Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game

Romance Hero Academy.

It was the female-oriented strategy role-playing game (SRPG) I played in my past life.

The plot of the game goes like this:

Jin Soyeon, the female protagonist, teams up with handsome and capable male heroes to defeat world-threatening monsters and villains and become a hero herself.

Following the typical sequence of a female-oriented visual novel game.

But there’s a unique twist here.

Romance Hero Academy is a game that cleverly mixes elements of visual novels and RPGs.

As it half-purports to be an RPG, it boasts excellent balance in strategy, combat, and character development, and places a high emphasis on exploration and collection elements.

Dungeon conquering, villain hunting, character romance, and more. For a female-oriented game, the quality is really outstanding.

In my past life, as a gamer, I stumbled upon this game during my internet wanderings and, with a mix of apprehension and expectation, I decided to give it a try.

But who would have thought.

Charming characters.

Excellent level design.

Threatening and powerful enemies.

Great settings with South Korea as the backdrop.

Despite my low expectations, wasn’t it surprisingly fun?

That’s why I played it as if I’d fallen in love for the first time.

I saw all the endings, collected all the CGs, searched for hidden elements, farmed all the items, achieved all the achievements, played it over dozens of times, tried various concept plays, and even created and uploaded 100% walkthrough videos on the internet…

I was really hooked on this game for a long time.

I got so into it that I memorized the profiles of the main, supporting, and minor characters, as well as the setting of the game’s world.

I searched the internet for related doujinshi, novels, and setting materials.

Well, to be honest, I was half-crazy about this game, wasn’t I?

However, if you ask me if I wanted to be reincarnated into the world of Romance Hero Academy, I would have to say ‘no’.

Because this world is filled with dangerous monsters and villains.

If you’re really unlucky, you could be screamingly dead in an instant.

But why.

Why.

Why did I…

Get reincarnated as NPC Lee Jinhyuk…

“Again, look at you spacing out.”

“Ah.”

Startled.

I was brought back to my senses by the clear voice of a girl.

After snapping out of my needless reverie, I slowly turned my head and realized that a familiarly beautiful girl was staring at me, puzzled.

That was Jin Soyeon.

The heroine of this world.

“You’ve been weird lately, you know? Always zoning out.”

“Sorry, sorry.”

I responded with a light smile to Jin Soyeon, who wore a soft expression full of questions.

“There’s just a lot on my mind.”

But it would be rude to have other thoughts in front of Jin Soyeon.

Now I should put aside those needless thoughts and focus on Jin Soyeon.

“Concerns? What concerns?”

This place was Jin Soyeon’s room.

A white desk and chair, a single-sized bed, various types of cosmetics, a penguin stuffed toy that I had given her as a gift in the past…

For a girl’s room, it could seem quite simple.

“Are you worried about life at the Academy?”

Jin Soyeon sat on her single-sized bed and gently hugged the large penguin stuffed toy.

She buried her face in the penguin toy for a moment and then quickly lifted her head, her expression hinting at some teasing thought.

“After all, our Jinhyuk barely passed with makeup exams~.”

Jin Soyeon teased me with a mischievous expression, but her words were not wrong.

Because the setting of Lee Jinhyuk in the game was really the worst.

NPC Lee Jinhyuk.

Talent at the level of a commoner, no background.

Parents deceased, not much in terms of wealth.

And a poor constitution that meant even with long training, growth was minimal, and he never awoke any special abilities.

The fact that I was able to get into Union Academy was almost entirely up to luck.

The high scores on written exams and the tactical simulation evaluations were just enough to get me in as an additional successful applicant.

My qualifications as an aspiring hero were truly subpar.

Not only compared to Jin Soyeon but even among the male heroes.

Ability, wealth, background, appearance… it was nonsensical to compare.

“Ah well, can’t help it. I’ll look after you a bit, so don’t worry too much. I’m ranked 257th, you know?”

At this point, one might wonder.

Why is the character and treatment of NPC Lee Jinhyuk so unfavorably depicted?

After all, the role of a childhood friend is typically given more importance and better treatment because of its popularity.

But I am different. And so is NPC Lee Jinhyuk.

Because the character Lee Jinhyuk is created with the idea of ‘retirement (Retire)’ midway through the story.

“Even at 257th, you’re just middle to upper tier. Doesn’t seem like enough to be so proud, huh?”

“Yeah~ you’re next to last~.”

To be more blunt, he is a character destined to be sacrificed as fodder for the mental awakening of Jin Soyeon.

Well, why not.

Isn’t this a common setting in the hero genre?

The protagonist awakens hidden powers and vanquishes enemies when a loved one, family, lover, friend, etc., dies.

Likewise, it’s also common for the devastated female protagonist to gradually open her heart as she is comforted by handsome and cool men.

Really, it’s such a clichéd part of the plot.

When I played this game in the past, I remember thinking, ‘Oh, how clichéd~’ and just accepting it…

If it’s about me, that changes things.

It’s not just clichéd; my heart is racing so fast it feels like it’s going to burst.

‘Of course, it’s not like there’s no route to survival…’

“Anyway, it’s good that we got into Union. It would have been awkward if only I passed.”

Suddenly, Jin Soyeon lay down on the bed, hugging the penguin toy tightly.

“Right?”

I quietly watched Jin Soyeon, who was smiling broadly with her head thrown back, though I felt quite unsettled.

She seemed happy that we both got into Union Academy, but right now, I was just feeling uneasy.

“Jinhyuk, it was your dream. To enroll in Union and become a hero.”

“It was.”

In the past.

“It was? Why the past tense?”

“Just… well.”

To be precise, it had been my dream up until about a month ago.

To enroll in Union Academy, the best place in South Korea for cultivating heroes, and become a true hero.

But now, that’s impossible.

Because a month from now.

I came to realize one fact.

“Like you said, I barely passed. I guess I really don’t have talent as a hero.”

“Huh? It’s not like you to talk like that, Jinhyuk.”

Previous life.

I cursed the memory that I had recalled from my previous life.

“You’re not feeling down because of a few words I said, right? Huh?”

“Of course not.”

Knowing this world is very similar to the female-oriented game, I could no longer aim to be a mere hero and enjoy life at the academy.

Because I know about the numerous incidents and accidents that will occur at Union Academy in the future.

And what will happen to me and Jin Soyeon.

I knew everything.

“By the way, Soyeon.”

“Huh? What’s up?”

For a brief moment, I quietly gazed into Jin Soyeon’s clear eyes and then broached the subject.

An inquisitive pair of eyes flickered with a golden glow.

Her eyes seemed to have an alluring charm that could draw in men.

“I have something to tell you.”

“Something to say?”

She licked her lips a couple of times and then suddenly bit her lower lip gently.
Once spoken, words could not be taken back, hence the slight hesitation.

But after a month of deep thought, following the awakening of my memories of my past life, I concluded that it would be best to say this.
For Jin Soyeon and me. And for leading a normal life at the academy, it was necessary to redefine our relationship.

“What is it? You’re making me wait.”

Jin Soyeon blinked.

Her head tilted curiously from side to side.

Even that simple motion was quite endearing.

“……Huh?”

Then suddenly.

“Jinhyuk, you don’t mean…”

Jin Soyeon wore a startled expression.

And wrapped her arms around herself protectively.

What’s going on? Why is she acting like this all of a sudden?

“I didn’t think you were like that……!”

“What are you talking about?”

Then very slowly.

She began to move her hips away, increasing the distance between us.

“Taking advantage of my mom being on a business trip……?”

“……?”

“Gyah~ Pervert~! Beast~! I never thought Jinhyuk would think like that! Even if it’s you, some things just shouldn’t be done……”

“……?”

“Uh, uh, Jinhyuk? You’re not going to deny it?”

“……”

When I looked at her with an expression of disbelief, Jin Soyeon scratched her cheek bashfully with an awkward look.

“Hmm. Don’t embarrass people.”

I stared intently at Jin Soyeon, who was twirling the ends of her hair and feigning ignorance.

She muttered to herself, ‘Why won’t he play along with my jokes these days,’ and grumbled.

Jin Soyeon avoided my gaze for a moment but then cleared her throat when she could no longer ignore the issue, and brought it up again.

“So, what is it you were going to say, Jinhyuk?”

“Ah, well… it’s nothing major.”

A little delayed because of Jin Soyeon’s irrelevant playfulness, but the words had to be said.
Thanks to Jin Soyeon, at least the mood had lightened considerably.

“Soyeon.”

“Yeah?”

“Let’s break up.”

On the very day the Academy’s entrance ceremony, which marks the beginning of the game, ended.

I declared our parting to Jin Soyeon, the heroine of the female-oriented visual novel and the leading female protagonist.