The princess is full of worries and thoughts, so she wants to act with caution.
Even if Rohan gets a message, it won’t happen overnight.
Maybe it’ll be after the next incident.
“…”
With such expectations, Rohan took in a familiar and welcoming sight.
Returning to the academy city, he checked his phone and realized it was already dawn.
The streets had more cats and crows than people, and it was the time when the trash left in front of stores was being cleared.
‘They said I could use it even on days off.’
If he stepped into the dormitory like this, he felt like he’d just pass out, so Rohan decided to head straight to the Orion Academy Strength Training Room.
After all, both the academy and his part-time job were free on weekends.
‘I’ll study some theory when I wake up.’
Rohan made a model student’s resolution as he walked.
Taking off just the hoodie made it perfect for working out. He was glad he wore comfortable clothes.
So.
After buying a protein drink at the convenience store and reaching the training room entrance.
He saw a petite girl just opening the door.
Before Rohan could even say anything, the girl with closed eyes turned her head toward him.
The corner of her lips lifted slightly.
“By a hair’s breadth, but it seems I arrived first today.”
“You look happy?”
“Not at all. Unlike Noah, I don’t get happy over such things.”
Rohan felt a sense of satisfaction, glad he came at this time, seeing Ichinose like this.
After swiping his student ID tucked behind his phone, they entered the training room together.
“Ichinose.”
“Did you call me?”
Rohan stopped Ichinose, who was heading to the locker to put her bag away.
He pulled out a box he had tucked under his arm.
“Want a macaron?”
It must’ve looked pretty random.
Ichinose opened her closed eyelids and looked at him with her eyes.
“Carrying macarons at this hour? Do you have low blood sugar in the morning?”
“No. I just happened to buy them.”
“Hmm…”
“It’s also a bribe to ask for a favor.”
“A bribe?”
The girl, who had been looking at the macarons, raised her head and shot him a puzzled look.
Rohan, even enjoying the gaze, let his voice rise slightly.
“I think I’ll be relying on you for some theory starting today.”
Ichinose nodded, closing her eyes again as if she understood.
“Well, if that’s the case… *giggle*, I’ll take just one.”
The girl’s pale, slender fingers took one macaron.
Then she quickly hid it between her lips.
‘Oh.’
A sense of elegance radiated from that brief action.
The girl, her lips moving slightly as if savoring it, looked intrigued.
“This… it’s a macaron made only with almond powder. Lately, they’ve been increasing the flour ratio because of costs…”
“I was disappointed that the crab didn’t turn out well, but these macarons are perfectly made.”
“Oh? I’m a newbie, so I wouldn’t know about that. Glad it suits your taste.”
“Did you buy them from a good shop?”
“Sort of.”
It’s a shop you can’t buy with money, so I guess you could say it’s a pretty decent place.
The fact that Ichinose gave it a thumbs-up is proof enough.
“Want to have one more?”
When Rohan offered, the girl hesitated slightly.
It seemed like she was curious about the other flavors.
“…Okay, just one more. For real, this is the last one.”
“Just eat them all.”
“Ah!”
Rohan handed the whole box to Ichinose, who was agonizing over which flavor to pick.
Seeing the girl he cares for enjoying the treats made the points spent totally worth it.
··
··
Rohan pushed his body to the limit in the training room, exhausting all his stamina, and then returned to the dormitory, collapsing into a deep sleep.
When he opened his eyes in bed, it was already evening.
His head felt foggy from how deeply he’d slept. He washed his face with cold water and stepped outside to feel the chilly breeze.
“…”
Rohan naturally bought a coffee and returned to his room.
He sat down at his desk, piled high with thick books.
The pressure of starting his studies felt overwhelming, but he managed to grab a book anyway.
‘It’s been a really long time since I studied.’
Memorizing the necessary information as a Hunter was pretty much the extent of his “studying” in life.
So, it felt daunting.
But it’s not like he had the option to not do it.
‘What did that guy say about studying again? Something about who can keep their butt on the chair the longest? Yeah, that kind of battle.’
It was something a former classmate, who had transferred from a prestigious university in Seoul to become a Hunter, had said. Even the amount of information Hunters have to memorize is no joke.
It was a small comfort at the start.
‘I can’t just wing the next exam either.’
Collecting points for the Shop skill and preparing for future crises are all important.
But now that Rohan is a cadet in the academy city, life at Orion Academy is just as crucial.
If he’s decided to live in this world, he can’t just focus on the future he already knows.
He has to think beyond graduating from the academy.
‘After all, what I know only goes up to the second year.’
Compared to the time he has left to live, that’s such a short period.
He needs to secure as much proven expertise as possible just to make a living.
“Phew!”
He exhaled, gathered his thoughts, and opened the book.
First, he reviewed and tried to identify the parts he didn’t understand.
Flip. Flip. Flip.
It didn’t take long before he hit a wall.
“…”
Even though he’d heard it in class, the part involving a specific formula and calculations was completely beyond him.
Without hesitation, Rohan organized his questions and sent a message.
Sent.
Zzzzzz──!
Before he could even put his phone down, a reply came back.
[ Ichinose: Try substituting the formula written on page 27. If you’re still stuck, take a picture of your attempted solution and send it to me. ]
Rohan stared at the formula, deep in thought, before finally scribbling something down and snapping a picture to send.
[ Ichinose: Well done. Try solving the next problem the same way. ]
A chubby dragon emoji giving a thumbs-up followed.
Rohan couldn’t help but smirk to himself.
“Hmm, studying isn’t so bad after all.”
Getting praised by Ichinose didn’t feel half bad.
··
··
“Ah…”
When he opened his eyes, he was back at the Flowering Chrysanthemum Bookstore.
Rohan, now wearing an apron, was standing at the counter with the store manager.
The weekend had flown by like a thief, filled with training and studying.
The weekdays melted away with interesting classes, and now, with part-time work added to the mix, it was already Thursday.
“Rohan.”
“Yes?”
While standing still, Rohan turned his head at the sound of the manager’s voice.
The manager’s face looked warm, probably because he had a fun time with his grandson yesterday.
“With Orion Academy, you must have a lot to study, right? Exams are coming up soon.”
“It’s not like they’re right around the corner… I heard the exams are in mid-April. Oh! But I’ll still keep working part-time.”
“Hehe, I appreciate that, but that’s not what I meant.”
As Rohan listened carefully, the manager continued, looking at the empty bookshelves.
“Our bookstore has regulars, but it’s pretty quiet in the late hours, isn’t it? Not many customers.”
“…”
It was true that there weren’t many customers.
Still, it felt a bit awkward for a part-time worker to agree with that.
“When customers come, just handle them well, and you can relax at the counter. No need to stand stiffly like you are now.”
When Rohan nodded in understanding, the manager pointed to the spot where he had interviewed him.
“There’s a table here, so it’s fine to study once you’re done with your tasks.”
“…Thank you!”
Rohan didn’t refuse the manager’s offer and immediately bowed his head.
With his schedule already packed, this was welcome news.
“Young people with good skills like you don’t get paid much, so I have to take care of you in other ways.”
“It’s nothing special, but thank you for thinking so highly of me.”
“My son was surprised when I told him I hired an Orion Academy cadet as a part-time worker.”
The conversation flowed naturally.
Rohan listened attentively as the manager talked about spending time with his grandson, giving appropriate reactions.
While mixing in reactions and manning the counter, Rohan glanced at the clock on the wall.
Then he spoke to the manager.
“Manager…”
“From today, I’ll close the shop, so you can go in first.”
“Huh?”
“I need to start doing things on my own to get better later.”
“Well, that’s true. It shouldn’t be too hard… I guess I can ask you.”
The manager, who hired a part-timer to get home before his grandson falls asleep.
It must be quite a tempting offer.
“If anything gets stuck while closing, I’ll call you right away.”
With that, the manager quickly leaves for the day.
‘Great.’
Inside the quiet bookstore, only Rohan and Clara, who is quietly reading under the bookshelf, remain.
Rohan, as usual, starts the game in the same way as last time.
─ Company Wave!
The game sound is still one block.
He deliberately ruins the formation and combination he used to roll well in the dormitory.
─ Uh, I have to complete the mission somehow…
And then, failure after failure.
He adds a comment to the source.
“Hmm… Maybe I should just stop.”
With that, he puts away his smartphone and gets up to prepare for closing.
Although Clara is in an invisible spot today.
After repeating it for a few days, it was clear what kind of reaction she would have.
‘How much longer can she hold out?’
As Rohan, seemingly losing interest in the game, takes out a mop and starts scrubbing the bookstore floor.
A voice comes from behind.
“Um… Excuse me!”
“Yes?”
Clara is watching.
I thought it would take a month, but the reaction was much faster than expected.
Rohan, trying not to show his excitement, stiffens the corners of his mouth and asks.
“Would you like me to check you out?”
“Oh, no! That’s not it…”
“Then are you looking for something?”
Clara shakes her head, indicating that’s not it either.
As Rohan silently stares, the girl fidgets and speaks softly.
“Um… Company Wave…”
“This?”
As Rohan takes out his smartphone from his pocket, Clara cautiously nods.
And then, about 5 seconds of silence.
The hesitant Clara finally speaks.
“Um, that’s not how you do it…!”
