I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City – Chapter 90

“Huh?”

Rohan squinted at the numbers Sion was showing him.

He opened the status window, and it didn’t seem like a hallucination. It wasn’t some random number he’d smashed into a calculator either.

He couldn’t completely rule out the possibility of it being a hallucination beyond the status window’s recognition level, but for now, he decided to take it at face value.

“Ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand…”

The units kept climbing. The amount felt unreal. Rohan shut his mouth.

His mind went blank, and his mouth started moving on its own.

“Is this some kind of hypnosis app or something?”

“What are you talking about… It’s part of the Testarossa inheritance that was left in Tigroba. I liquidated some of it.”

“Ah!”

Rohan and Clara finally understood. The flow suddenly made sense.

Sion, who had put her phone away, urged the two to keep walking.

“I’ll explain the rest over dinner. It’s too long a story to go through while standing on the street.”

They’d have to talk about how to use the money and their living arrangements in the academy city.

But more than that, the three of them just wanted to keep chatting about nothing in particular.

For Sion, that time was the happiest.

—

Time to lighten the load before dinner.

Sion unpacked the luggage she’d prepared for Tigroba back into Rohan’s dormitory.

“…”

When it was time to return the borrowed coat, Sion fiddled with the hanger, reluctant to let it go. Rohan approached her with a paper bag in hand.

Clara, sitting on the bed, quietly watched the two.

“Seeing the balance earlier made me shrink back a bit.”

“Huh?”

“Here, a gift.”

“!”

Sion couldn’t hide her surprised expression.

Rohan, stiffly handing over the paper bag, added a comment as if tossing it to her.

“My arm’s falling off. Take it.”

“Ah…”

The waterdrop friends printed on the bag.

Her head turned white with unexpected joy.

“Why the sudden gift…?”

“Just saw it and thought of you. Gifts don’t always need a reason. If I had to give one, there’d be plenty.”

Rohan tried to hide his awkwardness by saying it was to celebrate her safe return, but Sion didn’t miss it.

She could tell Rohan was embarrassed about giving gifts.

“Really…”

Why did this guy, who was bigger than her, look so cute?

Her heart pounded like it was about to explode. Thump! Thump!

Rohan’s presence grew larger in front of her. Clara, sitting on the bed and staring intently, felt blurry in the background.

“Is it okay to open it now?”

“Of course.”

Carefully peeling off the tape without damaging the packaging.

Opening the cardboard box reveals the dolls inside. The characters Uluul and Bluevida, drawn on Sion’s memo pad.

“…”

With trembling hands, Sion takes out the dolls and exchanges blank stares with the characters.

Something she had longed for at the goods shop but could only enjoy with her eyes, never able to own.

And now, Rohan had gifted them to her without any warning. Was it really okay to feel this happy?

She was almost worried she might have used up all the happiness allotted in her life.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes… Thank you so much. It’s the best gift ever…”

Sion smiled brightly and hugged the dolls. This joy surpassed any sudden wealth.

The dolls Rohan gifted would stay with Sion on her bed for a lifetime.

‘I see.’

Sion realized while hugging the dolls.

Seeing Clara watching this scene with a warm smile made her certain.

‘That hairpin must have been a gift too.’

She had noticed Clara fiddling with it non-stop, smiling brightly.

Sion had caught on. That item was definitely related to Rohan.

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A meat restaurant with private rooms.

A place Sion chose after scouting with Clara, offering to treat them to dinner.

“First, I want to address the most important part.”

“The important part?”

Sion’s serious tone made Rohan, who was lining up cups and pouring water, look up.

Clara, who was setting the utensils, also stopped and looked at Sion.

“…Even if I have financial freedom now, I still want to work together. I lack too much experience.”

Sion glanced around, checking if it was okay.

Rohan and Clara both smiled.

“Of course, you’re welcome.”

“Y-yes, of course…!”

Rohan picked up the tongs and placed the meat on the grill.

It was the first time they were having proper grilled meat in the academy city, making their mouths water.

“Think of the money you have now as mental freedom. You can try what you want, and even if you fail, you won’t starve. That’s a huge advantage.”

“…You sound just like Yuho.”

Rohan looked at Sion, who was murmuring in amazement, and asked.

“Sion, is there anything you want to buy?”

“Hmm…?”

“Like upgrading your phone? The one I got you isn’t the latest model.”

“No. I don’t plan to do that.”

She intended to keep using the smartphone, just changing the name on it.

It’s a meaningless luxury, and since Rohan bought it for me, I have no intention of changing it.

“If there’s something I want right now… I’d like to buy a house first.”

Big talk.

But when I think about the balance Sion showed me, it’s not a problem.

“Desirable.”

“I don’t know much about that, so I’d like you two to look into it together…”

“Let’s go check it out after the exams. I’ll look into it too.”

“Mhm.”

Sion’s gaze turns to Clara, who’s sitting next to her.

The girl, feeling the gaze, blinks in confusion, and Sion reaches out to playfully pinch Clara’s adorable cheek.

“First, if we find a place in the academy city, I plan to live there with Clara.”

“Huh, unnie… Is that really okay…?”

“Of course. Clara was the one who showed kindness first.”

Before leaving for Tigroba, she was against it.

But since Rohan’s reward money will be used to buy a house, Clara volunteered to live there with Sion.

“It’s not just about repaying her kindness. I really want to live with Clara.”

“Haaah…”

Clara, flustered by Sion’s bold advances, spins her head around.

From Rohan’s perspective, it’s a heartwarming scene with no reason to stop it.

“Clara’s kind heart brought her good fortune.”

Rohan says this as he cuts into the meat that’s starting to cook.

By the time Clara accepts Sion’s kindness, the meat is fully cooked.

“If we buy a house… we should leave one room empty so Rohan can manage bulky items or equipment.”

“Oh, oppa too…?!”

“Me too?”

Now, the three of them are a solid team.

After chatting until their throats were dry and filling their stomachs, they finally got up.

It was also a good opportunity to teach Sion how to pay with her phone.

“That was delicious.”

“Unnie… it was really good…!”

Even after settling the bill, it felt too soon to part ways.

Since Rohan got a meal out of it, he led the girls to a café for dessert.

Finally, they brought up the topic of the exams.

“From Monday to Friday. You’ll manage, right?”

“…”

Sion and Clara, as if in sync, tightly closed their mouths.

Rohan stirred the ice in his drink and continued.

“The chances of it not working out on the deserted island are high, but I’ll stay in touch as much as possible until we leave.”

The girls, pouting like ducks, reluctantly accepted reality.

And showed their curiosity.

“Rohan. How does the test on the deserted island work?”

“It’s hard to explain exactly. But since they kept mentioning preparation for the Monolith, it’s likely a test about surviving and dealing with situations where resources are scarce.”

“Oh, oppa… So you’ll be on that deserted island with those unnie…?”

The people Clara might be referring to as “unnie” are pretty limited.

Probably Noah Frozenheart and Ichinose Yui.

Clara held her breath, waiting for an answer.

Sion crossed her arms with a serious face and furrowed her brows.

“Well, we’ll be on the deserted island, sure. But who knows how the teams will be divided.”

“Hmm.”

“I-I see…”

After that, the conversation died down. They ended up hanging out at the cafe way later than expected.

Clara led Sion to her house, and Rohan, who returned to the dormitory, squeezed his damp brain from all the rest and focused on studying again.

Saturday passed, and it was Sunday.

Rohan spent the day wrapping up his theory studies.

He only met Sion and Clara during meal times.

***

It’s Monday.

Breakfast was with the girls he wouldn’t be seeing for a while.

Arriving at Orion Academy, Rohan felt a different atmosphere than usual.

Everyone was in the classroom earlier than normal, and it was quiet, with no chit-chat.

Seeing Noah sitting next to Ichinose, she was glaring at her book like she wanted to burn a hole through it.

“Phew…”

It was a good atmosphere for focusing. Rohan took a deep breath, sat down, and opened his book.

‘Today is crucial.’

There can’t be any mistakes in the test, and to safely wrap everything up, bold decisions will be necessary.

‘Who will I be paired with on the deserted island?’

For Sion and Clara, it was the beginning of an ordeal.

And for Rohan, it was time to face the next main story.

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