Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game - Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Preparation for the Practical Assessment (3)

“Huh? What?”

Jin Soyeon blinked in confusion, looking back and forth between Yoo Seolhyun and me. Her expression was one of complete bafflement. It made sense; there was no apparent reason for Yoo Seolhyun to team up with me.

“So… is this a joke?”

She trailed off and then turned her head towards me, her lips parting hesitantly, eyes seeking an explanation.

“A joke? Why would you think that?”

Yoo Seolhyun responded with a pleasant smile, which only caused Jin Soyeon’s lips to pout, as if something didn’t sit right with her.

“But your grades are so good.”

“And?”

Yoo Seolhyun smiled wryly, encouraging her to go on.

“Jinhyuk’s practical scores aren’t good, and his training results are so-so. Why bother with him? Wouldn’t you be better off with someone else?”

“Ah, perhaps.”

Yoo Seolhyun glanced at me briefly, her lips curling into a faint smile, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

“But haven’t I heard that no one could match his theory work since middle school?”

“Jinhyuk does have strengths in theory… needlessly.”

Hey, Jin Soyeon.

You sure have a lot to say, don’t you?

“Our team’s strength is sufficient with Nari and me, so we just needed someone for the brains. We don’t know what kind of test it will be.”

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“Oh, is that so?”

Jin Soyeon nodded in acknowledgment but still watched Yoo Seolhyun with a slightly uneasy gaze. Yoo Seolhyun simply maintained her polite smile.

“But why did you want to team up with Jinhyuk, Soyeon?”

“Uh, well…”

Jin Soyeon glanced at me sidelong, her lips moving silently for a moment.

“I just wanted to look after him. Have you seen him train? Who else would take him in their team?”

“You’re being unusually harsh today, aren’t you?”

I let out an exasperated sigh, to which Jin Soyeon responded with a smug smile, seemingly ready to dredge up the past.

“Ah~? Who was it that needed a lift during the practical exam? If it weren’t for me, weren’t you about to fail?”

“And you used to whine for help with written exams all the time.”

“I, when did I?”

“Last time, you were almost crying all day asking for help because failing the written exam might mean no allowance.”
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“Ah, ah! I can’t hear you!”

Jin Soyeon covered her ears and stamped her feet. Childish, really.

“Hehe.”

Yoo Seolhyun watched our back-and-forth with an enigmatic smile.
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“You two seem to get along well. I heard you broke up.”

“Well, that’s…”

Jin Soyeon’s words trailed off as she glanced at me.

“Who initiated the breakup?”

“Why are you curious about that?”

“No bad intent. If that upset you, I apologize. Sorry.”

Jin Soyeon’s eyebrows fluttered, seemingly irked by the subtle provocation. Yoo Seolhyun’s character, always so disagreeable.

“Oh. Is it already this late? I should be going then.”

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Suddenly, Yoo Seolhyun glanced at her watch and, as if she had said all she wanted to, she gave us both a quick look and bid farewell.

“See you later. Jinhyuk, Soyeon.”

With those words, Yoo Seolhyun left, followed by Sunari who had been quietly listening the whole time.

Jin Soyeon silently watched their retreating figures, then quickly turned to me.

“You seem pretty close with her?”

“Close? We’ve just spoken a few times, that’s all.”

“Really?”

She muttered with an unmistakably surly tone.

“You looked quite friendly for just a few talks. Is there something more with her?”

“There’s nothing.”

“And Yoo Seolhyun, isn’t she acting strange? Doing it on purpose?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you know…”

Pretending not to catch on, I saw Jin Soyeon’s face twist with frustration, and she let out a heavy sigh.

“Forget it… It’s nothing.”

Muttering to herself, Jin Soyeon grumbled, “Some people are just clueless.” Who’s clueless, I thought.

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“You two don’t seem to mesh well if you’re talking behind each other’s backs.”

“I’m not gossiping, okay?”

Jin Soyeon shot me a sharp look.

“Then could it be jealousy? Oh, the trials of being popular.”

“Ha, what are you talking about?”

Jin Soyeon chuckled dismissively and brushed her hair back irritably.

“Jealousy, what jealousy.”

“If you say it isn’t so, then let’s not overreact.”

“You’re the one talking nonsense.”

As she responded with a scowl, I thought to myself that she might be a bit more bothered by Yoo Seolhyun than I had initially thought.

“By the way, how are things with Siwoon lately?”

“How would they be?”

“I’ve heard rumors that you two have been getting along well.”

“What?”

Jin Soyeon bit her lower lip in a moment of hesitation.

“Where did you hear such nonsense? That can’t be right.”

“Really?”

“You don’t believe those rumors, do you?”

Peering at me with a guarded expression, Jin Soyeon received a noncommittal shrug in response.

“Doesn’t matter to me.”

“Good. Let’s leave it at that then.”

With a glance that carried a mix of unreadable emotions, Jin Soyeon quickly gave a nod.

It seemed that we had become quite a bit closer than during middle school, but there was still a long way to go.

Alright. If that’s the case, maybe I should give them a little more space to interact?

***

Jin Soyeon’s dream was to become a hero.

This dream had persisted since her childhood and had never changed or wavered until now.

The events of that day had planted the seed of her dream to become a hero deep within her heart.

That day was a pivotal moment in Jin Soyeon’s life, something she would never forget for as long as she lived.

With that dream in her heart, she had passed the Union Academy entrance exam alongside her childhood friend, Lee Jinhyuk.

To be honest, she had been quite worried that Jinhyuk might not pass the entrance exam, but he managed to get in, making her concerns seem needless…

… although he was admitted on a supplementary notice.

But the important thing was that he got in, right?

She was sincerely happy about it.

Happy that she could attend Union Academy with him.

Given that it was the most prestigious hero training institution in Korea, school life would undoubtedly be tough, but she was thrilled to be one step closer to her dream with Jinhyuk by her side.

It seemed like nothing but good times would follow.

But then…

“Let’s break up.”

An out-of-the-blue declaration from Jinhyuk.

“We’re going to graduate from the academy soon. Shouldn’t we experience a real relationship at least once?”

Although momentarily taken aback by Jinhyuk’s playful suggestion, she soon found herself agreeing with him.

Even if they stopped pretending to be lovers, their relationship wouldn’t change. She was certain of it.

After all, they had been childhood friends for over a decade.

They had gone cherry blossom viewing together in elementary school, held hands tightly while watching fireworks on summer nights, and even got scolded together for secretly drinking makgeolli at home. They had stayed up all night chatting countless times.

The bond they had built up over the years wouldn’t change just because they stopped pretending to be lovers.

They had been together since they were very young, and they would continue to be together in the future.

If you wanted to put it humorously, Jin Soyeon and Lee Jinhyuk were almost like a quasi-family.

So it would be alright. This relationship wouldn’t change. That’s what she believed.

But…

“Jinhyuk, let’s go to the snack bar~ I’ll buy you a pastry.”

“I’m a bit busy. Siwoon seems free; why don’t you ask him?”

When had it started?

“Let’s go eat. They’re serving steak today!”

“Ah, I’m not feeling well today. I’m fine, so you go with the others.”

Jinhyuk began to decline her invites.

“Why don’t we play a game after the academy ends?”

T h i s w a s c o p ie d f r o m ki n g m t l .o r g
“There’s a lot of homework today. Let’s do it next time, next time.”

Lately, he seemed to reject her more often than not. In middle school, he used to join her all the time.

Was there something bothering him?

But that didn’t seem to be the case. His tone and behavior were the same as always. He responded well when approached, and he took her jokes in stride – it didn’t seem like he was upset or felt slighted.

So what was the reason?

While she was pondering this, the homeroom teacher announced it was time to select the team members for the practical assessment.

Team members, team members…

Jin Soyeon smirked to herself.

If not her, then who would look after that guy? Jinhyuk was weak in practical assessments. He would surely be grateful if she offered to be his teammate.

Teaming up with Jinhyuk wouldn’t be bad for Jin Soyeon either. They meshed well together after having spent so much time as friends. While individual abilities were important for the team performance assessment, wasn’t teamwork the most crucial element?

With that thought, she approached him to make the offer.

But…

“I’m on the same team as you.”

Yoo Seolhyun answered with a bright smile, a strange response indeed.
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She couldn’t understand why Yoo Seolhyun would choose to team up with Jinhyuk, but if Yoo Seolhyun was part of the team, it was unlikely they would fail the practical assessment. So for Jinhyuk, it might not have been a bad situation.

But after that day, the two of them seemed to converse more frequently.

She understood that the practical assessment was next week and there would be a lot to discuss among teammates. Still, there was something about Yoo Seolhyun’s attitude that irked her.
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It was hard to pinpoint, but it left an unsettling feeling.

Was it the subtle flirting? Or the casual touches? And Jinhyuk, for his part, just seemed to laugh it off.
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“…”
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As she reflected on these thoughts, she suddenly remembered that a new café had opened nearby, celebrating with a grand opening sale.

She decided to take Jinhyuk there this Saturday to indulge in some sweet cakes. Stress calls for sweet treats after all. If he refused today, she wouldn’t hold back.

“There’s a new café near the terminal, you know? They’re doing discounts lately. Let’s go together this Saturday.”

“Oh, this Saturday? I don’t think I can make it.”

“What now? Again?”

“Sorry, sorry. I have plans. And besides that, I’ll be busy this week with the practical assessment. There’s a lot of material I need to look up.”

“Yeah, right.”

He had time to mingle with Yoo Seolhyun for whatever reason.

“Sorry, anyway. See you next Monday.”

“Wait.”

Jinhyuk dashed off as soon as the class ended.

Jin Soyeon bit her lower lip in displeasure as she watched him leave. What urgent matter did he have to run off like that? Did he dislike talking to her?

“Whatever.”

Jin Soyeon snorted and visited the café alone.

She planned to relieve some stress by treating herself to some sweets.

Upon entering the café…

But…

“Huh?”

She noticed a familiar sight in the corner of the café.

“…Why are they here?”

It was none other than Lee Jinhyuk and Yoo Seolhyun.