SOS! I’m Being Forced to Be a Villain - Chapter 26

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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 26

I slowly turned my head. Kwon Tae-min was just opening the back door and entering.

“…Kwon Tae-min?”

‘Didn’t the class bell already ring?’

Thinking I might have heard wrong, I shifted my gaze back to the window, but sure enough, PE class was in full swing. So Kwon Tae-min, being in the same class, should have been mixed in with that group of students.

But why?

I stared at Kwon Tae-min blankly, blinking. Without saying anything, just scanning me with that persistent gaze, Kwon Tae-min soon furrowed his brow slightly.

I could tell where his eyes were lingering without having to think deeply about it.

On my knees, where the bruise marks remained vivid.

Feeling as if a chill was passing through me, I flinched and trembled. Then Kwon Tae-min, who had slowly withdrawn his gaze, passed through the half-open door and entered the classroom.

“The teacher… told me to go see you.”

“…”

“She said you’d probably be in the infirmary, so I went there, but you weren’t there. I was wondering where you went, but you were in the classroom.”

Kwon Tae-min approached me without hesitation. As I hesitated and bumped into the wall by the window, stopping there, he had already reached right in front of me and stopped moving a beat later.

“…Yu Baek-hwa.”

Something bleak was seeping into his low voice. And that inexplicable sense of intimidation was the reason why I, who would have normally cursed at Kwon Tae-min four or five times by now, couldn’t even open my mouth.

I had to crane my neck up to face Kwon Tae-min looking down at me from close range. My neck hurt, my eyes hurt, and though I wanted to avoid him, I didn’t dare look away first.

Kwon Tae-min, who had been reflecting me in his emotionless gray eyes, slowly opened his mouth.

“Your knees, since when have they been like that?”

I slightly parted my tightly sealed lips.

“Your legs were fine when we had PE class the day before yesterday, so it must have happened yesterday or today.”

“…”

“If something had happened at school yesterday during the day, Seo Jung-hoo and I couldn’t have not known about it.”

His matter-of-fact conclusion was absurd. It’s not like he was stuck to me all day yesterday. But I didn’t have the courage to refute those words, so I just rolled my eyes.

Would you like to check the profile information for ‘Main Character Kwon Tae-min’?

The familiar blue window appeared in my vision. Led by the same impulse as yesterday, I was helplessly staring at the text in the system window with trembling eyes when it happened.

“…Sorry.”

Before I could properly understand the sudden apology, my body floated up.

“What the…!”

The sound that reflexively burst out scattered before it could continue. I flailed my feet that were floating in the air. Unable to touch the ground or maintain my balance, I had no choice but to hastily reach out and grasp Kwon Tae-min’s shoulder.

This crazy bastard really!

“Why do you guys always pick me up and carry me around like this…!”

I opened and closed my mouth in bewilderment.

Right now, Kwon Tae-min was holding my waist with both hands, lifting me up as if I were a small child. I could see him pause for a moment for some reason as he held my waist.

Soon, Kwon Tae-min’s brow furrowed imperceptibly. Even if others might not notice, I had already seen that expression before.

Yesterday, from none other than Seo Jung-hoo. Something about being too thin, blah blah blah… I had no desire whatsoever to hear such ridiculous words again.

“Put me, put me down! Won’t you put me down?”

“…Ah, sorry about this too. I didn’t plan to hold you up this long, but somehow…”

Damn it, does just apologizing constantly make everything okay?

“Put me down right now, you crazy bastard!”

I shouted loudly, but my flailing legs only looked pitiful. It was because I couldn’t bring myself to actually kick Kwon Tae-min.

But my meager self-respect wouldn’t allow me to stop even this meaningless resistance.

Kwon Tae-min, who had been staring up at me like that, moved carefully. He seemed to transport my floating body without any shaking so it wouldn’t fall, then soon set me down on a desk near the window.

My feet were still dangling without touching the ground, but it was much better than depending solely on someone else’s hands. My pounding heart soon relaxed and settled down.

Suddenly flying through the air was something I could never get used to, no matter how many times I experienced it. It was a separate issue from how strong the other person was or wasn’t. Even if someone I trusted more than anyone did such a thing, it probably wouldn’t be different. I might resign myself and give up, but I wouldn’t be able to completely relax and rely on the other person.

Breathing heavily and rapidly, I pressed down on my chest that was rising and falling busily. I couldn’t tell if my spinning head was due to having just flown through the sky, or an extension of the ongoing stress-induced headaches.

Meanwhile, the bone-chilling intimidation emanating from Kwon Tae-min had disappeared. I soon raised the corners of my eyes fiercely and glared at Kwon Tae-min. Whether he had been watching the whole time, our gazes immediately tangled and he quietly lowered his eyes to avoid mine.

But I wasn’t one to soften my heart over that. I clenched my tiny fist tightly and raised my voice.

“Hey! Am I some kind of luggage? Cargo?”

I’d have to tell Seo Jung-hoo clearly later too.

“Why do you keep lifting and moving people around? Later you’ll probably kick me around and roll me about, right? Huh?”

Try answering that. With that meaning, I tapped Kwon Tae-min’s forearm. Only then did Kwon Tae-min mutter quietly.

“That’s not it…”

“Then what! And also, why do you keep coming right up to people’s faces and staring down like that?”

“…”

“Are you showing off that you’re tall, or what!”

I panted and caught my breath irritably. Meanwhile, the tactless system window popped up again, blocking my vision.

Would you like to check the profile information for ‘Main Character Kwon Tae-min’?

No, I won’t check! I said I won’t!

“Just all of you get lost!”

“Yu Baek-hwa.”

“What…!”

I couldn’t finish my words and took a small breath. In my blankly blinking eyes, Kwon Tae-min’s figure was captured as he bent down below without any hesitation.

“Wha, what…”

Only the same syllables kept leaking out repeatedly through my gaping lips. I had no choice.

‘…What is he doing?’

Kwon Tae-min knelt down on one knee. Unlike me, who had frozen up unable to adapt to the suddenly reversed perspective from above to below, his face was endlessly serious.

“I’m sorry, Yu Baek-hwa.”

As if to let me know that all of this was neither a joke nor a mistake.

‘Then what the hell is this?’

If it’s neither a joke nor a mistake, then what? What does he want from me?

“What are you sorry about all of a sudden…”

“For looking down at you earlier.”

Even his response was so absurd that I now let out a hollow laugh.

‘How exactly does this guy’s brain work? What kind of dog-like way of thinking does he have to be able to play both the drum and the gong by himself like this?’

“I wasn’t trying to show off my height. I’ll be careful not to look down at you from now on.”

“…So what, you’re going to kneel every time we meet?”

“Yeah.”

Because it’s not difficult. The voice that added that didn’t waver at all. As if he had spoken based on solid conviction.

At that, I scrunched up my face and tensed my body.

“This is some kind of high-level strategy, isn’t it? You’re going to act like this in the hallway or on the street, get people’s attention, and make me get cursed at more.”

You think I’ll be manipulated by the likes of you without knowing better?

“Am I wrong? Or try refuting it!”

“…”

“Why, you can’t? You can’t even refute…!”

I suddenly trembled. Kwon Tae-min, who had approached without a sound, was touching the sleeve of my clothes near my wrist with slow fingers.

“…Why do you think it’s natural that you’d get cursed at.”

Kwon Tae-min, who had whispered quietly, soon raised his head. His pupils, unreadable as always yet seeming to ripple faintly, held me completely.

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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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