Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game

Romance Hero Academy is a game aimed at a female audience.

Forming bonds with numerous men and enjoying sweet and bitter romances is a key objective.

Rich young masters, scions of leading clans, celebrity classmates…

As one lives through the Academy life, it’s only natural to attract handsome and capable men like bees to a flower’s fragrance.

But let me ask.

What if the girl you have a crush on is suddenly attached to an unknown man?

Would you accept it if they receive special treatment and maintain a joyous relationship simply because they’ve been together for a long time?

No. It wouldn’t be possible.

You wouldn’t accept that a man with no ability, talent, or decent family background monopolizes the affection of the one you love.

Why?

Because, as I’ve said before, this world is a reverse harem game.

Unlike the typical visual novel that sings of love, this game is a reverse harem visual novel mixed with dark, sticky themes of decadence, obsession, and jealousy.

This is the true face of Romance Hero Academy.

‘The personalities of the male protagonists… they’re seriously no joke.’

The male protagonists each have a towering sense of self-esteem.

They might not show jealousy overtly, but as the story progresses, their dissatisfaction and attachment will inevitably build up.

If one fails to manage the affinity and favorability properly, the male protagonists will come to view me, Jin Soyeon’s only boyfriend, as an ‘enemy’ or ‘obstacle.’

Of course, since they half-claim to be the good guys, they won’t bully me openly, but the problem lies with the various NPCs trying to curry favor with the male protagonists.

They will voluntarily torment Lee Jinhyuk to earn the male protagonists’ approval.

Malicious rumors, ostracism, isolation, harassment, manipulation.

All of this will be done very spitefully, as long as it stays under the radar.

Really, the more I think about it, the more hopeless my future at the Academy seems.

Perhaps because my character was created to be sacrificed, my treatment is just terrible.

However, there is one way to solve all this.

A very simple solution.

Think about it. If being Jin Soyeon’s boyfriend is the cause of the harassment, then breaking up with her should solve it.

Therefore, I declared our breakup to Jin Soyeon.

“……”

“……”

Then silence fell between us.

The room was filled with an indefinable sense of quietude.

“Ah.”

But that was only for a moment.

“As if I’m joking around… anyway.”

Jin Soyeon muttered a monologue as if for me to hear and soon lifted her eyes with a somber expression.

Then she began to act like a bereaved heroine, full of mischief, as if she had been spurned in love.

“How could you…”

Her demeanor was reminiscent of a playful cat or a mischievous girl.

“Is there another woman?”

She feigned a sob with a voice half mixed with tears.

“Jinhyuk… how could you do this to me…!”

Even going so far as to pretend to weep openly.

‘I sort of expected this, but so she’s reacting like this.’

Such a response was possible because of our close relationship.

We had often exchanged playful jokes.

April Fool’s pranks, surprise hidden-camera jokes, and more.

“Yeah… right.”

“Huh?”

“There’s another woman I like.”

I decided to go along with the playful mood as if it didn’t matter much, aiming to shift the atmosphere.

“She’s much prettier and kinder than you.”

“Sniff. A rebound breakup is the worst~.”

We continued to banter, laughing nonsensically.

“Did you really find someone you fell for at first sight after the entrance ceremony?”

“Who knows.”

“Again~ again with that~. Won’t you tell just me, your noona, a little bit?”

Jin Soyeon teased me with a sly smile.

Giggling, she poked me in the ribs.

She didn’t look at all like a lover who had just heard a declaration of breakup. But how could she? Jin Soyeon and I weren’t in a typical romantic relationship.

“Anyway, enough with the jokes.”

“Ah~”

“Soyeon.”

“Alright, alright. So, what is it you want to say, Mr. Jinhyuk?”

When I looked at her with a bit more seriousness, she gave a shrug as if to say she got it and prepared to listen.

“That thing I mentioned just now.”

“Ah, the breakup thing?”

Her eyes flickered as if she remembered.

“I thought it might be time to quit now that we’ve been admitted to Union Academy.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah.”

I looked at Jin Soyeon intently.

Then…

“I see.”

She nodded slowly, as if understanding.

“Ah~ and I was wondering…”

With a long sigh, a smile crept onto her previously tense face.

She playfully patted my shoulder as usual.

“I was wondering what you were going to say.”

“I wanted to try saying it too. The ‘let’s break up’ thing.”

“It must be nice~ To kick a pretty girl to the curb so easily.”

Our conversation about the breakup was casual, as if it wasn’t a big deal.

At a glance, our reactions might seem a bit strange, but in reality, Jin Soyeon and I were not truly in a romantic relationship.

We were so-called ‘fake lovers.’

A relationship that pretended to be real but wasn’t.

‘Fake lovers, huh. Sounds like something straight out of a game.’

It’s the stuff of love comedies, pure romance comics, romance fantasy… Wouldn’t it be disappointing if it weren’t featured in subculture genres by now?

“With graduation from the Academy marking the end of our school days, shouldn’t we try out a proper romance?”

“Wow? You’re already thinking about romance just after entering?”

There was no particular reason why Jin Soyeon and I became fake lovers.

Since she was a child, Jin Soyeon, who had received an overwhelming number of love confessions from boys, asked me to pretend to be her boyfriend because she found it bothersome.

I, who couldn’t refuse the request of a young Jin Soyeon who had suffered for her beauty from a young age, became the target of jealousy for many boys.

But not anymore.

Because I have to end this superficial relationship.

“I didn’t know you were so eager to be in a relationship, Jinhyuk.”

Jin Soyeon laughed and sprawled out on her bed.

“As expected, all men are wolves~. Ahaha……”

I quietly looked down at Jin Soyeon, who was joking and laughing.

I watched her for a while, but she seemed no different from the usual Jin Soyeon.

She didn’t seem to attach much significance to ending our fake relationship.

‘But really, is she okay? It’s hard to tell just by looking.’

I scratched my temples thoughtfully.

There was one thing I had been secretly concerned about.

Jin Soyeon was almost always smiling, so it was hard to know what she was thinking.

‘But seeing her react so nonchalantly, maybe there’s no big problem.’

Perhaps.

There’s one little setting about Jin Soyeon.

It’s not a huge deal.

Just that she unknowingly has feelings for her childhood friend.

In the game, this setting was given so that when I die, she would experience a shock and become a tragic heroine.

Anyway, if the game’s setting is to be followed, Jin Soyeon might unknowingly like me.

…Of course, well.

I don’t really know if it’s true or not.

She’s always playing such pointless pranks.

And I was bothered by the ambiguous term ‘unknowingly.’

It’s a hard expression to judge objectively.

Also, her reaction to our breakup was too nonchalant.

“Do you really like me?” I wondered.

In the game, Jin Soyeon’s inner feelings weren’t well expressed.

Despite being a playable character.

‘Considering Jin Soyeon’s character setting… well, it’s possible. But the reaction is too vague, making me hesitant about how to respond.’

I expressly said, “Let’s break up,” wondering how she would react.

“Soyeon, what about you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah.”

She blinked a few times, then pointed at herself with her index finger.

“Don’t you want to try a real relationship?”

“I’m good.”

Jin Soyeon fiddled with the penguin toy and answered casually.

“Relationships are bothersome~.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course, with my looks, guys won’t leave me alone. Ah, Jinhyuk. You might regret breaking up with me? You’ll know it’s too late even if you beg me to come back.”

“There’s no cure for princess disease.”

“Hmph. What?”

Jin Soyeon pouted her lips in annoyance and glared at me.

“After all, boys, you know. Even after rumors spread that we were dating, a few kept confessing.”

“Oh, right.”

Was it during middle school?

Several boys confessed to her secretly.

They must have been confident that a goalkeeper like me could be easily bypassed. Well. Objectively, Jin Soyeon and I didn’t suit each other.

“They’d put me down and say they were much better, question why she was with me, promise to treat her better… sigh.”

Was it because of her negative experiences with various boys?

Jin Soyeon seemed to have a poor view of them.

Of course, her bright and lively personality allowed her to be friendly with both genders, but she seemed not to want to form a romantic relationship with a man.

“Do you really have no interest in love?”

“I said no, didn’t I?”

“Who knows? Maybe there’s a really great guy out there?”

Like the male protagonists who are talented, good-looking, and well-backed.

“You really… Ha. Fine then. Go enjoy your love life.”

Jin Soyeon looked at me disapprovingly.

But considering the future, it would be best for Jin Soyeon and male protagonists to build positive relationships.

They are not only as talented as Jin Soyeon but also superior in abilities, background, wealth, etc.

They would make good allies in resolving various matters down the line.

‘If she starts to lead a full-on Academy life, Soyeon will be hard-pressed to handle it alone.’

The difficulty level of this female-oriented role-playing game is quite high.

One wrong move, and you’re likely to encounter a bad ending.

Then the world would be in chaos.

A world without its main character never ends well.

Like it or not, this is the world I have to keep living in.

I can’t just leave it all to Jin Soyeon and walk away without a care.

Ah, of course.

I have almost no intention of fighting myself.

Even if I am a veteran of this game.

What can I do if I have to face off against the twisted monsters of the underworld, if not die?

The monsters and villains in this game are genuinely frightening.

Someone like me, with no talent or capability and created to die, would become nothing but a slab of meat if I carelessly stepped forward.

But thankfully, there’s someone who will fight in my stead, right?

Jin Soyeon, the chosen heroine at the center of this world.

‘Depending on how I guide Soyeon and the male protagonists, the future could vary wildly.’

Okay.

There’s no point in hiding it now.

I plan to make use of them.

Jin Soyeon and the male protagonists, the top talents of this world.

Ah.

Don’t misunderstand when I say I’ll use them.

I don’t mean to use them as tools.

Soyeon is my favorite and my childhood friend.

There’s no way I’d treat her harshly.

Instead, I plan to support her so she won’t be envious of anyone.

I’ll take advantage of my past-life memories to reap all the benefits for her.

Of course, the best option would be for me to die in front of her to awaken her, but I can’t just die on purpose for her to awaken, can I?

Well… depending on the situation, I might be able to pretend to be dead…

“Are you spacing out again?”

“Ah. Sorry, I’m a bit sleepy.”

“You’re sleepy when your girlfriend is right next to you?”

“We decided to stop pretending to be lovers.”

“Oh, right.”

Jin Soyeon twisted her hair around her finger.

“Anyway, if you’re sleepy, you should go back and sleep, right? Tomorrow starts our real Academy life.”

“Yeah… you’re right.”

I nodded.

I had said most of what I wanted to say, so it was time to leave.

“Jinhyuk.”

“Yeah.”

Suddenly, Jin Soyeon’s voice stopped me.

“Thanks for indulging me all this time. It must have been bothersome for you.”

“No, it’s okay. Considering our relationship.”

“Our relationship…”

Jin Soyeon smiled ambiguously.

“See you tomorrow, Soyeon.”

“Yeah, take care, ex-boyfriend Jinhyuk.”

“Dream of me, ex-girlfriend Soyeon.”

“Ah, stop it, that’s gross~.”

I parted with the usual nonsensical banter.

“……”

Just before closing the door.

I glanced back and saw through the closing gap.

Jin Soyeon looking at my retreating figure.

Her eyes, they were…

Different from the usual, much more subdued.