Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The Frog in the Well (5)
T h i s wa s c op i e d f rom k i n g mt l . or g

“I had a feeling we’d end up together. Took us long enough.”

“Seriously. I even ended up confiding in her about my worries.”

“I was so frustrated all this time.”

“But Hyun really pulled it off. We’re just friends and he’s managed to date such a lady… wow…”

During a break at school, Jinho whispered to me in admiration.

“It’s unbelievable even when I think about it. Is it all just about having a good-looking face?”

“Stop talking nonsense. It’s not about the face, it’s about the heart that matters.”
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“I really want to smack you right now…”

“What’s the use of being good-looking? Having the insight of a crustacean. Who follows every girl that throws herself at him?”

Ina, listening to our conversation, fanned herself in frustration.

“If it were me, I’d have turned the situation around several times by now.”

“Hey, compare apples to apples. Do you think everyone’s like you? How could you say such rude things to a lady of her standing…”

“Seriously, you’re dead. Come here!”

“Ah!! Hey! Help me out!”

Jinho backed away, seeking rescue, but I shook my head.

“You deserve to get hit more.”

“You heard him? Just stay put.”

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“Ow! Ow! It really hurts!”

“Quiet!”

Watching Ina pummel Jinho like catching a mouse had become all too familiar to me. I felt nothing special about it anymore.

But I knew it wasn’t really because they disliked each other; it was their own way of showing affection.

Jinho and Ina were like an older brother and sister who took care of me.

That’s why it felt so strange when the two of them ended up together. And back when I thought I was the only one who liked Seoyeon, I wondered if such a day would ever come for me.

Looking back, it was incredible that we ended up together.

We were the same age, attending the same school, but nobody would think a country bumpkin like me and Seoyeon were alike.

Moreover, Seoyeon was a noble lady.

Knowing all that, I didn’t reveal our relationship to anyone except Jinho and Ina, who knew everything.

If we had met somewhere else or if Seoyeon had been healthy, maybe our relationship would have been unlikely.

“Hyun, is Seoyeon getting any better?”

After thoroughly beating Jinho, Ina asked with a relieved smile.

“…Yeah, she said she’s gotten better.”
T h i s wa s co p i ed fr o m k i n g m t l . o r g

“Really? That’s great. She must be somewhat fragile due to her noble birth.”

“I’ve thought the same. But about us…”

I vaguely answered and suggested we all hang out together next time, skillfully changing the subject.

I couldn’t discuss Seoyeon’s illness with them, so I always deflected.

But contrary to my responses or wishes, Seoyeon’s condition was worsening.

The amount of time she could be active during the day was diminishing, and with each lunar cycle, the pain doubled.

Seoyeon had the potential to be an outstanding magician, which ironically made her Particle Hypersensitivity progress faster.

At this rate, not to mention turning 17, she might not even see the next sunrise of the New Year.

I tried to ignore these facts, focusing on creating memories for Seoyeon.

And just being with me made Seoyeon enjoy all those moments.

“Hyun…yawn.”

That was one Sunday. The sound of knocking at the door woke me up on a drizzly morning.

Half-asleep, I opened the door to find Seoyeon standing there in her pajamas, holding an umbrella.

“…Sleepy…”
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Seoyeon naturally snuggled into my embrace, her tiny movements making me laugh.

But I could also distinctly feel the chilling touch of her skin.

It was so cold, I wondered if she was almost a corpse.

Seoyeon always tried to look well when going out, and now was no different.

However, her face bore the unmistakable signs of her illness that couldn’t be hidden by light makeup.
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All I could do was greet her with a smile.

“Did you sleep well? But what’s in that basket?”

I diverted my attention to the basket Seoyeon had brought.

“…Ah, this…”
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Seoyeon slightly lifted the cloth covering the basket. Inside, surprisingly, was a kitten.

At first glance, the kitten looked in very bad shape.
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Its limbs trembled weakly as it barely breathed, showing no other signs of life.

“I found it collapsed outside the door this morning. So…”

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Perhaps seeing a reflection of herself, Seoyeon couldn’t leave dying creatures alone. She had revived wilting plants and returned fish that had strayed too far from the water.

This time seemed no different, but the situation looked dire.

We had no knowledge of what to do, and a veterinary clinic like the ones in Masada didn’t exist nearby.

“Is there really no way to help? It’s so pitiful…”

Seoyeon’s face was full of sadness, and her dismay was not something I welcomed.

Unable to just stand by, I recalled content from a book I had seen once. It mentioned that in dire situations, drinking blood to replenish nutrients could be an option.

Though the book referred to animal blood, humans are also animals, so there shouldn’t be much difference.

It might have seemed reckless, but I could think of no other solution at that moment.

I told Seoyeon to wait, went to the kitchen, and returned with a kitchen knife.

Then, to her bewildered gaze, I swiftly cut my palm.

The pain came along with a warm sensation as blood began to flow.

“Hyun…Hyun!”

“Ah…it hurts…just wait…”

Seoyeon screamed almost like a shriek after witnessing my sudden action.

The pain was more intense than I anticipated, contorting my face involuntarily.

But having come this far, I pressed on. I brought my palm near the kitten’s mouth, lying on the cloth.

Surprisingly, the kitten started licking my blood eagerly.

It might have been my imagination, but it seemed as if vitality was returning to the kitten’s body.

And after hearing my belated explanation, Seoyeon burst into anger.

“…Idiot. How could you just cut yourself like that? What if it scars? I’m worried…”

“…Sorry. I won’t do it again. But it’s really taking in a lot. It’s almost like it’s going to drink all my blood.”

“What? That can’t happen… Wait a moment.”

As if it was its last struggle for survival, the kitten now fervently licked my palm.

Seeing this, Seoyeon pondered for a moment, then replicated my action by lightly pricking her finger and offering her blood to the kitten.

“What are you doing!”

“I want to feed it too. What if it really drinks all your blood.”

“You’re sick! What if something happens to you…”

“I only made a small cut. It’s okay. And I hate seeing you hurt. I want to feed it too.”

This time I objected, but Seoyeon stubbornly shook her head.

Seoyeon rarely insisted on something, but it seemed now was one of those times.

Unable to win against her firm refusal, the kitten ended up licking Seoyeon’s blood for a while.

Later, after being scolded by my mother, we treated our wounds. Seoyeon spent the day at my house before taking the kitten back in the basket.

I worried about the shock Seoyeon might experience. Upon reflection, it seemed unlikely that the frail kitten would survive just by drinking some blood.

My mother also said the kitten’s diet was limited and its condition could worsen.

She warned that we could get sick from the wild animal, repeating her lectures.

But the next day, my expectations were spectacularly proven wrong.

Upon hearing knocking like the day before, I found an elated Seoyeon and the kitten in her arms.

The kitten’s condition was astonishing. It looked so healthy and lively that it was hard to believe it was the same one from yesterday.

The kitten meowed and roamed around the living room floor, seemingly recognizing its saviors as it followed us well.

Ultimately, Seoyeon and I decided to continue caring for the kitten, naming it Peanut.

However, since my mother was allergic to cat fur, Peanut was raised at Seoyeon’s mansion.

Perhaps because of the rain, I caught a cold afterward. I suffered from high fever for two days before I could get out of bed.

Maybe my mother was right about catching something from the kitten. Regardless, Peanut became a part of our lives.
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Time continued to flow. Months passed, and it should have been time for Seoyeon’s condition to worsen beyond endurance, preparing us for the end.

Yet, Seoyeon was still alive.