Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game - Chapter 175

Chapter 175

Afterword: Confession (2)

***

‘Is this the confessional I’ve only ever heard about?’

Lee Jinhyuk glanced around the interior of the confessional.

A cross and a small statue were hung in the center of the rectangular room made from fine wood materials.

There was also a small hole covered by a black curtain-like cloth.

It seemed to be an opening meant for communication with the priest beyond the partition.

Looking at it this way, it reminded him of something from one of those shady videos—like a glory hole or something… Ah, I shouldn’t be having such impure thoughts.

Ahem.

Anyway, Lee Jinhyuk cleared his throat lightly and took a seat.

He waited for the priest to speak.

But then…

“…Huh? A shift? Ah, understood.”

“?”

There was a small commotion, followed by the sound of a door opening and someone entering the adjacent room.

What was going on?

Lee Jinhyuk tilted his head in confusion.

“Mm-hmm. Lemme adjust my voice for a little bit… Oh, my apologies. Brother… Jinhyeok.”

Suddenly, a soft, seemingly young female voice floated over from the other side of the partition.

Wait, what?

This wasn’t the voice of the head priest from earlier.

For some reason, they had switched whoever was supposed to be counseling him.

But, that voice… It sounded strangely familiar.

Although it was the first time he’d heard that voice, it triggered a sense of familiarity, like it was a voice he had known for a long time.

Lee Jinhyuk furrowed his brow in puzzlement.

“Brother, then let us begin the confession.”

Of course, the person on the other side of the partition was Roxanne.

After switching shifts with the head priest, Roxanne used a voice-altering spell to perform the role of the confessional priest.

“In the name of the Virgin, the Saintess, and the Holy Spirit…”

Making a light cross gesture, Roxanne began the confession ritual.

“Brother, though we all live burdened with sin, if you seek forgiveness before the Lord, surely He will grant you pardon.”

“Ah, yes.”

“I swear that what is said here will remain known only to myself, the Lord, and you, Brother. So please, speak freely and with an open heart.”

At Roxanne’s words, Lee Jinhyuk hesitated for a moment before slowly parting his lips.

“…It’s not much, really.”

Lee Jinhyuk took a deep breath and continued.

“Somehow, I ended up living with a bunch of girls.”

“What? Living with girls? Multiple girls?”

Roxanne was shocked.

Living with girls?

Had Lee Jinhyuk just said he was living with *girls*?

Not just one girl, but with multiple girls?

Roxanne, in her innocence, was quite ignorant about such matters, but she still understood what it generally meant for men and women to cohabitate.

No matter how much Roxanne, being a Saintess candidate, lived an ascetic life, she still heard plenty of things while attending the academy.

“…Brother.”

“Yes?”

“Living with women as a student at the academy could cause various problems.”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

“Moreover, you’re living with women.”

Roxanne swallowed nervously.

“As far as I know, Brother, you have no guardian. Living with women in a house without a guardian is a bit…”

“Um, priest? How do you even know that I don’t have a guardian?”

“Oh.”

Realizing her slip-up, Roxanne hurriedly made an excuse.

“You’re, um, quite famous, Brother. I’ve overheard quite a lot here and there.”

“I see.”

Lee Jinhyuk nodded to himself.

Come to think of it, his fame was rising day by day.

Details about his past and family situation had already leaked onto the internet.

“Anyway.”

Ahem! Roxanne cleared her throat and spoke again.

“I understand I have no right to interfere in your personal life, Brother, but still…”

“No, priest, it’s fine. I’ve already gotten permission from the girls’ guardians.”

“T-The guardians?”

“And one of them didn’t have anywhere to go, so I’m just letting her stay temporarily.”

Roxanne blinked in confusion.

Permission from their guardians?

It seemed unlikely, given that most parents wouldn’t normally send their daughter to live alone in a house with a guy.

But then again, Roxanne didn’t know the full context.

“Anyway, that’s not really the issue. The thing is, after living together for a while, I’ve started seeing her… as a girl, you know?”

“I see.”

“Priest?”

“Oh, nothing, nothing.”

Although her voice had slightly dropped, Lee Jinhyuk didn’t think much of it and continued speaking.

“Up until now, I never really thought of her that way, but recently… I’m starting to see her differently, and it’s confusing. It’s like, is this really how it’s supposed to be?”

In truth, he wanted to say that it was because of memories from his previous life that things were feeling awkward, but if he started talking about past lives, people would just think he was crazy, so he tweaked his explanation a bit.

“Plus, she actually confessed to me before.”

“…”

“I like her a lot as a friend, and I do have feelings for her, but I’m not sure if I should accept her confession.”

“…”

“Honestly, there are probably guys way better than me for her, so it feels a little too good to be true, you know?”

Lee Jinhyuk scratched his cheek as he spoke.

Jin Soyeon and Yoo Seolhyun.

He didn’t dislike either of them.

Lately, he had been seeing them in a more romantic light as well.

Although the memories from his past life made him hesitate, the more time passed, the less those hesitations remained.

If he had to choose between the two of them, who should it be?

And, if they did end up dating, would they be able to get along well together?

“Brother.”

Roxanne, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke slowly.

“What is it that you want, Brother?”

“I…”

“From what I see, it seems you’ve already made up your mind.”

Roxanne paused for a bit before adding more.

“You’re merely hesitating.”

“Am I?”

“And, Brother, you mentioned earlier how there are plenty of other good men, and you feel you don’t deserve her.”

Roxanne couldn’t just accept that calmly.

“How could you say you’re undeserving, Brother? I can’t understand why you would lower yourself like that.”

Currently, Lee Jinhyuk was one of the most promising hero trainees in all of Korea.

He was strong, wealthy—an extraordinary hero-in-training.

But, conversely, that was all he had.

Without the safety net of family or background, if he were compared to other men who had power, money, and influence, then, sure, he might seem lacking in that regard.

But Roxanne knew better.

She knew just how great Lee Jinhyuk’s potential as a hero truly was.

He had an altruistic heart that surpassed anyone else’s, a selflessness that couldn’t be found easily.

“In all the time I’ve known you, Brother, I’ve always thought you were an amazing and exemplary person.”

Even when his only childhood friend, Seong Yura, had been captured, he didn’t hesitate to dive into danger to save her.

When a monster appeared during the early evaluation tests in his first year, he chose to subdue it, even though there was a risk his hidden strength might be revealed.

During the midterms, he had saved multiple trainees from Yoo Dahee’s attack.

And what about during the Busan Ouroboros incident?

He sacrificed himself to save his childhood friend when she was in danger.

During the Gwanghwamun disaster, he saved people and single-handedly defeated Yoo Dahee, achieving great merit.

Lee Jinhyuk possessed a sense of duty and a self-sacrificial spirit that far exceeded that of most people his age.

“Please don’t belittle yourself.”

“Ah, okay.”

Feeling embarrassed by Roxanne’s words, Lee Jinhyuk awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

An amazing, exemplary person…

That sounded way too grand.

“It’s okay to follow your heart and make a choice, Brother.”

“Follow my heart?”

“Yes.”

Follow my heart, huh?

Well, it was true that continuing to waver like this wasn’t really his style.

Up until now, he had made excuses, telling himself he didn’t see them that way—but there was no more reason to keep lying to himself.

Moreover, both Soyeon and Yoo Seolhyun had already confessed to him.

Continuing to hem and haw like, “Oh, I feel awkward thinking of her as a girl,” or, “What should I do?” would only make things worse.

“Yeah, you’re right. As you said, I should stop hesitating and just follow my heart.”

A past life was just that—past.

Right now, he was a healthy academy trainee in his late teens.

In other words, it wasn’t a situation where an adult was involved with a minor—it was just people of the same age dealing with romantic emotions.

Yeah, it’s about time for me to start dating, isn’t it?

“Hah. I rambled a lot, but I feel much better now that I’ve talked to someone. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“It feels more like a counseling session than a confession, though.”

“That’s fine. As long as it helped you, Brother, that’s enough.”

Roxanne smiled gently.

Though Lee Jinhyuk couldn’t see her through the curtain, he felt like she was probably stunningly beautiful.

After all, people with a kind disposition and a lovely voice often turned out to be beautiful.

Ah, is it a little improper to think like this about a priest?

***

“…”

After leaving the church, following the guidance of another priest, Lee Jinhyuk stepped out into the daylight.

At the same time, the confessional door creaked open.

From it emerged Roxanne, with her thick pink hair cascading down her back, clutching the rosary that marked her as a Saintess candidate.

Dressed in a pristine white priest’s robe with a cape, she slowly stepped out, a bitter smile on her lips.

“…Love, huh.”

It was a relief, really.

Although the problem wasn’t as serious as she had feared, love, a simple issue for some, could turn into a profound and serious dilemma for others.

Who would have thought Lee Jinhyuk was struggling with matters of romance?

“…So he likes someone after all.”

It looked like he had resolved himself to accept a confession, too.

“I see… Mm-hmm.”

Then why did her heart ache slightly?

Roxanne didn’t know the answer to that question.

Someday, an event would occur that would make everything clear—but that day was still far in the future.

End of Chapter