Breaking Up With the Heroine in an Otome Game

24 – Side Quest Dungeon Exploration Failure and Strategy (4)

024

Before Union Academy assembly time.

The trainees were talking loudly about their favorite celebrities, popular movies, upcoming midterm exams, etc.

Noisy white noise was creeping into my ears, as if this was how students’ classrooms should be.

If it were Jin So-yeon, she would have spent time chatting with her classmates until her homeroom teacher came.

But for some reason, Jin So-yeon didn’t say anything and just looked down at her cell phone screen with a slightly depressed expression.

Because my childhood friend hasn’t gone to school yet.

‘It’s quite late today. ‘What’s wrong with him?’

Jin So-yeon nodded her head a couple of times.

She checked the time, wondering why she didn’t come like this.

Oh, it’s already been this long?

‘There are less than 5 minutes left until the ordinance…….’

I think my homeroom teacher will be here soon.

If she doesn’t come quickly, she might be late.

She was my childhood friend who even received a perfect attendance award in middle school, so I wondered why she was so late today.

‘I don’t read texts or answer phone calls. ‘What on earth is he doing?’

She continues to try to contact me, but sadly there is no news.

Considering Jinhyuk’s personality, she doesn’t seem like she oversleeps.

Jin So-yeon just had her question mark floating above her head.

“…… “Everyone, please take your seats.”

“Ah.”

Are you here already?

The homeroom teacher arrived at the classroom first.

Hong Daye yawned once with her usual bleary eyes and then glanced at the faces of her classmates.

“Attendance check…… Ah, it’s annoying.”

Perhaps because it was troublesome to call the attendance numbers one by one, Hong Daye muttered to herself and then asked the children a cursory question.

“Is there anyone who is late or doesn’t come today?”

“Teacher, I don’t think Lee Jinhyuk and Yoo Seolhyun are here?”

Jin So-yeon turned her head in response to a male student’s answer.

No, what?

Not only Jinhyuk but also Yoo Seolhyeon didn’t come?

Two people are late together.

What on earth is this?

“Ah. Those two…….”

Hong Daye hesitated for a moment as she had already heard something from the two people.

Ah, should I say this or not?

Wait a minute.

Do I really need to tell you why?

Let’s just skip it.

“…… “I am absent for personal reasons.”

“Yes? “The two of them?”

“Yes, yes.”

She was Hong Daye, who was too lazy to tell the exact reason and just brushed it off.

She knew that if she spoke now, she would be bombarded with questions.

“Are they both absent? “What’s going on?”

“What? Jinhyuk Lee was absent? He was never late to middle school…….”

“Seolhyun? Today?”

Roaring.

The children’s voices rang out loud.

There were many children who expressed interest in the two people’s unexpected absence.

“Oh, wait a minute.”

Was it that time?

“Now that I think about it, they met at a cafe yesterday?”

“Huh? Really really?”

Yesterday, one of the children who went to Soyeon Jin and her karaoke bar ignited an ember.

The children in the class brightened their eyes as if they were intrigued by this fact.

The fact that a pair of fresh-faced men and women met separately outside the academy could be interpreted in many ways.

Isn’t that Yoo Seol-hyeon, Yoo Seol-hyeon?

Because Yoo Seol-hyeon was one of the most beautiful girls in class 1-1 and a girl from a rich family, the children showed even greater interest.

“Why two people? “A date?”

“What is Jinhyuk Lee?”

“Oh, that’s ridiculous. Why is Seolhyun meeting Lee Jinhyuk?”

“Only two people were absent today…… Looks suspicious? “hehehe.”

“Anyway, guys. “I just think strange thoughts.”

Around the time when the kids in the class were talking about this and that.

“… ….”

Jin So-yeon was silent.

Naturally she had no choice but to remain silent.

Because she was lost in a swamp of thoughts.

‘Absence? Jinhyeok and Yoo Seolhyeon?

Suddenly two people are absent at the same time.

It was a bit unexpected.

So I was suspicious.

‘Is it simply a coincidence?’

No. It can’t be a coincidence.

The timing is so strange.

Yesterday, I don’t know why, but the two secretly(?) Met.

And the very next day, the two of them were absent from school, so it would have been even more strange not to be suspicious.

‘Oh, really. Why can’t I contact you at a time like this, really?’

I blame my cell phone.

If I had just contacted you, I wouldn’t have felt so uncomfortable.

Not only was he absent, but I couldn’t help but wonder why I couldn’t contact him.

I wonder if something happened?

Or they are intentionally avoiding contact.

Ah. What are you thinking now?

Jin So-yeon suddenly shook her head.

There’s no way Jinhyuk intentionally didn’t receive calls.

Because there is no reason for that. And if I had been planning on avoiding contact, I would have turned off my phone in the first place.

I wonder if it’s just that I wasn’t able to confirm the text message for some reason…….

‘Huh?’

For an instant, Jin So-yeon’s thoughts were cut off.

‘No, wait a minute?’

Because strange puzzle pieces appeared in my head.

‘Wait a minute. For a moment.’

The opposite s*x you might like.

Meeting at a cafe after school.

The two people were absent the next day.

No communication.

…… What does all this mean?

The puzzle pieces began to fit together randomly and began to run toward a single result.

The more she tried not to think, the more distinct her appearance became, and she gradually tried to reveal her true self to Jin So-yeon.

But.

– Tiring. Tiring.

“Ugh…… !”

Jin So-yeon, startled by her sudden text message, flinched and trembled with her shoulders.

Well, what is it? You were surprised.

Looking at the standby screen, I think it’s Jinhyuk Lee.

After sneaking a glance at her homeroom teacher, Soyeon Jin glanced under her desk to check her messages.

Then, Jinhyuk Lee’s clear message slowly appeared in my eyes.

– Huh? Why are you calling?

I am so annoyed by the extremely flat sentences.

What, why are you calling?

Are you asking because you really don’t know?

– Are you not coming to the academy?

– hahahaha, I’m sick.

Illness? Where does it hurt?

I think I was fine until yesterday. Jin So-yeon blinked her eyes slightly suspiciously, but she continued to send her text for now.

– Why the illness? When I was in middle school, I would come back regularly even if I had the flu.

– At that time, it was because of birth control.

Jin So-yeon inadvertently smiled bitterly at Lee Jin-hyuk’s words. She

She cared a lot about things like how he looked. Because she was admitted to Union.

– Anyway, I’m going to take the medicine and sleep, so that’s it.

– What? For a moment.

– See you tomorrow.

– Hey!

I tried sending her a text message next time, but she remained silent.

She still had more questions to ask.

Really!

“Oh really, he’s reading again.”

“Really? “That didn’t work.”

A shadow was cast over Jin So-yeon’s head. She slowly raised her head and her eyes met Hong Daye, who had come right in front of her. Ahahahaha. Note. Jin So-yeon smiled awkwardly.

It seems that her cell phone was discovered secretly.

“Who are you texting so intently? “Are you in a relationship?”

“Oh, no, sir.”

“That’s it. Let’s put her cell phone away. Got it?”

“…… Yes.”

When Jin So-yeon quietly nodded and answered, Hong Daye rubbed her sleepy eyes and walked back to her teacher’s table.

She wasn’t a motivated person enough to confiscate her cell phone for no reason.

“What? Then, this is the end of the ordinance. Everyone, prepare for the next class.”

Hong Dae waved her hand and finished her assembly as if telling her to quickly get ready for the next class. Jin Soyeon looked at her silently and then sighed deeply.

‘It’s because of illness…’ … Well, that could be possible. ‘It can happen.’

At the moment, there was no way to know whether Jinhyuk Lee was truly sick and was absent from school.

But Jin So-yeon decided to believe her childhood friend’s words.

Not only did he have no reason to lie, but it was more likely that he would not be absent because of Yoo Seol-hyeon.

So let’s stop thinking about useless things and focus on our studies.

Embarrassingly, I had imagined something a little foolish earlier, but in the first place, she knew very well that if it was the Lee Jin-hyuk that Jin So-yeon knew, she would never have done that.

Yes, yes. I’m sure it will.

So, should we prepare for the next class?

Is the next class going to be physical training at the training center? It must be a bit difficult. I didn’t want to sweat in the morning.

‘… ….’

Oh why?

Why do I care so much?

Should we say that it is only a woman’s intuition?

The feeling of something uneasy and uncomfortable doesn’t go away easily.

Something slowly seething from deep within her body disturbed Jin So-yeon’s mind, and she felt uneasy and upset for no reason.

Why? This feeling cannot be explained rationally. Jin So-yeon hated this feeling so much.

Because I felt bad.

Really.

***

Inside the Gaonnuri Clan.

Jinhyuk Lee was fiddling with his cell phone.

He didn’t notice until now because he was on silent mode, but he received a text message and a call from Jin So-yeon.

From Noble mtl dot com

What? Why did you send me a text message like this?

Oh, you really don’t go to the academy today?

“Jinhyuk Lee.”

“Huh? Why?”

“What are you doing?”

“I just got a text from Soyeon.”

“Hmm?”

“I guess it’s because I missed school today.”

Jinhyuk Lee sent a few more texts and then put his cell phone away.

He said openly, ‘Actually, I decided to conquer the dungeon with Seolhyeon Yoo. So you can’t say, ‘hahahaha, I can’t go to the academy today.’

It was a fact that would naturally become known in a few days anyway, but it was clear that if I told it now, I would only be questioned.

Therefore, it was Lee Jin-hyuk who loosely dismissed it as illness.

“So are you done with your business?”

“Uh.”

“Then let’s go.”

I walked forward following Yoo Seol-hyeon.

Jump, bump, bump.

How far did he walk like that?

I was able to arrive at something like a conference room.

“…… Hmm?”

“Oh, you’re here.”

“Oh, is that him? “The one who received a commendation?”

The five heroes were sitting on chairs and whispering.

It was a mixed team consisting of three men and two women.

They were team members who would participate in dungeon exploration and rescue operations.

‘It feels strange to actually meet these people.’

People I’ve met quite a lot in the game.

If we were to say extras, they were NPCs that looked like extras.

However, as a fellow NPC who was temporarily with us when conquering the Yeongdeungsan dungeon, his abilities were quite decent.

The level was also quite high.

So, when I was leveling, I took a bus…….

“You’re the one who said you were coming today, right?”

When I was thinking something unusual for what time of year it was. A woman with a sonorous voice spoke first. Jinhyuk Lee naturally turned his head towards the woman.

She was a woman who appeared to be in her mid to late 20s. She had short hair that reached her shoulders. Let’s see.

That woman’s name was Han Seo-woo, right?

“Jinhyuk Lee, let me introduce you. “Hero Han Seo-woo is the leader of the Yeongdeung Mountain rescue team.”

“Hello?”

After a brief introduction by Yu Seol-hyeon, Han Seo-woo raised his hand and said hello.

“Hello, my name is Jinhyuk Lee. Please take care of me.”

“Oh yeah. Jinhyuk Lee. I heard your story yesterday. You say you’re number one in theory? “I guess you studied a bit?”

Han Seo-woo greeted her kindly and shook his head, but Jin-hyuk Lee knew well that he was not very happy with the current situation.

Because I formed a team by selecting suitable talents from among the currently available heroes, and suddenly a trainee from the Union Academy was added.

A team formed for the purpose of rescue and attack is no child’s joke.

It would have been truly absurd for Han Seo-woo, but he reluctantly accepted it because of the request of Yoo Seol-hyun, who was in charge of the team’s operation and management.

‘In the end, that person is also a field manager who has to be criticized from above.’

In the first place, he was just one of many Gaon Nuri clan members.

Although he had the title of team leader, it was the same as being given to him by Yoo Seol-hyeon, and he would not have been able to easily refuse the words of Yoo Seol-hyeon, who would later become his superior.

“This person is the hero Park Sang-cheol and the team’s vanguard…… In other words, you are in charge of the tank.”

“Hello, Jinhyuk Lee. I heard a lot of stories. This time, you received a commendation in recognition of your contribution to subduing the monster, right? “I hope you have a good day today.”

Hero Park Seong-cheol, who was in his early thirties, approached Lee Jin-hyuk and spoke to him in a friendly manner, even using honorifics.

Thanks to his very gentle and generous personality, he had a pretty good relationship with the Gaonnuri clan members.

“Yes. Hero Park Sang-cheol. Please take care of me too.”

“Ahahahaha. “Hero, you can feel free to call me uncle.”

Soon, Yoo Seol-hyeon introduced his team members one by one.

Oh Jeong-nam as Header, Baek San as dealer, Erina as magic support, etc.

A total of five team members were introduced.

Shall we say that they are semi-elite?

He was a pretty good member.

They are people who will eat at least one serving wherever they go.

“Everyone, even though I explained everything yesterday, there are probably some people who still don’t understand why I had trainees participate in the rescue team.”

A few people looked at them without much attention, but Han Seo-woo seemed a bit perplexed.

“I’ll say it again, the data related to the dungeon that was shared with you yesterday is Jinhyuk Lee’s analysis of the information and videos of the dungeon terrain, features, environment, monsters, traps, scale, etc. That the previous team has discovered so far…. ….

Yoo Seol-hyeon once again explained why Lee Jin-hyuk participated and what would be helpful.

This is because I had to remind my team members one more time before entering the dungeon.

Of course, it was to secure the minimum ‘probability’ for Jinhyuk Lee’s future actions.

Of course, no matter how much you say that, you can’t avoid their suspicions.

“…… “It is for this reason that I accepted Jinhyuk Lee as a teammate.”

“Okay, I understand enough, so you can stop.”

Han Seo-woo vaguely answered.

Honestly, from Han Seo-woo’s perspective, I was a little upset.

Because it is dangerous to bring an amateur to a field where numerous variables lurk.

Moreover, an aspiring hero who has never experienced real combat will most likely freeze his body as the monsters scatter his life.

If you make a mistake, it is easy to cause an accident.

‘Oh, that’s right. ‘He said he once defeated a monkey monster, right?’

It’s a bit hard to believe, though.

The Black Hand Gibbon is quite a powerful monster.

If it were one-on-one, even Han Seo-woo would not be confident of winning.

The fact that the children were able to subdue the monkey monster was probably the result of a combination of luck and help from high-ranker instructor Hong Daye.

The media said that the kids worked together to take it down, but you can’t take that literally.

I’m sure that kid named Lee Jin-hyuk was lucky enough to get on the bus. Well, despite that, he was worthy of respec in that he fought the gibbon and survived.

‘You must have experienced a real fight with a monkey monster, so at least you won’t be scared and unable to move because you are alive.’

Yes. That’s enough.

From the beginning, Han Seo-woo did not want anything from him.

I just wish I could stay still and not cause any accidents.

“Okay. Then, I will briefly explain the outline of the dungeon investigation and then finally check the equipment.”

“Yes.”

But less than two hours after entering the dungeon, Han Seo-woo had no choice but to change his mind.

Because.

‘…… Oh, no? ‘What on earth is that guy?’

What that child showed was beyond my imagination.