Chapter 116: Confession is the End Goal, Not the Start

A Dimensional Rift, a natural disaster, had passed.

However, Academy City Elysium regained its vitality quickly.

Peacekeepers were moving about busily, and Cleaners who dealt with monsters were running around with their equipment, but Rohan could only admire the streets that had begun to regain their usual atmosphere as he walked.

Everyone has a strong mentality.

Of course, some shops remained closed. Still, the citizens’ morale was generally firm. And when compared to his previous life, even ordinary people seemed to have more guts.

Though the disaster had left behind an ominous foreboding with regards to the future, people were still trying to maintain their places.

It was a satisfying world.

And he wanted to protect this place.

The real estate agent introduced to Shion felt the same way.

A confirmation call arrived 10 minutes before the appointed time, and Rohan’s group met the person introduced by a high-ranking official of Tigrova.

Judging by the plump tail and the black spots around the eyes, it was probably a raccoon Beastkin.

As if compressed from above, he was short, his head barely reaching Rohan’s waist.

However, he seemed accustomed to being looked down upon, offering a greeting with a gentle expression that suggested good business acumen.

“Greetings. I am Matthew Blackburn, President of the Academy City Elysium Real Estate Association.”

It was a grand title, befitting someone who seemed very busy.

Shion politely accepted the business card presented respectfully with both hands as soon as they met.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Unfortunately, Rohan and the others lacked business cards to exchange and could only respond with greetings instead.

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The raccoon real estate agent began to guide them with a waddling gait befitting his short legs and plump physique.

And so, they arrived at the first house.

Rohan didn’t know what Shion’s budget was, but it was a luxurious mansion that made his jaw drop just by looking at it.

“…There was a house like this nearby?”

“Woooow…”

Despite its close proximity to the male dormitory, he’d never seen it before.

Clara couldn’t hide her admiration either.

The raccoon Beastkin took a card key out of his bag and continued his explanation.

“The lack of a yard is a drawback, but it does have a parking lot. And you said you were looking for additional features rather than a large living space, correct?”

“That’s right.”

It seemed like Shion already had a specific image of the house she wanted.

“An excellent choice. The feeling of loneliness isn’t easy to erase.”

“Is the homeowner inside?”

“The owner of this house never actually lived here. It was built as a sort of vacation home.”

“Aha.”

“And since Academy City has limits on the land and buildings a single household can own, they decided to dispose of it.”

He opened the door and led the way inside.

Rohan and the others followed the raccoon Beastkin.

“Oh…!”

It was comparable to Juyeon’s house, if not better.

Was it because there wasn’t any furniture yet that the living space wasn’t spacious? To Rohan’s eyes, it looked no different from a plaza.

“As per Shion’s request, there’s an Indoor Firing Range, as well as a separate, sturdy space suitable for physical training.”

“A firing range inside the house…?”

Rohan muttered to himself, showing interest.

It was a strangely nostalgic feeling.

Back in his previous life, during the time when hunters were rising in popularity, houses and apartments were built like this and were featured on TV regularly.

It didn’t last long, though.

The problem was that being a hunter was a profession where inherent talent accounted for almost everything.

Because of that, the craze quickly died down.

However, this world was different.

Even with innate mana, it had to be refined endlessly, and the body, the vessel that contained mana, required training to surpass its limits.

Having a place for physical training at home was certainly an attractive condition.

“This was emphasized by the current owner from the design stage, with a private bathroom in each room and a separate bath…”

The raccoon Beastkin continued his explanation at a brisk pace, his mouth practically drying out.

Rohan breathed out as he watched the real estate agent, who didn’t hide even the slightest shortcomings of the house.

I have nothing to do.

Based on his past experience of finding a house, he tried to assess things that came to mind: whether the water ran well, if there were any sources of noise nearby, and if there was enough space for furniture.

However, with a luxurious house whose price was unimaginable, the minor worries Rohan had thought about weren’t necessary.

He even considered the process of checking the management fees, mortgages, and illegal structures, since it was a purchase and not a rental.

But even these procedures were quite different from his previous life.

With just one phone call to the Academy City administrative center, he could obtain a guarantee certificate that the property was problem-free, along with a voice recording.

The major powers are working together to keep things under control.

He wasn’t sure how the real estate agent would feel, but it felt like a truly proper use of force.

Weren’t state affairs simple and efficient?

“Would you like to see the next house? It’s nearby.”

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Rohan and his party continued to visit several houses.

However, Shion’s heart already seemed set on the first mansion.

Rohan and Clara agreed.

Returning to the first house one last time, Shion carefully considered her options after discussing with her companions.

She reached a conclusion.

“I’d like to move in as soon as possible.”

“I’ll arrange for furniture and cleaning services so that you can move in by tomorrow afternoon. If you have a lot of luggage, I can send a moving company.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Their current belongings could be carried in two trips with both hands.

Rohan’s party moved to a different location to sign the contract.

With a lawyer provided by Academy City, they finalized the contract.

Now, the owner of the mansion was undeniably Shion.

After sharing a meal that was neither lunch nor dinner, Rohan left after promising to have something delicious for the housewarming party tomorrow.

Shion returned to Clara’s small room and was imposing on her for the last time.

Tomorrow, she’d say goodbye to this room where neither the heating nor the cooling worked properly.

“Clara.”

“Yes?”

“I have something important to tell you.”

Shion, who had just finished showering with cold water, sat on the floor wearing Rohan’s clothes, not her newly bought pajamas.

“What is it…?”

With a deeply serious expression, Clara sat facing Shion and listened attentively.

Shion’s pointed ears, which had just been under cold water, began to flush red with warmth.

“Today… I realized my feelings.”

“…”

There was no clear subject in Shion’s words.

But just by looking at her gesture of holding her hand over her chest as if clutching her heart, Clara could be sure of what Shion meant.

“Clara, you must feel the same way about Rohan, right?”

At the direct question, Clara froze.

“Ah, uh, uhh…!”

What good would it do to deny it here? It was a lie that wouldn’t work anyway.

Avoiding Shion’s gaze, Clara nodded carefully.

The act of admitting to a one-sided love in front of someone else gave the girl a sense of irreversibility.

“Clara, what do you plan to do?”

“What do you mean by ‘do’…?”

She didn’t have a specific course of action.

Confessions were scary. If she got rejected, then it was really over, wasn’t it?

“But you realized today that you can’t just stay complacent like this, right?”

“…”

Shion’s words pierced through her. Clara deeply empathized.

Just seeing the girl openly express her interest in Rohan and ask for his number made her feel a strong sense of crisis.

“Uuuu…”

Seeing Clara shrink with dejection, Shion smiled faintly, moved from her facing position to beside her, and took her hand.

“Clara, can you be sure of Rohan’s feelings when he cares for us and looks after us?”

“…No.”

“Me neither. That’s why I’m scared to express my feelings.”

“W-What should we do? He’s so popular…”

Clara’s voice was transparent with impatience and urgency.

Shion began to reveal the thoughts she had organized while showering.

“Clara.”

“Yes…”

“I saw this online. They say that in this day and age, a confession isn’t the start but the end goal.”

Putting a period at the end when you’re sure of each other’s feelings.

It was far from a challenging and out-of-the-blue confession.

“!”

Clara’s eyes opened wide as she listened to the explanation.

It was a new horizon for Clara, who had only witnessed love in cartoons and games.

“Literally, when Rohan clearly shows us affection, we confirm the relationship with a confession.”

“B-But, for him to show affection… How can we…”

“A valid question. Therefore, the path we must take is simple. Understanding Rohan is the priority.”

“Understand him…?”

“What’s Rohan’s type? His fetishes? His preferred style of clothing? The more we understand these details, the more the probability of progress in our relationship increases, even by a fraction.”

“F-Fetishes?!”

Clara blushed and flinched, but Shion remained completely serious.

She had the momentum of a commander designing a critical landing operation.

“Does Rohan even have any thoughts about marriage in the first place? If so, how many wives does he want? How many children does he want?”

“Gasp…”

Clara gasped at the Elf-like directness of considering marriage before even starting a relationship, focused on loving only one person for life.

Shion was thinking about marriage before even dating.

“From now on, we have a lot to learn about Rohan. We must strive to be loved as both competent colleagues and as women.”

At Shion’s firm tone, Clara bit her lip.

“Unni… Do you think someone like me could ever be liked by him…?”

Still lacking confidence despite having such a pretty face.

But Shion understood. She herself was struggling to erase the same anxieties.

“Clara. I’m also anxious.”

“…”

“But are we going to just give up? If you’re going to remain a spectator from afar without even trying, I won’t stop you.”

“…”

“That is, as long as you can watch me, successfully making progress, being loved in Rohan’s arms, without any regrets.”

The life drained from Clara’s eyes before quickly filling up again, various emotions flashing by.

Shion smiled with satisfaction.

Clara asked a question with a determined look in her eyes.

“Unni. Can I ask you one more thing?”

“Of course.”

“Um… the reason you’re encouraging and helping me like this…”

There was no way she wouldn’t want to monopolize the person she loves.

But Shion laughed soundlessly as if the question itself was cute, and gave a clear answer.

“Because the future I dream of includes Rohan and Clara together.”

“…”

“There’s no other reason.”