SOS! I’m Being Forced to Be a Villain - Chapter 79

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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 79

I let out a languid breath and slumped into the chair.

‘This is driving me crazy, seriously…’

It had been barely 10 minutes, but it felt like I was savoring a quiet atmosphere for the first time in ages. However, thinking that even this moment was under the System’s surveillance made my heart boil with unpleasant feelings once again.

I slowly rolled my eyes. Then I reached for my phone that was sprawled abandoned on the desk and tapped the screen for no particular reason.

There were no new notifications on the lit screen. It meant there was no reply from my older brother, no call responding to my absence.

I glared at the phone with irritably twisted eyes, then lowered my head.

Thunk.

Without any preparation or defense, my round forehead collided directly with the hard desk.

My skull rang with a sharp ache and a stinging pain spread. My brain spun dizzily, and I couldn’t tell if it was because I had just banged my head on the desk or if the accumulated stress was the cause.

“…Shit, they’ll be back within 10 minutes at most.”

Even though they were going to a convenience store outside the school, considering those two’s long legs and wide strides, it didn’t seem like it would take very long. It was just one crosswalk and back here – a distance that wouldn’t even take 10 minutes.

Those two would probably spend quite a bit of time just thinking about what to feed me though…

‘Even if they’re delayed, it’ll only take a couple more minutes…’

When that time came, I’d have to sit face to face with them again and spend time filled with anxiety and fear. Since I had spoken, I might have to at least pretend to eat some snacks or bread.

“Damn it…”

I couldn’t hold back and muttered quietly.

After first suffering from the System’s cruel and blatant ‘punishment,’ I thought my rebellious spirit had been broken and I had given up, maybe even completely resigned myself.

‘If that were really the case, I shouldn’t be feeling this kind of stress.’

If I had gone crazy because I couldn’t endure anymore, there shouldn’t be any more of this unpleasant feeling or nausea rising up.

At this point, I almost wished I would completely break down. Then there would be no more stress making me nauseous, no more trembling because of the System. I’d rather become an empty doll, unable to feel anything…

“…Breaking down, my ass.”

Tap. I clenched my fist and lightly hit the desk. Then, unable to contain the bubbling heat rising up, I slammed the desk hard with a bang!

Since when did I become someone who gives up and resigns so easily?

Did I become a weak person who stops rebelling because it’s meaningless and would rather break down?!

“Stop spouting bullshit.”

I was muttering quietly when I heard the sound of a door opening behind me. I quickly turned my head and saw the school teacher who had opened the door halfway, about to enter the counseling room but stopped.

The school teacher blinked his wide eyes in apparent confusion. Only then did I become aware of the stinging pain spreading from my forehead and hurriedly raised both hands to rub my forehead. I felt the texture of skin that had been pressed flat and smooth against something hard.

“A-are you okay?”

“…Yes.”

The school teacher’s voice seemed to carry even deeper worry than it had in the faculty office earlier, but I pretended not to notice and looked away. I naturally had no desire to explain my circumstances in detail now, nor did I particularly want to justify why I had just been in this position and state.

The school teacher moved his mouth as if to say something more, but eventually just smiled awkwardly and came over to place a guidebook on the desk.

“It’s a guidebook about the Disciplinary Committee. It’ll be sent to your phone and your older brother’s phone too.”

Older brother. When that word came up, the anger I had barely forgotten surged up again. It didn’t seem like the school teacher could see my expression crumpling viciously.

“When is your older brother coming back to Korea?”

“How would I know that?”

He doesn’t even look at or answer my calls.

‘When he used to make all kinds of fuss and even threaten me to contact him every single day.’

I endlessly grumbled words I couldn’t bring myself to say beneath my tightly pressed lips. Then I stopped even that and roughly rolled my tongue inside my mouth.

‘…I can’t breathe.’

It wasn’t simply a figurative expression. I really felt like my breath, which had risen to my throat, couldn’t escape and was getting blocked up. I could be certain that this time my head spinning was because of this and nothing else.

I tried to exhale deliberately, but nothing changed. My roughly expelled breath gradually became more labored. It was when the school teacher, who had been reciting guidance information, belatedly noticed my condition and stopped talking.

I abruptly stood up. The chair, pushed away by the strong force, wobbled and finally couldn’t maintain its balance and toppled over.

With both hands gripping the desk, I panted slowly. The brown desk, my fingertips trembling finely, and sweat drops that seemed to be falling from me scattered beneath my blurred vision.

I blinked with difficulty, then picked up the bag that had been on the floor nearby. I roughly slung it over one shoulder and turned around as if to flee.

“Wait, Baek-hwa…! You need to take this!”

I was about to leave the counseling room immediately but stopped abruptly. I glanced at the guidebook the school teacher held out with vacant eyes.

I walked back a few steps to receive the guidebook, opened the zipper of the bag I had slung across my chest, and crumpled it inside.

“If you’re not feeling well somewhere…”

No. I’m fine. I’m perfectly okay. I tried to move my mouth to say one of those three things but ultimately couldn’t give any answer. If I said the wrong thing now, I felt like I might really run out of breath and faint.

Instead, I just bowed my head as a greeting. Without even checking if the zipper was properly closed, I blindly swung the bag over to my back.

I grabbed my phone, which I had almost forgotten, and hurried my steps.

As I left the counseling room where the door was already open, the relatively cool and quiet air of the hallway enveloped me. My body was already trembling as my body temperature dropped rapidly, and when the cold air hit me too, it felt like all the blood was draining from my body.

I gritted my teeth and put strength into my two legs that were about to stagger. Then I crossed the hallway with quick steps.

* * *

I moved while anxiously worrying that I might run into Seo Jung-hoo and Kwon Tae-min, or at least one of them.

Come to think of it, there was no need to wait for those two to go to the convenience store and return. Originally, I had stayed in the counseling room after school only because of the school teacher, not for any other reason. So now that the school teacher’s business was finished, there was no longer any obligation for me to remain at school.

Moreover, I had driven Seo Jung-hoo and Kwon Tae-min outside by acting out non-existent thirst and appetite precisely to escape, even briefly, from their noisy fussing and the System’s biased punishment and catch my breath. In such circumstances, there was no reason to deliberately cause myself pain by waiting for the two to return.

Even while crossing the schoolyard, I looked around constantly without rest for even a moment. Not satisfied with that, I kicked off the ground with my poor stamina and panted.

Still, being out in this open space seemed to make breathing somewhat easier. The stuffiness of breath that had risen to my chin still not being able to completely escape remained the same, but it was much better than before.

Soon I left through the school gate and entered the path in the opposite direction from where the convenience store was. It was a bit different from the direction home, but that wasn’t what was important right now.

Only after crossing about three more crosswalks and passing about two blocks of commercial buildings did I finally stop walking.

I pressed down on my chest that was painfully swelling and deflating, and swallowed dry breath. I readjusted my disheveled bag and pushed the phone I had been gripping tightly in my hand while running deep into my pocket.

Then I held onto my thighs and panted for a long while before straightening my bent back.

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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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