Chapter 16: Clara

Violet short twin tails, and bright emerald green eyes.

A flashy fashion, often labeled as either “jirai kei¹” or “menhera²”.

A timid demeanor despite wearing such unique clothing and accessories.

“!”

Rohan quickly pieced together a character from Abyss City in his mind, finishing with the girl’s slender face and features.

The knowledge he’d buried resurfaced like a flash flood, then condensed in an instant.

Clara?!

There were only a few Academy cadets who frequently appeared at The Flower Bookstore while working part-time in Abyss City.

And this bookstore was a place where Clara, a lover of manga and games, frequented.

But despite that obvious fact, Rohan was bewildered.

“···”

It was understandable. After all, Clara was a character who first appeared as a freshman when the Protagonist became a sophomore.

After his first battle, Rohan had desperately wanted to find her, but information about Clara before she enrolled at the academy was virtually nonexistent.

And so, he’d given up, thinking it would be impossible to find her before he became a second-year Cadet.

He wasn’t sure if it was thanks to the “Positive Cliché” Reward, but he’d never imagined he would run into her in such a coincidental manner.

“I’msorryI’msosorryI’msosorry…”

Frozen due to nervousness, Clara mumbled while avoiding eye contact.

However, Rohan found this peculiar girl, whose sociability seemed to have plummeted into the abyss, both welcoming and familiar. He quickly made up his mind.

Carefully setting down the box of books, he picked up the smartphone that had fallen and began playing a game on its own, then handed it to her.

“I couldn’t see ahead of me because of the box. I’m really sorry.”

“Th-That!”

“Miss, please check the screen. I’ll compensate you if it’s cracked or damaged in any way.”

“U-Um…”

Accepting the smartphone with trembling hands, Clara gulped and then pressed the buttons this way and that.

Rohan remained silent.

He waited for Clara to speak first, taking in information visually.

Nail art. More flamboyant than the game.

The nails on the tips of her slender fingers glittered with a variety of colors.

It was fascinating to imagine such hands handling weapons delicately.

“It’s… fine…”

“That’s a relief.”

Clara shut her mouth tight immediately after uttering those words.

Rohan then added that she should let him know if there were any problems before stepping back, but he didn’t simply retreat.

He stepped aside as if to let her enter, ensuring the flustered Clara wouldn’t leave the store.

What followed was exactly as Rohan expected, which he should perhaps consider fortunate.

Hesitantly, the girl stepped into the bookstore instead of backing away.

Rohan breathed a sigh of relief as he watched her disappear between the bookshelves.

“Phew…”

Should he have mentioned that he was a new part-time worker at The Flower Bookstore to leave a stronger impression? The answer was nope.

Considering Clara’s personality and tendencies, absolutely not.

I need to get rid of this impatience.

Unlike a game with infinite retries, opportunities in reality were surely one-time events.

To build a bridge with this girl whose wariness closely resembled that of a wild animal, hasty actions were absolutely forbidden.

Having moved the box he’d set down to its proper place, Rohan headed to the storage room to continue his work.

Repeating simple actions that could hardly be called manual labor, he slowly began to ponder.

So… what game was Clara playing just now?

He knew that Clara was fond of manga and games.

However, just like the manga, all the games in this Abyss City were unfamiliar to him.

And so, partly because of the goal of establishing a common topic, but also…

Wasn’t Rohan someone who enjoyed games after work back in his Hunter days?

Needless to say, new games were always welcome.

He’d been putting it off after realizing how much he had to do, but his curiosity about the games in this world had already been piqued.

“Manager! I’ve finished moving everything!”

“Already? Take it easy… You’ll hurt your back!”

Rohan chuckled, lightly patting the box containing donated books.

“Should I load them onto the truck when it comes later?”

“There’s no need for a person to do that. A small forklift will come, so just leave them by the entrance.”

Having been told to man the cash register, Rohan stayed at his post until closing time.

And just before closing time, Clara emerged from between the bookshelves and quietly disappeared.

“Rohan.”

“Yes?”

“Come here, we’re about to close.”

“Yes, sir!”

“To close up, just flip this switch here, and all the lights will go off…”

The final task of the day.

Rohan learned the closing procedures from the manager.

After finishing the internal cleanup together, they stepped outside to a world already bathed in twilight.

“After locking up, put the key under this flowerpot.”

“…Is this really okay?”

He wondered if they were really fine without installing some other security measures.

He knew that it was pretty rare for shops to use keys in Academy City.

“Haha, what’s there to steal? You worked hard today!”

“You too, Manager.”

Rohan simply bowed his head and smiled at the manager’s nonchalant remark about a potential robbery.

The manager, about to continue the conversation, checked his watch and suddenly started moving.

“Oh dear, I want to see my grandchild’s face before they fall asleep…”

The manager turned and walked away with slow but hurried steps.

Rohan watched him go, then pulled out his smartphone and started composing a message.

I should report to Instructor.

Rohan attached a screenshot of the simplified contract he’d signed through the app to the message.

He sent the message with comprehensive information, including the location, store name, business hours, and job description.

The reply came quickly.

A succinct reply.

Rohan chuckled and headed towards the Dormitory.

On his way, he browsed mobile games and downloaded a few that caught his interest.

At dawn, when the light shimmered from the eastern sky, Ichinose Yui awakened.

“Mmm…”

She stirred for a moment, hugging the dolls on her bed, then got up.

She then reflexively straightened the messy blankets and put the dolls back in their places.

After taking off her pajamas with her favorite character printed on them and hanging them up, she had a light wash to awaken her drowsy mind.

Completing her minimal skincare, she picked up the bag and Academy Uniform she’d prepared the day before with eyes still half-closed.

Student ID and water bottle… here…

Dressed in comfortable undergarments and athletic wear, Ichinose departed from the Dormitory with a meal replacement shake and her Sword.

Intentionally blocking her vision as she stepped outside, Ichinose sensed the wind with her heightened sense of smell.

The scent of spring is faint.

If it were yesterday’s routine, she would have headed to the bustling city to visit the gym she had a membership at, but her destination today was Orion Academy.

There was no longer a need to go to gyms around the neighborhood for her morning workout.

As of yesterday, the Physical Training Room at the academy had been made available to new cadets, and there was no reason not to go there.

Top-notch facilities and close to her classroom.

Even though she had a little more to carry, one cumbersome trip back to the Dormitory was eliminated.

“Good morning.”

─ Meow!

“Good morning. Did you guard the house well last night?”

─ Woof! Pant, pant…

A cat lounging on the wall and a dog on a leash respond to Ichinose’s voice.

A close bond evident from their recognition of her presence alone.

Seeing that I’ve met these little ones, I’ve practically arrived.

Ichinose strode forward confidently.

If Noa were to see her, she would’ve made a fuss about her getting lost again.

But it’s different now.

The route to Orion Academy was now familiar.

She’d repeatedly set the academy as her destination during her solo walks, so the embarrassing incidents of getting lost had ceased.

If all else failed, she could climb to the top of a low building and walk straight towards the academy.

After walking for a while, she opened her eyes slightly at a familiar presence.

Orion Academy’s main gate came into Ichinose’s view.

“Hehe.”

Proof that she could arrive at the academy safely even without following the flow of cadets moving en masse in the morning.

Excellent. A sense of accomplishment filled her chest.

The corners of her lips curved upwards slightly.

Holding onto that small smile, the girl bowed to the security guard and proceeded inside.

The academy’s Physical Training Room was a building larger than a single gymnasium, so even Ichinose wouldn’t have trouble finding it.

Beep!

The same system as the Dormitory, authentication with a student ID. The glass door opened.

Stepping inside, Ichinose tilted her head on sensing a presence within the Physical Training Room.

This is…

She had already anticipated someone else being there, even at dawn.

Weren’t there diligent cadets inside, training without fail?

However, she hadn’t expected to see a classmate on the very first day.

Ichinose peeked inside, opening one eye.

─ Huff… Grunt!!!

Her golden eyes captured a man struggling and groaning as he pushed his body to the limit.

Rohan.

Ichinose murmured the name clearly etched in her memory.