“Are you… dating Rohan?”
“!?”
Clara’s tilted head snapped up.
Both of them felt it—this was definitely the first time they had exchanged such direct eye contact.
“As your instructor, I have no intention of meddling in a cadet’s love life. I’m aware that it can be a good motivator, after all.”
“Uh…!”
Even though Juyun said that, the flustered look on Clara’s face didn’t fade.
So, Juyun quickly added more.
“It’s just curiosity. You were with Rohan at the bookstore, and during the recent incident too. You two seem particularly close.”
“D-dating… you mean, like, going out…? M-me and Rohan oppa…?”
“Exactly. It could be interpreted differently, but that’s what I’m asking.”
After finishing her sentence, Juyun calmly walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge.
She brought back a cool juice, only to find the girl fiddling with her hair, her face bright red.
Clara seemed more interested in using the juice to cool her flushed cheeks than actually drinking it.
“We’re not… dating or anything… nooo…”
Her voice trailed off as she denied it, but her fidgeting fingers and twisting body were as transparent as glass.
Even Juyun, who knew nothing about romance, could understand Clara’s feelings in an instant.
A warm smile spread across Juyun’s face.
She genuinely wanted to cheer on the young girl’s budding feelings.
“I see. I hope things work out well for you, and I’ll be rooting for you from afar.”
“…!”
“Rohan seems to have a strange knack for getting caught up in incidents. It’s probably not good for him to be alone, even outside the academy.”
Of course, having a boy and a girl together in the academy dormitory was a no-no.
But in these chaotic times, Juyun felt a bit more at ease knowing that a girl like Clara was with Rohan at the bookstore.
At that response.
Clara was stunned.
‘Ah!’
Juyun thought her supportive words were nothing special.
But for Clara, it was a huge wave that washed away the fears she had been secretly holding onto.
‘S-such a kind person…!’
In Clara’s heart, Juyun had hit a home run.
She held the juice she was given as if in prayer.
“Clara.”
“Yes…!”
“Do you have any foods you can’t eat?”
“I… I struggle with anything too bitter…”
“Hmm, I see.”
Clara timidly followed Juyun as she headed toward the dining table.
After seating Clara, Juyun opened the fridge to check the ingredients.
‘No meat.’
She even opened the vegetable drawer to confirm, then fell into thought.
‘The ingredients are lacking. Maybe I should just order delivery.’
Price wasn’t an issue. She just wanted to make sure Clara ate well.
But Juyun hesitated even at that.
Because there was one hidden problem with the joy she felt about Rohan and Clara.
‘Sigh…’
It was part of Juyun’s kind-heartedness to want to feed the two of them until they were full, but it was also the very edge of that kindness.
That place was not something you could simply call desirable, as it was weighed down by a lump of reflection and regret.
Juyun was feeling sorry for the two of them.
Perhaps even heavy enough to be called guilt.
Even if imagination and delusion don’t seek the other’s consent, it had become undeniable that Juyun was increasingly projecting her lost younger brother onto Rohan.
She kept denying it, though.
But when Rohan returned from danger today, she could no longer ignore that fact.
She was overcoming the trauma she had been unable to shake off for so long with Rohan’s help, and it was seeping into her mind, piercing through her tough body that no medicine could affect.
She could only feel sorry to Clara, who had swept her up in these emotions.
‘Really… I’m a failure as an instructor.’
Juyun closed the refrigerator, composed her expression, and then spoke to the pale girl who was sipping juice while sitting.
“Embarrassingly, I haven’t been able to go grocery shopping lately. Would it be okay to order delivery for dinner?”
“Ah, I… Of course, it’s fine…!”
“Then shall we order when Rohan comes? I don’t know when he’ll arrive, though.”
Clara, hearing Juyun’s words, looked at the smartphone in her hand and smiled brightly.
Her expression made it obvious who she was communicating with.
Juyun laughed at the sight and waited for the voice to be heard.
“Oppa just left…!”
“Hmm, he reports properly to Clara, huh.”
The girl seemed pleased by that remark. If Clara had been a beast, her tail would have been wagging and her ears twitching.
Somehow, it’s an understandable feeling.
*Drip──.*
Juyun brewed coffee, filling the living room with a rich coffee aroma.
She sat facing Clara with a steaming mug and a notebook in hand.
Now, unlike the earlier casual conversation, it was time to discuss something weighty.
“And about immigration. Even if it’s sensitive information, I hope you’ll answer my questions honestly.”
Clara nodded her head briskly, as if to say she understood.
To Juyun, the girl seemed rather less tense about this topic.
“Which country are you registered in?”
“Well, I haven’t told Oppa about this yet…”
“Don’t worry. I won’t disclose Clara’s private matters without consent.”
“Thank you…!”
Her face relaxed upon hearing the confirmation. Clara’s voice came through more clearly.
Satisfied with the more powerful tone than before, Juyun opened her notebook.
She clicked her pen, showing the girl her intent to take notes.
“Let me ask again. Which country are you registered in?”
“It’s a country called Geno…”
“You’ve come from far away. You must have had a hard time.”
Even though Geno is a small and exclusive country, Juyun knew about the turmoil caused by civil war.
She was well-informed about the political situations between countries.
Even if Geno tries to wrap itself up tightly and hide, it can’t escape the eyes of the powerful nations.
“If there’s any false information in the documents submitted to the agency, you should request a correction now, even if it’s late.”
“There isn’t any…!”
“According to Rohan, he’s not a wanted criminal either.”
“Yes.”
Juyun kept asking questions, and Clara answered.
The girl even shared a foolish anecdote about how she sold a burner phone she brought from Geno for a cheap price and used the money to buy the flashy clothes she’s wearing now, reminiscing about a time when she didn’t understand the value of money.
Juyun listened seriously without laughing.
By the time Clara had sipped her juice down to the last drop…
“Honestly, I have a lot more questions I’d like to ask. But since this is enough information for the immigration request, I won’t overreach.”
Juyun’s gaze shifted toward the weapon Clara had placed nearby.
In these chaotic times, the ability to protect oneself and what’s precious is crucial.
“…Thank you.”
The girl understood the meaning behind Juyun’s words and gaze, so she expressed her gratitude.
“One last thing, Clara.”
Juyun called out in a lower, more serious tone than during their conversation.
The girl’s eyes met Juyun’s, which flickered like flames.
“If the purpose of creating your identity leads to crime and causes an incident in the academy city, not only the Security Bureau but I will also have to take action.”
The air carried a clear message: if that happens, there will be no forgiveness.
The overwhelming pressure made Clara hold her breath.
“That’s my responsibility in helping you with this matter. Understood?”
“Yes…!”
Clara answered without hesitation. Juyun, satisfied, softened the heavy atmosphere with a slight smile.
“I’ll give you my number. Feel free to contact me if you run into any problems or need advice.”
“!”
At those words, Clara eagerly held out her smartphone with both hands.
…
After the heavy topic ended.
While waiting for Rohan, light-hearted chatter about the academy city continued between Juyen and Clara.
The girl tapped the empty juice bottle with her fingernails, then finally brought up what was on her mind.
“Juyen, I have something troubling me… Can I ask for your advice?”
“If I can help, I’ll listen anytime.”
How reliable!
Clara felt like Juyen would give her some incredible advice that would pierce through her naive thoughts.
“Well, the place I lived in, Geno, was a monogamous culture…”
“My homeland, Samhwa, is the same. Most countries are.”
A glimmer of hope that they might understand each other.
Clara asked Juyen with sparkling eyes.
“B-by any chance! Juyen, have you ever dated someone… from a polygamous culture?”
“Huh?”
Why was Clara asking this? Before even pondering the question, Juyen had already figured out the answer.
She knew exactly who the girl’s interest was directed toward.
“Because it’s there.”
“Ah, Solaria was like that. Tigroba too.”
While in charge of Rohan, I had been thoroughly reading books about the southern regions, so it came to mind vividly.
That’s why I decided to be honest.
“It’s going to be hard to help with that. Unfortunately, I’ve never had any experience dating men.”
“!!!”
Clara was shocked by Juyun’s casual revelation.
How could such a beautiful woman never have been in love? Was it just that no man had ever caught her eye?
“Th-then…! What if, in the future, the man you meet is from a polygamous culture…?”
“Hmm.”
Juyun had never really thought about romance in her life.
But now, it seemed like she had to take it seriously. The girl in front of her looked desperate.
‘Polygamy, huh.’
Juyun had never given her heart to a man before, so even imagining it was difficult.
She had received many proposals and confessions.
But Juyun couldn’t understand the passionate looks they gave her.
‘Polygamy is still a culture.’
Assuming that, certain things came to mind. Even the instructors at the Academy come from diverse countries, don’t they?
Respect what can be respected, and if there’s something hard to understand, one side can step back.
Based on that, Juyun’s answer was formed.
“The one approaching should try to understand the culture.”
It’s similar to how Instructor Carrot reserves a table at the Samhwa Dining Hall when inviting her to eat.
Juyun, who had never experienced the emotions entangled in romantic relationships, could only compare it to things like that.
“…!”
Clara froze at Juyun’s answer, which came out as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
She recalled the thoughts she had when she met Noah, who was from Tigroba, at the bookstore. Those thoughts were hammered in deeper than before.
“Let me explain.”
Juyun shared her thoughts with Clara as if teaching a class.
A nation’s culture is both the pride of its people and a principle of action.
It’s the foundation of common sense and values held by individuals.
As she continued this tiny lesson using the dining table as a lectern…
*Ding dong!*
The doorbell rang, asking for the entrance to be opened.
Rohan’s face appeared in the camera, peeking in curiously.
