Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game - Chapter 144

Chapter 144

Are You Really That Good at Fighting? (2)

***

“Huh.”

Lee Jinhyuk let out a deep sigh.

He slowly skimmed through the internet news articles.

Most of them were plastered with reports related to crime.

– “The Death of South Korea’s Legendary Hero Goo Hwan-hyung!” Who’s Responsible? Rebellion?

– Poongwol Clan Ruined Beyond Repair! How Far Will Rebellion’s Atrocities Go?

– [Residents of Gyeongsang Province Tremble in Fear! What is the Government’s Plan?]

– A Rebellion Response Team Formed, Led by Single Ranker Han Yua!

“Wow, what a complete mess. Just look at the state of things.”

Currently, South Korea was swallowed by grief.

The death of a legendary hero had left everyone in shock.

No—he wasn’t just dead.

He was brutally murdered.

And his body had been horribly desecrated.

“Hmm.”

Goo Hwan-hyung had been an extraordinary hero.

From the past until now, he had always strived to save people.

He was an iconic figure, a symbol of peace admired by countless citizens.

But to think such a villainous scum managed to not only kill him but defile his corpse—it’s no wonder people were devastated.

“Even if his prime had long passed, for someone to dare to challenge a giant like Goo Hwan-hyung this early…”

Scratching the back of his neck, Jinhyuk wore an expression of mixed emotions.

If the game’s main story had continued as expected, Yoo Dahee wouldn’t have made any significant moves yet.

Perhaps she’d be busy gathering her allies?

However, the incident that took place in Busan proved to be a major turning point.

It was when Yoo Dahee revealed her peculiar ability.

She had publicly displayed her power to summon monsters for the world to see.

Since she’d shown everything, she had no more reason to hesitate and was now running rampant.

As a result, South Korea had turned into a chaotic battlefield.

All sorts of criminals, inspired by the newly risen powerhouse Yoo Dahee, were causing havoc alongside her.

“Just how much stronger has Yoo Dahee become?”

Though she started her activities sooner than in the original story, earning herself loads of experience, her exact strength was still unclear to Jinhyuk.

Judging from his guesses, she had probably reached the level of a Single Ranker.

No, wait—could it be that she’s already crossed into Single Ranker territory?

That would be a problem.

“Hey, Jinhyuk?”

“Hmm? Oh, Soyeon, it’s you.”

“Mhm…”

While he was lost in various thoughts, Jin Soyeon cautiously approached, sneaking glances at him.

She seemed a little stiff.

Like she was quietly observing him, trying to gauge his reaction.

“Why? Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s just… I was wondering what you were doing…”

When their eyes met, she looked slightly alarmed and quickly averted her gaze.

Noticing her response, Jinhyuk swallowed his breath.

Ever since they reunited after the incident, things had been like this with Soyeon.

It was probably because of her guilt over accidentally slashing him with her sword and leaving a wound.

‘…This is awkward.’

It wasn’t like this a year ago.

Back then, she had always been cheerful, laughing and smiling all the time.

But at some point, Soyeon had changed significantly.

To be honest, he knew it was completely his fault.

His death, along with the memory of wounding him, had reshaped Soyeon’s personality.

“…”

“What’s wrong, Jinhyuk?”

“Just… Nothing.”

“Oh, I see…”

In that moment, Jinhyuk found himself missing the old Soyeon a little.

The one who would joke around and laugh without a care in the world.

Memories of their silly banter bubbled up to the surface.

But now, Soyeon was different, only looking at him with an awkward expression and anxious eyes.

It felt like he had broken her.

Actually, no—he had definitely broken her.

The once bright and vibrant Jin Soyeon had been shattered.

“So, where are you going?”

“…Just for some water.”

Feeling suffocated, Jinhyuk was about to leave the room, when Soyeon suddenly grabbed his wrist firmly.

It felt as if a child, unwilling to be left behind by their parent, had latched onto him.

It looked like the thought of him leaving her sight made her anxious.

Watching Soyeon’s restless demeanor made him feel uncomfortable.

She just kept mumbling to herself, biting her lips nervously.

“You’re not… uncomfortable being with me, right?”

“Of course not.”

“R-Really? Yeah… That’s right…”

Although Jinhyuk’s answer brought a faint smile to her face, she still didn’t let go of his wrist.

Soyeon… could you let go now?

It’s starting to hurt.

“Haa.”

With a soft sigh, Jinhyuk exhaled.

Seeing that, Soyeon flinched slightly, her shoulders trembling.

He wished she wouldn’t react to every little thing like this, but decided to let it slide for now.

“Soyeon.”

“M-Mhm.”

“You came here because you had something to say, right?”

“Ah, w-well… kind of…”

Soyeon hesitantly nodded, her eyes still glancing at him nervously.

“Then just go ahead and say it. What’s on your mind?”

“Uhm… Jinhyuk…”

“Yeah.”

“The… The upcoming Hero’s Day. Do you plan to stop the terrorist attack?”

“Ah.”

The Hero’s Day terror incident?

How did she know about that?

Oh, that’s right, she had seen my notebook.

Though Jinhyuk had collected all the items Soyeon took from him, he couldn’t change the fact she had already seen the contents.

“Hmm, not sure? The future has changed so much at this point that I can’t be certain if Yoo Dahee will actually carry out the attack on Hero’s Day.”

“Be honest with me, Jinhyuk. You’re convinced, aren’t you? You know Yoo Dahee will, without a doubt, cause trouble.”

“…Hmm.”

Jinhyuk couldn’t deny it. Soyeon’s eyes were sharp, and her words hit home.

Indeed, if Yoo Dahee, who had already begun her operations in earnest, wanted to strike a symbolic blow, she would almost certainly commit a large-scale terror attack on Hero’s Day to spread despair.

That was Yoo Dahee—at least, the one he knew.

“I… I know…”

“Soyeon.”

“That day… is supposed to be…”

“That’s…”

Swallowing her dry throat, Soyeon looked at him with a trembling gaze, her lips quivering.

“It’s the day you die…”

Her voice barely made it out as she looked down, tightening her grasp on Jinhyuk’s wrist.

“…”

The day I die?

Well, she’s not wrong.

Amongst the various routes of death, the one where I perish during Yoo Dahee’s terror attack in Gwanghwamun Square is considered the “canon” timeline.

And Soyeon awakens through my death.

That was originally my role—my predetermined fate.

I was meant to be the sacrifice, for Soyeon’s sake.

But now, many things have changed.

So much has changed.

“You saw that too, huh?”

“…Jinhyuk.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I already have a plan in place, so it shouldn’t be a big problem.”

“…Jinhyuk.”

Ignoring his reassurances, Soyeon spoke in a low, sinking voice, calling his name.

“Are you really going? To that place?”

“Yeah.”

“No.”

Her expression hardened as she shook her head vigorously.

“You can’t. Absolutely, absolutely not.”

With a darkened gaze, she tightened her grip on his wrist even further.

“You can’t go. You mustn’t. If you go, you’ll die.”

Soyeon muttered rapidly, as if in a trance.

Her pupils now half-clear, much like when they first met again after she was brought back to life.

“Why do you want to go there? Do you have a death wish? I said no. You can’t.”

“Soyeon, you…”

He knew she had developed a trauma related to his death, but he hadn’t expected her response to be this intense.

“Soyeon, it’s not like I’ll be going alone. I’ll ask for help from others, too.”

“I SAID NO!”

Soyeon clenched her eyes shut, yelling at the top of her lungs.

“Why! Why do you have to take such a risk? You could just stay in a safe place and give orders! I’ll go instead, but you—”

“Sorry, but I can’t do that.”

“Why?”

“I want to give it my all. I want to stop Yoo Dahee.”

Yoo Dahee’s growth had been terrifying.

Allowing her to gain more ground left no room for complacency.

Moreover, the future Jinhyuk knew had already shifted drastically.

He couldn’t predict her actions anymore.

While he still held some knowledge about the future, he wanted to defeat Yoo Dahee before that knowledge became irrelevant.

“What are you talking about? Are you insane? You can’t. Not after what Yoo Dahee did to you…”

“Soyeon, my wrist.”

“Huh?”

“My wrist hurts. Mind letting go?”

“Oh…”

Her expression turned briefly startled as she stared at Jinhyuk’s wrist.

Soyeon quickly released it, shocked by how tightly she’d been holding on.

Her grip had been tight enough to leave deep finger marks, making her face pale.

“Ouch, it still stings. You’re surprisingly strong for a girl.”

“Uh, I-I’m sorry… That wasn’t my intention…”

Watching Soyeon nervously biting her lower lip while he rubbed his wrist, Jinhyuk spoke again in a gentle voice.

“No need to feel guilty over little things like this. Just hear me out.”

After calming her down, Jinhyuk made a suggestion.

“Soyeon, you’re upset that I’m planning to go to the scene, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Why?”

“…Because it’s dangerous.”

“You’re planning to go, too, right? So why can’t I?”

“Because you’re different, Jinhyuk…”

After a brief hesitation, Soyeon raised her voice bluntly.

“I know it sounds harsh, but… I’m strong enough to fight High-Rankers now. But you… you still seem a bit unreliable…”

“So, what you mean is you’re worried because you think I’m weak, huh?”

“U-Uh? N-No, I didn’t mean that—”

To Soyeon, it seemed, Jinhyuk was still vulnerable—a weakling who could die at any moment.

But, Soyeon…

Things are different now.

With my unique ability, I can do more than just be a burden to you.

I can even help you.

Of course, in order for her to recognize that, there had to be a change in perception.

After all, his power wasn’t something that revolved around himself—it depended on others.

“Well, I did ask you to protect me before…”

He let the words linger before suddenly changing his tone.

“But didn’t you already hear the news? That I defeated Lee Siwoon?”

“Oh, right. Yeah, I heard. There’s talk about how you fought him. And apparently, you also defeated Yoo Seolhyun and Kang Daehan—”

Seems like Soyeon had been keeping up with the rumors.

“I was a bit surprised, honestly. Jinhyuk, I knew you were hiding something, but to take down those guys…”

“Hmm.”

From her reaction, it appeared she didn’t know he was Vigilante.

Well, it didn’t matter.

She would soon learn for herself during what was about to happen.

“…But even so, I’m still a bit anxious. If that makes sense?”

“Hah.”

Jinhyuk chuckled at her words.

In Soyeon’s mind, defeating people like Lee Siwoon, Kang Daehan, or Yoo Seolhyun wasn’t enough to prove anything.

Because Jin Soyeon’s strength far surpassed theirs.

Lee Siwoon and Kang Daehan were strong, sure, but their levels were mid to upper-tier at best.

Meanwhile, Soyeon was practically in a league of her own—High Ranker level.

So those victories felt trivial to her.

“Alright, then. How about this?”

“Huh?”

Blinking, Soyeon frowned in confusion.

“Let’s make a bet.”

“A bet?”

“If you manage to beat me within ten minutes, you win. If not, I win. How about that?”

“W-Wait, what does that mean…?”

“It means, we’re going to fight.”

Jinhyuk grinned and added confidently.

“Just like in middle school. Let’s go at it again, Soyeon.”

Alright then, let’s see who’s stronger.

Not that it matters—because obviously, you’re stronger.

But here’s the thing—

I’m not planning to lose that easily anymore.

End of Chapter