Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 74

Chapter 74

The Red Flower Falls (5)

His words left the infirmary shrouded in silence for a while. Yeon Minha suddenly dipped her head and then raised it again, acting as if nothing had happened.

“You’re thanking me for something so trivial.”

Then, she picked up a cotton ball with tweezers, soaked it in disinfectant, and brought it to his thigh.

“It’s fine. I can do it myself.”

“Stay still. Your hands are too rough and clumsy for such delicate work… So I’m helping you especially.”
Th is w as c o p ie d f r om k i n g m t l . o r g

“…”

The masked boy didn’t object further. Yeon Minha, her face slightly flushed, brought her trembling hand to his wound.

“Ugh…”

As the tweezers touched the firm flesh of his thigh, Yeon Minha let out a small gasp reflexively.
T h i s w a s co p i e d fr o m k i n g m tl . or g

Relieved that he didn’t hear, she continued her task.

In the now-empty infirmary, the sound of rubbing cotton and wrapping bandages quietly filled the space.

“…All done.”

“Thank you.”

“Hmm, hmm.”

Feeling pleased by his gratitude, Yeon Minha boldly made a suggestion.

“Do you… want to take off your mask?”

“Why should I take off my mask? Here…?”

“I’m monitoring the surroundings with my spirit, so it’s fine. And you might have unseen injuries… It’s better to check while we’re in the infirmary.”

His suggestion sounded reasonable, and eventually, the boy reluctantly nodded and began to unlock his mask.

Click, click.

The sound repeated a few times, and Yeon Minha swallowed nervously as she stared at him.

“Ah…”

When his face was finally revealed, she let out a small gasp without realizing it.

“Is something wrong? Is there a problem…?”

“N-no… There’s no problem…”

Yeon Minha shook her head vigorously. She took a deep breath and examined his features closely.

Her gaze lingered for a long time on the scar running down under his left eye.

“Hmm, hmm. Thankfully, there don’t seem to be any other injuries.”

“Is that so? Then…”

As he moved to put his mask back on, Yeon Minha hurriedly stopped him.

“Wait, just stay like that for a bit… You need to take a breather too. And wounds heal faster with fresh air…”

“But you said there were no injuries on my face…”

“Anyway…!!”

Yeon Minha’s voice rose in frustration as she was caught in a lie. The boy frowned slightly, but eventually, he placed the mask on the side table without further protest.

“Um… about the ranking match earlier… Do you think you were too harsh on your opponent?”

“She wouldn’t surrender no matter what. And the professor said it was fine, so you don’t need to worry.”

“I know, but…”

Despite his firm tone, an unexplained anxiety continued to cling to Yeon Minha, troubling her.
T h i s w a s c op i e d f r o m kin g m tl . o r g

T h i s w a s c o p ie d f r o m k i n g m t l. o rg
“Alright. And… may I ask one more question?”

“What is it?”

“Why do you target the abdomen so much in duels? Is it…?”

Yeon Minha recalled a book she had recently stumbled upon at a bookstore, titled ‘A Wise Woman’s Guide to Satisfying a Dominant and Sadistic Man.’ She had read the entire thing right there, captivated by the title.

However, unlike Yeon Minha, who was ready to face future hardships, he answered calmly, as if it were nothing.

“Because it’s a good spot to inflict shock throughout the body without causing fatal injuries. It’s ideal for duels. In actual combat, I’d aim for vital spots like the neck, heart, or glands.”

“Is that all?”

Th is wa s cop i e d f r o m ki ng m t l . o r g
Yeon Minha’s deflated question was met with his puzzled look.

T hi s w a s co p i ed f r o m ki n g mtl .o r g
“Yes. There’s no other reason.”

“Ugh.”

“Is something wrong?”

Feeling a surge of frustration, Yeon Minha pouted her lips.

“Hoo… It’s nothing.”

She sighed as she looked at his still puzzled expression.

“And I’m thinking of visiting my family soon. After all that’s happened, I need to show my face there. I even got special leave for a few days for it…”

“Is that so? Have a safe trip…”

“What are you talking about? You have to come with me, of course. I can’t sleep without you…”

“…Ah.”

Yeon Minha’s teasing made the boy widen his eyes in realization.

“But what about my academic schedule…”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve already filed it as a mentoring group activity…”

He mumbled in confusion.

“Is that even possible…?”

“Of course. Didn’t I tell you? I’ll show you how much authority a mentor has…”

“…You did. And you said you’d make me work like a dog…”

“When did I ever say that…!”

Yeon Minha, distorting her own memory, shouted as if wronged. The boy, not wanting to argue, chuckled and shook his head.

Then his expression darkened with a hint of bitterness.

“But… is it alright for me to go to such a place? To the estate of a prestigious family… so freely…”

Despite usually being headstrong and stubborn, he occasionally showed this side. The sadness and inferiority complex briefly flickered in his eyes.

It was a vulnerability Yeon Minha could see only because they had grown closer and she could see beyond his mask.

However, this puppy-like look only made Yeon Minha want to drown in her feelings for him even more.

Suppressing the urge to hug him tightly, Yeon Minha spoke.
T h i s was c o p i e d fr o m ki ngm t l. o r g

“…Of course. You should consider it an honor. You’re the first person I’m taking to my family from Cradle.”

“Is that so? Thank you.”

T h i s w a s c o p i ed f r o m k i n g m t l . or g
He smiled and nodded.

Usually, he didn’t show much emotion. But whenever he thought others couldn’t see because of his mask, he displayed dramatic changes in his expression.

That bright smile made Yeon Minha’s face feel hot, and she couldn’t hold back anymore. She abruptly stood up and turned away.

“…I have some work to do, so I need to leave first. Take your time and rest.”

Before he could respond, Yeon Minha hurried out of the infirmary.

Walking briskly down the empty hallway, she mumbled to herself repeatedly.
T h i s w a s c opi ed fr o m kin g mt l . o rg

Thi s w a s c o p i e d fr o m ki n g m t l . o r g
“Crazy woman…”

***

After Yeon Minha hurried away, claiming she had urgent matters, I was about to leave the infirmary as well.

It wasn’t a severe injury to begin with. Yeon Minha’s concern was more than necessary.

Still, I appreciated the effort she put in. Thanks to her, I could leave the uncomfortable place quickly.

In the garden between the ward and Cradle, I encountered a familiar-looking student in a patient gown.

“Sorry, leader. I lost. I feel ashamed…”

It was Shin Muyoung, who recognized me and approached, bowing his head.

His body was wrapped in bandages, and one arm was in a cast, indicating a serious injury.

I remembered that Muyoung had lost a ranking match against Ha Yena. When I saw Yena from the audience earlier, she didn’t have a scratch. Perhaps the gap in their abilities was larger than I thought.

“I really wanted to win… I feel so ashamed I can’t face anyone…”

“Ashamed? Losing is part of it…”

Unexpectedly, Muyoung had a strong sense of competitiveness. I didn’t understand why he felt the need to apologize to me…

“No. I’m embarrassed… We received sponsorship from a major company thanks to you…”

Muyoung shook his head vehemently. Both Yena and he had sought sponsorship from S&C.

“It’s fine. It wasn’t a big deal. But why do you keep calling me leader? The practice group ended a long time ago.”

“I just feel more comfortable using titles.”

Muyoung shrugged.

He seemed in a hurry when we first met, but he soon got engrossed in recounting his duel with Yena.

He had a knack for telling vivid stories, though he tended to exaggerate his opponent’s abilities, so I took his words with a grain of salt.

“…Anyway, her presence was so overwhelming. Even from a distance, my limbs went numb. It was like facing a witch…”

As he spoke, a strange sound reached my ears.

“A witch?”

“Leader, you don’t know about witches? Wow. You really are innocent about worldly matters.”

Muyoung adjusted his glasses dramatically.

“Fifteen years ago… Ugh.”

He started explaining but stopped when he heard someone approaching. Muyoung tensed up, sensing the presence.

“Sorry. I’ll explain later. See you!”

Clicking his tongue in frustration, he rushed off.

Shortly after he left, a few exhausted infirmary staff appeared, panting.

“Excuse me. Have you seen a patient wrapped in bandages? His wounds are severe, and he needs immediate treatment…”

“…”

I could only point them in the direction Muyoung had gone. Soon, desperate cries, akin to a hunted animal’s, echoed from the corner of the garden.

End of Chapter