Chapter 43: Relationships Are Built on Tigers (4)

Buzz—!!!

The familiar vibration, almost comforting now.

Rohan, who was rummaging through the top shelves while standing on the indoor ladder, reached into his apron.

A rare message without emoticons, giving off an impulsive vibe.

Of course, it was okay. The timing was a little odd, but it seemed like she finally made up her mind.

After replying with an affirmative, Rohan continued what he was doing.

“September Writer’s Monster Canine Classification Table. There’s one left here.”

“Thank you. I’ll pay right away.”

Moving to the counter with the customer, he started planning for after work.

Should I get some food for the room, too?

He needed to give Clara the location of the Academy Dormitory today and leave the window unlocked.

Someone like Clara would have no problem climbing walls, and wouldn’t she be able to enter more discreetly than anyone else?

“I’ll be back.”

“Thank you! Be careful!”

After seeing off the last customer, The Flower Bookstore finally became quiet as usual.

It was almost as if the previous bustle had all been a lie.

It’s not like a lunchtime restaurant.

It was the first time customers had flocked in like that, but he thought he handled it quite well.

“Whew…”

Exhaling the breath he’d been holding, Rohan walked towards the corner where two people were.

He was rather curious to see how Noa and Clara were getting along.

“Everything alright?”

As soon as Rohan made his presence known, their gazes naturally turned to him.

Their smiles, each with their own distinct charm, were a pleasant sight.

“Looks like you finally got some breathing room?”

“Y-You worked hard…!”

Clara’s message could have been the result of some discussion with Noa, but there was no need to mention it in front of them.

Watching Rohan casually organize a nearby bookshelf, Noa waved her hand to draw his attention.

“Hey! Let me ask you something.”

“Huh…”

Knowing what Noa was about to say, the girl beside her held her breath in anticipation.

And watching Clara, who was clearly avoiding his gaze and giving off a mysterious vibe, only fueled Rohan’s curiosity.

“What is it?”

Would the beastkin girl beat around the bush?

With her tail swaying from side to side, Noa asked him directly, “Isn’t Clara pretty? Like a doll?”

“…”

How would Rohan answer Noa’s question?

Clara listened with a mixture of anticipation and fear.

Rohan let out a chuckle as if he’d heard a silly question, then resumed organizing the bookshelf.

“What kind of question is that… Of course, she’s pretty.”

“!!!”

Clara’s head shot up, her cheeks flushed.

This is the right answer, right?

Many thoughts flashed through Rohan’s mind as he formulated this instantaneous response.

Wouldn’t Clara be burdened by being called pretty? But wouldn’t it hurt her if he said no or replied vaguely?

But since she was sitting here and not running away, wouldn’t it be okay to give a straightforward answer?

Noa and Clara wouldn’t know that this answer was the result of countless options clashing and merging in his consciousness.

“Oh! Straightforward, huh?”

“Any other response would be a blatant lie.”

“True.”

Noa immediately agreed with Rohan’s words.

And even if it wasn’t their preference, calling Clara’s flawless face ugly would be a blatant lie.

But is this really okay?

Clara’s gaze was directed at the floor again.

Worried that Clara might be feeling burdened, Rohan playfully tried to lighten the mood.

“But you’re not teasing Clara, are you? If you are, I’ll tell Ichinose and have her assign you some worksheets.”

“Teasing? I’m just telling her because she lacks confidence in herself!”

“Hmm…”

“Really!”

Rohan withdrew his suspicious gaze as Noa expressed her frustration.

He was able to get a rough picture of the situation from her words.

“Even so, this kind of approach can make Clara feel burdened, so—”

Ding—!

Before Rohan could finish his sentence, a customer opened the bookstore door.

─ Excuse me? Is there anyone here?

“Yes! Coming!”

Rohan hurriedly walked to the counter, telling them to keep themselves occupied.

It was unusually busy today.

“Sorry. Was it hard waiting for me to get off work?”

“N-No…”

Rohan walked along the road with Clara as the sun set.

It was just the two of them, not three. Noa wasn’t here.

The beastkin girl, who suddenly complained of hunger in the middle of reading, called Ichinose, and left abruptly.

She loudly declared that she’d visit again, but by the time Rohan reacted, she had already disappeared from the bookstore.

Afterwards, Rohan approached Clara, who was now alone, and told her he would show her the dormitory.

That’s how the girl ended up waiting for Rohan until his closing time.

“Rohan Oppa.”

“Yes?”

Clara, walking beside him, glanced at the bag in Rohan’s hand.

The fact that she was now walking beside him, not trailing behind, was more than touching to Rohan.

“Can I… can I carry that for you…!”

“It’s alright. It’s not heavy.”

Inside the bag were 24 volumes of manga.

Having bought and read the manga, Noa recommended it to Rohan, saying it was interesting.

Thanks to the brand-new manga she had given him as a gift, Rohan was now carrying a heavy paper bag in one hand as he made his way back.

It’s actually better this way.

Even though he hadn’t read it, Rohan decided to accept it and keep it in the dormitory.

Clara might enjoy reading it when she got bored.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“No! I’m okay.”

“You should still eat. Should I make you something simple when we get to the dormitory?”

“O-Oppa will cook it himself…!?”

Clara widened her eyes in disbelief.

Rohan smiled, meeting her gaze.

“I can’t make anything fancy, but I learned some basic cooking while living alone. It might not be delicious, but it won’t be inedible.”

“…”

“Or should we just buy something nearby? That’ll guarantee a decent meal.”

As Rohan looked around to find a restaurant, Clara tugged on his sleeve and whispered softly.

“I want to eat what Oppa makes…”

“Then let’s stop by the mart quickly before we go.”

“Okay!”

They slightly altered their course and headed towards a nearby mart.

Unable to contain her curiosity, Clara voiced her question, “Oppa and Noa are really close, right…?”

“I feel like today was the first time I had a proper conversation with Noa? I just happened to run into her when I went to buy a gift for the manager.”

“Eh!?”

How could that be?

In Clara’s eyes, Rohan and Noa seemed to be best friends.

And it seemed impossible to categorize them as anything less. Yet, Rohan nonchalantly replied that they weren’t that close.

“As you saw today, she’s naturally sociable. We’re in the same class, but I don’t even have her number.”

“I-Is that so…”

Clara felt an inexplicable sense of relief at Rohan’s words.

An unknown emotion tugged at the corners of her lips.

“Didn’t you exchange numbers with Noa earlier?”

“Yes…”

“If you did it out of obligation, don’t worry, I’ll tell her. You don’t have to force yourself if it’s uncomfortable.”

“I-It’s okay, but I don’t know how to reply to her…”

“Reply?”

Clara showed Rohan her phone.

A brand-new message had just arrived.

Rohan understood the problem.

Clara was fine with messages that were clear. However, this one was unclear, hence her confusion.

“There’s no particular meaning, she’s just sending it because she’s a tiger beastkin, isn’t she?”

“Would it be okay to reply with a normal greeting…? What if there’s some sort of beastkin messaging etiquette…”

“There’s no such thing, so just relax.”

He waited for Clara to frantically type on her keyboard before he started walking again.

They bought simple ingredients at the mart and a container to store side dishes.

They also needed some cutlery and cups for Clara, so the amount wasn’t insignificant as they started adding things to their cart.

Rohan ended up with both hands full, and Clara also carried some items.

“This is the Academy Boys’ Dormitory building.”

“Wow…”

“You need a student ID to come in through the main entrance, and there are cameras, so you’ll have to come in through the window. Is that okay? Or you could cover yourself with a big hoodie or something.”

Clara nodded after checking the height of the building and the texture of the wall.

“I think I can manage the climbing…”

“Give me your things. I’ll open it for you, so wait a moment.”

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Click! Rohan opened the door and turned on the lights, illuminating the room.

He then put down the bags he was carrying and unlocked the window.

Creaking.

He opened the window, and Clara looked up from below.

He gestured for her to come in and stepped aside.

Without a sound, Clara climbed onto the windowsill.

“This is Oppa’s…”

Clara looked around the room with interest.

She even sniffed the air with her pert nose.

“The shoe rack is over there.”

“Okay!”

Clara took off her shoes while sitting on the windowsill and landed lightly.

She placed her shoes in the shoe rack and came back.

“Should we eat first? Then I’ll show you where everything is.”

“Whatever Oppa wants… I’m fine with anything.”

“Let’s wash the cups and cutlery first.”

As Rohan rummaged through the plastic bags, Clara spoke from behind him.

“Rohan Oppa.”

“Why?”

“Since this is the Academy Boys’ Dormitory, are girls not allowed?”

“Not just girls, but outsiders in general aren’t allowed.”

“H-Hmm…”

Clara wandered around, making little noises.

Sensing her presence, Rohan thought that today might be the perfect opportunity to have a serious conversation with Clara.

For each other, for the future.