Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game - Chapter 172

Chapter 172

Afterword: A Date With Yoo Seolhyun? (2)

***

“Didn’t you use to be pretty famous as a child actor?”

“Ah, haha. Just a little, yes.”

Ha Yua scratched her cheek awkwardly, clearly feeling a bit shy.

“Well, you’re undoubtedly pretty. I bet you were popular during your prime?”

Yoo Seolhyun scrutinized Ha Yua’s appearance with a neutral expression, her thoughts wandering for a moment.

Ha Yua’s silver hair gleamed, and her red eyes had a faint, warm hue.

She was slightly smaller than Yoo Seolhyun but had overall excellent body proportions.

As expected from a former celebrity, her sense of style was impeccable, and she knew how to present herself in a polished, sophisticated manner.

She’d heard that Ha Yua followed Lee Jinhyuk around like an innocent puppy, calling him “Senior!” and apparently being quite popular with the boys.

Yoo Seolhyun was confident in her own looks, but she had to admit that Ha Yua could easily rival her.

She really did seem like one of those beautiful girls straight out of a novel.

“I’m not that attractive. You, senior, are much prettier.”

“Is that so? Thank you.”

Ha Yua praised Yoo Seolhyun while shaking her head, insisting that Yoo Seolhyun was the more beautiful one, but somehow, it didn’t feel entirely genuine.

Of course, Ha Yua was probably sincere, but Yoo Seolhyun just couldn’t bring herself to like the eager girl who trailed after Lee Jinhyuk all day long.

Apparently, Ha Yua was an active member of Lee Jinhyuk’s fan club(?) at school.

She definitely seemed to worship him.

‘Is it just fan admiration or something more…?’

Yoo Seolhyun lightly bit her lip.

As if her head wasn’t already throbbing because of all the other girls, yet another girl who liked Lee Jinhyuk had appeared, and it was bothering her.

If she were just a regular girl, Yoo Seolhyun wouldn’t care as much, but someone like Ha Yua could definitely present a challenge.

With looks as cute as hers and such an open display of affection for him, any guy would likely find themselves swallowing nervously.

Lee Jinhyuk might not be thinking about dating now, but there was no guarantee he’d stay that way forever.

One day, out of the blue, he could begin dating someone.

‘Since the Gwanghwamun incident, he’s become way too famous.’

Yoo Dahee, the most infamous villain in Korean history who caused tens of thousands of deaths and astronomical property damage.

And the young trainee hero who took her down.

Lee Jinhyuk was currently the most famous hero trainee in South Korea.

Having defeated Yoo Dahee and delivered a knockout blow to Yi Cheong, Lee Jinhyuk was officially known as the strongest hero trainee.

He had already received countless secret recruitment offers from various clans, and his fan café membership had surpassed the tens of thousands.

A mere hero trainee had more fans than many established heroes.

‘This is just the beginning. He’s going to get even more famous.’

With time, Lee Jinhyuk would only grow stronger and more renowned.

And the number of women interested in him would undoubtedly increase as well.

There could even be women prettier, richer, and from better families than Yoo Seolhyun aiming for him.

Good men always attract good women.

‘Is this the time to be hesitant? I wanted to take things slow, build up a solid foundation, but if I waste time and lose him, it’ll be a problem…’

Yoo Seolhyun had wanted more time, but given the current circumstances, she realized she had to act sooner.

It might be a bit rushed, but she had no choice but to be more aggressive.

“Is it that late already? We’re going to be late for our reservation, Jinhyuk.”

“Looks like it.”

At Yoo Seolhyun’s words, Lee Jinhyuk checked the time and nodded.

“Alright, we’ll get going then. See you later, Ha Yua, Yi Cheong.”

“Oh… Yes. See you next time, seniors.”

“Sure.”

With that, Lee Jinhyuk and Yoo Seolhyun walked away.

Ha Yua watched their backs for a moment.

The two of them really did seem well-matched.

Yoo Seolhyun was not only beautiful but also from a good family and very wealthy.

She and Lee Jinhyuk had been working together since their first year, subjugating monsters, clearing dungeons, and even fighting villainous individuals.

She had even taken part in the Gwanghwamun incident, playing a role in capturing Yoo Dahee…

She truly was an amazing person.

“Ha Yua… Are you okay?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Those two… Seeing them meet up alone like this on the weekend—it feels like their relationship isn’t ordinary.”

Yi Cheong cautiously asked, her lips trembling slightly, but Ha Yua simply chuckled and shook her head.

“Ah, I thought you meant something else. Cheong-ah, I’m not a toxic fan. I’m just a fan who wants the best for our senior, really.”

“…”

Yi Cheong mulled over Ha Yua’s words for a moment.

A pure fan, huh.

Maybe that had been true before the Gwanghwamun incident.

But thinking back to how Ha Yua had blushed furiously and gushed endlessly about Lee Jinhyuk after he saved her at the Gwanghwamun Plaza… Hmm.

“As long as it’s a girl who suits Senior Jinhyuk, I’m all for it.”

“Is that so? Then that’s good, I guess.”

Does she not realize her own feelings yet?

‘It would be ideal if she continued being oblivious like this…’

Yi Cheong thought to herself as they walked side by side, hoping her naive friend wouldn’t realize her feelings and end up suffering for it.

***

“I heard this place was decently expensive…?”

“It’s actually reasonably priced. Why?”

Yoo Seolhyun and Lee Jinhyuk entered the restaurant.

Lee Jinhyuk looked around, slightly in awe.

The lighting was dim, casting a soft, private ambiance over the place—a restaurant brimming with a secretive, exclusive vibe.

It certainly looked like it would be expensive.

Calling this place “reasonably priced” and making a reservation here—Yoo Seolhyun really did seem like the kind of wealthy young lady people talked about.

This was the first time Lee Jinhyuk had ever been to a place like this.

“You have way more money than I do, you know.”

“Well, I… hm.”

Yoo Seolhyun might have access to some of her clan’s assets, but Lee Jinhyuk had won everything purely through stocks and dungeon-related profits, making it all his own personal wealth.

As a result, he had far more cash readily available than Yoo Seolhyun did.

Plus, he still knew about numerous unlisted companies and clans.

His knowledge of the future was proving to be quite useful.

“What’s the point of having money if you don’t have time to spend it?”

“Haha. Well, true. But that’s over now, isn’t it? You took down Yoo Dahee, and Rebellion’s been annihilated.”

“That’s true.”

Having made plenty of money, maybe it was time to start enjoying some leisure.

“We’ll show you to your table.”

An employee approached and guided them further inside the restaurant.

They eventually reached a closed-off private area.

It was a rectangular room decorated with beautiful ornaments, filled with chairs, a table, and various forms of entertainment.

“I’ll leave you two now.”

The employee bowed once and left.

Lee Jinhyuk sat down in a suitable spot inside the room.

“A private room, huh. This is pretty cool.”

“It’s mostly used by famous celebrities, politicians, and heroes. Total confidentiality is guaranteed here.”

“Ah.”

Considering that, it would be better to spend a little money for this kind of privacy than to deal with unwanted scandals.

“Shall we order some food?”

The two of them picked their meals and placed their orders.

Soon after, the staff returned with the food and set it on the table before departing.

Lee Jinhyuk savored the meal thoroughly, devoting some time to truly enjoy it. Hmm. It was definitely expensive but worth it.

He and Yoo Seolhyun engaged in casual conversation in between bites.

They covered trivial topics and also discussed their next dungeon raid strategy.

Who knew how much time had passed by like that?

Suddenly, Yoo Seolhyun took a sip of her drink and started to speak.

“Sigh… This reminds me of old times.”

“Huh?”

“It’s hard to believe, you know? A year ago, I never would’ve expected us to be having conversations like this.”

Yoo Seolhyun rested her chin in her hand, looking at him with an intent gaze.

It seemed like she was reminiscing about when they first met.

“When you boldly challenged me to that bet, I thought you were a pretty interesting guy.”

The first time they had a proper conversation had likely been about forming a team for the capture-the-flag evaluation.

Back then, Lee Jinhyuk had challenged her to a bet, aiming to build a positive relationship with her and defeat the monster that appeared during the assessment.

“Then you actually won, just like you said—easily taking down the other team members. I was pretty surprised.”

“It’s because I already knew where their weaknesses were, thanks to my foresight ability.”

“Hehe, true.”

Yoo Seolhyun chuckled softly, swirling her drink.

“Foresight, huh… It’s an incredible ability. You can predict the future and shape it to be the one you want…”

She softly called his name.

“Lee Jinhyuk.”

“What is it?”

“Why did you help me?”

“I just figured we could benefit from helping each other.”

“Is that so?”

Yoo Seolhyun nodded quietly but continued to look at him intently.

Then, as if gathering her thoughts, she spoke again.

“…Thank you.”

“Hm?”

A sudden word of gratitude?

“Soyeon told me. If things had gone as they originally were, I would’ve been a villainous young noble who bullied you and Soyeon, right?”

A villainous young noble.

That title definitely would suit Yoo Seolhyun in another reality.

“Not only that, I would’ve failed the Youngdeung Mountain raid, been attacked by my siblings, and met a miserable end, right?”

“Well, that’s not entirely wrong.”

If Lee Jinhyuk hadn’t intervened, the future would have followed its original course.

“But you helped me instead. You led our team to success in the Youngdeung Mountain raid, supplied me with all sorts of information, and gave me the strength to surpass my siblings. Now, I’m a strong contender to be the heir of the Gaon Nuri Clan.”

Yoo Seolhyun regarded him with gentle eyes.

“You could’ve easily discarded me, but you chose to work with me.”

“……”

“If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t have done the same. Even if it was something destined for the future, if I had been harassed for a long time, I would’ve made sure to crush that person. But you didn’t.”

Yoo Seolhyun smiled faintly but sincerely.

“So, thank you.”

Then she added, softly but honestly,

“For saving me. For not discarding me.”

Her words carried a depth of sincerity, and Lee Jinhyuk found himself awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

What was with her today, bringing all this up out of nowhere?

It was kind of embarrassing.

End of Chapter