Chapter 72

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Translated by Sylph

Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net.
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Monday morning. A new piece of paper was posted on the dormitory notice board.

It was the timetable announcing the start of the midterm exams.

The exam period was two weeks.

During that exam period, all regular classes were suspended, and there was one exam for each corresponding class.

Looking at the paper with the exam timetable and locations for each subject, the children all wrote down the schedules for their subjects in their notebooks.

“What should I do? I really couldn’t study…”

Among the young students, there were some who were on the verge of tears while checking their exam schedules.

However, that student’s friends could not bring themselves to comfort them by saying it was okay.

Because once the exams began, the atmosphere of the Gifted Center changed markedly.

No matter how much the influence of noble families played a part and even if some were lacking in certain areas, everyone was a student who had at least the minimum qualifications to enter the Gifted Center in their own way.

Even if they weren’t good at every subject, they had grades or abilities in at least one that were worth showing off.

Naturally, they were called geniuses outside. Compared to their surroundings, their talent was superior.

However, after entering the Gifted Center, everyone realized how arrogant they had been.

Everyone here had talent.

As a result, children who had been praised as geniuses were merely ordinary students here.

‘I am not special.’

That was a huge shock to the students.

Still, they had endured somehow until now.

But as the exams began and grades were to come out, fear began to set in about what they would do if their rank was low.

The Gifted Center does not expel someone just because their exam grades are not good.

Instead, judging that the bottom 20% need more learning, they conduct supplementary lessons later.

The children were afraid of being the ones to go and take those lessons.

Because that would eventually be proof that their grades were at the bottom.

‘The other students will surely ridicule me for being stupid.’

So the students all became desperate.

Evi was also feeling the changed atmosphere.

Above all, Ruska, who had been attending classes most casually among the four, began to become serious.

He was someone who always went around with his jacket off and draped over his shoulders, with one or two buttons of his shirt undone, in a state good for running and playing with friends.

Because he kept playing pranks during class time, Professor Malles had scolded him several times, pulling his ear and saying, “Can you not focus!”

However, not a trace of that appearance could be found in the current Ruska.

While wearing his school uniform neatly, he was focused on solving problems while sitting in a composed posture.

Evi could not take her eyes off Ruska’s serious appearance, which she was seeing for the first time, as if it were fascinating.

Ruska, who had been solving math problems for a long time, wrote down the answer and then held it out to Evi.

“Evi, can you check it?”

“Yes. Hmm…”

Evi scanned the notebook he held out from the top.

“This is correct. But for this one, the solution became strange here. In the place where a square should go…”

Evi explained the part he got wrong in detail.

Ruska took down Evi’s explanation without missing a beat and checked all his wrong answers from the beginning.

“Then is it correct if I solve it like this?”

Ruska, who had been listening to Evi’s explanation diligently, held out a new solution with a smile.

“Yes! It’s perfect!”

When Evi clapped her hands lightly, Ruska answered with a laugh.

“As expected, it’s easy to understand because Evi is teaching me.”

“Doesn’t Professor Malles also teach well?”

When Evi tilted her head as if she didn’t know the reason, Ruska gave a bitter smile.

“That’s the story when it’s you and Arcel… An ordinary person can’t follow his rampage sometimes.”

“You’re also good at studying, Lord Ruska.”

Ruska was the one who always pretended to cry, saying he was the worst at studying among the four.

But Evi thought those words were a lie.

Ruska also understood well if it was explained.

So he would often solve problems in an instant that he couldn’t solve until a moment ago.

The problem was that he played again after that.

So she would often see Professor Malles grumbling, “That fellow also has a good head, but strangely he doesn’t try to do more…”

Every time, Ruska would look at Arcel for a moment with a complicated expression.

“No matter how well I do, I can’t do as much as Arcel.”

It was an answer that was somewhat lacking in strength, unlike his usual self.

“You also know if you look at Arcel. He really does everything well, right?”

“Yes…”

As Ruska said, Arcel was good at every subject to a truly terrifying degree.

At first, even Professor Malles, who had jumped around saying other students were not welcome, had a covetous look after teaching Arcel, saying, “You, do you have no intention of devoting yourself to mathematics?”

“Even if I try, I can’t do that much. It’s not easy to be better than Arcel at anything.”

At Ruska’s answer, Evi thought for a moment and then replied.

“But you’re taller, Lord Ruska.”

“That’s…”

“And you’re faster at running.”

“Isn’t that because I’m a bit taller, as you said?”

“And you’re better at ball games.”

“That’s because I don’t study and play with other friends during that time.”

“You also sing well.”

Evi continued to think of his strengths.

Ruska said he had nothing he was better at than Arcel, but in Evi’s view, it wasn’t like that.

Ruska was a very good person.

So there were always many people around him.

Even though the professors shook their heads saying his pranks were severe, there was no one who truly disliked Ruska.

As proof, when Ruska was seen or his voice was heard, people all smiled and greeted him gladly.

“I’ve never seen a person whom everyone likes as much as you, Lord Ruska.”

That was something truly enviable to Evi.

Everyone liked him, and Ruska also liked everyone.

So when she was beside Ruska, her heart always became comfortable.

“So I’m thinking that when I grow up, I want to become like you, Lord Ruska.”

“…”

At Evi’s words, Ruska lowered his gaze for a moment.

The back of his neck became red.

Ruska, who was looking only at the floor as if embarrassed, raised his head and faced Evi.

Then he spoke in a quiet voice.

“…Thank you.”

After meeting Evi’s gaze for a long time, he raised his hand and rummaged through her hair.

Then he spoke again in his usual playful voice.

“But I’m only a few years older than you, you know? What do you mean you want to become like me when you grow up? You and I are the same age in the eyes of the teachers to begin with.”

“But you’re way taller than me!”

“I told you that’s because you’re small! If you grow a bit more, there won’t be such a huge difference. Well, of course, it’ll be hard to become taller than me, though.”

It certainly seemed like that would be hard. Even so, wouldn’t she grow until she reached Ruska’s chin?

“And until when are you going to call me ‘Lord Ruska’? Irene calls me by my name just fine all the time.”

“Um, that’s…”

“Try calling me now. Say ‘Ruska’.”

Then Ruska rested his chin on his hand and looked at Evi with an expression that seemed very expectant.

Evi, who was hesitating, looked around.

She was already receiving glares just by going around together, so if she called him by name recklessly, wouldn’t there be even more gazes glaring at her?

But if she continued to call him ‘Lord Ruska’ now, she felt that he would somehow be upset.

The gazes of people, Ruska’s expectation.

Evi, who was agonizing, finally made a choice.

“Ru…ska?”

Then Ruska’s eyes, which were looking at Evi, curved softly.

“Well done. Once more.”

“Ru…ska.”

“It’s still a bit awkward. Call me again.”

“…Ruska.”

At first, it was difficult to call him without attaching ‘Lord’, but in the middle of repeating it a few times, she became accustomed to it as if she had always called him that.

He, who had made Evi call his name for a long time, only said she could stop after hearing it dozens of times.

“But where did Irene go today? There’s no way she would go around leaving you behind.”

“Irene… she said she wants to study alone today.”

As the exams began, Irene uniquely showed an appearance of trying to be alone.

So even at the words to go study together since the classroom was empty, hadn’t she said with a slightly troubled expression that she would study in her room alone today?

At the sight of Irene, who always moved together, not holding onto her, she was somehow anxious and also hurt.

“Hmm.”

At those words, Ruska nodded as if he understood.

“So you had a tearful face when you came earlier.”

While she was feeling gloomy thinking of Irene, Ruska grabbed Evi’s cheeks with both hands as if now was the chance since Irene wasn’t there.

And he pulled them slightly so it wouldn’t hurt.

“Look at this. You’re going to cry.”

“I’m not crying.” (Annureoyo)

When Evi glared sharply, Ruska chuckled and said.

“While Irene is away, I should fill up my self-interest a bit.”

Having said so, he held out his hand to Evi.

“I’ll be able to feed you a bit today. Let’s go to eat!”