Clara’s connection with Flowering Chrysanthemum Bookstore began around summer.
It was long before Rohan started working there, so the girl had already been occupying a corner of the bookstore for several months.
Thanks to the owner’s consideration after accidentally learning about her situation, the corner of the bookstore became Clara’s resting spot and her designated seat.
In this space, the girl explores knowledge.
Spending time reading shabby magazines and books that came into the store labeled as donations or discards became her daily routine.
Mystery, history, fashion, horror, essays, dictionaries, and more.
Without discriminating by genre, Clara reads whatever she can get her hands on, filling her mind with diverse concepts and insights.
*Sharak─ sharak─.*
“…”
Today, she’s looking at a discarded workbook someone left behind.
No particular reason. She just reached out and grabbed the one on top.
The cover says it’s a prep book for the Orion Academy entrance exam.
Lately, a lot of these kinds of books have been coming in bundles.
The one she picked today is filled with handwritten solutions and explanations, leaving no blank spaces on the pages.
‘Cute handwriting.’
Clara enjoyed everything written on the paper as part of her reading experience.
It felt like solving riddles as she raced to understand the explanations, which made it fun.
‘Ah! I’ve seen this monster before…’
And so, the girl quietly spent her time today.
Even the hours when the owner leaves and Rohan mans the counter have become comfortable.
Rohan doesn’t ask about things she doesn’t want to talk about, after all.
He keeps the conversation flowing naturally, maintaining a mysterious distance that makes it easy to talk without awkwardness.
Plus, he’s genuinely into games, so talking to him is fun.
When he asks deep questions about Company Wave lore, I can’t help but get excited and ramble on like a machine gun.
‘Ugh, embarrassing…’
She recalled a time when she got carried away explaining and then snapped back to reality.
Rohan smiled and asked her to say more, but for Clara, that moment always makes her face burn with embarrassment.
Anyway.
Rohan’s age is that of an Academy cadet, so he’s probably a year or two older than her, but still.
‘…C-could we be friends?’
A relationship so dazzling it feels almost presumptuous to even say it out loud.
“Hehe.”
A ticklish feeling. A silly laugh escaped the girl’s lips.
As Clara, with a smile on her face, reached out to grab the next book—
*Ding-dong.*
The door opened with a jingle.
Followed by.
Rohan and a woman’s voice.
Clara, hearing Rohan’s unusually cheerful tone compared to when he deals with other customers, moved as quietly as possible.
With silent steps, she shifted her position to sneak a peek toward the counter.
*─ Owner…*
I also handle closing the door after the boss leaves for the day.
Rohan is chatting with a woman, looking delighted.
What should I say? Watching them, I felt something indescribable.
“Wow, so he knows other people besides someone like me…”
Clara looks away from Rohan to check out the other person.
Then, she holds her breath for a moment.
“Whoa…”
A stunningly beautiful woman who makes you gasp in admiration.
The tiny speck of desire Clara had in her heart vanished instantly, overwhelmed by the sense that she couldn’t compare.
The red hair and sharp eyes made the word “cool” slip out naturally.
“Huh?”
Clara, who had been staring intently at the guest, tilted her head in confusion.
Was it a mistake?
She felt like she’d seen that person in some magazine before.
— If the boss were here, I would’ve at least greeted them… But it seems I’m trusted. That’s good.
How long had she been secretly watching Rohan and the guest talking?
Clara sensed something unusual.
“Huh…?”
It wasn’t a menacing aura that made her skin crawl.
It felt more like a reprimand, as if what she was doing was wrong and she should stop—like it was impolite.
The red-haired woman’s energy clearly detected Clara, who had been hiding her presence.
“!!!”
It was the first time her position had been discovered so easily. Clara’s legs started trembling.
What the girl saw in that instant was a powerful, blinding sun.
Its light swallowed up all the shadows she was hiding in, leaving her feeling exposed.
She had never seen such power before. That person was terrifying.
The girl turned her eyes away as if fleeing and sat down in a corner of the bookstore.
“She’s watching me!”
The feeling that her position was being read no matter where she went was crystal clear.
She wanted to run straight to the exit and escape the bookstore, but it felt impossibly far away.
The pressure of having nowhere to hide in the bookstore made Clara tremble in fear.
“Huuu…!”
Even after Juyun left, Clara was still shaking when she came into Rohan’s view.
Rohan, who had been on his way to get a mop, stopped and immediately approached the girl.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“…”
The girl grabbed Rohan’s apron with trembling hands.
An instinctive action, devoid of reason—something Clara would never normally do.
Rohan’s mind began to piece together the situation.
“Is it because of the Instructor?”
“Th-that’s…”
Seeing the girl stutter, Rohan had a hunch.
This was a natural opportunity to broach a sensitive topic.
“Alright.”
Rohan crouched down to match Clara’s eye level as she sat there, curled up.
Without saying a word, he waited for a while.
Did you wait?
Clara’s hand, which had been tightly gripping her apron, loosened. The trembling also subsided.
Rohan, who had been sitting quietly on the bookstore floor, timing his moment, spoke softly.
“Feeling a bit better now?”
“…”
A slight nod.
“Want some water?”
“…”
A shake of the head, indicating she’s fine.
Watching Clara, who kept her mouth shut and her gaze fixed downward, Rohan sorted through sentences in his head.
Above all, a positive response was crucial.
“That’s pretty impressive, though.”
At the sudden compliment, Clara slightly raised her head and reacted.
He had lightly touched on a secret the girl hadn’t spoken of.
“Most people would just feel intimidated by the Instructor. Could you sense his magical energy?”
When Rohan expressed pure admiration, wondering how she had managed to suppress it so unnoticeably,
the girl’s pupils trembled uncontrollably.
“Ah, uh, that’s…!”
“The Instructor does have a very strong presence. But you don’t need to worry. No need to be scared.”
Before Clara could panic and come up with a baseless excuse,
Rohan first expressed his feelings, indicating it didn’t matter.
“The Instructor is an incredibly kind person.”
Rohan wouldn’t pry anything from this girl.
Just recognizing Clara’s uniqueness was enough.
*****
[Clara: I’m sorry, sorry, sorry because of me. (╥﹏╥)]
Rohan quickly sent a message saying it’s okay, not to worry, and that they’ll see each other tomorrow.
‘Ugh, I should hurry.’
In many ways, reassuring Clara had delayed the closing time more than usual.
Rohan placed the bookstore key under the flowerbed and hurriedly moved.
As he exited the alley as per the message, Juyun was immediately visible without needing to look around.
Rohan quickly ran and stopped in front of her.
“Sorry for being late!”
“It’s fine. It’s rare for you to come out right at closing time.”
Juyun’s hands were empty.
Had she already left her books at home?
“There’s a place I’ve been thinking about. Let’s go there.”
“Yep!”
Juyun smiled faintly as she watched Rohan follow without question.
“Aren’t you curious about the menu?”
“Honestly, I am.”
Juyun directed her gaze to one side, as if showing Rohan.
There was a huge building there.
“We’re going to a family restaurant on the 4th floor of the mall. It’s a franchise that’s also in Samhwa Country.”
“Ooh…!”
With an exclamation full of anticipation, the two entered the mall, chatting about this and that.
Groups of students in cadet uniforms were visible here and there.
Some cadets recognized Juyun and bowed in greeting.
There were many.
Taking the escalator to the 4th floor.
A shop with an interior similar to the famous steakhouse in Rohan’s memory came into view.
The mood felt strange.
“How many in your party?”
“Two.”
It was late for dinner, so the inside was quieter than expected.
Rohan was guided to a table and sat facing Juyun.
“Order whatever you want.”
Juyun slid the menu over to Rohan.
Even after looking, all the menu items were unfamiliar, so Rohan glanced around instead of focusing on the menu.
The food was one thing, but there were more customers drinking beer with greasy side dishes.
“There’s an event for office workers… It says today is a cheap beer day.”
“Ah, no wonder everyone’s holding a glass.”
“Instructor, don’t you drink beer?”
At Rohan’s question, Juyun shook her head.
“I don’t drink alcohol.”
“Do you dislike it?”
“It’s not that I dislike it. In fact, I sometimes think about it.”
Juyun brushed her bangs aside, showing a bold smile, and continued speaking to Rohan.
“Emergencies can happen at any time, you know.”
A short but instantly understandable remark.
It was something Rohan could relate to as well.
“…This is no ordinary job.”
“Since I was called to the academy city with this purpose in mind, it’s fine.”
“Thanks to you, Instructor, everyone will grow into formidable fighters.”
Rohan had always thought while being a Hunter.
Having others recognize your struggles is a crucial part of mental care.
Juyun, with a raised smile, rested her chin and stared at Rohan.
“This instructor has high expectations for you too, Rohan.”
“I’ll grow stronger quickly so you can relax and have a drink.”
“Reliable. I’ll look forward to it.”
“When that time comes, I’ll pour you a drink, Instructor.”
At Rohan’s words, Juyun looked visibly pleased.
She even laughed softly.
“Huh… I guess I’ll accept that drink when I feel the city’s security won’t be an issue without me.”
