The Heroine Stole My Regression-Chapter 106

The Heroine Stole My Regression-Chapter 106

The explanation of the game’s structure was more or less over.
Tension and excitement flickered across the students’ faces, and some had already started whispering amongst themselves, seemingly discussing strategy.
But the most important part still remained:
Team assignment.
Blue Team and White Team.
How these two sides—who would alternate between attacking and defending—would be divided, would essentially determine the outcome of the exam.
It had to be fair, and the balance couldn't be broken.
Breaking the brief silence, the Chairman stepped forward.
“We’ve chosen the fairest and most perfect method.”
As he spoke, familiar words appeared on the screen:
『Odd Rankings – Blue Team』
『Even Rankings – White Team』
Simple enough.
1st, 3rd, 5th... went to Blue Team.
2nd, 4th, 6th... went to White Team.
Gaon had opted for a ranking-based split—an elegant answer to the balance issue.
“Your ranks are the result of your own efforts. No one can dispute them,” the Chairman added with a proud smile.
Not wrong.
But there was a complication.
Some students—like myself—didn’t have formal ranks yet.
Special admittees like me, and transfers like Yoon Chaeha or Ju Seojun from Kalos, hadn’t received numeric ranks.
That lingering question didn’t hang for long.
“As for those without official rankings, an internal sorting was conducted based on your midterm results, inter-academy exchanges, and practical scores.”
“The final result was fairly determined using Gaon’s proprietary algorithm.”
In other words, the rules were tweaked just enough for control.
Reasonable enough.
And at last, the final team assignments were announced.
Ding!
Ding!
Names scrolled by in dozens—but I only memorized the ones that mattered most to me:
[Blue Team – Odd Ranks]
[Rank 1 – Kang Arin]
[Rank 5 – Yu Hana]
[Rank 19 – Ha Sion]
[Unranked – Ju Seojun]
[White Team – Even Ranks]
[Rank 2 – Johan]
[Rank 4 – Cheon Yeoul]
[Unranked – Yoon Chaeha]
[Unranked – Jeong Haein]
I’d been placed on the same team as Yoon Chaeha.
Ju Seojun, on the other hand, was on the opposite side.
They probably split them up to avoid reusing their synergy from the inter-academy exchange.
Blue Team had Kang Arin, Yu Hana, and Ha Sion—who, in terms of raw combat ability, could match either of the former two.
White Team had Cheon Yeoul, Johan, and Yoon Chaeha.
Overall balance?
Honestly, it looked solid to me.
There was no team heavily lopsided—each side had central powerhouses around whom they could form strategy.
Blue Team would likely pivot around Kang Arin or Yu Hana.
White Team had Cheon Yeoul, Johan, and even Yoon Chaeha as viable anchors.
The structure allowed for flexible formations and leadership styles.
Not bad at all.
“We’re on the same team.”
Cheon Yeoul, seated beside me, was the first to speak.
Her lips curled into a subtle smile as she pointed to the Gaon map displayed on her watch.
She tapped the building labeled “Cheonmugwan”—the structure right at the center of the Gaon lecture complex.
“Come here once it starts.”
With a playful grin, she added,
“Let’s stick together.”
A suggestion to team up.
Then, from the quiet right side, another voice jumped in.
“Sure.”
Only—it wasn’t me who responded.
It was Yoon Chaeha, speaking in her usual flat tone.
Cheon Yeoul turned to her.
The finger she had lightly tapped on the screen froze in place.
“...What are you doing?”
“I’m coming too. We’re on the same team.”
Chaeha responded without a hint of hesitation.
Cheon Yeoul’s eyebrow twitched—barely perceptible.
It wasn’t something she could argue against.
Logically, it made perfect sense.
After staring at me for a while, Cheon Yeoul finally spoke again.
“You’re coming, right?”
I looked at her for a moment... then turned my head.
“No. I’ll be there later.”
Her smile twitched, subtly fading.
But I had something to take care of first.
This test had a number of hidden elements.
One of them: The Resurrection Point.
Located somewhere on the battlefield, this zone allowed a student—regardless of team—to revive a fallen ally in exchange for points.
The cost? Subjugation.
The revived student’s body, mind, and even a portion of their score would be bound to their reviver.
In other words, they became a loyal servant—functionally speaking.
But still, it was a second chance, and most would gladly take it.
Plenty of other hidden features were scattered across that zone as well—many of which hadn’t been publicly revealed yet.
So I couldn’t meet up right away.
“There’s something I need to secure. Just until the first team rotation.”
I gave a calm smile and glanced side to side.
“Why don’t you two go ahead together?”
In that moment—both their expressions simultaneously soured.
***
The final exam briefing in the auditorium ended.
We were walking through the hallway.
With about a week or two left until the exam—
Ding!
A message popped up on both mine and Yoon Chaeha’s watches.
[Gathering time~~]
A message from our board game club chat.
The club leader had posted a call to assemble.
The same leader who always said, “Attendance is optional, and leaving early is encouraged.”
For her to summon us like this? Unprecedented.
Naturally, Chaeha and I headed to the clubroom.
But the issue was—
“Why are you coming along?”
Cheon Yeoul had tagged along too.
“I’ve got nothing better to do.”
“No way you’ve got nothing...”
I was about to mention her test scores as a jab—
“Hee.”
But Cheon Yeoul cut me off with a soft nasal chuckle, deflecting my glare effortlessly.
Right. She had done well on the last test.
No point in putting down someone who performed.
I just shut my mouth.
“...Fine.”
To be fair, the board game club often allowed outside visitors.
There was only one rule: at least one actual club member had to be present.
So there was no reason Yeoul couldn’t join.
We opened the clubroom door.
Oddly enough, the chairs were all neatly arranged.
We were the last to arrive.
As the door closed behind us, the club president—who’d been organizing something at the front—looked up.
“Oh, hey—”
Her gaze froze.
Jo Seoyoon’s eyes passed over me and Chaeha—then stopped at Cheon Yeoul.
“...Who are you?”
But in that moment—
“Hello~ I’m just here to hang out for a bit.”
Cheon Yeoul smoothly brushed her hair back and smiled, as if she were a completely different person.
Her voice was soft, polite.
Gone was the teasing energy—replaced by a slight bow and impeccable manners.
“...What the...”
Chaeha and I both shivered at the same time.
“Ah—sure, sure. Feel free to relax and enjoy yourself?”
Even Jo Seoyoon looked confused but didn’t press it.
So the three of us took our seats quietly.
Not long after, Jo Seoyoon stepped forward.
“Alright, everyone! I have an important announcement today.”
She clapped her hands lightly to gather attention.
“There’s good news, and bad news. Which do you want first?”
Voices overlapped instantly.
“Good news!”
“Bad news first!”
Chaos all around.
After listening with a smile, Seoyoon said,
“Let’s start with the good! Our club—Lexium—is getting a massive sponsorship from Glory Corporation!”
“Wooooahhh!!”
The room erupted.
“Seriously?!”
“From Glory?!”
“Finally we can ditch those junky old games!”
It wasn’t unheard of for Gaon clubs to receive corporate ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ sponsorships.
But for a board game club? That was unusual.
Gaon provided decent funding, sure—but top-tier magi-tech board games were absurdly expensive.
So this kind of outside support? A godsend.
I wasn’t sure if this happened in the original storyline, but either way—it was great news.
Flipping her hair confidently, Jo Seoyoon continued:
“We’re getting a full room renovation! Full-dive magi-tech board systems! A brand-new simulator! Pretty great, right?”
“YES!”
Cheers and applause exploded around us.
Even Cheon Yeoul clapped with her hands neatly folded together.
Then Jo Seoyoon shrugged playfully and said,
“Now, the bad news.”
She paused, scanning the room slowly.
“Remember how I said we’re remodeling the clubroom?”
She raised her hand.
Some students sighed—clearly expecting it.
“The club will be closed for a whole month~~”
She held up her right hand, only her index finger extended.
“Aww...”
“Well, yeah, figures...”
A gloom settled over the room.
“But hey—once finals are over, we’ll have it back, right?”
She offered the comment like it was some kind of consolation.
When she mentioned finals again, the mood dropped further.
“So, let’s all survive until then, yeah~?”
With a teasing smile, she made a heart shape with her hands.
No one smiled back.

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Chapter 106