Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 152

Chapter 152

Heaven’s Door (18)

***

‘…How can he sleep so soundly after throwing someone else into this den of wolves?’

She silently lifted her body and headed towards the side of the bed.

The man’s steady breathing subtly resonated in the room.

Sensing this, Jin Yeseo pouted her lips.

‘He must be used to such an atmosphere. Does that mean he has a lot of experience? Just how many women has he messed around with until now…?’

It was a reasonable assumption.

Even she, who had been a noble lady, had fallen into his grasp in the blink of an eye.

Jin Yeseo looked at him blankly.

Left alone in the solitude of the dark night, past memories naturally resurfaced.

A man whose face was surely as vicious as his dirty personality. The one who had ruined her plans from the start of the semester and constantly obstructed her path.

If she returned to the Cradle, she would have to compete in the rankings again.

And no matter who her opponent was, now she had only one chance left.

If she lost there, she would forever be sold off for her family.

Jin Yeseo’s gaze became sharper as she thought of him.

In hindsight, that crisis was also partly due to this man.

He was the one who had brutally shattered her several times, dropping her to the ground.

The one who had completely broken not just her body but also her spirit, so she could never rise again.

“…”

She glared at the man with wide eyes.

Filled with hatred, with all the resentment in her heart.

But soon, Jin Yeseo let out a silent sigh.

“Haa…”

She hated him. She despised him enough to want to kill him. But…

Now, she couldn’t think of any negative emotions other than a slight annoyance.

Jin Yeseo looked at the man again with a significantly softened gaze.

She knew too. The man was actually being quite lenient with her, and perhaps he wasn’t as much of a villain as she thought.

It was a feeling she naturally developed while spending close daily life with him.

It was just her petty pride that prevented her from acknowledging it.

Despite the hellish schedule at the Cradle, he made time every day to spar with her and even agreed to accompany her on requests.

Considering their circumstances, it was an excessively kind gesture.

If he wanted, he could have treated her much more harshly.

He could have demanded complete obedience and subjected her to even more severe humiliation.

And yesterday was a perfect opportunity that would never come again.

They were staying in the same room, and even she had somewhat resigned herself to it.

Yet, the man showed no interest in Jin Yeseo.

‘…Thinking about it, that’s a bit annoying too.’

Lost in thought, Jin Yeseo frowned.

‘Does he not even see me as a target? Me, of all people?’

She didn’t want the man, but she was objectively aware of her own charm.

A striking beauty with an exotic touch from her Western lineage.

Magical talent second to none.

A friendly and sociable personality.

She was a catch with nothing lacking.

She was compared to Baek Seoyeon and Yeon Minha from the beginning of her admission, enough to be talked about by people, so there’s no need to say more.

A little arrogant, but she did somewhat agree with such evaluations.

Yet, the man treated her, such a desirable prey, as if she were a mere pebble on the street.

“Who does he think he is… with that ugly face… ha…”

Jin Yeseo, who had been expressing her anger, let her shoulders droop.

‘What am I saying… Isn’t it good if he doesn’t take an interest?’

She turned back to the chair by the window.

She planned to get some sleep while the vulgar moans weren’t echoing.

“Uh, uh…”

Meanwhile.

A man’s groan pierced her ears more clearly than before.

“…Hiyat.”

Jin Yeseo reflexively straightened her back and shivered. She thought the beastly mating in the next room had started again.

“Uh…”

But soon, Jin Yeseo realized something was wrong.

The groans were coming from the very room she was staying in.

Moreover, unlike the pleasure-soaked sounds from earlier, this voice was filled with evident pain and distress.

Jin Yeseo hurriedly turned her body towards the bed.

“Uh… uh…”

The man who had been sleeping peacefully was now twisting and turning in his sleep.

***

“Hey, hey… What’s wrong all of a sudden…”

Caught off guard by the unexpected situation, Jin Yeseo called out to him.

But there was no response. The man was trembling all over, as if being tortured, drenched in cold sweat.

Jin Yeseo ran to him and shook him urgently.

“No… don’t…”

He kept mumbling something in a small voice.

“What, what are you saying…?”

“I’m… holding back the monster…”

“Hey, hey…!”

“Hurry… run…”

“Hey… snap out of it…! Huh?”

Jin Yeseo was frantically trying to wake him up.

“Uh…”

“Hey, hey… Are you awake?”

At some point, the convulsions stopped, and the man opened his eyes slightly, looking straight at her face.

“Goodness… What kind of nightmare was that… kyaah!”

And just as Jin Yeseo was about to relax and catch her breath.

Suddenly, the man reached out, pulling her onto the bed.

“Ah… ah… ah…”

She was so startled that she couldn’t even react properly. Jin Yeseo found herself trapped in his arms.

Her mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. Jin Yeseo raised her trembling hand and barely tapped his chest.

“Haah, ah…”

But the more she resisted, the tighter his arms around her became.

‘What, what, what, what…’

It was her first time having such prolonged contact with the opposite sex. In sparring, it was only a fleeting exchange.

Jin Yeseo thought.

Forget what I said earlier.

The man wasn’t uninterested in her. He was just waiting for the right moment, like a lion stalking its prey.

‘Did his body heat up…? Because of the sounds from the next room…?’

Pouncing at the first opportunity was just like a monkey in heat.

The firm chest she was buried in, the unfamiliar scent emanating from the opposite sex’s body, the warm body heat enveloping her, the tight embrace.

Each of these stimuli was disrupting her rational thinking.

‘Is this how it ends…’

Jin Yeseo tightly closed her eyes.

Tears were already welling up at the corners of her eyes.

And then, in the next moment.

The sensation of a large hand resting on top of her head.

“…Hiyt.”

Jin Yeseo let out a sharp gasp.

She thought he was about to grab her head and force a kiss on her.

“…”

Jin Yeseo curled her toes and shivered.

The impending loss. Her body flinched instinctively. She prayed that the pain would pass quickly. She hoped he would be a little gentle with her, considering their history.

“Huh…?”

But Jin Yeseo opened her eyes again.

No matter how much time passed, none of the things she imagined were happening.

“You came back… again…”

“Huh, huh…?”

A low voice from the man followed.

At first, she thought he was speaking to her, but soon she realized it was sleep talk.

He, who seemed to have opened his eyes, was still lost in a dream.

“I’m sorry… It’s all because of me… I was too weak…”

A voice as soft as silk, as if soothing the most delicate thing in the world.

“Because of me… because of me, you…”

He didn’t do anything violent to Jin Yeseo.

He just gently stroked her head, mistaking her for someone else.

“It’s okay… I’ll protect you now… Never again… such a thing…”

“…”

A voice filled with such longing and affection for someone, yet also suffused with deep guilt.

She never imagined he had such a gentle side.

She could guess there was a story behind it without even asking.

As she regained her composure, she even felt a twinge of sympathy.

Meanwhile, she pondered how to escape her current situation.

The man who was holding her, mistaking her for someone else and pleading with tears.

In that case…

“…”

After a moment of hesitation, Jin Yeseo slowly withdrew her arm and placed it on the man’s head.

“Are, are you okay…?”

And she gently patted him, speaking in a slightly awkward, trembling voice.

“I’m… here…”

“…”

“Don’t worry… I won’t go anywhere now… I’ll stay by your side…”

No response came, even as time passed.

Only the sound of his peaceful breathing gradually filled the room.

And the man’s arm, which had been tightly holding her waist, also loosened.

Yet, for some reason, Jin Yeseo remained lying there.

The pounding of someone’s heart filled her ears.

It took Jin Yeseo a while to realize it was her own heart.

***

-Blink

His tightly shut eyes opened. Lee Hyun abruptly sat up from the bed.

He looked at his trembling hands alternately. Then he turned his head, scanning his surroundings.

“Haa…”

After a while, Lee Hyun let out a deep breath.

The 1st City. A cheap motel room in some back alley.

It was his and Jin Yeseo’s temporary lodging.

“Ah, you scared me…!”

A startled scream followed.

Lee Hyun turned his head.

Jin Yeseo, who had just come out of the bathroom, was looking at him with a disgusted expression.

“You should have told me you were awake…!”

“…What time is it?”

“It’s exactly 9:17 AM.”

Jin Yeseo snapped, sitting down at the dressing table.

“You’re so lazy, huh? How did you manage morning training at the Cradle…”

“9 o’clock…?”

Lee Hyun asked, as if he couldn’t believe he had overslept.

He turned his head towards Jin Yeseo, who was sitting at the table brushing her hair.

Her face reflected in the mirror seemed unusually haggard today.

“You don’t look well.”

“Why, why do you ask… mind your own business…”

Jin Yeseo’s hand holding the brush flinched for a moment.

“Did you have trouble sleeping? That’s why I said you should sleep on the chair.”

“Really… if you can’t say anything nice…”

Jin Yeseo glared at him through the mirror with a fierce expression.

Her fair skin was flushed with a deep blush, perhaps because she had just come out of the bathroom.

“Do you remember what happened last night?”

“What happened last night?”

“Ugh… never mind…”

Jin Yeseo sighed. There was a hint of relief in her demeanor.

She soon softened her tone and asked Lee Hyun.

“…You were tossing and turning a lot last night.”

“…Huh?”

“I’ve never seen someone talk in their sleep so violently…”

“…So you couldn’t sleep because of me?”

“…”

Jin Yeseo answered with silence. It wasn’t wrong, after all.

And taking advantage of Lee Hyun’s embarrassment, she asked a question to satisfy her curiosity.

“…Did you have a dream?”

After a brief hesitation, Lee Hyun spoke.

“Just… a nightmare.”

***

I got ready and immediately headed out into the street.

On the way to Area B, stray thoughts cluttered my mind.

Why did I have that dream today of all days?

In fact, it’s hard to even call it a dream from back then.

Unlike the painful reality of the past, in the dream, she came back to me.

“…”

I looked down at my open palm. The soft sensation was still vivid, as if I had held her in my arms.

But could I call this a happy dream? The memory of last night had long since crumbled like a mirage.

Now, all that remained was emptiness.

It was so blissful I never wanted to wake up, but… precisely because of that, it was a hateful and terrible nightmare.

To tempt someone with a fantasy that never happened and never could happen.

“Oh! That monster from yesterday…”

“Hey! I told you not to call people that, sis…!”

Familiar voices made me turn my head, and the kids from yesterday were greeting me warmly again.

I followed the giggling children, moving my steps.

Beyond the open gate, a woman covered from head to toe was waiting for me.

“…”

She had said yesterday that I would have a good dream.

I thought it was just a greeting, or perhaps disguised evangelism, but after that experience, I couldn’t help but reconsider.

To lure people with sweet words and add credibility with sly tricks…

Of course, I didn’t have concrete evidence yet, but the circumstances so far were enough to raise suspicions.

To be honest… it seemed like the very picture of a cult.

“…You came.”

She spoke in a gentle voice as soon as she saw me.

Was she using some forbidden interference system magic? But just by holding hands…?

There was no particle array device, no hint of any magic formula.

Yesterday and today.

“Did you have a good dream?”

“…Yes.”

I affirmed her words for now.

She didn’t seem to think I would suspect her at all.

Her confident demeanor still bothered me.

There was something, something more…

“It was a very happy dream. So much so that I never wanted to wake up.”

“I’m glad. Some people can’t endure it. It’s so heartbreaking to see them. But…”

The woman nodded sincerely as if she was relieved to hear my words. Then she slightly raised her gaze to check my complexion.

“You seem full of worries. I suppose you’re afraid that sweet happiness will melt away in just one night.”

“…”

“Don’t worry. That won’t happen. You’ll be able to enjoy that happiness forever.”

She spoke in a comforting, gentle voice. Then she rummaged through her belongings and handed something to me.

“Here, take it…”

I raised my hand to receive it.

There was a slight heaviness to the metallic material.

“…”

I bowed my head to examine it.

And I was speechless.

An ornament engraved with a cross within a circle.

Judging by the direction of the loop, it was clearly longer on top.

The item given by the widow, the target of the request. The symbol of the cult ‘Heaven’s Door’ that Jin Yeseo had mentioned.

“…Welcome to becoming one with us.”

The moment of perfect certainty.

End of Chapter