I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

42 – Relationships as a Stepping Stone for Tigers -4-

Bzzzzzz!!!

A vibration so familiar it had become endearing.

Rohan, who was rummaging through the top of the bookshelf while standing on an indoor ladder, put his hand into his apron.

[ Clara: Oppa. Is it okay to use hot water on Monday…? ]

A message that, unusually, lacked emoticons, giving it an impulsive feel.

Of course, it’s fine. The timing is a bit odd, but you’ve finally made a decision.

Rohan replied with a “Sure,” and continued his work.

“Author Guwol’s Monster Molar Classification Chart. There’s one left here.”

“Thank you. Please proceed with the payment.”

As he moved to the counter with the customer, he began to plan his after-work activities.

‘Should I stock up on some snacks in the room?’

Today, I need to inform her of the academy dormitory location and unlock the window.

For someone like Clara, climbing the wall wouldn’t be a problem, and she could enter more quietly than anyone else.

“I’ll come again.”

“Thank you! Take care!”

After sending off the last customer, the Higanbana Bookstore returned to its usual tranquility.

The earlier commotion seemed like a lie.

‘It’s not like a lunchtime restaurant.’

It was the first time customers had flocked in like that, but I think I handled it well enough.

“Phew…”

Rohan exhaled the breath he had been holding and walked towards the corner where the two people were.

Noah and Clara had always been curious about how things would turn out.

“Are you doing well?”

As Rohan’s voice emerged, their gazes naturally followed.

The smiles reflecting their unique colors were pleasant to see.

“Looks like you finally have some free time?”

“Th-thank you for your hard work…!”

Clara’s message might have been the result of a discussion with Noah, but there was no need to mention the details in front of a third party.

Seeing Rohan leisurely organizing a nearby bookshelf, Noah waved his hand to catch his attention.

“Hey! Let me ask you something.”

“Hmph…”

The girl sitting next to Noah, knowing what he was about to say, held her breath in tension.

Rohan could only wonder at Clara’s actions, avoiding his gaze with an inexplicable atmosphere.

“What is it?”

Would a beast girl hesitate?

Noah, waving his tail side to side, asked directly.

“Isn’t Clara pretty? Doesn’t she look like a doll?”

“…”

What kind of answer would Rohan give to Noah’s question?

Clara, half-expectant and half-fearful, listened intently.

Rohan, hearing the trivial question, let out a hollow laugh and resumed his organizing.

“What are you asking? Of course, she’s pretty.”

“!!!”

Clara’s head snapped up. Her flushed cheeks turned red.

‘This must be the right answer, right?’

In that fleeting moment, many thoughts crossed Rohan’s mind.

Would Clara feel burdened by being called pretty, given her personality? But saying otherwise or giving an ambiguous answer might hurt her.

But since she didn’t run away and stayed seated, maybe it’s okay to answer straightforwardly.

Noah and Clara wouldn’t know that this answer came after many choices clashed in his consciousness.

“Oh! That’s refreshing?”

“Any other impression would be a blatant lie.”

“True.”

Noah immediately accepted Rohan’s words.

Even if it’s not his taste, saying Clara’s face, which has no sharp edges, is ugly would be a blatant lie.

‘Is this really okay?’

Clara’s gaze dropped again.

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

“But this isn’t bullying Clara, right? If it is, I’ll tell Ichinose to make her do problem sets.”

“Bullying? No way! I told her because Clara lacks confidence in herself.”

“Hmm…”

“It’s true!”

When Noah expressed his grievance, Rohan withdrew his suspicious gaze.

From those words, a rough picture was drawn.

No matter how it is, this way might make Clara feel burdened.

Ding!

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

Excuse me? Is there no staff here?

Yes! I’m coming!

Rohan left a word to play around for a while and hurriedly moved to the counter.

It was an unusually busy day today.

*

Sorry. It must have been hard waiting until I got off work?

Oh, no.

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

Not three, but two. Noah is not here now.

The beast girl who was reading a comic book suddenly said she was hungry, called Ichinose, and then abruptly got up and left.

She loudly informed that she would come again next time, but by the time Rohan reacted to that voice, she had already disappeared outside the bookstore.

Afterwards, Rohan approached Clara, who was left alone, and told her about the dormitory.

That’s why the girl ended up waiting until Rohan’s off time like this.

Rohan oppa.

Yes?

Clara’s gaze, walking beside him, turned to the envelope occupying one of Rohan’s hands.

Now, walking together side by side instead of following behind was more than anything a thrill for Rohan.

“That… Please let me carry it…!”

“It’s okay. It’s not even heavy.”

Inside the envelope were 24 comic books.

Noah had bought and read the comic books, then recommended them to Rohan, saying they were fun.

Thanks to Noah giving him the still-crisp comic books as a gift, Rohan was carrying a heavy paper envelope in one hand.

‘It’s actually for the best.’

Even if he didn’t read them, Rohan decided to keep them in the dormitory.

Clara might find them interesting when she’s bored.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“No! I’m fine.”

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

“Oh, you’re going to cook…!?”

Clara’s eyes widened as if she couldn’t believe it.

Rohan met her eyes and smiled.

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

“…!”

“Or should we just buy something nearby? Honestly, that’s a guaranteed taste.”

Stopping on the main street, Rohan looked around to find a restaurant.

Clara grabbed her collar and whispered softly.

“I want to eat what you made, oppa…”

“Then let’s just stop by the mart for a bit before we go.”

“Okay!”

The path veered slightly towards the nearby mart.

Clara couldn’t hold back the curiosity swirling in her chest and let it out.

“Noah unni and oppa are really close, right…?”

“Today was the first time I had a deep conversation with Noah too. We just happened to run into each other while buying a gift for the manager.”

“What!?”

How could that be?

To Clara’s eyes, Rohan and Noah seemed like close friends.

Anything less seemed impossible. Rohan calmly replied that it wasn’t to that extent.

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

“I see…”

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

An unknown emotion made the corners of her mouth twitch.

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

“Yeah…”

“If you exchanged them reluctantly, I’ll explain it well, so don’t worry. If it’s burdensome, don’t force yourself.”

“It’s not that, I just don’t know how to reply to unni…”

“Reply?”

Clara showed her phone to Rohan, asking him to take a look.

A freshly arrived message is visible.

[ Noa Unni: Roar! ]

Rohan understood what the problem was.

Clara was fine with messages where the length of the reply was visible. But this one was ambiguous, so it must be confusing.

“It doesn’t really mean anything, it’s just her saying she’s a tiger beastman, right?”

“Would it be okay to reply with a normal greeting…? What if there’s some kind of etiquette for beastman messages…?”

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

Rohan waited for Clara, who was hurriedly typing on the keyboard.

Rohan moved his feet again.

He bought simple ingredients at the market and also purchased containers to store side dishes.

Since Clara needed utensils and cups, he started picking them up here and there, and it wasn’t a small amount.

Rohan now had his hands full with bags, and Clara was also holding items on one side.

“This is the academy’s male dormitory building.”

“Wow…”

“You need to scan your student ID at the entrance, and there’s a camera, so you’ll have to come in through the window. Is that okay? Or you could cover yourself with a big hoodie.”

Clara, after checking the height of the building and touching the wall to confirm the material, nodded.

“I think going through the window will be fine…”

“Give me the bags. I’ll go up and open it for you, so wait a moment.”

Clunk! Rohan opened the door and turned on the light, illuminating the room.

Next, he put down the luggage he was carrying and unlocked the window.

Creak.

When he opened the window, Clara was looking up from below.

He gestured for her to come in and stepped aside.

Without a sound, Clara climbed onto the windowsill.

“This is your…”

Clara’s eyes scanned the room with interest.

She also sniffed the air with her prominent nose.

“The shoe rack is over there.”

“Okay!”

Clara, who had been sitting on the windowsill, took off her shoes with a light movement and landed gracefully.

She placed her shoes in the shoe rack and returned.

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

“Whatever is convenient for you… I’m fine with anything.”

“First, let’s wash the cups and utensils.”

As Rohan rummaged through the plastic bags, rustling to find the items,

Clara’s voice came from behind.

“Rohan oppa.”

“Why?”

“Since it’s the academy’s male dormitory, are girls not allowed?”

“Not just girls, but outsiders in general are not allowed.”

“Huh, huh…”

Clara wandered around, making awkward nasal sounds.

Sensing Clara’s presence, Rohan thought.

Today might be the perfect day to have a serious conversation with Clara.

For each other, for the future.