Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 136

Chapter 136

Heaven’s Door (2)

***

The one-sided “training” session, which was merely an excuse for sparring, finally ended after over an hour.

“Huff… Huff… Hah…”

The blonde girl lay collapsed on the wooden floor, breathing heavily.

Her training clothes, torn in several places, were soaked with sweat, making the curves of her body more pronounced. Her hair, once tied back, had become a tangled mess after her hairband snapped midway through the session.

Her limp limbs occasionally twitched from spasms.

Once again, Jin Yeseo had no strength left to even lift a stick properly.

“Hah… Hah…”

However, unlike her previous bitter defeats, there was a faint, satisfied smile on her lips as she exhaled.

Though pain surged through her lower abdomen and her entire body, Jin Yeseo didn’t seem to mind at all.

The experiences she’d had over the past few days had been a fresh shock, unlike anything she’d ever encountered.

The training bordered on abuse.

There was no need to mention her solitary blade practice sessions, and even the Cradle’s rigorous training methods seemed like child’s play compared to this. It had become routine for her to be pushed to the brink of passing out, just like today.

But amidst all that, there was one thing she was sure of—each day, she was steadily gaining something.

Jin Yeseo could tell that the movements she was learning were exactly what she had been yearning for.

Though she lay sprawled on the floor in a pitiful state, her spirit felt as light as if it were soaring through the sky.

“Ouch…”

Jin Yeseo gritted her teeth and, with trembling arms, forced herself to sit up.

At least her body recovered quickly, which was fortunate.

A mage’s body, having lived for decades under the pressure of particles, was far superior to that of an ordinary person.

Furthermore, she was a member of a prestigious family that had been refined through selective breeding for generations.

No matter how much she pushed her body now, by tomorrow, she would only feel the soreness of severe muscle pain.

“Here.”

Jin Yeseo instinctively caught the object that was tossed toward her.

A cold energy drink and a dry towel landed in her hands.

The masked boy had already taken a seat some distance away, watching her.

“…”

As she wiped the sweat from her hair with the towel, Jin Yeseo stole a glance at him.

Though he would offer occasional feedback during their sparring sessions, once the training ended, he’d shut his mouth as if by magic.

The only words he’d spoken on the first day were about wiping off the sweat and replenishing fluids quickly.

After that, they would sit in silence until they both left the training room via different routes, as if fleeing.

Was it just his personality? Or did he despise interacting with her beyond what was necessary for their training?

Being treated like some kind of burden was undeniably humiliating, but Jin Yeseo didn’t voice her complaints.

After all, he was the only person who could give her what she desired right now.

No matter how much she disliked him personally, or how much she felt like a dog on a leash… she couldn’t deny that fact.

“What kind of Circulation magic formula are you planning to learn?”

Suddenly, his voice broke the silence, and Jin Yeseo turned her head toward him.

It was the first time in days that he had initiated a conversation.

Feeling somewhat puzzled, she responded.

“…I’m thinking of looking for something from the general formulas approved by the Particle Conversion Formula Review Committee. I’ll sneak a visit next time I go to the capital.”

“The general formulas aren’t that good. They don’t enhance the entire body, only limited areas.”

“What choice do I have? It’s not like I can ask you to teach me your predictive techniques.”

Unique magic was a family’s crowning achievement, built up over generations. It was no exaggeration to call it the very embodiment of the family’s identity.

Naturally, such spells were only passed down to direct descendants or, in some cases, those who married into the family.

Though she had grabbed onto the hem of his clothes for help, Jin Yeseo had never intended to ask for something like that.

“Even if it’s not as good as the predictive techniques, if you combine the right spells, you might get something usable. And there have been people throughout the history of magic who reached mastery using only general magic. Right now, I’m content with that.”

“I see…”

He nodded at Jin Yeseo’s response.

After glancing at his watch, he stood up, preparing to leave the training room as always.

But just as he moved toward the door, Jin Yeseo’s voice rang out from behind him.

“…Wait.”

“Hmm?”

He turned around, a puzzled look on his face.

“You have to keep your promise.”

“Promise? What promise?”

“I promised to help you study, remember? In return for you teaching me Circulation magic.”

She had impulsively stopped him, fueled by a sudden sense of injustice. He had no way of knowing that.

Though her fate was already in his hands, her body and mind hadn’t fully surrendered.

The particularly brutal sparring session today had only fueled that impulse.

Jin Yeseo was sprawled on the floor, torn and battered like someone who had been through a terrible ordeal.

As she became more conscious of the humiliation that had crept up on her, her face flushed red.

She needed to get back at him somehow—the one who had put her in such a state.

But a duel wasn’t an option. Not even her lifelong training in Black Flame could defeat him. Let alone now, when she was just taking her first steps in Circulation magic.

Thus, there was only one way for Jin Yeseo to retaliate.

“You did mention that, but… here? Not in the library?”

“Why not here? It’s always the students who are struggling academically who make excuses about the location.”

“…”

His reluctance vanished in an instant.

Jin Yeseo swallowed nervously.

Her sharp jab had worked better than expected, given his competitive nature.

And the way he had avoided the topic of studying, despite their agreement, confirmed it—he was clearly embarrassed about his lack of knowledge.

Perhaps, while his body was exceptional, his academic abilities were lacking.

“Hurry up and sit down. We don’t have much time before curfew.”

Her taunting words sealed the deal. Without further protest, he turned back and returned to sit.

Jin Yeseo grinned inwardly.

She had no intention of going easy on him, even though she owed him for the training. And there was no need for the process to be kind either. After all, he had treated her the same way.

Now it was time for her to return the favor, to repay the humiliation she had endured.

***

‘…What’s this.’

Jin Yeseo’s green eyes trembled as she stared at the papers stacked in front of her.

‘Why is he solving these so easily?’

The masked boy had finished all the basic problems she had given him long before their time was up.

He had applied the formulas she’d taught him perfectly.

‘Was I too kind in explaining? No, that wasn’t it at all…’

Jin Yeseo’s mind, which had been focused on teasing him, couldn’t wrap itself around the situation.

No matter how she looked at it, he was learning way too fast.

Hadn’t she thought he wasn’t very smart? Then what were those earlier struggles about?

More than being unintelligent, it felt as if he had simply never been exposed to knowledge before—a raw and untapped potential.

‘That can’t be… Was he raised by Heukryeon?’

Disappointment weighed down on Jin Yeseo as her expectations crumbled.

“…What’s my score?”

Just then, his voice, calm as usual but with a hint of eagerness and tension, reached her ears.

“…You got a perfect score. You answered all 20 questions correctly.”

Jin Yeseo let out a sigh of resignation.

The masked boy approached and took the papers from her.

He studied them intently.

“So that’s what it was…”

His murmured words were filled with satisfaction, carrying an unexpected innocence and simplicity.

It was a side of him Jin Yeseo hadn’t seen before.

“…”

Caught by a strange, indescribable feeling, Jin Yeseo found herself staring at him, lost in thought.

***

Because I left the training room later than usual, the sun had already dipped below the horizon.

Instead of heading straight to the Beech Dormitory, I deliberately took a circuitous route around the campus.

Even though I had leverage over her, it was still important to keep our connection hidden.

As I walked, I mulled over the events of earlier.

I didn’t have any special teaching methods. No knowledge, no talent. I was just mimicking the process I had gone through.

In fact, Jin Yeseo’s abnormal growth rate seemed far more extraordinary.

Every time I increased the difficulty, she managed to keep up, which was remarkable.

Her innate talent was undeniable. It was no wonder she had been frustrated after wasting years in the Expulsion system.

And from a purely objective perspective… teaching someone was surprisingly fun.

I wonder if my master felt this way when he taught me…

“Wait… Huff… Hold on!”

Suddenly, I heard someone’s voice and turned around.

A student I didn’t recognize was bent over, panting heavily.

Judging by her badge, she was a second-year senior.

Who is she…?

“…Did you call me?”

“Yeah… I’ve been looking all over for you. How is it that no one knows where you are? Do you not have any friends?”

The unfamiliar upperclassman caught her breath before speaking again.

“Can you follow me for a moment?”

“For what?”

“My friend is looking for you. It won’t take long. Just a moment of your time.”

“Your friend…?”

“You’ll know who it is when you see them. Come on, let’s go. It’s almost curfew…”

I couldn’t think of anyone who would call me. Was it Yeon Minha? There didn’t seem to be any hostility.

Or could it be an ambush, maybe a plot to gang up on me?

“…”

I made a quick decision.

Either way, it wasn’t a big deal.

Even if it wasn’t Yeon Minha and turned out to be an ambush, it wouldn’t be a problem.

I followed the senior down the corridor.

She led me to a reception room in one of the secondary buildings.

She entered a room as if it had been prepared in advance and gestured for me to follow.

“Sit here for a bit. They said they’d be here right after their student council meeting.”

With that, she left the room without another word.

Student council… So it really is Yeon Minha?

If she had something to say, we could’ve talked in the dorm. Why bring me all the way here…

Feeling a bit uneasy, I continued to mull over the situation.

About five minutes later.

The sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway, growing closer.

The presence stopped just outside the door to the reception room where I sat.

After what felt like a long pause.

Finally, the door creaked open.

“…So you’re here.”

The familiar voice came before anything else.

And along with it came the scent of forget-me-nots, filling the room.

My body froze as I recognized the fragrance.

End of Chapter