Sunday evening, when Rohan was certain Shion wouldn't call back.
He had just finished unwrapping his bandages and wrapping up his theoretical studies. With his study session complete, he was replying to Clara's messages.
Bzzzz—!
"Huh?"
A vibration signaled the arrival of a new message. Reading its contents, Rohan blinked in surprise.
[Ichinose: Is this why you didn’t show up at the training room today?]
The first indication of the situation came from Ichinose’s message.
When Rohan asked what she meant, she replied that there was no need to feign ignorance over something so significant.
As he was about to press for further explanation, Gilbert called.
— "Oh, my comrade! No, my hammer of justice! Your righteousness is awe-inspiringly terrifying!!!"
"..."
The moment Gilbert began shouting, Rohan’s ears felt like they might burst, so he immediately hung up.
He then checked the link Ichinose had sent, which clarified the situation.
[Midnight Chase in Academy City! Orion Academy Cadet Rohan Takes Down Criminal Syndicate With Intuition Alone...]
[Baek Unsan, Academy Director: ‘Orion Academy is on the right path.’ A testament to the institution’s founding principles...]
“Already?”
Scrolling through the article, Rohan was stunned.
The events had occurred only the day before, yet the Academy Director’s statement was already included, despite it being the weekend.
He could only assume this speed was due to Juyeon’s influence, as a former Grand General of Samhwaguk, rather than the usual efficiency of Elysium’s Security Bureau.
"..."
Seeing his name plastered across the internet felt strange.
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Even during his time as a hunter, he had never received this level of public attention, and it left him feeling a bit uneasy.
[Clara: Photo!]
[Clara: Oppa! Look at this!]
[Clara: (°ﾛ°(°ﾛ°(°ﾛ°(°ﾛ° )!!!]
Soon, Clara, likely while browsing the web between gaming sessions, also found the article. She sent him screenshots of it.
[Clara: Oppa, now that you’re famous, won’t people flock to the Spider Lily Bookstore? (≧▽≦)]
Of course, that was unlikely to happen.
While the article included his name and the photo on his cadet ID, it wasn’t the type of story to attract that level of attention.
Still, Rohan didn’t dampen Clara’s excitement.
‘She’s seriously adorable.’
Leaning his chin on his hand, Rohan enjoyed Clara’s lively messages.
Her playful energy and delight at seeing a familiar name in an article were charming, even in text form.
When Rohan jokingly suggested that if something similar happened in the future, they should include her name too, Clara hesitated before responding. She didn’t reject the idea outright but said she’d think about it, which was enough to satisfy him.
Monday.
Although Rohan had no choice but to resume his part-time job, he decided to follow Juyeon’s advice to avoid training for now.
After a good night’s sleep, he arrived at Orion Academy.
"..."
Standing before the door to Class 1, Rohan took a deep breath, steeling himself.
Based on Gilbert’s hysterics the previous day, he had a good idea of what to expect. He could only imagine how chaotic things would get when they came face to face.
Recalling Juyeon’s instruction to keep Gilbert from screaming like a lunatic, he added that to his mental checklist.
"Good deeds, yet here you are sighing over them."
Just as Rohan was about to pull the door open, a voice addressed him.
He turned to find Dick Wikitree adjusting his glasses with one finger as he approached.
"Oh, you’re here."
"Overcoming the controversies and accidents surrounding your friendship with Gilbert and achieving such recognition... truly unprecedented. Remarkable."
As always, Dick spoke only what was on his mind.
However, Rohan had spent enough time in class to figure out how to handle the bespectacled student.
"You’re friends with Gilbert too. In fact, you’re closer to him than I am."
"...To correct that statement with facts: my relationship with Gilbert cannot be categorized as friendship. It’s more akin to an unavoidable entanglement of ill-fate."
The effect was immediate.
Stepping aside from the door, Rohan smirked and called out to Dick, who was still muttering under his breath.
"Hey. I’ve got something I need help with. Think you can assist?"
"What’s this? Calling upon the wisdom of Dick Wikitree himself? Speak."
Rohan briefly explained what was likely to happen once they entered the classroom.
Dick nodded vigorously, as if he had just glimpsed a vision of the future.
"As expected, Instructor Juyeon, with her sharp insight, must have anticipated Gilbert's outrageous theatrics. His voice alone is enough to qualify as noise pollution."
"I didn’t say all that... Anyway, are we going in?"
"Stop. A strategy should always be prepared before acting in such situations. I have some ideas."
"What ideas?"
"The first solution is to call Gilbert’s older sister. It’s the most effective but impossible."
"Don’t waste time with things that won’t work. Focus on what’s doable."
When Rohan cut him off, Dick cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses, as if composing himself.
Rohan was well aware of how long Dick could ramble if left unchecked.
"The sixteenth solution: physically shut his mouth."
Dick rummaged through his bag, rustling around before pulling something out.
"Bread?"
"Bought this last Friday and forgot about it. The expiration date’s still fine. Even if it had mold, considering Gilbert survives on Wisp Cores, I suspect it wouldn’t be an issue."
"You’re saying we should use this to shut him up?"
"Isn’t it ingenious in its simplicity? If you consider his behavioral patterns, the solution becomes clear."
Rohan paused to imagine it.
‘Gilbert always barges in with his face first when the door opens, and his mouth is dead center.’
There was solid logic behind Dick’s seemingly reckless suggestion. It wasn’t a bad plan.
Just as Rohan was about to approve, he felt someone tapping on his back.
Turning around, he saw Noah Frozenheart emerging from the back entrance, her tail swishing curiously.
"What are you two doing out here instead of going in?"
"Oh, you’re early."
Casually greeting her, Rohan brushed it off as nothing important. Noah, however, poked his arm with the tip of her tail.
"I heard from Nose yesterday that you did something good?"
"Just got lucky."
"..."
Meanwhile, Dick clammed up, his entire body stiffening with tension.
It was no secret to Rohan now—Dick was incapable of interacting normally with girls. When he did try, his words became rigid and awkward.
"Is Gilbert inside?"
"Yeah, he’s been pacing back and forth between the front and back doors. Like a guard golem."
"Any idea why?"
"When I asked, he said something strange as usual. Something about waiting to honor the Hammer of Justice that punished evildoers."
"..."
This was going to be worse than anticipated.
Rohan pulled an unopened pack of high-protein jerky from his bag, and Noah’s eyes sparkled like stars.
"Noah."
"Yeah?"
"I’ll give you this jerky if you can freeze Gilbert’s mouth for me."
"Why? What if Instructor scolds me later!"
"Well, the thing is..."
Once convinced, Noah acted swiftly.
Though Rohan had only asked her to freeze his mouth, Gilbert soon found himself encased in a solid block of ice.
It wasn’t until Juyeon arrived that the ice-bound Gilbert was freed.
***
For Clara, this Sunday had felt longer than all of Monday and Saturday combined.
Though her routine didn’t change much between weekdays and weekends, this was the first Sunday she hadn’t seen Rohan since they’d grown closer.
Even playing games manually instead of relying on auto-mode didn’t make the hours pass any faster.
The sense of time felt warped, almost surreal.
Click.
"..."
On Monday morning, Clara opened the window to Rohan’s dorm room.
She had already messaged him and received his reply, so her presence was permitted.
‘Oppa’s room!’
Clara took her time looking around, feeling more at ease than the last time they ate together.
Carefully, she approached the bed.
Just looking at it made her gulp.
She wanted to dive into it immediately but restrained herself with the thought that she should at least shower first.
Clara neatly folded her clothes on the bed before heading to the bathroom.
While getting ready to shower, she noticed some of Rohan’s clothes in the laundry basket.
"Ah..."
Her mind raced with thoughts.
She wasn’t sure how long she stood there, but she managed to resist any impulsive actions.
After a warm, refreshing shower, Clara dressed herself in clean undergarments and headed straight for the bed.
"..."
Knowing there was no one watching, Clara still looked around nervously before climbing into Rohan’s bed.
In her underwear, she hugged the blanket and buried her face in it.
"Mmm... Hehe..."
The bedding smelled like Rohan.
The faint scent she could only catch from a distance before was now much stronger.
It was a comforting aroma, one that seemed to soothe her.
‘Ah! Should I wash Oppa’s clothes too?’
Clara recalled from an anime she’d watched that a woman taking care of chores without being asked left a good impression.
Her thighs hugged the blanket tightly as excitement bubbled up, and she wiggled her hips at the thought of being praised.
She remained there, basking in Rohan’s lingering scent, her mind hazy with contentment.
That’s when she felt it—a faint presence scaling the dormitory wall.
"?"
Clara’s senses sharpened as she detected the movement.