Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game

The coming weekend, I sent messages to Yoo Seolhyun and Sunari saying I had something to discuss related to the practical assessment.

Sunari seemed slightly displeased to be called out during her precious weekend hours, but with Yoo Seolhyun’s eager acceptance, she reluctantly agreed to make the appointment.

The meeting place was a newly opened café.

I planned to let Yoo Seolhyun taste the strawberry slice cake sold here, which would become her favorite snack in the future.

Ding-dong~.

With the sound of a short bell, a woman entered.

She swept back her lustrous, gold-dusted hair and scanned the café before spotting me.

Slipping a small handbag over her shoulder and letting the hem of her light long jacket flutter, she walked towards me with the click-clack of her heels echoing in my ears.

Dressed in casual clothes, she reminded me of a freshman college student.

The mature aura she emitted was something that couldn’t be felt in the Academy’s uniform. She walked gracefully towards me, like a model on a runway.

The men in the café sneakily glanced at her before getting scolded by their girlfriends for staring.

Yoo Seolhyun, noticing this, chuckled behind her hand.

She seemed to enjoy these reactions quite mischievously, like a true villainess.

“You came early?”

“Not too long ago.”

I nodded in response to Yoo Seolhyun’s remark.

“Aren’t you going to say hi to me?”

At that moment, a familiar voice caught my attention.

Oh, it’s Sunari. She’s here too.

Her small stature had made her less noticeable.

“Sunari.”

“Hmph.”

With a petulant expression and her arms crossed, Sunari, with her pigtails, glared at me.

It seemed she had noticed my delayed reaction.

Her small stature was a complex issue, according to the story.

I decided not to mention it directly.

“Shall we order something first? Since it’s my treat today, I’ll buy you girls a slice of cake.”

They chose Americano and an Espresso Double Shot.

“Why Espresso? Even with cake, isn’t that a bit much?”

“What’s it to you what I drink?”

Sunari snapped back as if her pride had been pricked.

Why would she order something so bitter?

Yoo Seolhyun smirked at her reaction.

“Espresso does have a good fragrance. Right, Nari?”

“Uh, yes! Right, Jinhyuk just doesn’t know any better because of his childish tastes?”

Right on cue, Sunari took a sip of her espresso, only to choke on it with a series of inarticulate sounds.

Yoo Seolhyun teasingly suggested, “Is it good? Want me to get you another?” leaving Sunari wide-eyed and hesitating.

She clearly didn’t want more but seemed unable to refuse Seolhyun’s offer.

I gave a wry smile and changed the subject to help her out.

“Come on, everyone, take a look at this.”

I took out several documents I had prepared for the practical assessment and laid them on the table.

“Hmm?”

Yoo Seolhyun quickly scanned through the paperwork.

“Our first opponents will be Han Dongwon, Oh Seongwoon, and Ko Mirae. You’re aware, right?”

“Pfft. Nobodies.”

Sunari scoffed with an air of arrogance befitting her 17th ranking.

“Nobodies? They were quite a big deal in their own right back in the day.”

“Big deals or not, nobodies are nobodies.”

Well, that’s one way to see it.

They are not even named NPCs.

Comparing them to characters like you and the villainess Yoo Seolhyun, they lack in many aspects – combat skills, strategic planning, and so on.

But this world isn’t a game; it’s reality.

Named NPCs or extras, protagonists or not, one can’t afford to be complacent.

Indeed, you two are stronger than them, but it’s not an ‘overwhelming’ strength.

At best, you’re all still Academy students.

Depending on the opponent’s approach, numerous variables can arise.

Moreover, our team includes me, hardly useful as a combatant.

“Everyone is above mid-tier. They use bows, swords, and spears, with an overall good balance. Supernatural abilities have been revealed, but Han Dongwon’s powers might differ slightly. What you need to keep in mind is…”

I explained various things about the opposing team.

Their supernatural abilities, martial prowess, synergy, positions, and strategic plans.

How we should proceed and what we should focus on.

“Interesting.”

After some time had passed, Yoo Seolhyun, who had been listening quietly, lightly tapped her coffee cup and spoke.

“You’ve prepared more than I expected, haven’t you?”

She looked at me with a beaming smile.

“Are you not the top in theory? Listening to you, I get the vibe of a tactical advisor.”

“In middle school, I was always the one who took on the operator role during team tactical evaluations.”

Regretfully, lacking the talents of a hero, I had to take on a commanding role to score well in practical assessments.

In the past, I meticulously analyzed training and dueling videos, breaking down every frame to examine habits, compatibility, weaknesses, and specialties.

Now, recalling my past life memories and nearly all the settings from Romance Hero Academy, devising strategies was even easier.

Behind-the-scenes stories about various characters could be found in the official novels and fan-made comics.

“It’s great you’ve analyzed so thoroughly, but it seems like wasted effort. Yoo Seolhyun and I should be more than enough without any tricks or gimmicks.”

Sunari dismissed the efforts with a nonchalant expression.

“For now, maybe. But who knows about later?”

The Han Dongwon team wasn’t the issue.

This was merely a rehearsal to see how well the game’s settings and my analyses would hold up in reality.

“And what about the next team after you beat Han Dongwon’s? And the one after that?”

“What about them?”

“And eventually, what if we face Lee Siwoon or Kang Daehan’s team in the finals?”

“…”

Sunari fell silent, seemingly unable to dismiss the male protagonists that lightly.

“And with a liability like me in the team. Pure combat would be even harder, right?”

“Well, there is that.”

Hey. Why are you so easily agreeing that I’m a liability? …Though it’s true.

“Throughout history, solid strategies have been key to overturning disadvantageous situations. If we face Lee Siwoon or Kang Daehan’s team in the finals, we’ll be underpowered. Let’s prepare for that by syncing up and honing our tactical execution skills.”

“You think we’ll make it to the finals that easily?”

Yoo Seolhyun added, and I nodded in affirmation.

“Of course. Didn’t we make a bet? I said I’d at least be in the top one or two.”

“Alright. I look forward to it.”

“But you remember you have to follow my orders, right?”

“Ah, of course.”

Yoo Seolhyun smiled lightly as she looked over the papers scattered across the table.

“I didn’t expect much from you, but the research you brought today… and the explanation… maybe you’re somewhat competent as an operator.”

She neatly cut off a tiny piece of cake with a fork.

“Of course, we don’t need empty theories. You better show us in practice that everything you’ve said can actually work. I’m starting to look forward to it.”

She stabbed the piece and took a bite.

“So let’s go with what you want for the first match. I’ll listen to you.”

Then, she put down her fork.

It seemed she had finished her cake, a look of satisfaction on her face.

The delicious snack must have made her more receptive to my words.

“Do you girls have any questions or something you want to say?”

“Oh, wait, I need to use the bathroom…”

Sunari, who had been looking a bit pale, suddenly raised her hand.

Her face looked a tad ashen.

It seemed she might have a slight stomach upset.

“That’s why I said to go easy on the espresso.”

“Sh, shut up! Uh, sorry Seolhyun, I’ll be right back!”

Sunari shot me a glare before apologizing to Yoo Seolhyun and dashing off.

Now, it was just the two of us left.

Yoo Seolhyun stared directly at me, then opened the conversation with a slightly mischievous expression.

“Oh, by the way, how have you been?”

“What do you mean?”

What’s she getting at now?

“You and Jin Soyeon have been seen together quite a lot lately.”

“So what?”

“I was just thinking, isn’t it a bit strange for an ex-girlfriend to start hanging around with another guy right after breaking up?”

I laughed inwardly at Yoo Seolhyun’s words.

Wouldn’t it be better if they hung out even more?

“What about you?”

“Hm?”

“Doesn’t it bother you that Jin Soyeon is always around Lee Siwoon?”

“Why would it bother me?”

“I heard a rumor that you two were engaged.”

“What?”

Yoo Seolhyun’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

The engagement was supposed to be a secret.

She must have been surprised that I knew.

“Where did you hear that?”

“Who knows? I heard it through the grapevine.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. And don’t take it too hard. You and Siwoon come from big corporate families, and you’ve known each other since you were kids. It makes for juicy gossip. Kids love to connect love lines, you know.”

“…”

Yoo Seolhyun looked at me, twisting a lock of her hair around her finger.

“Well… about that…”

Just as Yoo Seolhyun was about to continue.

“…Jinhyuk, what are you doing here?”

“?!”

A familiar voice caught both our attention.

Yoo Seolhyun and I turned our heads without thinking, looking for the source of the voice.

“What are you doing here?”

“I asked first.”

Jin Soyeon was looking at us with a stern expression.

“What are you two doing here?”

***

Jin Soyeon was incredulous.

How could these two be meeting at a café on the weekend?

Lee Jinhyuk, who had recently been too busy to spend time with her, was now seemingly enjoying a cozy coffee date with Yoo Seolhyun?

This was betrayal, betrayal!

What about Jinhyuk?

He was too busy to go to the café with her when she asked.

He had said he was too busy during the weekend because of the practical assessment.

Was he too busy because he needed to meet with Yoo Seolhyun?

“Ahaha…♪”

Yoo Seolhyun suddenly lifted the corners of her mouth, a mischievous smile spreading across her face, as if she was enjoying the moment.

“Hi, Soyeon.”

“Hi. But what were you doing with Jinhyuk?”

“I came out because Jinhyuk said he had something to tell me.”

“Jinhyuk did?”

Jin Soyeon’s gaze shifted to Jinhyuk, wondering what he would have to talk about with Yoo Seolhyun.

Something to say?

Why would Jinhyuk have something to discuss with Yoo Seolhyun in private?

If it had been a trivial matter, they would have talked at the Academy.

So what could they possibly have to meet about on a weekend?

Wait a minute.

Maybe…

– Actually, I’ve started liking someone else.

Why did Jinhyuk’s words from a month ago come to mind?

“Yoo Seolhyun, don’t make it sound weird. We’re just getting together to talk about the practical assessment. Look at this.”

Jinhyuk then took out a few documents he had stashed away and fluttered them in front of Jin Soyeon.

“And it’s not like we met alone. We also got together with Sunari.”

Then, pointing to an empty chair, Jinhyuk indicated that it was part of their meeting as well.

Indeed, an unfinished coffee cup and a plate were left on the table by the empty seat.

“So don’t be so pouty.”

“I’m not pouting. And what do I have to pout about?”

“You were upset last time when I turned you down about coming here. Is that why?”

Jinhyuk shrugged as he spoke, and Jin Soyeon sighed internally.

He’s great, but he’s so clueless… Sigh.

“What’s up, Jin Soyeon? When did you get here?”

“Sunari.”

Out of nowhere, Sunari returned from the restroom and acknowledged Jin Soyeon.

“Let’s get going first, Nari. Let’s go.”

“Ah, mm.”

“Talk comfortably with your childhood friend. We’ll be off then.”

Yoo Seolhyun promptly picked up her coat and handbag and left the café, followed by Sunari who hastily finished the remaining cake and chased after her.

“…”

“…”

A silence descended between Jinhyuk and Jin Soyeon for a moment.

“…Then I’ll be off too.”

“Sit down.”

Jinhyuk, without much else to say, tried to leave, but Jin Soyeon sharply gestured for him to sit.

More like insisted.

“Can’t you spare some time for me?”

“I told you I’m busy.”

“Hah.”

Jin Soyeon let out a sneer.

Busy?

Why is he always busy whenever he sees her?

Is it just her he’s too busy for?

“Hey, Lee Jinhyuk. Let’s talk.”

“What?”

“Do you have a grudge against me or something? Why have you been acting like this lately?”

Jin Soyeon bit her lip slightly as she fixed Jinhyuk with a piercing gaze.

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t understand Jinhyuk’s behavior.

He might be busy, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was intentionally putting distance between them.

Did she do something to upset him?

Or was there another reason?

“…Seriously.”

Jin Soyeon scowled, and Jinhyuk chuckled bitterly.

His demeanor was like an uncle placating a tantrum-throwing niece.

…Which just irritated her more.

Jinhyuk seemed so mature these days.

“Soyeon.”

“What, why.”

With a calm smile, Jinhyuk drew out a substantial amount of A4 paper, densely filled with writing, from his bag.

It was much more than what he’d shown previously.

It likely related to the practical assessment…

“You know I lack the talents of a hero.”

“That’s not true.”

“I’ve felt it myself. In middle school, I could manage without talent, but it’s not the same at Union.”

“…”

“I want to have fun too. Hang out with you, play games after school, and go out on weekends.”

“…”

Jinhyuk smiled ruefully.

“But if I play when others are playing and only make an effort when they do, I won’t be able to catch up with them. That’s why I’ve been focusing so much on training and studying lately. I didn’t want to get too distracted hanging out with you… I might have put some distance between us. I guess that was hard for you. Sorry.”

“No, it’s… whatever.”

Jin Soyeon awkwardly scratched her cheek.

She had to admit, with Jinhyuk always around, it was hard to focus properly.

“And another thing.”

“Hmm?”

“We’re broken up, right? If we keep hanging out, it doesn’t look good.”

“Uh?”

Jin Soyeon blinked in confusion. What was he talking about?

“Why care about appearances?”

“I do care. You might get into a relationship later, and I don’t want to cause any issues because of me.”

“How many times do I have to tell you I’m not interested in dating?”

“Heh. You say that, but you seem to get along pretty well with Siwoon lately.”

“…You’ve been ignoring me lately.”

“What’d you say?”

“Wow, I said it under my breath, but did you really not hear me or are you pretending?”

He heard, just pretended not to.

Jinhyuk smiled inwardly.

“Anyway. Since we’re on the subject, I’ll ask you again. Are you and Lee Siwoon really nothing?”

“What are you talking about? I told you before, didn’t I? It’s not like that.”

“Come on, spill it. I’ve read a lot on relationships. I give great advice, you know?”

“There’s nothing to say.”

What’s with this guy, really?

Why is he acting like this?

“Siwoon’s really handsome, wealthy, and talented… What’s he lacking?”

“What are you on about?”

“He seems interested in you. Want me to help?”

“I said no. How many times do I have to tell you?”

Something started boiling inside Jin Soyeon.

Jinhyuk’s persistent attempt to link her with Siwoon was infuriating.

“Honestly, with someone like Siwoon…”

“Stop!”

Bang!

Jin Soyeon slammed her hand hard on the table, startling Jinhyuk who immediately thought, ‘Ah, I’ve overdone it again.’

“What about you? Are you interested in Yoo Seolhyun?”

“Huh? Me? What are you talking about?”

Jinhyuk was taken aback by Jin Soyeon’s sudden question.

“You asked to break up on the day of the Academy’s entrance ceremony.”

“Yeah, so?”

“You said you started liking someone else.”

“Did I?”

Jinhyuk looked like he was mentally questioning himself.

“Isn’t Yoo Seolhyun the one you like?”

“What are you going on about? Me and Yoo Seolhyun, haha. That’s ridiculous.”

“Why do you keep tying me and Siwoon together?”

“Whatever.”

“I’m pissed off…”

“Sorry, okay? I’ll treat you today to make it up. Let’s cool off.”

Jinhyuk rubbed his temples, then spoke up more kindly.

“What do you want? Cake? Parfait? Coffee?”

“An Americano will do.”

“Ah, just coffee is a bit disappointing. If you won’t choose, I’ll order for you.”

With that, Jinhyuk picked out some items from the menu, and Jin Soyeon quietly reflected.

– It does bother me. You might want to date someone later, and it’d be troublesome if I was in the way.

That could apply to Jinhyuk as well.

What if Jinhyuk fell for Yoo Seolhyun at first sight on the day of the Academy’s entrance ceremony and told Jin Soyeon to end their fake relationship to get closer to Yoo Seolhyun without complications?

What if he deliberately created distance after entering the Academy?

The reason he left Jin Soyeon out and joined Yoo Seolhyun’s team for the practical assessment might be… maybe…?

‘…’

As her thoughts reached that point…

‘…It’s annoying.’

Jin Soyeon felt something squirming inside her, undefined and unsettling.