Chapter 41: Relationships Are Built on Tigers (2)

…

The afternoon drowsiness induced by a filling lunch had come to an end.

And having finished her assigned revision of the upcoming lessons, Ichinose swiveled her chair around.

The sight of her empty bed felt strangely awkward.

Noa, who usually occupied her bed every day, was nowhere to be seen. The absence of the barrage of questions also meant that Ichinose was able to finish her review faster than usual.

Is she perhaps sleeping, even though it’s almost dinner time?

Or maybe she was just lounging around in her room because it was the weekend.

“Hmm…”

Lying on her soft bed, hugging a doll, Ichinose continued her train of thought.

Should she go to Noa’s room and wake her up?

Thinking of Noa’s parents, who had entrusted their daughter in her care, Ichinose found herself in a bit of a dilemma.

Still…

Regardless of the true intention behind their words, one thing was certain.

The Grand Emperor of Snow would be really surprised to see Noa studying.

And considering Noa’s personality, the fact that she hadn’t given up after three days was praiseworthy in itself.

Noa Frozenheart diligently studying. That sight would be novel to anyone.

In fact, unable to get used to it, Ichinose was still surprised every time she saw it.

And since Noa had displayed such an unprecedented change, perhaps it was alright to let her rest on the weekend.

After all, it must have been quite a painful experience for someone unaccustomed to studying to suddenly bury herself in books.

This cold aura…?

With a sense of foreboding, Clara carefully observed the beautiful woman next to Rohan.

A Beastkin woman radiating a healthy beauty.

Her height and limbs were long and slender, like a model from a fashion magazine, while her chest was as ample as the Instructor’s, and her waist was slim. Her exposed abdomen was devoid of any flab.

What selfish genes!

Clara was forced to come to terms with evidence of the world’s unfairness.

And aside from her captivating appearance, there was another important point that couldn’t be ignored.

A… a strong person…

Although not as powerful as the red-haired woman Rohan had introduced as an Academy Instructor, Clara could sense a full mana and a substantial presence.

Clara had learned from the fear and mistakes of the past, when she had been caught by the Instructor.

So this time, she concealed her presence more effectively than before as she continued observing the situation.

“Manager. This is the friend I told you about… yes… that friend.”

“Hello! Please call me Noa! Nice to meet you!”

Following Rohan’s introduction, Noa greeted the owner energetically, as if she had been waiting for this moment.

The manager smiled warmly.

“Oh my, thank you for coming all the way to this little bookstore.”

“This bookstore has the best smell of all the ones I’ve been to!”

“Haha, is that so? I’m glad to hear that.”

“The big bookstores on the main street don’t use wooden bookshelves, so they don’t have a scent like this!”

Noa carried the conversation as if she had known the manager for a long time, saying the scent made her feel at ease.

Rohan was stunned by her terrifying sociability, which seemed to have erased his own presence.

“It’s better to have some chatter in a bookstore than for it to be too quiet, so Noa, feel free to relax and browse. Rohan will take good care of you.”

“…Yes. I’ll take care of her.”

“Thank you!”

Noa grinned at the manager’s words as he prepared to leave for the day.

He then glanced directly at Rohan.

“Well then, this old man should be going. I’ll enjoy these with my wife.”

The manager left the bookstore, holding the gift Rohan had brought him.

It wasn’t an expensive gift, but the manager seemed to be pleased, and Rohan was satisfied.

“Kehehe, I studied hard today, so I think I’ll relax a bit.”

“Are you malfunctioning after you stuffed your head with all that theory?”

A strange laugh that didn’t match her appearance. Rohan chuckled and took his place behind the counter.

He then put on an apron with the bookstore’s name on it.

“Hmm… what should I read~?”

“You know you can’t unwrap it before paying, right?”

“I know that much.”

Noa said as she dived into the bookshelves stacked with manga.

Turning away from her, Rohan glanced around the empty bookstore.

He was looking for a certain girl.

Where’s Clara?

The possibility that she hadn’t arrived yet was low.

Could she have hidden herself after sensing Noa Frozenheart’s overwhelming presence?

“Ring this up for me!”

“You already picked something?”

“Yes!”

Noa began piling the manga she had picked on the counter.

The title was Cooking Man and Picky Eater. Scanning the barcode revealed it was categorized as a romantic comedy and gag manga.

“Volumes 1 through 24? You brought the whole series…”

As Rohan scanned each volume and stacked them aside, Noa giggled.

She twirled a card between her fingers, ready to pay.

“I’m going to read it all even if it’s boring. I like the art style.”

“Why not look up some reviews online?”

“I don’t like that. I don’t want to read with any preconceived notions.”

“Oh… you make a good point. Give me your card. I’ll ring it up.”

As Rohan reached for the card, Noa pulled her hand back.

The playful look on the girl’s face made Rohan feel uneasy.

“I’m a customer. Treat me right.”

“…”

“Hurry up! It’s a reasonable request!”

Rohan knew the quickest way to deal with situations like this.

It wasn’t a difficult request, so it was best to just comply. Rohan put on his best customer service smile.

“It will be 10 coins and 80 tokens for 24 volumes. Do you need a paper bag? That’s an extra 1 token.”

“No!”

“Do you have a loyalty card?”

“No!”

Was she enjoying this strange exchange with a classmate?

Noa’s tail was wagging back and forth.

“Will you be paying by card?”

“Yes! With this!”

“How would you like to pay? In installments?”

“One lump sum!”

She seemed satisfied with his straightforward responses.

Noa carried the paid-for manga in her arms and with her tail to a corner, plopped down and started unwrapping them immediately.

This was clearly her first time here, yet the White Tiger girl acted as comfortable as if she were in her own home.

She’s truly free-spirited.

Impressed, Rohan began looking around for Clara again.

But he couldn’t find her.

He wasn’t sure if she was hiding somewhere he couldn’t see, or if she wasn’t there at all.

There’s also the possibility that she really didn’t come.

Rohan pulled out his phone and messaged Clara.

Bzzzzz──!!!

A reply came almost instantly.

A crying emoticon was the response to his question about her whereabouts.

Rohan blinked as he read the message.

Wondering what was wrong, he immediately called Clara.

The ringing tone was interrupted by Clara’s voice.

“O-Oppa…”

He heard her voice, not through the phone, but from his vicinity.

And only then did he see her.

Having caught sight of the girl, smaller than usual, Rohan quickly left the counter and approached her.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“…”

Although he had a good guess, he asked just in case.

Clara wordlessly reached out and lightly gripped the edge of his apron.

Her slightly pouted lips gave off a sulky vibe, which Rohan found adorable.

“I’m feeling a bit down because Clara didn’t greet me when I started work.”

“…”

“Did you finish the macarons?”

A small nod.

“Good. I was happy when you said they were delicious.”

“…”

The girl gripped his apron tighter and mumbled something.

Just then, footsteps approached. Clara’s head whipped around.

“What? Who are you talking to?”

The moment Noa appeared with a manga in hand and spoke,

“Eek!”

Clara stifled a compressed scream and instantly teleported to the opposite side of the bookstore.

Her movements resembled a cat confronted with a cucumber.

Noa grinned in admiration.

“Wow! Who are you? You’re as fast as Nose!”

“U-Uh… Oppa…”

As Noa’s eyes sparkled with interest, Clara shot Rohan a pleading look.

Rohan stood between Clara and Noa, blocking the way.

“Go back and finish reading your manga.”

“It’s not like I’m going to eat her…!”

Noa looked wronged, but it couldn’t be helped.

It took time for extreme extroverts and introverts to understand each other.

“Want to read some manga together? I’m still on volume one, but it’s fun. We can also talk since I’m bored!”

“Talk…”

Peeking around Rohan, Noa tried to initiate a conversation.

Clara, seemingly reminded of something by the White Tiger girl’s words, muttered,

“Before I give you a workbook and make you start reviewing, stop that and leave. Customer.”

“Should I tell the manager? That you’re forcing me to study!”

“Go ahead. I’ll be praised for doing a good job.”

“Torture is prohibited under Three Kingdoms Union law! It’s inhumane!”

“Too bad. You’re a citizen of Tigrova, so it doesn’t apply to you. And studying isn’t torture.”

Overwhelmed by a new, unsettling feeling, Clara, observing the two bickering, voiced her thoughts.

“O-Okay!”

“See? She’s uncomfortable… huh? What?”

Rohan turned his head at Clara’s reply.

Thinking he might have misheard, he gave her a questioning look.

With trembling lips Clara stared at Noa, and spoke once more.

“Let’s read manga together… a-and talk…”