episode_0016

Short twintails dyed purple, eyes that sparkle like lime green.

A flashy fashion often called a minefield or menhera.

A timid attitude despite being decked out in such unique clothing and accessories.

“!”

Rohan quickly assembled an Abyss City character in his head, taking in the girl’s slender face and facial features.

Buried knowledge floods in and condenses in an instant.

‘Clara?!’

If you work part-time at the Flower Pot Bookstore in Abyss City, there are certain Academy cadets that appear frequently.

This bookstore was also a place that Clara, who loved comic books and games, often visited.

Despite such an obvious fact, Rohan was perplexed.

“···.”

That would be the case, since Clara is a character who first appears when the main character is a second-year student and enters the first year.

Rohan had been trying to find her somehow since the first battle, but there was virtually no information about Clara before she entered the academy.

I had given up on finding it, thinking it would be impossible until I was a sophomore at the academy.

I don’t know if it’s because of the reward of a positive cliché, but I just happened to come across it by chance.

“I’m sorry for bumping into you, sorry, sorry···.”

Clara, frozen with tension, mutters, avoiding eye contact.

Rohan quickly finished his thoughts, feeling happy and even friendly towards this peculiar girl whose clinginess seemed to have fallen into the abyss.

After carefully putting down the box containing the books.

I picked up the smartphone that was lying on the floor and was playing a game as I pleased and handed it over.

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

“That, that!”

“Customer. Please check the LCD screen just in case. If it is broken or damaged, you will be compensated.”

“Ahh···.”

Clara takes the smartphone with trembling hands.

He swallowed hard and pressed the buttons one after another.

Rohan hasn’t opened his mouth since.

I took in the information visually, waiting for Clara to speak first.

‘Nail art. More gorgeous than the game.’

The fingernails on the tips of her slender fingers flash with a variety of colors.

It’s amazing to think that these hands can handle weapons so delicately.

“I’m fine···.”

“Thank goodness.”

Clara closed her mouth tightly after saying those words.

Rohan left after saying that if there was any problem, he should tell him at any time, but here he did not simply leave.

To prevent Clara from getting lost in the entrance.

He stepped aside as if telling me to go in.

After that, it was as Rohan expected, so I guess I should be happy.

The girl who had been hesitating entered the bookstore without taking any steps back.

Rohan sighed in relief as he watched the girl disappear between the bookshelves.

“After···.”

Should I have put a more definite face stamp here, mentioning that I’m the new part-timer at the Flower Pot Bookstore? The answer is Nope.

Considering Clara’s personality and disposition, that is absolutely not the case.

‘You have to give up your impatience.’

Unlike games where you can challenge yourself infinitely, in reality you only get one chance.

If you want to build a bridge with a girl whose vigilance is no different from that of a wild animal, you absolutely must not take hasty actions.

Rohan moved the box he had put down to its correct location and headed to the warehouse to continue his work.

It’s simple physical labor, but I do it repeatedly and think slowly.

‘So… what game was Clara playing just now?’

I know Clara likes comic books and games.

But just like the comic books, the games that exist in Abyss City are all new to me.

There is also half a purpose to build a common theme.

Back when Rohan was a hunter, wasn’t he someone who enjoyed playing games after work?

Needless to say, new games are welcome.

I kept putting it off because I felt like I had a lot of work to do, but my curiosity about the games in this world has been piqued.

“Store Manager! Everything has been moved!”

“Already? Slow down… You’ll hurt your back if you do that!”

Rohan grumbled that it was okay and tapped the box containing the books for donation.

“Can I give it to you later when the car comes?”

“You don’t need a person to do that. A small forklift-like thing will come, so just leave it at the entrance.”

Now, when asked to look at the cash register, Rohan stayed until closing time.

It was just before closing time that Clara quietly slipped out from between the bookshelves and disappeared.

“Rohana.”

“Did you call?”

“Come here, I’m closing the door now.”

“Yep!”

“When closing the door, just turn the switch here and all the lights will go out···.”

Last task of the day.

Rohan learned the closing procedure from the store manager.

After finishing cleaning up inside and going outside, the world was already drenched in spiderwebs.

“Close the door and leave the key under the flower pot here.”

“···Is this okay?”

Considering security, I thought I might need to install another machine.

Because I know that in Academy City, it’s rare to find a store that uses a key.

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

“Thank you for your hard work, store manager.”

Rohan just smiled and lowered his head at the tone that said it didn’t matter if a thief came in.

The store manager, who was trying to continue the conversation, looked at his watch, got startled, and started moving.

“Oh my, I should at least show my grandson my face before he falls asleep···.”

The store manager walks away slowly but quickly.

Rohan watched quietly, then took out his smartphone and started writing a message.

‘I have to report this to the instructor.’

Rohan took a screenshot of the simple contract he had written on the app and attached it to the message.

I sent a message with information such as location, store name, business hours, and what they do.

The reply came back quickly.

[Instructor Joo-yeon: I will register it in the computer.]

A plain reply.

Rohan smirked and walked towards the dormitory.

On the way, I browsed through mobile games and downloaded a few that caught my interest.

*****

At dawn, when light is twinkling in the eastern sky.

Ichinose Yui wakes up at that time.

“Ugh···.”

I hug the dolls on the bed and toss and turn for a moment before getting up.

Ichinose moved reflexively, tidied up the messy blanket, and put the doll back where it was.

I also took off my pajamas with my favorite character on them and hung them up.

A light wash to clear your mind.

After completing the minimum skin care routine, I close my eyes and pack the bag and academy uniform I had prepared the day before.

‘My student ID and water bottle… are here…’

Ichinose is wearing comfortable underwear and gym clothes.

I left the dorm with meal replacement supplements and a sword.

Ichinose, who had intentionally blocked her view while facing the outside, was the first to feel the wind with her heightened sense of smell.

‘The smell of spring is faint.’

If it had been the daily routine until yesterday, she would have headed to the downtown area and visited the gym she had reserved, but Ichinose Yui’s destination right now is Orion Academy.

Because there is no need to go to a nearby gym for early morning exercise.

As of yesterday, the academy’s fitness center is open to new cadets, so there’s no reason not to go there.

The facilities are top-notch and it’s close to the classrooms.

Even though the luggage has increased a bit, one of the cumbersome routes to revisit the dorm has been eliminated.

“Good morning.”

─ Meow!

“Good morning. Did you keep your house well last night?”

─ Wong! Hehehe…

At Ichinose’s voice, the cat lying on the wall and the dog tied on a leash show their sincerity.

It means that they are close friends who can be recognized just by their presence.

‘If you’ve met these kids, you’ve arrived.’

Ichinose walked forward without hesitation.

If Noah had seen it from the side, he would have been so excited that he would have gotten lost again.

‘It’s different now.’

Heading to Orion Academy is now a familiar sight.

Since I’ve made the Academy my destination several times whenever I go for a walk alone, I no longer feel embarrassed about getting lost.

If that doesn’t work, another method is to climb to the top of a low building, look at the academy, and go straight.

After walking for a while, I open my eyes slightly because of the energy I feel.

The main gate of Orion Academy appeared in Ichinose’s sight.

“Hehehe.”

Proof that he can safely reach the academy without having to follow the flow of cadets moving in the morning.

It was great. It even gave me a heart-filling sense of accomplishment.

The corners of the lips slightly raised.

The girl nodded to the guard and went inside, keeping it with her.

The academy’s fitness center was a larger building than a gym, so even Ichinose wouldn’t have a hard time finding it.

Beep!

Just like the dormitory, it’s a system where you authenticate yourself with your student ID. You open the glass door.

Ichinose, who had entered the gym, tilted her head as she felt one of the people in the gym.

‘This is···.’

I expected that someone would be there even at dawn.

Aren’t there actually diligent cadets inside who don’t slack off on their training?

But I didn’t know that there would be students in the same class from the first day.

Ichinose peeked her head out and opened one eye.

─ Ugh… Ugh!!!

The golden eyes contained the image of a man toiling and struggling.

‘Rohan.’

Ichinose muttered a name that was vivid in her memory.