I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City – Chapter 95

“Sit here.”

At Ichinose’s call, Rohan straightened his back and stood up.

Perhaps because of the warm glow of the campfire, Ichinose’s expression seemed softer than usual.

“Hurry up. I’m not going to ask you three times, am I?”

Without a word, Rohan approached Ichinose’s side.

He sat down on the spot she patted.

“…”

Using the laid-out clothes as both a mat and a boundary line to avoid crossing over, they subtly ended up touching each other.

It would’ve been spacious enough for two, but with Rohan’s larger frame, it was inevitable.

“Not cold?”

“Not at all. My clothes are still a bit damp, but the fire keeps me warm.”

“If you catch a cold, consider the exam over. You gotta take care of yourself.”

“Hehe… I guess I lucked out with a partner, living in luxury even on a deserted island.”

Ichinose hugged her knees and gazed at the campfire.

The flame that had nearly died out in her hands miraculously came back to life thanks to Rohan’s touch.

Now, the roaring fire devoured the firewood, doing its best to keep the space warm.

“I wonder if Noah’s doing okay. She gets cranky so fast when she’s hungry, so I’m worried.”

“Don’t worry too much. She might’ve found some hidden food and is feasting by now.”

Ichinose chuckled, as if imagining it.

It’s better to think positively than to dwell on unsolvable worries.

Though it’s not always easy.

“I told Noah to peel off the sticker if she really can’t handle it, so that’s a bit of a relief. The effect was stronger than I expected, so even I was surprised.”

“That’s not just Noah—it’s the same for us. If we can’t handle it, we’ll peel it off.”

Ichinose slowly turned her head to look at Rohan.

She wasn’t sure about herself, but judging by his actions today, Rohan seemed like he could handle five days without breaking a sweat.

“…”

As each moment passed, her curiosity about Rohan’s past grew stronger.

But asking someone from the South about their past is like poking at trauma—definitely not a topic to bring up lightly.

‘For now, just knowing my partner’s reliable is enough.’

Ichinose closed her eyes, feeling a sense of peace as her tension melted away.

Feeling the warmth on her skin, she continued the small talk.

“From the moment they said the exam would be on a deserted island, I had some guesses.”

“Yeah, it felt like the Academy deliberately gave us hints.”

“So Noah and I watched some survival expert’s videos and borrowed books too.”

“Oh! You did that?”

“We learned a lot of theories and knowledge, but… experiencing it in real life is just so different.”

“Theory and practice are different in any field. But if you ignore theory, you’ll hit a wall eventually.”

Rohan nodded in agreement, snapping a branch in half and tossing it into the fire.

“Oh, speaking of theory, I just remembered. How did the written exam go?”

“Thanks to you, I managed to answer most of it. Didn’t even have time to doodle in the corner like during the placement test.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Well, after bothering you every day, I had to at least do that much.”

“I never really thought of it as a bother. Your sharp questions actually made me revisit the theory a lot too.”

Continuing the small talk.

Rohan reached out to grab the neatly gathered branches and kindling after finishing his meal.

Some were wet, but if used sparingly, they should get through the day just fine.

“But still, education… it’s more about hands-on experience than just books…”

Ichinose’s voice trailed off into a mumble.

Her voice grew softer, losing its strength.

It was late, a time when she’d usually be asleep, and with her hunger and thirst satisfied, drowsiness crept in.

The amplified desire from the sticker was pushing her sleepiness to new heights without any brakes, and even Ichinose, who had been tense in the unfamiliar environment, couldn’t fight it anymore.

“…”

Rohan silently watched Ichinose.

Her head nodding as she hugged her knees.

Just a few seconds later, her head drooped completely.

She looked like she was just closing her eyes as usual, but it was clear she was asleep.

“Well, it’s understandable. She must be tired.”

Rohan was also fighting the urge to let his eyelids drop.

It was a strong impulse that would knock him out the moment he let his guard down.

But Rohan had his tricks. By keeping memories that could chase away sleepiness spinning in his head, he figured he could last a day or two without much trouble.

“…”

He glanced at Ichinose’s profile again.

Then he started thinking.

“Should I let her sleep?”

Pushing for something like a night watch today might be too much.

It’d be better to let her sleep deeply and recover her energy.

As he added firewood, he wondered how long he could keep the campfire alive.

“Mmm…”

Ichinose’s body slowly tilted, and her head rested on Rohan’s shoulder.

“!”

Rohan was jolted awake.

What kind of subway-like event was this? A fresh shock that completely wiped away his sleepiness.

“Sleeping like this will hurt your neck. Sleep comfortably.”

Thinking of letting her lie down on his clothes, Rohan cupped Ichinose’s head with his palm and started to move slowly.

But as he tried to slip away, Ichinose grabbed his shirt, breathing steadily.

“Instructor… this time, I’ll…”

At Ichinose’s sleep-talking, Rohan chuckled and tried to let go of her hand.

But his expression soon cracked, and he couldn’t help but panic.

“What’s this?”

Even as he tried to loosen her grip starting from her pinky, her fist clutching his shirt wouldn’t budge.

He doesn’t do it.

How much did he swing his sword to have such grip strength without using magic?

If I force it open with more strength, it feels like my fingers will get hurt or injured.

“…”

In the end, Rohan only had one option left.

‘Stay still.’

*****

‘Huh?’

When Ichinose woke up.

The first thing she saw was a campfire, burning with flames the size of a fist, emitting a faint warmth.

There was a pile of ashes, showing how much wood had been burned.

‘It’s so quiet…’

Next, in her half-asleep state, she realized the heavy rain had stopped.

The calm sound of wind in her ears made her aware of it without even looking.

Could she sleep more? Her mind was still foggy and not fully clear.

Feeling strangely comfortable, she closed her eyes again.

Just as Ichinose was about to fall back into the pit of sleep.

She was struck by a sudden curiosity, like being hit by lightning.

‘Wait a minute…’

When did she fall asleep? What was she using as a pillow?

She slowly traced her senses.

She was resting on something firm and broad. It wasn’t just an object—it had warmth, something she couldn’t quite place.

‘…’

Is it okay to wake up now? Hesitant due to a subtle unease, she hesitated to open her eyes.

But Ichinose couldn’t avoid it.

When she closed her eyes, her senses sharpened with her unique skill.

Forcing her to absorb the surrounding information.

‘No way… It can’t be…’

Reluctantly, she opened her eyes. Ichinose squirmed, trying to look at the rocky ceiling.

But instead of the ceiling, she saw someone familiar first.

“Did you sleep well?”

Rohan, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, looked down and greeted her.

Ichinose, unable to process reality, blinked blankly.

Rohan calmly continued explaining the situation.

“The sun just came up. You woke up at the perfect time.”

“…”

Ichinose fumbled her hands.

And realized she had been using Rohan’s thigh as a pillow.

As it sank in, her mind went blank, like a flashbang had gone off.

“Ah…? Ahhh…!!”

Ichinose’s lips trembled, and her face turned redder and redder.

As if the heat had built up to the point of explosion.

She sprang up like she had been launched.

“Full of energy in the morning, huh?”

The start of the second day.

Rohan smiled contentedly at Ichinose’s lively appearance.

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“The ground’s pretty wet, it’s kinda gross.”

“Will we see the Hornbird today? Can’t exactly eat Gerowai or Mud Slime, can we?”

Rohan acted like nothing was going on.

Ichinose Yui kept her mouth shut tight, holding her sword as she followed behind.

“If all else fails, maybe we should head to the sea and try fishing?”

“Th-that sounds good!”

After several attempts, Ichinose finally spoke up.

Her head was down, but it seemed like she’d recover soon.

“Have you ever fished before, Ichinose… huh?”

As Rohan’s words trailed off, Ichinose quietly opened her eyes.

Her partner’s gaze was fixed on the sky. She looked in the same direction.

“…What is that?”

Only then did Ichinose realize something was off.

The sky where the transport ship had passed.

Something was slowly descending.

There were so many of them, scattered evenly across the island.

Square boxes spewing red smoke, hanging from parachutes.

The familiar shape made Rohan’s eyes widen.

‘Airdrop!’

Rohan remembered what Juyun had said on the transport ship.

About dropping supplies where everyone could see them.

This was part of the plan.

“Maybe it’s supplies?”

“Ah! That definitely makes sense.”

“The closest one is over there.”

Rohan pointed at one of the supplies with his finger.

Immediately changed direction.

“Wait a second.”

At Ichinose’s voice, Rohan stopped in his tracks.

He turned around to see Ichinose with her eyes closed, looking puzzled.

“Since it’s such a noticeable object, there’s a chance we might run into other groups, right?”

“We should assume we’ll definitely meet them.”

“What are you going to do?”

Ichinose’s question was transparent in its intent.

Rohan’s answer was just as concise.

“The Instructor said, ‘I’ll understand if there’s a non-lethal conflict.'”

Ichinose nodded in understanding.

And they started moving again.

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