How to Survive as a Villain in a Novel

7 – Peeping Tom

Yoon Hyun-jin had been famous since birth.

Her father was the youngest Supreme Court justice, from a distinguished legal family and known as a revolutionary in the legal world.

Her mother, a former guild healer, was a well-known volunteer, rescuing many people while working in various gate-danger zones.

They met through volunteering and survivor connections in the ‘Doctor’s Office Gate’ incident, and their film-like story was sufficient to make not only themselves, but their child famous too.

Clean, upright parents respected by all.

That was the problem.

Her parents were always busy and Yoon Hyun-jin was always alone.

But she could not even complain.

She had no reason to blame her parents, who were doing right by everyone’s view.

‘All I have to do is help my parents.’

If she makes the world a slightly better place. If there’s nothing left for her parents to do. They will look at her.

At school, she imitated her parents.

– “Wow, you’re like a real Chief Justice.”

She got the nickname ‘Chief Justice’.

At first, it was fun.

But when she realized what it meant, she fell into despair.

Distancing from family’s love and friendships.

She became increasingly lonely.

The more she grew attached.

‘If the world changes a little more correctly…’

She became obsessed with the idea of making the world right.

What initially was a thought to gain her parents’ attention, turned into her values.

Because if she lost that too, there would be nothing left.

A model, inflexible, normative life.

And such a life wasn’t so bad.

Until a certain incident occurred.

– “Hey! Look at this!”

– “Isn’t this Yoon Hyunjin? She was just a hussy, lol.”

After that incident, she began to harm herself.

* * *

The moment she saw Lee Han standing inside the restroom.

“…Huh.”

Yoon Hyunjin gulped down her dry breath.

The face that was filled in her mind was right in front of her.

At a place where it absolutely shouldn’t have been.

Have I finally lost my mind?

– Slap!

She slapped her cheek.

Still, Lee Han was in front of her.

“……”

The place she was in right now was the girls’ restroom.

And Lee Han was a male student.

Needless to say, Lee Han should not be here.

If it were the usual her, she would have definitely given him a stern reprimand.

No. She would have convened the disciplinary committee immediately, interrogated him, and punished him.

But.

“Ah…”

But for some reason, she didn’t feel like doing that.

Her mouth wouldn’t open.

This version of herself felt foreign.

Somehow.

She was feeling something she didn’t want to lose.

Although it made no sense at all to her, who was practically a ‘judge’.

For the first time, she wished that this was not a crime someone committed.

The answer was simple.

To her, who had always lived as a loner,

The first person who comforted her.

It was Lee Han.

She barely managed to come up with a plausible excuse.

“… It seems like you’re mistaken. The men’s restroom is over there.”

And she prayed.

Plead nod quietly.

Don’t make any excuses. Make it unquestionable to me.

Just leave as if nothing happened, as if it was a mistake.

She only gazed at Yi Han’s face.

Waiting for his answer.

But,

“Ahhhhh! It’s a hidden camera prank!”

Someone shouted from behind her.

‘…Hidden camera?’

What the…

Yoon Hyun Jin lowered her head.

At the end of her gaze, there was Yi Han’s hand.

“!”

And the camera in his hand.

Yoon Hyun Jin’s expression changed drastically.

Her heart suddenly started pounding.

The nightmares of her past began to resurface and ravage her mind.

The day she wore a short-sleeved shirt for the first time.

It was that day’s incident.

– Hey, what are you guys looking at?

– Yoon Hyun Jin photoshopped lol

– Wow, this damn b*tch. Though she pretends to be high and mighty, I knew she would be like this.

– Hey, hey! Yoon Hyun Jin is trending, hide it quickly!

“……”

Yoon Hyun-jin opened her bleary eyes.

From her lips, something hot trickled down.

Without even knowing, she had bitten her lip, and blood was flowing.

‘I need to snap out of it.’

Now is not the time to be lost in a nightmare.

The current situation.

At first glance, it looks like ‘Yi Han caught filming a hidden camera in the ladies’ room’.

But,

If you look at this situation just a little objectively…

‘… Who would dare to take such pictures?’

No. No. Please. Come on, Yoon Hyun-jin.

Look at it objectively.

Yoon Hyun-jin abruptly stifled the voices echoing in her head.

Yi Han is… Yi Han is blind.

He lacks the justification for such a criminal act.

‘This time it’s not even photoshopped.’

No, Yi Han is just standing there with a camera.

‘Are the real pictures going to be spread? What will people say about it this time?’

No, Yi Han is just standing there with a camera. Yi Han is just standing there with a camera.

‘A slut?’

– Slap!

Once again, she struck her own cheek.

It snapped her back into reality.

So, she had to think of a way.

Yes. That camera could be evidence.

If examined properly, it could possibly prove that Lee Han is not a peeping Tom…

– “Everyone! There’s a voyeur here!”

Once again, she heard someone cry out.

This time, the sound of footsteps pouring in followed.

– “What? Is the victim Yoon Hyun-jin?”

‘Oh. Look at this. Everyone’s gathering.’

… No.

Another voice inside her begins to gain strength.

– “Wow, was the old hag actually peeped on?”

‘Do you want to show off at the academy like last time?’

… No.

– “I’m curious.”

– “Why don’t you just keep that to yourself, you crazy bastard? Chuckle.”

‘Slut.’

……

Something inside her collapses.

Mean thoughts start flooding her mind.

Yoon Hyun-jin began to mutter to herself.

“Why. Why. Why are they doing this…”

“Everyone. Why are you all doing this to me.”

Yoon Hyun-jin’s world began to darken.

Yes.

This world is so intrinsically evil.

Mankind is the evil of this world…

– Grind!

Yoon Hyun-jin slowly blinked her eyes.

The camera was slowly,

being crushed in Lee Han’s hand.

The world found its original colors.

* * *

– Aargh!

A few came running toward the sounds of a scream coming from the bathroom.

They witnessed it.

A blind boy, standing inside the girl’s bathroom.

He held a camera in his hand.

“What’s happening! What’s the matter!”

“A hidden camera! A hidden camera came out of the women’s restroom!”

“What kind of crazy bastard takes a hidden camera shot.”

“Where? Where?”

“Over there, the women’s restroom.”

“Hell, sh*t. It’s real.”

People start to gather.

– Crunch!

The boy crushed the camera he had in his hand.

“Who’s the perp?”

“Who else would it be, that bastard standing there. Those things in his hand aren’t camera parts?”

“He just crushed it to destroy the evidence.”

“But isn’t that guy from Class A, the disabled one?”

“That’s right, that visually impaired bastard.”

“How is a visually impaired bastard going to use a hidden camera?”

“Maybe he was trying to listen to the sound.”

“”Ugh. Disgusting.””

They interpret the case as they see it.

“The truth is he can see, right? The visual impairment was just an act?”

“”Chills.””

“That villain, they didn’t expel him and now look what’s happened.”

“”Dirty.””

And on top of that, speculation. Exaggeration. Assumption.

In the end, their voices overlap into one outcry.

“”Trash.””

“”Pervert.””

“”Repulsive.””

“”Insect.””

“”Disgusting.””

The child, branded as the culprit,

simply stood there quietly.

* * *

Academy Orbis Headquarters.

Emergency faculty meeting.

Essentially every student at Orbis Academy is prepared to enter the workforce. Naturally, the academy prioritizes student authority, but in the case of serious incidents, a faculty meeting like this would be called based on a student council agenda.

The first faculty meeting of the new year.

Its topic was quite shocking.

As soon as the secretary of the student council finished the case briefing,

A middle-aged male professor, his face full of fat, slammed the table.

Clang –

“Is this acceptable in our day and age! Candid filming? This is why young men are so despised! We should immediately expel him!”

Several professors nodded in agreement with his words.

However, there were those with doubts.

“But the accused student… Isn’t he visually impaired?”

Upon hearing this, a middle-aged male professor became inflamed.

“What does it matter if he’s blind or whatever! He was seen holding a camera! Moreover, what’s important these days is the victim’s feelings! Feelings! Shame! You could all do with learning a thing or two.”

Some professors furrowed their brows yet they all agreed that this was undoubtedly a delicate social issue.

“Undoubtedly, if the media catches wind of it, it won’t end as a minor incident.”

“Has anyone been able to reach the principal?”

“The principal is on an overseas business trip.”

“Damn principal. Always absent when needed.”

“Well, you know. Once he leaves, he’s unreachable.”

In a meeting without clear direction,

it’s common for the loudest to lead.

The middle-aged professor opened his large mouth.

“What does the Student Council have to say?”

“We request a meeting with the formal disciplinary committee.”

“That’s a given.”

The middle-aged professor skillfully drew a conclusion.

However, a sharp-looking young female professor objected.

“Do we have any concrete evidence to belie lack of that student’s motivation?”

Several agreed with her words.

In disciplinary committee meetings, in the worst case scenario, penalties such as expulsion or permanent re-enrollment prohibition are imposed, so they typically are only convened when sure-fire evidence is available.

Of course, that was just a rule.

As they were about to proceed with further discussion considering the severity of the situation –

Clang!

The middle-aged professor hit the table once more.

His full cheeks shook accordingly.

“The victim’s voice, that’s the evidence! Let’s get Yoon Hyunjin to come in!”