Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game - Chapter 87

Chapter 87

Baek Yoorin and the Ranking Battle (1)

T hi s wa s co p ie d f rom k in g m t l .o r g
Baek Family’s Swordsmanship Dojo.

“…….”

In the vast sparring hall, a single girl stood silently.

She resembled a sword herself.

Her sharp eyes, framed by dark lashes, stood out starkly. Her light gray pupils were as sharp as a blade, and her expression was as cold as winter. The girl, with her long, flowing purple hair, held her sword tightly while staring blankly at the empty space above her.

“Ugh… Ah…”

“Ha… Uh…”

“Ah… Oh…”

At the girl’s feet lay six grown men.

T his w as co pi e d f r om k i n gm t l . o r g
They were gasping for breath, their chests rising and falling intermittently.

These men were either instructors or assistant instructors, highly skilled in their own right, but they were no match for the young girl before them.

They couldn’t land a single hit on her, nor could they even touch her. In fact, the girl wasn’t even wearing proper protective gear.

Was the difference in skill that vast?

She was merely wearing a white martial arts uniform, yet she had toyed with the instructors without breaking a sweat.

She truly possessed natural talent.

It was no wonder she was the granddaughter of Baek Yeonghyun, the greatest swordsman in the peninsula.

Seeing her standing there was like witnessing a young Baek Yeonghyun in action, making it clear that she carried the strongest bloodline within the Baek family.

“……Excuse me.”

“…….”

Suddenly, one of the assistant instructors entered the sparring hall.

He glanced at the men who had collapsed on the floor and carefully addressed the girl.

T hi s was c op i e d f r o m k i n gm t l . o r g
Baek Yoorin’s usual expressionless face made it impossible to tell what she was thinking, which only made the instructor feel more uneasy.

“There’s someone here to see you.”

“…….”

“They said they’re a friend of yours.”

“……A friend?”

Baek Yoorin tilted her head slightly, her gaze indifferent.

A friend?

That was strange.

Did Baek Yoorin even have anyone she could call a friend?

In her mind, there wasn’t anyone she considered a friend. So, who could it be?

“……Who is it?”

“Uh, a woman named Seo Yeyoon.”

T h i s w as cop ie d f r o m k i n g m t l . or g
“…….”

“What should we do?”

Seo Yeyoon.

That name sounded familiar.

It was the public alias of a certain woman, if she remembered correctly.

Why had she come so suddenly?

“Where is she?”

“I told her to wait in the reception room for now.”

“Alright.”

Baek Yoorin nodded slowly and began walking toward the reception room.

T hi s w a s co pi e d fr om k i n g m tl.o r g
She passed through the wooden corridors reminiscent of traditional hanok architecture and arrived at a room similar to a guest parlor.

As she opened the door, she saw a black-haired woman sitting inside, casually munching on traditional sweets and sipping tea.

…It was Yoo Dahee, disguised as a civilian.

“Mmm, gulp. Oh, Baek Yoorin, long time no see.”

Yoo Dahee shamelessly wiped her hands clean after devouring the remaining snacks in the bowl.

“…Sigh. Those were good.”

“…….”

“Come on, don’t give me that look. It’s just a few snacks.”

“……What’s your reason for being here?”

Baek Yoorin was naturally curious why someone like Yoo Dahee, who currently had a bounty on her head, would brazenly show up in broad daylight.

Of course, Yoo Dahee was in disguise, so unless someone was particularly sharp, it wasn’t likely she’d be caught.

“Just thought I’d drop by.”

Yoo Dahee nonchalantly flicked her finger against the rim of her teacup while casually studying Baek Yoorin’s face.

“It’s been a while, and you don’t keep in touch. How am I supposed to know if you’re dead or alive?”

“…….”

Yoo Dahee let out a playful laugh, then clapped her hands as if she’d suddenly remembered something.

“Oh, right. Guess what? We’ve recruited some new members.”

“…….”
T h i s w a s c o p i e d fro m k i ngm t l . o rg

“A kooky necrophiliac woman and a crazy animal lover guy. They seemed promising, so I brought them in.”

“…….”

“Probably because I got some media exposure during the Union incident, recruiting them was easier than I thought. Looks like I’m becoming a bit famous. Haha.”

“…….”

“…This feels kind of weird. Am I the only one talking here? Is it just my imagination?”

“…….”

Baek Yoorin remained expressionless, merely staring at her.

She stayed completely silent, making it impossible to tell if she was even listening.

Baek Yoorin wasn’t one for idle chatter, especially when it came to anything unrelated to swordsmanship. Conversations like this likely didn’t interest her.

Maybe it was time to shift the topic to something she’d actually care about?

“Ah well, never mind. I’m just wasting my breath here. I was going to tell you who the Vigilante is, but I guess you’re not interested.”

“……What?”

Suddenly.

“……What did you just say?”

For the first time, Baek Yoorin’s expression changed.

It was as if a single drop of water had disturbed the surface of a perfectly still lake. It was a small shift, but for Baek Yoorin, it was a significant one.

Yoo Dahee chuckled internally.

So that got her attention.

“Huh? I thought you didn’t care about what I had to say?”

“……Yoo Dahee.”

“Hey now, don’t go using my real name so casually. What if someone overhears?”

“This place is soundproof.”

“You never know, just in case.”

“…….”

“Alright, alright. I’ll tell you. No need to glare at me like that.”

Baek Yoorin’s face was as expressionless as ever, but there was a subtle tension in the air, as if she was getting irritated. Yoo Dahee let out a soft chuckle and decided to comply.

“I wasn’t sure at first whether I should tell you, but… I guess I’ll give you the information.”

“……So, who is the Vigilante?”

It was rare for Baek Yoorin to be so impatient.

Normally, she had a cold, indifferent attitude toward the world, but the name “Vigilante” was something she couldn’t ignore.

After all, the Vigilante was the one who had first made her taste the bitter emotion of defeat two years ago.

“Hmm. Who do you think it is?”

“…….”

Baek Yoorin’s eyes began to darken.

A faint trace of killing intent seeped out, like a mirage, from her otherwise calm demeanor.

If Yoo Dahee kept teasing her, she might even draw her sword.

Sensing the shift, Yoo Dahee shrugged and decided not to push her luck.

“I think it’s a guy named Lee Jinhyuk.”

“……Lee Jinhyuk is the Vigilante?”

As soon as the words left Yoo Dahee’s mouth, a subtle but distinct wave of anger flickered in Baek Yoorin’s gray eyes. The name “Lee Jinhyuk” reverberated endlessly in her mind.

“……Lee Jinhyuk, Lee Jinhyuk.”

But only for a moment.

She soon stopped muttering his name and turned to Yoo Dahee.

“Lee Jinhyuk… Who is he?”

“Hah.”

*Who is he?*

A vein popped on Yoo Dahee’s forehead.

“I told you about him over the phone before, remember? I mentioned that one of the trainees surprised me by cutting my hand.”

“……?”

Baek Yoorin blinked as if she was hearing this for the first time, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

The movement was somewhat cute, but it only irritated Yoo Dahee further.

It was clear that Baek Yoorin had heard what she said, only to let it go in one ear and out the other.

“I even sent you the footage from the Union incident.”

“…….”

Baek Yoorin averted her dull gaze, obviously avoiding eye contact.

She remained silent, twirling the ends of her hair absentmindedly.

“You didn’t watch it, did you?”

“…….”
T hi s w a s co p i e d f r o m kin g mt l . o r g

“It was all over the news! You really don’t pay attention to anything, do you?”

Yoo Dahee could only sigh in frustration.

Did Baek Yoorin really only care about swords and nothing else?

“……Are you sure Lee Jinhyuk is the Vigilante?”

“Probably?”

So, it was speculation, not a certainty?

“Well, I looked into why Seong Yura got arrested, and that’s when I found out.”

“……How?”

“Some of the guys who were waiting in ambush near that abandoned building were Seong Yura’s subordinates. They gave up Lee Jinhyuk’s name when they were interrogated.”

Th is w a s c o p i ed f r om k i ng m t l. o rg
It wasn’t just that.

Lee Jinhyuk might also have been directly responsible for bringing Seong Yura down.

“When Seong Yura was arrested, Lee Jinhyuk had left the academy early.”

Of course, it wasn’t just Lee Jinhyuk; Yoo Seolhyun, Lee Siwoon, and Roxanne had all left as well. It seemed like they had all played a role in attacking Seong Yura.

After all, Gaon Nuri Clan and SL Group had exerted significant influence in the process of Seong Yura’s arrest.

It was as if they were determined to bury her.

Gaon Nuri had even worked with law enforcement when they raided Seong Yura’s mansion.

“That day, the Vigilante ordered Seong Yura’s subordinates stationed at the abandoned building to return to the mansion. Doesn’t that make things pretty clear?”

“……Why would Lee Jinhyuk have anything to do with Seong Yura?”

“She kidnapped one of his childhood friends.”

“A childhood friend?”

“Yeah. A girl named Jin Soyeon. She’s quite pretty. Apparently, Seong Yura kidnapped and threatened her.”

“…….”

Th i s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k i n gm t l. o r g
It seemed like Lee Jinhyuk had gotten on Seong Yura’s bad side.

Ironically, it was Seong Yura who ended up falling.

“Thinking about it now, it all makes sense. During the academy raid, Lee Jinhyuk was able to read my movements and cut my hand. At the time, I thought it might’ve been a fluke, but if he’s the Vigilante, it adds up.”

Yoo Dahee smirked, half-amused, half-impressed.

“The Vigilante… He’s quite famous among villains, isn’t he? I heard he’s supposedly at the top-tier level of strength for someone so young.”

A top-tier talent.

In South Korea, that made him a complete monster.

It meant he was among the top 200 of over a hundred thousand superhumans, including heroes, villains, trainees, and hopefuls.

“I kind of wanted to fight him.”

Yoo Dahee let out a light laugh.

If the rumors were true, the Vigilante might be as monstrous as she was.

Though Yoo Dahee was growing stronger by the day, and she felt like she’d soon reach the threshold of the high-rankers.

“Oh, right.”

Suddenly, Yoo Dahee grinned.

Thi s w as co p i e d f r om k i ng m t l. o r g
“Didn’t you mention you got beaten by the Vigilante before?”

“…….”

Baek Yoorin flinched, her body trembling slightly.

She bit her lower lip, a bit harder than usual.

The memory of that day resurfaced.

It was an unforgettable scar, a humiliation.

One that had left her with a slight trauma.

…Unfortunately, Lee Jinhyuk had no idea.

He didn’t know just how deeply Baek Yoorin despised the Vigilante.

In his mind, she just held a mild grudge after being defeated once. That was all he thought.

Not much information had been revealed about Baek Yoorin, after all.

She wasn’t a playable character, and her lack of emotional expression made it difficult to glean much about her. In the game, she was mostly just an obstacle for Jin Soyeon to gain experience.

On top of that, the Vigilante character hadn’t even been in the original game, so it was impossible to know the full extent of their relationship.

“Heh. I guess it makes sense. Even someone as strong as you would struggle against someone with potential like mine.”

“……Self-praise?”

“Oh, come on, I’m just saying it like it is.”

No matter how strong Baek Yoorin was, she couldn’t defeat a monster like Yoo Dahee.

In fact, she had already lost to Yoo Dahee several times.

But losing to the Vigilante was different.

Baek Yoorin had been beaten by the sword.

Her sword.

“Are you really sure… that Lee Jinhyuk is the Vigilante?”

“I think so. If you’re still unsure, you can check it out yourself.”

“Looks like I’ll have to review the video you sent me.”

“Go ahead. And maybe show more interest in our organization while you’re at it.”

“Is that really okay with you?”

“What is?”

Baek Yoorin raised her head slightly, her eyes meeting Yoo Dahee’s.

“……You know what I want and how I operate. Why would you tell me Lee Jinhyuk is the Vigilante?”

“Hmm?”

“……Wouldn’t it have been better for you to keep that a secret? That way, you could use me more.”

“Heh, what are you talking about?”

Yoo Dahee laughed, shaking her head in disbelief.

“I told you from the beginning, right? You do your thing, I’ll do mine. As long as we don’t get in each other’s way, it’s fine. Our organization’s motto is freedom, remember?”

“…….”

“Well, it’s more of a gathering than an actual organization. But seriously, don’t worry about it. Your activities alone are already a big help to me.”

“……Is that so?”

“Mhm.”

Yoo Dahee drained the last of her tea.

“So just do whatever you feel like.”

In the end, you’ll be on our side, not some hero.

Because Baek Yoorin, in your pursuit of what you want, you don’t care about means or methods.

You’re like a sword—unconcerned with heroism or villainy.

In both a good way and a bad way.

***

“……You’re Lee Jinhyuk, right?”

*Whoosh.*

A bored-sounding voice sliced through the wind and reached Lee Jinhyuk’s ears.

For some reason, the mere sound of the voice gave him goosebumps, making the hair on his neck stand on end. He even felt a slight chill down his spine. Huh? What’s happening here?

“*Urgh*?!”

“Ack, wh-what’s happening?”

“Ugh, I… can’t… move…”

Around him, the hero trainees suddenly began trembling violently, groaning in pain.

Some of them started gasping for air, struggling to breathe, sweat pouring down their faces.

A few of them turned pale, half-collapsed on the ground.

‘Wait, this reaction… Could it be?’

It reminded him of the suffocating killing intent he’d felt from both Hong Daye and Yoo Dahee in the past.

“……Interesting. So, you’re not affected by this level of killing intent?”

“……?”

Lee Jinhyuk quickly turned his head.

And there, standing with her purple hair fluttering in the wind, was a strikingly beautiful girl with a sharp, intense gaze.

“……Hello?”

It was Baek Yoorin.

End of Chapter.