately.
“Did you not sleep well?”
“No, just a little restless, that’s all.”
“Did you eat?”
“Yes.”
“Properly?”
Ivy gave his shoulder a light push and laughed.
Though she hadn’t pushed very hard, he made a show of being hurt and stepped back several paces.
Watching his exaggerated reaction, she found herself smiling despite everything.
“Fabian, stop acting like my older brother, would you?”
“But it’s still a fact that my birthday comes a little earlier, isn’t it?”
“There’s barely any difference between them.”
“…You look much better when you smile.”
He closed the distance again, though not as close as before.
“I wanted to tell you because I thought you’d be like this. Ivy.”
He lowered his voice sufficiently.
“Or rather…Evelyn.”
The moment she heard that name, the warmth drained from her fingertips.
“Don’t worry about the bulletin board. No one actually thinks it’s real.”
“…I know.”
Ivy answered barely audibly.
“But you’re afraid anyway, aren’t you?”
This time, she couldn’t answer.
She didn’t want to admit it.
Fear—wasn’t that far too weak a thing to feel?
Besides, she couldn’t share such emotions with Fabian.
He was someone who’d been forcibly stripped of his royal name.
Fabian didn’t press for an answer.
“You’ve always been like this since we were young.”
After a long moment, he spoke again, his tone soothing.
“You insisted you had to be perfect, and you carried everything alone. Whenever something goes wrong, you blame only yourself.”
“Fabian, I’m really fine—”
“Ivy.”
He cut her off. There was quiet but unmistakable firmness in his voice.
Ivy bit down on her lip.
“It’s not your fault. Don’t struggle alone.”
As Ivy lowered her gaze, he reached out and gently wiped beneath her eyes.
The place where only she knew traces remained.
“At least you don’t have to lie to me.”
His words were clearly comfort.
He was right, certainly.
Fabian knew everything, and here, now, she didn’t have to hide anything.
It didn’t matter whether she was Ivy or Evelyn.
“Lean on me anytime you need to, until you feel better. Do you understand?”
His palm had already covered her face.
Completely.

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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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