Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game - Chapter 168

Chapter 168

Epilogue: A Die-Hard Fan and an Anti-Fan (3)

***

Lee Cheong.

If you asked the new students about Lee Cheong, they would all reply without hesitation.

A monster.

No one would deny that Lee Cheong is the strongest and top hero trainee this year.

This is because most experienced her strength firsthand during the entrance exam.

Some of the new students thought less of Lee Cheong due to her always seeming sleepy and acting as if everything was a bother. But all of them were utterly toyed with.

The scene of her single-handedly taking down several named new students was unforgettable.

Everyone who made it into the Union Academy were exceptionally talented, but Lee Cheong easily took them down one by one.

Seeing this, the new students realized.

That there are indeed levels to talent.

They may have grown up being called prodigies, geniuses, or child prodigies, but compared to Lee Cheong, they were frogs in a well.

And yet, Lee Cheong wasn’t even going all out.

You could tell she wasn’t using her full strength from the way she leisurely moved.

The fact that she wasn’t even exerting herself but still managed to claim the top spot among the new students made them laugh hollowly.

Is the difference really that vast?

Aren’t they both first-year Union students?

They were jealous of Lee Cheong’s talent and strength but were also in awe of her.

Perhaps Lee Cheong was one of the rare prodigies even in the Union.

If she ever gave her all, she might even pose a threat to Lee Jinhyuk.

Of course, it would be difficult for Lee Cheong to defeat Lee Jinhyuk, but at the very least, she might be able to nip at the heels of his towering reputation.

Or maybe, if Lee Jinhyuk let his guard down, she might land a significant hit?

That’s what they thought.

Until just a moment ago.

“L-Lee Cheong? No, what—what is this?”

“A single strike? You mean that Lee Cheong?”

“Holy crap! What just happened? It feels like it ended in less than three seconds.”

“I didn’t even see it happen. How did it go so wrong?”

Murmurs swept through the crowd.

The new students, who had been watching the spar between Lee Cheong and Lee Jinhyuk, were in chaos.

That invincible Lee Cheong, who had made all of them keenly aware of the gap in their talents during the entrance exam, was taken out in a single hit?

Is this for real?

How did that Lee Cheong, of all people, get defeated so easily…?

Her unique ability should have allowed her to absorb most attacks, unless they were particularly fierce.

Wait, does that mean…

Did Lee Jinhyuk deal damage in a single blow that Lee Cheong couldn’t even absorb? He’s that strong? And he’s only a year older than her?

“…Huh.”

The instructor let out a gasp of admiration.

He slowly replayed the fight that had just occurred between Lee Jinhyuk and Lee Cheong in his mind.

As soon as the spar began, Lee Cheong dashed forward like a streak of light, aiming a punch directly at Lee Jinhyuk’s head.

The force behind her punch was more than you’d expect from a new student. It was powerful enough to knock out a professional hero.

But what happened next?

Lee Jinhyuk, with an expression as if everything were perfectly normal, calmly caught her fist with one hand. Then, he extended his right hand and counterattacked.

The movement was so fast it brought to mind the phrase “as quick as lightning.”

Even the instructor, who used to be a top-tier hero, had nearly missed the movement, it had been that fast.

Swallowing his dry throat, the instructor replayed what he had just witnessed.

To think he’d fail to track a student’s movement, and a student who hadn’t even reached adulthood at that.

If they were just ordinary students, they probably wouldn’t have been able to follow the fight at all.

Even when he was still an active hero, he had rarely seen heroes move at that speed.

‘I’ve heard rumors about Lee Jinhyuk, but I didn’t expect this. He might even be stronger than me.’

The thought amazed him.

He had retired from active duty some time ago, but he had made a name for himself as a top-tier hero.

Now, there was a student stronger than him?

At any other time, he would’ve laughed it off as a joke, but after seeing this with his very own eyes, he couldn’t dismiss it.

‘So, it wasn’t just baseless rumors.’

If even the instructor had difficulty following the movements, it was impossible for someone like Lee Cheong, despite her monstrous reputation as a freshman, to defend against it.

In the end, Lee Cheong was sent flying out of the arena by Lee Jinhyuk’s single punch, crashing into the wall and collapsing unconscious.

She was a prodigy who had already surpassed the typical level of a trainee, but Lee Jinhyuk was a monster on a higher level than even she could compete with.

“Seems like I didn’t control my strength properly,” Lee Jinhyuk muttered.

He scratched his cheek with a slightly apologetic look, gazing at the unconscious Lee Cheong.

Her unique ability was indeed troublesome, able to absorb just about any damage and counterattack.

That’s why he had put in enough power so that she couldn’t absorb his strike. But to think she’d end up coughing up blood and getting knocked out…

‘Lee Cheong is undoubtedly a special-level genius, but she’s still only at the low-advanced tier, at best. Maybe I got too stressed out.’

If Lee Cheong fought using all her strength, she’d rank somewhere between mid to high tier.

Of course, her unique ability could bring unexpected variables, but even so, her average strength wouldn’t surpass what he just mentioned.

Maybe if she fought Baek Yoorin, they could go head-to-head, but in the end, she’d lose to Baek Yoorin.

Still, for a freshman who just entered the Union, her abilities were astounding.

A year ago, Lee Jinhyuk could not have beaten her no matter what he tried.

But now, after awakening his ability, he was simply too powerful.

Sure, he needed others to activate his ability, but even so, it was a ridiculous power.

“…Someone, take Lee Cheong to the infirmary.”

“Oh, yes!”

Following the instructor’s order, Ha Yua ran over to support the fallen Lee Cheong and escorted her to the infirmary.

“Wow… that was insane.”

“Are we really in the same class as him?”

“He feels stronger than most of the heroes in my clan…”

“Man, this video is going to get so many views.”

One of the students, who had secretly smuggled a phone into the training grounds and was streaming the match, ended up spreading the footage across all of South Korea.

Once the video spread, South Korea caught fire once again.

It was to be expected. Achieving that level of strength at Lee Jinhyuk’s age?

Experts who analyzed the footage concluded that his moves were near the top-tier level—no, the high-ranking level.

Could it be that he was even better than the legendary heroes of the past… or perhaps beyond even that?

As for Jin Soyeon, though she’d been holding back since the Yoo Dahee incident, Lee Jinhyuk hadn’t been doing so.

Now, all eyes were on him.

“It seems Jinhyuk can’t help himself,” Jin Soyeon said to herself with a wry smile.

She had quietly been observing the spar from the stands.

Jinhyuk, you used too much force against her.

She knew not only that Jinhyuk was a Vigilante, but also had firsthand experience of just how strong he was from their own sparring sessions.

Currently, he was stronger than the average high-rankers in terms of strength.

There was no way someone like Lee Cheong—even someone as clearly prodigious as she was—could compare to him.

Not her, nor Lee Siwoon, Kang Daehan, or even the significantly improved Yoo Seolhyun or Sunari, could defeat Lee Jinhyuk.

Probably the only one with a chance was Baek Yoorin.

She trained like a high-ranker now, after all.

But even Baek Yoorin wouldn’t be a match for Lee Jinhyuk, Jin Soyeon was sure.

That was because Jinhyuk was destined to become the greatest hero of all—together with her.

‘Keep growing stronger, Jinhyuk.’

Let’s move forward, together.

Toward the goal we dreamed of as kids.

To become the greatest heroes in the world.

***

A few weeks after the spar with Lee Cheong.

I was lounging comfortably on the couch at home, fiddling with my phone.

I casually opened the web browser and searched for articles about me… Wow, there were a ton of related comments and search terms.

– The so-called “One Punch Man Lee Jinhyuk” – Is he really high-rank level?

– [Beyond Legendary Talent?] Just how strong is trainee Lee Jinhyuk?

– Genius trainee Lee Cheong vs Lee Jinhyuk – The result?

– ‘The Star of a New Hero Emerges’ – Government says, “The future of the hero industry is bright…”

Articles were flooding in non-stop.

After the Gwanghwamun Incident, I had already gained substantial fame, but the spar with Lee Cheong had skyrocketed my reputation even further.

People on the streets now recognized me and often asked for autographs.

At the Academy, it became a hassle when my peers—both classmates and upperclassmen—tried to act all chummy with me.

It seemed like they all wanted to get close and network with me, but these were the same people who didn’t even look my way when I was a nobody. Ugh.

“…I’m not a celebrity, so why am I getting this famous?”

Well, the more famous I become, the easier it would be to use my unique ability, so it wasn’t all bad.

But I was also worried that I’d attract unwanted attention from villains.

After all, notorious criminals had a habit of targeting famous heroes.

– Ding dong. Ding dong.

“Who could it be at this hour?”

It was almost evening.

Who would be ringing the doorbell at this time?

Judging from the way they rang the bell, it didn’t seem like a villain.

Hopefully, it wouldn’t turn out like last time, where random fans tracked me down. Or maybe even anti-fans.

Looks like I’ll have to move soon.

“…Huh?”

I blinked as I checked the intercom.

It was an unexpected person standing outside the gate.

What was she doing here at this hour?

I curiously made my way over to the front gate and opened it slowly.

And there she was, her familiar face coming into view.

“…Hello.”

“Baek Yoorin? What are you doing here with no notice?”

Baek Yoorin stood at the gate, looking up at me with her usual deadpan expression.

Her long, violet hair flowed loosely, and she stared blankly for a moment, unmoving.

“…Wait a minute.”

I tilted my head in confusion, noticing what was behind her.

Baek Yoorin was carrying a large travel bag.

“What’s with the bag?”

“Lee Jinhyuk.”

Her voice was calm as she looked directly at me.

“Remember the promise from before.”

Then, she said something utterly absurd.

“Will you take responsibility for me now?”

“…What?”

End of Chapter