NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 43: The Annoying Arrogant Top 1 In Class
Crissante was utterly repulsed by Henry’s blatant double standards.
She was well aware of her average looks and had never been particularly favored by boys her age. Unlike some naturally beautiful girls, who would have multiple "helpful" boys rush to refill the water dispenser for them, she had never experienced such preferential treatment.
Some girls, even those secretly admired, didn't need to fetch water themselves. They just had to leave their empty cups on the table, and like magic, they'd be refilled every day. Of course, it wasn't magic—some boy was quietly taking care of it for them.
Clearly, Henry was smitten by Xanthia’s stunning appearance today. Feeling exceptionally pleased with himself, he decided to offer his "helpful" services. Otherwise, why had the class representative never shown such concern for the academic performance of other students before?
It was obvious Henry only cared about students who might threaten his top position. Those ranked lower were beneath his notice. He was stingy with his academic prowess, hoarding it. When he begrudgingly helped Jimmy with a problem, it was with an air of impatience. If Jimmy dared question his explanations, Henry would brandish his "class top student" status to assert his dominance.
Eventually, Jimmy stopped asking the class representative for help and turned to Dematero, who was far more patient and didn't put on airs. This was exactly what Henry wanted; he hated wasting time on others and feared that teaching them might improve their performance, to his own detriment.
To him, classmates were rivals, not partners in progress.
Now, out of the blue, Henry offered to tutor Xanthia, believing himself magnanimous and self-sacrificing. He was rejecting the whole world but opening his doors just for her! Surely, this was love at first sight!
Of course, he genuinely believed that no matter how much he tutored Xanthia, this foolish girl would never surpass him academically. Heaven was fair: it gave her beauty, so her brains must be lacking.
He had seen plenty of smart girls in his life, and they were rarely what one would call beautiful. They weren't ugly, but they couldn't be described as "pretty." The best-looking among them might be termed "neat."
Perhaps truly beautiful girls faced too many distractions. The more beautiful they were, the more they loved their appearance and spent time on their looks, easily swayed by boys' attentions. Naturally, this led to a decline in their academic focus.
Just as Henry was basking in his sense of self-importance, Xanthia bluntly cut in, "I never liked studying and never aimed for good grades. Why would I need your tutoring? You're interrupting my conversation with Crissante, and you owe her a proper apology for your rude comments if you have any decency."
Crissante was deeply moved by these words!
She grabbed Xanthia's hand with sincerity. "Xanthia, you're so kind. How about I treat you to a big meal next weekend!"
Crissante, who had never been treated kindly by boys her age, felt genuine warmth from Xanthia. She couldn't help but think that Xanthia was a perfect girl with both beauty and kindness.
"Oh my… Xanthia's fair and slender hands are so soft and tender," Crissante murmured as she touched them, finding herself slightly addicted.
This was the advantage of being a girl—being able to casually hold Xanthia's hand. Female priviledge winning!
Meanwhile, Henry, who had just received a blow from Xanthia, flushed red with embarrassment!
[ System notification sound: Pain points from Henry + + +! ]
With a displeased expression, Henry felt negative emotions surge.
Apologize to Crissante?
What a joke.
Was he supposed to apologize to a future reserve, lacking both grades and looks, and emotional intelligence?
He was "Class Top 1," a prodigy who would easily enter one of the top two prestigious universities in three years or maybe pass the entrance exams of those highly refutable best prestigious international universities around the world. Even dancing at a bar was no problem.
He also attended training classes for math and physics competitions. Though he was just another face in those classes, overshadowed by the experimental class weirdos, he could still claim to be a "competition expert," right?
With so many buffs, he believed himself to be at the top of the food chain in Thessaloniki First High School, where grades were paramount!
A strong person never needed to bow to the weak; they could freely humiliate them!
Henry didn't apologize but continued to engage with Xanthia. Despite his genuine admiration for her, he maintained his composure and didn't tell her to shut up as he had with Crissante.
He earnestly began to reason with her, "Xanthia, your attitude towards studying disappoints me. It's not your fault for having poor grades, but having a bad attitude towards studying is entirely your problem."
"As far as I know, your familia is quite poor, right? With such poor grades, your parents must have put in a lot of effort to get you into Thessaloniki First High School. Isn't this adding insult to injury for your already not-so-affluent familia?"
Xanthia was speechless. Who was spreading rumors about her familia being poor? How annoying!
She never talked about her background on purpose; it was just that she didn't want any connection with the familia, as per her original wish.
What was most absurd was that Henry actually used her parents to morally manipulate her. She had no parents in this world!
Her mother was dead, and her father didn't care about her. Did she have to do something to please her scumbag dad?
Just then, Dematero couldn't bear it anymore and turned around, sarcastically addressing Henry, "You, as the study committee member, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Xanthia has already clearly rejected you, yet you insist on bringing her parents into this. Is that necessary? Everyone understands grand speeches, but some people always use the guise of 'doing good for others' to achieve some impure motives."
As boys, they could all see that Henry inexplicably occupied Jimmy's seat to impress Xanthia, trying to assert his presence in front of her.
Moreover, he kept going on and on, bringing up academic achievements in such a pompous manner—it was really annoying.
Dematero had also done similar things, like chatting with Glen after class to catch Elena's attention, but he would never disturb Elena. He only exchanged glances with her, and that was enough!
However, Henry clearly disturbed Xanthia, and as her desk mate, Dematero felt obligated to shoo away the fly.
Dematero was indeed irritated and felt an inexplicable sense of crisis, but he admitted he wasn't jealous or driven by a sense of competition.
"Dematero, damn it, are you belittling me? You trash ranked seventh in the class, trying to interrupt me, the Top 1 and use me as a stepping stone, pretending to be a good guy? I am genuinely concerned about her, while you're just a cowardly loser! Get lost!"
Henry, whose scheming had been exposed, grew agitated. He started swearing and even became physical, forcefully shoving Dematero. He knew Dematero had a gentle temperament, a "softie" who could be easily bullied.
Just as he was about to escalate further, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his stomach. Caught off guard, he ended up having diarrhea right on Jimmy's seat!
At that moment, Jimmy finally arrived, leisurely entering the classroom and making his way to his own seat...
