Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game

“Huh?”

Perhaps she felt a peculiar gaze upon her?

Jin Soyeon blinked several times.

When she looked around, her eyes met Lee Siwoon’s, who was staring intently at her. Despite the sudden eye contact, Lee Siwoon did not look away. Jin Soyeon tilted her head in wonder.

“……?”

As if wondering why he was looking at her, a small question mark seemed to float above Jin Soyeon’s head.

But soon after, she raised her hand and greeted him as if they were old friends.

“Oh~ Siwoon, you’re in the same class too? Hi?”

“……Hello, Soyeon.”

The two exchanged greetings amicably.

Unlike with me, Jin Soyeon had a slight acquaintance with Lee Siwoon.

“But Soyeon.”

Suddenly, Lee Siwoon stood up.

With a slide.

The sound of the chair being pushed back echoed.

The students who were circled around him carefully made way.

Everyone looked puzzled at Lee Siwoon’s abrupt rise from his seat.

He began to walk slowly towards where Jin Soyeon and I were standing.

Oh, what’s this?

Was he that curious about our breakup?

To approach us so quickly.

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but is it true that you two broke up?”

“Uh? Ah, well.”

After twirling a lock of her hair, Jin Soyeon glanced at me briefly before answering languidly.

Then a strange light shone in Lee Siwoon’s eyes, which were previously as cold as ice.

“You two have been known as the childhood sweethearts since the old days, so I was quite surprised.”

We were rather infamous as an ill-fitted couple during our middle school days.

Many students wondered why a beauty like Jin Soyeon would date someone like me.

Especially the boys who secretly admired her would spread strange rumors that we were dating just because we were childhood friends.

“We were a good match.”

Lee Siwoon glanced at me once with a fleeting look.

Did he really think we were well-matched?

I doubt that.

He likes Jin Soyeon, after all.

“Me and Jinhyuk?”

With a playful smile and straightened posture, Jin Soyeon looked at me and then laughed.

“No way. I’m way too good for that.”

She’s right, of course.

We don’t match.

But looking at her triumphant attitude just makes me want to put her in her place.

“Always so full of yourself.”

“What?”

As I added my comment, Jin Soyeon glared at me with a dangerous look.

“You have no idea how many guys have confessed to me, do you?”

“Oh, sure. Must be nice being so popular.”

“Wow… your tone is irritating.”

As Jin Soyeon and I were bickering.

Lee Siwoon interjected with a subdued look.

“You two seem to get along well, even after breaking up.”

Ah, maybe we shouldn’t act too friendly in front of him.

Honestly, it’s a bit strange for ex-lovers to seem too friendly in many ways, isn’t it?

“We didn’t part on bad terms. We’ve known each other since kindergarten, after all.”

“Childhood friends, is that it…”

I quickly added to the conversation.

Lee Siwoon pondered the term ‘childhood friends’, seemingly envious of our relationship.

But Lee Siwoon has a childhood friend too.

Not as close as Jin Soyeon and I, but still.

A pretty young lady with her own ‘fiancée’ setting, arranged by their families.

“What’s up with her?”

“It’s really unbelievable.”

Then, at that moment.

“Why is she acting all friendly with Siwoon?”

“Look at her, trying to charm him. Ha. Ridiculous, isn’t it?”

I heard the chatter of girls from a little distance away.

A group of female students by the back window were gossiping.

They were blatantly bad-mouthing Jin Soyeon for all to hear.

“Right, Seolhyun?”

“…….”

In the midst of the female students.

“Seolhyun?”

“Was her name Jin Soyeon?”

Was she the standout among the flock?

There was one girl who was obviously beautiful at a glance.

The poise and grace emanating from the clothes she wore reminded me of a lady from a drama.

Wow, did she already form her clique on the first day?

“It seems like this is the first time Siwoon has shown interest in a girl.”

Her golden hair waved down to her scapula.

The porcelain-like skin characteristic of her Slavic heritage.

A somewhat glamorous figure.

“She is pretty.”

“In comparison with Seolhyun? Not as much, not at all. Right, guys?”

The girls nodded and agreed with each other.

It might be a bit off to say, but it’s almost like they are her attendants.

Honestly, it’s somewhat amusing.

‘That’s Yoo Seolhyun.’

Yoo Seolhyun.

An honor student admitted in the top seven.

She is one of the antagonists in Romance Hero Academy.

The daughter of the clan leader of one of the top ten clans representing Korea, Gaon Nuri Clan.

The granddaughter of the high-ranking spear demon, Yoo Gamyeong, and one of the aspiring heroes who had been childhood friends with Lee Siwoon since they were young.

‘Yoo Seolhyun really isn’t a joke either.’

True to her noble upbringing, her pride is quite high.

She shows little interest in what doesn’t intrigue her but can become excessively absorbed in what does.

She has a strong sense of possession and hates anyone who covets her things.

…Well.

To sum up Yoo Seolhyun in a word.

She’s the villainous lady that always appears in female-oriented games.

But she can’t be seen as merely a villain.

She doesn’t torment people for fun.

As long as she’s not intentionally irritated, she’s relatively harmless.

Right. As long as she’s not irritated, that is.

‘She’s already taken an interest in Soyeon.’

I somewhat expected this, but is it because of Lee Siwoon after all?

Because Yoo Seolhyun and Lee Siwoon are childhood friends as well as fiancés.

Ah, of course, their engagement is something their families jokingly arranged, so neither of them takes it too seriously.

But still, an engagement is an engagement.

Even if they claim to have no romantic feelings, Yoo Seolhyun’s prideful nature would be quite displeased to learn that her childhood friend and fiancé is interested in another girl.

‘The closer Soyeon gets to Lee Siwoon, the worse her relationship with Yoo Seolhyun will become.’

It’s a matter of female pride, I guess.

She wouldn’t readily accept that someone who hasn’t shown the slightest interest in her is paying attention to some common girl.

Especially given her strong pride.

‘This will eventually turn into a completely antagonistic NPC.’

It’s a common development.

The fiancée of a rich young master being a villainous lady and turning hostile towards the female protagonist out of jealousy.

However, Romance Hero Academy is a role-playing game with a high degree of freedom.

Which means there’s also a route where Yoo Seolhyun becomes a friendly character instead of a foe.

In the game, I often managed to build a positive relationship with Yoo Seolhyun and Lee Siwoon and recruited them as reliable allies.

Of course, it’s not easy.

In the first playthrough, it’s nearly impossible.

But who am I?

A veteran of Romance Hero Academy.

I’ve succeeded in conquering it over dozens of playthroughs.

I even created a 100% completion guide and distributed it online.

‘We’ll need to secure as much power as possible to face the various villains and monsters to come.’

And that includes Yoo Seolhyun.

Given her role as a lady of a major clan and her excellent performance as a villain, she’s definitely worth recruiting.

Not only for her personal abilities but also for the support of her influential family.

‘If I can just prevent ‘that incident’ from turning Yoo Seolhyun completely dark, it will all be much easier.’

It’s one of the turning points where a mischievous lady falls into villainy.

If I can resolve that event first and slowly build up intimacy and relations, I’m sure I can form a positive bond with Yoo Seolhyun.

Just like I did in the game, let’s give it a try.

Reality is surely different from a game, but still.

“Hey, you guys. What did you just say to me?”

Irritated by the mockery from Yoo Seolhyun’s group, Jin Soyeon’s eyebrows furrowed as she growled back.

“Do I look like someone who would fawn over someone? Wow, that’s funny, you guys.”

“…….”

Lee Siwoon also cast a lingering look at them.

The girls flinched when their eyes met Lee Siwoon’s.

Some even averted their gaze quietly.

Right, they can afford to belittle Soyeon, but Lee Siwoon is too intimidating for them.

“If you have something to say, don’t murmur behind my back but say it to my face.”

Jin Soyeon, having dealt with the envy of other women due to her exceptional beauty from an early age, was not intimidated by their backtalk.

“Do you understand me?”

“Sorry.”

Ah, is she finally stepping in?

“Our girls are very interested in Siwoon.”

With a haughty stride, Yoo Seolhyun made her way through the crowd of girls to stand before Jin Soyeon.

“I’ll apologize on their behalf.”

With a sly smile, Yoo Seolhyun approached right up to Jin Soyeon’s face.

She said she was sorry, but her attitude didn’t seem apologetic at all.

Was it the confidence of a lady or just her smirking face?

Either way, Jin Soyeon couldn’t help but feel unwelcome.

“You’re Jin Soyeon, right? I’m Yoo Seolhyun.”

“……Yoo Seolhyun?”

“Ah, have you heard of me?”

“You’re famous. The third daughter of the Gaon Nuri Clan.”

“Don’t worry too much about it. It can be burdensome if you care too much.”

“…….”

Jin Soyeon, who looked at Yoo Seolhyun’s chuckling with a dull expression, sighed once and then nodded her head.

It seems she couldn’t bring herself to speak against a smiling face.

“Lee Siwoon, you too, hi?”

“Yeah.”

Yoo Seolhyun naturally turned to greet Lee Siwoon as well.

He seemed perturbed by Yoo Seolhyun’s sudden intrusion.

After all, she was his nominal fiancée.

“Siwoon, she seems to like you, judging by how much attention she’s paying you.”

“What? Huh?”

As Yoo Seolhyun dropped her teasing remark, Jin Soyeon blinked her large eyes in confusion.

True to the nature of a reverse harem protagonist, Jin Soyeon was clueless when it came to matters of love.

“You, Yoo Seolhyun.”

“What? Oh, was I being inconsiderate?”

With a wrinkle in his brow, Lee Siwoon watched Yoo Seolhyun brush back her hair with a light laugh.

A strange atmosphere enveloped them.

I looked at them with a somewhat interested face.

It might sound odd, but I found the situation quite fascinating.

The heroine, the hero, and the villain from the game were all gathered in one place, creating an intense scenario.

As a hardcore fan of Romance Hero Academy, I couldn’t help but be excited.

“Why is the atmosphere like this on the first day? What are you all doing over there?”

The delicate atmosphere that had persisted for a while was shattered by a woman’s voice.

“Come on, we’re going to start the homeroom, so everyone take a seat. I can’t be bothered, so just find a place to sit.”

With the appearance of the teacher, the students hurriedly took their seats.

“Then, I’ll be off. And…”

Yoo Seolhyun finally glanced at me, having paid me no attention until now.

“Lee Jinhyuk, right? Soyeon’s ex-boyfriend.”

“Yeah.”

“Hehe, ex-boyfriend, that’s interesting. Anyway, see you next time.”

With that, she walked back to her group.

“What’s up with her, seriously.”

Jin Soyeon responded with a snort.

As expected, the relationship between the main heroine and the villainess seemed like it would take a lot of effort to improve.