Correcting the Villainess of the Academy – Chapter 199

Chapter 199

Building A’s old fitness room. Now, it felt as comfortable as a newlywed’s home, their own private haven.

Sitting side by side with the man, Jin Yeseo was explaining the earlier events.

“…Senior Baek Seoyeon figured out about us?”

“Yeah.”

Jin Yeseo nodded gloomily.

In the mirror of the fitness room, her disheveled appearance was clearly reflected.

At least her clothes hadn’t been damaged, but the problem was her hair.

‘Do you know how much effort I put into this…’

She had agonized all night, wondering if he would like it, if it would suit his taste. After hours of effort, she had meticulously styled it, only for it to become a complete mess before she could even show it to him.

It was disappointing enough to make her resent Baek Seoyeon.

Perhaps leaving Baek Seoyeon in the hallway and following the man was a result of those feelings.

“Still, using magic like that on a junior…”

“It just shows how betrayed she must have felt.”

The man looked troubled as he listened to her.

“Then, why earlier…? Wouldn’t it have been better to ask for forgiveness?”

Jin Yeseo suddenly felt a sharp pang in her chest.

“Wouldn’t that have backfired?”

“Forget it. You’re someone precious to me.”

Jin Yeseo shook her head.

“I just didn’t want to lie to myself anymore. What’s done is done now…”

Jin Yeseo let a bitter smile spread across her face.

Her words were a mix of truth and lies.

It was true that she didn’t want to lie to herself anymore.

However, she deliberately left out the fact that the relationship Baek Seoyeon had discovered wasn’t just between ‘friends’ but ‘fiancés,’ and that she harbored romantic feelings toward the man.

She believed that Baek Seoyeon’s misplaced feelings were a burden she alone had to bear.

At least, that’s what Jin Yeseo told herself.

Surely, her silence wasn’t motivated by something trivial like not wanting to alert him to the presence of a potential rival.

Jin Yeseo shook her head, trying to dispel the gloom.

Then, forcing a cheerful tone, she spoke while looking at the man.

“Still, it’s nice to see you after so long, isn’t it?”

“…Yeah.”

He nodded, but his response felt lukewarm. It almost seemed like he was avoiding her.

‘Acting distant after just a week? Well, it’s just his personality, I guess…’

It puzzled her slightly, but Jin Yeseo brushed it off.

Right now, she wanted to focus more on their conversation.

“So, what brought you there?”

“I was on my way to the fitness room. But I sensed a commotion downstairs…”

“You always show up when I’m in trouble. Just like before. Are you doing it on purpose? Trying to make a move on me or something?”

“What? As if…”

The man shook his head, looking incredulous at her joke. Just seeing the faint smile on his lips made her face flush as if she were feverish.

‘What’s wrong with me… I told myself not to like him too much… but I can’t help it…’

As Jin Yeseo resigned herself to her uncontrollable feelings, the man, who had been watching her, seemed to remember something.

“Wait here for a moment.”

“Huh…?”

The man disappeared somewhere and returned shortly after, holding a rectangular metal box, which he handed to Jin Yeseo.

“Take it.”

“W-What is this…?”

Caught off guard, Jin Yeseo took the box and asked, bewildered. It was quite heavy, almost too much for her to hold with one hand.

In response to her question, the man replied nonchalantly.

“A gift.”

“What?!”

Unlike the calm man, Jin Yeseo was utterly shocked.

“W-What do you mean… a gift, all of a sudden…?”

Her eyes darted back and forth between the man and the box, unable to believe what was happening. Her chest swelled with overwhelming happiness. Her face grew so hot it felt as if it might burst.

Jin Yeseo, her voice trembling with a mix of excitement and disbelief, asked hesitantly.

“Can I… open it now?”

“That’s why I gave it to you.”

Even before the man finished his sentence, Jin Yeseo had already started opening the box.

When the massive blade shaped like a saw emerged from within, Jin Yeseo couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement.

“E-2 Braver!”

It wasn’t difficult to identify. She had practically memorized the catalogs of blade manufacturers long ago.

She’d been thinking about getting her own blade for some time. While the cradle-issued blade wasn’t bad, it couldn’t fully harness her abilities.

And now, she held a top-tier model, one she had longed for. There was no way she could contain her joy.

Especially knowing who had given it to her.

With sparkling eyes, Jin Yeseo quickly turned her head toward him.

“R-Really? Are you sure it’s okay to give me something this good…?”

“I got it as a prize for winning the social gathering tournament, but I don’t really have a use for it.”

“Because you have the Marvellous Blade?”

“Yeah. It doesn’t suit my style, it’s too big to store, and selling it would be complicated.”

“Right. Since Braver is made by your S&C…”

“Anyway, that’s the story.”

He added, seeming a bit awkward.

“I thought it would suit you better. If you don’t like it, you can give it back.”

His shy demeanor was so endearing that Jin Yeseo couldn’t help but laugh softly.

Having regained her composure, she spoke playfully.

“What if I said I didn’t like it?”

“Then I’d have to think about what to do… but seriously, would you give it back?”

“What? Haha…”

Seeing his embarrassed expression, Jin Yeseo couldn’t hold back her laughter again.

The bad memories from earlier had long since faded, replaced by a warm breeze of happiness.

Her fluttering heart urged her on, telling her to throw herself into his arms, to whisper her love, to finally kiss his lips instead of his forehead.

The thought that this dream might actually become reality thrilled her.

‘Could it be… does he like me too?’

Otherwise, why would he go out of his way to give her this gift, even coming up with an excuse?

‘Well, it makes sense… Someone as pretty and kind as me isn’t easy to find…’

After spending days in the same room and surviving life-threatening situations together, it was only natural for feelings to develop.

Realizing that her plan to win his heart might be progressing faster than expected, Jin Yeseo couldn’t help but smile bashfully.

“…Of course not.”

By now, Jin Yeseo’s cheeks were flushed a bright red.

“Thank you so much. I’ll use it well…”

Even so, expressing her gratitude directly felt unbearably awkward and embarrassing.

Especially since the recipient of her thanks was someone she liked.

It seemed that the man felt similarly.

“…It’s nothing. No need to thank me. Just make good use of it.”

“…Okay. Hehe…”

Scratching his head awkwardly, he seemed to have something else to say.

Watching Jin Yeseo, who was beaming with joy, he hesitated before speaking.

“Hey, also…”

A-hem.

“Uh, uh?”

The man’s unusual attitude made Jin Yeseo tense up as well. Her mind began spinning at a dizzying speed.

His sudden appearance, like a savior, the unexpected barrage of gifts, and now this hesitant demeanor.

As she pieced everything together, there was only one conclusion she could draw.

“Could it be… a confession…?!”

“A-ah…”

Jin Yeseo let out an involuntary squeak. She was utterly unprepared, fumbling in confusion.

No matter how she looked at it, this was far too abrupt. She had thought they needed at least a few more days to get to know each other better.

“Could he… really like me that much? Well, I mean, I like him too, but… ah…”

She couldn’t keep her thoughts straight. But the more she thought about it, the less unpleasant it seemed. In fact, she found herself drawn to his relentless determination.

“W-wait a moment…”

However, just as she was steeling herself to accept what seemed like an inevitable confession—

The words that came out of the man’s mouth were a calm declaration, completely different from what she had expected.

“I think we should stop meeting privately for training like this.”

“Uh, well, if that’s how you feel… Wait, what?”

Jin Yeseo, replaying his words in her head, asked back in a daze. Had she heard him wrong? But the man’s expression remained composed.

And the next words he said were like a lightning strike out of a clear blue sky.

“I have a girlfriend now.”

***

The exhilaration she’d felt just moments ago vanished in an instant, leaving her cold. The blush on her face was gone, replaced by a pale complexion.

His declaration was too shocking, too much of a betrayal for her to simply listen silently. He wasn’t the type to casually joke about something like this either.

Barely managing to open her trembling lips, Jin Yeseo asked in a shaky voice.

“W-what did you say happened…?”

“A girlfriend.”

Unlike her, the man remained calm, as if he were merely stating a fact.

At last, Jin Yeseo understood why he had been so lukewarm all day.

“Who… who is it?”

“Senior Yeon Minha. You know her, right? My mentor.”

Of course, she knew her.

“Well… it just kind of happened that way.”

“I… I see…”

“That’s how it is. You know what Senior Minha’s personality is like, right? If she finds out about us meeting like this, it might cause trouble for you. So, let’s stop training together. Besides, the fitness room in Building B has been repaired—”

“No, no way…!!”

She interrupted him mid-sentence, shouting without even realizing it, and covered his mouth.

Unlike her, who seemed like her world was ending, the man merely tilted his head in confusion, as if her reaction was strange.

“…Didn’t I just say? You never know what might happen—”

“Still, no! Absolutely not!!”

Jin Yeseo shook her head desperately, as if her life depended on it. Her determination was so fierce that it looked like she might cling to his leg and refuse to let go.

The man looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“…Why not?”

“Well, that’s…”

Jin Yeseo stammered. This was a moment that required the utmost caution.

She was trembling with betrayal, her vision blurring from the shock.

To think he’d given her hope, only to shamelessly announce he was dating someone else.

She wondered if he was living up to his good looks. It was mortifying how quickly everything had fallen apart after just a few days of absence.

“What… what is this…”

Grinding her teeth, she thought of Yeon Minha. It felt as though a stray cat had stolen a perfectly prepared fish right out from under her nose.

But the most infuriating thing was herself, clinging to him so pathetically even in this situation.

Right now, this fitness room was the only tie binding her to him.

If she let go of this, she’d lose any chance to make up for her mistakes.

“So…”

Yet, he had already declared he had a girlfriend. Confessing her feelings now would only backfire.

“What do I do…? What should I do…?!”

Before Jin Yeseo could come up with an answer, the man seemed to notice something strange about her.

“…Hey.”

He looked directly at her and asked.

“Can I ask you something?”

“W-what is it…?”

Jin Yeseo swallowed nervously, a bad feeling creeping over her.

After hesitating for a moment, the man finally spoke.

“You… do you like me?”