Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 168
Chapter 169
***
“Ugh…huh?”
A fresh-faced female student yawned, soaked in a languid daze. Then, she turned her head towards a sudden commotion outside the window.
“Hey, guys. Look over there.”
Kwon Yuri, who had spotted some unfamiliar figures walking along the school grounds, beckoned her friends with a gesture.
“They’re third-year seniors, aren’t they?”
A female student with round glasses and braided pigtails approached, casting her gaze in the same direction.
“Wait…that means…”
Realizing something, her expression turned into one of utter dismay. Cradle’s third-years were practically active-duty personnel. They spent more time outside than within the academy.
They only occasionally visited Cradle for periodic reports or to receive supplies. Or sometimes to attend major events.
“It’s already mating season, huh. Time really flies…”
As Kwon Yuri uttered a term that seemed out of place with her innocent appearance, Choi Ireh spoke in a displeased tone.
“Hey. Watch your language. Are we animals or something?”
Kwon Yuri paid no mind to Choi Ireh’s scolding.
“Everyone else says it, too. Ireh’s just mad because she doesn’t have a mating partner~”
“You really…! Ugh…”
Choi Ireh glared at Kwon Yuri with annoyance, groaning as if her stomach was churning. The pressure from her family seemed to be causing her immense stress.
“Why? Did you get an earful again?”
“…They said if I don’t find a fiancé by this year, I can forget about inheritance.”
Choi Ireh grumbled, her voice full of discontent.
“Ah, seriously! What am I supposed to do when there’s no guy I like!”
“I know, right. Even I think that’s too much…huh?”
Kwon Yuri, who suddenly noticed something, looked slightly surprised.
“Isn’t that Senior Garam? But his hand is missing?”
“What?”
At the forefront of the returning group stood a tall, handsome male student. In place of his left hand, a metallic prosthetic was visible.
“Where was that senior stationed?”
“The barrier. Did he lose it fighting demons…?”
Murmuring, Kwon Yuri turned her head to another female student who hadn’t been participating in the conversation.
“Still, seeing as he’s back, he probably hasn’t lost his magic. That’s a relief, right?”
“…I guess so.”
Jet-black hair flowed down her back. Her eyes sparkled like gold.
Baek Seoyeon was focused on her student council duties, paying no attention to the newcomers.
‘It’s not that person, either…’
Seeing him, Kwon Yuri mentally crossed off another candidate. Baek Seoyeon’s affection for her fiancé was well-known.
If such a person had returned with a serious injury, she wouldn’t be sitting there so calmly. Kwon Yuri thought so.
But the senior who had just arrived was from the principal’s branch family and his skills were impeccable. He was one of the most promising men in Cradle.
If it wasn’t him, then who could it be?
‘There aren’t any suitable candidates among the graduates in recent years…and I don’t think she’s into much older men, either…’
That left only one possibility. The possibility that the existence of her fiancé was a lie.
However, Kwon Yuri soon shook her head, recalling the genuine affection Baek Seoyeon had consistently shown.
“…”
Lost in thought, Kwon Yuri casually brought up a topic.
“Oh, right. I went to visit someone in the hospital the other day.”
“Hospital visit? Who?”
“Our stylish masked junior.”
“What? Hey! Why would you visit him!”
Choi Ireh, immediately understanding who she was referring to, shouted in disapproval.
“Ow, you’re so loud…can’t I visit a junior who got hurt? Ireh, you’re so heartless.”
Kwon Yuri grumbled, pretending to cover her ears. At the same time, she turned her gaze to observe Baek Seoyeon.
“He looked completely fine, though. Almost fully recovered. Come to think of it, I think he said he’d be discharged around today…”
Her eyes still seemed calm. But her movements had come to a complete halt.
Relief, joy. And…jealousy? Anger?
‘It’s really fascinating…’
The anger and jealousy were almost certainly directed at Kwon Yuri herself. To react like that over a simple hospital visit.
But her mischievous imagination continued to run wild. Forbidden love, or an affair? What was certain was that she couldn’t even begin to fathom the depth of that affection.
“Seoyeon.”
“Huh…? Why…?”
But when Baek Seoyeon turned her head, her innocent face showed no sign of any negative emotions.
Kwon Yuri marveled at her control, then continued.
“Have you thought about the compensation?”
She was referring to the rightful compensation for saving the Heukryeon heir. But Baek Seoyeon shook her head with a troubled expression.
“No…not yet…”
“You need to make sure you get it. You could easily get at least a few businesses out of it. If you need, I can even lend you our legal team…”
As Choi Ireh passionately spoke, Kwon Yuri added a word.
“Right. Seoyeon is too soft. You need to be firm about these things.”
“Oh…for once, you’re actually making sense?”
“When else will you get a chance to hold the Heukryeon heir like this? Right? In my opinion, instead of businesses, you should ask him to pay with his body…”
“Hey! If you’re just going to talk nonsense, get out!!”
Choi Ireh, who had been looking surprised, yelled as if she had expected it all along.
“Why do you always yell at me! Seoyeon. Demand it boldly!”
Kwon Yuri retorted with an aggrieved expression.
“How about calling him as your partner for the social gathering? Or as your personal slave for a week…!”
“I said stop it! Seriously, your head is full of flowers! You’re no help!”
“It’s not full of flowers! And stop getting so angry! That’s why guys keep dumping you!”
Loud voices echoed in the empty classroom. Kwon Yuri vehemently protested, but she kept glancing at Baek Seoyeon. Baek Seoyeon had already lowered her head, murmuring something. Her earlobes were slightly flushed.
“Body, body…”
A faint smile crept onto Kwon Yuri’s lips.
She had known from the moment she first saw Baek Seoyeon. Although she pretended to be kind, Baek Seoyeon treated her as less than a friend, let alone an equal.
‘Silly Ireh probably doesn’t realize it, but…’
More accurately, it could be described as indifferent treatment. Of course, that didn’t make her angry or resentful. Baek Seoyeon treated not only them but everything in the world that way.
She just wanted to know more. About the person who could make Baek Seoyeon so flustered.
And while she was at it, she might as well give her hesitant friend a little push.
‘…Still, Seoyeon is my friend.’
After all, it wasn’t that difficult.
“Hey! I didn’t get dumped, I did the dumping!”
***
-Crack!
The sound of a wooden blade breaking under excessive force. It was the signal that the sparring session was over.
“Haa…haa…”
A blonde female student wearing a tight-fitting training uniform collapsed to the floor, panting heavily.
She looked particularly worse for wear today. Her arms and legs were bright red. Her neatly tied hair was a mess. Tears welled up in her eyes.
“Haa…haa…”
The masked male student looked relatively fine, but he was also breathing heavily. The sparring had been so intense that more than ten broken wooden blades lay scattered around them.
“…Here.”
In any case, it was always the victor’s right to comfort the loser. Lee Hyun approached Jin Yeseo and, as always, handed her a dry towel and a small bottle.
“Haa…haa…th, thank you…”
Jin Yeseo was still struggling to catch her breath. She nodded slightly and took the items he offered.
Soon, she felt the warmth at her fingertips, and a wave of heat.
But this time, she felt no trace of the usual discomfort. Just like that night in the sickroom.
Lee Hyun was still puzzled by this. He had no idea why he no longer felt that sensation towards Jin Yeseo.
What was certain was that it had become much easier to deal with her.
Meanwhile.
Jin Yeseo, who had been tilting her head at the unusual shape of the bottle, suddenly widened her eyes in surprise.
“Oh, this is…”
Like Choi Woojin, she seemed to recognize the contents of the bottle instantly.
“Blaine’s Nectar…!”
Jin Yeseo turned her head to Lee Hyun. Her eyes were sparkling without her realizing it.
“Why something so valuable all of a sudden…?”
“Just drink it.”
Lee Hyun replied casually as if it was no big deal.
“I got it by chance, so I brought it.”
The energy tonic that Kwon Yuri had brought. After hearing its true nature from Choi Woojin, he couldn’t bring himself to swallow it.
He had thought that sharing it with others might alleviate some of the burden. It was an action stemming from that thought, but Jin Yeseo had no way of knowing that.
“B, but still…”
Despite her hesitant words, Jin Yeseo’s face was filled with unexpected joy. More than the item itself, she seemed to place more meaning on something other than its inherent value.
But Jin Yeseo soon realized she was making a careless expression and tried to compose herself.
“…Ahem.”
Then she gave him a wary look that didn’t quite fit.
“What’s your angle? You look like you’re up to no good…”
“What angle? If you don’t want it, give it back. I gave it to you, but…”
“N, no…you can’t take back something you gave.”
Jin Yeseo clutched the bottle protectively, like a hen guarding an egg. Then, as if afraid it would be taken away, she opened the lid and gulped it down.
The effect was immediate. She could feel her fatigue receding and her pain dulling.
Jin Yeseo looked at the masked male student with a slightly embarrassed expression.
“…Thank you. It really is good…”
“…Yeah.”
The masked male student simply nodded curtly. The two of them sat there, chatting about various things.
It had become a natural scene.
Jin Yeseo thought that this training room felt like a cozy nest for just the two of them.
“…So, you manifested color and scent in the First City?”
“Yeah.”
Jin Yeseo raised her finger and manipulated the particle aligner. A small flame flickering with a black light ignited at her fingertip.
Then, the familiar scent spread around her again. It was quite sweet and highly addictive.
Lee Hyun looked around. The particles in the air scattered the sunlight streaming through the window, creating a faint green glow. It was the same color as Jin Yeseo’s eyes.
“It’s really sweet. And fragrant. What kind of scent is this…?”
“I don’t know yet. I’ll have to look it up in a book later.”
“But this is…”
Lee Hyun looked puzzled. He knew a few people who had manifested color and scent.
They constantly emitted their scents, as if marking their territory. But Jin Yeseo’s scent only appeared when she was using magic, which was a bit strange.
“Maybe it’s because I found my aptitude so late. I’m probably the first person to manifest color and scent at this age. No, I’m almost certain. Everyone else showed signs before they even awakened.”
Jin Yeseo’s voice was excited. As if such a minor detail didn’t matter.
“Who cares? I finally reached Category 1. It’s actually better this way. I can hide my true abilities until the next ranking match.”
Color and scent were clear evidence that a mage had crossed a singularity.
“I’m going to use circulation system magic in the next ranking match.”
Jin Yeseo suddenly stood up. And facing the eyes beyond the mask, she shouted with a voice full of joy.
“I don’t care who my opponent is. I’ll win no matter what. Then everyone there will know. That I reached Category 1 with circulation system magic.”
Considering that Jin Yeseo had been hiding her training in circulation system magic all this time, it was a very strange statement. But she shook her head at Lee Hyun’s question.
“If that happens, my mother won’t be able to interfere with me anymore. That’s it. Now I can be completely free…! Really…”
Jin Yeseo was openly expressing her true feelings in front of Lee Hyun. He simply watched her in silence.
Just a short period of training. And only one real battle.
But he could tell from the recent sparring session.
With just that much experience, Jin Yeseo had caught up to Lee Hyun’s two years in an instant.
It was a natural talent, a gift from the heavens. A realm that he, a mere shell, could never reach.
But he felt no trace of petty jealousy. Instead, he found himself smiling faintly, infected by her joy.
“…Congratulations.”
Lee Hyun spoke with sincerity. It was also a natural tribute to a friend and comrade who had saved his life.
“You deserve to be free.”
“Wh, what…?”
Jin Yeseo looked visibly flustered. She hadn’t expected him to say something like that.
“Th…thank you.”
Twisting her fingers, avoiding his gaze out of embarrassment.
“It’s thanks to you. Thanks to your help with training…I was able to get here.”
Then, Jin Yeseo finally managed to stammer out her thanks.
This, too, was a very unusual experience. She was always the one receiving gratitude.
She always grumbled and cast suspicious glances, but she knew the truth.
The man had several opportunities to completely ruin her.
But he never chose to do so.
In truth, he was…far from the villain she had imagined.
“If it weren’t for you, I’d still be chasing after illusions. And I’d be wasting my time on something that had no chance of success.”
“It’s not because of me. It’s because you didn’t give up and kept trying. You don’t need to put yourself down like…”
“St, stop…!”
Jin Yeseo shook her head vigorously, her face as red as an apple.
“Stop it! Are you doing this on purpose? Trying to embarrass me…!”
“I’m just telling the truth…”
“Ugh…I said stop it…!”
Jin Yeseo yelled. Then she plopped down and quickly changed the subject.
As if trying to forget her embarrassment.
“…So, why did you hit me so hard today?”
“Huh?”
“I thought I was going to die from the pain. Look at this.”
Jin Yeseo rubbed her belly. The handprints were now turning into bruises.
She glared at the masked male student and said.
“Why did you hit me so hard? Are you mad about something? Or upset? Tell me now. If you tell me now, I’ll forgive you.”
“…”
The masked male student was silent, as if at a loss for words. He finally spoke after a moment of silence.
“Just…to make you feel good…?”
***
Jin Yeseo sat alone for a long time after the man left.
“…”
Jin Yeseo stared intently at the empty bottle in her hand.
It was strange. Even after hours of pushing her body to its limits, the anxiety and frustration wouldn’t disappear. But after just one sparring session with him, it vanished.
-Congratulations.
-You deserve to be free.
“…So he can say such kind things, too.”
A faint smile appeared on Jin Yeseo’s lips as she recalled the man’s words.
“…Oof.”
Then, suddenly.
Jin Yeseo let out a groan as a throbbing sensation hit her lower abdomen.
Recalling that ridiculous excuse, she grumbled even more.
“…Seriously, what a weirdo. Is he a pervert or something…?”
Then she muttered to herself again.
“It does feel…good, though.”
End of Chapter
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Jhonrock
Looooool!!!! Hyun’s special ability is to turn waifus into masos… hahahaha…