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 him to solve.

It was a clean equation, as if telling him to handle the actual calculation himself.

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.

He 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.

He wondered why his bad feelings were never wrong, but he was glad he had asked Chester for help.

As he 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 he finished, he even complimented him, saying it was a very clean solution.

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

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

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

And so, he 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 his 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 he gathered his textbooks.

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

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

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

Ruite returned to the dormitory first, carrying his 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, he headed toward his room, but one person standing tall among the crowd caught his eye.

It was Chester.

Seeing him like this, he 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.

He left his books in his room and headed to the cafeteria for dinner.

After venting about the exams with his “meal buddy,” Dylan, he grabbed his books from his 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 his name, and wrote “Studying at the library” next to it.

The reasons written by those who had come before him were all identical to his.

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

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

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

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

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

As he entered the library, which was more brightly lit than usual today, he 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.

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

Just as he was thinking how troublesome it was, a vacant spot caught his eye.

‘Lucky me.’

He 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 he was aiming for the empty seat, but as soon as Ruite saw him, he 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 he didn’t mind.

He sat in a suitable spot, opened his book, and concentrated for about 30 minutes.

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

“…”

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

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

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

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

This way, Chester would likely only see his back.

He was trying to focus on his studies again when the lounge door opened, and he felt a presence behind his.

Soon after, someone placed a hand firmly on his 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 he 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 his 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 his 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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