"Ughhhhh!!!"
Clara flung herself onto the bed, hugging a pillow tightly as she rolled around the small room.
Her pale legs kicked at the mattress with a thumping sound. She simply couldn’t hold it in otherwise.
– Then stroke me...
The unintentional words of her desire had slipped out, and Rohan had responded with a gentle touch.
Those two elements alone set her entire body ablaze, producing an uncontrollable heat.
‘I leaned my head on Oppa... What was I thinking? What was I thinking? What was I thinking?!’
The girl was overwhelmed by her own actions. The embarrassment was so intense that she felt like her mind was shutting down.
“Hoooo...”
Clara raised her head from the pillow and pressed the back of her hand to her flushed cheek, trying to cool herself down. It was burning like fire.
Even though the sensation had mostly faded, it was still this bad. She couldn’t imagine what kind of expression she must have had at the time.
‘What about me?’
Suddenly, her thoughts became more complicated—unnecessarily so.
Instead of focusing on the work she’d be doing with Rohan, her mind turned to her own feelings.
‘Do I... want Oppa to praise me? Or maybe...’
Despite only just beginning to lead a somewhat normal life, Clara had a vague understanding of her emotions.
As someone who’d enjoyed subculture media, she was well-versed in the various relationships men and women could have.
But the foundation of those relationships, the emotion called “love,” was something she only knew about from stories. Every character seemed to experience it differently, and the catalysts varied greatly.
‘No, no, no. I just haven’t known him long enough... It’s just admiration for someone who’s a good person, right?’
That thought became Clara’s refuge, her way of not taking any risky steps forward.
She had seen plenty of stories where a confession was rejected, leading to disastrous consequences and irreparable relationships.
The idea was terrifying.
Of course, those scenarios were from games and anime, not reality.
“...”
That’s why she was afraid to label her feelings or make any definitive conclusions.
Even without confessing, giving her current emotions a name could change everything.
Buzzzzz—!
The long-awaited vibration of her phone broke her train of thought.
Clara’s hand shot out like lightning.
[Rohan Oppa: The instructor came all the way to the Security Bureauㅎㅎ Did you get home safely?]
“!”
The instructor? That stunning woman with red hair?
Just the thought of her was terrifying. If Clara had to stand in front of her, she probably wouldn’t even be able to speak. She swallowed nervously.
‘W-what do I do? I can’t win against her right now...’
Her thoughts took an unexpected turn toward combat readiness.
“...”
In an instant, the heat drained from her face. Clara calmly got up from the bed.
It seemed like a cold shower was urgently needed.
For reasons she couldn’t quite explain, she felt like training was more necessary than playing games right now.
“Wow!”
“So this is what the finest residential buildings in Academy City look like.”
Following Juyeon into the luxurious entrance, Rohan couldn’t help but let out an admiring exclamation.
Juyeon smiled silently at his reaction as she entered the door code. But just as she was about to grab the handle, a thought stopped her.
‘Did I put away the laundry on the drying rack...?’
She always made sure to keep the house tidy and never let chores pile up, but there was always a chance.
Plus, she remembered she’d left in a hurry and might have left the lights on.
“Rohan.”
“Yes!”
“Sorry, could you wait here for a moment?”
“Of course.”
Rohan, an unplanned guest, understood Juyeon’s need to check.
While waiting, Rohan sent Clara a text message.
After some time, the door finally opened with a soft chime, revealing Juyeon.
Instead of her usual formal attire, she was dressed in comfortable, casual clothes—an unfamiliar yet refreshing sight in Abyss City.
“Sorry for making you wait, especially since you’re not feeling well. Come in.”
“Not at all! Excuse me.”
The warmth of Juyeon’s home enveloped him as he entered. It was the kind of cozy, comforting atmosphere that made one want to lie down and fall asleep instantly.
“Make yourself comfortable. Rest is the best medicine for now.”
“Yes! This place is amazing. I’ve never seen a house like this before.”
“The bigger it is, the harder it is to maintain. I only use a small part of it.”
As she spoke, Rohan walked down the long, wide hallway leading to the living room.
Everything was spotless, not a speck of dust in sight.
‘This must reflect the instructor’s personality.’
Even the living room, with its polished, model-home-like appearance, was impeccably maintained. A digital clock floated on the glass window.
[00:04:32 Sunday]
Seeing the time, Rohan spoke without thinking.
“Oh, it’s already past midnight.”
“Yes, it is. It’s Sunday now.”
Rohan reflected on how much had happened in a single day.
Meeting Noah, studying with her, working part-time at the bookstore, watching Noah and Clara become acquainted, visiting the dormitory with Clara, and dismantling an entire criminal organization.
And now, here he was at Juyeon’s home.
‘What a masterpiece of a Saturday.’
Rohan was genuinely enjoying the lively, action-packed days of his new life, a stark contrast to his past.
“I like this. I really do.”
He felt invigorated and ready for whatever came next.
“It’s late. You should get some rest. I’ll give you toiletries so you can freshen up quickly and head to bed.”
Ju-yeon handed him the items, reminding him not to let water touch his treated wounds.
Rohan glanced around at the closed doors and asked cautiously.
“Um, Instructor! May I ask something?”
“Go ahead.”
“Does this house have multiple bedrooms?”
Juyeon looked puzzled for a moment, then seemed to understand, a faint smile forming at the corner of her lips.
"Just one. You're the first guest I've ever brought into this house, Rohan."
"Oh... I'm honored!"
"Hm, you're showing an unexpectedly nervous side."
Juyeon spoke teasingly, but her statement about Rohan being her first guest was entirely true.
The residence provided by the Academy City’s headmaster had never hosted anyone before, let alone a man.
It was no different back in her home country, Samhwaguk.
Juyeon’s house there was shared with her parents, and while friends occasionally visited, they were all women.
Bringing a man into her home was a first in Juyeon’s entire life.
"There's only one bed, but don't worry. I don't plan to sleep tonight."
"Wait—"
Rohan started to voice a concern, but Juyeon cut him off with a forceful tone that left no room for argument.
"Don't concern yourself with that. I'm not staying awake because of you alone."
"..."
"I'm just curious about the rest of the book I was reading. Besides, missing a night's sleep won’t hurt me."
Juyeon was also staying alert in case the Security Bureau sent an emergency call about field investigations or the remaining enemies.
These were responsibilities she, as Rohan’s guardian, had to handle anyway.
"For now, go wash up. This should be all you need. The basics are already in there."
She opened a cabinet and handed him a toothbrush. Since Rohan’s injuries meant he couldn’t shower, this would suffice for the night.
Rohan returned after a quick face wash and brushing his teeth.
Meanwhile, Juyeon was sipping a freshly brewed coffee and shared some unfortunate news.
"Unfortunately, I don’t have any clothes that would fit you. None of mine are the right size."
"It’s fine. These clothes are comfortable enough."
While their physical strength was incomparable, Rohan’s height and build were clearly larger than Juyeon’s. It was no surprise she didn’t have anything that would fit him.
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"The open door over there leads to the bedroom. Go get some rest."
"No, I’ll sleep on the couch!"
"Hmm. Are you refusing to follow my instructions? My impression of you as a troublemaker is growing stronger by the moment."
"...I’ll rest in the bedroom. Excuse me for imposing."
Realizing further protests were futile, Rohan quickly lowered his head in submission.
Juyeon followed him into the bedroom, insisting on making sure he was properly settled under the blankets.
"Are you warm enough? I can adjust the temperature."
"It’s perfect. Honestly, I could fall asleep right away."
"..."
For someone so full of chatter, he certainly had a way with words.
Juyeon couldn’t help but laugh softly at his earnest response.
As Rohan lay there marveling at the soft, expensive pillow, he stopped Juyeon just as she was about to leave the room.
"Instructor."
"Hmm?"
"About heading to the training room after waking up—"
Before he could finish, Juyeon’s gaze sharpened. The intensity in her eyes felt like fire.
"Absolutely not. Are you begging me to keep you under constant supervision until you're fully healed?"
"No! I was just going to say... rest sounds like a good idea after all."
As expected, he wouldn’t get to see Ichinose’s face at the start of the day. A bit of a shame, really.
"Still, I’ll go to my part-time job."
"Inform them you won’t be coming. As the Security Bureau mentioned, the bounty and reward money will be significant."
Normally, Juyeon wouldn’t interfere in such matters. But this time was different.
Having secured his promise to rest and skip work, Juyeon crossed her arms and reached for the light switch.
"Instructor."
"Is there something else?"
"This is the most important thing."
"...What is it?"
Satisfied by her attentiveness, Rohan lifted his head slightly from the pillow and smiled.
"Thank you so much for today. If I see you in my dreams, I’ll thank you there too."
"..."
With that, he plopped his head back onto the pillow and closed his eyes.
Juyeon let out a small laugh, turned off the lights, and left the room.
***
3 a.m.
Juyeon sat in the living room, leisurely reading a book.
Her phone was beside her, ready to receive any urgent messages.
Flip. Flip.
She had been turning pages for some time when—
"Go that way, and you’ll find the path..."
Rohan’s voice drifted out from the bedroom.
With her keen hearing, Juyeon immediately caught it and rose from her seat, heading toward the bedroom silently.
Entering without a sound, she saw Rohan tossing and turning on the bed.
"We... have to kill it... ugh..."
Was he having a nightmare?
Even with his eyes closed, the distress etched on his face was palpable.
"If we just break through here... we can survive..."
His murmurs were all the same—desperate struggles to survive.
"..."
Was he reliving his time in the southern regions?
Juyeon felt an indescribable emotion as she watched this unfamiliar side of Rohan.
‘He’s never shown this at the Academy.’
She had only ever seen him being polite and making an effort to smile. Perhaps it was all a mask to hide the scars in his mind.
Juyeon stepped closer to the bed and carefully reached out her hand.
"It’s alright. Don’t worry."
"Mm... ugh..."
She soothed him with soft words and gently wiped the cold sweat from his face with her warm hand.
His expression eased slightly, the tension in his features softening.
Juyeon’s kind smile lingered as she perched on the edge of the bed, waiting for him to find peace.