Performance Evaluation Prep (4)
The following weekend.
I messaged Yu Seolhyeon and Seo Nari, telling them I had something to discuss about the performance evaluation.
Seo Nari looked a little put out at being dragged out during her precious weekend free time, but once Yu Seolhyeon cheerfully agreed, she had no choice but to go along, and we managed to set a meeting.
The meeting place was a newly opened café.
The strawberry shortcake sold here would later become Yu Seolhyeon’s favorite snack, so I planned to let her try it today.
Ding~.
With a soft chime of the little bell, a woman stepped inside.
She swept back her luscious hair that looked as if it had been dusted with gold powder, briefly scanned the café interior, and soon spotted me.
A small handbag hung from her shoulder; the hem of her light long jacket fluttered as she stepped forward, her click-clack footsteps ringing clearly in my ears.
In casual clothes she looked like a college freshman. An adult atmosphere that the academy uniform never carried now hung thick around her. She approached with the beautiful, upright gait of a model on the runway.
The men inside the café stole glances at her back, only to get scolded by the girlfriends sitting beside them.
Yu Seolhyeon side-eyed the scene, then covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
She was the type who mischievously enjoyed that kind of reaction.
As expected of someone with a villainess background.
“You got here early?”
“Nah, I just arrived.”
I nodded lightly at Yu Seolhyeon’s words.
“You’re not even acknowledging me?”
A familiar voice tapped my eardrums.
I wondered who it was for a second—oh, so she came with her.
Her small build had kept her hidden from view.
“Seo Nari.”
“Hmph.”
Arms crossed, twin-tails bouncing, Seo Nari glared at me with a deliberately displeased expression.
She seemed to have figured out exactly why my reaction had been so late.
She had a complex about her height, according to the setting.
I decided not to mention it directly.
“Anyway, shall we order something first and get started? Since I called you out today, I’ll at least treat you to a slice of cake.”
They chose an Americano and a double-shot espresso.
“Why espresso? Even with cake, isn’t that a bit much?”
“What business is it of yours what I drink?”
Seo Nari reacted as if her horns had come out.
I wondered why she was acting like that when she couldn’t even handle bitter stuff.
Yu Seolhyeon smiled mischievously at the sight.
“Espresso does have a nice aroma, doesn’t it, Nari?”
“Y-yeah! That’s right. Lee Jinhyuk’s palate is just too childish to appreciate this kind of flavor.”
In a fluster Seo Nari took a sip of the espresso and immediately let out an incomprehensible sound—“Ugh, eugh…”
Beside her, Yu Seolhyeon offered the outrageous suggestion, “Does it taste okay? Should I order you another cup?” Seo Nari’s eyes went round and she hesitated for a moment.
She clearly didn’t want another drop, yet she couldn’t refuse Yu Seolhyeon’s offer. I let out a snicker and changed the subject to give her an out.
“Alright, alright, everyone take a look at this.”
I pulled out the various materials I had prepared for the performance evaluation and spread them across the table.
“Hmm?”
Yu Seolhyeon smoothly scanned the papers.
“The first opponents we’ll face are Han Dongwon, Oh Seongwoon, and Go Mirae. You know them?”
“Hmph. A bunch of nobodies.”
Seo Nari snorted with a triumphant face—the confidence of the seventeenth rank.
“Nobodies, huh… These guys were pretty big deals in their own neighborhoods.”
“Even so, nobodies are still nobodies.”
Well, maybe so.
They weren’t even named NPCs.
Compared to you and the villainess Yu Seolhyeon, who actually had some weight in the story, they fell short in every way—combat ability, operational skill, everything.
But this world was no longer a game; it was reality.
Named NPC, extra, or protagonist—none of them could be taken lightly.
I also acknowledged that the two of you were stronger than them, yet you were by no means overwhelmingly stronger.
At best you were all still at the same student level.
Depending on how the opponents approached the match, countless variables could appear.
And this side included me—someone practically useless as a combatant.
“They’re all mid-to-upper ranks or higher. They use bow, sword, and spear, and overall have good balance. Their supernatural abilities are already known, but Han Dongwon’s ability might have some differences. What you need to keep in mind is…”
I explained everything about the opposing team—supernatural abilities, power levels, martial arts, matchups, positions, operational plans—and what we needed to do going forward.
“Interesting.”
After some time had passed, Yu Seolhyeon, who had been listening quietly, lightly flicked her coffee cup and spoke.
“I heard you well. You prepared more than I expected?”
She looked at me with a bright smile.
“No wonder you’re first in theory. Listening to you, you even give off a tactical-advisor vibe.”
“Back in middle school, whenever there was a team tactics evaluation, I always took the operator role.”
Unfortunately, with no talent as a hero, the only way for me to score high on practical evaluations was to play the command-tower role.
In the past I used to get hold of opponents’ training videos or sparring footage and break them down frame by frame, analyzing habits, matchups, weaknesses, specialties, and so on.
Now, with my past-life memories returning, I knew almost every setting of Romance Hero Academy, so planning operations had become far easier.
The official novels and doujinshi contained plenty of behind-the-scenes stories about the various characters.
“It’s good that you analyzed hard, but it was wasted effort. Even without all these tricks, Seolhyeon and I alone would be enough.”
Seo Nari spat the words out with an indifferent expression.
“That might be true for now. But who knows about the future?”
The Han Dongwon team itself wasn’t a big problem.
This was merely a rehearsal to see how well the game settings and my real-world analysis would hold up.
“Suppose you two alone beat the Han Dongwon team. What about the next team? And the one after that?”
“Even so…”
“In the end you’ll face Lee Siwoo’s or Kang Daehan’s team, right?”
“……”
Seo Nari clamped her mouth shut.
Even the male protagonists, it seemed, could not be taken lightly.
“And since there’s a hole like me on the team, if we just fight recklessly it’ll be even harder, won’t it?”
“Well, that’s true.”
Hey. Why are you so readily admitting I’m a hole… I mean, I am a hole, but still.
“From ancient times, what could reverse unfavorable forces or situations was a good strategy. If we end up facing Lee Siwoo’s or Kang Daehan’s team in the finals, our forces will be lacking in reality, right? So let’s practice coordinating a bit in advance and build our operational capabilities for that time.”
“You’re pretty confident about reaching the finals?”
When Yu Seolhyeon added the remark, I nodded.
“Of course. We made a bet, didn’t we? I said I’d at least get first or second.”
“Alright. I’ll look forward to it.”
“In exchange, you’ll follow my orders, right?”
“Ah, of course.”
Yu Seolhyeon smiled faintly and murmured while looking at the scraps of paper scattered across the table.
“Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations for you, but looking at the materials you researched today… and hearing the explanations… as an operator, you might be somewhat decent.”
She smoothly picked up a fork and cut a small piece from the edge of the cake.
“Of course, theory alone is useless. I hope you show it properly in practice. I’ve started to get a little excited about whether what you said will actually work or not.”
She poked the piece and took a bite.
“So for the first match, try doing it the way you want. I’ll follow your words.”
Then she set the fork down with a soft clack.
Before I knew it she had finished the cake.
Judging by the satisfaction lingering on her face, she seemed to like it—this café’s strawberry cake.
Thanks to the delicious snack, she had quietly listened to everything I said.
“Anyway, I’ve said everything I wanted to say. Do either of you have anything you’re curious about or want to add?”
“Ah, wait a minute—I need to go to the bathroom for a bit…”
Seo Nari, whose complexion looked a little off, quickly raised a hand.
Her face had taken on a slightly greenish tint.
She seemed to have a mild stomachache.
“…That’s why I told you not to drink so much espresso.”
“Sh-shut up! Ugh—sorry, Seolhyeon, just a moment!”
Seo Nari shot me a glare, offered an apologetic word to Yu Seolhyeon, and hurriedly scampered off.
Thanks to that, only the two of us remained.
Yu Seolhyeon stared at my face, then opened her mouth with a slightly mischievous expression.
“Ah, by the way—how have things been lately?”
“What.”
What is she trying to say now.
“Lately Soyeon and Lee Siwoo have been hanging out a lot.”
“So what?”
“Even if you’re childhood friends, if your ex-girlfriend starts hanging around with another guy right after breaking up, it might feel a bit off, don’t you think?”
At Yu Seolhyeon’s words I laughed inwardly.
I’d rather they hang out more.
“What about you?”
“Huh?”
“Doesn’t it bother you a bit that Soyeon is sticking close to Lee Siwoo?”
“Why would it bother me?”
“I heard a rumor. That the two of you are in an engagement relationship.”
“What?”
Yu Seolhyeon’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
The engagement was supposed to be a secret.
She must have been a little surprised that I brought it up.
“Where did you hear that?”
“Hmm? I think I heard it through the grapevine.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. And don’t take it too badly. You and Lee Siwoo are both from chaebol bloodlines, and you’ve known each other since childhood, so it makes for good gossip. Kids love connecting love lines, after all.”
“……”
Yu Seolhyeon twisted a strand of hair and looked at me.
“Well, that kind of…”
Just as she was about to continue—
“…Jinhyuk, what are you doing here?”
“?”
A familiar voice brushed over the two of us.
Yu Seolhyeon and I instinctively turned our heads.
Confirming the source of the voice—
“What. What brings you here?”
“I asked first.”
Jin Soyeon was looking at us with a stiff expression.
“What are you two doing here.”
Jin Soyeon was utterly dumbfounded.
What on earth were the two of them meeting for at a café on the weekend?
Lee Jinhyuk, who had always been making excuses about having no time and not hanging out with her lately, was secretly meeting someone and cozily sipping coffee?
This was betrayal—pure betrayal!
What the hell, Lee Jinhyuk!
When I suggested coming to this café together a while ago, you said you were busy?
On weekends you’re busy with the performance evaluation and have no time or something.
Was the reason you were busy because you had to meet Yu Seolhyeon?
“Aha…♪”
Yu Seolhyeon suddenly pulled the corner of her mouth into a peculiar smile, as if she were enjoying herself.
“Hi, Soyeon?”
“Yeah. But what were you doing with Jinhyuk?”
“Lee Jinhyuk said he had something to tell me, so I came out for a bit.”
“Jinhyuk did?”
In an instant Jin Soyeon’s gaze turned to Lee Jinhyuk.
She wondered what Lee Jinhyuk could possibly have to say to Yu Seolhyeon.
Something to say?
Jinhyuk, separately, to Yu Seolhyeon?
If it had been ordinary talk, he would have done it at the academy.
What could he need to say by meeting separately on a weekend like this?
No—wait a minute.
Could it be…?
Actually, I’ve found another girl I like.
Why did the words Jinhyuk had spoken a month ago suddenly come to mind?
“Yu Seolhyeon. Don’t say weird things for no reason. We just gathered once because we had something to discuss about the performance evaluation. Look at this.”
“Ah.”
After finishing his explanation, Lee Jinhyuk took out a few of the materials he had put away and fluttered them in front of Jin Soyeon’s eyes.
“And it wasn’t just the two of us meeting. We gathered with Seo Nari too.”
He then gestured with his chin toward the empty chair.
Indeed, on the table by the empty chair sat leftover coffee cups and plates.
“So don’t get all sulky.”
“…I’m not sulking, okay? And what do I have to sulk about.”
“Last time you asked to come here together and I refused. Isn’t that why?”
Lee Jinhyuk shrugged once as he spoke, and Jin Soyeon secretly let out a deep sigh. He’s good in every way except his sense of tact is really… haah.
“What. Jin Soyeon, when did you get here?”
“Nari.”
Seo Nari, who had returned from the bathroom at some point, greeted Jin Soyeon.
“Then we’ll be going first. Nari, let’s go.”
“Ah, y-yeah.”
“If you have something to say, talk comfortably as childhood friends. Then, farewell.”
Yu Seolhyeon soon gathered her outerwear and handbag and left the café; Seo Nari hurriedly finished every last bit of the remaining cake before chasing after her.
“……”
“……”
For a moment silence settled between Lee Jinhyuk and Jin Soyeon.
“…Then I’ll be going too.”
“Sit.”
When Lee Jinhyuk, who didn’t particularly have anything left to say, tried to subtly leave his seat, Jin Soyeon sharply furrowed her brows and urged—no, forced—him to sit.
“Can’t you spare some time for me too?”
“No, I told you I’m busy.”
“Ha.”
Jin Soyeon suddenly snorted.
Busy?
Why is he busy every time I see him?
Is he only busy when it comes to me?
“Hey, Lee Jinhyuk. Be straight with me.”
“About what?”
“Do you have something you’re resentful about with me? Why have you been like this lately?”
Jin Soyeon bit her lip slightly and glared at Lee Jinhyuk.
No matter how much she thought about it, his behavior didn’t make sense.
She understood he was busy, but she couldn’t erase the feeling that he was subtly putting distance between them.
Had she done something that made him feel bad?
Or was there some other reason?
“…Geez.”
At Jin Soyeon’s ominous aura, Lee Jinhyuk made a bitter smile.
That expression looked exactly like an uncle soothing a tantrum-throwing niece.
…Which made her dislike it even more.
Lately that Jinhyuk guy seemed to have become subtly more adult-like.
“Soyeon.”
“What, why.”
Lee Jinhyuk, smiling calmly, soon took out a considerable stack of A4 paper densely filled with text from his bag.
It was a much larger amount than what he had shown earlier.
It seemed to be materials related to the performance evaluation…
“As you know, I lack a lot of talent as a hero.”
“No, that’s not…”
“I felt it a lot myself. In middle school, even without talent I could get by somehow, but Union is different.”
“……”
“I want to play when I play too. Hang out with you a bit, play games after school, go out on weekends and all that.”
“……”
Lee Jinhyuk smiled bitterly.
“But if I play when others play and put in effort when others put in effort, I don’t think I can catch up at all. So lately I’ve been focusing hard only on training and studying. I was putting a little distance because if I hang out with you… I might end up playing around. From your perspective it must have felt a bit off. Sorry.”
“No, well…”
Jin Soyeon scratched her cheek.
Indeed, if she was always by his side, he probably couldn’t concentrate properly.
“And also.”
“?”
“We’re broken up for now, so if we keep sticking together, it looks a bit weird, right?”
“…Huh?”
In an instant Jin Soyeon blinked repeatedly. What is this guy talking about?
“Why are you worrying about that kind of thing?”
“No, it does bother me. You might start dating later too, and if complications arise because of me, it’d be troublesome in many ways.”
“I’ve told you several times I have no interest in dating or anything?”
“Heh. For someone who says that, you seem to be getting along well with Lee Siwoo lately.”
“…That’s because you’ve been ignoring me lately.”
“What?”
“Wow, I said it quietly to myself, but did you really not hear it or are you pretending not to?”
I did hear it.
I just deliberately pretended not to know.
Lee Jinhyuk smiled inwardly.
“Anyway. Since it came up, let me ask once. Do you really have nothing going on with Lee Siwoo?”
“What are you talking about. I told you last time too? It’s not like that.”
“Hey, don’t be like that and just tell me. I’ve read a lot of romance-related stuff, you know. I’m good at counseling and all.”
“I said no.”
What is he even saying, seriously.
Why is Jinhyuk like this?
“Lee Siwoo is really handsome, rich, capable—wow… what’s he lacking?”
“What nonsense.”
“Lee Siwoo seems a bit interested in you too. Want me to help a little?”
“I said no. How many times.”
At Lee Jinhyuk’s words, something unknown began to boil up inside her.
His attitude of constantly trying to pair her with Lee Siwoo was exasperating.
“Honestly, if it’s someone like Lee Siwoo…”
“Hey!”
Bang.
At Jin Soyeon’s action of slamming the table hard, Lee Jinhyuk was a bit startled, then thought to himself, Ah, I overdid it again, and self-reproached.
“You tell me instead. Are you interested in Yu Seolhyeon?”
“Huh? Me? What’s this all of a sudden?”
At Jin Soyeon’s sudden words, Lee Jinhyuk looked puzzled.
“After the academy entrance ceremony day, you told me to break up.”
“Yeah, and?”
“Back then you said you’d found someone you like.”
“Did I?”
Lee Jinhyuk floated a question mark over his head.
“Isn’t that actually Yu Seolhyeon?”
“I was wondering what you were going to say. No way. Me and Yu Seolhyeon—haha. That’s ridiculous.”
“What I just felt is exactly that kind of emotion, you know? Why do you keep trying to pair me with Siwoo?”
“If not, then never mind.”
“I’m pissed…”
“I said I’m sorry? I’ll treat you today, so cool off.”
Lee Jinhyuk scratched his temple once and calmly opened his lips.
“What do you want to eat? Cake? Parfait? Coffee?”
“…Americano is fine.”
“Come on. Just coffee is too meager. If you don’t have anything special to order, I’ll decide.”
With those words Lee Jinhyuk chose the menu, and Jin Soyeon quietly thought to herself.
No, it does bother me. You might start dating later too, and if complications arise because of me, it’d be troublesome in many ways.
That statement could apply not only to her but also to Lee Jinhyuk.
What if Lee Jinhyuk had seen Yu Seolhyeon at the entrance ceremony, fallen for her at first sight, and then notified Jin Soyeon to stop the fake dating?
What if, after enrolling, he had deliberately put distance so that hanging out with Yu Seolhyeon wouldn’t be hindered?
The reason he left Jin Soyeon behind when forming the performance-evaluation team and deliberately joined Yu Seolhyeon’s team… maybe…?
…
When her thoughts reached that point—
…Annoying.
Jin Soyeon could feel something unknown wriggling deep in her heart.