Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 166

Chapter 167

***

Jin Yeseo quickly hid behind a large tree in the garden.

Even so, she peeked her head out to examine them.

The two, still unaware of Jin Yeseo’s presence, were engrossed in some kind of conversation in the distance.

She couldn’t hear the content, but it was clear that Yeon Minha was throwing some kind of tantrum, almost like a fit of rage, at him.

However, the man didn’t get angry or harshly push Yeon Minha away.

He simply treated her with a calm demeanor the entire time.

“…!”

Then, Jin Yeseo’s eyes widened in surprise at Yeon Minha’s next move.

After quickly looking around, she ran straight to the man and threw herself into his chest.

‘S-shameless…!’

The body of the opposite sex, which was completely different from the soft body of a woman, was hard yet gave a strange sense of stability.

Jin Yeseo’s earlobes turned red as she naturally recalled the sensation from that night.

‘Why is he accepting that again…’

It was truly a series of surprises.

That Yeon Minha would do such a thing, and in broad daylight, without any hesitation.

Moreover, the man was showing an attitude that went beyond calmness, as if he was completely used to it.

“Ugh…”

Seeing him, Jin Yeseo unconsciously clenched her chest tightly.

A stinging, tingling pain was poking at her heart.

It was a foreign sensation she had never felt before, yet it was extremely painful.

Still, she couldn’t even guess the source of it.

***

The long life in the infirmary was now showing its end.

The stitches on the wound were all removed, and the various test values were stable.

According to the caretaker, he could be discharged as early as tomorrow.

He wasn’t just happy.

The thought of catching up with the mountain of assignments and missed lectures was simply daunting.

There were also other things that needed to be taken care of.

Should he first focus on the fact that he was getting out of this stuffy space?

Well, honestly, it wasn’t all that bad.

There was no better place to organize his thoughts alone.

Yeon Minha took care of the random visitors who wanted to take this opportunity to get close to him, and even she had to return to the dormitory at night.

Was it a measure taken in consideration of his personality, which didn’t particularly enjoy meeting people?

He was simply grateful to Yeon Minha.

Thanks to her, he had regained some peace of mind.

…He was thinking that until just now.

“Hello, Junior!”

“…?”

He stared blankly at the invader who suddenly barged into the hospital room.

A female student with a beauty mark near her left eye, exuding a fresh, peach-like charm, was waving at him with a bright smile.

“Kwon Yuri… Senior?”

“Oh, come on. I told you to call me Older Sister. Now, repeat after me. ‘Yuri Older Sister’.”

“…”

Instead of answering, he turned his head and looked out the window outside the infirmary.

Then, as if reading his thoughts, Kwon Yuri wore a refreshing smile on her face.

“Minha will be a little late today. It’s the day of the student council’s regular settlement. I came here specifically avoiding that time.”

“…What brings you here?”

She was still a difficult woman to deal with.

Nominally, they were from completely opposite factions.

However, unlike Yeon Minha or Jin Yeseo in the past, she didn’t express any hostility. Instead, she just smiled like a thoughtless person whenever he saw her.

He had no idea what she was thinking.

“What do you mean? It’s a get-well visit, of course.”

Kwon Yuri retorted as if asking what the big deal was.

“Here, this is a get-well gift! It’s the highest-grade energy tonic made by our pharmaceutical company!”

She approached him as if it were her own room.

Then, she sat down on a chair with a thud and placed the large bundle she was holding on the table.

“This is really precious, you know? It’s much better than most commercially available medicines.”

Then, she took out a small bottle from the bundle, opened the lid herself, and handed it to him.

“Our junior is still a chick, so here’s the strawberry flavor.”

“…”

“Oh, it’s okay! No need for thanks. What are these things between us?”

Kwon Yuri chattered, looking at his puzzled expression.

He took the bottle and examined its contents.

The appetizing red color.

The refreshing scent of fruit that stung his nose.

It was the perfect condition to hide something like poison.

“Hmm? What is it?”

Kwon Yuri, who had been shining her eyes brightly, tilted her head.

“…”

Right.

She wouldn’t try to openly assassinate him with such a stupid method.

But…

“…I’ll try it later. I don’t have much of an appetite right now.”

Still, it was indeed unsettling.

He pushed the bottle aside without even putting it to his lips.

“…Hmph.”

Then, Kwon Yuri gave him a slightly resentful look.

The pouting expression was quite childish, but surprisingly, it suited her quite well.

“So, what’s your scheme this time?”

“Scheme? I’m really hurt if you say it like that. I even came to visit you because I was worried.”

Kwon Yuri pretended to be angry, crossed her arms, and turned her head away.

“I didn’t know Senior would worry about me to that extent.”

“It would be too lonely if the junior I promised to have a meal with died first.”

“…”

“Phew, it’s fine. From the looks of it, you seem to have recovered. I guess I don’t have to worry about you dying.”

Kwon Yuri glanced at the clock, dusted off her skirt, and stood up.

“I’ll leave since I’ve confirmed you’re alright. Anyway, it’ll be time for the student council meeting to end soon. Minha is too overprotective. How can she not let me visit you? Right?”

He thought Yeon Minha was right this time.

But he was a little puzzled.

He thought she would try to dig up some information while lingering around.

Was she really just going to leave after giving him a get-well gift?

“Still, I’m glad you’ve recovered well.”

Just as he was pondering Kwon Yuri’s intentions.

She added another whisper-like remark.

“It’s good. Seoyeon will be really happy too.”

“What do you mean…”

“…”

Kwon Yuri disappeared in an instant without answering the question.

The hospital room was filled with silence as if no one had been there.

“Haa…”

He felt completely drained.

One of the things he needed to do when he left the infirmary.

She had to bring up that worry again.

He pondered the meaning of Kwon Yuri’s last words.

Why would that girl be happy about his recovery?

Was it because she could put a debt on Heukryeon and milk it for all it was worth?

Or was it…

“…”

In any case, it didn’t sound positive at all.

He had a headache.

If her intention was to shorten his lifespan through stress, he would say it was successful.

-Knock, knock.

Then, he heard a knocking sound.

And the infirmary caretaker poked his head through the doorway.

“Um… Patient? There’s another visitor…”

What kind of day was today?

He didn’t want to expend any more mental energy.

“Again? I’m sorry, but please tell them to go…”

He was about to refuse.

The caretaker, looking at the register, suddenly uttered a familiar name.

“It’s Jin Yeseo… a first-year student…”

“…Yes?”

He inadvertently asked back in a dazed voice.

He was curious about Jin Yeseo’s whereabouts.

The girl who said she would come back had disappeared without a trace.

He thought she might have been discharged… but he didn’t expect her to boldly request a visit like this.

…Come to think of it, didn’t Yeon Minha say she would come soon?

“…”

He had no idea what would happen if the two of them met.

Didn’t Jin Yeseo follow that girl very much?

Yeon Minha, who originally looked down on everything in the world, had been sharpening her claws even more towards female students lately.

He hurriedly moved his body, thinking of sending Jin Yeseo back.

But as he reached the entrance of the infirmary garden.

“Hey.”

Suddenly, he heard a sullen voice from behind.

“…Senior.”

Yeon Minha, who had returned to the infirmary at some point, was staring at him intently.

“You’re here?”

“I just stopped by for a bit. I have a night lecture, so I have to go again. Anyway, this damn academy really makes people…”

Yeon Minha grumbled with a voice full of complaints.

She just stopped by for a bit…

Didn’t that mean there was a considerable distance between the infirmary and the main building?

What a diligent person.

“But you…”

Yeon Minha then shot him a sharp look.

A cold sweat slightly formed on his back.

If she found out that Jin Yeseo was here, she would definitely throw a fit.

How should he handle this situation?

“You were trying to train in the garden behind my back again, weren’t you?”

“…Yes?”

However, Yeon Minha grabbed his wrist and said.

He asked back in a bewildered mood, but Yeon Minha seemed to take it as some kind of evidence.

She had a look of certainty on her face.

And still holding his wrist tightly, she closed the distance.

“I knew it. How many times have I told you to be careful? Huh?”

Before he knew it, Yeon Minha was so close that he could feel her breath.

She reached out her arm and wrapped it around his back.

He felt like a fly caught by a carnivorous plant.

Then, she buried her nose in his chest, inhaled, and her shoulders moved up and down.

“What are… you doing?”

“Inspection.”

“Inspection?”

“Yeah. I think I smell a bit of sweat… Sniff, sniff…”

“…”

He was so dumbfounded that he lost his words.

What a thorough person.

Come to think of it, Yeon Minha seemed to really like to smell things.

Was it a secret hobby of a noble family’s young lady?

Or was she a dog in her previous life?

Well, he hadn’t trained today, so there was no way he would smell of sweat.

Since she was so insistent, he should at least show some sincerity.

He could make up for the missed training after being discharged…

“Wait… this smell…”

Yeon Minha, who had been sniffing for a while, suddenly stopped moving.

A cold chill was embedded in her voice.

Yeon Minha, still in his embrace, raised only her head and asked him.

Her eyes were literally burning like fire.

“Did… Kwon Yuri come by?”

“…Yes.”

She asked him like this, so he couldn’t bring himself to lie.

Then, Yeon Minha’s face started to turn red with anger.

“That bitch… I warned her so many times…!”

Yeon Minha released her grip on him.

Then, she turned around and started to walk away angrily.

“I’m not going to let her get away with this. I’m going to kill her, school rules be damned…”

Yeon Minha quickly left the infirmary and disappeared.

The place where a storm had swept through was filled with silence.

“Phew.”

Only then could he let out a sigh of relief.

He was a little grateful to Kwon Yuri for now.

Thanks to her, the presence of another person in the infirmary was concealed.

He moved his steps to the garden where Jin Yeseo was said to be waiting.

“…?”

But he soon had a puzzled look on his face.

The small garden was quiet, with no sign of anyone.

End of Chapter