I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

15 – Clara

Short twin-tails dyed in purple, eyes sparkling in light green.

A flashy fashion often referred to as either a landmine or a mental health case.

Despite being adorned in such unique attire and accessories, she had a timid attitude.

“!”

Rohan quickly assembled an Abyss City character in his mind, using the girl’s slender facial lines and features as the final pieces.

The buried knowledge overflowed and condensed in an instant.

Clara?!

In Abyss City, the academy cadets who frequently appear while working part-time at the Spider Lily Bookstore are quite predictable.

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

Despite this obvious fact, Rohan was flustered.

…

It was because Clara was a character who first appeared as a freshman when the protagonist became a sophomore.

After the first battle, Rohan wanted to find her somehow, but there was virtually no information about Clara before she entered the academy.

He had given up, thinking it was impossible to find her until he became a sophomore.

Whether it was thanks to the reward of positive clichs or not, they happened to meet by chance like this.

I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…

Clara, frozen with tension, muttered while avoiding eye contact.

Rohan quickly finished his thoughts, feeling both glad and familiar with this peculiar girl who seemed to have fallen into an abyss of sociability.

After carefully placing the box of books down,

He picked up the smartphone that had fallen to the floor and was playing a game on its own, and handed it to her.

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

Th-that!

Customer, please check the screen just in case. If it’s cracked or damaged, I’ll compensate you.

Aah…

Clara received the smartphone with trembling hands.

She swallowed hard and pressed the buttons here and there.

Rohan did not speak after that.

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

Nail art. More dazzling than a game.

The nails at the tips of her slender fingers sparkled in various colors.

It was fascinating to think that such hands could handle weapons delicately.

I’m… fine…

That’s a relief.

Clara clammed up after those words.

Rohan left a word asking her to speak up if there were any problems and stepped back, but he didn’t just step back here.

He moved aside as if to let her in, ensuring that the flustered Clara wouldn’t slip out of the entrance.

Should he be pleased that things went as he expected?

The hesitant girl did not retreat but stepped into the bookstore.

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

Phew…

Should he have mentioned that she was the new part-timer at the Flower Murut Bookstore to make a more definite impression? The answer is Nope.

Considering Clara’s personality and disposition, absolutely not.

You must abandon impatience.

Unlike games where you can challenge infinitely, real-life opportunities are surely once.

To build a bridge with a girl whose wariness is no different from that of a wild animal, hasty actions are absolutely forbidden.

Rohan moved the box he had set down to its proper place and then headed to the warehouse to continue his work.

Repeating simple tasks that could hardly be called physical labor, he slowly let his mind wander.

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

He knew Clara liked comic books and games.

But just like the comic books, all the games in Abyss City were new to him.

Half of his purpose was to build a common theme.

Hadn’t Rohan also enjoyed playing games after work during his days as a hunter?

New games were always welcome without a doubt.

He had been putting it off because he had a lot to do, but his curiosity about the games in this world had sprouted.

“Manager! I’ve moved everything!”

“Already? Take it slow… you’ll hurt your back!”

Rohan joked that he was fine and tapped the box of donated books.

“Should I load it up when the truck arrives later?”

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

Rohan stayed at the counter until closing time as he was asked.

Clara quietly disappeared from between the bookshelves just before closing time.

“Rohan.”

“Yes, you called?”

“We’re closing now, come here.”

“Yes, sir!”

“When you close the door, just flip this switch and all the lights will go off…”

The last task of the day.

Rohan learned the closing procedures from the manager.

After finishing the internal cleanup together and stepping outside, the world was already fully immersed in twilight.

“After closing the door, just put the key under this flowerpot.”

“…Is this really okay?”

Considering security, he thought they should install another device.

He knew that stores using keys were rare in Academy City.

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

“You worked hard too, manager.”

Rohan just smiled and bowed his head at the manager’s nonchalant attitude towards theft.

The manager, who was about to continue the conversation, looked at his watch and suddenly started moving.

“Oh dear, I need to at least show my face to my grandchild before they fall asleep…”

The manager walked away quickly despite his slow pace.

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

“I need to report to the instructor.”

Rohan captured the simple contract he had written with the app and attached it to the message.

He compiled information such as the location, store name, business hours, and tasks, and sent the message.

The reply came quickly.

[Instructor Joo Yeon: I will register it in the system.]

A plain reply.

Rohan chuckled and walked towards the dormitory.

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

*

At dawn, when the light flickers from the eastern sky.

Ichinose Yui wakes up at that time.

Uuugh…

She hugs the dolls placed on her bed and tosses and turns for a moment before getting up.

Ichinose instinctively tidies up the messy blanket and places the dolls back in their original positions.

She takes off her pajamas, which have her favorite character drawn on them, and hangs them up.

A light wash to refresh her dazed mind.

After finishing minimal skincare, she packs the bag and academy uniform she had prepared the day before with her eyes closed.

Student ID and water bottle… here they are…

Ichinose, dressed in comfortable underwear and gym clothes.

She leaves the dormitory with a meal replacement supplement and a sword.

As she faces the outside, Ichinose intentionally blocks her vision and first feels the wind with her heightened sense of smell.

It smells like spring.

If it were her usual routine until yesterday, she would head to the gym she had paid for in the bustling area, but now Ichinose Yui’s destination is Orion Academy.

There is no need to visit nearby gyms for early morning workouts anymore.

As of yesterday, the fitness room at the academy has been opened to new cadets, so there is no reason not to go there.

The facilities are top-notch and close to the classroom.

Even though the luggage has increased a bit, one cumbersome route to revisit the dormitory has been erased.

“Good morning.”

Meow!

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

Woof! Pant pant…

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

It means they are close enough to know each other just by their presence.

‘If I’ve met these kids, it means I’ve arrived.’

Ichinose walked without hesitation.

If Noah had seen it from the side, he would have made a fuss, saying that Ichinose would get lost again.

‘It’s different now.’

Heading to Orion Academy is now familiar.

Every time Ichinose took a walk alone, the academy was the destination, so the embarrassing act of getting lost disappeared.

If all else fails, climbing to the top of a low building and heading straight while only looking at the academy is also a method.

After walking for a while, Ichinose slightly opened his eyes, feeling the energy.

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

“Hehe.”

It was proof that he could reach the academy safely without following the flow of the cadets moving en masse in the morning.

It was excellent. There was even a sense of accomplishment filling his chest.

A faintly raised corner of the mouth.

The girl kept it as she nodded to the guard and moved inside.

The academy’s fitness center was a building larger than a gymnasium, so it was not difficult for Ichinose to find it.

Beep!

A system that authenticates with a student ID, just like the dormitory. The glass door opens.

Ichinose, who entered inside, tilted her head as she sensed one of the presences in the fitness center.

‘This is…’

She expected someone to be there even at dawn.

Aren’t there diligent cadets who don’t neglect their training?

However, she did not expect a classmate to be there on the first day.

Ichinose peeked her head out and opened one eye.

Hup… Grrr!!!

In her golden eyes, a man was captured, groaning as he overworked his body.

‘Rohan.’

Ichinose muttered the name that remained vividly in her memory.