Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game

Yoo Seolhyun.

Granddaughter of Yoo Gamyeong, a legendary figure in South Korea.

She was always surrounded by numerous children and was the embodiment of elegance and haughty beauty, a rich young lady fittingly born and bred. Her grades were outstanding both in practical and theoretical tests, and she emanated a Western allure with her beautiful appearance, full bosom, slender waist, and long legs.

Her mixed heritage of East and West, coupled with the fact that she came from a prestigious household, made her exceedingly popular among the boys. She seemed like a lady who would appear in a dramatic tale. If one were to compare purely based on popularity, she could be considered more popular than Jin Soyeon.

Although Jin Soyeon believed her own appearance to be second to none, Yoo Seolhyun had a certain decadent charm and a formidable background that drew the boys to her.

“…”

Could Lee Jinhyuk be the same? It wouldn’t be strange for a healthy young man to take an interest in a beautiful woman. However, having known him for a long time, she knew very well how indifferently he treated the opposite sex. Up until Union Academy, he had nearly always been seen only with Jin Soyeon. Lee Jinhyuk always regarded women with detachment.

But why?

Why was Lee Jinhyuk meeting privately with Yoo Seolhyun? It made sense for them to meet unavoidably during the evaluation, but now there seemed to be no reason for it, right? Jin Soyeon had never seen him out with another girl, apart from her…

“Hey? Why is Jinhyuk with Seolhyun?”

“Were they that close to meet separately?”

“Oh? What’s this, what’s this? Is the reason Jinhyuk bailed on karaoke today because of her?”

The kids responded with a hint of curiosity. The incident involving the monster had brought Teams 1 and 16 into the spotlight, making the meeting between Lee Jinhyuk and Yoo Seolhyun a juicy piece of gossip for the others.

“Isn’t that Soyeon’s ex-boyfriend?”

“…”

“Soyeon?”

“…Huh? Why?”

Kim Seoyoon tried to make a half-joking remark, but Jin Soyeon reacted a beat too late, as if she hadn’t heard.

Kim Seoyoon couldn’t help but smile wryly inwardly. Regardless of a good breakup, it wouldn’t be pleasant to see an ex-boyfriend and childhood friend meeting with Yoo Seolhyun, especially since Jin Soyeon and Yoo Seolhyun had a somewhat sour relationship.

“Does it bother you a bit?”

Kim Seoyoon nodded understandingly a couple of times.

“Well, it’s kind of a strange feeling to see something like that.”

A strange feeling, indeed…

She felt a little flutter near her heart. Was it a feeling of unease or just general discomfort? Hard to say, but her heart felt somewhat constricted.

– Actually, I’ve met another girl.
– She’s much prettier and nicer than you.
– Now that I’ll graduate from the Academy, I should try a real romance, don’t you think?

Suddenly.

Memories of Lee Jinhyuk’s teasing words surfaced.

She had thought them to be half-joking…

…but could it be that it was more than just idle talk?

Did he truly take an interest in Yoo Seolhyun?

“…”

Ugh.

But somehow, very slightly…

‘…I feel let down.’

Yes. That must be it.

Perhaps she felt let down because he had found an interest in another girl and had been neglecting her lately.

The absence of Lee Jinhyuk, who had always been by her side, felt a bit empty.

And the way he immediately put Jin Soyeon on the back burner upon finding a new interest seemed a bit petty.

“…”

After all, Lee Jinhyuk, who had always viewed women like stones, was supposed to be congratulated for finally taking an interest in the opposite sex, as a childhood friend.

Regardless of Jin Soyeon’s request to pretend to be lovers, Lee Jinhyuk had always been too indifferent to women.

She had even worried if he would ever be able to date properly.

But…

Why, of all people, did it have to be Yoo Seolhyun?

From the first day, Yoo Seolhyun had been somewhat annoying to her.

It didn’t seem like Yoo Seolhyun had a favorable opinion of Jin Soyeon either.

Yoo Seolhyun subtly provoked Jin Soyeon, seemingly not having the nicest of personalities.

Why did Lee Jinhyuk show interest in Yoo Seolhyun out of all the girls?

“But is that really okay?”

“What do you mean?”

Kim Seoyoon let out casually, and Jin Soyeon lifted her head slowly. Kim Seoyoon swallowed, wondering if she should even be saying this.

“…Soyeon, Soyeon. This is actually a secret.”

Kim Seoyoon whispered into Jin Soyeon’s ear, making sure the other kids wouldn’t overhear.

“Seolhyun, since middle school, there have been some rumors about her and boys.”

“What?”

“It’s just a rumor, but… how should I put it? She gives a bit of leeway to guys who already have girlfriends, like she’s tempting them, or maybe enchanting them? Anyway, there are more than a couple of couples who have been ruined because of her.”

She continued to murmur softly.

“But did you know?”

Kim Seoyoon glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping before carefully raising the topic.

“The girlfriends of those guys who were bewitched by Yoo Seolhyun were almost all girls who didn’t get along with her.”

“So then…”

“Right, Soyeon. Honestly, your relationship with Seolhyun is a bit strained, isn’t it?”

The memory of Yoo Seolhyun casting a flirtatious glance at Lee Jinhyuk flickered through Jin Soyeon’s mind.

Was it all intentional?

“Of course, it’s just a rumor, so you don’t need to take it too seriously. Just keep it between us, okay? Don’t let anyone know you heard it from me.”

“Yeah, I got it.”

Jin Soyeon nodded slightly and pondered.

She knew well that rumors were just rumors.

After all, Jin Soyeon herself had been the target of nasty rumors spread by jealous girls during middle school.

But the gossip about Yoo Seolhyun had a ring of credibility to it.

Or rather, she wanted to believe it.

“Hey, you guys, what’s up? Aren’t we going to karaoke? We’re going to be late.”

“Ah, sorry.”

At the call of a male student, Kim Seoyoon responded with a gentle smile.

“Let’s go, Soyeon. They might just be meeting for something else, right? So don’t worry too much. If it really bothers you, you can always ask Jinhyuk about it later.”

“…Yeah, okay.”

After looking at the cafe for a moment, Jin Soyeon suddenly started walking.

As Kim Seoyoon said, nothing was decided yet.

It wasn’t certain whether Lee Jinhyuk was really interested in Yoo Seolhyun, nor was it clear if Yoo Seolhyun was deliberately trying to seduce him.

She could find out everything by asking Lee Jinhyuk directly later.

“…I actually hope what Seoyoon said is true.”

Jin Soyeon mused over the rumors Kim Seoyoon had mentioned about Yoo Seolhyun.

She found herself hoping they were true.

Because if the rumors were true, then Yoo Seolhyun was no different from a villainess straight out of a female-oriented novel.

Then Jin Soyeon could comfortably dislike her.

For deceiving her childhood friend, that villainess named Yoo Seolhyun.

***

In a cafe with a sleek interior and the soft aroma of coffee blending well together.

“Lee Jinhyuk.”

Yoo Seolhyun and I faced each other, sitting down.

She was glaring at me with her arms crossed, apparently quite bothered by what I had said. Understandably so. The fact that Yoo Seolhyun was involved with the Youngdeung Mountain Dungeon exploration was, after all, somewhat of a secret.

But for a mere Academy classmate to suddenly start talking about the Youngdeung Mountain Dungeon, it was natural for Yoo Seolhyun to be quite guarded.

Guarded, eh.

Not a bad reaction.

At least it meant she wasn’t dismissing my words outright.

The conversation that was about to unfold was a necessary prelude to what I had planned.

“What are you? How do you know that I’m involved with the Youngdeung Mountain Dungeon?”

“Before that, could you use a soundproofing spell so we don’t get overheard? We don’t know who might be listening.”

“Tch.”

Yoo Seolhyun looked at me with dissatisfaction but soon snapped her fingers, creating an opaque soundproof barrier.

Oh. Neat.

Simple magic, but she used it well.

“Done. Now talk.”

“Alright.”

I nodded straightforwardly, thinking that now was the time to be a little shameless and assertive.

I needed to keep giving Yoo Seolhyun the impression that I was someone with something up my sleeve, to make her second-guess herself about me.

“Your unofficially managed hero team is currently attempting to conquer the Youngdeung Mountain Dungeon, right?”

“…”

Yoo Seolhyun frowned slightly but calmly nodded.

She didn’t bother to hide the fact that the dungeon was being explored, as it had already been reported.

From her perspective, all she needed to hide was her involvement with the team.

“I have a proposal regarding the dungeon exploration I’d like to talk to you about.”

I rummaged through my bag and pulled out a few documents.

It might be risky to reveal such information, but in order to persuade her and successfully conquer the Youngdeung Mountain Dungeon, this bait was necessary.

“…Huh?”

Yoo Seolhyun looked at the document filled with dense text for a moment, then her brows furrowed even deeper.

She seemed to have guessed what the document contained.

“The environmental details of each layer of the Youngdeung Mountain Dungeon, the types and weaknesses of the residing monsters? Recommended equipment? The location of traps and cautionary notes? What in the world…”

“That’s enough.”

I stopped her from reading further and put the document back in my bag.

Yoo Seolhyun appeared a bit stunned for a moment, her face reflecting a mix of surprise and confusion.

“What was that just now?”

“A strategy guide for the Youngdeung Mountain Dungeon.”

“How? It’s impossible…”

Indeed, it was something unbelievable.

A strategy guide for a dungeon that was still being explored?

While it seemed utterly implausible, Yoo Seolhyun didn’t outright deny my words after she licked her lips several times.

Because, as someone who received regular updates on the dungeon’s exploration, she realized that the information I had shown matched what she knew.

“With this, the dungeon could be more easily conquered.”

“How do you know all this?”

Yoo Seolhyun bit her lip for a moment and then looked straight at me.

“Do you really have some kind of foresight ability?”

“…Maybe. Who knows?”

I answered vaguely on purpose.

It was better to let her come to her own conclusions. If she ended up believing that I had some sort of foresight ability, it would add credibility to my words and actions in the future.

Then…

“So, you don’t plan to talk? Fine.”

She brushed her hair roughly, then began to speak in a low voice.

“Listen, Lee Jinhyuk.”

She spoke casually.

“I don’t need your help.”

Yoo Seolhyun’s eyes sharpened even further.

“Even if the information you have is correct, it doesn’t matter. The dungeon is already being conquered smoothly.”

“Is that so?”

“I won’t pry into how you came to know about this. But just remember this.”

Yoo Seolhyun leaned in closer, her gaze fierce.

“It would be in your best interest not to blabber around that I’m managing a team. Got it?”

“Of course.”

A warning.

Yoo Seolhyun was giving me a warning.

If I went around carelessly talking, she would find a way to restrain me.

It was a threat I couldn’t take lightly because she genuinely had the means to wield her family’s power.

‘Her family’s power.’

Yoo Seolhyun’s influence indeed stemmed from her background.

She could use her clan’s power more proactively compared to Lee Siwoon of SL Group or Kang Daehan of the HanYoung Clan.

Especially since she was already involved in clan affairs.

‘I might have given Yoo Seolhyun too much information.’

Frankly, if she had ill intentions, she could use her family’s influence to extract all my information.

It was truly risky to disclose so much to someone with such a powerful backing.

But I was certain.

Yoo Seolhyun would not resort to such methods.

This wasn’t baseless faith or irresponsible trust.

It was because I already knew her character settings.

Moreover, I had studied Yoo Seolhyun’s tendencies, personality, and behavior through months of observation, comparing them with her character settings.

And after synthesizing all the internal and external information I had, I came to this conclusion.

‘Besides, I’ve saved Yoo Seolhyun before.’

Having once saved her from a near-death encounter with the long-armed ape, as long as I stayed within appropriate boundaries, Yoo Seolhyun would not cross the line either.

No matter her setting as a villainess, it’s not like her to milk her life’s savior for information.

Ah, of course, assuming she hasn’t turned to villainy.

‘Besides, Yoo Seolhyun has a strong desire for talented people. She wouldn’t want to sour relations with someone who might be of use in the future.’

She must hold a not-so-bad opinion of me after the past few months’ events.

Plus, having shown that I seemed to know the future today, considering Yoo Seolhyun’s personality, she wouldn’t cut open the goose that lays golden eggs.

She would aim to maintain a good relationship and seek mutual transactions.

And that was exactly what I wanted.

I needed her family’s influence to make proper use of the wealth of information I had.

It would benefit me to gain power, and it would benefit her to gain information.

Both of us had commodities that could facilitate a positive relationship.

‘And it’s necessary to open up this much info if Yoo Seolhyun is to ask for a reward after safely conquering the Youngdeung Mountain Dungeon.’

Apart from aiding her in the dungeon conquest, deep within the Youngdeung Mountain Dungeon lay ‘that item’.

An item I desperately wanted to retrieve.

As I currently lacked the power to conquer the dungeon alone.

“Sigh. Sorry. I think I talked too much. I got a bit too sensitive since you knew about those things.”

“…”

“Honestly, I’m curious about the source of that document you showed… but it’s not like I can force it out of you.”

“…”

I listened to Yoo Seolhyun and surreptitiously checked the time.

It seemed like it was almost the time.

I still remembered it as it was a cutscene that had replayed dozens of times when I had played this game multiple times in the past.

When the tragic news would reach Yoo Seolhyun.

“If you’ve said all you need to, I’ll get going…”

– Ring. Ring.

The phone suddenly rang out.

Yoo Seolhyun checked inside her bag.

It was her phone ringing.

Ah, has it finally come?

“Go ahead and answer it. Could be an urgent call.”

Yoo Seolhyun checked the caller ID and then picked up the phone with a slightly furrowed brow.

It must have been unsettling for her to receive a call from a team member in the midst of dungeon exploration.

“…Hello? Yes, I’ve finished at the Academy. But… why. Ah, yes?”

After a while on the phone, Yoo Seolhyun’s eyes trembled incessantly.

“…”

How much time had passed since she started talking?

Suddenly hanging up, Yoo Seolhyun slumped powerlessly back into her chair.

“Are you okay?”

“…Ah.”

Responding to me, Yoo Seolhyun slowly lifted her head.

“…This is all too timely to be just a coincidence. You wouldn’t happen to…?”

“I’m not sure what you mean…”

I trailed off, then continued.

“…Have you decided to accept my proposal?”