Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 163
Chapter 164
The isolation measures had already been lifted, but I could sense that I would have to spend some time in the hospital ward.
“Please, don’t push yourself too hard. If you were to collapse during class, I don’t think I could keep my sanity…”
The tearful words of the Lady of Heukryeon, who had rushed over, setting aside all else.
“What? You’re feeling stifled? You want to leave now? You really haven’t come to your senses yet…”
Even Yeon Minha’s cold, chilling gaze.
My body was already itching to move… but I couldn’t ignore their heartfelt concerns.
Moreover, the Cradle had readily agreed to extend the period of excused absence, so I had no way out.
“Sigh…”
In the quiet garden behind the hospital ward.
I was continuing with low-intensity training as a form of rehabilitation.
The recovery rate wasn’t bad. Even the medical staff were surprised. The hole that had been blown in my stomach was now fairly healed.
It seemed unavoidable that a large scar would remain… well, at least it wasn’t on my face.
But the problem lay elsewhere.
“Ugh…”
While gradually increasing the intensity of the magic formula.
My face contorted in severe pain that came on suddenly.
A sensation like my nerves were being seared with fire spread through my body, following my blood vessels.
I tried to endure it, gritting my teeth, but ended up failing, sweating profusely.
“Gasp… gasp…”
I eventually collapsed, completely drained of energy.
It was a problem that had persisted since I regained consciousness.
The lower paths of Predictive Techniques were fine, but I couldn’t use the highest level, the 7th path.
To be precise, even if I wrote the magic formula, my body couldn’t accept it.
Just like now.
“Sigh…”
I let out a deep sigh.
Still, there was no need to be impatient. Even I thought I had been pushing myself too hard lately.
So it might be natural that recovery was taking time.
There wouldn’t be any need to use the 7th path of Predictive Techniques for a while anyway.
There was the ranking match, but there wouldn’t be any opponents that required me to draw out that much power.
Unless that nun suddenly came back to life…
-Absolutely, absolutely not.
-Remember what your sisters said.
-If we hear that you’ve been hurt? We’ll drop everything and come barging in. And then your butt will be…
My sisters’ voices echoed in my head. I hadn’t told them anything yet. Neither about what happened in Jinryeong nor about this incident.
Fortunately, since they had gone to the remote eastern region, news seemed to be slow to reach them, but they would find out eventually.
They’ll probably be furious. But they were all situations where I had no other choice.
Surely, it’s better to lose a bit of lifespan than to die outright.
“Come to think of it…”
I had stayed in City 1 for quite a while, and I was unconscious for three days after arriving at the Cradle.
But it was a bit strange that I hadn’t received a single letter from my sisters during that time. I thought the mailbox would be full.
“…”
But I soon shook off the creeping anxiety. The director and my sisters were busy. They probably didn’t have time to write back due to their heavy workload. I couldn’t act like a child just because a letter was a little late.
Thinking that, I got up and headed back to the hospital ward.
And the moment I opened the door.
Whoosh- I sensed a familiar presence turning away inside the room.
“Senior.”
“…Hello.”
Yeon Minha greeted me with a prim voice. She was hiding something behind her back with both hands.
“What about class?”
“…”
Her silence was as good as an answer. I barely swallowed a sigh. The request week was already over. And unlike me, who had been officially granted rest, Yeon Minha had to attend classes.
I appreciated her concern, but for her to throw away points like this…
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Hmph.”
Yeon Minha stuck out her lower lip in a pout.
“Who else would care about you if not me?”
“Well, the medical staff here…”
I closed my mouth again at the stinging gaze poking at my skin.
Yeon Minha soon sniffed the air and began to question me.
“You smell like sweat… you were training secretly again, weren’t you? I told you not to push yourself…”
“It’s not training, it’s rehabilitation.”
“It’s the same thing. Don’t play with words. Honestly…”
“Don’t worry. I’m doing it carefully so I don’t strain my body. Senior. But what are you hiding behind…”
“H-hiding? What? There’s nothing…?”
Yeon Minha wouldn’t show me her back. She turned her body, desperately trying to hide something.
But she was shorter than me by more than a head. I could easily tell that she was holding a piece of newspaper.
And even the title of the featured article, printed in large letters.
-Heukryeon saved the Republic, Paechun saved Heukryeon…
“…”
Just by the title, I could guess the content.
“Ah…”
And Yeon Minha’s expression, realizing that I had seen it, began to droop.
“I, I also rushed over as soon as I received the support request…”
Then, without even making eye contact, she rambled on incoherently.
“I really did. I went really fast.”
Her eyes were unfocused. Her fingers, having lost their strength, trembled slightly.
“But it just so happened to be in the southern part of the capital…”
“Senior.”
“I really, really rushed over…”
“…”
Yeon Minha didn’t seem to be listening to me. I sighed inwardly, feeling like I had stirred up a hornet’s nest.
I approached Yeon Minha and gently took her hand.
“I’m sorry… next time… I’ll definitely…”
“Senior.”
“…Ugh.”
Yeon Minha finally seemed to calm down a bit.
“I told you, I’m fine.”
I should tell her not to bring newspapers starting tomorrow.
Her reaction seemed a bit excessive, but considering that her rival had stolen all the spotlight, it might be a natural response.
Especially since she was already in a losing position.
“Are you a bit calmer now?”
“…Yes.”
Yeon Minha, who had been standing for a while, nodded. Her voice was subdued, but she still held my hand tightly.
“Let’s stop talking about that.”
I immediately changed the subject. Just in case she brought up that topic again.
“More importantly, Senior. Have you… seen Ddangkong?”
“Ddangkong…?”
“Yes. I haven’t seen him for a few days…”
“He was in front of the dormitory earlier this morning…?”
Yeon Minha tilted her head with a puzzled look.
“Did he seem okay? Did he look sick or anything…”
“No… there was nothing like that… he just looked normal.”
Yeon Minha shook her head.
Since returning to the Cradle. I hadn’t seen a single hair of Ddangkong. The only thing I felt was the sensation of a rough tongue and wet saliva on my lips on the first day I woke up.
When I was gone for several days and returned, he would always stick close to me as if to receive compensation.
Still, it seems like nothing happened to him. I felt a little relieved.
But I still couldn’t guess why he was acting like that.
However, the way he was avoiding me seemed somehow… like a child throwing a tantrum because he was upset.
***
Night. When Yeon Minha returned, I spent time alone. Mostly, I would gaze at the moon and be lost in thought.
This was a space directly managed by the Medical Bureau, and Yeon Minha’s attempt to rent out the entire hospital ward like last time had failed. In fact, there was a lack of justification for it.
Fortunately, the time she could endure without me had increased. Well, since we were in the same Cradle, she could always rush over if needed.
Perhaps one day she would be able to be completely alone without me.
-Knock, knock.
Then, out of the blue.
A sound, like something tapping on the window, could be heard.
Turning my head, I saw a figure silhouetted behind the curtain.
Wearing a mask on my face, I carefully approached and opened the window, revealing a person I never expected.
“Jin Yeseo?”
The student, who had once again become an exotic blonde with green eyes, looked at me with a somewhat sullen expression.
“What are you doing here? At this late hour.”
“Ha, late hour, my foot.”
Jin Yeseo snorted as if it were ridiculous.
“We spent several days in the same bed, no. In the same room all night. What’s with the formality…”
She was now wearing her usual arrogant expression. But I didn’t feel any particular aversion.
On the contrary, I was quite glad. Even though we had only met again after a few days.
Was it because we had come out of that quagmire together?
“So, what brings you here?”
In any case, it was much easier to deal with blonde hair than black hair.
“Darling… no, hey. Gosh, it’s stuck to my tongue…”
Jin Yeseo hurriedly slapped her own lips. Her face, glaring at me for no reason, turned red with shame.
Clearing her throat and barely regaining her composure, Jin Yeseo finally brought up the matter.
“Ahem. Hey. How can a person be so cold? We’re in the same hospital ward, and you haven’t come to visit me once?”
“Uh…”
Her voice carried a hint of hurt.
Feeling a wave of embarrassment, I looked at Jin Yeseo. Her smooth, white face was still without a single scar. Only a couple of white bandages were attached near the back of her hand.
Honestly, I hadn’t even thought about it. Hearing about her condition from Mok Jinwoo, I had let my guard down too much and completely forgotten about it.
I had no choice but to apologize.
“…I’m sorry.”
“You’re good with words…”
Her tone was still sulky, but the hurt seemed to have definitely subsided.
“…It’s fine. I only came now too. I couldn’t talk to you during the day. You seem to be very close with Yeon Minha Senior? She was always by your side.”
“We are close. She’s probably the person I’m closest to in the Cradle.”
“…”
It wasn’t exactly wrong, so I affirmed it. But Jin Yeseo glared at me with even sharper eyes. Did she come here to pick a fight at this hour?
But suddenly, seeing her face reminded me of something.
“By the way, are you okay?”
“You’re asking now? As you can see, I’m fine. Unlike someone, I didn’t even get hurt.”
That was also fortunate, but I was curious about something else.
“I mean, about… no, Senior Baek Seoyeon. She must have found out that I was with you.”
My last memory before losing consciousness. Jin Yeseo was practically hugging me at the time.
There was no way she didn’t see that.
Baekgwang was a family that shared the same ideals as Paechun. Moreover, Jin Yeseo was a self-proclaimed ardent follower of her.
For such a person to have been caught secretly helping me. I didn’t know for sure, but it must have been quite a blow.
But her calm demeanor was very puzzling.
“Ah, that?”
Jin Yeseo continued in a nonchalant tone.
“She didn’t find out.”
“What? How is that possible?”
“I thought she found out at first too. But… it seemed like she wasn’t very interested in me.”
Jin Yeseo’s voice held a strange mix of relief and disappointment.
“Well, it’s better for me that way…”
But she soon shrugged it off lightly.
“The situation was so urgent that she probably didn’t notice. Or maybe she just thought I was a local. I had dyed my hair, had a gas mask on my face, and was wearing rags…”
“That’s good, but…”
“Right? Later, I was found by Wizard Mok Jinwoo, who came to investigate, but he readily agreed to keep it a secret. That smile was a bit unsettling, though…”
-You managed to have three families without getting caught by the principal. You’ve got guts, huh? It wasn’t for nothing that Jaehyuk pushed you into the Cradle…
“…”
Somehow, I felt like I understood the meaning of that smile. The words Mok Jinwoo left behind echoed in my head. This guy was saying unnecessary things…
“It’ll be fine. We definitely silenced that Security Bureau pig too. Anyway… congratulations.”
Then, Jin Yeseo suddenly said something out of the blue.
“Congratulations…? For what?”
“For the merit you established this time. I heard that the Supreme Council is seriously discussing awarding you a medal. It’s almost certain, they say…”
“What? Then what about you?”
“Me? I obviously can’t receive it.”
Jin Yeseo’s tone was rather nonchalant, as if asking why I would even ask that.
“I just told you. The fact that I went there is a secret.”
“But…”
I clearly remembered the hardships we went through together there. Jin Yeseo had also experienced some rough incidents in a row.
At first, I honestly thought of her as a burden, but even I was saved by her twice.
When I was trapped in my mind by the monster called Betelgeuse, and when I was surrounded by monsters extending tentacles and hooks while I was exhausted.
I didn’t want to be too concerned about awards… but it didn’t sit well with me that someone who had achieved merit didn’t receive proper recognition.
“It’s fine.”
But Jin Yeseo shook her head calmly.
“I didn’t go there expecting that in the first place.”
“Even so…”
“Ah, I told you it’s fine. If you’re really sorry, just keep your promise.”
“Promise?”
At my question, Jin Yeseo’s eyes became sharp, unlike before.
“You promised to spar with me after the request was over. Don’t tell me… you forgot?”
“…Ah.”
Of course, I hadn’t forgotten. It was just that she was saying something so obvious.
“Of course, I have to do that. It was a promise.”
“Then it’s fine. I’m… satisfied with that.”
Jin Yeseo finally nodded slightly, as if satisfied. Then, looking around, she said.
“I have to go now. I have a servant from my family attached to me. If I’m away for too long, they might find out that I left the hospital ward. It’s between you and me. It… shouldn’t be found out.”
A peculiar loneliness tinged her voice again. Only after hearing that did I realize the nature of our relationship.
Even a casual conversation couldn’t be seen by anyone.
“…You’re having a hard time too.”
“It’s fine. This is nothing.”
Jin Yeseo shook her head from side to side.
“Compared to what we went through in City 1, this is nothing. I’m going now. I’ll come again later.”
As if to show some familiarity, Jin Yeseo tapped my shoulder, which was leaning against the window, and turned around.
“…?”
But I was suddenly overcome by a strange sensation. Without realizing it, I looked down at the area where her hand had touched.
And without realizing it, I called Jin Yeseo back.
“Hey, wait a minute.”
“What, dar… Ah! Seriously!”
Jin Yeseo got annoyed all by herself, but she obediently turned around and came back.
“…Do it again.”
“What?”
“What you just did. On my shoulder…”
“I can do it… but why?”
Jin Yeseo tilted her head, not understanding. But in the end, she raised her long, white hand again and tapped my shoulder.
Somehow, it was a gentler touch than before.
“…Do you like it?”
“…Yeah.”
My voice clearly showed satisfaction. Jin Yeseo, for some reason, slightly cringed and pouted lightly.
“…Geez. You have such a strange taste. Are we done? I’m really going now?”
Turning around and taking a couple of steps, Jin Yeseo turned her face slightly. It seemed like she had something else to say.
“Oh, and…”
Jin Yeseo added in a slightly subdued voice.
“Take off your mask. Isn’t it too much to wear it even at night? You look normal. That’s why you’re called a weirdo…”
Then, she almost ran away, quickly moving her steps. She soon disappeared completely into the path through the bushes.
I stood there blankly, looking at the empty space where Jin Yeseo had left.
When did she see my face? Did she secretly take it off while I was sleeping?
But that wasn’t important right now. Something else was bothering me more.
I looked again at the shoulder where Jin Yeseo’s hand had touched.
The peculiar tingling, unpleasant sensation, like a bug crawling, that should have been felt.
That sensation… was not felt at all.
End of Chapter
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Jhonrock
When did she saw his face? And now he sees her as a friend too, uh? That’s how it always began… hahaha…