Zzzzzzz──!!!
A vibration so familiar it’s almost nostalgic.
Rohan, who had climbed up the indoor ladder and was rummaging through the top of the bookshelf, slipped his hand into his apron.
[Clara: Oppa. Is it okay if I use hot water on Monday…?]
A rare message without an emoji, giving off an impulsive vibe.
But of course, it’s fine. The timing’s a bit odd, but it seems she’s finally made a decision.
Rohan replied that it was no problem and went back to what he was doing.
“Here’s one last copy of ‘Monster Molar Classification’ by Author Guwol.”
“Thank you. I’ll take it right away.”
As he walked with the customer to the checkout counter, he started planning for after work.
‘Should I grab some snacks for the room?’
He’d also need to tell Clara the location of the academy dorm and leave the window unlocked.
Someone like Clara would have no problem climbing walls, and she’d probably be quieter than anyone else.
“I’ll be back.”
“Thank you! Have a safe trip!”
After seeing off the last customer, the Flowering Chrysanthemum Bookstore returned to its usual quietness.
The earlier chaos felt like a lie.
‘It’s not like some lunchtime rush at a restaurant.’
It was the first time customers had flooded in like that, but he handled it pretty well, didn’t he?
“Phew…”
Rohan let out a breath he’d been holding and walked over to the corner where the two were.
He’d been curious about how Noah and Clara were doing.
“You good?”
As Rohan spoke and showed himself, their gazes naturally turned to him.
Their smiles, each with their own unique charm, were a sight to behold.
“Looks like you finally have some free time, huh?”
“Y-you worked hard…!”
Clara’s message might’ve been the result of discussing it with Noah, but there was no need to bring it up in front of them.
As Rohan casually tidied up a nearby bookshelf, Noah waved her hand to catch his attention.
“Hey! Let me ask you something.”
“Hmph…”
The girl next to her, who knew what Noah was about to say, held her breath in nervousness.
Clara, avoiding eye contact, gave off an inexplicable vibe, leaving Rohan puzzled.
“What is it?”
With a beastkin’s straightforward nature, Noah didn’t beat around the bush.
“Isn’t Clara pretty? Like a doll, right?”
“…”
What would Rohan say to Noah’s question?
Clara listened with a mix of hope and fear.
Rohan, as if he’d heard a silly question, let out a dry laugh and continued tidying up.
“What kind of question is that…? Of course she’s pretty.”
“!!!”
Clara’s head shot up. Her cheeks flushed red.
‘Was that the right answer?’
In that split-second response…
Meanwhile, in Rohan’s mind, a whirlwind of thoughts raced through.
Would Clara feel burdened by being called pretty, given her personality? If he denied it or gave a vague answer, wouldn’t that hurt her feelings?
But since she’s sitting here without running away, maybe it’s okay to give a straightforward answer.
Noah and Clara probably wouldn’t know that his response came after wrestling with countless options in his mind.
“Oh! That’s refreshing, huh?”
“Any other reaction would’ve been a blatant lie.”
“True.”
With Rohan’s one-liner, Noah immediately understood.
Even if it wasn’t his type, calling Clara’s flawless face ugly would’ve been a straight-up lie.
‘Wait, is this really okay?’
Clara’s gaze dropped downward again.
Worried that Clara might feel pressured, Rohan jokingly tried to lighten the mood.
“Hey, this isn’t bullying Clara, right? If it is, I’ll tell Ichinose and make her solve problem sets as punishment.”
“Bullying?! I’m just helping Clara because she lacks confidence in herself!”
“Hmm…”
“It’s true!”
As Noah expressed her frustration, Rohan shot her a suspicious look.
He could roughly picture what was going on from her words.
“Even so, this kind of approach might make Clara feel pressured—”
*Ding-a-ling!*
Before Rohan could finish his sentence, a customer opened the bookstore door.
*—Excuse me? Is there no staff here?*
“Yes! Coming!”
Rohan left a quick “Stay put” and hurried to the counter.
Today was unusually busy for some reason.
*****
“Sorry. Was it tough waiting until I got off work?”
“Ah, no, not really…”
Rohan walked down the sunset-lit street with Clara.
Just the two of them. Noah wasn’t there anymore.
The beastkin girl, who had been reading manga, suddenly declared she was hungry, called Ichinose, and abruptly left.
She loudly announced she’d come back another time, but by the time Rohan reacted, she was already gone.
After that, Rohan approached Clara, who was now alone, and offered to explain the dormitory situation.
That’s how Clara ended up waiting until Rohan’s shift ended.
“Rohan oppa.”
“Yeah?”
Clara, walking beside him, glanced at the bag in Rohan’s hand.
For Rohan, having her walk beside him instead of trailing behind was nothing short of heartwarming.
“Let me carry that for you…!”
“It’s fine. It’s not heavy.”
Inside the bag were 24 volumes of manga.
Noah had bought them, read them, and recommended them to Rohan, saying they were fun.
Thanks to her gift of brand-new manga, Rohan now had a bag in one hand and Clara by his side.
He was holding a heavy paper bag.
‘It’s better this way.’
Rohan decided to take it without reading it and leave it in the dormitory.
Clara might want to look at it when she’s bored.
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“Nope! I’m fine.”
“Still, you should eat something. Should I whip up something simple when we get to the dorm?”
“Oh, you’re cooking yourself···!?”
Clara’s eyes widened as if she couldn’t believe it.
Rohan smiled, meeting her gaze.
“I’m not great at it, but I’ve picked up some basic cooking skills living alone. It might not be delicious, but it’s edible.”
“···!”
“Or should we just grab something nearby? That’s a guaranteed tasty option.”
Rohan stopped on the street and looked around for a restaurant.
Clara tugged at his sleeve and whispered softly.
“I want to eat what you make···.”
“Then let’s stop by the supermarket real quick before we go.”
“Okay!”
They slightly changed their route and headed toward a nearby supermarket.
Clara couldn’t hold back the curiosity swirling in her chest and finally blurted out.
“You and Noah are really close, right···?”
“Actually, today feels like the first time I’ve had a proper conversation with Noah. We just happened to run into each other while I was out buying a gift for the shop owner.”
“Huh!?”
How could that be?
From Clara’s perspective, Rohan and Noah seemed like best friends.
It was impossible to imagine them being anything less than that. Yet Rohan casually replied that they weren’t that close.
“As you saw today, she’s just naturally friendly. We’re in the same class, but I don’t even know her number.”
“Oh, I see···.”
Clara felt an inexplicable sense of relief at Rohan’s words.
An unknown emotion made the corners of her mouth twitch.
“Clara, didn’t you exchange numbers with Noah earlier?”
“Yeah···.”
“If she forced you, I can talk to her. Don’t worry, and don’t feel pressured to do something you’re uncomfortable with.”
“It’s not that, but I don’t know how to reply to her message···.”
“Reply?”
Clara showed Rohan her phone.
A fresh, just-arrived message was displayed.
[ Noah: Rawr! ฅ՞•ﻌ•՞ฅ ]
Rohan understood the problem.
Clara could handle messages where the meaning was clear. But this was cryptic, so it must be confusing.
“There’s no special meaning. She’s just sending that because she’s a beastkin, right?”
“Would a normal greeting be okay···? What if there’s some beastkin messaging etiquette I don’t know about···.”
“There’s no such thing, so just reply casually.”
Waiting for Clara, who was frantically tapping on her keyboard.
Rohan started walking again.
They bought some simple ingredients at the supermarket and even picked up a container for side dishes.
Clara needed utensils and a cup to use, so she started picking them out here and there, and the amount wasn’t small.
Rohan now had luggage in both hands, and Clara was also holding some stuff on one side.
“This is the Academy’s male dormitory building.”
“Wow…!”
“You need to scan your student ID at the entrance, and there are cameras too, so we’ll have to go through the window. Is that okay? Or we could cover up with a big hoodie or something.”
Clara nodded after checking the building’s height and touching the wall to feel the material.
“Going through the window should be fine…”
“Give me the luggage. I’ll go up and open it, so wait a sec.”
…
*Thud!* Rohan opened the door and came in, turning on the light to brighten the room.
Next, he put down the luggage he was carrying and unlocked the window latch.
*Creak.*
As he opened the window, Clara was looking up at him from below.
He gestured for her to come in, making it obvious, and moved aside.
Without a sound, Clara climbed up the windowsill.
“So this is your place…”
Clara scanned the room with curious eyes, even sniffing with her perky nose.
“The shoe cabinet is over there.”
“Okay!”
Clara, sitting on the windowsill, took off her shoes and landed lightly.
She placed her shoes in the shoe cabinet and came back.
“Should we eat first? Then I’ll show you where everything goes.”
“Whatever’s easiest for you… I’m fine with anything.”
“Let’s start by washing the cup and utensils.”
As Rohan rustled through the plastic bags, Clara spoke up from behind.
“Rohan oppa.”
“Yeah?”
“Since this is the Academy’s male dormitory, are girls not allowed in?”
“Well, not just girls, but outsiders in general aren’t allowed.”
“Hmm, hmm…”
Clara made a clumsy snorting sound and wandered around.
Feeling Clara’s presence, Rohan thought to himself.
Maybe today would be the perfect day to have a serious conversation with Clara.
For each other, for the future.
