Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 119

Chapter 119

Doubt (10)

***

As the one-sided domination continued, the heated atmosphere in the audience gradually cooled.

Jin Yeseo, her hair disheveled and her body bruised all over, swung her arms wildly, but all she caught was empty air.

The masked boy easily dodged her clumsy attempts and lowered his stance to deliver another punch.

T h i s wa s c o p i e d f ro m k i n g mt l.o r g
-Thud!

“…!”

His heavy fist struck Jin Yeseo squarely in the abdomen.

She no longer had the strength to even scream. Her arms flailed weakly, and her mouth opened and closed wordlessly.

Some in the audience couldn’t bear to watch the pitiful sight any longer and quietly left the arena.

“Is that really the Jin Yeseo I know?”

But one of the spectators, a large, muscular boy, couldn’t take his eyes off the scene.

“She’s getting beaten like a dog…”

Choi Woojin showed no sympathy, only mild interest.

In fact, he found the sight somewhat satisfying.

Arrogant, with a foul mouth unbecoming of a noble’s daughter—but infuriatingly skilled to back it up.

Despite having known her since childhood, their relationship had always been antagonistic.

-Thud!

T h is w as co p i e d f r o m k i n g m t l . o r g
“Wow… This is barbaric. It’s brutal. How can someone beat another person like that, even in a duel? He’s not some kind of demon…”

At the sound of another punch landing on Jin Yeseo, Moon Yeowool shuddered involuntarily.

She clung tighter to the arm of her fiancé, Ryu Seunghun, who sat beside her.

“Yeowool. You’re talking as if this has nothing to do with you.”
Th i s w a s c o pi e d f r o m k i n g m t l. o rg

Woojin, sensing something odd in her tone, didn’t miss the opportunity to poke at it.

Instead of worrying about her friend, Yeowool seemed more disgusted by the masked boy’s violence.

“Aren’t you angry? Your friend’s being beaten like a rag doll, and you’re just sitting there.”

At his mocking words, Yeowool shot him a sharp glare, her usual fierce expression returning.

“Choi Woojin. What nonsense are you spouting this time…”

“Why are you so defensive? I’m just asking.”

But Woojin, unbothered, continued speaking, acting as if he had suddenly remembered something.

“Ah, or maybe that’s it? You’re actually relieved because someone’s getting revenge for you, against the friend you could never beat…”

“W-What are you talking about?!”

For a moment, a flash of guilt passed across Moon Yeowool’s face.

T h is wa s c o pi e d fr o m ki n g m tl . o r g
Despite their personal relationship, she had grown up in the same circle as Jin Yeseo, fully aware of the reality Woojin was hinting at.

The fact that she had never once managed to defeat Jin Yeseo, even though they’d been friends since childhood, had left her with a lingering sense of inferiority.

After they both entered the Cradle in the same year, the fact that Jin Yeseo had fallen to second place, rather than taking the top spot, provided some consolation. But while Jin Yeseo continued to compete with Woojin for second place, Yeowool barely clung to the top ten.

Though publicly, they maintained a decent relationship, even entering the mentorship group together under the respected Baek Seoyeon, the rift in Yeowool’s heart only deepened with time.

“Cut it out, Woojin.”

“Haha, just joking, just joking.”

It was only when Seunghun intervened to protect his fiancée that Woojin finally backed off.

Woojin’s gaze returned to the arena, where the masked boy was dragging Jin Yeseo by her hair, as if showing off, before hurling her into the arena wall.

-Bang!

“…I’d like to fight him myself one day.”

Woojin’s eyes gleamed with excitement and competitiveness as he watched.

Yeowool, seemingly in retaliation for the earlier comment, shot back at him with a sharp tone.

“Don’t make me laugh. How could you possibly beat him? Even Yeseo is losing like this. And didn’t they say he did the same to Ireh’s jaw?”

“Just don’t mention that in front of my sister, okay? You know Guk Jaeryong got dragged to the second-year training room just for gossiping about that.”

Woojin cut her off quickly.

When his sister, Choi Ireh, reappeared in the Cradle after the Jeokhwa incident, her shattered jaw, wrapped in bandages and casts, had caused quite a stir.

Choi Ireh was ranked second among the second-years, right behind Baek Seoyeon, and she had pushed the family’s unique phalanx magic to its limits.

T h i s wa s c o p i e d f ro m k i n g m t l .o r g
Even Baek Seoyeon had taken 15 minutes to break through Ireh’s phalanx during a duel.

Ireh’s reaction to the rumors—claiming that the person who destroyed her phalanx and broke her jaw was the heir of Heukryeon—had been hysterical, to say the least.

“Besides, you never know until you’ve fought them, right? I might not have my sister’s versatility, but when it comes to defense, I’m not lacking.”

“…”

“I hope I face him in the next ranking battle. Or maybe I should just challenge him outright?”

Yeowool was left speechless by Woojin’s baseless confidence.

Meanwhile, three girls sitting in the lower seats were also watching the duel.

-Thud!

“Ouch…”

“Why does it hurt me too…”
T h is w a s c o p i ed fr o m ki n g m t l . o rg

Sera and Yeoreum flinched every time Lee Hyun’s fist landed on Jin Yeseo.

He was usually so down-to-earth, almost humble.

But when it came to ranking battles or duels, his personality seemed to flip, and it was still something they struggled to get used to.

“I guess being friends with Hyun was a good decision… right?”

“Yeah…”

Yeoreum, the girl with the short bob, responded to Sera’s remark, her gaze shifting downward.

There, a brown-eyed girl sat with her hands clasped tightly in prayer.

Though Hena trembled every time the boy threw a punch, she never took her eyes off the duel.

To the unknowing observer, it might have appeared as though Hena was cheering for the blonde girl instead.

“…”

Yeoreum recalled the story she’d heard from Hena countless times.

The story of how the masked boy had saved her from a group of delinquents in an alleyway had been repeated so often that Yeoreum could recite it in her sleep.

-Thud! Thud!
This w as co p i e d f r o m k i ng m t l . o r g

“Haah…”

‘This must be tough for her…’

Yeoreum thought as she watched Hena flinch at the sound of every blow.

***

“This… feels a bit excessive. But it looks like he’s deliberately holding back…”

“Indeed. I wondered why he set that condition…”

T h i s wa s co p ie d f r om ki n g m tl.or g
The voices of the professors seated just below Yeon Minha were audible as they discussed things amongst themselves.

Lee Hyun had accepted the duel with one specific condition.

Since this was a special duel outside the official ranking matches, additional rules could be added as long as both parties agreed, within reason.

His condition for this duel was simple: under no circumstances could the duel be stopped or interrupted within the first five minutes.

The duel had been agreed upon once his condition was accepted.

After all, it was a duel with a clear justification on his side, so refusing it wasn’t an option.

Besides, the condition itself was straightforward, with no hidden loopholes or tricks.

Of course, by now, everyone present had figured out his true intention.

-Thud!
This w a s c o p ie d fr o m k i ng m tl . o rg

“But if he keeps going like this, he’ll face disciplinary action later… What is he thinking…”
T hi s w a s c o p ie d f ro m k i n gm t l . or g

Professor Moon Seonkyung, a refined woman and Moon Yeowool’s aunt, sighed deeply.

Even with the condition, the rules of the academy couldn’t be ignored.

And the violence Lee Hyun was currently subjecting Jin Yeseo to had clearly crossed the line of what was acceptable in a duel.

The outcome had already been decided. Once the five minutes passed, the bell would ring, and the duel would end with his victory.

Jin Yeseo would be carried off to the infirmary, while the masked boy would likely be summoned to a disciplinary committee and face punishment.

“He must be aware of that.”

Professor Kwon Chanyul, a male professor with a ponytail and an indifferent tone, responded calmly.

“Perhaps he’s willing to accept the punishment to send a message.”

“A message? What kind of message?”

“You know… Yeon Minha’s position as a second-year, for one. And Jin Yeseo openly follows Baek Seoyeon, doesn’t she? It’s probably a warning of some sort.”

“Are they that close? I know they’re in the same mentoring group, but before that, they didn’t have much of a connection…”

“Come on, Professor, you know as well as I do.”

Professor Kwon waved his hand dismissively.

The rumors about the incident outside the student council room and the subtle relationship between the two had already spread among the professors.

The details were so specific and comprehensive that even the Education Committee was considering an inquiry.

After all, the Cradle strictly forbade romantic relationships unless officially engaged, ensuring proper bloodline management.

“Oh my, so it’s true…”

“Shh…”

“…”

Ignoring the professors’ murmurs behind her, Yeon Minha remained deep in thought, watching the duel unfold.

For the past few days, her mind had been trapped in an endless loop of the same dilemma.

End of Chapter