Breaking Up With the Heroine in an Otome Game

6 – Welcome to Union Hero Academy (4)

Inside the teachers’ office.

Numerous teachers are busy doing their work.

Among them, a young female teacher with dark blue hair caught the eye.

“Ms. Hong, what are you doing~?”

“Just looking at some documents from when the kids were in middle school and their entrance evaluation records.”

“Wow, you’re working hard from day one~?”

Park Hanna, the homeroom teacher of class 3, approached Hong Da Ye sneakily and handed her a can of sweet coffee.

Usually lacking sugar and caffeine, canned coffee was somewhat of a nutritious drink(?) for Hong Da Ye.

“Drink this, Ms. Hong.”

“Thank you. I was just feeling a bit tired.”

“Oh dear, did you lose sleep because it’s the new school year season?”

“No, it’s because of my liver.”

Smiling with a mischievous grin, Hong Da Ye took a sip of the coffee after answering with a calm expression.

Park Hanna wanted to tease her, saying, “What do you mean, ‘because of your liver’? Are you joking~?” but she didn’t want to make an inappropriate joke to Hong Da Ye, who had damaged her liver due to a past incident.

So she swallowed the words that had almost spilled out of her mouth.

“Ah, by the way, Ms. Hong, Ms. Hong.”

As if something came to her mind, a lightbulb appeared over Park Hanna’s head, flickering on and off.

“Speaking of which, Ms. Hong. Did you do that thing to the kids? You know, that thing?”

“That thing?”

“Yes~ You know, that thing where you exude an aura that makes the kids feel intimidated~.”

“Well, that wasn’t really my intention.”

It wasn’t intended to be intimidating?

If Park Hanna were a student, she would have felt not only intimidated but also very disheartened.

She might have even joined the kids in knocking down Hong Da Ye’s self-esteem from behind?

“Ah, come on. Your aura is so intense that even active heroes would shudder~.”

“But if they’re that scared, they should quit being heroes. They won’t be able to use it in real-life situations anyway.”

“Ms. Hong is always so strict, so strict.”

Pretending as if she wasn’t a high-ranking former hero.

“Still, it’s not good to scare the kids too much. It’s a sensitive time for them, isn’t it?”

“They’re not just kids, they’re aspiring heroes. We can’t treat them like children forever.”

“Ah, you’re so uptight~ That’s why the kids don’t even visit on Teacher’s Day. Look at me. How popular am I among the students?”

Park Hanna raised her nose confidently.

As she said, she was quite popular.

Her popularity was boosted by her young age and puppy-like appearance.

“Miss Hong, why don’t you stop acting like it’s annoying with your dead eyes and dress up a bit? Wouldn’t it be a shame to waste that beauty?”

“Yes.”

Quite sharp.

She might end up as an old maid like this.

In fact, as a coworker, I’m a bit~ concerned.

“By the way, how are the kids in Class 1? I heard they’re a golden generation with a lot of noise.”

“They’re not bad. There are a few students that I’m concerned about.”

“Really? Well, you have the young master of SL Group, the second son of Heukyeong Clan, and the little miss of Gaon Nuri Clan. Wow~ The talent pool is definitely impressive.”

They were rumored to be geniuses from the very beginning.

They’re probably going to grow into heroes who will take responsibility for the next generation.

In a few years, we might see them on television as sturdy pillars supporting Korea. Park Hanna, being a teacher, felt a sense of accomplishment about such things.

“But what are you looking at so closely? Let’s see… Huh? Who’s this, Lee Jinhyuk?”

“I’m just a little concerned about him.”

“Lee Jinhyuk, Lee Jinhyuk, Lee Jinhyuk….”

I don’t recall his face even after thinking for a while.

Park Hanna looked somewhat puzzled. If Miss Hong were concerned about him, he must have been famous before admission. Strange.

“I’ve never heard his name before.”

“You probably wouldn’t have. He barely made it into the union.”

“Really?”

Park Hanna blinked her eyes.

No. Why is she wasting her time on a kid like that?

There will be a lot to do in the new semester anyway.

“Huh? An additional pass? Wow… His practical test score is completely dead. How did he pass like this? Ah~ What’s this, a perfect score on the written test? It’s quite unbalanced.”

Park Hanna couldn’t help but marvel at the document Hong Daye was looking at.

It was clear that Lee Jinyouk’s theoretical grades were excellent.

It made it even more unfortunate.

“Ever since middle school, his theory scores have been… Wow? His written scores are certainly amazing. It seems like he received a high evaluation for his capacity as a tactical advisor. Well, it’s quite disappointing in terms of being a hero material.”

If he had gone to a regular school, he could have easily gotten a job at a good company and enjoyed a steady life.

Seeing him striving to be a hero, which wasn’t destined for him, was enough to bring tears to a teacher’s eyes.

Because they knew very well that there was no use in trying if they didn’t have talent for being a hero.

Lee Jinyouk didn’t seem to have enough talent to be a hero at first glance.

“I don’t think he’s a student that Ms. Hong needs to worry about.”

It might be better for her to focus on kids like Lee Shiwoon, Kang Daehan, or Yoo Seolhyeon.

“Is there any particular reason why he concerns you?”

“This kid.”

Hong Daye cut off her words and continued.

“I let out my killing intent, and he was perfectly fine.”

“What? This kid?”

Oh, my.

That was quite surprising.

Regardless of Hong Daye’s leniency, it wasn’t at a level that a student should withstand.

It would be natural for them to tremble like a normal person who has encountered a tiger alone in the mountains at night.

But this trainee, Lee Jinyouk, managed to withstand Hong Daye’s killing intent.

‘Huh? Could it be that?’

However, after quickly looking at his physical ability exam results, he seemed to have accepted it with a deflated expression.

Ah, right, this kid.

His physical abilities were a complete mess.

“Maybe he’s so dull that he couldn’t detect Hong teacher’s killing intent? It may be the union, but there are sometimes kids like that here.”

Sometimes…very occasionally, they do exist.

Students who don’t notice things like killing intent.

Of course, considering the average level of the union, it was quite strange, but it’s not unheard of for a stone to get caught in a sieve that filters out good students.

“That’s true.”

Hong Daye nodded her head in agreement.

Although this was the best academy in South Korea, not all students were top-notch. There were also incoming students like Jinyouk Lee who had overwhelmingly high written scores and were fortunate to pass, as well as other types of students entering through various circumstances.

“But it’s not just because of that, that I’m paying attention to this guy.”

“What else is it, then?”

As I cautiously ask the question, Hong Da-ye scratches her chin and answers.

“He was too calm.”

“What?”

Calm, she said?

What could she mean?

Oh, is she talking about when he exhaled his chi?

If that’s the case, it’s a bit suspicious. Even if he couldn’t feel his chi, he would have seen the other trainees struggling to breathe and collapsing.

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Anyone would be at least a little startled when unexpectedly facing that kind of situation, no matter how strong-hearted they were.

“Should I say he was too relaxed or calm? It seemed almost too familiar, even though he should have been flustered in such a situation.”

“Maybe he heard about it somewhere? From Teacher Hong’s demonstration.”

“Well, that’s possible, but…”

Hong Da-ye mulled over the earlier incident for a moment before continuing.

“…it seemed like his gaze was evaluating something.”

Not only the other trainees, but even Hong Da-ye was being evaluated, it seemed.

That gaze bothered her a lot.

“The more I think about it, the more I feel uneasy. Kids like him usually have something hidden.”

“Oh! You mean it’s a teacher’s intuition? Well~ I definitely trust Teacher Hong’s senses. Right, right. Now that you mention it, it reminds me of that kid from two years ago.”

“……”

“You know, the one who caused a commotion and voluntarily dropped out two years ago.”

“Well, anyway, I plan to keep an eye on him.”

To see if it’s a similar case to the one from two years ago or not.

***

11:50 AM.

It’s time for Abnormality Class.

An undeniably boring theory lesson.

“Decades ago, after the sudden appearance of monsters, a portion of humanity became able to manifest abnormalities.”

Abnormal abilities.

Like what people commonly refer to as supernatural powers.

Supernatural abilities that transcended common sense and the law brought both hope and fear to countless people.

“For a long time, humanity experienced a period of chaos due to individuals who destroyed the boundaries between reality and fantasy with their own ideals, and the unidentifiable monstrous creatures that appeared.”

The early days of these supernatural manifestations must have been a complete mess.

Many people lost their lives.

“Amid the chaos, some of these supernatural beings used their powers to defeat monsters and protect people, achieving various accomplishments and eventually becoming the origin of today’s heroes.”

“Jinhyuk.”

“But those who were captivated by their intense powers also appeared, acting on their own whims. Tainted by evil…psychopathic supernatural beings. Yes, villains.”

The relationship between monsters, heroes, and villains.

I have been educated on this topic since elementary school.

Maybe because it’s the first day, or maybe because it’s an important subject, it was mentioned again today. I’ve heard it so many times that it starts to get old.

“Supernatural abilities are like a double-edged sword. The more you use them, the stronger they become, but at the same time, they can corrupt your mind. If your mind becomes corrupt, it’s easy to succumb to madness and evil. So always be careful and cautious.”

Well, what can I say?

It’s a headache-inducing setting.

As you use your supernatural abilities, they become stronger, but at the same time, your mind deteriorates, increasing the probability of being tainted by evil.

There are quite a few cases where heroes fall and become villains.

Of course, supernatural abilities have nothing to do with me.

That’s because I failed to manifest any supernatural abilities.

A non-supernatural being like me.

“You all are future heroes who will be responsible for South Korea. So…”

“Jinhyuk, Jinhyuk.”

I’m poked repeatedly on the cheek.

What is Jin Soyeon doing?

“Why.”

“I’m bored.”

“Aren’t you listening to the class?”

“We’ve been hearing about that stuff for a long time now. It’s so boring~ I’m bored~.”

Please stop poking me with that ballpoint pen while yawning.

“Ah, theory classes are no fun~. I wish we could have outdoor classes sooner.”

“That’s why your writing scores were a mess in middle school.”

“Anyway, practical scores have a much higher ratio compared to writing scores, so it doesn’t matter~.”

Though it was quite unfortunate for someone like me with high written test scores,

“Don’t ask me to lend you my notes later, alright?”

“Huh? That’s so mean.”

“The ones being mean are people like you guys.”

Pretending to be busy, the instructor opened his mouth towards us.

Ah, we must have been too loud. He caught us fooling around.

“Look at you all, are you starting a romance from day one? It’s like a shower of candy hearts.”

No, don’t say that.

Look over there.

Lee Siwoon is looking at us with a strange gaze.

“Well, I’ll let it go since it’s your first day. But don’t even think about it from now on, understood?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, that’s it for today. Enjoy your lunches, and I’ll see you next time.”

Is it already lunchtime?

As soon as the lecture ended, the students began to move towards the cafeteria. Some stayed behind in the classroom, chatting loudly.

“Alright, my ex-boyfriend Jinhyuk? Shall we go eat lunch together in private?”

“No, go with the others. I’ll just go to the snack bar.”

I rejected Jin Suyeon’s invitation.

I couldn’t stick with her more than necessary.

Even though we had officially announced our breakup, being too close could lead to misunderstandings.

Also, it would be difficult for Lee Siwoon to approach her easily if I were constantly around her.

Jin Suyeon and Lee Siwoon needed to become closer than they are now.

That would make things easier in the future.

“Then, I’ll see you later.”

“Ah, hold on.”

With that, I stood up from my seat.

I slowly moved my steps and soon entered the restroom.

I planned to take care of some business before going to the snack bar.

But,

“…”

Before I knew it, Lee Si-woon had followed me in.

“Ah, Lee Si-woon.”

For now, I pretended to know him naturally.

“This is a restroom for instructors only.”

“…”

“Well, I just came in without permission too.”

“…”

He didn’t respond to my weak words.

He maintained his silence and stared at me intently.

Soon, I let out a sigh in my mind.

Fine.

Since it’s come to this, I might as well get straight to the point.

It seems like it’s best to speak clearly and leave.

“Do you like So-yeon?”

It was like a bolt out of the blue.

Lee Si-woon’s shoulders flinched ever so slightly.

It seemed a bit awkward to hear such words coming from someone who had been her boyfriend before.

“Well, So-yeon is pretty. It’s only natural to like her.”

I nodded my head as if I understood.

“Then try treating So-yeon well.”

“Is that okay?”

A single phrase with various meanings.

I suddenly tilted my head.

I deliberately acted confused, to see how he would react.

“What is?”

“Is it okay for me to approach So-yeon?”

Of course, it’s okay.

I’d even be happy if he did approach her.

“Yes, of course. Ah, are you asking because you’re worried about my feelings?”

“You two were close before, and even now.”

It seemed like I knew what Lee Si-woon was thinking.

I tried to downplay it.

“Seo-yeon and I have a relationship like family. We did date once, but I guess we didn’t feel much chemistry as a couple? So, we broke up.”

“……”

“So, don’t worry too much about it.”

“……”

It’s not like I’m their enemy.

Please, don’t even try to compete with me.

Anyway, there’ll be plenty of other guys to compete with.

“Or, you know… you could help Seo-yeon and me get along better.”

“It’s okay.”

“Oh, is it?”

I licked my lips, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Did I say too much?

“Anyway, I’ll go first.”

I waved my hand casually and walked towards the exit.

I guess what I said should be okay.

I wish Lee Si-woon would be a bit more proactive… Huh? What’s that?

Tatatata, and.

I heard the sound of hasty footsteps leaving from outside the restroom.

What’s going on? Was someone standing near the restroom entrance?