𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧'𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭

ch 10

To a kid who never focused on academics and never had time to attend hagwon for long in his past life, Minho found his private tutoring to be the most horrendous thing in existence.

He was on his fiftieth question on economics and politics, Lee Minho's study track, after doing hundreds of other Scholastic Ability Test (SAT) questions and analyzing them. He couldn't imagine having to sit for eight hours and do the exam to get into college later.*

*a/n: it's crazy that even planes don't fly that day in November so students can take the exam...

"Your speed seemed to have dropped, Lee Minho," the tutor mumbled as she fiddled with her fingers. "I-if you don't complete the next 20 questions before the end of the session, I will have to report to your father..."

Minho stared at her for a long time, and she squirmed under his cold gaze. Casper had informed him that the tutor had to report regularly to Lee Minho's father but that Minho intimidated her enough not to majority of the time. 

"O-of course, if you can do more than half in the ten minutes we have, I think that is good enough..."

With her answer, the boy let his eyes fall back onto the paper in front of him. His bottom was starting to hurt from sitting for so long, and his brain was tired.

"But I'll try to finish all twenty so she doesn't have to stress."

Sighing, he continued to work on the problems until the clock's hand finally struck 9. He had finished all but two questions, but that was good enough for him. As he set the pencil down, taking a mental break from thinking, the tutor began flipping to other pages of the thick workbook.

"For homework, please complete these pages."

"Right. Thank you."

The teacher nodded and hastily left the study room, closing the door behind her. However, before Minho could breathe a sigh of relief, he was hit with a wave of shock. He crashed against the wall, heaving as he tried to regain some sort of regular heartbeat.

Tired and weary from studying hard and putting up a facade, he shouted, infuriated, "What the hell was that for?" looking for Casper outside the window. The crow that blended into the darkness of the sky projected its voice into Minho's head.

{ You acted out of character for Lee Minho. Please remember that he does not thank servants. }

"Jesus fucking Christ," Minho hissed, clutching the clothes around where his heart would be. He had been so careful that he hadn't expected a punishment at all.

"Isn't it normal to thank teachers after a class?"

It was painful, his heart thumping loud and hard as he still couldn't regain his breath. It felt like his entire body was trembling from the millisecond punishment. He struck the wall, wishing he could take his anger out on the system but knowing it wasn't possible.

{ You still have to fulfill your Quest, host, } Casper cawed.

"Are you good in there?"

Suddenly, following two short knocks on the door, someone from outside voiced their concern. Minho remained silent, hoping that the person would leave. His ears were ringing and he could barely hear them, so he didn't even know what the question was to respond to.

But opposite of what he wanted, the doorknob twisted open, and in walked a boy. His golden eyes seemed to skim the room before landing on Minho. His black hair shifted down as he cocked his head.

"You don't look like you're in good shape," the intruder commented.

And he was right. Minho was slouched against the wall as if he had been beaten up by ten people despite having no wounds, and his skin was sickly pale.