Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 131

Chapter 131

Fall (8)

***

“Say something. If you have a complaint, challenge me to a duel instead. What is it that you keep trying to do?”

The boy in the mask growled irritably.

His voice carried no trace of sympathy or kindness.

“…”

But Jin Yeseo, still dazed, let his words slip past her without a response. It was as if she couldn’t hear him at all. She only longed to see those graceful, dance-like movements again.

“Sigh…”

Seeing no reaction from her, he let out a deep sigh filled with frustration.

His hand, veins bulging and knuckles white, kept clenching and unclenching beside her.

“…Keep wasting your time then. Like I care. The way you’re going, you’ll lose to Choi Woojin next.”

Once again failing to drive her away, he spat those words in frustration and turned to leave.

“What… did you say?”

But in response to his parting remark, Jin Yeseo suddenly felt a surge of intense rejection.

Her rivalry with Choi Woojin was a sore spot for her. That nouveau riche scum dared to compete with the Five Families, and Choi Woojin was the spearhead of that insolence.

Startled by her unexpected reply, the masked boy turned back around.

Jin Yeseo, her eyes regaining a bit of focus, glared at him.

“What did you just say?”

“You didn’t hear me? I said you’ll lose to Choi Woojin next.”

“…Take it back.”

“Take back what?”

The venomous words pierced her, and Jin Yeseo gritted her teeth.

“Take back that nonsense. Who says I’ll lose to some monkey like him?”

“It’s not nonsense. Choi Woojin was tougher.”

“What…?”

“Choi Woojin was harder to deal with than you. Much harder.”

The boy in the mask was the only student to have won against both Jin Yeseo and Choi Woojin in the ranking matches.

Jin Yeseo, who had been furiously retorting, was suddenly at a loss for words in the face of his declaration.

“Isn’t it obvious? Most people barely have time to train the magic that suits their talents. Whether it’s Choi Woojin, Moon Yeowool, or anyone else.”

Seeing her stunned expression, he added another biting comment.

“They’re all getting stronger, fast. But you’re wasting your time with Expulsion System magic, which doesn’t even suit you. Of course, you’re getting weaker. What’s the point of having talent if you’re not going to use it?”

“You… how do you…!”

Jin Yeseo’s heart sank. She thought he had somehow discovered her secret training with the blade. Was this a threat?

However, the boy continued speaking in a frustrated tone, as if he didn’t care about that at all.

“You can tell when you fight someone. And if I know, there’s no way the professors don’t. I bet even you know it deep down. Am I wrong?”

Just like he said, Jin Yeseo had been advised multiple times to change her major after her elemental compass test at the beginning of the semester.

But back then, she had stubbornly rejected every one of those suggestions.

“On top of that, you’re causing trouble for everyone around you. Sigh… What are you even trying to do?”

-Thunk…

“You… What gives you the right to say that?”

Suddenly overwhelmed with a wave of resentment, Jin Yeseo’s clenched hand began to tremble. It wasn’t like she wanted things to be this way.

Once upon a time, she had swung her practice blade with joy, filled with dreams.

But as she grew older, she had simply come to accept the harsh reality of her situation.

“You don’t know anything! You don’t know how exhausting and burdensome it is to carry the weight of a family!”

“Is that your goal?”

“…What?”

“That Black Flame or whatever. Your family’s signature magic. Is mastering that your goal?”

“Of course it is…!”

Jin Yeseo’s eyes widened as she started to snap at him, but then she clamped her mouth shut. For some reason, no more words came out.

The boy, indifferent to her reaction, continued speaking.

“There are far more people in this world who weren’t blessed like you. People who can’t achieve their dreams or protect what’s precious to them. They can’t do anything but watch, powerless, as everything they care about gets swept away like water in a river.”

He was talking about those who weren’t blessed—those who failed to awaken as mages.

“Expulsion System, Circulation System, or some unknown power—none of that matters. What’s important is absolute strength. That’s the only thing that can grant you what you desire. If you can grasp it, does it really matter how you get it?”

His words pricked at Jin Yeseo’s ears like needles.

“And you’re not one of the unblessed. You have the ability to seize what you want. You can reach out for it whenever you choose.”

“…”

“But you don’t. You’re just wasting your time with that stubbornness of yours. I… I really hate people like you.”

With that, he vented all of his pent-up frustration at her. The boy in the mask turned sharply and began walking out of the training room, his steps still filled with irritation.

Jin Yeseo stood there silently, her head bowed, like a scarecrow left behind. The empty space inside her was now filled with every word he had thrown her way.

And after a long while.

“It doesn’t matter how…?”

Jin Yeseo, standing in a daze, whispered to herself.

In her eyes, once dulled and lifeless, a faint spark of determination had begun to flicker again.

***

“…Are you listening to me?”

“Huh?”

Startled by the voice, I turned my head.

As I walked through the corridor of Cradle, I realized that Yeon Minha had stopped in her tracks, staring up at me with her usual sharp gaze.

“…You weren’t listening and were thinking about something else, weren’t you?”

“I was listening. You were talking about the upcoming third assignment. What about it?”

“Oh. You were listening… Guess I got it wrong…?”

Retracing her previous words, Yeon Minha tilted her head in confusion. Maybe it was her sharp instincts as a Spiritmage, but she had a knack for picking up on things.

I had been dwelling on the childish argument I had with Jin Yeseo the day before.

While venting my frustrations made me feel slightly better, I wondered if I had gone too far…

Either way, the situation had left me with a lingering sense of unease. Judging by the fact that she hadn’t said a word at the end, it must have hit her hard…

“…Anyway, since you completed both the first and second assignments, the third one should be a designated request. You’ve been holding the top rank without a hitch, so once you complete the third assignment…”

“Senior. Hold on a moment.”

I cut her off, sensing something approaching from the other end of the narrow hallway. Two sets of footsteps. Female. And it wasn’t just the footsteps.

The air around us was now filled with the scent of Narcissus particles. But intertwined with it… was a familiar, electrifying fragrance—Forget-Me-Not.

Realizing who it was, I froze in place.

“…Why did you suddenly stop…”

Noticing my abrupt halt, Yeon Minha also paused. Judging by her expression, she had sensed the approaching presence as well. The narrowed eyes suggested she recognized who it was.

I quickly assessed the situation. Right now, Yeon Minha and I were walking side by side, so close that our shoulders almost touched.

After regaining my composure, I whispered to her.

“Senior. Let’s put a little distance between us. If someone decides to make a fuss…”

I was concerned about Yeon Minha’s reputation. Even though the hallway was empty, Cradle had strict rules about maintaining distance between male and female students. This could easily give someone an excuse to stir up trouble.

“…Senior?”

“…”

But Yeon Minha made no move. She didn’t respond even when I called out to her again. Instead, she glanced up at me with eyes that seemed to tremble slightly, filled with a mix of anger and unease.

And in that brief moment, instead of pulling away, Yeon Minha slipped her slender arm through mine, closing the distance even further.

“Senior? What are you doing all of a sudden…”

“…Just stay still.”

Leaving behind those cryptic words, Yeon Minha tightened her grip on my arm. Then, in an instant, she shifted her expression, adopting her characteristic smirk as she stared down the hallway.

We were now practically glued together like a pair of intertwined snails.

Before I could say anything, the figures at the corner of the corridor finally came into view.

“…What’s this?”

A girl with braided hair and round glasses, Choi Ireh, frowned the moment she saw us.

This unexpected encounter was unwelcome for both sides.

Naturally, she wasn’t alone.

My heartbeat quickened, and my vision narrowed, but I didn’t need to look directly to know who it was.

Today didn’t seem to be my lucky day. Of all the vast spaces in Cradle, why did I have to run into them in this narrow hallway with no way out…?

“Yeon Minha. You’re just openly doing this now, huh?”

Choi Ireh’s face twisted as she glared at us clinging together.

Unlike Choi Ireh, her companion stood still, not saying a word.

“Are you brave or just plain stupid…? This is blatant misconduct. You’re going to get punished.”

“So what? Punish me if you want.”

But Yeon Minha brushed off her words with indifference. I couldn’t understand the logic behind her actions.

Sure, Yeon Minha had a sharp personality, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew better than to pick a fight in the wrong place at the wrong time.

So why was she giving them the perfect opportunity to attack her here…?

“If I want to enjoy a bit of misconduct, what’s it to you? Seriously, you’re hilarious.”

Yeon Minha’s voice dripped with arrogance as she responded. Then, suddenly, she turned her attention to the person standing silently by Choi Ireh’s side.

“Isn’t that right? Seoyeon?”

Her tone was half mocking, half provocative, as if daring her to respond.

And with that, the pleasant spring air that had once filled the corridor began to quickly dissipate.

A chilling cold, reminiscent of early winter, settled over us. I could even see faint clouds of breath forming in front of my mouth.

At the same time, a voice filled with eerie malice, biting through clenched teeth, echoed from ahead.

“…Yeon Minha. I told you… I told you to cut it out…!”

“That’s right. Why don’t you just cut it out already… huh?”

Choi Ireh, ready to join in, suddenly faltered, her voice betraying her confusion.

-Crack… Crack!

The glass windows lining the corridor began to crack, the sound grating on our ears.

It was strictly forbidden to use unauthorized magic on campus, no exceptions. So it wasn’t surprising that Choi Ireh was taken aback.

But why…

Why did she fall for such an obvious, petty provocation?

“Seoyeon…? What’s wrong all of a sudden…”

Even Choi Ireh seemed at a loss, her words stumbling.

Yeon Minha, still wearing her cold smirk, continued to stare forward.

She cracked the knuckles of the hand not entwined with mine, and soon a flickering spark appeared, quickly growing in size.

“…You want to fight? Fine.”

The sheer madness of the situation was overwhelming. Everyone had lost their minds. Did they all eat something weird today?

I couldn’t let this go on any longer. Unlike the girl across from us, if Yeon Minha fell here, the consequences would be far worse.

I could ask her why she did this later; for now, I had to defuse this ticking time bomb.

Just as I was about to stop Yeon Minha and get us out of there.

“Little chick… junior!”

A cheerful voice suddenly echoed down the narrow corridor.

Bounding down the stairs with a spring in her step, Kwon Yuri appeared in front of us.

“Geez! Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you!”

Panting slightly, Kwon Yuri immediately approached me, greeting me like an old friend. The lightheartedness of it all was ridiculous. Was she blind?

“Sigh… Now what?”

“Hi Minha! Your makeup’s really on point today! You look gorgeous~!”

Even as Yeon Minha greeted her icily, Kwon Yuri brushed it off as if it were nothing.

“Professor Shin Jae-yu has been urgently looking for our junior here, so I thought I’d help out. If there’s nothing important going on, I’ll be taking him with me, okay?”

“Who said… Wait.”

Yeon Minha was about to object when she suddenly sniffed the air, realization dawning on her face.

“That scent… from then…! You…!”

She began glaring angrily at Kwon Yuri, eyes flashing dangerously.

“Sorry! I’m in a bit of a rush! I’ll be taking him now! See you later, Seoyeon, Ireh!”

Without waiting for a response, Kwon Yuri grabbed my wrist and dashed out of the hallway.

End of Chapter