episode_0066

066.

“…Well, anyway, I have one more thing to give you.”

Ignoring Soyeon’s subtle reaction, I slowly reached out my hand into the air.

Soyeon was staring at me with a puzzled expression.

She seemed confused as to why I suddenly raised my hand.

Eventually, a crack appeared in the air.

It split open like a golden thread on a glass window.

From that deep crack, a black handle suddenly popped out.

As I tightly gripped the handle and pulled, a sharp blade began to reveal itself.

“A sword from thin air? How…how is this possible?”

“There’s an artifact that can store items. I was able to obtain it thanks to my future foresight ability.”

“An artifact…?”

She looked quite astonished.

Her mouth slightly agape, she made a sound of surprise.

It seemed like she was even more surprised than when I mentioned awakening my future foresight ability and becoming a millionaire.

“To think there’s even an artifact…astonishing.”

“Well, setting that aside, would you like to take a look at this sword?”

“Huh? Uh, sure.”

Soyeon accepted the sword with a somewhat bewildered expression.

Although it appeared rather ordinary at first glance, there was a sharpness to it that made her skin crawl just by looking at it.

It was indeed a remarkable sword.

It was classified as a masterpiece, used by a man named Vizirante in the game, known for swiftly dispatching various villains.

Vizirante was a character who did not appear in the game but was only mentioned, shrouded in mystery. However, it was said that he reached an incredible level of power at a young age.

Perhaps even stronger than the early Judah?

That’s because there was a setting that Bai Yulin, the sword’s creator, had been stripped of everything by Vizirante a few years ago.

This incident led Bai Yulin to hold a deep grudge against Vizirante, or something like that.

“…It’s a good sword.”

As I was lost in thought, Soyeon, who was carefully examining the sword, murmured to herself with a brief admiration.

Although its simple design may have seemed bland, Soyeon, being a swordsman herself, realized that this sword was indeed a valuable item.

Given that Vizirante had easily dispatched many villains with this sword, its performance in combat was undoubtedly excellent.

It was a sword too precious for someone like me, an archer, to use.

“You…you’re giving me this sword?”

“Yeah.”

Soyeon blinked her eyes in disbelief, stumbling over her words as if she couldn’t quite believe it.

“Well, this looks quite expensive…I can’t just accept something like this…”

Although she seemed tempted by the sword as a swordsman, she quickly shook her head, resisting her desire.

She could tell that it was a very expensive sword, even if she didn’t know the exact price.

Even if you were close friends, it would be burdensome to casually accept such an expensive item.

Even I would refuse if a friend who won the lottery offered to buy me a car…wait, hold on. I would accept it, right?

Normally, wouldn’t you accept it if someone won a lot of money in the lottery and offered to buy you something?

But why is Soyeon refusing like this?

“Don’t worry about it too much. You know I have a lot of money. This is just…not exactly pocket change, but anyway.”

“But…”

Soyeon, that’s actually stolen goods.

It’s contraband, contraband.

“I bought it in the first place to give it to you as a birthday present.”

“R-really?”

“Your birthday is still quite a ways off, but with incidents like this happening again, you never know. Think of it as a precautionary gift for you to use in case of emergencies.”

The situation in the Romance Hero Academy’s main story had taken a significant twist.

You never knew when, how, or what would happen.

Using vulgar language, there might be a situation where you have to fight alone with a threatening villain outside the academy.

It was prepared for that situation.

The location tracking bracelet and the famous sword of Vittilante were given to Soyeon so that she could handle unexpected dangers to some extent.

“Still, just accepting this kind of thing… It’s a bit… ”

“In fact, it’s kind of like a bribe. Asking you to save me when I’m in danger with that sword.”

“….”

“So don’t think too strangely about it. At most, it’s just a sword.”

“….Jinhyuk.”

Soyeon suddenly bowed her head.

I don’t know why, but the atmosphere is not normal.

Soyeon, who was fiddling with the bracelet and sword I gave her, took a deep breath and exhaled once.

And she slowly started to bite her lip.

Soyeon’s low and melancholic voice disturbed my ears.

“…I, I, actually heard.”

“Huh? What?”

I slightly raised my eyebrows at Soyeon’s hesitant appearance.

“…You and Yuseolhyun talking alone on the rooftop of the academy.”

She heard that I talked with Yuseolhyun on the rooftop?

What kind of story did she hear?

“How you would help during the stalker incident, why you’re trying to involve me and Siwoon, and also…”

Soyeon bit her lip for a moment.

With her eyes slightly lowered, she seemed to hesitate a little.

After hesitating for a while, Soyeon slowly exhaled and opened her mouth again.

“…You, you even liked me from a long time ago.”

“Huh?”

“…I heard everything.”

Soyeon said with her eyes closed tightly, and I was momentarily stunned.

‘…She heard that I had a crush on Soyeon to convince Yuseolhyun on the rooftop during the stalker incident and that’s why I’m trying to involve Siwoon to let go of my lingering feelings?’

I remember saying something quite embarrassing at the time, almost to the point of being over the top, but I never thought she heard it all.

Um, well. How should I put it? It’s a bit embarrassing, isn’t it?

“Jinhyuk, I’ve had something to say to you since then.”

Soyeon raised her head and looked straight into my eyes. Her slightly trembling pumpkin-colored pupils.

An unknown sense of apology and guilt was clearly visible.

“S-So… I’m really sorry…! I didn’t know that, and I asked you for that strange request, like a fake relationship…!”

“….”

“I never thought about how you accepted that request until now…?”

“….”

“It must have been really hard for you…? I didn’t know anything and just laughed and joked all the time…!”

“….”

I thought carefully as Soyeon spoke words of apology.

‘Soyeon, she’s misunderstanding again.’

It seems like she’s mistaken because of my passionate acting on the rooftop.

Right now, Soyeon is probably feeling sorry and guilty about asking for a fake relationship.

It’s understandable because she asked for a fake relationship from someone who has a crush on her and spent time laughing and joking with other guys. There are many reasons for her to feel guilty.

If she was a bit shameless, she could think, ‘You didn’t reject it anyway, did you? Did I threaten you with a knife or something? You’re the one who agreed to the request!’ But Soyeon was really a kind person.

If she was an ordinary person, she could just pretend not to know and move on, but she’s apologizing to this extent.

‘Was this what she wanted to talk about today?’

“I’ve been suffering for a long time because of your request for a fake relationship, thinking that I like you, right?

‘Anyway, this kid…’

I smiled inwardly.

So-yeon was apologizing earnestly while glancing at me, and a slightly mischievous feeling arose in me, but I couldn’t joke around in this situation, so I tried to calm my heart.

“So, I don’t think I can accept this sword.”

“Huh?”

“I think Jin-hyuk’s care for you goes beyond simple kindness.”

So-yeon mumbled and returned the bracelet and sword to me. When I hesitated to accept them and just stared blankly, she hesitated again and opened her lips.

“We’ve been together since we were young, but this is a bit too much… And also… It feels like you’re using your emotions…”

“Sigh.”

I let out a deep sigh.

Ah, that’s why she was rejecting it like this.

“So-yeon.”

“Uh-huh.”

How should I say this? I thought for a moment.

It would be obvious that saying, ‘Haha, the confession on the rooftop was actually a lie!’ now would not be believed.

Therefore, I decided to come up with a very simple reason to convince So-yeon.

So that she wouldn’t feel unnecessary guilt and burden anymore.

Maybe she won’t pay much attention to it after hearing this?

“Indeed, I did secretly like you in the past. You’re pretty. As a man, it’s natural to be attracted to you.”

“Ah, th-that’s, right, um, yeah.”

Was it because she suddenly heard that I liked her?

So-yeon stammered and blushed her cheeks slightly.

She seemed quite embarrassed, avoiding eye contact and not knowing what to do.

Although she thought that I liked her, hearing it directly face to face seemed a bit embarrassing.

If it were the usual So-yeon, she would have made a joke like ‘Ah! This body’s popularity!’ and laughed it off.

She doesn’t joke around in this kind of atmosphere.

“So, when we were in a fake relationship, there were some difficult parts.”

“Uh… I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry. If we have to blame someone, it’s my fault for not refusing the request.”

There’s no fault on So-yeon’s part.

Accepting the request was solely my responsibility, and I didn’t suffer because I didn’t like So-yeon romantically from the start.

“When I wanted to end our fake relationship when I entered the academy, it was because I was indeed tired.”

“…”

So-yeon pursed her lower lip and made a gloomy expression.

Not wanting to see So-yeon feeling guilty anymore, I tried to comfort her a little with a gentle smile.

“But now, it’s okay.”

I shrugged as if to say it’s all in the past.

“I have someone else I like now.”

“Uh?”

“I don’t like you anymore.”

“Is that so?”

Trying to lighten the mood a bit more, I teased her.

“Haha… I didn’t expect you to find out. Oh, this is a bit embarrassing.”

I lightly chuckled and patted So-yeon’s shoulder as if it was nothing.

“It was a bit hard to see you hanging out with other guys back then, but now it’s fine.”

“…”

“I was trying to set you up with Ishi-woon not out of lingering feelings, but more to confirm my own feelings. Well, Ishi-woon seems to be interested in you, so it was a two birds with one stone situation.”

“…”

“It’s all in the past, Soyeon. So, there’s no need to feel too sorry. I won’t pay attention to it, so you shouldn’t either. Got it? Let’s not make it awkward for no reason.”

“……Uh, okay.”

“People often say that you can heal your wounds with a new love… Oh, what am I saying, haha.”

With a light joke that received no response, I suddenly stood up from my chair.

“Oh, it’s already this late.”

Handing the sword and bracelet tightly to Soyeon’s hand, I said, “And don’t think too much about this sword and bracelet. It’s just a gift, so don’t get any strange ideas. I have a lot of money but nowhere to spend it. Ah, wasn’t that unlucky? Anyway.”

“……”

“Well, I should get going.”

“Oh. Um, wait, Jinhyuk….”

“Oh, it’s already too late. Let’s do it tomorrow, tomorrow.”

I hurriedly left the room, cutting off any further objections from Soyeon. Soyeon, can’t you just accept it gratefully if I say thank you?

We should level up and farm artifacts in low-level dungeons and defeat monsters during the break.

“……”

Glancing back, I could see that Soyeon looked a bit perplexed.

She even seemed a little flustered.

***

The room where Jinhyuk had left.

“……”

Jin Soyeon stood in silence, staring calmly at the door where Jinhyuk had disappeared. She replayed the conversation they had just had in her mind.

Until now, she had thought that Jinhyuk would be deeply troubled by their fake relationship.

But he seemed to care less than she had expected, which was truly fortunate.

It was just a thing of the past, something to laugh off lightly.

The fact that Jinhyuk had liked her was now just a memory, nothing more.

It seemed like he wasn’t forcing himself to act, but genuinely felt that way.

Moreover, hadn’t Jinhyuk said it himself?

That he no longer liked her.

That he had feelings for someone else.

It was truly good news for Jin Soyeon that she wouldn’t have to worry about causing him any more heartache.

Jinhyuk should experience a proper relationship with a good girl at least once.

In that sense, it was good news for both of them that Jinhyuk no longer saw Jin Soyeon as a romantic interest.

Now they could truly be friends.

Yes, yes.

It’s really fortunate.

Jinhyuk no longer having feelings for me and liking someone else is truly fortunate….

And in that moment.

– He has feelings for someone else.

Thump.

– I no longer like you.

Thump.

“Jinhyuk no longer likes me…?”

In a fleeting moment, she muttered the thought that crossed her mind.

And then, why?

Why, why am I feeling like this, my heart, my heart is too…