NOVEL NEXT Chapter 75
Silence filled the infirmary for a while after his words fell. Yeon Minha suddenly bowed her head and then spoke as if nothing had happened.
“Is that all? You thank me for such a little thing.”
She picked up a cotton swab with tweezers, soaked it in disinfectant, and applied it to his thigh.
“Just hold still. I’ll do this.”
“Stay still, will you? Your hands are too rough and clumsy for such delicate work… That’s why I’m specially helping you…”
“…”
The masked male student no longer resisted her touch. Yeon Minha’s face flushed slightly as her trembling hand reached the wound area.
“Ouch…”
The sensation of his firm thigh transmitted through the tweezers made her let out a small moan reflexively.
Phew Thankfully, he didn’t hear her and she continued her task.
In a room filled with people, the sounds of her rubbing the cotton and wrapping the bandages spread quietly.
“…All done.”
“Thank you.”
“Hmm, hmm.”
Feeling good about the gratitude from the male student, Yeon Minha boldly made a suggestion.
“Um… do you want to take off your mask?”
“…Why the mask? It’s a bit…”
“I can check for any unseen wounds since I’m here. It’s better to make sure while we’re in the infirmary, don’t you think?”
With her seemingly reasonable suggestion, the male student eventually nodded his head in resignation and began to unlock the mask.
Clink, clink The sound repeated several times as Yeon Minha watched him intently, swallowing a couple of times.
“Ah…”
When the face behind the mask was finally revealed, she involuntarily let out a small moan.
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem…?”
“N-No, it’s nothing…”
Yeon Minha shook her head vigorously. For some reason, she took a deep breath and meticulously scanned his features.
Once again, her gaze lingered for a long time on the long scar beneath his left eye.
“Well, thankfully, there doesn’t seem to be any other wounds.”
“Really? Then…”
As he raised his hand to cover his face with the mask again, Yeon Minha hurriedly stopped him.
“Wait, just stay like that for a moment… You need to take a breather. And it’s important for a wound to get some fresh air to heal quickly.”
“But you said there weren’t any wounds on my face…”
“Ah, anyway…!!”
When she blurted that out, Yeon Minha realized how silly it sounded and let out an embarrassed shriek. The male student frowned slightly, as if not understanding her logic, but eventually put the mask on the side table without further argument.
“I… um…”
Seeing that, Yeon Minha let out a sigh of relief. After hesitating and scanning the area, she cautiously opened her mouth again.
“About the ranking battle earlier… Do you think you were too harsh on your opponent?”
“I had no choice since he wouldn’t surrender even if it meant death. And the professor said there would be no major issues, so you don’t need to worry about that.”
“Ouch…but…”
Despite his blunt tone, an inexplicable anxiety lingered in Yeon Minha, troubling her.
“…Got it. Can I ask one more thing?”
“What is it?”
“Why do you target the stomach during sparring? Is it…?”
Yeon Minha recalled a book she’d come across by chance at a bookstore titled “How to Satisfy a Dominant and Sadistic Man.” Enchanted by it, she ended up reading it all right there.
However, contrary to her resolve to endure future hardships, he spoke calmly, as if it wasn’t a big deal.
“That’s the best area to deliver a shock while avoiding fatal injuries. It’s an ideal target during sparring. In a real fight, I would have aimed for the neck, heart, or other vital points first.”
“…Is that all?”
His nonchalant response struck Yeon Minha, who felt deflated, yet he tilted his head slightly as if confused.
“Yes. There’s nothing else to it.”
“…Ouch.”
“What’s wrong?”
At that moment, feeling a mix of frustration rise in her, Yeon Minha pouted her lips.
“Ugh… it’s fine. It’s nothing.”
However, seeing his baffled expression, she ended up sighing again.
“Also, I’m thinking of visiting my family soon. I really should show my face after such a big incident. I got special leave for a few days because of it…”
“Is that so? Please take care and come back…”
“What are you saying? Of course you should come with me. I can’t sleep without you…”
“…Ah.”
Hearing his casual farewell, Yeon Minha felt a pang of annoyance and protested lightly. He seemed to realize this and widened his eyes in surprise.
“Then… what about my academic schedule…?”
“You don’t need to worry about that. I already submitted the application for mentoring group activities ahead of time…”
He muttered in puzzlement.
“Wait, that’s allowed…?”
“Of course. I told you, right? I’d show you how immense a mentor’s authority can be…”
“…Right. And I’ll make sure to roll you around like a dog…”
“I-I never said anything like that…!”
Yeon Minha shouted back for distorting her memory and ended up sounding like a victim. The male student chuckled softly, seemingly not interested in continuing that argument.
Then, his expression shifted, turning dark and sour.
“By the way… Would it be alright for me to join such an occasion? In a private estate of a prestigious family…”
Usually so bold and headstrong, he sometimes showed this vulnerable side. His eyes hinted at regret and insecurity.
It was a tenderness she could never have noticed had she focused on improving their relationship and not looked beyond the mask.
Yet, this pitiful puppy-like appearance only fueled Yeon Minha’s urge to embrace him tightly, which she supressed with superhuman effort.
“…Of course. Consider it an honor. You’ll be the first to bring someone from a cradle to meet my family.”
“Really? Thank you.”
Finally, he smiled and nodded.
Normally, he kept his emotions well-hidden. But perhaps because he thought others wouldn’t see behind the mask, his mood shifts were always accompanied by dramatic facial expressions.
His bright laugh made her face heat up, and unable to bear it anymore, Yeon Minha spun around abruptly.
“…I’ve got to go, I have something to do. Take it easy and come out later.”
Before he could finish his farewell, Yeon Minha stormed out of the infirmary.
As she hurriedly walked down the empty hallway, she repeatedly muttered to herself.
“Crazy girl…”
*
After Yeon Minha hurried off as if she had an urgent matter, I too was about to leave the ward after spending some time there.
It wasn’t even a serious injury. More like a pointless effort from Yeon Minha’s side.
Still, I genuinely appreciated her efforts. Thanks to her, I could escape that uncomfortable seat quickly.
In the garden connecting the ward and the cradle, I came across a student wearing a familiar face, clad in a patient’s gown.
“Sorry, Captain. I lost. I’m so embarrassed…”
It was a bespectacled male student with a stern expression. Mu-Young recognized me, approached, and bowed his head.
His body was wrapped in bandages, with one arm in a cast – it looked quite serious.
Come to think of it, Mu-Young had lost to Yena in the ranking battle. When I briefly saw her in the audience earlier, she didn’t seem hurt at all. Perhaps their skill gap was bigger than I thought.
“I really tried to win… I can’t even lift my head in shame…”
“Shame? What’s there to be ashamed of? Losing is part of the game…”
Surprisingly, Mu-Young was fiercely competitive. I had no idea why he was apologizing to me…
“No! I’m ashamed of myself… I received support from a large company thanks to you, Captain…!”
Mu-Young vigorously shook his head. After all, both Mu-Young and Yena had requested support from S&C.
“It’s fine. It wasn’t a big deal. But why do you keep calling me Captain? The group project ended ages ago.”
“It just feels more comfortable calling you by your title.”
With a shrug, Mu-Young admitted it.
He had appeared to be in a rush earlier, but now he was engrossed explaining the earlier sparring with Yena to me.
He had quite a knack for storytelling, making it vivid, but there was enough exaggeration to warrant a careful ear.
“…Anyway, her momentum was really overwhelming. Even from a distance, my limbs felt numb. It felt like being in front of witches, I think…”
But while he was speaking, a strange sound suddenly reached my ears.
“What’s a witch?”
“Captain, you don’t know what a witch is? Goodness. You really are surprisingly naive about the world.”
Mu-Young exclaimed dramatically, pushing up his glasses with his normal hand.
“So, 15 years ago… Ugh.”
Just as he began to explain, distant noises heralded someone approaching. Mu-Young stopped speaking and sharpened his focus on the source of the sound.
“Sorry. I’ll explain later. See you!”
With a dismayed expression, he clicked his tongue and hurried off.
Not long after he left, the infirmary staff rushed in, panting and looking exhausted.
“Student! Have you seen a patient wrapped in bandages? We need to treat him quickly as his injuries are severe…”
“…”
I could only point them in the direction Mu-Young had gone. Soon, a desperate sound like that of a hunted animal echoed from the corner of the garden.