“I’ll leave the cups and spoons here. The bright colors make them easy to spot, which is nice.”
“Mm-hmm…!”
Rohan, who had cleaned and set aside extra cups and spoons for Clara, started moving his hands to the other side.
He took out the instant rice and side dish ingredients he had stored on the shelf for cooking.
“It’ll take a bit, so if you’re bored, feel free to watch TV or something. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”
“Uhh, I’ll just watch here.”
Clara, seemingly curious about the cooking process, stood next to Rohan and continued observing with a happy expression.
‘Come to think of it, I haven’t cooked much since coming here.’
With that thought, Rohan washed the vegetables and neatly stacked them on the cutting board.
He shook off the water from his hands and grabbed the kitchen knife.
**Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!**
The onions, carrots, and green onions on the cutting board were chopped into pieces.
Clara, who had been watching the smooth process, asked with an excited voice.
“Do you like cooking, oppa?”
“It’s not so much that I like cooking, but I think it’s efficient to control food expenses to save on living costs.”
“Ooh…!”
This was a story from a past life.
But even in the academy city of Elysium, that aspect wasn’t much different.
“These days, I only cook on weekends. On weekdays, I can manage with the academy dining hall.”
If there hadn’t been an affordable academy dining hall for cadets, it would have been financially tough.
Without that option, I might have wasted points on the Shop skill just to forget my hunger.
‘I don’t want to go crazy over money… but you need a certain amount to feel at ease.’
Poverty was something I endured endlessly until I became a hunter. The scarcity itself was tiresome.
So, I know how much material hardship can wear a person down.
That’s why I dislike poverty.
If my wallet had been thinner, I would have had to calculate the balance in my head when buying Clara something tasty, and giving gifts to the shopkeeper would have been a constant struggle.
Just imagining it is unpleasant.
I didn’t want to skimp in that direction.
“Rohan oppa.”
“Yeah?”
“If I get a status in the academy city and live in a house with a kitchen… wouldn’t it be nice to cook for myself?”
The implication that Clara’s current place doesn’t even have a kitchen.
Rohan felt sorry for her.
“If Clara wants to, cooking is a good hobby. But I don’t think you should force yourself if you don’t want to.”
“I, I want to try if I can, but I’ve never done it before…”
“Want to try making something with me next time? Following a recipe should be enough.”
“!”
Nod nod nod nod.
Clara nodded eagerly.
With a face that screamed “I want to!” she vigorously nodded. Her twin tails swayed left and right.
Rohan, as Clara requested, even went as far as using his fingers to make a promise before continuing to cook.
Once the microwave beeped and the instant rice was placed into the bowl, the preparation was complete.
Sitting face to face at the dining table, they could feel a special warmth that only became real in moments like these, and naturally, they both smiled.
“Let’s eat!”
“Eat a lot.”
“You eat a lot too, oppa! Hehe…”
Clara hummed a tune as she picked up her utensils, ready to dig into the meal Rohan had lightly prepared.
The girl tasted the food with a face that transparently revealed her joy.
Then, her eyes widened in surprise.
“Oppa, the food you made is delicious…!”
“Just hearing that makes all the preparation worth it.”
From Rohan’s perspective, he was simply grateful that she enjoyed the simple meal he had prepared so much.
Seeing her marvel at it like this made him worry about what she usually eats.
And then there was one person who was holding back from eating with them.
‘Sion.’
The image of the haughty princess brushed past Rohan’s consciousness.
But now wasn’t the time to bring that up with Clara.
‘Serious talk during meals can lead to indigestion.’
It’s fine to bring up the main topic after finishing what needs to be done.
After all, eating should be done comfortably, right?
After finishing the meal with some small talk,
Clara rubbed her not-yet-swollen belly and let out a breath filled with satisfaction.
“Phew… I’m so full…”
“Did you eat a lot?”
“Yeah! I ate well!”
“I’ll pack the side dishes in containers and put them in the fridge, so come and eat whenever you’re hungry. Just heat them up as I showed you earlier, and it’ll be ready in no time.”
After clearing the dishes, Rohan continued to explain to the girl about the large number of manga he received from Noah and the items he had purchased.
Especially the washing machine, which was a different model from the one in Clara’s room, required a simple explanation.
“Just fill the detergent up to this line. The fabric softener goes in the compartment right next to it.”
“Okay, okay! I got it.”
“For clothes that need to be hand-washed or have zippers and decorations, put them in the laundry net I bought earlier before washing to prevent damage.”
“Ah…!”
The girl, who only received minimal education in Geno before running away, didn’t know these things.
Clara nodded in understanding of the laundry net’s purpose and listened attentively to Rohan’s instructions.
“That should be about it. If I’m not here, don’t open the door no matter who knocks. Got it?”
“Got it!”
Rohan, who had been quietly watching the girl who was excited about the little things,
experienced a change in his feelings.
Even if bringing Clara in as a comrade didn’t go as planned, he decided to just let her live well.
Let’s sleep.
It’s reality, not a game.
If you don’t have the will to do it yourself, forcing it might make the future harsh.
“Clara.”
“Huh?”
The girl turns around with a smile, as if asking if she was called.
Rohan laughs at her innocent reaction and suggests,
“Um… How about we go for a walk to digest?”
..
..
The two walk with drinks in hand.
Rohan has coffee, and Clara, just in case, has fruit juice.
“You said you’d use the hot water from Monday, right?”
“Yeah. Is it okay to use it…?”
Rohan nods as if it’s obvious.
“Anytime is fine. I’ll keep the window unlocked.”
“Hehe.”
Clara smiles happily at the confirmed permission.
“Feel free to use it even if I’m away for a long time.”
“Away for a long time…? Because of the Academy?”
“There’s no such training plan at the Academy yet. It’s just… I might be away for a few days because of other things.”
Clara blinks, trying to understand Rohan’s words.
The girl, removing her lips from the straw, looks puzzled.
“Do you work somewhere else besides the Flowering Chrysanthemum Bookstore?”
“Work, you say…? You could see it that way.”
“Huh?”
Rohan’s unusually vague response tilts Clara’s head in confusion.
“There’s a direction I’m focusing on to make it my main job. The bookstore part-time is part of the foundation for that.”
“Can I ask what kind of job you’re aiming for?”
“I haven’t told anyone around me yet, but it’s ultimately related to martial force.”
“So, I’m the first to hear about it…?”
“Right. That would be the case.”
Though the mention of martial force makes it sound serious,
Being the first to hear about it is undeniably pleasing.
“Do you want to hear about it?”
“If it’s okay with you…!”
Seeing Clara answer without a hint of hesitation, Rohan smiles.
After confirming no one is around, he stops walking. It’s a quiet alley near the dormitory.
“As you know, Clara, I came from the south, right?”
“…Yeah.”
“Graduates from Orion Academy usually return to their home country and join a renowned martial force. That’s the most common path.”
Rohan wets his throat with coffee and continues.
“But that doesn’t mean there’s no path for cadets like me who have nowhere to return after graduation. It’s not uncommon for graduates to emigrate to another country.”
“…”
“Until graduation…”
“Only two years left. If there’s a lot to prepare, it’s short, but if you just want to zone out, it’s a long time.”
If he said it’s only two years, does that mean there’s a lot to prepare?
Clara stared blankly at Rohan’s mouth, which was sipping through a straw.
“I’m thinking of two scenarios.”
“Two scenarios…”
“One is joining a military group in another country after graduation.”
“And the other?”
At Clara’s question, Rohan paused for a moment.
After taking a sip of coffee and a brief pause, Rohan looked into the girl’s eyes and announced.
“Staying in Academy City. As a Security Officer or a freelancer.”
“!”
Then we can keep seeing each other.
That thought naturally popped into Clara’s head first.
“What I want to achieve now is the latter. I like Academy City, and working independently suits me well.”
It sounded like he had gone through everything and completely finished his self-reflection and introspection.
The girl blinked quietly.
Even though there’s not much of an age difference, his direction is so clear that Clara could only admire him.
“Clara.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you have something you want to do in the future?”
“I… I don’t know…”
Shake shake.
The girl weakly shook her head.
The path ahead is so dark that she can’t even see the light, let alone think beyond it.
“It’s okay. Clara, you’ve done well so far. You have plenty of time to figure out the future.”
“…!”
It wasn’t just empty words; it felt like he truly understood.
Clara felt a whirlwind of emotions surging inside her chest.
“Clara.”
“Y-yeah!”
Her voice was tinged with moisture. Clara answered in a shy, lowered voice.
Rohan smiled softly and asked.
“Until you find what you want to do in the future. Do you want to stick with me?”
