Breaking Up With the Heroine in an Otome Game - Breaking Up With the Heroine in an Otome Game chapter 106

106 – Summer Vacation (1)

106.

With three members of Rebellion being attacked in quick succession, it was easy to anticipate that Yoo Dahee would gather the remaining members to discuss the situation.

Naturally, I could also guess what they would talk about when they met.

So, I had asked Baek Yurin for a few things.

“As you asked, I spoke negatively about the rescue of the new recruits and the attack on Roksanu… I even mentioned the possibility of a traitor…”

“Thank you. I know it might have been a difficult request from your perspective.”

It was truly fortunate that the captured Rebellion members were not executed and Roksanu’s assassination was prevented, despite the traitor’s presence.

Even if we had prepared countermeasures, if the Rebellion members had made a move, there would have been unavoidable casualties.

Was it because I had spread the suspicion that there might be a traitor?

Well, of course, there actually was a traitor.

“I spread the suspicion of a possible traitor within Rebellion, gave up on rescuing the new recruits, and even prevented Roksanu’s assassination, so the outcome isn’t entirely bad.”

In my heart, I wanted to ambush Yoo Dahee at the meeting place, but I decided to give up cleanly, as I could have ended up being exposed instead.

Yoo Dahee wasn’t alone; almost all the Rebellion members were there.

In such a situation, it was clear that attacking recklessly would only result in the unnecessary deaths of innocent allies.

It wasn’t the time for a direct confrontation yet.

“Speaking of that, Baek Yurin.”

“What is it?”

Bae Yurin tilted her head.

Her crimson hair swayed gracefully.

She merely stared at my face.

“How’s your cultivation going? Is what I taught you helpful?”

“Yeah…”

Bae Yurin nodded approvingly.

“Thanks to you, I see signs of progress in my cultivation.”

“Really?”

“If I stay a bit longer, the results might be even better, perhaps…?”

Wow, already?

Bae Yurin is indeed the real deal, truly remarkable.

Hidden among the top-tier worldview masters like Yudahee and Soyeon, Bae Yurin was also an unbelievable monster.

Honestly, it was a bit enviable.

If only I had talent like Bae Yurin, I wouldn’t be in this situation.

“It’s been only a few months, but I can already see signs of progress in my cultivation.”

Currently, Bae Yurin’s skills were probably at a superior level.

Despite being just a hero trainee, she had reached an outrageously high level, even surpassing most active heroes.

To strive for one more step forward despite possessing a power stronger than most current heroes.

It seemed like she would grow much faster than the in-game Bae Yurin.

“So, tell me the next thing. Since you taught me almost everything last time… I’ve mastered almost everything you taught me.”

“Baek Yurin, there’s no need to be too anxious. First, master everything and then speak. Got it?”

“……Yeah. I got it.”

Baek Yurin looked a bit sullen.

Her face was as dry as usual, but you could tell her shoulders were quite tense.

Quietly, Baek Yurin seemed to express her emotions not through facial expressions but through gestures and actions.

‘By the way, I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that Baek Yurin is growing so quickly.’

If Baek Yurin were a trustworthy supporting character, it would be one thing, but she was fundamentally an antagonist.

‘Well, there are cases like Roxanne, but Baek Yurin’s personality is a bit ambiguous. You can’t really say she’s good or bad.’

At the moment, she was receiving a lot of help breaking down the wall of the long-standing bottleneck, which was favorable, but it was unclear what would happen when she no longer needed assistance.

Of course, given Baek Yurin’s character, she knew well that she wouldn’t easily lose any favors related to the sword.

But, you know, you never know what’s inside a person.

It’s better to be somewhat cautious.

“Why are you like that?”

“Huh? Oh.”

Before I knew it, Baek Yurin was staring directly at my face.

Her eyes, which couldn’t convey emotions, silently captured my face.

“Why are you daydreaming like that?”

“No, just… I was lost in thought for a moment.”

I smirked and slightly distanced myself.

Ah, well, anyway, let’s think positively, positively.

I think we’ve put out the urgent fire for now.

In that case, should we do a bit of leveling up before starting the auction episode for the summer vacation?

And do some farming too.

The upcoming summer vacation was right around the corner. There was so much to do with Soyeon, who had become stronger during the summer break.

Since I had already lied to Soyeon about her having the ability to foresee the future, it didn’t matter if we found and conquered various dungeons, and openly discovered hidden artifacts.

I planned to use this summer vacation as an opportunity to do everything I couldn’t do before, such as farming items and artifacts, conquering dungeons, and punishing villains.

Of course, it might be a bit overwhelming for just Soyeon and me.

Even if Soyeon has awakened her abilities, it would still be risky for just the two of us to conquer dungeons, subdue monsters, and eradicate villains.

But now, we can at least get some help from Yuseolhyun, Roksanu, Baek Yurin, and Ishiwoon, right?

Ah, having a good network is really great.

Initially, I tried to distance myself from Soyeon to get help from the male protagonists, but now, I don’t think it would be a big problem to ask for help.

With the help of Yuseolhyun, Roksanu, and Baek Yurin, it should be sufficient. Well, of course, the more people who help, the better.

“Let’s get as many items and artifacts as possible this summer vacation and keep stirring up rebellion.”

There’s no need to struggle for a long time like in the game.

Because, just like knowing the future, I already knew the key events that would happen in the second year, such as Han Jihyo, the serial killer episode, Joo Jungseon, the second-year math trip episode, David, the third-year drug dealer episode, Seong Yura, the fallen saint episode, and Roksanu, and I’ve already dealt with them.

The reason I could easily handle them was twofold.

As I mentioned earlier, I had a thorough understanding of the original work’s information, and the Rebellion members had not yet fully grown, just like the main characters.

Yudahee currently possesses skills equivalent to a high ranker.

However, to put it another way, it means that at best, he is only at the level of a high ranker.

High rankers were powerhouses who could fit within the double digits of a country’s ranking, but even so, they were individuals.

Even among single rankers, there were those who could match high rankers under Loksanne’s command.

In other words, it was worth a try.

By utilizing the backgrounds of Yuseolhyun, Loksanne, Baek Yurin, and others, it was worth attempting.

Well, if Yudahee were to grow to the level of a single ranker, she would be truly unbeatable with considerable power. But isn’t that still far from reality?

Therefore, I plan to play my cards before Yudahee grows to the level of a single ranker.

Before she grows to the point where it becomes difficult for her to handle.

***

“Excuse me.”

“Yes?”

“Your appearance is nice, so I was wondering if I could have your number.”

“Oh.”

Jin Soyeon, who had come out for shopping after a long time, could only blink her eyes at the sudden request from the unfamiliar man.

Wouldn’t it be a bit strange for a young man who seemed to be in his early twenties to abruptly ask for her number?

What to say.

It was a bit perplexing.

After all, she was, at best, a student at the academy, yet an adult man was trying to get her number. Perhaps it was because Jin Soyeon was dressed casually that he mistook her for an adult. …Or maybe he was a pervert targeting minors.

“I’m sorry.”

“That, I see. I apologize.”

In response to Jin Soyeon’s gentle refusal, the young man forced a bitter smile and stepped back.

Watching the young man’s retreating figure with slouched shoulders, Jin Soyeon sighed.

“…There seem to be a lot of people trying to get my number these days.”

It had happened in the past, but it seemed much more frequent now.

“Could it be because I’ve started seriously grooming myself recently?”

Up until now, Jin Soyeon hadn’t paid much attention to grooming, applying makeup and dressing just adequately.

However, like a girl who had just fallen in love, she wanted to look good to the person she liked. So, she made efforts to practice new makeup techniques and follow trendy clothing styles to enhance her beauty even more.

As a result, ta-da~.

Already possessing striking beauty, she captivated the hearts of many men, and with her additional efforts, she became even more enchanting, causing admiration from both men and women.

Every time she walked through a shopping mall, she felt the concentrated gaze of men.

There were male students looking at her with their mouths agape, young men stealing glances secretly from their girlfriends, and middle-aged men staring as if in admiration.

At this rate, she could easily capture the hearts of adolescent boys. However, as for Lee Jinhyuk…

“Why bother if other guys look at me? The one I should be catching the attention of doesn’t seem to care… Ugh, really.”

Jin Soyeon sighed deeply once again.

Even after putting in so much effort into makeup and styling, when she finally met Jinhyuk, he only showed subtle reactions.

Perhaps because they had known each other for a long time?

Was he simply accustomed to Jin Soyeon’s beauty, or did he lack any special feelings? If so, it could be a bit sad.

“No, maybe it’s because there are many pretty girls around Jinhyuk. Maybe he’s used to it now.”

There are too many pretty girls around Lee Jin-hyuk.

Ugh.

Jin So-yeon nibbled on her nails.

Yoo Seol-hyun, Seo Na-ri, Rock San-neu, Baek Yu-rin… Why are there so many?

Is Yoo Seol-hyun the only one who has shown any liking?

She didn’t directly approach Lee Jin-hyuk, but she distinctly remembers her mentioning her interest several times.

In reality, Yoo Seol-hyun was one of the few girls who was close to Lee Jin-hyuk.

It bothers Jin-hyuk in many ways that Yoo Seol-hyun, who rarely keeps boys around, is keeping him close.

…Ah, I’m stressed for no reason again.

Come to think of it, whenever Jin So-yeon looked at Yoo Seol-hyun, she would slyly engage in skinship with Lee Jin-hyuk, right?

As if provoking, teasing, and showing off.

It’s infuriating to see her act like a villainess straight out of a novel. He sincerely prays that the girl Lee Jin-hyuk likes is not like Yoo Seol-hyun. Please, not like Yoo Seol-hyun.

“Excuse me?”

“….”

“Hey, over here.”

“….Oh, yes?”

Why is there a guy here?

He’s handsome, but there’s a somewhat flirty vibe about him.

From Noble mtl dot com

Smiling mischievously, he lightly touched his lips with a smirk.

“Are you alone? Want to hang out with me?”

“…I’m sorry, but I’m a bit busy.”

“Ah, don’t just leave like that.”

“Because I don’t want to?”

The man chuckled and casually grabbed Jin Soyeon’s wrist.

Jin Soyeon felt irritation surge within her for a moment.

She instinctively swung her arm to shake off the man’s grip.

However, in doing so, the bag she was holding slipped from her hand, and a few books bounced out of it. Oh, really!

“Oops, sorry. I’ll pick them up for you…”

“Don’t touch them, just go.”

“Are you angry? It was a mistake, cut me some slack.”

“Just go.”

At that moment,

“Oh, someone said it wasn’t Soyeon? Seeing you here like this…”

“…Yoo Seolhyun?”

Yoo Seolhyun, in refreshing attire, approached Jin Soyeon with the rhythmic sound of her heels.

Behind Yoo Seolhyun stood a few men.

They seemed like porters or bodyguards.

Probably to protect a rich girl, or so it appeared.

“Hmm? Who is this person?”

“I don’t know.”

“Really? In that case…”

“Well, you are quite beautiful yourself.”

Yoo Seol-hyun grinned mischievously.

Her lips curved upwards, but her eyes remained cool and indifferent.

It seemed that receiving compliments from that man only soured her mood.

“You don’t want to be evaluated as pretty by me?”

Yoo Seol-hyun subtly emitted her aura towards the man.

He flinched, shuddered, and soon started sweating coldly.

“Uh, uh, ugh?”

“Oh my. Look at that cold sweat. Seems like you’re not feeling well. How about going inside to check?”

Realizing what Yoo Seol-hyun had done, the man swallowed hard and suddenly ran away.

Seeing him scurry off, Yoo Seol-hyun chuckled.

“No backbone. Boring.”

“…Threatening ordinary people with your aura is a bit much.”

“Tsk tsk, as long as you don’t get caught, it’s fine, right? Oh, of course, it doesn’t really matter even if you do get caught.”

Suddenly, Yoo Seol-hyun clapped her hands.

“Oh, by the way, it seems like I didn’t hear a thank you. Was it just my imagination?”

“It wasn’t like I really needed your help, but well, thanks, Seol-hyun. Are you pleased to receive my humble thanks?”

“Hmm~ Not bad, I suppose?”

“Anyway…”

Jin Soyeon shook her head vigorously.

“But what about these books?”

“Oh, uh, wait a moment!”

Yoo Seolhyun, who briefly glanced at the titles of the books Jin Soyeon had dropped, smiled meaningfully and teased her luck.

“……How to seduce a gruff man? The art of ideal love? 36 ways to date the man you like?”

“Uh, well, uh, oh! S-stop!”

Jin Soyeon blushed with indescribable embarrassment and shuddered.

In the midst of a crowded shopping mall, don’t read out loud book titles like that!

Th-those people are all staring at us!

“Interesting. Soyeon, do you enjoy this kind of stuff?”

Seolhyun teased with a slightly mischievous expression.

“Maybe there’s someone you like?”

“I-Ignore it! Geez, really.”

Jin Soyeon, feeling awkward, pouted her lips and, embarrassed, put the scattered books back into the bag.

At that moment, Seolhyun said.

“Ah~ Is it perhaps Lee Jinhyuk?”

“……”

She glanced at Jin Soyeon with a low laugh.

“You like Lee Jinhyuk, don’t you? Lately, it’s quite obvious, isn’t it?”

“No, you…”

“If that’s the case, why did we break up? Ah, right.”

As if something had occurred to him, he clapped his hands.

“Was it not that we broke up but that I was the one who got dumped? Because of your man skills?”