Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game - Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Why You? (4)

Whiiiish.

A cold wind swept past us, brushing against our skin.

Yoo Seolhyun’s hair fluttered briefly in the breeze before settling down.

She raised her right hand slowly, smoothing her wind-tousled hair, and then parted her lips.

“Letting go of foolish feelings, huh…”

Yoo Seolhyun repeated my words, then lifted her chin slightly to look me straight in the eye.

Her eyes held a subtle glimmer.

What was she thinking right now?

I couldn’t be sure, but one thing was clear.

Curiosity.

Yoo Seolhyun was intensely curious and puzzled by my words.

“Didn’t you say you broke up amicably?”

“…”

Well, yes, that’s true.

I closed my lips for a moment.

I was pondering how to phrase it.

After a brief silence, I organized my thoughts and met Yoo Seolhyun’s eyes.

Alright, let’s clarify my stance.

‘Considering the future, it wouldn’t hurt to explain to Yoo Seolhyun why I’m trying to pair up Soyeon and Siwoon.’

I needed to justify my actions and make them credible.

In the future, I might need Yoo Seolhyun’s help with matters related to Soyeon and other male protagonists.

Explaining my actions every time would be impractical.

The atmosphere and flow weren’t bad, so it was a good opportunity.

I took a small breath and began speaking slowly.

“I dated Soyeon for a long time.”

After a brief pause, I continued.

“Honestly, Soyeon seemed to like me more as a friend than as a romantic interest.”

Given our fake relationship, it was understandable.

“We’ve seen everything of each other since childhood, so it was inevitable.”

“Hmm.”

“I liked her a lot, though.”

T h i s w a s c opi e d from k i n g m t l.o rg
I deliberately made a slightly bitter expression, and Yoo Seolhyun just looked at me quietly without saying anything.

“And about Siwoon. Don’t you think he goes well with Soyeon?”

“Siwoon?”

“Yeah. Even in middle school, Soyeon seemed close to Siwoon, and Siwoon seemed to care about her.”

“Hmm.”

“Watching them together made me feel strange.”

Honestly, Soyeon and Siwoon weren’t that close in middle school, but Yoo Seolhyun wouldn’t know that.

“Siwoon has good abilities, a good family, he’s handsome, rich… he lacks nothing.”

His personality is a bit ambiguous.

As one of the male protagonists, he wasn’t bad.

He had a decent role as a hero.

…Until he got blinded by jealousy.

“Soyeon has always been popular. Even someone like Siwoon is interested in her. But compared to guys like him, I’m just…”

“…I don’t think your abilities are bad either.”

Actually, I don’t have any special abilities.

Yoo Seolhyun was mistaken, but that’s why she said that.

“Anyway, I thought it would be better for her to be with someone like Siwoon than dating me.”

“I see.”

“Some guys bothered me to break up with Soyeon, but if she dated Siwoon, that wouldn’t happen.”

I added more details.

“If Soyeon had really liked me, things might have been different… But honestly, she didn’t seem very interested in romance. She got along well with other guys too.”

It wasn’t that she left her boyfriend to hang out with other guys, but she maintained close relationships with both genders.

It might have seemed off from a boyfriend’s perspective, but since our relationship was fake, we didn’t mind.

The kids thought, ‘They’ve been like that even before dating,’ and didn’t take it seriously.

“Hmm. Having a boyfriend but hanging out with other guys… could it be stringing them along?”

Yoo Seolhyun smiled mischievously.

There she goes again with strange ideas.

Given her perspective, it was understandable, but Soyeon was very insensitive to gender boundaries.

T h i s w a s c o p ie d fr o m k i n g m t l. or g
She helped many people, so she got entangled with guys too.

No wonder she was the protagonist of a reverse harem.

“Soyeon has always been sociable.”

“Well… let’s go with that.”

Yoo Seolhyun nodded with a knowing expression.

I looked at her and continued.

“Anyway, I ended up dating Soyeon, but I thought she might be more interested in Siwoon romantically.”

“Hmm.”

“And watching her get close to other guys was hard. It was always like that, but intervening now felt silly… so we decided to break up.”
Thi s w a s co pie d fr o m k i n g m tl .o rg

I continued calmly.

“But I don’t blame Soyeon. I just want her to be with someone good like Siwoon. Maybe then I can let go.”

“…”

“I didn’t expect to tell you all this. You can just let it go in one ear and out the other.”

“…”

“But does it bother you? Since you’re sort of engaged to Siwoon.”

“It’s fine. Siwoon and I don’t care about that. And I’ll ignore how you knew about it.”

Yoo Seolhyun shrugged.

“I understand. But honestly.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s foolish.”

T h i s wa s c o p i e d f r o m k i ngm t l. o r g
“Uh, really?”

“Yeah. It’s foolish. I don’t get it.”

“Love makes people foolish, especially first loves.”

Of course, I didn’t like Soyeon romantically.

Before regaining my past life memories, maybe, but now I saw her as a precious childhood friend.

Combining past life memories, I’m quite old.

Thinking of Soyeon romantically feels wrong.

“In short, you think Soyeon doesn’t see you romantically, doesn’t suit you, and you want her to be with a better guy?”

“More or less.”

“That’s foolish. It’s pathetic.”

“Huh?”

Yoo Seolhyun stepped closer, her eyes glinting with something unreadable.

“If you want someone, why give them up?”

Well, not exactly giving up.

We weren’t in that kind of relationship.

I can’t tell her it was a fake relationship.

“If you really want something, shouldn’t you get it?”

“That’s you.”

“Not just me, but most people. So it doesn’t make sense. You’re not a pushover.”

“Hey, hey.”

“What’s with helping the girl you like date another guy? Let go? I don’t get it.”

Yoo Seolhyun shook her head with a puzzled expression.

“…I don’t get you.”
T h is w a s copi ed f r o m k i n gm tl . o rg

Given her personality and values, my actions were incomprehensible.

She had to have what she wanted.

“The idea of letting go because of love… I can’t get behind that.”

“You don’t need to.”

“Yeah, I don’t.”

Yoo Seolhyun sighed deeply.

And quietly muttered to herself.

“Having someone who cares that much… I’m a bit jealous, Soyeon.”

“Are you saying it loud enough for me to hear?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“As always…”

I cleared my throat and raised an important point.

“But are you really okay? With me helping Siwoon and Soyeon get closer.”

T his w a s c op i e d f r o m k i n g m tl. org
“I told you, it’s fine. Don’t worry.”

“In that case…”

I nodded.

I was worried about Yoo Seolhyun’s reaction, but she seemed genuinely unbothered.

No major obstacles now in pushing Siwoon and Soyeon together.

Helping them this once might not drastically increase their affection, but it would bring them closer.

That would make future tasks easier with Siwoon’s help.

Right?
T h i s wa s c o p i e d fr o m k ing m tl .o r g

***

There’s a tightness in her chest.

A dull pain surges from her diaphragm.

Jin Soyeon felt her pulse race, her heart pounding heavily.

‘This can’t be, this can’t be happening.’

Unable to comprehend the situation, Jin Soyeon ran from the rooftop, through the campus.

She wanted to clear her confused mind and escape from the voices of those two.

Jin Soyeon ran across the wide campus, her breath quickening, until she reached a park-like area.

“Haa… ugh… whew…”

Leaning halfway over, Jin Soyeon panted heavily.

The conversation she overheard between Lee Jinhyuk and Yoo Seolhyun wouldn’t leave her mind.

Despite the confusing talk, one thing pierced her deeply.

Lee Jinhyuk secretly liked her.

‘No, it can’t be… it can’t be true…’

She didn’t want to hear it.

The idea that Lee Jinhyuk liked her was absurd.

Normally, she would dismiss it as a joke, but now she couldn’t.

She overheard Lee Jinhyuk confess his feelings.

‘…He liked me all this time? And I didn’t notice?’

They were childhood friends for over ten years.

She prided herself on knowing everything about Lee Jinhyuk.

But she missed the most important thing.

How did she not notice Lee Jinhyuk liked her? And she asked him to be her fake boyfriend…

‘Ah…’

A wave of nausea washed over her.

She imagined how Lee Jinhyuk felt when she asked him to be her fake boyfriend.

Thi s w a s co p i e d f r om k in gm tl . o r g
Secretly in love, it must have been complicated for him.

But he quietly accepted without complaint.

Even when she hung out with others, laughed and joked, he never complained.

Because their relationship was fake.

Lee Jinhyuk had no right to object, being her shield for years.

‘How could it be?’

What was Lee Jinhyuk thinking all this time?

What did he feel looking at her?

Why didn’t she notice?

‘…’

When she lost her father and sat alone in kindergarten, it was Lee Jinhyuk who reached out.

He taught her how to be with others.

He was her support and fence.

Whenever she struggled, he helped without asking for anything.

Even during that dangerous incident in the past, he saved her without hesitation.

And what did she do to him?

She hurt him.

For years.

‘Jinhyuk didn’t get close to other girls because… he liked me?’

It made sense.

Lee Jinhyuk was handsome and smart, popular with girls, but he seemed uninterested.

Like he had someone else in mind.

‘After entering Union, he distanced himself and tried to pair me with Siwoon… to let go? And for my sake? Because he thought I liked Siwoon…?’

How could someone do that?

What if she were in his position?

Could she care for a childhood friend like he did?

‘I didn’t know he was hurting… If I knew he liked me, I wouldn’t have asked him… Jinhyuk, why did you…’

Jin Soyeon sat down and covered her face.

Thi s w a s c o p i e d f r om k i ng m t l. o r g
Confusion.

Her mind was a mess.

She didn’t know.

Th is w a s c o pi ed f r o m k in g m t l . o r g
She never imagined Lee Jinhyuk had a crush on her.

If she knew, she wouldn’t have asked him to be her fake boyfriend.

But it was too late.

She didn’t realize how oblivious she was.

How could she not know her childhood friend liked her after ten years?

Even if he hid it, there must have been signs.

Jin Soyeon tried hiding what happened last night, but Lee Jinhyuk noticed quickly.

A longtime friend should have noticed.

But why didn’t she?

‘I didn’t mean to… But thinking of the hurt he endured…’

Guilt and complex thoughts tore at her.

Her mind was a jumble of emotions.

But one thing was clear.

She hurt Jinhyuk deeply.

Asking him to be her fake boyfriend wasn’t her fault.

She didn’t know what he felt and he accepted willingly.

But that didn’t matter to Jin Soyeon.

She received so much help from Jinhyuk, only to repay him with hurt.

That fact alone clouded her mind and heart.

‘Jinhyuk…’

Jin Soyeon quietly muttered his name.

The precious childhood friend she had hurt so much.

End of Chapter.