Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 109

Chapter 109

Exposure (19)

The whisper that was slightly coquettish yet tinged with a hint of sorrow, laden with the obvious intention to seduce the man, was too vexing to listen to.

And yet, it held a strange power, like the temptation of a devil.

It was more than enough to stop Seoyeon in her tracks.

Before she knew it, she found herself staring intently at the pair sitting on the distant bench.

However, the male student, upon hearing Yeon Minha’s suggestion, hesitated and responded in a slightly troubled voice.

“Here… you mean?”

“Yes. You can take it off when you’re with me.”

“…Outside, it feels a bit…”

“Why? Are you worried someone might see?”

“…”

He answered with silence.

“It’s fine. We’re the only ones who would come out here at this hour. Sometimes it’s good to get some fresh air…”

Yeon Minha continued to coax him with a voice that now carried a hint of desperation.

“Should I spread the spirits to make sure it’s safe…? Then…”

At her suggestion, Seoyeon’s heart sank.

She reflexively tightened her grip over her mouth, but she knew it was a futile gesture.

Even if she could suppress her presence, there was no way a spirit would fail to detect the high concentration of particles she carried within her.

However, after a brief moment of consideration, the male student shook his head.

“There’s no need for that. The connection with spirits is stronger at night, isn’t it? We should be cautious.”

“I-I think it’s fine though…”

Yeon Minha’s words trailed off, sounding slightly flustered by his response.

But despite the tone of her voice, her face was full of satisfaction.

It was a deep, sticky satisfaction, clearly stemming from the fact that he was worried about her.

For some reason, Seoyeon felt a surge of anger at the sight.

Simultaneously, a dull, aching pain began to flare up in her chest.

“…”

After a short moment of contemplation.

The masked male student finally nodded in agreement to Yeon Minha’s request.

“For a short while…”

As he finished speaking, he lifted his hands to the clasps of his mask.

Yeon Minha’s throat bobbed as if she were swallowing hard, her gaze glued to him.

Seoyeon wasn’t much different.

Her heart pounded wildly as blood rushed through her veins.

Her eyes were glued to him, not blinking even once.

*Click.*

*Click.*

He skillfully undid the clasps one by one.

*Click.*

*Click.*

In the unusually quiet night, the metallic sound echoed loudly, reverberating all around.

…*Click.*

After what felt like an eternity.

All the clasps finally hung loosely, and he gently pulled the mask forward with a slight amount of force.

And at last, the shell that had concealed something secret and precious revealed it all.

“…!”

Seoyeon was left speechless.

The contradictory questions that had tormented her so persistently over the past few days, which had almost felt like certainties.

The final piece of the puzzle clicked into place in that moment.

***

Seoyeon bit down on her fingers to keep any sound from escaping.

T hi s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k i n gm tl .o r g
Even as blood trickled from the skin her teeth had torn open, she didn’t care.

Her chest filled with a heavy, numbing feeling, and tears welled up in her eyes, dripping to the ground.

Hair as dark as ink, fluttering in the gentle breeze.

Clear blue eyes that seemed ready to draw her in at any moment.

The expression that might seem stern at first glance, but was really just filled with shyness, was still the same.

Everything was just as it had been before.

It was a certainty no one could deny.

Indeed, the masked male student was the boy she had known.

All the speculations she had been making became irrelevant the moment the mask fell away. But Seoyeon had long forgotten those details.

The joy of his survival made everything else seem trivial.

T h is wa s c opi e d f r o m ki ng mt l. o rg
There was not a speck of doubt left about his identity.

Her certainty led her to act on instinct.

Before she knew it, Seoyeon’s eyes were examining every detail of him.

The boy was still the boy, but upon closer inspection, not everything was unchanged.

His nose was still sharp, but his eyes had slightly sunken, and his jawline had become more defined.

The eyes that were once purely innocent now held a sharpness that hadn’t been there before.

And his once clear, sweet voice had deepened into a rich, dependable tone.

T h i s w a s cop i ed fro m kin g m t l. o r g
But the most significant change was his physique.

T his w a s c o p ie d f rom ki n g mtl. o r g
He had grown taller by about a head, and the boy who used to fit snugly in her arms had become large enough to envelop her in one arm.

His broad shoulders and the glimpse of his arms hinted at a muscular build.

The pure, innocent boy she had wanted to hold had returned as a fully grown man.

Seoyeon felt a flush of heat spread through her body and face at the realization.

She could easily imagine how red her face must have become.

She had loved him dearly before, but now, there was something even more primal in the way she was drawn to him.

Over the past two years, she had become even more radiant.

She had learned how to enhance her appearance, and her body had become curvier and more voluptuous.

Meanwhile, he had grown bigger and stronger.

Where once their bodies had been mere flesh, now they had become elements that made her crave him all the more.

Seoyeon felt an overwhelming urge to throw herself into his arms.

T hi s w a s c o p i e d fr om ki n g m t l . o r g
She wanted to rub herself against him from head to toe, covering him in her scent.

After all, he was the one who had everyone so curious, her beloved fiancé.

“How is it…? Do you like it?”

But the next moment, when that nuisance’s voice reached her ears, the excitement in Seoyeon’s chest quickly cooled.

Seoyeon glared at Yeon Minha with eyes filled with intense loathing and resentment.

“…It’s nice. I can feel the breeze, and the view is clearer…”

Completely oblivious to her feelings, the boy looked around awkwardly.

Then he nodded slightly, as if he was satisfied.

“It reminds me of the village I used to live in. There was a hill there with white flowers just like this. I used to lie there whenever I had the chance…”

However, just hearing the nostalgic tone in his voice was enough to melt away Seoyeon’s anger.

Her face broke into a broad smile, almost foolishly so.

He liked this place for the same reason she did.
T h i s w as co p i e d f r o m k i ngm t l . o r g

And, of course, the only person who always lay beside him was none other than herself.

They shared the same memories and the same sense of longing.

So naturally, she believed that the only person who should be by his side was her.

With that thought in mind, the girl clinging to his side began to bother her even more.

Of course, anyone would be attracted to him; it was only natural that women would flock to him like bees to a flower.

But why didn’t the boy push Yeon Minha away?

Yeon Minha was the most arrogant and disdainful person Seoyeon knew.

And that was precisely the kind of personality the boy hated most.

There was a time when Seoyeon had been like that too.

And it had taken her months to rid herself of that attitude and become the kind of girl he would love.

It had been a long and arduous process, but she had been overjoyed when she saw a hint of tender affection in his once-cold eyes.

Now, she knew how to put on a certain facade, but Yeon Minha didn’t even make the minimum effort.

So why was he looking at Yeon Minha with such soft eyes?

“…”

Seoyeon forced herself to calm down.

She tried to reason through the situation as logically as possible.

After all, it was the boy who had chosen Yeon Minha during the mentorship selection process.

But it was hard to believe he had chosen her willingly.

As she had thought earlier, Yeon Minha’s particularly venomous nature was exactly what he despised.

So perhaps someone else had influenced that decision.

Perhaps Heukryeon, or the principal. Someone who wasn’t pleased with Paechun dominating so much.

Seoyeon knew better than anyone that, despite his gruff and impulsive nature, he was deeply compassionate and warm-hearted.

That might explain why he hadn’t left Yeon Minha, even after Jeokhwa’s downfall.

Even if their relationship had started under coercion, it made sense.

Perhaps Yeon Minha was trying to exploit that kindness by acting helpless.

After all, Jeokhwa had nowhere else to turn, except to him and Heukryeon.

At least she could be thankful that he hadn’t understood that vulgar display for what it was.

But did he know?

That her family was one of the enemies who had shattered their happiness, and that Yeon Minha was a member of that despised bloodline.

“…”

Seoyeon struggled to suppress her rising anger.

But the next moment.

Yeon Minha suddenly reached out her arm towards the boy.

In no time, her pale, slender fingers touched a spot on his face.

And the sight sent an avalanche of heavy stones crashing down into Seoyeon’s chest.

Where Yeon Minha’s fingers had touched.

Under the boy’s left eye.

There was a rough scar that extended horizontally from the corner of his temple towards his nose.

“Ah… Ugh…”

Seoyeon barely managed to suppress a groan.

The part of her that had been desperately trying to deny something finally faced reality.

The scar was more than just a mark; it was a painfully sharp reminder of something she had pushed away.

The original sin she had committed was right there.

***

“Thanks to you, I found a place like this… Senior?”

When Yeon Minha’s fingers touched him, Lee Hyun flinched reflexively.

Yeon Minha quickly pulled her fingers away.

She cautiously looked up at Lee Hyun and spoke.

“Did… did it hurt?”

“No. It wasn’t painful, but… it’s unsightly…”

Lee Hyun lowered his head as if he were someone who had committed a crime.

Yeon Minha watched him in silence for a moment.

Her face was full of pity and sorrow.

“Maybe I should put the mask back on…”

“It’s really okay. I told you, it’s not unsightly at all.”

Yeon Minha shook her head at his words.

“If anything, it makes you look even more manly and cool. Quite dependable.”

Yeon Minha abruptly stopped speaking as if she had let something slip.

Her face was already as red as an apple.

After a moment of silence, Yeon Minha cleared her throat.

Then she spoke again, trying to sound unaffected.

“So… you got it while helping a friend…?”

“…Yes.”

Lee Hyun finally looked up and made eye contact with Yeon Minha.

“That friend must have been really grateful to you. It must have been a life-threatening situation…”

“…I don’t know.”

But Lee Hyun only shook his head with a pained expression.

“I’m… not sure.”

Yeon Minha looked at him in confusion and asked.

“What do you mean you’re not sure…? Didn’t they even thank you?”

“…”

Lee Hyun answered with silence.

Yeon Minha, who had been watching him wordlessly, reached out her fingers towards his face again.

This time, Lee Hyun didn’t reject her touch.

When her thin fingers brushed the edge of his scar, he simply closed his eyes.

Yeon Minha carefully ran her fingers along the scar, from one end to the other, over and over.

As if she were trying to erase it with an eraser.

When Lee Hyun opened his eyes again, he found Yeon Minha’s face right in front of him, completely absorbed in her task.

She was so engrossed that she didn’t even realize he had opened his eyes, despite being so close that he could feel her warm breath.

T h is w a s c o p ie d f rom k in g m t l . o r g
Seeing her like that, Lee Hyun couldn’t help but smile.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips, and Yeon Minha, startled, looked up to meet his eyes.

She flinched slightly, her expression embarrassed, and she slowly turned away.

Then, pouting her lips, she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

“Why are you staring at me…? It’s embarrassing…”

“How could I not stare? You’re touching someone’s face without permission.”

“I’m not touching it without permission, I’m caressing it…! I’d appreciate it if you didn’t use such crude language…”
T h is w a s cop i ed f r o m k in gm t l . o rg

Yeon Minha, who had quickly switched to a defensive stance, cautiously asked him.

“So… was it okay…?”

After a brief moment of thought, Lee Hyun nodded slightly.

“…Yes. It was nice. Warm…”

Even though he had only spoken a few words, it was enough to make Yeon Minha blush.

Of course, she quickly turned her head the other way to hide it.

Suddenly intoxicated by the sweetness of the moment, Yeon Minha abruptly stood up.

“I-I think we should go now… It’s getting really late…”

“…Yes.”

Lee Hyun didn’t object.

He simply put his mask back on, fastened the clasps, and stood up to follow her.

The two of them started walking slowly towards the beech tree dormitory.

Their steps and the rhythm of their strides were perfectly in sync.

Even after they had disappeared from sight, a long time passed.

Then, from behind the large tree on the outskirts of the garden, there was a sound like someone suddenly collapsing.

***

Seoyeon, who had been standing there blankly, finally crumbled like a sandcastle.

She squeezed her eyes shut and clamped her hands over her ears as if she had seen a terrible vision.

She trembled uncontrollably, as if she were gripped by some kind of illness.

The word “friend” was a simple enough term, but it coiled around her like a giant snake.

The sight of him shaking his head in pain only added to her torment.

She wanted to rush out and answer him right then and there.

She wanted to tell him that the courage he had shown was something she could never repay in a lifetime, and it still served as her guiding light to this day.

But as she recalled how the masked male student had always treated her, her lips and legs felt frozen in place.

She hadn’t known who he was, but he had known about her all along.
Th i s w as c o pi e d fr o m k ingm t l . o r g

Yet he had treated her with cold indifference, as if she were a stranger.

And Seoyeon knew exactly why.

She had just been too afraid to face it until now, too scared to acknowledge it.
T hi s w as c o pie d f r o m k i n g m t l. o r g

There was no need to even mention how Jeokhwa and Paechun had been the enemies who had destroyed their paradise.

And so the boy who had been driven to a suicidal journey…

“No… No… I…”

Seoyeon shook her head violently as she trembled.

It was an irreversible mistake she had made, failing to recognize his vulnerability.

And the way the boy who had returned from the brink of death treated her now… spoke volumes.

End of Chapter