Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 138

Chapter 138

Heaven’s Door (4)

***

“…You weren’t listening to me, were you?”

The garden, shrouded in mist after a late spring rain.

Yeon Minha suddenly spoke in a sharp tone to the boy walking beside her.

Looking somewhat absent-minded, he finally turned his gaze toward her.

“…I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“…”

Instead of answering, Yeon Minha simply glared at him, her feelings of disappointment evident.

But soon, she let out a sigh and clung more tightly to his arm.

Lee Hyun accepted her gesture naturally.

After being repeatedly told that it was the proper way to escort someone you cherished, this was the satisfying result of that conditioning.

“I asked if you’ve opened the commission request yet.”

“No, I haven’t opened it yet.”

“Why not? You received it ages ago. If you plan to start, you should do it soon.”

“They said I could view it starting at midnight on Wednesday. Something about fairness… I didn’t really pay attention to the details.”

“This academy is always so strict about the most pointless things…”

While Lee Hyun remained calm, Yeon Minha muttered to herself as if she were more frustrated by the situation.

“Wasn’t the commission request from the Capital Metropolitan Administrative Office? Why didn’t they ask Heukryeon for help?”

“They did suggest that last time, but I refused.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t want to stir up unnecessary gossip. It would be best to finish this cleanly without any preferential treatment; that way, it wouldn’t cause any trouble for them either.”

“It won’t be easy, though. From what I know, the current administrative officer isn’t part of the Heukryeon faction. On top of that, the Special Crimes Investigation Bureau only handles particularly difficult cases. It doesn’t seem like they’d offer you any special favors or consideration.”

“Professor Kwon said the same thing. But I’m not too concerned. Whatever happens, I have to succeed.”

“Yeah… that’s exactly what I thought you’d say…”

Yeon Minha seemed to accept his answer with a slight sigh.

“By the way, how have you been feeling since yesterday?”

“…Not bad. No nightmares, no hallucinations. The voices have been quiet too.”

“Even now?”

“…Yeah.”

Though her reply was sincere, Yeon Minha’s expression still held traces of reluctance as they switched topics.

“It’s already been four days, hasn’t it? Maybe your mental contamination really has been cured.”

“…We can’t be sure yet. It could just be a temporary thing.”

Yeon Minha dismissed Lee Hyun’s slightly excited tone, answering with a hint of irritation.

After much persuasion, Yeon Minha had agreed to continue a particular experiment for several days now.

It involved Lee Hyun’s mysterious ability, which had somehow allowed her to regain peaceful sleep.

Gradually, Yeon Minha had been reducing her exposure to that ability.

It had been nearly four days since she’d completely cut herself off from its effects, yet she was still living her life normally.

“So, what have you been doing in the meantime? Strolling around secretly at night after curfew? You didn’t stay up every night for four days, did you?”

“Of course not. I went back to my original dorm for a brief rest now and then.”

At his words, Yeon Minha’s expression turned sharp once more.

“…Good. From now on, only rest briefly. And don’t even think about going back for good. If you try that again, I’ll seriously get mad this time.”

“…”

Her firm tone made it clear she wasn’t joking.

Lee Hyun simply stared at her in silence.

But beneath his mask, he likely wore that same awkward smile he always had when caught in situations like this.

Just imagining it made Yeon Minha’s earlier anger melt away, so she forced herself to stay firm.

It was true that he had been attracting far too much attention after several incidents.

Although things had calmed down somewhat recently, there were still a few students who stuck to him like glue even during personal time after classes.

However, the idea of him returning to his original dorm was out of the question. Even his casual mention of it some time ago had been met with her adamant refusal. Still not entirely reassured, she continually hammered the point home whenever the chance arose.

Only two months ago, Yeon Minha had been living in constant terror of death.

That she could now enjoy a peaceful, carefree sleep was a happiness beyond anything she had imagined possible.

Yet, the dominant emotion in Yeon Minha’s heart wasn’t satisfaction or relief—it was anxiety. And there was only one thing she feared.

That he would decide she no longer needed him and drift away on his own.

That horrifying thought, too awful to even imagine, made her shiver like a rain-soaked fledgling.

She had no intention of letting him go. Ever.

There was simply no reason to send him away.

“I told you already, I’m not leaving. How many times do I have to say it?”

Just as Yeon Minha started to soften, the masked boy glanced up at the tall clock tower.

“Senior. My afternoon class is about to start. I should get going.”

“…Fine, go ahead.”

The moment their arms untangled was always bittersweet.

Yeon Minha gave him a small wave as she watched him walk away.

Soon, his figure disappeared into the thick mist. Left alone, Yeon Minha stood silently, lost in thought.

Each day, she was learning more and more about him.

And she had come to realize one undeniable fact: he was absolutely terrible at lying.

How could someone be so obvious in both words and actions?

In this case, she was glad he was at least wearing a mask.

Though he had already assured her that everything was fine, Yeon Minha could sense it—he was definitely troubled by something.

“…”

Like a lost child, she stood in the mist, her gaze fixed on the empty space where he had once stood.

The only thing more frustrating than not knowing was lacking the courage to ask.

Maybe his worries were the same as hers.

***

“…The first mages were little more than dreamers—people with a certain artistic temperament. However, the variability of Vessel particles, which interact closely with the mind, allowed them to turn their fantasies into reality. Whether or not one can refine such imagination into structured formulas is considered one of the key qualities of a mage…”

A sluggish afternoon.

The only sound in the serene classroom was the droning voice of the elderly professor.

“…Most unique magic is the result of such formalization. Now, this is where unique magic and general magic begin to diverge…”

His monotonous lecture, far from awakening any academic drive, only seemed to lull the students to sleep.

Most of the students sat in a daze, half-asleep, merely doodling on their notebooks.

In the back row of the classroom.

Among the rare students still paying attention, a blonde girl checked her watch.

There were less than five minutes left until the end of the lecture. It was also the last official lesson for the day.

Her tired expression brightened.

Jin Yeseo glanced toward the opposite side of the room.

The masked boy, also sitting in the back row, was focused on taking notes.

Sensing her gaze, he soon turned and looked in her direction.

When their eyes met, Jin Yeseo gave a silent nod.

It was her way of signaling that she would go ahead first today.

She had gotten more accustomed to exchanging these subtle signals with him.

‘…?’

But instead of his usual nod of acknowledgement, the masked boy shook his head sideways.

Puzzled, Jin Yeseo frowned.

She tried signaling again, but he responded the same way.

‘What the…’

As his repeated refusal became clear, an anxious, frustrated feeling welled up within her.

Unable to restrain herself, she cautiously walked over to where he sat.

And without hesitation, she plopped herself down in the seat next to him.

He glanced at her, whispering in confusion.

“…What are you doing?”

“Why can’t we?”

“I was wondering what it was…”

It seemed like he had only just realized what she wanted. His voice sounded tired, almost deflated.

‘Is he sick…?’

Contrary to Jin Yeseo’s concerns, however, he continued speaking without much issue.

“Do I always have to spar with you?”

“…?”

“If I’m busy, shouldn’t it be normal for me to skip sometimes?”

“Uh…”

Jin Yeseo let out a small groan, realizing something.

A wave of embarrassment hit her, and her face flushed with heat.

Since his surrender in the library, he had sparred with her every single day without fail.

But they had never promised to spar daily.

She had just come to expect it out of routine.

The masked boy gave her an exasperated look, then sighed softly.

“I’m too busy today. We’ll practice tomorrow. Also…”

“…?”

After a brief pause, he opened his mouth again.

“Could you move away? It doesn’t feel great being this close.”

His tone suggested he was holding back irritation.

Jin Yeseo looked down and noticed that their hands were barely touching.

In their attempt to keep their conversation discreet, they must have inadvertently moved closer.

But his voice, as if treating her like some filthy germ, was infuriating.

He had trampled her body with fists and feet countless times during their training sessions, and now he acted like he had a sudden case of germophobia? The sheer absurdity of it left her speechless.

Furious, Jin Yeseo raised her voice without thinking.

“Hey! You’ve been touching me however you want, and now you’re complaining about this…!”

“Ahem, Miss Yeseo?”

A voice interrupted her.

Jin Yeseo quickly turned her head.

The elderly professor had paused his lecture and was now looking at them with a troubled expression.

Panicking, Jin Yeseo glanced around the room. Several pairs of eyes were now on her, making her break into a cold sweat.

She had come to accept his betrayals as part of the norm. But the thought of their relationship being exposed to others was something she couldn’t allow.

Especially not to her sister, Seoyeon. No matter what.

“Even though it’s still class time, you two seem to have some lingering tensions. Perhaps you could resolve them after the lecture?”

“…Looks like Yeseo wants a rematch…”

“Yeah… She’s ruthless… After all that, she still wants to fight…”

“Yeseo is something else…”

At least none of the students, nor the professor, had guessed the true nature of their relationship.

“Ugh…”

Jin Yeseo sighed heavily and bowed her head.

“…I’m sorry.”

She offered a brief apology before stumbling back to her seat, her cheeks still flushed with embarrassment.

***

Even before the bell signaling the end of the day had stopped ringing, I had already packed my things and made my way to the basement of the main building.

Earlier that morning, the facilities manager had informed me that the restoration was complete. There was no reason to delay any further.

Before taking on the commission, I wanted to decipher the unsettling dream that had been haunting me. Moreover, I desperately needed a distraction.

Something to help me escape the incessant noise in my mind.

When I arrived at the main building, I stood before the intimidating black door of the basement.

-Thud!

Having traveled this path several times before, getting inside wasn’t difficult.

I inserted the one-time key that the student council president had given me into the lock, and the iron door creaked open, revealing the inside.

Dim lights, barely illuminating the floor, lined the staircase as I descended.

After going down two more floors, I finally reached the entrance to a barred double door.

The familiar musty stench of rat droppings filled the air. Above the gate, a sign read, ‘Records Archive.’

“…”

I hoped I would learn something today.

After unlocking the door using the same method, I entered the archive, where towering bookshelves greeted me.

I made my way to the section where the student rosters were organized.

Pulling out a ladder that had been left in the corner, I carefully scanned the indexes sticking out between the documents.

Twenty minutes passed.

Midway up the towering bookshelf, I finally found the words ’57th Student Council.’

Carefully, I pulled the document out and climbed down the ladder, settling in a spot to read.

The faint light was enough to read by. I immediately opened the document and began reading.

As I turned the first page, familiar names quickly caught my eye.

“Yoon Chaewon, Treasurer, Ryu Sehwa, Disciplinary Chair, Yejin, Secretary. And…”

As expected, alongside the names of the other senior students, there was another familiar name.

-Vice President, Seol Yujeong.

End of Chapter