Breaking Up With the Heroine in an Otome Game

15 – Main Episode Performance Evaluation Begins (4)

016

The last day of the performance evaluation.

The morning of the final match had arrived.

All the trainees of Class 1-1 headed towards the training grounds.

Step by step. It felt heavier than usual to walk. It wasn’t just a feeling – their steps were genuinely weighing them down.

After all, today was the day they had to experience the ‘real deal,’ whether they liked it or not.

“Wow, I never expected we’d actually make it to the finals.”

A familiar voice gently caressed their ears, and soon enough, Jin Soyeon, with her night-sky reminiscent hair fluttering, approached stealthily.

I slowly turned my head to look at Jin Soyeon.

Jin Soyeon grinned confidently.

“But!”

With a snap of her fingers.

“Your luck ends here!”

“……”

“Because in the finals, I’m your opponent!”

“……”

I took a quick glance at Jin Soyeon who stood tall and proud, bragging with a triumphant expression.

With an empathetic gaze.

“Ah, is that so?”

“……What’s with that lukewarm response?”

Her expression deflated as she wound a strand of hair around her finger after receiving my somewhat indifferent reaction.

What’s she doing in front of all her classmates?

Isn’t she embarrassed at all?

“……I don’t know why lately you’ve been so unresponsive. It’s no fun.”

Jin Soyeon pouted her lips and grumbled.

She’s relatively well-behaved when she’s with other children, but when she’s with me, she plays immature pranks like a seven-year-old.

Perhaps that’s a sign of our close relationship.

“Jinhyuk, Jinhyuk. Anyway, are you confident about today’s match?”

“I dunno.”

“Look, you’re giving another vague answer.”

“Honestly, I’m not confident about this match. Not only do I have to face Lee Siwoon, but also Yuliya Troyanova.”

Yuliya Troyanova.

A genuine Russian magician.

Her freshman ranking is 14th. If we exclude the single number ranks like Lee Siwoon, Kang Daehan, and Yoo Seolhyun, she is the highest-ranking in our class.

She’s not familiar with Korean, so she uses honorifics with everyone.

In other words, a character who speaks in respectful language.

“What’s with you? I don’t think I’m on guard around you much?”

“Do you… really need to be on guard against someone ranked 257th?”

“Ha. Ridiculous. What kind of confidence is that from the bottom of the list? I think I should show our Jinhyuk a taste of my spicy punch after a while.”

After staring at Jinsuyeon’s boxing-like fist-swerving motion for a brief moment, I suddenly burst out laughing.

“It seems like you’re in good condition. Good for you. Today’s going to be quite difficult.”

“Oh? Feeling confident?”

“No, I’m saying it’ll be tough, not because of me… Um, never mind.”

“What’s with you not finishing your sentence?”

I hope that Jinsuyeon won’t get hurt during the event that’s about to take place soon, but who knows how it’ll turn out?

Honestly, I can’t say for sure right now.

I can only do my best.

“And by the way, Jinhyuk, after this performance evaluation is over, we’ll spend the weekend…”

“Lee Jinhyuk, can I speak with you for a moment?”

Yoo Seolhyun’s voice curtly cut off Jinsuyeon’s murmuring.

Jinsuyeon and I turn our heads to check where the voice was coming from.

Yoo Seolhyun was there.

“Ah, sorry. Were you two having a conversation?”

Yoo Seolhyun grinned and apologized with politeness, but it was nothing more than a facade, and her face didn’t look sorry at all.

Soon after, Yoo Seolhyun approached us with arrogant strides like a nobleman’s daughter.

Seeing her entrance didn’t seem pleasing to Jinsuyeon who wore a bewildered expression, but Yoo Seolhyun didn’t care and continued speaking.

“Can I borrow Lee Jinhyuk for a moment if it’s not urgent? I have something to say before the match.”

As she patted my shoulder to show intimacy and sought her permission, Jinsuyeon’s eyes slightly narrowed.

It seemed she didn’t like Yoo Seolhyun acting friendly with me.

“You guys seem to have gotten closer?”

“Huh? Oh, well, I guess…”

At Jin Soyeon’s sullen question, Yu Seolhyun pretended not to know for a moment, and then smiled brightly.

“Since we’ve been working as a team for a few weeks… maybe a little?”

“Oh, really?”

She keeps poking at Jin Soyeon’s emotions.

From intentionally cutting off the conversation at first to revealing her intimacy by leaning on my shoulder.

‘I think it’s a good idea for me to step up and change the atmosphere… Huh?’

“It worked out well. Jinhyuk, he seemed to be interested in you.”

“Really? Did he?”

I blinked my eyes at Jin Soyeon’s unexpected remark.

No, what is she talking about now?

Yu Seolhyun smiles arrogantly and glances at me.

“Sorry. You’re not my type.”

Me, Lee Jinhyuk.

Today marks the first confession and rejection.

Somehow, it’s a little sad.

“hehehe. Should I say his face is slightly disappointing?”

“Definitely. It’s not a bad face, but it’s a bit ambiguous.”

Although he had the setting of being the heroine’s childhood friend and having a pretty good appearance, it was undeniably disappointing compared to other male leads.

But why are you two suddenly evaluating my face?

“I think I’m fine enough.”

“Yeah, yeah~. I’ll give you that. Oh~ Our Jinhyuk is handsome~.”

“No, isn’t it really fine enough…?”

Compared to my previous life, my current face is much – not exactly more – but definitely better looking.

I was quite satisfied with it.

“Anyway, Yu Seolhyun.”

“Huh?”

“You said you had something to say before the match, what is it?”

“Oh. But it’s hard to tell here.”

She glances at Jin Soyeon.

She couldn’t say it with the other team around.

There was a need to move briefly.

“Soyeon.”

At that moment.

A clear male voice rang out.

“What are you doing here?”

Ishiwoon was approaching, scanning over us.

“Oh, just…”

“The game is soon. Let’s go discuss and prepare.”

Ishiwoon glanced at me briefly and then licked his lips in the direction of Jin Soyeon. Jin Soyeon nodded as if she understood.

“Okay. Then, Jinhyuk, I’ll go first. See you during the match.”

“Alright.”

Soyeon Jin and Shiwoon Lee began to walk together.

I momentarily gazed at their retreating figures and thought.

Caution.

I felt a slight wariness from Ishiwoon.

It wasn’t yet to the level of jealousy or envy, but it seemed like I should be more careful. Carelessly making a mistake could heighten their obsessiveness.

“It’s definite that Ishiwoon seems to like Soyeon.”

Yu Seolhyun blurted out the words.

“He seems to care about her a lot.”

I nodded my head slightly.

“Do you think Soyeon knows about it, or is she pretending not to know?”

She suddenly stared at me.

“As her ex-boyfriend, what do you think?”

At the potentially sensitive question, I just shrugged my shoulders.

“I think she doesn’t know. She’s absolutely clueless when it comes to relationships.”

“Really?”

Yu Seolhyun asked back in disbelief.

“Is it really that she doesn’t know?”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I heard a rumor.”

Yoo Seol-hyeon smirked and spoke calmly.

“They say you broke up with her on purpose to date Lee Si-woon.”

I doubt she believes such a ridiculous rumor.

Yoo Seol-hyeon just wants to shake me up.

To instill doubt in my own heart.

It was a typical start of gaslighting. Probably trying to deceive me little by little, just like this.

To cause a slight deterioration in our relationships.

“Do you believe such nonsense?”

“Well, who knows? They say you can know the depth of the water in ten ways, but you can’t know a person’s heart in just one. Only the person involved would know, right?”

She’s not the one involved.

“You may say you had a good breakup, but… who knows? What if So-yeon had other thoughts?”

What the hell?

I let out a deep sigh in my heart at her voice that whispered like a cunning snake.

I really can’t listen to this.

“If you fell for that fake breakup, it’s a bit pitiful.”

“Are you that bothered by So-yeon?”

“What?”

“Is it because Lee Si-woon only shows interest in So-yeon that you’re upset?”

“You.”

At the words that seemed to prick my intentions, Yoo Seol-hyeon’s eyebrows trembled slightly. Why? Are you stung?

“Let’s stop here. We have a match soon.”

“…Alright, I got it.”

Yoo Seol-hyeon seemed to have more to say, but she closed her lips softly.

Luckily, she stopped the conversation as I couldn’t upset her mood anymore.

‘I have so many other things to worry about besides the match… Sigh.’

It’s challenging, not only dealing with the main character Jin So-yeon but also the relationship between the male lead and the villainesses.

‘I’ll have to pay more attention after this evaluation episode is over.’

With that thought, I shifted my gaze towards the training facility we would soon arrive at.

***

“Each team, go to your positions.”

As we stepped onto the arena, we moved towards the ends of the stage.

Both teams gripped their weapons tightly as they stared at each other from afar.

Alright, let the game begin.

“Is everyone ready? If so….”

Beep.

With the sound of the remote control, the entire arena was surrounded by a circular curtain.

This place was now completely sealed off.

Unless someone used the remote control or externally manipulated it, there was no way to leave this place.

“Once everyone is ready, let’s begin the final match. 3, 2, 1… Start!”

– Buzz!

It was then.

– Emergency alert issued.

“What?”

“Huh?”

Originally, the curtain was meant to prevent the facility from being destroyed and to protect the audience, but not today.

Today, it’s nothing more than a trap to turn us into rats trapped in a cage.

– Spatial vibration detected nearby! All trainees and instructors should stop what they’re doing and evacuate to a safe area…

Because.

“Tsk. The match is temporarily suspended. Everyone, stop and follow the security guards to move…”

Because that thing is scheduled to appear here shortly.

“Huh?”

Creak.

Cr, creak.

Creak-creak, cr-creak.

The sound of the space tearing apart.

The void splits apart like spiderwebs.

The empty space shattered into a million pieces as if a crack had formed in the glass.

“Wait, could this be?”

The gap between spaces.

Beyond that, there was something indescribable.

“Fungus, a fissure phenomenon…?”

“Everyone! Gather here immediately!”

Hong Da-ye had shouted to the absent-minded Teams 1 and 16, but it was already too late.

“Kiiiii? Kiiiiiiii.”

With arms as long as a monkey’s and as thick as a bear’s, a creature torn through the fissure like a curtain, revealing its indescribable form.

“Kiiiiiiii, eee. Kiiiiii.”

Beyond the fissure, a beast scattering an unknown hostility towards humanity flicked its tongue as it gazed at the children.

“A mon, monster, it’s a monster!”

Yes.

A monster.

A monster had appeared in the examination hall.

“Kiiiiii, eee, eee.”

“Grrr, ruk.”

“Grouk, grouk.”

And it wasn’t just one monster – there were several of them.