Correcting the Villainess of the Academy

The place the girl took the boy to was a high hill covered in white cosmos flowers. There was not a single sign of anyone else around them. The sky was perfectly clear, and a pleasant breeze was gently blowing up from below the hill.

“Close your eyes, hurry…!”

The girl urged the boy with an excited voice. A blush that was hard to pinpoint the reason for lightly colored her face.

“Ugh, why do I have to close my eyes… It’s okay if you don’t give me a birthday gift…”

“I-I’ve already prepared it… Just close your eyes quickly…!”

“What on earth are you going to give me…?”

The boy complained but closed his eyes as the girl instructed. It was unthinkable for him to refuse a request from the girl he loved.

However, even after a long time with his eyes closed, he felt no sign of the girl handing over a gift. All he could hear was the rustling of the cosmos swaying in the wind.

“Are you trying to prank me…?”

As the boy grew tired of waiting and was about to open his eyes, he suddenly felt something moist and soft on his right cheek.

smack

With a strange sweetness and warmth he had never felt before, the boy turned his head to confirm what it was.

“Um…?”

What came into the boy’s vision were huge, clear eyes belonging to someone, resembling a deer. He could feel even the tiny hairs on her skin and her breathing that was so close.

“Fuh…”

The girl who met the boy’s gaze immediately turned as red as a sun-ripened carrot.

“Th-this is…?”

“You told me to keep my eyes closed…!”

Unable to withstand her embarrassment, the girl pivoted abruptly to hide her face. But the boy was just as flustered. His face was also filled with a strange flutter and tingling sensation he had never experienced before.

“You idiot… really idiot…”

“…Sorry. I didn’t think the gift would be this…”

“I told you to keep your eyes closed… fuh…”

All the boy could do was repeat a short apology.

Thus, they sat quietly for a while, side by side. Finally, unable to bear the long silence, the girl opened her mouth again.

“…Did you like it…?”

“Huh?”

“Did you like it… my birthday gift…?”

The boy turned his head again. He saw the girl with black hair, her face buried in her knees, looking up at him. Her eyes held a faint hint of expectation.

All the boy could give as an answer this time was a short confirmation.

“…Yeah. I liked it… really…”

“…I’m glad…”

Only then did the girl relax and melt like a puddle. Then, with a determined expression, she turned back to the boy and said.

“If… if you liked it… can’t you give me one too…?”

“Huh…? Isn’t it my birthday…? Isn’t it supposed to be a birthday gift…?”

“But… I’m curious too… can’t I…?”

At the unexpected request, the boy’s face was filled with confusion. But the conclusion was always the same. It was unthinkable for him to refuse a request from the girl he loved.

“…Alright. Then close your eyes.”

“…Okay.”

The girl immediately closed her eyes. The corners of her mouth were about to curl up with happiness.

The boy hesitated but carried out his task. The girl’s cheek, seen up close, was slightly trembling with tension and excitement.

He brought his lips to her cheek.

“…huh.”

As the boy pressed his lips against her cheek, she shivered and made a strange sound. Even after the boy pulled away, the girl kept her head lowered, saying nothing.

Did he make a mistake? Just when the boy was slipping into a moment of contemplation, the girl suddenly jumped into his arms. She naturally settled into his embrace.

That girl wore the face of the happiest person in the world. The boy felt relieved and spoke again.

“…Did you like it…?”

“…Yeah. I really liked it. I was so happy…”

“…I’m glad…”

So the two remained intertwined, lying in the flower field for a while. Suddenly, the girl seemed to remember something and said.

“Hey…”

“…Yeah?”

“Maybe… do you want to try it somewhere else…?”

“Huh…?”

The boy, lying down, suddenly glanced down at his chest.

What he saw was a pair of glistening eyes, and something that looked like sweet fruits.

For a moment, it was tempting enough to feel some impure impulses, but the boy easily overcame his desire.

“…No.”

“…Why?”

The girl asked again with a dissatisfied tone. The boy merely smiled and brushed the hair from her face.

“Kissing on the lips is something adults do. Let’s wait a bit longer.”

“…Tch.”

The girl pouted her cheeks for a moment, looking displeased.

“Well, there’s no need to rush, I guess.”

But soon, she seemed to change her mind and dug back into the boy’s embrace with a happy smile.

“After all, I’m yours. My body, my heart, everything.”

“…That’s right.”

“You’re mine too.”

“Right.”

The girl had a knack for saying embarrassing things with ease. All the boy could give was another short response.

The girl gazed up at the boy. The area was filled with the scent of grass and sweet forget-me-nots. Finally, her little lips opened.

“I love you.”

*

“Haa… haa…!”

When he opened his eyes, it seemed to be around dawn. He was drenched in sweat, and rough breaths kept escaping from his mouth. He looked like someone who had just woken from a nightmare.

“Ugh… ugh…”

He felt an unexplained nausea from within. He got up and grabbed a water bottle, drinking from it for a long while. Only after half of the water had disappeared could he regain some clarity.

Tomorrow was the day he would leave for the Heavenly Labyrinth for the test, but he had been awake for a while now.

The headmaster’s words that attending the meditation class would help calm the mind had to be a lie.

Since falling back asleep was out of the question, he decided to stay up all night to organize his thoughts.

He turned on the dim night light and sat back on his bed.

His top priority now was to score within the top 10% on the upcoming exam and name Yeon Minha as his mentor.

And somehow, he needed to build a rapport with Yeon Minha and help her regain her standing to restore the balance that had tilted.

At first, it felt hopeless, but now he had grasped at least a slight hint.

First of all, the main reason Yeon Minha had lost her standing was undoubtedly her awful personality.

Of course, it could be a trait she was born with or something acquired over time.

However, if the descriptions confirmed in the diary of Yeon Ja-yu from the past were true, then Yeon Minha’s powerful spirit mage talent was now suspected to be the most significant cause.

Thanks to the ‘hallway’ being opened, she had continuously been exposed to things that she shouldn’t have seen, causing her to continuously experience significant stress in her mind, leading to her twisted state.

And perhaps, my ability to seal might alleviate such side effects for Yeon Minha.

Sealing was the ability to silence the movement of surrounding particles, and the reason spirit mages experienced side effects was that their communication with spirits happened through particles.

It would naturally be impossible to maintain the power all day long, but even if he could create a place of rest for her for a brief moment, it seemed not utterly impossible for some improvement.

Fortunately, Yeon Minha’s skills were intact. No, in fact, her talent was so outstanding that it became a problem, leading to the current situation.

The wizarding society and the cradle fundamentally prioritized skills. If only her most significant obstacle, her personality, could be corrected, she would have a chance to recover her strength.

According to what he had heard from Yena, fortunately, the names of Yeon Minha had never been mentioned by the influential upper-class students even once.

Most of them had already been in a social gathering with Yeon Yi last time. Yena had gained their favor first, and even if they did not nominate her as a mentor, they likely wouldn’t want to create awkward tension by nominating Yeon Minha.

Furthermore, this meant that Yeon Minha’s public impression was poor and that her standing was gradually diminishing.

That Choi Woojin guy seemed oddly eager to identify Yeon Minha as his mentor, but since a maximum of two mentees could attach to one mentor, that part wouldn’t be a significant issue.

“…”

However, that didn’t mean that everything was fully resolved.

First, there was the possibility that Yeon Minha’s personality had already twisted beyond repair.

If she had been exposed to harsh environments for over ten years, the probability of her having crossed an irreversible river of mental resilience was high.

The reason many in the direct line of Yeon Ga had died young was due to the collapse of mental barriers from excessive communion with spirits, leading to various mental issues.

For a talented spirit mage like Yeon Minha, it was highly likely that she was experiencing severe side effects that even her ancestors had never encountered.

If it had already reached an irretrievable state, it would be fair to say that there was no way for me to correct her.

Additionally, there was still no trust between Yeon Minha and me to showcase my abilities.

Unlike the headmaster or my sister, she was currently a being no match for me, even in their circles.

In reality, it was more than a lack of human trust; it was a heavy impression of discomfort.

“…Haa.”

I exhaled a sigh as I ruminated.

Because of that dream I had earlier, the conversation from last week with Yena kept replaying in my head.

At least I hadn’t run into her again after that, allowing me to regain some peace of mind.

However, right now, it was practically a given that I had become Yena’s enemy.

Maybe the rumor about me coming from the 66th unit would spread their way, but oddly, I hadn’t heard a single word about that kind of talk around me.

Yet thinking of their hostile attitude, it felt more like they were waiting for a decisive moment rather than being merciful.

Yena had already forgotten me and was living her life.

I, too, should not turn a blind eye to what I must do.

Even if past memories held me back, even if sadness gripped my heart painfully.

I only had one way to move forward now.

So, in this situation, helping Yeon Minha had become inevitable.

For her to regain her standing, the balance had to be restored, and I needed to prevent any harm to the headmaster and my sister, while also fulfilling the headmaster’s order to excel in my graduation from the cradle.

Yeon Minha might not know it yet, but right now, she and I were somewhat like fated partners.

I had no choice but to act.

I had to somehow achieve a score within the top 10% in this exam.

And then, after designating Yeon Minha as my mentor, I would do everything I could to correct her.

Even if it meant using harsh methods.

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