Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game - Chapter 164

Chapter 164

After Everything is Over (1)

***

South Korea was abuzz with the incident that took place at Gwanghwamun Square.

Everywhere you looked, whether it was on TV, the news, the internet, or in daily conversations, people were talking about the Gwanghwamun disaster.

This was because the worst villain that had terrorized South Korea had been annihilated.

And by none other than a young student.

– “The Death of Yoo Dahee, the Worst Villain in History!”

– [Yoo Dahee Defeated by Students?] The Rising Stars in the Hero World!

– Government, Clans, and Corporations Failed, but Union Cadets Succeeded? The Incompetence of the Hero Industry Exposed!

– Casualty count underway… Expected death toll in the tens of thousands…

– The government prioritizes the safety of Seoul citizens as they track down the scattered monsters!

Lee Jinhyuk slowly scrolled through the internet articles.

The news about the Gwanghwamun disaster was pouring out endlessly.

Not only the domestic media, but even international outlets were broadcasting it abroad.

The world beyond Asia—Europe, Africa, the Americas, Oceania—was all paying attention to the Gwanghwamun catastrophe.

And for good reason.

Everyone had feared the villain Yoo Dahee, who was powerful enough to challenge national authorities.

Some even mocked South Korea for being naïvely swayed by a mere villain, but at the same time, there was also a deep sense of relief.

What if Yoo Dahee had expanded her power from her South Korean base and unleashed it worldwide?

Yoo Dahee, with her unprecedented ability to summon monsters and trample over cities, could have caused unparalleled casualties if she had started operating on a global scale.

Smaller countries would have had no choice but to succumb and be crushed underfoot by her.

Such was the absurdity of Yoo Dahee’s powers.

The monsters she had summoned so far produced extraordinary destruction.

The Ouroboros, a serpent biting its tail. Surtr, the Flame Titan. The Crawling Fear, an embodiment of terror.

Even if just one of these creatures appeared, it would be enough to devastate any moderate-sized city.

What if Yoo Dahee had grown even stronger and summoned monsters far more destructive than these?

The mere thought was terrifying.

The whole world would have cowered in fear of Yoo Dahee as an unstoppable, monstrous villain.

There would come a day when Yoo Dahee would grow to be the greatest evil the world had ever known, capable of sweeping across it unchecked.

But as it turned out, quite unexpectedly, Yoo Dahee fell miserably and pathetically.

Despite the mass panic, she crumbled with little resistance.

Yoo Dahee, who toyed with countless renowned heroes like they were children’s toys during the Hero’s Day celebration, was defeated by just two unknown kids.

Their names were Lee Jinhyuk and Jin Soyeon.

Both were already somewhat famous in South Korea’s hero cadet circles.

They had defeated a powerful monster that appeared at the Academy, fought against the Rebellion during the midterms, and even took down Ouroboros, which had ravaged Busan.

One could say those two were precious gems with the potential to become exceptional heroes.

But to think that those two played a significant role in taking down Yoo Dahee?

No, not just played a role—completely defeated her?

Many people who heard the news were left in disbelief.

Sure, everyone knew that Jin Soyeon and Lee Jinhyuk were far beyond the level of ordinary cadets. But Yoo Dahee?

She was on a whole other level.

Yoo Dahee was the wicked villain who had killed the legendary hero Goo Hwan-hyung and had repelled all government and clan pursuers.

It wasn’t as if Yoo Dahee fought alone, though.

Even so, no one could deny that she was an immensely powerful enemy.

In the Gwanghwamun disaster alone, Yoo Dahee had relentlessly withstood the attacks of dozens of heroes without batting an eye.

Hence, some said, “Those two students just swooped in at the last second and stole the kill after the other heroes had already softened her up.”

However, all the heroes present at the scene knew the truth.

The strength and talent of Lee Jinhyuk and Jin Soyeon were the real deal.

Those two would surely grow to become legendary heroes, renowned not only in South Korea but across the world.

No, they might surpass even the legends and become the greatest heroes of all time.

If Jin Soyeon’s ceaseless development during the battle against Yoo Dahee was any indication… And if Lee Jinhyuk, who had driven Yoo Dahee into a corner and ultimately secured victory, was any sign…

They would undoubtedly become the greatest heroes the world had ever seen.

“…It’s all over now.”

Suddenly, Jin Soyeon’s voice quietly echoed through the space.

Her soft and delicate voice tickled Lee Jinhyuk’s ears.

When he slowly turned his head, he noticed Jin Soyeon sitting on the opposite sofa, silently gazing at him with her striking beauty.

This place was Lee Jinhyuk’s living room, which he had recovered after making his survival known.

For the first time in a while, he was sitting there on the sofa, spending a peaceful moment of his daily life with his one and only precious childhood friend.

“When I look back now, so many things have happened over the past year.”

Jin Soyeon gave a slightly melancholic smile as her eyes glistened, but soon, she turned her gaze back to Jinhyuk and smiled gently.

“And the incidents never seemed to end, did they?”

Since their enrollment at the Academy, they had been faced with one event after another.

“We defeated the monster that appeared at the Academy, took down the villains who attacked during the midterms, got caught up in Seong Yura’s kidnapping, fought against the villains and monster in Busan, and after you died, I wiped out countless villains and organizations. In the end, we eradicated Yoo Dahee and Rebellion at Gwanghwamun.”

Although barely a year had passed, Jin Soyeon had been through an extraordinary amount of chaos and danger.

“Back then, it was incredibly tough and painful.”

Her face momentarily darkened as she recalled the hardships, but she quickly brightened up again, as if shaking off the memory.

“But in the end, we stood tall, overcame it, and took down Yoo Dahee.”

“Yeah.”

“And Jinhyuk, you prepared for Yoo Dahee from the moment you gained the ability to see the future.”

She went on.

“I saw your notebook. I know what was in your heart as you tried to stop her.”

Yoo Dahee, the source of all the chaos, destined to grow into the worst villain in history.

If they hadn’t managed to take her down, South Korea—and indeed, the world—would have been shadowed by a dark future, helpless in the hands of a villain.

But in the end, Lee Jinhyuk succeeded in defeating her.

He had safeguarded not just South Korea’s future, but the future of the entire world.

“Really, truly…”

Her eyes lingered on her childhood friend, who had fought so long and hard.

“…You’ve been through so much, Jinhyuk.”

There was no way to fully understand how much effort and suffering he had endured.

But thinking about how this young student fought alone for so long to protect the future from Yoo Dahee made Jin Soyeon’s heart ache.

She also recalled hearing, ever so faintly, from Yoo Seolhyun that Jinhyuk had secretly been working as a Vigilante since middle school.

If that was true, it must’ve been after his parents passed away.

So, in his mid-teens, he wandered the darkness, quietly hunting down villains alone.

How hard and painful must that have been for him?

Having wiped out countless villains after Jinhyuk’s supposed death, Jin Soyeon could relate better than anyone to the loneliness and suffering he must have endured.

She could picture Jinhyuk, pretending to be calm on the surface while spending his nights as a Vigilante, dispatching villains in secret.

If only he had told her about it, she wouldn’t have let him be alone.

She would’ve done everything in her power to help him.

But Jinhyuk hadn’t revealed that he was a Vigilante, and Jin Soyeon never noticed.

How foolish, Jin Soyeon.

How could you call yourself his last remaining childhood friend, yet remain oblivious to his thoughts, his actions, and his goals?

Get it together from now on.

Yoo Dahee, the target of Jinhyuk’s long-standing goal, had been eliminated.

Now, it’s your turn to make sure he can live a peaceful life.

“Now that it’s all over, take a rest, Jinhyuk.”

“…’Over,’ huh.”

Yoo Dahee was dead, and Rebellion had been scattered.

Even Isabelle and Ryan Jones, considered Rebellion’s original members, had been captured, so the remaining Rebellion members posed no threat.

Originally, he thought he would at least reach the ending together with the main characters by the end of their third year.

But he had managed to defeat Yoo Dahee much sooner than expected.

Maybe now, as she said, it was time to rest a little.

To enjoy a peaceful life at the Academy.

“…You’re right. It really is over.”

Lee Jinhyuk chuckled quietly and leaned back into the soft sofa.

“Whew~. It feels like I’ve just seen the end of a long game. Now that the main storyline is all wrapped up, should I maybe take care of some side quests for a while?”

“Pft. That’s an amusing comparison.”

Now that he had achieved the goal he’d set after receiving future knowledge, there wasn’t much left to do except enjoy his second year at the Academy.

But wait—there was something.

“Ah, right, I didn’t get promoted to the second year, did I.”

“Maybe I should just quit the Academy.”

“Huh? What? All of a sudden?”

“Well, I submitted my ‘I’m alive’ report, but apparently, for various reasons, they had no choice but to hold me back a year.”

“Oh, yeah. I heard.”

Lee Jinhyuk, who had been legally dead for half a year, had applied to the Academy for reinstatement. Though his expulsion had been canceled due to his special circumstances, they couldn’t allow him to advance to the second year.

If he went back, it would mean starting over as a first-year.

Did he really need to go back to the Academy?

He already had enough money to live comfortably for the rest of his life, his skills were already far beyond veteran pros, and he had plenty of connections already lined up for a future career.

“I’ve been held back too because of all the absences I racked up. Isn’t it great, Jinhyuk? We can hold hands and start our first-year experience all over again!”

“…Sigh.”

Jin Soyeon’s eyes sparkled as if things had turned out for the better.

She seemed genuinely excited at the idea of reliving their first-year life together, which they hadn’t been able to fully enjoy because of the villains.

“Hmm. Well, I suppose… I can do that. I’ll have to go back anyway since I don’t really have anything else to do for the time being… and there are a lot of events at the Academy I haven’t seen yet.”

Many new characters were expected to appear once the second year started.

Under normal circumstances, they would have been rivals and reliable allies—or even enemies—of the main character group.

Jinhyuk was growing curious to see their faces at least once.

“But, Jinhyuk.”

“Yeah?”

“Um, has Yoo Seolhyun told you anything recently?”

“?”

Jinhyuk blinked in confusion.

“Not really?”

“Ah, I see. Ah, it hasn’t been said yet. Phew.”

Jinhyuk tilted his head, puzzled, as Jin Soyeon let out a small sigh of relief.

What’s with her? Why is she acting like this?

Did Yoo Seolhyun say something to him that would cause problems?

“T-Then, Jinhyuk!”

“Uh, yeah?”

Stammering slightly, her face growing red, Jin Soyeon called out his name, almost shouting.

“Can I… Can I ask you again… for that answer… that you promised back then?”

“?”

Huh? What answer all of a sudden?

***

End of Chapter