On a Sunday evening, convinced that Sion’s call wouldn’t come again.
It was the time when Rohan had just finished unwrapping his bandages and wrapping up his theory review.
Having put a period on his studies, he was about to reply to Clara.
Bzzz──!
“Huh?”
The vibrating sound and a newly arrived message.
Rohan blinked at the content written there.
[ Ichinose: So this is why you didn’t come to the training room today? ]
The first clue came from Ichinose’s message.
She said there was no need to act clueless about what happened.
Just as he was about to ask Ichinose for more details, Gilbert called.
─ My friend! No, the hammer of justice! You’re terrifyingly righteous!!!
“…”
Rohan hung up immediately after Gilbert started yelling, fearing his eardrums might burst.
Then, after checking the online article Ichinose sent, he finally understood the situation.
[Late-night chase in the academy city! Orion Academy’s Cadet Rohan takes down a crime syndicate with just his instincts…]
[Principal Baekwoon: “Orion Academy is heading in the right direction.” Proving the founding ideals…]
‘Already?’
Rohan scrolled through the article, reading the details.
It was just yesterday, and on a weekend too, yet even the principal’s statement was out. It was nothing short of astonishing.
It wasn’t that the Elysium Security Bureau was always this quick, but more likely because Juyun, a former general of Samhwa Kingdom, had personally stepped in.
“…”
How should he describe this feeling of seeing his name plastered all over the internet?
Even during his time as a Hunter, he’d never made headlines like this, so it felt oddly ticklish.
[ Clara: Photo ]
[ Clara: Oppa! Look at this! ]
[ Clara: (°ﾛ°(°ﾛ°(°ﾛ°(°ﾛ° )!!! ]
Soon after, Clara, who must’ve been playing a game and stumbled upon the news, sent a screenshot of the article.
[ Clara: Oppa, now that you’re famous, people might start visiting the Flowering Chrysanthemum Bookstore, right? (≧▽≦) ]
Of course, that wouldn’t happen.
Even though the article included his name and the ID photo from his cadet card, it wasn’t that big of a deal.
But Rohan didn’t mind Clara’s over-the-top reaction.
‘She’s really cute.’
He rested his chin on his hand, enjoying Clara’s lively messages.
Honestly, the girl’s excitement was amusing and refreshing. Her giddiness at seeing a familiar name on the internet was endearing, even through text.
Rohan asked if she’d like to have her name included next time something like this happened.
Clara didn’t refuse outright and kept going back and forth in her dilemma. Rohan was satisfied just by her response that she would think about it.
Sunday passed, and it was Monday.
Starting today, there was no choice but to work part-time, but Rohan decided to follow Juyun’s advice to hold back on training.
After a good night’s sleep, he arrived at Orion Academy.
“…”
Before opening the door to Class 1, Rohan steadied himself.
He had a rough idea of what to expect after seeing Gilbert’s rant yesterday. He had no idea how crazy Gilbert would act when they faced each other.
He recalled Juyun’s command, which was pretty much a given at this point.
She had told him to keep Gilbert from screaming, hadn’t she?
“Phew.”
“Why are you sighing when you’re doing a good deed?”
A voice reached Rohan as he was about to pull open the door.
Looking back, Dick Wikitree was approaching, pushing up his glasses with his index finger.
“Yeah. You’re here.”
“You’re the first person to overcome the controversy and incidents surrounding being friends with Gilbert and receive such an evaluation. It’s unprecedented.”
He’s still the type to only say what he wants to say.
But Rohan had learned how to handle this glasses-wearing guy after spending time in class.
“You’re friends with Gilbert too. You’re closer to him than I am, so why are you acting like this?”
“Let me fact-check this: Gilbert and I aren’t in a relationship that can be called friendship. This is more like an unavoidable, ill-fated connection.”
The effect was remarkable.
Rohan, who had stepped aside from the front door of Class 1, called out to Dick, who was muttering to himself.
“Hey. If you’ve got something to do, help me out.”
“What? You’re asking for the wisdom of Dick Wikitree?”
He briefly explained what was about to happen in class.
Dick nodded vigorously, as if he had seen the future in his mind.
“Indeed, Instructor Juyun, with her foresight, must have anticipated Gilbert’s shameless antics. His vocal cords are nothing short of noise pollution.”
“She didn’t say it like that… Anyway, are we going in?”
“Stop. A few solutions come to mind. In situations like this, it’s right to come up with a plan before going in.”
“Like what?”
“The first solution that comes to mind is calling Gilbert’s older sister. It’s the most certain but impossible.”
“Don’t waste time, just stick to what’s doable.”
Cutting off the rambling, Dick cleared his throat and fiddled with his glasses.
Rohan knew how long Dick’s ramblings could get if left unchecked.
“…Sixteenth solution. Physically cover his mouth.”
Dick rummaged through his bag and pulled out something with a rustle.
“Bread?”
“From last Friday…”
“It’s something I forgot about, but the expiration date is still fine. Well… even if it’s grown some mold, since it’s something that lives off the cores of wisps, I guess it should be fine.”
“Are we gonna use this to block his mouth?”
“Simple yet groundbreaking, right? If you think about his behavior pattern, the answer becomes clear.”
Rohan continued to imagine for a moment.
‘Gilbert has a habit of shoving his face in rudely when he opens the door. His mouth is right in the center.’
There was a clear reason why Dick suggested it so bluntly.
Not a bad plan. Just as he was about to give his approval.
Someone poked Rohan’s back.
Turning his head, he saw Noah Frozenheart, her tail wagging, showing interest.
“What are you two talking about without coming in?”
“Oh, you’re early?”
Casually greeting her and saying it was nothing, Noah poked Rohan’s arm with the tip of her tail.
“I heard from Noah yesterday that you did something good?”
“Just got lucky.”
“…”
Seeing Noah, Dick shut his mouth. His whole body stiffened, clearly tense.
Naturally, he realized he couldn’t communicate properly with this girl. Even when he tried, he ended up saying weird things, stiff as a board.
“Is Gilbert inside?”
“Yeah. He’s been pacing between the front and back doors since earlier. Like a defensive golem.”
“Hmm, I see. Any idea why?”
“When I asked what he was doing, he just said weird stuff like usual. Something about waiting to praise the mace that punishes evil?”
“…”
Seems like he’s more of a lunatic than expected.
Rohan pulled out an unopened high-protein jerky from his bag. Noah’s eyes sparkled like stars at the sight.
“Noah.”
“Yeah!”
“I’ll give you this jerky if you freeze Gilbert’s mouth.”
“Why? I might get scolded by the instructor!”
“Well, the thing is…”
Noah, now convinced, acted quickly.
Though he only asked for the mouth to be frozen, Gilbert, caught by Noah, turned into a giant block of ice.
Gilbert, trapped in the ice, was only freed when Juyun arrived.
*****
For Clara, this Sunday felt longer than the combined length of Monday and Saturday.
Though her life didn’t change much whether it was a weekday or weekend, this was the first Sunday she hadn’t seen Rohan since they’d gotten quite close.
Even though she was playing a game that could run on autopilot, she still felt like the sun was up.
Her sense of time was off.
She wondered if this was how it felt to float in space.
*Rustle──.*
“…”
And so, on Monday morning, Clara opened the window of Rohan’s dormitory.
She had already sent him a message and even received a reply, so this was an authorized entry.
‘Oppa’s room!’
The girl looked around more leisurely than when they had eaten together.
Then, she cautiously approached the bed.
Just looking at it made her swallow hard.
She wanted to throw herself onto it right away, but a sliver of rationality held her back, reminding her she should at least shower first.
To shower, Clara took off her clothes and neatly folded them on the bed.
Before washing up, she spotted a laundry basket with Rohan’s discarded clothes.
“Ah…”
As soon as she saw them, all sorts of thoughts flooded her mind.
Clara herself didn’t know how long she stood there, but she somehow managed to resist the impulsive urge.
After a long time, she washed her body with warm water.
Once she was clean, she put on her underwear and immediately headed toward the bed.
“…”
She knew no one was watching. Still, Clara checked her surroundings several times before lying down on Rohan’s bed.
In her underwear, she hugged the blanket and buried her face in it.
“Mmm… Heehee…”
The bedding smelled like Rohan. The faint scent she could barely catch from a distance now felt strong and intoxicating.
There was something mysteriously comforting about this fragrance.
She could wait until the afternoon and then go to the bookstore to see Rohan.
‘Ah! Should I do Oppa’s laundry too?’
Even in that anime she watched, wasn’t the woman who took care of the housework without being asked portrayed in a good light?
The girl’s thighs clenched the blanket tightly, and her hips wiggled slightly in excitement at the thought of being praised.
How long did she stay like that, not falling asleep but instead getting lost in the lingering scent Rohan left behind?
“?”
Clara suddenly sensed a presence climbing up the dormitory wall.
