SOS! I’m Being Forced to Be a Villain - Chapter 20

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 20

My pride, which had already been battered and bruised from constant attacks, was trampled once again.

Around that time, I reflected on the values that had been deeply rooted in my mind until recently. The thoughts that had become blurred as I desperately tried to escape from them, and even gave up a little while resigning myself to the situation.

‘I’m avoiding this bastard not because I’m scared, but because he’s disgusting!’

Since I was now distant from Lee Chung-hye, there was no force compelling my steps, so I roughly pushed Seo Jung-hoo away. Then I got down from the desk I had been sitting on and planted both feet firmly on the ground.

It felt refreshing, but it seemed like quite a while since I had stood on such solid ground. The journey to this classroom, which had been no different from riding an amusement park ride without safety bars, flashed before my eyes like a panorama.

Clicking my tongue softly, I immediately tried to run toward the half-open door.

But damn it, and in some ways predictably, Seo Jung-hoo wasn’t the type to just stand there and watch me run away with my tail between my legs.

How long had I been standing like a human being? My thin legs were lifted into the air once again. Startled by the familiar yet still unaccustomed sensation of floating, I reflexively flailed and grabbed onto his arms with both hands.

Seo Jung-hoo was holding my waist and lifting me high into the sky, like the leader of a pack of beasts proudly showing off a newborn cub.

No matter how skinny I was, I was still a proper male high school student who would become an adult in less than two years. Seeing him effortlessly lift me up like that, I froze completely and truly realized Seo Jung-hoo’s physical abilities that were incomparable to mine.

In a different sense from me, Seo Jung-hoo also looked quite surprised. His wide-open eyes quickly scanned my body. That inappropriately disheveled smile came into my view.

“…I felt it earlier too, but now that I’m actually lifting you, I can tell for sure.”

Seo Jung-hoo muttered quietly with an inappropriately determined look in his eyes as he faced me directly.

“Do you eat proper meals regularly?”

“What the hell is this about now? Are you telling me to starve to death, you bastard?”

“Why do you always interpret it that way…”

Seo Jung-hoo let out a small sigh. Then he suggested in a much softer, gentler voice.

“That’s not what I meant. How about we go on food tours together?”

“Ah, so you weren’t planning to starve me, but to make me burst from overeating? Are you going to torture me with food?”

“You really…”

An ambiguous expression crossed Seo Jung-hoo’s face. Drawing out his words, he moved me back and sat me on the same desk as before. Just as I was reluctantly resigning myself to returning to the same spot in less than five minutes, Seo Jung-hoo moved his thumb and brushed it up my abdomen.

“…You really do seem too thin. Your waist too.”

Seo Jung-hoo’s sudden muttering reached me directly without any obstruction. But that was just the speed of the words being delivered. It took quite a long time for me to fully understand the meaning of that damn nonsense.

And eventually, when I belatedly understood the meaning, I contorted my expression viciously. I had no idea how awful my face looked as it flared up a beat too late.

“You, you crazy perverted bastard! Who, who do you think you are touching someone’s body like that…!”

My fingernails, which I had unconsciously raised, dug into Seo Jung-hoo’s wrist, but he didn’t show the slightest movement. Instead, his hand continued sliding along my waistline without stopping, making my body tremble violently.

“Let go, let go! Let go before I bite that hand off!”

“I was going to anyway. I can’t do anything anyway, I’m scared I might break you if I use too much force.”

What, what were you trying to do?

‘What were you just trying to do to me!’

I couldn’t read anything from Seo Jung-hoo’s strangely rippling dark brown eyes. Fortunately, his words weren’t lies, as he obediently withdrew his hands. However, the smile that appeared smugly on his lips spread coldly, so I couldn’t let my guard down.

Seo Jung-hoo, who had been looking down at me as I remained tense and unable to relax my guard, took a big step forward, closing the already short distance. Because his thigh bumped into the desk, I also shook with a thud.

Without time to think rationally, I reached out my hand first to block Seo Jung-hoo’s face.

Smack.

A crisp sound, like slapping someone’s cheek, rang out briefly.

But I, who was already struggling just to take care of my own body, didn’t even have the luxury to dwell on that.

Damn it, Seo Jung-hoo’s head didn’t even turn halfway. Ignoring my efforts to block him, he kept pushing his face closer, and I desperately pushed it away with all my might.

“I, I’ll report you. Just try coming any closer!”

“I told you I won’t touch you anymore. And Baek-hwa, can’t you see we’re already pressed right up against each other? There’s no way to get any closer even if I wanted to.”

“Aaaah!”

Before that sentence could even finish, I screamed loudly to protect my eardrums. I had absolutely no desire to get caught up in that merciless fact that reminded me of the current situation I was desperately trying to ignore.

As if he had noticed my petty wish, Seo Jung-hoo quietly closed his mouth. I would have preferred if he had also removed that disgusting face from view, but he didn’t stop staring at me intently with his narrowed eyes.

Rather, Seo Jung-hoo’s gaze was becoming even more intense. That intensified gaze, that persistently unwavering stare seemed to pierce right through me. Because of that, I forgot about screaming and just opened and closed my mouth.

An eerie chill climbed up my back, seeming to finally grab hold of the nape of my neck. I loosely extended my labored breathing and gently relaxed my stiffly frozen shoulders.

I had once seen a video of feline cubs going limp when their parents carried them by the scruff of their necks. Though I didn’t want to admit it, that was exactly my current state.

After making eye contact like that for a while, Seo Jung-hoo slowly turned his gaze away and keenly observed my condition. It looked exactly like a cat owner checking if their temperamental pet cat had finally calmed down, which made irritation surge up in me.

Soon Seo Jung-hoo opened his mouth as if he had been waiting.

“From now on, I’ll make sure to take care of your meals properly too.”

My brow, which was already fiercely furrowed, narrowed even more.

“What, you bastard? Who are you to decide for me on your own…!”

“Did you happen to have a fight with Lee Chung-hye?”

I stopped trying to argue back and swallowed my breath.

“It’s strange. Even though you’ve always disliked Lee Chung-hye, you’ve never charged at her so recklessly before, and although she seems to have changed recently, she’s never grabbed us by the collar before either.”

“…”

“That Lee Chung-hye girl also seemed half out of her mind… If you two didn’t fight, did you make some kind of bet about me?”

I repeatedly moved my lips, closed them, and ground my teeth several times.

I was far more desperate than Seo Jung-hoo to find the answer to that question. I too wished I could grab anyone and extract answers about Lee Chung-hye’s disgusting changes and the biased discrimination surrounding me.

The hand that had been pressed against half of Seo Jung-hoo’s face gradually lost its strength. Rather than trying to take advantage of that gap to approach me, Seo Jung-hoo chose to wait silently.

Only after a considerable amount of quiet silence had passed did I finally respond slowly.

“Why are you looking for the reason she went crazy in me? What the hell did I do?”

Seo Jung-hoo’s body stiffened at my sharp, accusatory voice.

On the surface, it would look like he was tense from being overwhelmed by my aggressive attitude.

But I know. I know that Seo Jung-hoo wouldn’t really show such a reaction from being scared of me.

Also, separate from Seo Jung-hoo’s reaction, there was one thing I unwillingly realized as I spoke those words.

Especially with the last part, “What did I do?”

‘Even if it was forced out, in the end, these were words I was harboring inside.’

I felt wronged. I was so unjustly wronged that anger surged up in me.

What did I do?

Learning the secrets of this world, being forced by system windows, being dragged home, being carried around like luggage, unwillingly cursing, grabbing people by the collar…

“Why do I.”

Going to such lengths to struggle.

“Have to live like this?”

Only after a brief gap of a few seconds passed did I realize that the owner of the quiet voice that had echoed through the classroom was none other than me.

I was startled and quickly shut my mouth tight.

‘What… what did I just say?’

From where to where did I speak? I didn’t accidentally reveal anything about the novel, did I? Since no system warning appeared, it means I stayed within appropriate limits, right?

I found myself pathetically hateful for feeling unavoidable fear while hating and resenting the existence that arbitrarily controlled me from beyond the system window.

But it couldn’t be helped.

I was plenty used to enduring. I could get by with mental strength.

It was okay even if stress reached its limit and caused abnormal reactions in my body. It would hurt like hell, but I knew this wouldn’t actually kill me. I could be confident because I had already experienced surviving even worse stress during hellish times.

“…What?”

Then, hearing a question from right in front of me, I slowly raised my head.

“What did you just say?”

Seo Jung-hoo’s eyes were shaking roughly. Before I could read my own expression reflected fully in them, he squeezed his eyes shut and took back his words.

“No, never mind. Don’t say it.”

“What…”

“Yu Baek-hwa, I said don’t say it.”

I blinked my eyes full of question marks and opened and closed my mouth.

‘What, what is it?’

Don’t say what? What the hell did I just blabber about?

“Hey, Seo Jung-hoo. If you change your words like that, what does that make me, mmph.”

Heavy warmth blocked my mouth. Having successfully trapped my voice with his palm, Seo Jung-hoo irritably bit and released his lower lip.

Keeping that hand in place, Seo Jung-hoo reached out with his other hand and gently pulled me up.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you back to the classroom.”

Unable to control my mouth or body as I wished, the maximum rebellion I could manage was merely struggling weakly or utilizing facial expressions that were only capable of showing anger.

So I sharpened the already furrowed corners of my eyes even more. At my appearance, Seo Jung-hoo reluctantly let out a quiet laugh.

“What’s wrong, Baek-hwa?”

You’re asking me that now…!

“Are you too tired to walk? Should I carry you like before?”

I immediately stopped struggling at that ominous declaration that was even more terrible than this current moment. Then I crossed in front of Seo Jung-hoo, who had been trying to lead me, and walked ahead first. Though I was the one whose mouth was covered and hand was caught, somehow it looked like I was the one dragging Seo Jung-hoo along.

From behind me, I heard that annoying laughter once again.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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