Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game - Chapter 169

Chapter 169

Epilogue: Living Together is a No! (1)

***

169.

“……Responsibility?”

I couldn’t calm the confusion in my heart.

Out of nowhere, this talk about responsibility was absurd.

I swear I have never done anything to Baek Yoorin that warrants such a thing, nor have I made any such promise.

I’ve never even touched her, not even a fingertip.

So why is Baek Yoorin suddenly showing up and bringing up responsibility like this?

Given her character, she wouldn’t make up something out of the blue.

“…….”

Curious about Baek Yoorin’s intentions, I waited for her to continue.

But without adding another word, she just quietly looked up at me.

Her usual expressionless face made it impossible to guess what she was thinking.

“Baek Yoorin, what are you suddenly talking about…?”

I raised my voice, wanting to hear her explanation, but due to a passing resident making eye contact with me, I had to shut my mouth tight.

This wasn’t something to be discussed outside.

If the nearby residents overheard and spread weird rumors, it would be bothersome.

“Sigh. Baek Yoorin, come inside first. Let’s talk inside.”

“……Okay.”

Baek Yoorin obediently nodded.

She walked into the living room with heavy steps, dragging a large travel bag, and I handed her a cup of sikhye.

“…Thanks.”

She murmured her thanks and slurped the drink as she sat on the couch.

I also sat across from her, staring directly into her face.

“So, Baek Yoorin.”

“Yeah.”

“What’s this about responsibility? Explain it so I can understand.”

“……”

Baek Yoorin slowly put down her cup and began to speak.

The result was shocking, to say the least.

No wonder…

Baek Yoorin is…

“You were completely kicked out of your family?”

“Yeah.”

Baek Yoorin nodded while slurping more of the sikhye, acting as if it were nothing, despite just being disowned and expelled from the Baek family.

“They couldn’t just overlook the fact that I was involved with Rebellion.”

Now that I think about it, Baek Nam-il had found out that Baek Yoorin was part of Rebellion because of Yoo Dahee’s statements.

“Sigh. This is a mess.”

I let out a slow sigh.

No matter how you look at it, the fact that Baek Yoorin had once belonged to the most nefarious villain organization, Rebellion, was undeniable.

Though she hadn’t committed any villainous acts after joining, and she had even betrayed them midway to help take Rebellion down, there was no way to just let it slide.

Especially considering she was the granddaughter of a legendary hero who once symbolized Korea.

“Still, you were lucky.”

“Lucky?”

“You weren’t handed over to the police, after all.”

“No, that’s…”

Baek Yoorin continued calmly,

“They probably didn’t want to expose their dirty laundry.”

“……”

“If the media got hold of the fact that the granddaughter of a prestigious hero family had once worked as a villain… it would do more harm to them.”

She turned her head, staring straight into my eyes.

“I guess getting kicked out with all my limbs intact was a stroke of luck, right?”

Baek Yoorin seemed to have accepted the fact that her family had disowned her far too easily.

Even if they’re family… shouldn’t she feel at least a little upset or wronged?

Then again, given her family background, maybe it was inevitable.

“So, what’s this about responsibility?”

“…You said before that if I was ever kicked out of my home, you’d hire me as a bodyguard.”

“Ah.”

“So I came looking for you.”

“Hey, now.”

Is that what she meant by responsibility?

Doesn’t she realize her choice of words is seriously off?

I almost had a heart attack for no reason.

“Hmm… A bodyguard, huh.”

Hiring someone like Baek Yoorin as a bodyguard?

It’s not a bad idea.

In fact, it’s great.

But… Soyeon would definitely have a problem with it.

‘Still, having Baek Yoorin as a bodyguard would certainly make me feel more secure.’

Since I took down Yoo Dahee, I’ve been plagued by prank calls, stalking, mail terrorism, and more.

Yoo Dahee had been a notorious villain, and because of her popularity, she had more followers than we thought.

Not to mention she was a legendary figure among villains, so many were harboring resentment towards me for killing her.

Lately, I’ve even been receiving death threats.

Of course, I hadn’t told Soyeon about any of this.

She tends to overreact and get overly anxious, which would just make things worse.

I had already asked Yoo Seolhyun to help me relocate to a safer area or hire top-level bodyguards.

But finding high-level protectors in Korea wasn’t easy.

No matter how much money I offered, the true elites wouldn’t accept a simple bodyguard job for a mere training student.

It wouldn’t advance their careers after all.

And hiring mid-tier heroes wouldn’t be enough to provide real protection.

‘Now, Baek Yoorin, on the other hand, is at a high-ranker level. She could easily ward off most enemies from the villain world.’

While I could become extremely powerful with my abilities, I was vulnerable before they fully activated.

If an enemy ambushed me before I had a chance to use my powers, it would be over.

But with Baek Yoorin by my side, I could at least buy enough time to activate my powers.

So, hiring her as a bodyguard actually seemed like a pretty good move.

It’s just that I’m worried about Soyeon’s reaction.

‘Hmm. Maybe I should just get her a hotel room? But then hiring her would lose its point. Plus, Baek Yoorin might feel awkward just taking money for nothing.’

I scratched my chin as I pondered.

“……Was it too much to ask?”

“Hmm?”

“I mean… I did work as a villain after all… If people found out, it could harm your reputation. And maybe it’s unsettling for you to hire someone like me… right?”

Did she catch onto my hesitation?

Baek Yoorin, seemingly understanding my position, rose from her seat.

“In that case… I should probably get going. I’m sorry for coming so late…”

“Wait a second.”

With her hands on her suitcase, Baek Yoorin was ready to leave the house.

I quickly grabbed her wrist.

She blinked, looking back at me.

“Why?”

“Do you have somewhere else to go?”

“…….”

Baek Yoorin stayed silent.

When I stared at her intently, she turned her gaze away, seemingly uncomfortable.

Hah, this girl…

Looks like she has nowhere else to go.

“Do you have money?”

“……”

Once again, no response. She just averted her gaze.

“What, no way. You don’t even have cash in the bank?”

“My card’s been frozen, and my accounts are under lock.”

“Sigh. Unbelievable.”

I shook my head.

What is this recklessness?

Where does she plan to go at this hour without money or a destination?

“So, where were you planning to stay tonight?”

“……A bench in the park?”

“Oh, geez.”

Sure, you’re strong, but you’re still a girl. Sleeping in a park? Really?

“What about the academy?”

“I dropped out. Figured I’d find a job.”

“Sigh. You’re hopeless.”

Is she living too recklessly?

There’s no way I could just let her leave on her own—it would be a disaster.

“Okay, fine. It seems like I have no choice. I’ll hire you as my bodyguard as promised.”

“……You don’t have to go out of your way.”

“It’s no trouble. I’ve been looking for a decent bodyguard anyway. And you’re perfect for the job. Though, Soyeon might be a bit jealous.”

Of course, Soyeon and I aren’t dating or anything.

But still, I can’t just waltz up to her and say, ‘It’s none of your business if I live with another girl, right?’

Especially since Soyeon’s been acting a bit… intense lately.

I can’t even predict what she’d do.

…She wouldn’t lock me up somewhere or anything, right?

Haha.

What am I even thinking?

Soyeon would never go that far.

…Probably.

“Actually, I’ve been receiving a lot of death threats lately.”

“……?”

“So I’ve been using protective barriers and sleeping in a secure space until I could move to a safer place or hire a decent bodyguard. With you around, I won’t have to do that anymore.”

“……”

“For a while, you’ll have to stay with me. Is that okay with you?”

“……Yeah.”

She didn’t seem to mind the idea of living together at all.

“No problem.”

“Good. Then I’ll open a new bank account for you and deposit your salary there. We can negotiate the amount later.”

“Jinhyuk.”

“Hmm?”

“……Thank you.”

“No need to thank me.”

“……No. I forced an awkward situation on you… Even though you’d probably get nothing but drawbacks from associating with someone like me.”

Huh?

What do you mean?

You’re super strong.

Having you as a bodyguard is an absolute win for me.

With enemies all around—whether remnants of Rebellion or other villains—out for revenge, you being by my side is invaluable.

“You’ve helped me so much in the past… yet here I am relying on you again.”

“What’s all this talk about a debt? You helped me fight on Gwanghwamun Square, didn’t you?”

“……I don’t think it was that much help though.”

I chuckled.

“Haha. Well, then you can help me more in the future, Yoorin.”

“……”

I tried calling her by her name casually, but Baek Yoorin remained silent.

Now it’s awkward.

D-did I come off too familiar by using her name?

“Ahem. Anyway, just let me know if you need anything. I’ll help however I can.”

“……”

Baek Yoorin looked up at me for a moment, then slowly nodded her head.

After a brief pause, she spoke my name quietly.

“……Jinhyuk.”

Her red eyes reflected my face clearly.

“Thank you. I’ll be relying on you for a while… and I promise to return the favor someday.”

“Sure.”

At the same time, I scratched my temple, deep in thought.

Now, how should I explain this to Soyeon?

With Soyeon’s current clingy attitude, there’s no way she’ll tolerate Baek Yoorin staying over.

Of course, I have one method to persuade her… but I’d rather not use it unless it becomes absolutely necessary.

“Jinhyuk? What’s wrong?”

“Just… thinking about how to explain this to Soyeon.”

“Why……?”

Baek Yoorin tilted her head, clearly not understanding.

“……You’re not dating Jin Soyeon, so why do you need to explain anything?”

“Well, it’s just…”

I’m not that shameless, you know.

“I mean, what difference does it make to Jin Soyeon if you stay with me or not…?”

“Of course, it matters. Yoorin.”

At that moment—

Soyeon suddenly appeared behind us, her face dark.

“Oh? Is that why the atmosphere at home was so strange? Turns out it was you, Yoorin?”

Wha—how did she sneak in like that?

I didn’t hear the door or even her footsteps.

Yoorin, too, seemed pretty shocked, as Soyeon had completely eluded her detection.

‘Soyeon would sometimes drop by without notice, but why today… of all days?’

“I thought I’d surprise you by creeping in quietly, but….”

Soyeon’s icy words slithered between shifted glances at the two of us.

“You two are having quite an interesting conversation, huh?”

She was smiling, but her eyes weren’t showing even the slightest hint of amusement.

End of Chapter