Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game - Chapter 146

Chapter 146

Are You Really That Good at Fighting? (4)

***

Jin Soyeon blinked her eyes, startled.

She couldn’t help but feel a bit conflicted seeing Lee Jinhyuk easily block her lightning-fast strike.

‘He blocked that? This?’

She felt somewhat bewildered.

That attack just now wasn’t something a mere Academy trainee could easily defend against.

Even a professional hero would have struggled to respond in time.

But how on earth did Lee Jinhyuk block it? And so effortlessly, too. He stopped it with a single hand without even flinching.

‘I know Jinhyuk defeated Lee Siwoon, but I never thought he could handle an attack of this level…’

Had he been hiding his strength all this time?

Was he pretending to be weak on purpose?

Why?

There’s no reason for him to hide his power.

It would’ve only been to his advantage to reveal his strength earlier.

According to Jinhyuk’s notebook, he originally didn’t have any power in the future and had been bullied by others because of it.

Could he have been hiding his strength back then, too?

No way.

That’s impossible.

Jinhyuk struggled so much back then.

‘Maybe he’s grown explosively in a short period of time, just like I have.’

It could be that he, like Jin Soyeon herself, awakened his hidden talents and developed rapidly.

But even then, something felt off.

After all, wasn’t Lee Jinhyuk’s body lifeless not too long ago?

Yet, somehow, he’s now at this level of power…

“What’s going on?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Jin Soyeon quickly stepped back, creating some distance between them, and asked with a quiet but sharp voice.

“You didn’t hide your strength this whole time, did you? So, what’s happening?”

Could it be due to Jinhyuk’s special ability?

If it were something like body enhancement, he might have been able to block her attack.

But his ability was foresight.

Since he had detailed knowledge of the future, there was no denying that he was indeed a foresight user.

So, what on earth was going on?

How had Lee Jinhyuk gained such physical prowess?

“To be honest… Yeah.”

“What?”

“I’ve been pretending to be weak this whole time.”

Jinhyuk grinned playfully and teased her.

“It was kind of trendy for a while, wasn’t it? The whole ‘undercover powerhouse’ thing.”

“Hah.”

At his absurd response, Jin Soyeon chuckled dryly. What was this? A joke? In this kind of situation?

It really was typical of Jinhyuk to act like this.

“Oh, really? Then, since when?”

“Oh, about middle school?”

“Really, huh.”

Not sure whether to believe him or not, Jin Soyeon decided to just go along with the playful story for now.

“So, you’ve been going easy on me since middle school?”

Jin Soyeon had sparred with Jinhyuk quite a few times before.

Of course, Jinhyuk, being a self-proclaimed ‘low achiever,’ had never been able to defeat her in those duels.

But if he had been hiding his talents since middle school, it meant that he had been going easy on her all those times.

“Hmm. Of course. I quite enjoyed watching you with that overly confident expression, saying, ‘Hmph~ You think you can beat me? Not for another 10 years!’, thinking you had me.”

Lee Jinhyuk smiled mischievously at the memory of a younger Jin Soyeon, her arrogant expressions and playful taunts. Embarrassed, Jin Soyeon blushed slightly but quickly shook her head.

“Whew… Anyway, fine, Jinhyuk. Looks like you’re not planning to give me a straight answer.”

Whether his words were true or not didn’t matter.

What mattered now wasn’t whether Lee Jinhyuk had been hiding his strength or whether he had suddenly become stronger.

The only thing that mattered was the outcome of their duel.

So, she shelved her curiosity and decided to focus entirely on the match against Jinhyuk.

“Alright, let’s go, Jinhyuk.”

“Sure.”

As Jin Soyeon resumed her fighting stance, Lee Jinhyuk’s eyes turned serious, and he took his stance as well.

The reason Lee Jinhyuk could block Jin Soyeon’s strike earlier was thanks to the special ability he had awakened after his death.

His ability was incredibly powerful yet equally fragile.

If one had to sum it up in a single phrase: Just for show.

It was a unique skill that allowed Jinhyuk to become stronger or weaker depending on how powerful his opponent believed him to be within a certain range.

It was undoubtedly a ridiculous ability.

The more convinced someone was of Jinhyuk’s strength, the more powerful he became.

In theory, this meant he could become incredibly strong.

However, there were conditions for activating the ability.

It wouldn’t properly activate just because someone vaguely thought Jinhyuk was strong.

For the power to fully manifest, the opponent needed a clear image of his strength and deep, unfaltering belief in it.

In other words, it worked better when there was a concrete comparison rather than just a vague impression of his strength.

For instance, like how he had initially lied about being a top-tier Vigilante.

‘It’s a great ability, but there are some definite downsides.’

If someone underestimated him after just looking at his appearance, the ability could backfire.

Moreover, the power wouldn’t activate if there was no opponent around.

In other words, it wouldn’t be useful in situations like falling into a trap or fighting against a monster alone.

And if, by any chance, the details of this ability were ever leaked, it might become unusable.

Since this kind of power would only be seen as a cheap trick, relying on others’ perceptions of his strength.

Even if that weren’t the case, the moment someone harbored genuine doubt about his abilities, the skill might stop working.

That’s precisely why Jinhyuk had to keep his special ability a tightly guarded secret.

“Haap!”

With a short yell, Jin Soyeon charged forward.

She was fast.

In a blink of an eye, she was already right in front of him.

Her fist clenched tightly and shot forward.

A perfect straight punch.

“Hmm.”

“Tch!”

But Jinhyuk dodged it effortlessly.

He could see her movements clearly.

While she was fast, it wasn’t to the point where he couldn’t follow it at all.

And that meant he could avoid it.

Why?

Because he had meticulously studied and analyzed Jin Soyeon’s movement patterns.

Her habits, her techniques, all of it.

In precise detail.

‘If it were like before, analyzing her wouldn’t have mattered.’

Back in middle school, Jinhyuk had memorized Jin Soyeon’s movement patterns and habits, but it hadn’t helped him in the slightest. He had been utterly defeated and humiliated every time.

No matter how well he had memorized her techniques, he had been physically overpowered.

Just as a human couldn’t stand a chance against a bear in a fight.

If the physical gap was too large, tactics and techniques became meaningless.

But now, things were different.

Although Jin Soyeon was still a bit superior, the gap in their physical abilities was no longer as overwhelming.

Not only that, but Jin Soyeon was also holding back.

She was being careful not to injure Lee Jinhyuk too seriously, which meant she wasn’t using her full strength.

That was why Jinhyuk could keep up with her attacks.

‘The more I fight, the more certain I am. Jinhyuk’s physical abilities are clearly inferior to mine. So why haven’t I managed to land a single hit yet?’

Jin Soyeon instinctively realized that she was stronger than Jinhyuk in terms of strength, speed, and endurance.

But for reasons unknown, she still couldn’t land a decisive blow.

He wasn’t using any particularly complex techniques, so why couldn’t she hit him?

And worse, whenever she exposed even the smallest opening, Jinhyuk…

“Ugh!”

In an instant, Jinhyuk slipped into a small gap and swung his blade without hesitation.

Though Jin Soyeon quickly bit her lip and backed away, Jinhyuk’s actions were steadily throwing her rhythm off.

“You even dodged that.”

“…”

Jin Soyeon was realizing that this wasn’t going to be as easy as she had expected.

If Jinhyuk had proposed a duel, then he undoubtedly had confidence in winning.

However, Jinhyuk, do you know one thing?

Up until now, I’ve been holding back, and I haven’t even used my full power, let alone my special ability.

Jin Soyeon had assumed there would be no need to use her ability, but if she was going to finish this within the ten-minute limit, she would have no choice but to unleash it.

“…Whew.”

Taking a deep breath, Jin Soyeon finally activated her special ability.

As Jinhyuk noticed her change in demeanor, he quickly closed in, swinging his sword. But it was useless.

Jin Soyeon simply reached out and grabbed the blade in mid-air.

And then, she triggered her ability.

-Creak, creak, crack!

“Sorry, Jinhyuk. It seems we don’t have a lot of time left.”

Steel training swords cracked like plastic in Jin Soyeon’s hand, while the magical aura surrounding them faded instantly.

All thanks to her special ability.

Her power was known as Conceptual Realization.

A type of reality-altering ability that allowed her to manipulate abstract and concrete concepts.

In this case, she had interfered with the concept of durability.

She weakened the value of durability to the point where the sword shattered.

Even the magic surrounding the blade wasn’t immune.

She nullified half of the magic that had been wrapped around the sword, greatly diminishing its effectiveness.

“…That’s a pretty ridiculous ability.”

“I won’t deny that.”

It was truly an all-purpose power.

As the protagonist of the “Romance Hero Academy” and the most overpowered character in the world, her ability was borderline cheat-level.

She could interfere with or enhance phenomena, magic, and even physical laws.

Basically, she was invincible against most attacks.

“But… it’s not without its weaknesses.”

“…What?”

Jin Soyeon suddenly staggered.

The magic enhancing her body had been abruptly drained by Lee Jinhyuk.

What the hell?

Why was her magic being absorbed…!

“Ugh? W-What’s going on, Jinhyuk? What are you…?”

As the magic continued to be siphoned, Jin Soyeon felt an intense fatigue wash over her.

Was it his special ability? Or perhaps a relic?

Now that she thought about it, Jinhyuk had publicly claimed to have a magic absorption ability.

But Jinhyuk’s true ability was Foresight, and he wasn’t carrying any relics right now.

Confused and frustrated, Jin Soyeon stared at Jinhyuk.

This was all part of Jinhyuk’s plan.

He had deliberately provoked her to activate her special ability so he could take advantage of the vulnerability it created.

“One of the limitations is that you can only interfere with three concepts at once.”

Jinhyuk had set the stage perfectly to use “Tears of the Moon,” an artifact infused in his body, to drain her magic while she was distracted.

“And another limitation is that you can’t directly apply your ability to living creatures, can you?”

If Jin Soyeon had been able to directly affect living beings with her ability, it would have been no different from cheating.

After all, if she could manipulate concepts like “death,” then touching someone would be enough to end their life.

It was a ridiculously overpowered ability, but it came with clear cut-offs.

For instance, she hadn’t been able to save Jinhyuk when an attack had left a gaping hole in his body.

She couldn’t restore his dying life force, nor could she amplify the effectiveness of the healing potion.

“Isn’t that right?”

“You’re not wrong.”

Jin Soyeon quickly distanced herself from Jinhyuk, catching her breath.

Her magic had been drained to the point where sweat was trickling down her temples.

“Jinhyuk, you’re not hiding some kind of relic or artifact, are you?”

“Huh? Are you talking about the magic absorption? That’s my special ability, why?”

“…But you’re a Foresight user.”

“Did I ever say I only had one ability?”

“Are you serious right now?”

Jin Soyeon shot him an annoyed look.

A moment ago, she had been unable to prevent Jinhyuk from absorbing her magic due to being focused on neutralizing his sword’s durability and magic.

But now? That trick wouldn’t work again.

‘I’m not going to hold back anymore.’

She had no time to waste now. She had to finish this in one decisive blow.

Time had run out.

She didn’t have the luxury of holding back anymore.

That’s why Jin Soyeon resolved to use her sword.

She was, after all, a swordswoman.

Bare-handed combat wasn’t her forte to begin with.

If she started using her sword seriously, her skills would increase significantly.

‘I really didn’t want to use my sword against Jinhyuk.’

The terrible memory of the past still haunted her mind.

The memory of the time she had stabbed Jinhyuk by accident.

That memory made Jin Soyeon hesitant to wield her sword properly against him.

In truth, the reason she hadn’t initially drawn her sword was because that old memory had become a shackle, binding her.

But now, she had no choice.

If she had more time, maybe things would be different, but right now, she had to make a decision.

Any hesitation might lead to Jinhyuk getting hurt again.

But letting him wander off into dangerous situations by losing this duel wasn’t an option, either.

So, for Jinhyuk’s sake, Jin Soyeon gripped her sword.

“……”

In an instant, Jin Soyeon’s entire demeanor changed.

Her eyes, devoid of any emotion, locked onto Jinhyuk.

Her face went cold, completely drained of emotion, like it had at the very beginning.

‘So she’s actually going to go all out now?’

Jinhyuk knew better than anyone that Jin Soyeon had been holding back throughout their match.

If she had fought seriously from the beginning, Jinhyuk would undoubtedly have had a much harder time.

But now that time was running out, it seemed that Jin Soyeon had resolved to end everything in one swift move.

“…”

“…Soyeon, you know something?”

Jin Soyeon reached towards her scabbard.

But.

Her sword was not there.

Huh? That’s strange.

She fumbled around for a moment.

But her sword’s handle was nowhere to be found.

She quickly cast her gaze towards her waist, where her sword usually rested.

The scabbard was completely empty.

My sword?

Where is it?

“Is this what you’re looking for?”

“…?”

Jinhyuk had a second blade tucked into his scabbard, next to the partially broken one in his hand.

“Oh, and I’ve been aiming for your sword from the start.”

When her magic had been absorbed, a large enough gap had opened up for Jinhyuk to secretly snatch her sword.

“I was worried for a moment that you might notice, but it all worked out, didn’t it?”

Jinhyuk had staged everything—the sword swing, the magic absorption, the talk about her ability’s weaknesses—all of it, just to distract her long enough to steal her sword.

“…You…”

Jin Soyeon bit her lower lip slightly.

She hadn’t expected him to steal her sword right under her nose.

But that was fine.

Even without her sword, she was still confident she could win.

…If only she had a bit more time.

“If you keep fighting like this…”

“That’s enough.”

Yoo Seolhyun’s voice abruptly cut Jin Soyeon off.

“Your 10 minutes are up.”

“What? Already?”

“Yes. So, in conclusion…”

Yoo Seolhyun glanced towards Lee Jinhyuk and quietly declared:

“The victory goes to Lee Jinhyuk.”

“Ah.”

If she had just one more minute, she could’ve won…

But in the end, Jin Soyeon had lost in the most anticlimactic way possible.

***

“…Haa, seriously.”

Jin Soyeon sighed deeply as she sat in Yoo Seolhyun’s mansion, staring out the window at the moonlight.

She never thought she would lose like that.

Had she underestimated Jinhyuk too much?

If only there hadn’t been a time limit, she was certain she could have won.

Ah, really…

What’s done is done, though.

Ugh. She should never have agreed to the time limit.

“It was a wagered match, wasn’t it? Hehe.”

“What, you’re still awake?”

“I just wanted some fresh air, that’s all.”

Yoo Seolhyun, dressed in mature sleepwear, approached Jin Soyeon with a smile, causing her to frown slightly.

What’s with those flowy clothes?

She knew perfectly well that Jinhyuk was also staying in this mansion, didn’t she?

“Jin Soyeon.”

“What?”

“Shall we have a talk after all this time?”

In the dead of night, Yoo Seolhyun smiled slyly as she suggested a conversation to Jin Soyeon.

End of Chapter