Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 115

Chapter 115
T h i s w a s co p i e d f r o m k ing mt l . o r g

Doubt (6)

As darkness began to fall, the lights along the walking paths gradually flickered on, and students began to gather at Hwayangkwan in the Cradle.

A grand banquet had already been prepared on the long tables, stretching over dozens of meters.

Bright lights and lively music filled the air with excitement.

All students, except for the third years who were practically active duty, had gathered, packing the expansive Hwayangkwan to the brim.

Since this was a purely recreational banquet with no educational purpose, it was an unusual event, and the students, weary from the grueling education, threw themselves into the joy of the occasion.

The professors had also decided to turn a blind eye to any misbehavior tonight, as none were present.

They had only left a stern warning that any disturbances outside Hwayangkwan would result in severe punishment.

Yet, despite the festive atmosphere, Yeon Minha sat alone with a gloomy expression.

“…”

It wasn’t because of the situation she and Jeokhwa were in.

Yeon Minha had already regained much of her previous influence.

While there were some who dared to challenge her, she had quickly and thoroughly crushed a few as an example, and the resistance naturally died down.

Of course, the incidents like the graffiti on the dormitory walls on her first day back had also stopped.

In addition, by flaunting her deep bond with the ‘Crown Prince of Heukryeon,’ more people were now lining up to associate with her, just as they had in the past.

What deterred most students from approaching her wasn’t her background but her cold, intimidating expression.

Even those who initially attempted to strike up a conversation soon found themselves retreating, intimidated by her fierce demeanor.

“Sigh…”

Yeon Minha sighed heavily, taking small sips from the glass of clear liquid in her hand.

The strong alcoholic scent of the distilled spirit and the burning sensation as it went down her throat didn’t seem to bother her at all.

She spent the entire afternoon slumped like clothes hanging in the damp.

She took another sip from her glass and rattled the package of candies she had in her pocket.

“…”

The plan to hand them over casually had long since fallen through.

The moment she saw that box of carefully wrapped cookies and candies, she was overwhelmed by a sudden sense of inadequacy.

While she was confident that the effort she had put in was second to none, the results were as different as heaven and earth.

The act of hiding the box was also a reflection of her conflicted feelings.

Though she had eventually regained her composure, it was too late to return the box to its place.

It still lay neatly in the drawer of her bedroom.

Yeon Minha downed the remaining liquor in her glass and turned her gaze to the opposite table.

Three female students sat together, chatting animatedly.

Choi Ireh, Kwon Yuri, and… Baek Seoyeon.
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“It’s not like that… Stop it…”

“Don’t lie… Hurry up and tell us…”

Baek Seoyeon blushed and lowered her head as Kwon Yuri whispered something in her ear.

“…”

Yeon Minha stared at her with even more intensity.

All her current worries stemmed from Baek Seoyeon.

Yeon Minha replayed the earlier memory in her mind, and her certainty grew stronger along with the lingering scent.

-Crunch…

Yeon Minha clenched her teeth, feeling an overwhelming urge to storm over and slap Baek Seoyeon across the face.

But she was hesitating because she couldn’t figure out the reason why.

Baek Seoyeon and the masked male student had already had a significant clash at the beginning of the semester.

Paechun and Heukryeon were far from being on good terms.

Even now, the political news sections were daily covering the conflicts between them in the Supreme Council.

‘Could she… have a crush on him?’

The idea seemed absurd at first, but it was a surprisingly plausible theory.

After all, her relationship with him hadn’t been this deep and tangled from the start either.

However, Yeon Minha quickly shook her head.

Even she was well aware of how Baek Seoyeon constantly flaunted her deep affection for her fiancé whenever she got the chance.
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It was a genuine response that couldn’t possibly come from a strategically arranged relationship.

So while she was curious about the identity of Baek Seoyeon’s fiancé, trying to seduce him for recruitment purposes made no sense, and it was impossible that she had mistaken the locker or spent such excessive effort…

“Sigh…”

Frustrated, Yeon Minha grabbed another drink and downed it in one gulp.

She turned her gaze toward the first-year students’ table.

It didn’t take long for her to locate her target.

A male student wearing a smooth white mask was struggling to deal with the crowd around him.

“Tch…”

Yeon Minha shot a sharp gaze his way.

A sudden wave of disappointment and loneliness washed over her.

The fact that most of the people talking to him were female made her even more uncomfortable.

It wasn’t surprising.

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From the moment he was officially acknowledged as the second son of Heukryeon, words like ‘mask’ and ‘eccentric’ became meaningless.

Hundreds of people would line up just to wrap even that in a package of ‘character.’

Of course, she was also concerned about his unsociable nature… but this wasn’t the kind of sight she wanted to see.

Moreover, a growing sense of anxiety was making her more restless by the moment.

The moment she saw that box of candies earlier, Yeon Minha recalled something she had forgotten.

The possibility that someone could take him away from her.
T h i s wa s c o p ie d f ro m k i ng mt l . or g

“Ugh…”

Yeon Minha’s fingers trembled as she held the glass.

The mere thought of that possibility sent a shiver down her spine.

He was the only meaning left in her life.
Thi s w a s c opi ed f r om k in g m t l. org

Of course, she didn’t think he would ever pay attention to such vulgar girls.

Even though he had promised to hug her soon, he treated even someone as stunning as herself like a block of wood.

The only one who could possibly rival her was Baek Seoyeon from Paechun.

‘…Baek Seoyeon…’

As much as she hated to imagine it, if Baek Seoyeon seriously decided to seduce him, there was nothing Yeon Minha could do to stop her.

This wasn’t a matter of him but rather the gap that had opened between her and Baek Seoyeon.

Jeokhwa, which was crumbling and struggling at the bottom, and Paechun, which was soaring higher and higher.

There was no need to say which side was more suitable as his partner.

Yeon Minha’s future looked bleak as she continued to drink the strong liquor.

Empty glasses gradually piled up on her table.

Though she still appeared composed on the outside, her rationality had already loosened, replaced by impulsive thoughts that filled her mind.

Finally, as if possessed by something, she sprang from her seat.

She walked briskly, her steps still steady.

She was heading toward the first-year table, to the spot where the crowd was particularly thick.

“Oh my…!”

“Yeon Minha Sunbaenim…”

The students who had been crowding the area quickly stepped aside, startled by her fierce gaze.

Yeon Minha didn’t respond and kept walking.

As the students gradually cleared the way, even Lee Hyun, who had been out of sight, noticed her.

“…”

Yeon Minha stood silently in front of Lee Hyun, staring at him.

But Lee Hyun greeted her in a calm voice.

“What brings you here?”

T h i s wa s c o pie d f r om k ingmt l . or g
For some reason, Yeon Minha’s heart filled with irritation at his calm demeanor.

It seemed he was completely oblivious to the turmoil she was going through.

Yeon Minha spoke curtly, her voice filled with a mix of resentment and a hint of childishness.

“Follow me.”

She then turned on her heel and disappeared out of Hwayangkwan.

The students around them whispered quietly, surprised by her sharp tone and demeanor.

“Why is she acting like that all of a sudden?”

“She must be angry… Her real personality hasn’t changed…”

But Lee Hyun, without much thought or hesitation, followed her easily.

***

It was perfect timing, as he was getting tired of dealing with the crowd.

The unpleasant tingling sensation every time someone subtly touched him only added to his irritation.

At first, he thought she had appeared to help him out of the situation, but Yeon Minha didn’t stop walking until they were deep in the garden.

“Sunbae?”

Lee Hyun finally noticed something strange and called out to her.

Only then did Yeon Minha stop in her tracks.

She turned around to face him.

There was a fierce red glow in her eyes as she glared at him.

Confounded by her intense demeanor, Lee Hyun asked,

“What’s wrong?”

“Did you enjoy it?”

“Enjoy what?”

“Receiving all those candies. Did you like it?”

It was then that Lee Hyun realized she hadn’t called him out to help him.

Sensing this might turn into a troublesome situation, he sighed inwardly.

“Not really.”

“Liar.”

Even though he spoke the truth, Yeon Minha didn’t seem to believe him.

Lee Hyun then noticed that something about her was off.
T h i s w a s cop i e d f r o m ki n g m t l . o r g

The smell of alcohol was strong around her, and her pupils were losing focus.

Her pale skin was now flushed with the redness of intoxication.
T h i s w as c o pi e d f r o m k i n gm t l . o r g

For some reason, tears were welling up in her eyes.

“Sunbae.”

“Men are all the same… Just a little attention from a woman, and they…”

“Minha Sunbae.”

“You were surrounded earlier, all happy and…”

Lee Hyun swallowed hard at Yeon Minha’s ridiculous accusations.

How could he have been “all happy” when he’d been wearing a mask the entire time?

He wondered if she was just drunk and rambling, but he knew he needed to calm her down first.

However, this didn’t seem like a situation where gentle words would work.

Had it been the usual Yeon Minha, it might’ve been different, but right now, she was completely drunk and out of control.

“I get it… Men are like that… But still…”

“Yeon Minha.”

He cut her off and suddenly called her name bluntly.

Since rational conversation was impossible when she was drunk, he decided he needed to be a bit more forceful.

“Hic…”

Yeon Minha let out a small gasp and flinched.

He felt a bit uncomfortable about being firm with her, but he reminded himself that she was actually younger than him.

Looking around, he spotted a bench and walked over to it, plopping down.

“A junior dares to call his senior by name like that…”

Her fierce demeanor had softened, but Yeon Minha continued to resist weakly.

“Sit down.”

“…”

But at his stern tone, she shrank back again.

Lowering her head, she stood there for a moment before walking over and gently sitting at the edge of the bench.

Then, without realizing it, she scooted closer and leaned her head on his shoulder.

With one hand, she clutched one of his fingers tightly.

At least some part of her rationality seemed to remain.

Thinking she had finally calmed down a bit, Lee Hyun spoke again.

“I didn’t enjoy it. Not the people, not the candies. You know what I’m like.”

“…”

“And I threw all the candies from my locker into the trash.”

“…”

After a long silence, Yeon Minha finally asked,

“Really…?”

Seeing her pitiful eyes, Lee Hyun slowly nodded.

He had received some candies directly from a few friends… but there was no need to mention that now.

“It’s true. If you don’t believe me, ask Seunghun. He saw me throw them away.”

Th i s w a s cop ied f r o m k in g m t l . o r g
“…”

Yeon Minha lowered her head again after hearing his words, but the uneasy trembling from earlier seemed to have subsided.

“I see…”

“But Sunbae.”

Yeon Minha was about to respond in a calmer voice when he interrupted her.

“Huh?”

“Don’t you have something for me?”

At the slight curiosity and expectation in his voice, Yeon Minha looked at him with a surprised expression.

End of Chapter