Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 69

Chapter 69

Chemical Bond (4)

“We-we’re Hyun’s friends, so why do you keep preventing us from going in…!”

“Even if you say that… my orders are…”

“…What’s going on?”

Yeon Minha’s tone carried a chilling coldness.

Her cheerful mood, humming a tune, vanished instantly when she spotted three female students arguing with the guard in front of the Cradle’s ward.

“Miss. You’ve come. These students keep requesting entry…”

At Yeon Minha’s presence, the guard’s troubled face brightened up immediately.

They had already been well-acquainted with her, given that the ward was entirely rented for their use, and the guards had long been won over.

The guard began to recount his difficulties.

“…Ugh.”

Yeon Minha quickly grasped the situation.

The intruders let out a small gasp under Yeon Minha’s sharp glare.

All of them were familiar faces. They had been turned away last time but had returned, undeterred.

The girls, claiming to be his close friends, wore white jackets with lapels adorned with first-year badges.

“Seems like this year’s freshmen are particularly lacking. They just can’t understand simple instructions. Didn’t I specifically say last time that outsiders are not allowed?”

“We checked, and there’s no such rule in the school regulations. You’re overstepping your bounds, Senior. How can we not visit a sick friend?”

Despite her fear, one girl stepped forward to confront Yeon Minha. Her nametag read ‘Sera.’ She had bleached ponytail hair and wore a provocatively short skirt. Her rebellious attitude towards a senior was equally shocking.

She had all the makings of a problematic friend.

“That’s right. If you keep doing this, we’ll report you to the student council!”

The girl next to her, wearing a nametag ‘Yeoreum,’ added. She had medium-length hair with a scar on her right arm.

Yeon Minha vaguely recalled hearing her name. She was supposedly the granddaughter of a logistics chain founder in the capital.

Though she seemed demure, Yeon Minha’s experience suggested such people often harbored sinister intentions.

“If you’re bullying Hyun…even if you’re a senior, I won’t forgive you…”

Th i s w a s c o p i e d fro m k i n g m t l . or g
The last girl, with a nametag ‘Yena,’ said, trembling with her brown hair.

She seemed harmless like a squirrel, but her sunken eyes and pale face suggested sleepless nights full of worries.

Despite her piercing stare, she gave off an unsettling feeling, as if hiding something eerie.
T h i s w a s c o p ie d f ro m ki n g m t l. or g

Yeon Minha sighed inwardly. He might be brave and daring, but his discernment of people was clearly lacking. All his so-called friends seemed to have issues.

He was from a pioneer village, wasn’t he? Maybe that explained it. Though bothersome, she could help him with this.

“Didn’t you hear me? I clearly told you to leave… to go back.”

The words that were about to be harsh were reflexively toned down at the thought someone might hear.

Even so, her tone was more than enough to intimidate.

“He’s in critical condition and needs delicate, concentrated treatment. Allowing outsiders could worsen his condition.”

“Don’t lie! Someone saw Hyun walking around the campus…!”

“Ha. They just don’t get it. What are you doing? Get them out.”

“Ah, yes. Students, you can’t stay here. Please…”

Unable to hold back any longer, Yeon Minha’s sharp gaze prompted the guard to start evicting the unwelcome guests.

In the end, the girls left without achieving their purpose. They seemed to head towards the student council annex, but it wasn’t her concern.

Yeon Minha entered the ward with a lighter heart. Opening the door, a familiar scene unfolded.

The masked boy sat by the window with a purring cat in his arms. Beside his bed was her makeshift cot.

“Are you here?”

“…Yes.”

She tried to maintain her composure, but even a brief greeting made her heart race again.

“You’re here early today. Are you tired? I have somewhere to go, so you might need to sleep later.”

His nonchalant attitude towards her made her a bit irritated.

He had no idea what she had just gone through.

He claimed not to remember, but how could he be so shameless after what he had done?

Switching between formal and casual speech, shaking her emotions, and then acting as if nothing had happened.

Being unattractive wasn’t a crime. If anything, his determination to use his shortcomings as a weapon was more terrifying. She was his direct victim.

“Do you think I’m some kind of sleep bug? And why are you wandering around outside when I asked you to stay in? What if you get worse…?”

“I’m fully healed now. Moving around is better for recovery than staying still.”

Recalling his broad, firm embrace and gentle touch, Yeon Minha shook her head vigorously and confronted him instead.

“…Where are you going?”

“Just a walk and some exercise. It’s nice that there’s no one around the ward. Maybe because it’s secluded…”

“Is that so? Then it’s not urgent. Can we talk for a moment…?”

At her words, the boy halted his preparations and sat back down.

“Did you ask Principal Hae Wolhwa to include my name for the Geumseong Martial Honor Medal?”

“I did. You heard? Just so you know, you don’t have a right to refuse. Your pride…”
T h is wa s c o p i ed fr o m k i n g m t l. o r g

“I know. I never intended to refuse. I have to follow your orders anyway…”

“Is that so…”

His unexpectedly obedient response seemed to fluster him.

“…So, what do you want to talk about?”

At long last, Yeon Minha took a deep breath and managed to speak.

“…Your face.”

“What?”

“Show me your face.”

***

Lately, Yeon Minha’s attitude had changed slightly. To be precise, it started after she returned from the south and woke up in the ward.

She had previously seemed lifeless, but now her characteristic arrogance and assertiveness had returned.

It wasn’t the same as her previous defiance and rejection. She wasn’t using overly uncomfortable words or tones; instead, it felt like she was being more genuine.

If she had any complaints, she wouldn’t be visiting the ward so frequently.

It was a relationship forged through coercion, but considering the long-term, it was a positive change.
Th is w a s c o p i ed f r om ki n g m t l . o r g

Yet, despite these thoughts, her sudden request caught him off guard.

She had shown no interest in his face before and now suddenly wanted to see it.

He wondered if she was joking, but her serious expression said otherwise.

“Show me your face? Suddenly asking for that…”

“I’ve decided to trust you.”

“What?”

“I’ve decided to trust you. Honestly, there are still many things I don’t understand, and thinking about past humiliations makes me furious, but… I’ve decided to trust you.”

“…”

“We need each other, right? You for you and your sponsor’s interests… Me to overcome mental contamination… So, we need to trust each other.”

“But why my face…”

“Even if we’ll be together, I should at least know your face…! I think it’s a reasonable request…”

After starting confidently, her voice trailed off.

“Honestly, I thought you might have seen it when I lost consciousness.”

“I didn’t…! What do you take me for? Sure, I was curious, but I couldn’t just lift it without permission…”

“…”

He fell into thought.

Her willingness to improve their relationship was welcome.

And her request wasn’t unreasonable. There wasn’t a pressing reason not to show it.

He wore a mask out of personal discomfort.

But…

T h i s w a s cop i e d f r o m king m t l.o r g
“…I can’t.”

“Why…! That’s such a small thing…”

“It’s unsightly.”

“What…?”

Her indignant protest turned into a deflated sigh.

“That’s why… I wouldn’t recommend it. There’s no other reason. I’m not hiding anything. But if it’s for that reason…”

“Oh. I thought…”

But she seemed unbothered by his concern.
T h i s wa s c o p ie d f r o m ki n g m tl . o r g

Her face showed inexplicable relief.

“Who said I’d judge your appearance? I meant it to build trust. I don’t care if you’re the ugliest man in the world.”

“…”

“Not knowing your face… I saved your life, and this is too much to ask?”

Her voice sounded almost desperate, making it impossible to argue.

After a brief silence, he spoke.

“…I warned you.”

“Yes…”

Yeon Minha nodded, swallowing nervously.

He reached for the lock on his mask and began to unlock it.

She fell silent.

As the locks clicked open, a wave of anxiety filled him, as if his defenses were falling away.

His heart pounded, sweat pouring like rain.

His sisters always spoke kindly, but would Yeon Minha be the same?

Was this the worst choice? Should he have refused with the contract?

‘Don’t you understand? You’re neither strong nor trustworthy. Even your looks, once your only redeeming feature, are now useless. You don’t deserve to stay by my side.’

A past voice made him clench his eyes shut.

“…Not bad.”

But Yeon Minha’s calm voice shattered the haunting memory like glass.

“…Hey. If you keep your eyes closed, I can’t see you properly.”

“…”

Opening his eyes slightly, he saw Yeon Minha’s usual stern expression.

“…Oh.”

She raised her eyebrows in slight surprise but quickly returned to her usual demeanor.
T his wa s c o pi e d fr om ki n g m t l.o r g

“Hmm. Not bad. I thought…”

“Not bad…?”

“Yes. Honestly, it’s not bad. Really.”

“No need to force it…”

“Do I seem like someone who’d say that out of politeness? I have no compromise when it comes to aesthetics.”

“I see…”

“Yes. I thought…”

She fell silent, glancing at his face.

“…Is it uncomfortable?”

“At first, yes.”

“Since when…?”

“About two years. But I’m used to it now.”

“It still seems uncomfortable…”

T h is wa s c opi e d f ro m k in g m t l . o r g
After a moment of thought, Yeon Minha looked up at him.

“…How about taking off the mask when we’re alone…?”

“What?”

“You need to breathe sometimes. Again, I don’t care how you look. So…”

“…I see. I’ll consider it.”

-Dingdong~

As he finished speaking, the warning bell for curfew rang through the ward’s speaker.

“…Curfew soon. Senior. I need to go out before it starts.”

“Go ahead. Think about my suggestion…”

“Understood. Then…”

Leaving the nodding Yeon Minha, he put the mask back on and left the ward.

Under the dark night sky, stars and the moon shone.

Under that soft light, he mulled over Yeon Minha’s words.

Not bad… she had said.

***

Tap-tap.

As his departing footsteps faded.

Yeon Minha stood in place silently for a while.

T h is w a s c o p i e d f r om ki n g mtl.o r g
When she could no longer hear him, she staggered towards the wall.

She leaned against it and slid down.

She covered her face with her hands and buried her head in her knees.

T h i s w a s c o p i e d f r om k i ng m tl. o rg
“Haa…”

Her ears were bright red like ripe strawberries, and her uneven breaths escaped her lips.

After some time, she lifted her face, now flushed red like her ears.

“I don’t know anymore…”

She sighed in a helpless surrender.

At the same time, a small ripple she had dismissed started to grow.

“But… who is Yeon…?”

The name of someone he had tearfully apologized to in his sleep.

The sticky, unpleasant seed of doubt began to seep into her mind.

End of Chapter