32 – My Own Villain (4)
Rumors spread like wildfire. If not contained early on, they return uncontrollably, causing significant damage.
Trying to fix it at that point is useless. The embers have already grown, after all. Trying to gather the spreading rumors alone is not an easy task.
Moreover, it’s challenging to know when and where these rumors start. It’s like a cigarette butt thrown in the middle of a mountain, difficult to trace its origin.
“Did you hear about that?”
Here, it was like a small spark announcing the beginning of a forest fire.
“It’s about Private Jeon and his unit mate, Shin Yoon-seong. I heard he injured his back during training.”
“Oh, really? That’s unfortunate.”
“It seems like it was a severe injury, he had to be hospitalized.”
“Wow, a back injury can last a lifetime. His days as a soldier must be over.”
At first, the conversation was based on facts.
Just looking at it, there didn’t seem to be a big issue. It was just casual chatter among students, a small spark that would flicker and die out as it passed by.
But.
This small spark didn’t extinguish; it rode the wind and began to spread, gradually growing into a larger fire.
“I heard from my technical specialist friend earlier. Do you know Private Shin Yoon-seong?”
“The spoon man?”
“Yeah, that’s Shin Yoon-seong. He recently injured his back because of Arna?”
“Did they have another match or something?”
“Well, I’m not sure. Maybe they were doing something else?”
That uncertain word added fuel to the rumors, and from here, the spark rapidly grew.
“Hey, did you hear about this? It’s about Shin Yoon-seong. He injured his back while facing Arna.”
“What nonsense. Injured his back? Were they even in that kind of relationship?”
“Yes, I heard it very clearly.”
The rumor was no longer just a rumor. It had transformed into something entirely different from the truth, even though it had passed through several mouths.
The massive wildfire didn’t end here. It continued to spread without an end in sight.
“Hey, you know Shin Yoon-seong, right?”
“Yeah, vaguely.”
“He broke his back while sparring with Arna, it seems.”
“What…?”
After all, rumors are just rumors. There’s no need to seek anyone’s permission or take responsibility for spreading them.
It’s simply passing on what you heard from someone else to someone else. Whether the rumor got distorted or not along the way didn’t matter.
You just enjoyed the moment.
….
….
….
“Wow, really?”
This is the student restaurant at Hanyul Sa Military Academy Hospital. Choi Soeun was in the middle of eating lunch there.
“You mean Shin Yoonsung?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
“….”
When the name Shin Yoonsung was mentioned, Choi Soeun paused for a moment with her spoon. She held her breath and focused all her attention on her ears.
“I knew it! Shin Yoonsung came to the radiology department yesterday! He had an X-ray taken!”
“Wow, he went to the radiology department too? Then he must be in a serious condition!”
Why would they be so excited about someone else’s story? And why did it make her so nervous?
Clearly, Shin Yoonsung injured his back and came to this hospital yesterday. After a simple examination and tests, he went through the procedure for admission and is currently resting in a hospital room.
But why did Shin Yoonsung come here?
Did he have an accident or something?
“They caused such a commotion because they couldn’t kill each other, huh! I guess they developed some sort of weird relationship!”
“They must have been so passionately in love to break their backs. It’s so ridiculous.”
Based on the conversation she just heard, Choi Soeun tried to infer the situation.
Shin Yoonsung, Arna, weird relationship, love, back….
“…!”
Oops!
Suddenly, Choi Soeun dropped the spoon she was holding onto the floor.
“Senior…! Spoon…! I dropped the spoon…!”
She couldn’t even hear the junior who was sitting in front of her. Choi Soeun was currently in a daze. Her soul had completely left her.
“Well, then what’s going to happen to Choi Soeun? Shin Yoonsung used to chase after her.”
“But I guess he’s tired of that too. He comes to the emergency room with a bouquet of flowers every day. He doesn’t even look at her.”
Sobbing-
Choi Soeun silently pushed her chair back and stood up from her seat. The junior was surprised and asked,
“Se-Senior…? Did you finish eating already…?”
“….”
She hadn’t even taken a few bites of her lunch yet. Choi Soeun held her tray and headed somewhere, staggering with each step.
“Senior…! The dining hall isn’t that way…! Senioooor…!”
From Noble mtl dot com
***
As soon as Choi Soeun stepped out of the restaurant, she headed straight to the floor where the hospital rooms were gathered. She was looking for the room where Shin Yoonseong was admitted.
Rustle—!
Luckily, Shin Yoonseong was inside. He was lying in bed, engrossed in tapping away on his phone.
“What’s this? It’s still a long way until treatment time.”
Thud thud. Choi Soeun strode roughly, extending her feet towards the bed. Then, without even taking off her shoes, she boldly climbed onto the mattress.
She occupied the space on top of Yoonseong.
“What’s this behavior? At least take off your shoes.”
An unexpectedly forceful action from Choi Soeun. But her face remained expressionless, as always.
At a distance close enough for their breaths to mingle, Choi Soeun spoke.
“From now on, only answer my questions.”
“Suddenly.”
“What did you do with Arna yesterday?”
It was just someone else to Yoonseong. It was he who had created that relationship. What did it matter what Yoonseong did or where he did it?
Although he knew this fact very well in his mind, his body didn’t respond as his thoughts dictated.
Despite knowing it was truly disgusting and petty, he wanted to confirm it.
The truth.
“Arna? Why are you curious about that?”
“Answer.”
“Well, I don’t really want to talk about it.”
“…!”
Yoonseong avoided the answer. That meant the floating rumors were true.
No wonder. Lately, there had been a strange undercurrent between them. It seemed their relationship had turned into something like this in the end.
Now, he had no choice but to acknowledge it.
Yoonseong had given himself, body and soul, to Arna.
─What? Kang Taehoon? That devil returned to school?
At that moment, voices of people flowed in from outside the room. It was the sound coming from the corridor.
“Kang Taehoon….”
Yoonseong quickly turned his gaze away from Choi Soeun, tilting his head towards the corridor. He quietly listened to people’s conversations.
“Did you see the live broadcast on Commu? They said Yoonsung just met Arna.”
“Oh, did he go to meet the chief directly? That’s bold. Is he planning to sign up for the evaluation match or something?”
“That wouldn’t be right…”
Yoonsung pushed aside the figure of Choe Soeun in front of him and got up. He was trying to go forward, clutching his aching waist. He was in such a hurry that he didn’t even bother changing his clothes.
In the end, he’s going to Arna.
“….”
Watching Yoonsung leave, Choe Soeun couldn’t do anything. She just stayed quietly in bed, only able to watch his back from a distance.
She couldn’t make the gesture of holding him back.
After all, Choe Soeun didn’t have the right to hold onto Yoonsung in the first place.
***
“Oh, really! What could have caused such a rumor?”
Certainly, there was no problem until this morning. However, now, after lunch, Arna was facing a tremendous crisis.
It was all because of a rumor that had spread throughout the school.
The contents of the rumor were truly shocking. It was said that Yoonsung, who had lived his life until now, spent the night with Arna.
Moreover, the reason Yoonsung was hospitalized now was also because of Arna. It was said that it happened because of the strain on his waist caused by her.
It was truly mind-boggling and suffocating. Even though there have been things he has shown so far, how could such a scandal happen with that person?
Regardless of the truth, this was a matter of pride. He hadn’t lived his life so diligently just to meet a man like that. Arna also had her own standards when it came to men.
Oh, saying this might be a bit disrespectful to her boyfriend.
As it is, Yoonsung currently has a well-established girlfriend. Choe Soeun.
What would Choe Soeun say if she heard this rumor? Even for the sake of the third party, Choe Soeun, there was an urgent need to suppress this forced rumor as soon as possible.
♬─
Meanwhile, the smartphone had been ringing incessantly since earlier. All the calls were from reporters. They wanted to confirm the truth.
Beep.
“Don’t worry about that, it’s all a malicious rumor! I’ll soon reveal my alibi down to the seconds… Oh, really, it’s not true!”
Beep.
“Heh… heh….”
They really fell for it. Whether someone else started it first, if there were an originator of the rumor, they deserved applause. It was more confusing for Arna than when the demon appeared.
Thud.
“Oh, Arna. It’s been a while.”
At that moment, amidst the chaotic situation, there was a male student who casually inserted himself into the conversation without a care.
With fair skin, large irises like a child’s, and a seemingly pure face, his inner thoughts were as dark as can be, even verging on a burned-out disposition.
Last year’s second-place entrant made his appearance.
“Mr. Kang Taehoon….”
“Wow, you remembered? The top student recognized me! What an honor!”
Kang Taehoon spread his arms wide, expressing his joy.
Arna was aware that Kang Taehoon had caused several incidents last year, resulting in disciplinary action. How did he manage to wear the uniform again and appear at this school?
Although curiosity filled her mind, now was not the time to waste time in a place like this. Arna continued walking.
“I’m sorry, but I’m a bit busy right now. Let’s talk later.”
“Huh? Busy? What’s going on? Can I help?”
“No, there’s no need for that.”
Even the offer to help was nothing but a facade. Arna knew. Kang Taehoon was not someone who willingly helped others.
“Hey, we meet like this, and you’re just leaving? Am I being ignored?”
“It’s not like I’m ignoring you. It’s just that….”
“Oh, it’s Kang Taehoon. Arna is here too!”
Suddenly, the surroundings were filled with people.
Everyone came to witness the meeting of the top and second-ranking students. The attention was inevitable when the two most skilled individuals in the school met.
Of course, Arna had no intention of facing Kang Taehoon right now.
“Anyway… I’ll go first.”
“Ha. Acting all high and mighty just because you’re the top student. If someone sees this, they might think you’re a celebrity. Oh, are you already a celebrity?”
“Well, what are you…?”
“Why, not? If not, how about having a showdown with me right here?”
It was a blatant provocation. The reason he had approached Arna from the beginning was for a showdown. A showdown to snatch the top spot through competition.
What to do? Should she just face him and get it over with? Avoiding him here would surely lead to him seeking her out later.
“I’ll pass for now.”
Meanwhile, the students gathered around orderly, as if expecting something, and split to make way. Subsequently, a male student started walking along the open path.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
Extending his leg slowly, he used a large spoon as a cane. It was a leisurely gait, reminiscent of an old man.
Thud.
Soon, a male student confidently stood in front of Arna. The protagonist of the circulating rumors, combatant and squadron member Shin Yoon-seong.
Ah, why now of all times…
“Did you say Kang Tae-hoon?”
Shin Yoon-seong glanced at Kang Tae-hoon on the opposite side. There was no imposing aura, of course. Wearing a white patient gown, trying to exude an atmosphere with a bent waist—how intimidating could that be?
Arna sighed from behind, finding the sight pathetic.
Kyaa─!
However, the onlookers seemed different. They cheered as if a prince on a white horse had appeared.
It must be because of those rumors. In the eyes of the spectators, he probably looked like the male protagonist who came to protect his woman.
“….”
This isn’t some romantic comic. Who’s this prince on a white horse? Just a patient in white clothes. And what’s with that spoon?
Arna’s expression only grew more sour.
“Sorry, but you can’t even touch Arna with a fingertip. The only man in this school who can touch Arna is me, and only me… Cough!”
Bang─!
Arna forcefully slapped Shin Yoon-seong’s waist.
“If you say that in this situation, it’ll only lead to more misunderstandings, ooooh…!”
And he’s dead,rip mc🕊️