I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

Chapter 24

The princess, cautious and full of thoughts, would act with care.

Even if she decided to contact Rohan, it wouldn’t happen overnight.

Perhaps not until the next major incident unfolded.

“...”

With those expectations in mind, Rohan enjoyed the familiar view before him.

By the time he returned to Academy City and checked his smartphone, it was already dawn.

It was the time when cats and crows outnumbered people on the streets and garbage placed outside stores was being collected.

"I can still use the academy’s facilities on my day off, right?"

If he returned to the dormitory now, he’d probably collapse into bed and lose the entire day.

Instead, Rohan decided to head to Orion Academy’s training room.

After all, he had nothing scheduled for the weekend—not at the academy, nor at his part-time job.

"I’ll need to review theory once I wake up."

With a responsible determination, Rohan made his way forward.

Luckily, he was already wearing comfortable, movement-friendly clothes. Once he took off his hoodie, he’d be ready for exercise.

After purchasing a protein drink from a convenience store, Rohan arrived at the entrance to the training room.

There, he saw a petite girl just opening the door.

Before he could say anything, the girl, eyes closed, turned her head toward him.

The corners of her mouth curved up ever so slightly.

"It’s a close call, but I arrived first today."

"You seem happy."

"Not at all. Unlike Noah, I don’t get excited over trivial things like that."

Seeing Ichinose like this made Rohan feel that coming at this hour was the right choice.

He approached her, verified his student ID tucked behind his smartphone, and entered the training room with her.

"Ichinose."

"Did you call me?"

As she headed to the locker to store her bag, Rohan called out and handed her the box he was carrying.

"Want some macarons?"

His sudden and seemingly random offer made Ichinose open her eyes slightly, revealing her pupils.

"Carrying macarons at this hour—do you have late-night hypoglycemia?"

"No, I just happened to buy them."

"Hmm..."

"Consider it a bribe, too."

"A bribe?"

Ichinose raised her head and shot him a questioning look.

Rohan found even her gaze amusing, and his tone lifted slightly as he replied.

"I’ll probably need your help with theory from now on."

Ichinose seemed to understand and nodded with her eyes closed again.

"If that’s the case... Hehe, I’ll take just one."@@@@

Her pale, slender fingers plucked a macaron from the box and slipped it between her lips.

"Oh."

Even in that brief motion, there was a sense of elegance.

Her lips moved slightly as she chewed, her expression thoughtful and curious.

"This... was made entirely with almond flour. These days, many shops increase the wheat flour ratio to cut costs, but this macaron was made properly."

"Really? I wouldn’t know. I’m not picky, so I’m glad you like it."

"Did you buy it from a good place?"

"I’d say so."

Considering it came from a shop that couldn’t be accessed with money, it could certainly be called a good place.

The fact that Ichinose had praised it was proof enough.

"Want another?"

When Rohan offered, Ichinose hesitated slightly.

It seemed like she was curious about the other flavors.

"Just one more. Only one."

"Take the whole box."

"Ah!"

Without waiting for her to choose, Rohan handed her the entire box.

Watching someone he cherished enjoy the treat so much made him feel the points spent were well worth it.

"Heh, that’s kind of you, but that’s not what I meant."

As Rohan listened, the manager gestured toward an empty shelf and continued speaking in a gentle tone.

"Even though we have our share of regulars, the bookstore gets pretty quiet in the evenings, doesn’t it? Hardly any customers."

“...”

It was true that they didn’t get many visitors, but it wasn’t something Rohan, as an employee, could outright agree with.

"If someone comes in, just greet them properly and handle the sales. Otherwise, feel free to relax at the counter. You don’t have to stand so stiffly all the time."

When Rohan nodded, the manager pointed to the table where they had conducted his interview.

"There’s a table here for you to use. Once you’ve finished your tasks, feel free to study there."

"...Thank you!"

Rohan bowed deeply, not refusing the manager’s kind offer.

With his tight schedule, this was a welcome opportunity.

"It’s only fair. I can’t pay you much, so I should at least give you something in return."

"You’re too kind. I appreciate it."

"My son was shocked when I told him I hired a student from Orion Academy as a part-timer."

The conversation naturally flowed into stories about the manager’s family.

Rohan listened attentively, adding occasional reactions, all while keeping an eye on the clock.

Eventually, he turned to the manager.

"Sir, how about I lock up the shop tonight? You can head home early."

"Hmm?"

"I need to learn how to close up eventually. Better to get some practice now, right?"

"That’s true. It’s not too complicated... Alright, I’ll leave it to you."

The manager had hired Rohan so he could spend more time with his grandson. The offer to leave early was undoubtedly tempting.

"If I run into any problems, I’ll call you right away."

The manager smiled and waved as he headed out, leaving Rohan alone in the quiet bookstore.

In the stillness of the shop, only Rohan and Clara remained. She was quietly reading a book beneath the shelves.

As always, Rohan began his little game.

─ Company Wave!

The game volume was set to the lowest level.

Rohan deliberately sabotaged his formations and combinations, leading to failure after failure.

"Hmm... Maybe I should just give up."

He sighed dramatically, putting his phone away and standing to begin closing the shop.

Though Clara wasn’t in sight tonight, he could vividly imagine her reaction after repeating this routine for several days.

"How much longer can she hold out?"

As Rohan mopped the floor, pretending to lose interest in the game, a timid voice called out from behind him.

"Um... Excuse me!"

"Yes?"

There she was—Clara was watching him.

He hadn’t expected a reaction this soon, thinking it would take at least a month.

Suppressing the excitement rising within him, Rohan kept his expression neutral and asked calmly.

"Would you like me to help you with something?"

"Ah, n-no! It’s not that..."

"Then, are you looking for a specific book?"

Clara shook her head, her small hands fidgeting. After a moment of hesitation, she finally spoke.

"That... That game... Company Wave..."

"This one?"

Rohan pulled out his phone from his pocket, and Clara nodded cautiously.

After five seconds of silence, she finally mustered the courage to speak.

"That’s... That’s not how you play it!"