NOVEL NEXT Chapter 80: Synomilia Chat Group Mentions
The Malicious Notebook didn't stand out at all. It looked just like an ordinary black notebook, with a touch of that "Death Note" vibe.
However, as a defensive item, it obviously couldn't harm anyone. It wasn't like Xanthia could write someone's name in it and conveniently cause them to die.
Its function was very simple: it detected any malice directed towards Xanthia, revealing who had ill intentions towards her, what conspiracies they were planning, their motives, and what outcomes they aimed for. This information allowed Xanthia to always be prepared and never fall into passivity.
Moreover, only Xanthia, the owner of the notebook, could see its contents.
To others, it appeared to be an ordinary black notebook. Xanthia could even use it as a commonplace book, a lyric book, or a memo pad.
At this moment, the notebook had detected clear malice aimed at Hera, who was known for bullying and feared confrontation. She had become the prime target of malice.
The notebook even presented the details of her previous rumors to Xanthia.
Xanthia discovered that Hera had concealed her actions quite well. Apparently, the actual perpetrator of these deeds was a boy named Samuel El Dise Anios from a "professional high school." He was adept at underhanded methods and had been following Hera since elementary school, benefiting greatly from their association.
Since the previous online rumor incident had backfired and increased Xanthia's fame and reputation, Hera had chosen to lay low temporarily without initiating new conspiracies.
This made Xanthia feel certain that having the Malicious Notebook was fantastic. She no longer needed to worry about others secretly plotting against her; instead, she could plan ahead and become the hidden manipulator behind the scenes.
Continuing to study the Malicious Notebook, Xanthia was surprised to find that Yannis also harbored ill intentions towards her, though not as deeply as Hera.
Yannis's "revenge" against Xanthia was simply talking bad about her in front of Elena, aiming to sabotage their relationship...
Xanthia felt speechless seeing this intention. Her relationship with Elena was average at best; what was there to ruin?
It made her seem like she was some scumbag who stole Yannis's "goddess," but to be fair, this kind of petty teenage malice didn't bother her much.
However, Yannis's pettiness probably meant she felt jealous and annoyed whenever she saw Xanthia interacting with Elena. Well, that could be a way to counter her.
Unfortunately, Elena wasn't that interesting, so there was no need to deliberately interact with her. As always, Xanthia took pain and pleasure as they came; she preferred to spend more time accumulating happiness points.
Having experienced the powerful effects of the Malicious Notebook, Xanthia was very satisfied. At this stage, it was undoubtedly the most cost-effective protective item she could exchange for. It greatly enhanced her sense of security!
After solemnly transcribing a few "famous sayings" and "elegant phrases," she unabashedly started playing with her phone.
Anyway, the teacher wasn't here today, and her seat now had a geographical advantage, being in the fourth group deep inside the classroom near the window, overlooking the greenery outside—quite safe indeed.
Compared to when she was in the first group, facing the classroom corridor, she had to watch out for the patrolling head teacher and teachers from other classes.
Now, she quietly stashed the Malicious Notebook in the desk hole, silently returned it to her system's inventory, put on her earphones, and began browsing a lesser-known streaming site. It wouldn't be appropriate to watch anything risqué like "The Bastard No Longer Loved The Scumbag" in class.
She opted for watching cycling streamers taking beds on trips or streamers abroad enjoying "delicious food" and playing in the wild, with comments like "clean and hygienic" and "almost mealtime."
Just as she was getting into it, she suddenly noticed someone had @'d her in the class group chat.
Due to skipping the high school military training and not having many friends in the class, Xanthia hadn't joined any smaller group chats.
Even this class group chat, excluding teachers, had been added later. Her frequent sick leaves gave her a low profile and almost no presence in the class.
This class group chat didn't include everyone in the class either.
People like Lilim, who enjoyed tattling, naturally weren't included, nor were some silent, studious students who followed rules, kept their heads down, and made efforts not to use their phones—though they were a minority.
Although Thessaloniki First High School strictly prohibited students from using phones in class, boarders even had to hand theirs in; when allowed, they had to report and could only retrieve them during breaks.
However, where there's a will, there's a way. Some claimed they hadn't brought their phones, secretly keeping them hidden; others brought two phones, handing in one and keeping the other. The cheekiest handed in dummy phones or phone models...
In short, in this era of ubiquitous smartphones, as long as you were bold enough and not concerned about your grades, you could play sneakily.
Opening the class group chat, Xanthia discovered that it had exploded due to someone sharing a gossip video titled "Yannis viciously criticizes a docile waste, below, vowing to social-death them. Xanthia chose to speak up for fairness."
In any case, not only Xanthia was @'d, but Dematero was also @'d, as the gossip video contained quite substantial information.
The responses after @'ing Xanthia and @'ing Dematero were completely different in tone. After @'ing Xanthia, the group chat took on this tone:
"Xanthia, you truly have a kind heart!"
"Beautiful outside, beautiful inside, and your grades are still so excellent, too perfect!"
"I never thought there could be a girl who speaks up for boys behind their backs. She's so gentle. I'm touched to tears..."
"That Yannis is really disgusting. Xanthia, don't worry, we guys stand with you!"
"Xanthia, you spoke up for fairness, and we absolutely support you. But you have to be careful not to develop feelings for Dematero just out of sympathy, even though he was your former desk mate. Let's be honest, his Synomilia confession was really lame and funny."
...
As for Dematero, people lamented his misfortune and criticized his lack of assertiveness. Those who secretly liked Elena couldn't help but gloat discreetly. The chat took on this tone:
"Haha, Dematero, you're such a clown, being insulted by this kind of girl. Let's see how you handle this next!"
"It seems both Yannis and Elena are in this group. Even if they don't use phones in class, they'll definitely check the group in the dorms. How dare you directly insult Yannis like that?"
"What she said was below the belt, but what's wrong with a Synomilia confession? It takes courage to do that. Just because someone liked a person and got rejected, is it necessary to mock them like this? And to wish social death upon them, haha, such arrogance. What's with all the chest-thumping? I'm also a guy, what's wrong with a bit of sympathy?"
"Dematero, I knew you had a thing for Elena, but your Synomilia confession was really half-hearted. You better do something to salvage your image in front of her!"
"Salvage what? If rejected, just move on to someone else. I think @Xanthia is not bad. @Dematero, consider it, haha!"
"Don't play matchmaker recklessly. Xanthia is just kind-hearted, not blind. Dematero, this toad of yours shouldn't be trying to hit on anyone. You're not worthy. My advice: stay single, don't rush into romance, focus on studying."
"Damn, hearing Yannis mock Dematero like that, I feel the urge to punch something. Dematero, if you're a man, prove yourself boldly. Don't let Xanthia down!"
"Although many high school students have earned a lot of pocket money through online these days, Dematero only excels in writing essays. How can he turn the tables? It's too difficult!"
"Yeah, Dematero doesn't have the protagonist halo. He can only grit his teeth and swallow this. Don't expect 'the poor youth gets revenge with a grand entrance effect' to happen to him."
...
After the first evening self-study session ended, Dematero sneakily took out his phone, intending to relax. To his surprise, as the failed confessor clown, he had become the center of attention in the class group chat!
Scratching his head, Dematero looked bewildered—
How did news of his failed confession to Elena this afternoon spread so quickly to the evening?
This seemed to contradict his memories from "rebirth"!
Ah, this... it's really strange.
Could it be that when he originally chose to fall into darkness and fully immerse himself in writing, he completely forgot about these trivial details?
Indeed, it didn't matter anymore. He now had no feelings whatsoever for Elena; his heart and soul were completely occupied by another figure.
He was extremely calm now, cherishing every moment of this "reborn" time, striving not to waste a single second.
With a serene heart, he scrolled through the chat history and calmly clicked on that gossip video, watching it unfold.
