The Curse of Being Hated Has Been Lifted

40 – Past Events

-Clang!

“Finally, there’s a satisfying sound.”

He chuckled to himself.

Being a guy with not much flesh, it’s only satisfying when the cheeks puff up before delivering a blow.

“What’s this? Your eyes still have some life in them?”

-Zzaaak!

-Thud!

The following strike was different from before.

In an instant, the palm that had been slapped across the cheek had enough force to send the owner of the body flying, hitting the wall.

“Ugh…”

The man who had previously possessed a menacing gaze now had a frightened expression, as if his spirit had been broken by pain.

“What will you do if you try to die with just a little force in your hands?”

-Thud, thud

The sound of footsteps echoed in the fallen man’s ears.

“You’re nothing but a pest.”

“Thwack!”

Harue’s foot remained on the man’s throat.

As the weak man’s neck was pressed down by the foot, he couldn’t even take a breath.

“Just with this much force, I can kill you.”

A bitter smile formed on Harue’s lips.

“You’re a worm, filthy, repulsive, weak, and insignificant.”

-Thud!

He remained with his foot on the man’s neck, then lifted his other foot and brought it down on the man’s stomach before finally stepping off his body.

“Cough! Cough!”

After leaving the man behind, he walked out of the empty classroom.

“Damn bastard…”

It took the man over an hour before he could finally move his body.

With great difficulty, he managed to move his stiffened body and stepped outside the classroom. The first thing he saw was the full moon high in the night sky.

“How much more can I endure…”

The man had been dragged into the empty classroom after a day full of unpleasant events, around 6 p.m.

Judging by the moon hanging in the sky, it looked as if it had already passed midnight, no matter how inaccurate it may be.

“First, I should go back to my lodging.”

Although it was a place where the wind blew fiercely and safety was not guaranteed, it was the only sanctuary for the man.

As the man headed towards his own safe haven, a scream reached his ears.

“Ahhh!”

It was a high-pitched and urgent sound.

If he ignored it and continued on, it would haunt him like a nightmare.

“Can I be of assistance?”

His condition was at its worst.

Although the final act was a slap followed by a step on the neck, it wasn’t the only thing he had endured today.

Even though his body wasn’t naturally strong, the condition had reached its peak of worstness.

Actually, the calculation above had no meaning.

He was suddenly heading towards the origin of the scream.

“Lucky.”

For the man, it was really fortunate that nothing serious had happened. He hadn’t been attacked by a villain or suffered a monster’s assault. He had just screamed because he had tripped while walking.

It was a situation where, if he hadn’t been nearby and heard the scream, he might have worried about being kidnapped if things didn’t add up a bit.

“Who’s there… Ahhh!”

A scream, similar in size to the one before, burst from the female student’s mouth.

This time, it seemed like she had indeed been attacked by a villain, and she even looked desperate.

“Someone, please help! Asrian…”

“Again, is it going to be like this?”

Was he really that frightening?

Or was some magical power flowing from his body?

Looking at the color of the name tag, he seemed like a senior. It was unclear why someone would be so scared just by looking at him.

“Huh? What’s up, did you get into another accident?”

The rescue was quick.

Harue, who happened to be nearby, appeared in an instant.

“No accident. I just got scared and screamed by myself.”

“Don’t lie. Your dorm is over there. You came here on purpose.”

“Well, I heard a scream, so…”

“This punk’s lying again.”

A smile curved on Haru’s lips.

It was a smirk of catching someone in the act.

“You got caught in the act, so don’t make excuses, just come with me.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Logan looked at the female student pleadingly, but she only averted her gaze in fear.

‘Is she from the Administration Department?’

If she were from the Knight Division or the Mage Division, at least she wouldn’t have been scared enough to stay silent.

The next day, at the disciplinary committee meeting, Logan received a week-long suspension.

Not being able to use the dormitory was a problem, but what bothered Logan the most was that Haru, taking matters into his own hands, had punished him directly.

“Pervert…”

After a week, when Logan finally returned to the academy, his mental state was beyond words.

Physically, Haru had used the faculty’s power to heal him, but mentally, it was because of Haru’s twisted preferences that lingered even after a week.

“Looks like the suspension’s over.”

“I really hate it.”

“He didn’t even apologize, just proves he’s trash.”

As they entered the classroom, insults against Logan began to fly.

“I didn’t even do anything wrong!”

Rage boiled within him.

Sure, some misunderstandings could happen, but this was too much to bear.

However, such misunderstandings didn’t amount to a grave mistake that warranted a week of scrutiny or internal doubts. It wasn’t something serious enough to weigh heavily on one’s conscience.

“Huh? Where did my wallet go?”

Just as the simmering heat began to be contained, a foreboding sound reached Logan’s ears.

And everyone’s gaze collectively shifted towards Logan.

“Let me say this upfront: I didn’t steal it.”

“Even thieves beg for mercy.”

“I just anticipated your suspicions.”

“This guy has a record, you know.”

The record they spoke of regarding Logan referenced a few students who had orchestrated a play that didn’t sit well with him.

Before the punishment for Logan was even confirmed, these students paraded their actions as if it were a badge of honor, but the students perceived it as Logan’s wrongdoing.

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“I can’t stand this.”

Logan rose from his seat.

“Is it logical to suspect someone without any evidence?”

His voice was filled with restrained anger.

“You have a record.”

“A record?”

It was a laughable notion.

How could being falsely accused amount to a record?

“Sure, a record.”

“Spout nonsense!”

Logan screamed until his throat was raw.

“Isn’t it just for a day or two to endure being treated like a pushover? Do I look like an idiot?”

“Sure, saying it’s a criminal record is a bit excessive,”

Anna, who was sitting and reading a book, spoke up.

“It’s already been proven that it was a false accusation.”

“Well, if you check whether it exists or not, wouldn’t you know? If you’re innocent, you wouldn’t even have to kneel.”

As a few students stepped forward towards Logan, he also assumed a defensive posture.

“It would be nice if everyone could sit down, we’re about to start class soon, you know?”

Thanks to Anna’s words, the fight didn’t escalate, but until the wallet was found in the bag of a female student who claimed it was missing that afternoon, Logan was treated as a criminal.

Even though it was clear that he had simply lost the wallet on his own and found it again, there were rumors that Logan had stolen the wallet again this time.

Thanks to that, he was dragged to the principal’s office and punished again.

In a state of anger that had built up to the top of his head, Logan vented his anger at Haru, but ended up getting hit for no reason.

Logan’s crimes were generally like this.

Either the situation and the atmosphere surrounding Logan made him appear as a sinner.

Or, due to the fake rumors that had accumulated because of a curse, people designated Logan as a sinner without any suspicion.

Sometimes, when the situation fit too perfectly, it seemed like Logan was the only possible culprit.

Aria, who is currently undergoing disciplinary action and self-restraint, was a perfect example of that.

However, most of the time, once they escaped the influence of the curse and calmly thought about it, there was nothing wrong with what Logan did.

That’s why Haru’s plan to gather victims who were harmed by Logan was impossible from the beginning.

“You were robbed of your wallet by Asrian? And you’re saying it was a false accusation. Even if I apologize, it wouldn’t be enough.”

“Did you get hit by Asrian? Oh… sorry, that was a lie. I was told to say that the assailant hit Asrian…”

“You were attacked by Asrian at night? Now that I think about it, I was just startled when we ran into each other on a dark street. The atmosphere was eerie because of the curse, so maybe I misunderstood and jumped to conclusions on my own. I actually sent an apology letter not long ago, though I didn’t go as far as apologizing in person because I’m not that brave.”

Finally, I heard these words from the classmate I went to see.

“But are you still upset that you couldn’t catch Asrian? I’ve heard the rumors that you’re a real mean person. You apologized right after the trial, but then you’re going around making up stories behind the scenes? Please get a grip, after all, it was concluded that Asrian is innocent.”

In the end, she gave up on her plan because she couldn’t find anyone who would stand by her side.

*****

“This is Jeodo.”

“Is this your first time in Jeodo?”

“Yes, since my father entered the academy, he always warned me to stay away from Jeodo.”

“Eat something delicious nearby, I’ll be back soon.”

Royan tightly held onto Repeer’s sleeve.

“I have something I really want to say to my father, so please take me with you.”