I Don’t Want to be a Villainess

Yoo Ha-neul felt like the world was spinning in front of her eyes.

Looking up at the smiling face of Sara, not a single gram of concern was visible. One couldn’t help but wonder if she truly understood what she had just said.

Well, to be honest, it’s not like she had never sat on her friend’s lap before.

When it came to her close friends, there had always been some level of physical contact—like linking arms, hugging, or even sitting on their laps. If they were mischievous friends, they might even engage in skinship with some sexual undertones. Generally, it was clear that it was all a joke because they weren’t serious about it. Even like how Yoo Ha-neul had playfully draped herself around Sara’s arm on Saturday, that could have easily been accounted for as just a fleeting moment between close friends.

But—

The reason she felt unfazed by such skinship was that there was not a hint of romantic interest from the other party. If there were even a little bit of affection involved, or even if it was just an isekai scenario, such actions would undoubtedly be misunderstood.

Yes, the person in front of her couldn’t possibly be considered romantic.

But the problem was that the other party was Sara.

What was wrong with this girl…?

Thinking that, Yoo Ha-neul suddenly halted her train of thought.

Ah.

So that’s what it was.

Recalling how she had force-fed Sara some rather absurd knowledge while they shared a couple’s meal on Saturday, she was suddenly overtaken by the urge to bury her head in her hands.

Yes, it was definitely because of that.

Sara had no friends to teach her the boundaries of human interaction, spending her days like a bird trapped in a cage. There was simply no way for her to learn the subtle nuances of personal space as one grew up naturally.

And Yoo Ha-neul, she had taken advantage of this aspect of Sara, effectively clearing any suspicion Sara might have had toward her.

It was possible that Sara had gone home and searched for information about skinship among friends, ultimately coming across images of people sitting on each other’s laps. Although those pictures were probably of groups playfully overlapping each other rather than a single pair cuddling.

…It was all Yoo Ha-neul’s fault.

Of course, something else must have happened for Sara to be acting this way during class.

Sara, who had been smiling at Yoo Ha-neul, tilted her head in confusion.

“……”

Yoo Ha-neul subtly turned her gaze to the teacher. The teacher seemed speechless, clearly taken aback by Sara’s actions.

Yet, in the middle of it all, she was not scolded.

The teacher’s behavior was clear—it was obvious that she was ignoring Sara, just like she did with the other kids.

Glancing back down at Sara.

Sure, maybe at this moment, Sara was asking for Yoo Ha-neul’s help. To somehow normalize this school that was openly ignoring her. To break free from her isolation.

…In that process, only the odd distance that Yoo Ha-neul created for Sara had been highlighted.

This is my fault.

Yoo Ha-neul thought to herself. She gulped dryly. Sara, sitting in her chair, seemed to be pulling the chair back as far as she could, as if she was waiting for Yoo Ha-neul to sit comfortably.

Sara’s school uniform skirt wasn’t particularly short. Unlike some kids, she hadn’t tightened it up too much.

But as Sara sat, the skirt slid slightly up, exposing her white knees. The thighs behind it were barely visible.

…Do you want me to sit up there?

The eyes of the entire classroom were already on Yoo Ha-neul. The thoughts of looking away seemed nonexistent as everyone stared intently in this direction.

Yes, this is my fault.

Yoo Ha-neul thought.

If only I had told her the proper way on Saturday. Sara wouldn’t be displaying such a sight. Yoo Ha-neul squeezed her eyes shut.

Yes, this is my fault.

Since it’s my fault,

I should take responsibility!

And she accepted Sara’s proposition.

“…Ugh.”

Suddenly overwhelmed by the weight of a person, a small sound escaped Sara’s lips.

Slowly, Yoo Ha-neul lifted herself onto Sara’s thighs. She adjusted her waist slightly and leaned back. Through their clothing, Sara’s warmth could be faintly felt. Surprisingly soft, unlike her appearance which seemed very thin. Maybe all the food she had been force-feeding her last week was having some effect?

The sensation of Sara’s body against her back felt alarmingly vivid. Of course, it was merely through the clothing. No, perhaps that made the subtle curves all the more pronounced?

“……”

Yoo Ha-neul’s heart began to race like it was about to burst out of her chest.

“W-well, let’s start the lesson…”

The teacher, who had been staring with her mouth open until now, hastily composed herself and said. The kids in the class came back to their senses at the teacher’s words.

In an instant, the classroom was filled with the shuffling of pages being turned.

Usually, there wouldn’t be many kids focusing on the lessons, but this time was different. Every child in the room had their books opened and their heads buried in them.

…If Yoo Ha-neul’s guess was correct, and Sara’s goal was to draw everyone’s attention in the class,

Then her plan had hit the nail on the head.

*

Ah, what are you going to do if you don’t look?

If you look in this situation, it means you’re interested in what’s happening now.

If you avoid looking, it means you’re intentionally ignoring it.

Either choice indicates that you’re aware of the situation between us.

“……”

But the moment I actually did this, it felt a bit embarrassing.

After all… sitting on top of someone can imply various forms of sexual interpretation. However, I had intended for it to be that way.

Of course, I didn’t really think Yoo Ha-neul would take it that seriously.

“……”

The classroom was as quiet as a church mouse. Except for the teacher, who was diligently writing something on the blackboard.

Even Yoo Ha-neul wasn’t saying a word.

…Now that I think about it, it’s only natural for there to be no conversation. After all, it’s not like we were facing each other.

“……”

A few minutes passed, and I began to reconsider the situation at hand.

Regret was slowly starting to seep in.

Yes, Yoo Ha-neul was about the same height as Ye Sara. Technically, she was slightly taller, but the difference wasn’t significant. So I hadn’t worried too much. However, there was one thing I had overlooked.

Surely a healthy-bodied Yoo Ha-neul would weigh more than Ye Sara.

Moreover, Ye Sara’s body still wasn’t that strong. She didn’t possess much strength, and she felt like she was being crushed under Yoo Ha-neul’s weight as time went on. Though I felt it was a bit of a shame to say that to her.

“Then, Yoo Ha-neul.”

Suddenly, the teacher called out to Yoo Ha-neul.

“Come up and solve this problem for us.”

Yoo Ha-neul shot up from her seat and hurriedly walked up to the front.

I heard the sigh of relief from everyone around. Even the teacher looked somewhat relieved. At the very least, the intense stare that was stealing glances had stopped.

And I let out my own sigh.

In fact, since earlier, the blood flow in my leg was restricting, and I could feel the sensation in my toes fading away.

“……”

What to do now?

I stared blankly at the back of Yoo Ha-neul’s head as she was diligently working out the problem on the board.

Yet, if I pulled back now, it would feel frustrating.

If I threw a tantrum, there wouldn’t be much difference compared to the character in the game, and if I put Yoo Ha-neul back on my lap, I feared it would last until the end of class.

Clunk.

While I was deep in thought, Yoo Ha-neul set down the chalk.

“Great, good job, now…”

The teacher shot me a quick glance as she spoke.

“…Return to your seat.”

Without replying to the teacher, Yoo Ha-neul spun on her heel and quickly made her way back to where I was sitting.

Her face, visible through the white blotches, appeared somewhat stiff.

She stood right in front of me, looking at me.

…Is she mad?

Well, I suppose it could be understandable if she was upset about getting pushed into such an embarrassing situation, regardless of how close we were.

I thought about apologizing, but suddenly, Yoo Ha-neul grabbed my hand.

“Wha—?”

Caught off guard by the sudden movement, I ended up letting out a sound I didn’t intend to.

And just like that, Yoo Ha-neul casually settled back into her seat.

Is she really angry?

Around us, I heard another sigh of relief from the classmates—

“Ah!”

After sitting, Yoo Ha-neul grabbed my hand one more time and pulled me strongly towards her.

Thump.

Before I knew it, I plopped down on Yoo Ha-neul’s lap.

…This position was definitely different from when Yoo Ha-neul was on my lap.

Whether it was intentional or just a result of my clumsiness, I found myself ‘side-sitting’ on her thigh.

In fact, if Yoo Ha-neul were super strong, she could easily pick me up in a ‘princess carry’ position just like this.

“……”

I could hear the gasps from around me. The teacher’s expression had turned an even more alarming shade of blue.

Yoo Ha-neul stretched her arms out forward to grab a pen from her desk. As her right arm brushed past my back, her left arm arched across in front of me.

My upper body ended up trapped within Yoo Ha-neul’s embrace.

As she leaned slightly forward to look at the book, her hair brushed across my face.

The faint scent that lingered from her shower before school tickled my nose.

I felt light-headed.

…This was a completely different vibe from just sitting on her lap. Our faces were positioned close enough that with a mere shift, we could easily see each other. And if Yoo Ha-neul just moved a little, her face would be incredibly close to mine.

No matter how I looked at it, this was not something friends would normally do, right?

Taking notes, Yoo Ha-neul lifted her gaze. Her hair again brushed past my face, and what illuminated her face was a soft light.

Yoo Ha-neul smirked like a mischievous child.

“……”

Yeah, that’s right.

Whatever the position, it seemed Yoo Ha-neul clearly understood what I was trying to say.

Now that we have everyone’s attention, why not take it even further?

…Well, that’s fine.

Then let’s take it all the way until the end of class.

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