Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game

“What?”

I furrowed my brows at Yoo Seolhyun’s sudden proposition. In the game, she had never once approached me first.

“Why with me?”

Yoo Seolhyun was ranked 7th at admission.

There would be countless students who’d want to team up with her.

She had been personally taught by Yoo Gamyeong, known as the Ghost of Invention, so her combat skills were on par with the male protagonists.

From a young age, she had been trained with expensive spirit elixirs and techniques, making her physical abilities far superior to the average student.

Excluding Lee Siwoon and Kang Daehan, she was arguably the strongest asset here.

“You don’t want to?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to…”

Yoo Seolhyun chuckled and I quickly shook my head.

“There are plenty of better candidates than me.”

“Sure, if we consider combat ability alone, there are better choices.”

She nodded sagely, her expression relaxed.

“But right now, we don’t know what the practical assessment will entail, right?”

I knew, of course.

I had seen it all too many times in the game.

“Teacher Hong Daye said to consider various situations when selecting team members. It doesn’t seem like a good idea to focus solely on combat ability.”

Yoo Seolhyun gazed at me intently with a sly smile.

“Weren’t you quite excellent in tactical simulation against giant monsters and as an operator during middle school?”

“It wasn’t bad,” I admitted.

I had studied theory and written exams to the point of madness because I knew how much I lacked in innate heroic talent. I wanted to pass the Union Academy entrance exam with Jin Soyeon and become a great hero… until I recalled the memories of my past life, that is.

“Since we don’t know what kind of events the evaluation will include, I wanted to have someone tactically outstanding on the team. Oh, and don’t worry. We already have enough fighters.”

“Hmpf.”

Yoo Seolhyun smirked and gently patted the shoulder of the girl standing next to her.

The girl with the long, stick-straight twin tails glared at me with a sullen look.

She seemed to be putting up with me just for Yoo Seolhyun’s sake.

“You’re Sunari, right?”

Sunari.

Ranked 17th among the new students.

Despite her small stature, reminiscent of a middle schooler, she was a martial fighter with extraordinary strength.

As one of Yoo Seolhyun’s trusted followers, she had been active alongside her since childhood. Admiring (?) the beautiful and haughty Yoo Seolhyun, she took on the role of swatting away the pests that flocked around her.

‘Sunari, huh…’

From Sunari’s perspective, I must not be very appealing.

She fits the ‘I love my sister~’ character type often seen in subculture genres.

“Hmph. You actually know my name?”

“We’ve been in the same class for about a month.”

With this level of power, competing with the teams of Lee Siwoon or Kang Daehan was conceivable.

Yoo Seolhyun and Sunari had enough skill to not be completely overshadowed by the male protagonists.

“Honestly, your combat ability isn’t the most reliable, but since Nari and I are close-range dealers and tankers, we needed a supporter or a long-range dealer. You’re decent with a bow, right?”

“You said your name was Lee Jinhyuk? You should consider yourself lucky to be able to form a team this strong with your abilities.”

I scratched my chin at Yoo Seolhyun and Sunari’s words.

Despite her various claims, I knew it was all just for show.

There really wasn’t a convincing reason for her choice.

There were plenty of other students more capable and tactically helpful than I was.

So Yoo Seolhyun’s approach must have some ulterior motive.

‘Is it because of Soyeon after all?’

Lee Siwoon must have felt a peculiar annoyance and displeasure towards Jin Soyeon and Yoo Seolhyun due to their different attitudes.

Given Yoo Seolhyun’s character, she wouldn’t just sit back and watch. Being overshadowed by an ordinary girl from a common background would have hurt her pride in so many ways.

‘She always did this in the game.’

If Jin Soyeon and Lee Siwoon’s meetings reached a certain threshold, one of the events that would trigger was Yoo Seolhyun’s indirect seduction of Jin Soyeon’s boyfriend, causing trouble.

Yoo Seolhyun’s character was designed to create conflict by seducing her rival’s boyfriend or making him think Yoo Seolhyun had feelings for him, leading to their breakup.

Playing the villainess to perfection, she had a rather cruel and petty personality.

‘I didn’t expect Yoo Seolhyun to make a move so soon.’

My gaze casually shifted towards Jin Soyeon and Lee Siwoon. They were engaged in conversation amidst the crowd.

‘Is Siwoon being more proactive than he was in the game?’

In the game, since Jin Soyeon and I were dating, Siwoon hesitated to act boldly.

He often hesitated, caught up in jealousy, until he could no longer hold back.

That’s why Yoo Seolhyun’s direct confrontation with Jin Soyeon came much later.

But things were different now.

‘Well, it’s not a bad thing.’

Because I had intended to be on the same team as Yoo Seolhyun all along.

I had plenty of stories prepared to convince her.

“Okay, if you’re both fine with it.”

“Good choice,” she said, her eyes glinting with a subtle tease.

Ah, Yoo Seolhyun was already starting.

Most men would crumble under such beauty flirting with them, but knowing Yoo Seolhyun’s character, it did little to impress me.

“Oh, but there’s one condition.”

“Hm?”

Yoo Seolhyun expressed her curiosity with a straightforward question.

“A condition?”

“Yeah.”

“Ha, what a joke.”

At that moment, Sunari scoffed and yelled as if she was looking at someone trying to take her bundle after being saved from a river.

“Hey, Lee Jinhyuk. Are you in any position to be making conditions…?”

“Nari.”

“Huh?”

“Could you keep it down?”

“Uh, oh, okay.”

With just one word from Yoo Seolhyun, Sunari deflated like a puppy caught in the rain.

Her once animated eyes drooped lifelessly, and her playful twin tails drooped like limp tails.

“Tell me your condition, what is it?”

With a mix of interest and curiosity, Yoo Seolhyun looked at me as I slowly began to speak.

“Within the scope of this practical assessment, follow my orders. That’s all.”

“Huh?”

Her eyes quirked up in intrigue.

“Well… I don’t particularly want to do that.”

From her perspective, it must be absurd.

Pitying me enough to include me, and now I want to play captain?

Anyone normal would think ‘Does this guy not grasp the situation?’

But Yoo Seolhyun, you’re not like that, are you?

“You must have thought this through and prepared something to persuade me, right?”

“If you follow my orders, I promise our team will finish first… or at least second in this evaluation.”

Honestly, it was possible to not finish first if luck wasn’t on our side.

But I was fairly confident.

After all, I’m a veteran of this game.

I already know how to win.

“You’ve got some nerve,” laughed Yoo Seolhyun.

The situation was so unpredictable that it was preposterous for me to make such claims.

I would have reacted the same way in her shoes.

“It’s interesting. The other teams won’t be pushovers. You certainly have ambition.”

She glanced at Lee Siwoon and Kang Daehan.

Even she couldn’t be sure of beating those two in competition.

“Well, okay. Let’s assume I agree to your terms… but what if…”

She quirked up a sardonic grin.

“…the outcome isn’t favorable?”

“…”

“What if the results are poor? This is an important practical assessment, and I was taking it quite seriously.”

You’re not taking this practical assessment very seriously, are you?

If you really thought it was important, you wouldn’t have picked me as a teammate to begin with. Just trying to show off.

“Shall we make a bet, then?”

“A bet.”

All the preceding conversation was just buildup to this.

The keyword ‘bet’ was extremely important to Yoo Seolhyun.

“If you agree to follow my orders and we don’t win, I’ll become your lackey for the duration of our Academy life. How about that?”

“Huh?”

Yoo Seolhyun’s eyebrows danced with interest at the mention of lackey duties.

Ah, she was interested in such things.

I’m glad I memorized her character profile.

“Sounds fun. You’re that confident?”

“Moderately?”

“You’re taking it too lightly, aren’t you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“If you can’t keep your promise… I’ll make sure you do, by force if necessary.”

Her eyes flickered briefly.

Should we fail, she would not let it go easily.

Bets were something Yoo Seolhyun took very seriously.

From a young age, Yoo Seolhyun had won and lost many things through bets with Yoo Gamyeong.

The old man never held back, and she had to accept the outcome of every bet.

As a result, the act of betting had become a creed and a value system for Yoo Seolhyun.

“Are you still okay with that?”

“Fine. Let’s do that.”

If she refused to accept the result of the bet, she might even use her family’s influence. That’s how seriously Yoo Seolhyun regarded betting.

“Oh, by the way, you’re not planning to lose the bet on purpose just to make me lose, are you?”

“Hehe, you say the funniest things. Naturally, I prioritize my grades over bets.”

No, it’s your curiosity that takes precedence.

But knowing Yoo Seolhyun, she wouldn’t lose on purpose. She was too proud for that.

“Jinhyuk, were you here…?”

Jin Soyeon approached, giggling playfully, and then stopped in her tracks.

Her gaze met Yoo Seolhyun’s.

The two of them locked eyes.

“Hi, Seolhyun.”

“Hi.”

They had spoken somewhat over the past month, but still seemed slightly uncomfortable.

Not surprising, given their first meeting hadn’t gone well.

“That’s an interesting combination. What were you two talking about?”

“I’m here too.”

“Ah, right, Nari. Yeah, I remember.”

“What? You’re not saying you didn’t see me because I’m short, are you?”

“Haha, no way. Oh, our Nari~ So cute~.”

“Stop it, okay? Hey! Don’t pinch my cheek! Are you insane?!”

As Jin Soyeon reached out to pinch Sunari’s cheek, Sunari quickly stepped back.

She seemed genuinely disgusted, so Jin Soyeon cleared her throat and looked at me.

“Anyway. Jinhyuk, did you find a team?”

“A team?”

“If you haven’t, do you want to join me?”

Jin Soyeon stood tall, hands on her hips.

“Who else would take care of you if not me? Hehe. You should really be grateful to me.”

“Aren’t you on the same team as Siwoon?”

“Right, but you see, I was talking with Siwoon about who else to include, and he said you’d be okay.”

“Oh, really?”

“Of course, it’s different for a top student. Not the same as being with someone at the bottom, right?”

“…It sounds like you’re just reluctantly including me because of her.”

Why is she so clueless?

Is it because she’s the heroine of a reverse harem?

“Anyway, if you don’t have a team, let’s team up.”

“No, it’s okay.”

“Stop playing hard to get. There’s no need to feel so pressured. Siwoon said it’s fine if…”

“I have a team.”

“…Huh?”

Jin Soyeon blinked in surprise as I cut her off.

“Huh? You have a team already?”

“That’s how it turned out.”

“But with whom? Who’s your teammate?”

“It’s me.”

With a slight smile, Yoo Seolhyun answered.

“I decided to team up with Jinhyuk this time.”