Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 126

Chapter 126

Fall (3)

***

“Did you call me?”

“Who else would I be calling, huh? Are you ignoring your senior, you little chick? Hm?”

Kwon Yuri, still catching her breath with her hands on her knees, stomped over to me.

Her tone sounded like she was upset, but her eyes were playfully squinted, almost as if she was smiling.

There was no real hostility in her voice, no sense of being offended that I had ignored her.

In fact, there was a trace of mischief in her tone.

“Why are you calling me a chick?”

Of all things, she had to compare me to an animal instead of using my actual name.

Come to think of it, I believe she called me the same thing when we first met at the start of the semester.

The memory of that encounter had been so dreadful and intense that I had forgotten about it.

“You’ve been here for less than two months. What else would you be but a chick?”

Kwon Yuri widened her eyes as if I had asked a ridiculous question.

“Then do you call all the freshmen that?”

“No. Just you.”

“?”

I was at a loss for words, dumbfounded. Kwon Yuri giggled at my reaction.

“You just feel… not fully grown yet. It’s just the vibe you give off.”

Hearing such a comment from someone a head shorter than me was even more absurd. I could feel a slight surge of irritation rising.

At least one thing was clear. This girl was the type of person I found the hardest to deal with.

But why was Kwon Yuri being so friendly toward me? It was understandable the first time we met, but now there was no reason for her to act this way.

She had to know that her friend and my mentor were mortal enemies.

No matter how easygoing her personality might be, her behavior didn’t make much sense.

…Could she be trying to pull something?

“Pfft… You’re hilarious. If I knew your reactions would be this fun, I would’ve talked to you sooner.”

Kwon Yuri covered her mouth and laughed lightly.

“So, what’s the reason you called me?”

“Have you seen Seoyeon?”

The reason she gave was so unexpected, it felt like I’d been hit over the head.

“…Why are you asking me? How would I know…”

“Isn’t it possible you might know? I asked another junior earlier, and they said they saw Seoyeon heading toward the library. So I thought maybe you’d seen her.”

I definitely hadn’t seen a girl with black hair today. Unless she had been hiding, it would’ve been impossible for me not to notice if she had even stepped foot in the library.

“I haven’t seen her. If that’s all, I’ll be going now.”

The longer this conversation dragged on, the more drained I felt. It was like talking to a brick wall—no matter how I angled my words, she kept brushing them aside. It was nothing but a waste of emotional energy.

I turned around quickly, hoping to give Kwon Yuri the answer she wanted and escape this situation.

“Ah, come on. Why are you in such a rush? Got somewhere important to be? We could chat a little longer, couldn’t we?”

But before I could get far, Kwon Yuri swiftly stepped in front of me again.

A sweet, refreshing scent—something like peaches—wafted over as she approached.

“Yeah, I’m in a hurry. And we’re not exactly close enough to have friendly conversations, are we?”

“Why not?”

“…”

Her innocent expression, as if she truly didn’t understand, made me feel even more stifled. She tilted her head, looking genuinely puzzled.

Not just her words, but even her mere presence made me feel suffocated, like I couldn’t breathe.

She wasn’t openly hostile like Choi Ireh or Jin Yeseo. In fact, I couldn’t sense a single ounce of animosity from her.

I had no clue how to handle someone like this.

“Isn’t it obvious…”

“We’re part of the same academy, aren’t we? Of course we should greet each other, chat sometimes. Maybe even grab a meal together or have tea. Don’t you think?”

“…”

“Oh! Since we’re on the subject, how about we have lunch together sometime? What do you think?”

“Why would I… No, I refuse.”

“You’d love to? Wow, I was waiting for you to say that! I’m so happy. I didn’t think you’d feel the same way.”

“…”

It felt less like I was talking to a person and more like I was having a conversation with some kind of joke-telling robot. It had been a long time since I’d felt this powerless.

Just then, Kwon Yuri, laughing to herself, suddenly widened her eyes as she looked at my chest.

“Oh? Hey, your tie’s come loose. You should fix that. If the disciplinary committee catches you, you’ll get penalized for improper attire.”

I reflexively looked down at my tie.

I was sure I’d tied it properly this morning.

But contrary to Kwon Yuri’s words, my tie was neatly in place, perfectly tied with a crisp dimple.

At the same time, I felt something land lightly on top of my bowed head.

A tingling sensation spread through my body.

“Pfft… Did you really fall for that? Not even elementary students fall for that joke. You really are a chick… Oh!”

-Smack!

Without thinking, I swatted Kwon Yuri’s hand away.

“Ouch… What’s wrong? Did you suddenly get hurt or something…?”

Cold sweat ran down my back, and my heart pounded. I couldn’t stay here any longer.

Leaving Kwon Yuri, who was now looking at me with a confused expression, I quickly bolted.

“Hey… Chick…! Wait…!”

*

“Hmm…”

Kwon Yuri stood still, her sleepy eyes following the boy as he disappeared from view.

Her head tilted slightly, filled with doubts about certain relationships.

Suddenly, a silly thought she had once had about him during the practical training at the Celestial Basin resurfaced in her memory.

“Hmmmm?”

A mischievous smile spread across Kwon Yuri’s face, one that seemed out of place with her otherwise innocent appearance.

***

“Senior?”

Before I could even heal from the internal injuries I had sustained from the earlier encounter, I was greeted in a rather unique way upon returning to the dormitory.

In the foyer, Yeon Minha buried her head into my chest and didn’t move an inch.

“…Yeon… that Ireh… those bastards… club… interfering again… I really want to… kill them…”

From her mumbling, it seemed like something had happened at the student council. I could even hear her grinding her teeth, so she was clearly in a foul mood.

It sounded like they had been obstructing the formation of her club. Even though they were in different factions, was it really necessary to nitpick over something so trivial?

It was a different kind of viciousness from directly fighting with fists.

Lately, I had noticed a peculiar change in Yeon Minha. There was a colder edge in her words and expressions, almost like when I had first met her after enrolling at Cradle.

But her actions seemed bolder and more aggressive. I never thought she’d just throw herself into my chest like this.

“…”

After some consideration, I decided not to push her away. Instead, I gently patted her on the back. As disorienting as this was, it wasn’t like I had any reason not to accept it.

I knew about Yeon Minha’s pain, and if her recent changes were due to stress from her student council activities…

“Sniff… sniff…”

But then, like a cat enjoying a petting session, Yeon Minha suddenly started sniffing the air.

She jerked her head away from me and muttered in annoyance.

“…What’s that smell?”

“Smell?”

Her face scrunched up, clearly displeased by something.

“Yeah. It’s fresh… kind of like peaches… It’s familiar, but for some reason, it’s really irritating…”

The moment she mentioned peaches, I immediately knew what it was. Kwon Yuri’s perfume. When had it stuck to me?

“…I don’t know either.”

There was no way I could tell Yeon Minha about my encounter with Kwon Yuri. I could easily predict her reaction if she found out that the scent on me belonged to a student from a rival faction.

Kwon Yuri. She really was difficult to deal with. I never want to run into her again…

“…This is weird. Did you meet anyone before coming here?”

“I went straight from the library. By the way, Senior, when are you going to give me my reward?”

I could sense that Yeon Minha was about to press me further, so I quickly changed the subject.

The shift was effective. The harsh energy on her face instantly faded.

Her shoulders twitched, and she slowly backed away from me.

“…It’s still being prepared.”

“You don’t need to measure my size?”

That day, Yeon Minha had made me pick a swatch from a bundle of fabrics. It seemed like she was planning to make me some clothes.

But I didn’t think Yeon Minha knew my measurements. Besides, I’d grown two centimeters since entering Cradle. My muscles had also filled out more.

“…I’ll handle that. Just wait patiently.”

But Yeon Minha muttered those slightly embarrassed words and quickly disappeared into her bedroom.

…How is she planning to figure that out?

***

Late at night. Once Yeon Minha’s steady breathing filtered through the wall, I turned on a dim nightlight and spread the blank papers Muyoung had given me across my desk.

Thin circuits, stretching like threads, ran along the surface of the thick paper, faintly reflecting the light.

Following the cipher pattern Muyoung had taught me, I poured particles into the circuits, and soon, lines of text began to appear faintly across the sheets.

The sound of me swallowing echoed loudly in the quiet room.

While I had asked for this to ease my discomfort, I hadn’t expected there to actually be a real person with the same details as the woman from my dream.

I wasn’t sure how to process this information, but now that I had come this far, the only thing left to do was find out everything I could.

“Lee Hwar-yeong. Age 27. Mage belonging to the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion under the Barrier Guard. Rank: Chamryeong…”

As I turned to the first page, the profile photo of someone caught my eye in the corner.

She had a plain, unremarkable appearance—someone who could easily be overlooked anywhere.

The document Muyoung had given me was the military investigation report about this soldier, who had mysteriously gone missing.

“The date of disappearance is…”

April 26th, 2137. Three years ago today.

“…”

I was speechless for a moment.

The day she went missing was the exact date on the calendar in that vividly strange dream.

End of Chapter