The Villain Wants to Be Dumped chapter 10

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The sound of his pen scratching against the paper filled the air as he scribbled something across the textbook before tossing it back like he was throwing it away.

Right there was a neatly written formula applied to the problem Professor Philip had told her to solve.

It was a clean equation, as if telling her to handle the actual calculation herself.

Ruite glanced at Chester and successfully found the answer by solving the equation.

“Even if your reasons for entering a prestigious academy are impure, you should at least put in some effort.”

“Huh? Oh, right. I should.”

Chester placed a heavy emphasis on the word “impure.”

However, Ruite didn’t seem bothered, letting it go in one ear and out the other.

She even gave a half-hearted reply for good measure.

When the allotted time ended, Philip—true to form—called Ruite up to solve the problem.

She wondered why her bad feelings were never wrong, but she was glad she had asked Chester for help.

As she recalled the formula Chester had written and breezed through the answer, Philip’s gaze shifted to one of satisfaction, as if to say, “Look at this.”

Once she finished, he even complimented her, saying it was a very clean solution.

Since she hadn’t solved it on her own, the praise felt a bit awkward, so she just returned to her seat with an uneasy smile.

Ruite thanked Chester, thinking she had at least cleared this hurdle.

Of course, he ignored her gratitude entirely, not even offering a response.

And so, she endured another day of tedious lectures and practicals.

But before classes ended, Harold made an announcement that was sure to bring sorrow.

“Alright, everyone knows the midterm tests are coming up soon, right?”

At those words, the bright expressions of her classmates darkened instantly.

It was a universal truth that no one in the world liked exams.

Furthermore, Whitmore Academy lived up to its prestigious reputation with notoriously difficult exams.

Once exam season hit, most students walked around looking like a horde of exhausted zombies.

“You’re third years now. Next year is your graduation year. You know better than anyone how important grade management is. You’re aware that third and fourth-year grades have a massive impact on your graduation, right?”

“Yes…”

Lifeless voices drifted in from all over the room.

At Whitmore, grades were the biggest factor for graduation requirements.

They calculated a total score by combining test results and various assignment points over the four years; if the score fell below a certain level, graduation was impossible.

On top of that, third and fourth-year grades made up the largest percentage of that total.

In other words, even if you did well in your first and second years, if your grades hit rock bottom during the remaining two years, there was a chance you wouldn’t graduate.

“As you all know, our department holds both theory and practical exams, so prepare well. If there are problems you don’t know or things you don’t understand while studying, come to the professor’s office. The professors, including myself, are always waiting for you.”

Ruite wondered why Professor Harold’s smile felt particularly devilish today.

“If you feel uncomfortable asking the professors, cooperate actively with your mates. That’s all. See you tomorrow.”

Thanks to Harold’s announcement about the tests, the atmosphere in the class plummeted.

Even Rona, who had been trying to plant new seeds in the vines clinging to the pillars, trudged out of the classroom dejectedly.

Ruite also let out a deep sigh as she gathered her textbooks.

In the Magic Engineering Department, grades were generally split into 40% theory and 60% practical.

This meant she couldn’t afford to give up on the theory side.

It looked like she’d have to head to the library after dinner today.

Ruite returned to the dormitory first, carrying her heavy books.

However, for some reason, a crowd of students was swarming in a corner of the first floor.

Ruite tried to figure out what day it was before letting out a low “Ah.”

On a specific day each week, mail from outside arrived at Whitmore.

They were sent to the students, mostly from their families.

Since they lived in dorms, they couldn’t go home freely.

Furthermore, many students came not just from the capital, but from far-off regions.

Anyway, when external mail arrived, the dormitory proctor’s office would first sort them and distribute them into square boxes labeled with each room number.

Ruite started to walk over to check, but then stopped.

It was too noisy with so many students crowded together.

Planning to check later when it was less busy, she headed toward her room, but one person standing tall among the crowd caught her eye.

It was Chester.

Seeing him like this, she realized once again that he was exceptionally tall compared to his peers.

He held a white piece of paper in his hand, seemingly checking a letter he had received.

The expression on Chester’s face as he read the letter was not good.

Of course, he wasn’t exactly the type of guy to walk around with a happy expression anyway.

Ruite glanced at Chester before heading up the stairs.

She left her books in her room and headed to the cafeteria for dinner.

After venting about the exams with her “meal buddy,” Dylan, she grabbed her books from her room and came back down to the first floor.

To leave the dormitory after lectures were over, one had to write down a reason.

Ruite took the list from the proctor’s office, wrote her name, and wrote “Studying at the library” next to it.

The reasons written by those who had come before her were all identical to hers.

Just as she was feeling the reality of the upcoming test period, the mail delivery boxes caught her eye.

It looked like there was something in the box for her room number, but she felt too lazy to check right now.

If it was from home, her parents had undoubtedly written a bunch of useless things.

They were the type to write letters to their son whenever they were bored.

Thinking she would just check it when she came back in later, she headed to the library in the main building.

As she entered the library, which was more brightly lit than usual today, she saw countless students with their heads bowed in unison, focusing solely on their books.

The only sound to be heard was the scratching of pens.

The massive library felt like a different world.

The bookshelves, long tables, and chairs, all made of wood, gave off a pleasant scent of timber.

She looked for a place to sit while taking in the familiar scent, but there were no empty seats.

Just as she was thinking how troublesome it was, a vacant spot caught her eye.

‘Lucky me.’

She was about to take the seat excitedly when the person sitting across from it looked up.

Chester, who had been massaging his stiff neck, frowned habitually the moment he saw Ruite.

It was obvious she was aiming for the empty seat, but as soon as Ruite saw him, she gave an awkward smile and changed direction.

I can’t go upsetting the top student of the Magic Engineering Department while he’s studying for exams.

Left with no choice, Ruite went into the library lounge.

The atmosphere here wasn’t as solemn as the central area, but a studious environment was still established in its own way, so she didn’t mind.

She sat in a suitable spot, opened her book, and concentrated for about 30 minutes.

As she was stretching and yawning, her eyes met Chester’s again in the distance.

“…”

The yawn she was about to let out went right back in.

Unfortunately, the lounge area where she was and the central reading room where Chester sat were positioned at an angle where they faced each other.

In the gaze Chester gave her as she yawned widely, she could read two words: “Pathetic.”

Feeling like she had annoyed him again for some reason, Ruite moved to the seat opposite her.

This way, Chester would likely only see her back.

She was trying to focus on her studies again when the lounge door opened, and she felt a presence behind her.

Soon after, someone placed a hand firmly on her shoulder.

“Ah, you startled me!”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Colin took the seat next to Ruite naturally, wearing his signature eye-smile.

“Are you studying for the exams too, Lu?”

“Yeah. I have to graduate, at least.”

“Haha, that’s true. I came to study too, but there were no seats at all in the central area.”

Ruite nodded, saying she had already experienced that.

The central seats were mostly taken by fourth years who were already in a panic and third years who were about to be.

“By the way, Colin.”

“Yeah?”

Ruite turned her body completely to the side and began scanning Colin from head to toe as he pulled out his books.

“You look… different?”

“Really? Ah! Maybe it’s because of my hair?”

Colin smiled brightly and pointed to his hair.

Come to think of it, Colin’s hair was a bit curlier than usual.

“If I don’t comb it right after washing, it turns out like this.”

“Ah, that’s why you looked different.”

Ruite laughed softly and touched Colin’s hair here and there, curious.

Colin didn’t resist and stayed still, but then the lounge door opened once more.

“Hey.”

The two of them naturally turned their heads toward the source of the voice.

“Hi, Chester.”

Colin greeted Chester, who had entered the room.

Ruite tilted her head, staring intently at Chester as he stood there leaning to one side.

“I have something to say. Give me a moment of your time.”

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