Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game - Chapter 88

Chapter 88

Baek Yoorin and the Ranking Battle (2)

Dilemma.

I’m caught in a dilemma.

No matter what choice I make, it seems like various problems will arise.

‘I don’t know what to do about my relationship with Soyeon…’

Jin Soyeon, the female protagonist of *Romance Hero Academy*.

She’s supposed to share sweet moments with the male leads, but for some reason, she ended up confessing to me instead.

I still can’t forget the sight of her face flushed red, hesitating as she confessed her feelings.

Even though I gently tried to let her down, she clung to me with a desperate look, claiming she wouldn’t give up.
Th is wa s c op ie d fr o m ki n g m t l . or g

It was strange and awkward to see Soyeon like that.

In both my past and current life, I had never seen Soyeon act so attached to a guy.

It seems the shock of thinking that I had died was much bigger for her than I expected.

‘Considering Siwoon and Daehan… it seems like it would be better to create some distance between us, but…’

Some people might say:

If you’re worried about the jealousy of the male leads, wouldn’t it be better to draw a clear line with Soyeon?

But in this situation, that’s quite difficult.

That’s because maintaining a positive relationship with Soyeon is absolutely essential.

‘…If I distance myself too much, it might cause problems when we’re working together to conquer dungeons or fight villains.’

If I were to suddenly say, “Hey Soyeon? I’m not interested in you, so please don’t bother me,” or “Let’s just stay friends, okay?” how do you think Soyeon would react?

From the look of things, she wouldn’t just nod her head and accept it quietly.

In fact, she might rebel even more fiercely, or she could become distant and cold.

That wouldn’t be good.

To take on powerful villains… especially Yoo Dahee, I’ll need Soyeon’s help.

That’s why maintaining the right amount of distance with Soyeon is important.

But Soyeon has already realized her feelings for me and expressed her affection, making everything more complicated.

‘By now, everyone must have noticed who Soyeon likes, right? Sigh.’

The jealousy of the male leads in the game was no joke.

Of course, I know that reality and the game are different, but I still need to be cautious in case something happens.

After all, in the game, I didn’t fare well when faced with the jealousy and resentment of the male leads.

While it’s not like the male leads directly killed me, they certainly had an influence.

‘If I hadn’t awakened my past memories, would I have met the same bad end as in the game?’

Lee Jinhyuk, the childhood friend NPC.

If things had gone according to the original story, I would have been mentally torn apart by the jealousy and bullying of the male leads and their followers.

As I mentioned before, the harassment of the NPCs didn’t directly cause my death.

But, to put it another way, you can’t deny that their harassment indirectly contributed to it.

After all, after enduring prolonged bullying, I became mentally exhausted, and in the end, I chose to fight villains and die, seeking peace.

My death generally followed a few different routes.

The most official route involved being killed directly by a member of Rebellion.
T h i s wa s c o p i e d f rom k i ngmt l.o r g

That implies that the canon ending is me fighting villains out of despair and meeting a tragic end because I couldn’t handle the bullying.

But whether it’s good luck or bad, the current situation is very different from the original story.

Not only my relationship with Soyeon but also with the male lead, Lee Siwoon.

T h is w a s c o p i e d f r o m k i n g m t l . o rg
Like now.

“Lee Jinhyuk.”

“Hmm?”

“I’ve realized something through everything that’s happened so far. I’m not good enough to stay by Soyeon’s side.”

Next to the bench.

Lee Siwoon, who had been holding a can of coffee tightly in his hand, quietly spoke up.

“When the villains attacked Union, and when Soyeon was kidnapped, I couldn’t do anything.”

He looked up at the sky, his voice tinged with self-mockery.

“But you… weren’t like that.”

Lee Siwoon’s eyes met mine, and there was a hint of conflict in them.

“When I compare what you’ve achieved, I see I’m lacking.”

“Siwoon.”

Th i s w as c o pie d f r om k i n g m t l.or g
“And Soyeon… seems to feel the same way… about you.”

Siwoon trailed off, his voice bitter.

He then sighed, letting out a long breath.

“…I don’t know why you’re hiding your strength, but I acknowledge it, Jinhyuk. Right now, I’m not as good as you. And you’re the one who’s better suited for her.”

After taking a sip of his coffee, he continued.

“But I’m not going to give up.”

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“You.”

Lee Siwoon got up and tossed the empty can into the trash.

I watched him silently from the side.

Th i s w a s c opi e d f r o m kingm t l. o rg
In the game, Siwoon was portrayed as a burden, someone who clung to Soyeon—but not anymore.

T h is w as c o p i e d f rom k i n gmt l .o rg
Now, he was admitting that he wasn’t good enough to be by Soyeon’s side, and at the same time, he seemed to see me as something of a rival(?).

By consistently showing competency, I had apparently changed his perception of me.

‘…I didn’t expect our relationship to improve like this.’

To be honest, I don’t mind our current relationship.

It’s a bit ambiguous, but I’m being recognized, right?

Even if I spend time with Soyeon, it doesn’t seem like he’s going to do anything crazy out of jealousy, like in the original story.

That should make working with Soyeon a little easier.

‘…The original story, huh. Sigh. Maybe I’ve been too fixated on it?’

I chuckled wryly to myself.

Even though I know that this isn’t the same as the game, I still let myself fall into the trap of assuming things would play out the same way.

Almost obsessively so.

But as you can see, depending on how I act, Soyeon and Siwoon are changing.

‘Yeah, things have already deviated a lot from the original story. It would be stupid to keep worrying about the storyline at this point.’

After everything I’ve been through, talking with Siwoon and reflecting on my thoughts, I’ve come to a decision.

Now that Seong Yura, who was meant to fall later in the story, has already been arrested, there’s no point in obsessing over following the original plot.

My initial plan was to follow the storyline and gradually pit the protagonists against villains, allowing them to gain experience slowly.

That was the safest and surest way.

But now, there’s no need for that.

With the help of people like Siwoon, Yoo Seolhyun, and Roxanne, I didn’t need to act so cautiously anymore.

‘Maybe it’s time to take out the Phantom Thief, the Necrophiliac, and the Animal Lover while I have the chance?’

Unlike Seong Yura, those three are manageable.

The Phantom Thief was set to appear in one of the main events at the auction during the upcoming summer break, while the Necrophiliac would appear during the serial killer arc at the beginning of the second year, and the Animal Lover during the second-year field trip.

Originally, they would have been tough opponents for me to handle at this point, but with the help of others, it’s possible.

For example, with support from Roxanne’s faction, it could work out.

Roxanne’s faction was growing rapidly, and with the secret information I provided her, she was purging corrupt clergy members.

Her faction was bound to expand even more in a short time.

Knowing Roxanne’s personality, if I informed her that members of Seong Yura’s former organization were causing trouble, she’d likely take action.

She wouldn’t tolerate any remnants of Seong Yura’s group.

If I went after them myself, I’d risk drawing Rebellion’s attention, but if I let Roxanne act, I could stay under the radar.

Of course, this could make her a target for the villains, but right now, Roxanne is protected by Cynthia Gwyn.

Cynthia Gwyn, a former high-ranker from the UK.

Th is wa s c o p i e d f rom k i n g m t l. or g
She used to serve as the Church’s sword, but after learning about the Seong Yura incident, she was so impressed with Roxanne’s efforts that she became her personal escort.

With Cynthia by her side, there were few villains in Korea who would dare challenge Roxanne. At least for now.

‘Rebellion’s members are strong, but the Phantom Thief, the Necrophiliac, and the Animal Lover are manageable.’

I know their weaknesses all too well.

And unlike Seong Yura, they don’t have large numbers of subordinates.

Though they’ll grow stronger as individuals, eventually surpassing most heroes, for now, they’re just powerful villains with significant flaws.

They are still in the process of growing.

Just like the main characters.

“…You’re Lee Jinhyuk, right?”

At that moment, I heard a cold voice in the distance.

The voice wasn’t unfamiliar.

I had heard it somewhere before.

“…Interesting. You’re not reacting to this level of killing intent?”

Killing intent? I frowned and looked in the direction of the voice, only to see a girl with purple hair staring at me intently.

Is she seriously releasing killing intent here in the middle of the academy?

Enough to make the trainees around us struggle to breathe?

“…Hello?”

“Baek Yoorin, you.”

Baek Yoorin, the granddaughter of the swordmaster Baek Yeonghyun.

Her calm expression and sharp gaze made her look like a finely-honed blade.

Since childhood, she’d been personally trained by the greatest swordsman, Baek Yeonghyun, so her swordsmanship was unmatched.

She had little interest in formal academics, often sleeping during class or half-heartedly participating in practical exams, so her grades weren’t great.

But those in the know understood.

If you were asked to name the strongest student at Union Academy right now, it was undoubtedly Baek Yoorin.

Of course, she’d eventually be caught up to by people like Lee Siwoon and Kang Daehan, but for now, Baek Yoorin held the top spot.

…Excluding Soyeon, that is.

“Long time no see… I guess?”

Baek Yoorin placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, her gaze still indifferent.

“Don’t you agree?”

With a slightly crooked expression, Baek Yoorin unfastened the sword at her waist and threw it at me.

I instinctively caught it.

It was heavy.
This w a s co p i ed f r o m k i n g m tl . o r g

I checked it briefly—it was a real sword.

“It’s a good sword. It should suit you well.”

“Wait a second, Baek Yoorin. What are you doing?”

“Draw it. Let’s have a match.”

“What?!”

She wasn’t making any sense.

Why was she suddenly doing this?

Doesn’t she understand the consequences of recklessly swinging a sword in a place full of people?

“If you don’t plan to draw it, I’ll make you….”

*Whoosh!*

A streak of light blazed toward Baek Yoorin’s body, but she quickly angled her sword and deflected the strike.

“Siwoon… What do you think you’re doing?”

Th is w a s c o p i e d f ro m k i n g m t l. o r g
“I should be asking you that, Baek Yoorin.”

Lee Siwoon had stepped in.

“I have no business with you, Siwoon.”

“Releasing killing intent and trying to draw your sword in public…”

Lee Siwoon stared at Baek Yoorin with a calm gaze.

“If you’re going to continue causing trouble, you’ll have to go through me first.”

End of Chapter.