The Heroine Stole My Regression

7 – Unit (4)

Yohan’s glare didn’t last long.

The intensity with which he had been piercing me with his eyes soon faded, and he quickly reverted to the bright expression of the “Hero” Yohan that people knew.

‘Not that far gone yet, I guess.’

I thought it was perhaps too soon for Yohan’s obsession with Cheon Yeo-ul to explode—but that was momentary.

Yohan, having leapt from his seat, began walking towards me as if he’d made up his mind.

Though his demeanor had softened, I remained squarely in the center of his gaze.

But Cheon Yeo-ul was quicker, rising from her own seat with a sharp expression and grabbing Yohan’s shoulder.

Her bobbed hair swayed slightly, but there wasn’t the slightest waver in her expression.

They seemed to be arguing intensely at close range.

Even from afar, it was clear: Yohan’s expression hardened gradually, and Cheon Yeo-ul emanated an increasingly fierce aura.

“What are those two doing?”

Yun Sang-hyuk frowned beside me, muttering quietly.

Their opinions clearly clashed; Yohan was the first to act, gripping Cheon Yeo-ul’s arm tightly.

Cheon Yeo-ul instantly shook off Yohan’s hold and, with a swift movement, raised her right hand and slapped his cheek.

Whoa, crap.

“Whoa… guess it was for real.”

Yun Sang-hyuk’s eyes widened in unison, and he blurted out in a small voice.

Yohan, silent and struck, remained frozen for a long moment.

Cheon Yeo-ul turned away, as if no longer giving Yohan a second thought, and left the spot.

I couldn’t know what had transpired between the two of them, but this much I could foresee.

Yohan’s gaze, as he lowered his head, was still directed at me.

I could feel it intuitively.

‘It’s me.’

Looks like this time, Yohan’s target is me.

*

A massive screen hung in the practice arena, showing the progress of each team, making it easy to see how far along they were.

‘What about Seong Si-woo?’

I became curious about the protagonist’s whereabouts.

Since he’s the protagonist, his base stats are probably decent, so if his team is a normal group of five, he shouldn’t be too far behind.

“Wow… they’re fighting over there too.”

Lee Sang-bong and Kim Dae-hyun pointed at the screen on the opposite side, voices laced with awe.

The screen showed what appeared to be a serious argument unfolding.

Makes sense, they’d fight. When a strategy doesn’t work out, and frustration with each other builds up, arguments are bound to happen.

Especially from the standpoint of a student, a fractured team dynamic often escalates into arguments and strife.

I, too, shifted my gaze towards the screen.

“Huh?”

Instead of goblins, the screen displayed teammates locked in a scuffle.

But that wasn’t the real problem.

The centerpiece of this fight, as it turned out, was none other than our illustrious protagonist, Seong Si-woo.

‘What’s his deal now?’

Seong Si-woo had another male student by the collar, voices raised in heated exchange.

Thankfully, their teammates managed to intervene before things turned physical.

‘This might be a little tiring.’

Our protagonist’s personality didn’t seem all that pliable.

If this were a game, his inclinations might shift depending on the player, but the protagonist’s character in this world was purely random, it seemed.

That brazen attitude he displayed on the first day… it looks like he won’t be easy to deal with in many ways.

Not long after the screen captured Seong Si-woo’s brawl, the other teams began entering the safe zone, one after another.

Some gasped for breath, ragged, while others had already collapsed onto the ground, wiping away sweat, each one visibly marked by their ordeal.

“I’m really gonna die.”

“Never again, ugh….”

Complaints and sighs of relief mingled in the air.

At first, the students had buzzed with excitement, watching the fight, but they soon shifted to recounting the tribulations of their own battles, growing boisterous in their shared experience.

‘Almost everyone’s in, I guess?’

I glanced at the screen once more.

It showed the final team reaching the vicinity of the safe zone.

Two individuals made up this last straggling team.

But then, an assistant, clutching some papers, rushed to the instructor, whispering urgently in his ear.

As the message was delivered, the instructor abruptly looked up, his gaze fixed on the screen.

A sense of foreboding washed over me, and I, too, turned towards the screen.

And then, in that instant.

-Bang!-

One of the cameras filming the forest exploded.

-Bang! Bang!

And one by one, the cameras filming that same route exploded.

The students, seemingly realizing what was happening, gradually focused their attention on the screen.

“…No way.”

Just a moment ago, a fleeting instant had been captured on the cameras. Black mana, erupting and shattering every goblin and camera in its path.

Abnormal speed, and bizarre manipulation of mana.

Among the students, only one person was capable of such a performance.

With all the cameras exploded, an eerie silence filled the safe zone.

-Screech-!

One of the many exits leading into the safe zone suddenly burst open.

Students and instructors alike turned their heads.

A deafening roar echoed through the air, scattering thick smoke and debris.

“Sorry I’m late~”

A unfamiliar voice, along with a girl with her black hair tied high, nonchalantly emerged.

A faint sheen of sweat on her forehead, intense crimson pupils. A jet-black tank top and a matching jacket draped over her shoulders.

It was a face no one recognized, but her identity was immediately clear.

Kang Arin.

The top-ranked entrant among the new students at Gaon Academy.

The protagonist’s rival, and the last heroine in the game, following Chun Yeo-ul and Yoo Hana.

I just thought she wasn’t in the same class. I couldn’t find her on the first day.

“You’re late?”

An instructor spoke.

And she, with utter nonchalance, replied with a voice full of smile.

“Yes. Had some family matters to attend to. I was unavoidably delayed until today~”

Family matters.

The heir to ‘Younggwang,’ one of the most powerful conglomerates in South Korea, and indeed the world. She was probably one of the few people who could postpone her enrollment at Gaon with the excuse of ‘family matters.’

“Did you break through the forest alone?”

“There wasn’t anyone there?”

The surrounding students were aghast at those words.

The strongest.

And the most unrestrained.

Before his growth truly took hold, she was the kind of heroine you couldn’t dare try to control.

The instructor shuffled through his papers before speaking.

“I’d appreciate it if you were careful with the equipment.”

Kang Arin raised one corner of her mouth in a slight smile.

“I will be careful.”

Even under the spotlight, feeling the weight of everyone’s gaze, Kang Arin maintained her composure.

The brief exchange concluded, and the instructor cleared his throat lightly.

“Today’s practical exercise ends here. Based on these results, we will draw lots to form groups. I trust you are aware.”

With a gesture, he opened the exit to the practice hall. The students buzzed at once, scrambling toward the exit.

They all wore expressions of utter boredom.

I stood near the window, watching the crowd disperse.

‘Guess I should head out too.’

This one class was all for today. Since it was the most important, it took up the whole day.

Not like I can just relax, though. I have a fair bit to do starting today. Some things to prepare.

I started to make my way outside.

Amidst the throng of students hurrying out, a black jacket flashed at the end of the central aisle.

A fleeting glimpse of Kang Arin.

Her height and dark hair made her stand out, but she was looking around, head slightly bowed, as if searching for someone.

Considering how unpredictable she was, I tried to ignore it and just pass by.

A scion of ‘Glory’, can’t get involved even if I wanted to.

But… the strange incidents of the past few days flashed through my mind.

Drawn by that gut feeling, I abruptly stopped and glanced back at Kang Arin.

And she, in turn, was looking at me.

With a soft exhale, a faint “Ah…,” her eyes widened, and a bright smile blossomed on her face.

As if she’d found someone she’d been searching for a long time, a flash of joy lit up her face.

But that bright, radiant smile didn’t even last half a beat.

Soon, her expression crumpled, and tears began to well up in her eyes.

“What do I do….”

…Is this for real?

Now she’s just looking at my face and starting to cry.

I was caught off guard, and tried to take a step forward.

But it was already too late.

She whipped her head around and bolted down another aisle, fleeing as if from something.

The image of that black jacket disappearing somewhere, remained burned into my mind.

Enough to drive a man crazy.

Nothing was going according to plan, and the kids were all acting a little off.

Thank goodness at least Cheon Yeoul and Yoo Hana were cooperative. But this? This was a whole new case.

‘How does one deal with a woman who bursts into tears and runs away the moment she sees you?’

At times like these, I regretted the twenty years of my life before possession, a life lived at a distance from women. It was time to consult a professional.

[Ha Si-on]

I pulled out my smartwatch and tapped the top contact.

Medicine to the pharmacist, women to my childhood friend.