It was Saturday.
That weekend, the Spider Lilly Bookstore was closed. The store owner had shut it down before telling Rohan to focus on his exam studies.
Of course, it seemed that more than half of the owner’s true intention was to go on a trip with his grandson, but Rohan was still grateful for the kind gesture.
I should send him gifts more often. And buy more books, too.
He had also informed the owner that he would likely have to quit his part-time job soon.
He hadn’t even worked there that long, yet when he brought it up, the owner simply smiled, understood right away, and told him to visit anytime. It made Rohan want to bow in gratitude.
The thought of wrapping things up neatly left him feeling lighter.
“Clara, is this the right bus?”
“Mhmm!”
“Our seats are 11A and 11B… You should take the window seat, Clara.”
“I-I don’t mind sitting on the aisle side. Wouldn’t it be more comfortable for you to sit inside…?”
“Just sit by the window already~ It’s more uncomfortable for me to keep my legs squeezed together.”
And so, on the weekend before midterms, a final moment of leisure was granted to them.
Rohan boarded the bus with Clara and headed toward the station.
Needless to say, they were on their way to pick up Sion who had departed from Tigrova.
“Here, have some water, oppa.”
“Thanks. You’re not feeling cramped?”
“I’m fine! What about you?”
“I’ve got plenty of space too. These bus seats are really nice.”
Feeling at ease, Rohan chatted freely with Clara.
He decided to postpone, just for a little while, the endless cycle of reviewing and memorizing theory for the upcoming midterms.
After all, he had been overloading his brain with an unusual amount of studying lately.
Rohan felt that he needed time to refresh his dried-out mind, and the timing of this plan couldn’t have been better.
“When we come back, Sion and Clara should sit together, and I’ll take a solo seat.”
Clara nodded her head in agreement with her purple twin-tails swaying up and down.
If it were up to her, she would have preferred to sit with Rohan at the center, but the seating arrangement simply didn’t allow for that.
“Clara, if you’re sleepy, you can take a nap. I’ll wake you up when we arrive.”
“Aren’t you the one who’s sleep-deprived because of studying? Judging by your messages lately, you’ve been staying up late.”
Rohan let out a small chuckle and pulled out his smartphone.
– Company Wave!
Lowering the volume as much as possible, he launched the game he and Clara played together.
Her eyes sparkled with interest as she leaned in closer to him.
“Now, I just need a bit more currency, and my third party will be complete. What do you think?”
“Oppa… you leveled up so fast. I think I might cry…”
Clara had been keeping an eye on his progress, but there was nothing for her to critique.
His gameplay was clean. The mistakes that used to tempt her into giving advice were nowhere to be seen.
At this rate, with just a bit more time investment, he was bound to break through to the top. It was truly a satisfying improvement to see.
“Oh, did you get a call from Sion yesterday?”
“Mhmm! I was relieved to hear that everything worked out well. O-Oppa, you talked to her too, right…?”
“I did. She suddenly asked me what perfume I wear.”
“…….”
Clara clearly remembered the way Sion had sounded over the phone.
That moment of stunned realization when she discovered that Rohan didn’t use any perfume at all.
As if she had just now become aware that the scent she was so obsessed with… was simply Rohan’s natural scent.
“Clara.”
“M-Mhmm…?”
“I should’ve mentioned this sooner, but my academy exams are coming up soon, right?”
“Mhmm, mhmm! I know.”
“The written exam ends next Monday, and right after that, the practical exams start. So, I won’t be at the dorm until they’re over.”
Clara’s eyes widened.
Without realizing it, her voice grew louder, and her hands trembled.
“H-How long will you be gone…? A day? No way… two days…?”
“Unfortunately, it won’t be that short. As of now, I’m scheduled to be away from Monday to Friday.”
“!!!”
The despair of Rohan being gone. Not just for a day or two, but for the entire week.
With just a few words from him, Clara felt like she was plummeting into an endless abyss.
“There’s plenty of side dishes in the fridge, so make sure you and Sion eat well, okay?”
“…….”
Clara couldn’t find the words to respond.
In fact, she could barely even process what he was saying.
H-He won’t be here next week…?
Looking back on her recent days, she couldn’t even imagine spending that much time apart from Rohan.
Even if someone accused her of having dependency issues, or even an addiction, she wouldn’t be able to argue against it.
“Uwaaaah….”
As the girl let out a soul-draining wail, completely losing her composure—
Rohan gently reached out his hand.
“Oh, and this is kind of random, but… it’s a gift for you, Clara.”
“……?!”
Click!
At the sound, light returned to Clara’s lifeless eyes.
“I thought it would suit you, so I bought it. It’s nothing expensive, though.”
“Huh?”
She fumbled with her hands and touched the accessory now clipped into her hair.
Just from the texture alone, she could tell what it was. It was a smooth material with a heart-shaped ornament at the end.
“O-Oppa…!”
“I just picked it out on my own, so you don’t have to force yourself to wear it.”
“I’ll wear it for the rest of my life…!”
Clara’s grand declaration.
Rohan chuckled and asked,
“Shouldn’t you at least check the color and design? If you want a different color, I can go exchange it with you.”
“I love this one!”
She didn’t need to take it off to check the design or color.
Since Rohan had chosen it, that was enough. She didn’t need anything else. She would never exchange it.
The happiness gifted by the hairpin nestled in her hair.
The girl who was once weighed down now felt as if she were soaring to the sky.
As long as she held onto this happiness like a flickering flame, she felt she could endure the cold, empty weekdays without Rohan.
The station for the Sky Train.
It felt simpler than expected, but it was similar to waiting for an arriving plane at an airport.
“Ah! Oppa, look over there…!”
Through the glass, she saw the Sky Train descending from the sky.
Clara pointed and said that given the time, Sion was probably on that train.
They headed toward the entrance where the announcements were playing.
Rohan grabbed a large piece of paper and a pen from the table.
“Let’s write ‘Sion’ on a placard and wait.”
“Uh… Won’t she feel embarrassed…?”
“That’s the fun of it. She’ll either love it or completely ignore it. One of the two.”
With his messy handwriting, Rohan wrote the large letters [Si] and [On], one by one.
Then, he and Clara each held up a sheet and stood by the entrance.
Barely five minutes had passed.
A crowd of passengers poured out from the gate.
Among them, Sion appeared. She was wearing Rohan’s jacket.
A truly striking beauty. She seemed to shine on her own, making her immediately stand out to Rohan and Clara.
Sion perked up her ears, scanning the crowd, and quickly spotted Rohan and Clara waiting for her.
Seeing her own name in their hands, she let out a small, amused scoff.
“Welcome back. You must be tired.”
“Unnie, welcome…!”
Sion approached Rohan and Clara, wiping away her amused scoff.
Then, she gently lifted the corners of her lips.
“Thanks for the grand welcome.”
Since returning from Tigrova, the air of composure around her had grown even stronger.
There were details Rohan hadn’t caught over the phone. Stories he now wanted to hear.
“Let’s head back first.”
··
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On the bus ride to Academy City, they talked about many things.
Even as they neared their destination, their conversation showed no signs of stopping.
“Lady Yuho mentioned that she was worried I might charge at them the moment we met.”
But for her to act that way… Sion had seen the elders’ disgraceful display.
And because of that, she had learned quite a bit.
She now understood that the Snow Tiger Emperor had pursued his goal in a straight line, never straying beyond reasonable bounds.
Clinging to that and emotionally condemning the mutually agreed-upon usurpation process as a mistake would be a stain on her parents’ name.
Sion knew at least that much about how the world worked.
I heard the Snow Tiger Emperor never shied away from a challenge. He must already be living with that resolve.
Perhaps it was because she had pulled the trigger on the Chief Elder and settled her lingering emotions.
Lately, she had felt her perspective broadening.
If not for that…
Her gaze naturally drifted to Rohan.
A brilliant observer who never failed to set her heart racing.
Thanks to Rohan, she now knew exactly where to aim her gun.
“Oh! We’re here.”
When the bus came to a stop, Rohan instinctively grabbed Sion’s bag and took the lead.
With her hands suddenly free, Sion took Clara’s hand instead.
“So.”
“Hmm?”
“How was he now that you saw him in person?”
Rohan’s question came as he stepped off the front of the bus. Sion knew his curiosity was about the Snow Tiger Emperor.
Anyone with ambitions of reaching greater heights would naturally wonder about him.
Clara was listening intently as well.
“A monster that couldn’t be killed by any means… that seemed absolutely unkillable.”
That was Sion’s honest impression. Would that be enough?
Rohan gave a nod and continued walking. He didn’t show any further curiosity.
“Let’s just drop off our luggage at the dorm first. Then how about an early dinner? My treat.”
“Rohan. Wait a moment.”
Sion spoke up, bringing her steps to a halt.
Clara who had been holding her hand, stopped as well and Rohan turned back to look at them.
“I want to buy dinner today.”
“……?”
Rohan blinked. For once, he hesitated, unsure of what to say.
It was only natural. Sion hadn’t told him yet that she had inherited her fortune.
She had borrowed his card not too long ago because she had no money. Now, offering to buy dinner must have seemed odd.
“I told you there was something I wanted to show you when I got back. Do you remember?”
“The thing you mentioned yesterday?”
“I-I do…”
Sion remembered what she had said over the phone.
Sensing that something was about to happen, Rohan and Clara quietly waited.
Sion reached into her pocket with one hand and pulled out her smartphone.
She then showed them her account, where Yuho had deposited the money.
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