“It may not be the right time to call this a reunion, but as fellow students, take this moment to celebrate your safety and get some rest.”
“……..”
Leaving those words behind, Joo-yeon turned and left.
She shut the infirmary door with a thud!
Rohan felt a little resentful of Joo-yeon for leaving him behind in this awkward atmosphere.
Ah, this is so embarrassing. I want to run away.
Noah was wagging her tail gently. She was staring straight at him with the sharp gleam unique to a predator in her eyes.
He had no idea what kind of emotion that expression was supposed to convey.
Ichinose, with her eyes hidden beneath her bangs, only had her head turned in his direction, but even that felt unbearably pressuring.
“……..”
In the silence, the thin curtain between them swayed ever so slightly.
Ichinose quietly rose from her seat, and Noah hurriedly stood up as well.
Seeing the two girls striding towards him, Rohan held his breath.
Click!
Stopping in front of his bed, Ichinose embraced her sword against her chest and bowed her head politely.
Noah, in a flustered hurry, did her best to follow suit and show her respect.
“Setting everything else aside, I wanted to express my gratitude to you, Rohan. Thank you. And… I’m so glad you’re safe.”
“Thank you. I survived thanks to you.”
He thought about saying it wasn’t something he should be thanked for since he had simply acted according to his nature. But after how his conversation with Joo-yeon had been leaked, there was no point.
“I’m just glad you two are safe as well.”
Rohan, feeling at a loss for words, let out an awkward laugh and tried to smooth things over.
“We… never intended to eavesdrop on your conversation with the instructor. We were just waiting quietly until she finished speaking.”
“That’s right!! That’s exactly why we stayed silent.”
Rohan understood perfectly well what the two of them were trying to say.
After all, it wasn’t even possible for students to intentionally eavesdrop on Joo-yeon’s conversation in the first place.
“I had just woken up and was still out of it. How’s Corin doing?”
Not wanting to dwell on the awkward topic any longer, Rohan deliberately steered the conversation in a different direction.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Ichinose finally gave him an answer.
“There’s no problem according to the examination results. She woke up a while ago, and we even ate together. She’s sleeping peacefully right now.”
“Corin must’ve been exhausted after sticking with me on that deserted island!”
Noah added with a self-deprecating joke, lightening the ticklish atmosphere.
Then Ichinose casually shared another piece of information that came to mind.
“It’s been about six hours since you fell asleep, and the instructor removed the sticker from your neck.”
Come to think of it, that was right.
When Rohan rubbed the back of his neck, he realized that the thing that had been causing him discomfort was now gone.
“The Snowfall-75 pistol was completely destroyed. I think it couldn’t withstand the magical power.”
“I got to fire it properly at least once. I’d say I made good use of it.”
He figured he would need to get himself a proper pistol once they returned.
He made a mental note to ask Sion and Clara for advice.
“Honestly, there’s so much I want to say to you, Rohan. So much I want to ask, and I want to properly thank you too.”
“Mhmm! Mhmm!”
Noah, apparently feeling the same way as Ichinose, nodded enthusiastically.
“But for now, I’ll hold back. I know you need to rest, just like the instructor said.”
“Just buy me something tasty next time. We can talk all we want then.”
Rohan said with a smile, just like his usual self.
Ichinose gave a small nod in understanding.
“I never forget a favor. A meal is one thing, but I’ll find some way to repay you.”
“Me too! My dad always said that forgetting a favor makes you no better than a beast! And I’m not a beast. I’m a beastkin, so I won’t forget!”
And with that, the two girls disappeared like a storm, leaving no room for Rohan to refuse.
Rohan quietly stared at the door through which Ichinose and Noah had vanished, then slowly closed his eyes.
“….…”
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Ichinose and Noah left the infirmary and walked down the long, stretching hallway.
Their steps were headed toward the area where the students had gathered to rest.
As they walked along,
Noah, who had been gazing up at the ceiling while walking, suddenly let out a small chuckle and spoke her mind.
“Haha! This is the first time I’ve found a guy cool besides my dad.”
Ichinose was startled and came to a sudden stop.
Her stiff neck creaked awkwardly as she turned toward Noah.
Then, as if she couldn’t believe what she’d just heard, she asked,
“Noah… what did you just say…?”
“Why? It’s true, isn’t it? He’s way cooler than all those guys pretending to act manly.”
“Well…”
Although Noah got along well with everyone, it was the first time Ichinose had ever heard her openly call a man cool.
And judging by the excited look on her face, it didn’t seem like she was joking either.
“Well, it was just a simple thought I had. My heart was beating pretty fast, you know?”
“…….”
“People always say they’d risk their lives, but I’d never actually seen someone with that kind of resolve or spirit in action before.”
“I understand what you mean.”
“And I’m really frustrated too! I’m so weak! I couldn’t even beat a guy like him… If it were Dad, he would’ve crushed him with one hand! Once I get back, it’s training! Training! And more training!”
To Ichinose, Noah who was reaffirming her determination only looked all the more impressive.
To openly share feelings like that with others, without hiding anything… that was something Ichinose herself could never do.
How could someone be so honest?
She was jealous.
··
··
The transport ship was currently headed toward Academy City.
After finishing his rest in the infirmary, Rohan had rejoined Class 1 where everyone was gathered. He also got his phone back, which had been kept in storage.
I wonder if Sion and Clara are doing alright.
The test had ended sooner than expected.
The faces of Sion and Clara kept floating through his mind in worry.
Thinking of the two girls who might already be back at the dorm, Rohan turned on his smartphone.
And just as Academy City started to come into view through the window of the transport ship, he saw that his phone service had reconnected.
Bzzz! Bzzzz! Bzzz! Bzzzt!
His phone vibrated wildly, like crazy.
Startled, Rohan hurriedly turned off the vibration and checked his phone.
A flood of missed messages from the group chat was pouring in.
[Clara: Sion wanted her own personal cup and utensils too, so we’re out shopping for them! ☆ﾐ(o*･ω･)ﾉ]
[Sion: Had hamburgers with Clara for lunch.]
[Clara: (*•؎ •)]
[Sion: Photo.]
··
··
[Clara: We’re back at the dorm! Today, Sion got hit on twelve times on the street! One of them was even from a famous agency! (¬‿¬)]
[Sion: Clara managed to stay completely unnoticed for over three hours… but when she finally spoke up to order a hamburger, the staff asked for her number.]
[Clara: It’s so hard to walk around like this! I need oppa! ✘_✘]
[Sion: Agreed.]
··
··
[Sion: I got offered an empty honorary position at Tigrova.]
[Sion: And the old CCTV footage from the Monolith incident isn’t a problem anymore. Apparently, Yuho will handle it internally within Tigrova, treating it like I was investigated there.]
How many messages are there?
He hadn’t even scrolled halfway down yet. It was clear there were at least a few hundred piled up.
Before letting them know he was on his way back, Rohan took his time reading through the messages, smiling to himself as he saw how well the two of them were getting along.
Just as he managed to scroll through about half, a new message popped up in real time.
[Clara: Σ(ʘωʘﾉ)ﾉ Oppa’s reading this!!!]
[Sion: Rohan? Have you been granted a break?]
Rohan let out a small chuckle and started typing his reply.
He simply told them that the test had ended early and he was already on his way back.
And added that he was almost there.
Just as he was about to call them, thinking he’d like to hear their voices too, unfortunately, Joo-yeon’s broadcast came through.
– Attention to all Class 1 students. The transport ship will be landing in five minutes. Please remain seated and wait.
And just like that, the place they arrived at was Orion Academy.
The students poured out of the transport ship in droves, and Joo-yeon gathered the Class 1 students to give some final instructions.
“Your fatigue won’t disappear overnight, but everyone is still expected to come to school tomorrow. There won’t be any classes, though. Once everything’s wrapped up, proper rest will be guaranteed.”
Since the test had ended early due to unexpected incidents, this was something everyone had more or less expected.
After confirming that there were no voices of complaint or displeasure, Joo-yeon continued speaking.
“Today, focus on getting some rest back at the dormitory. If anything comes up, don’t hesitate to contact your instructor at any time.”
Considering what had happened, there was no way the Academy could just sit back and relax.
They would need to gather as many testimonies from the students as possible, and they would also have to do their best to take care of any students who had been injured, even if only slightly.
“Alright then, dismissed.”
“””Thank you for your hard work!!!”””
The students responded in loud voices and scattered in all directions.
***
Ichinose decided to follow Joo-yeon’s instructions and focus on getting some rest.
After arriving at the dormitory, she relaxed her body with a hot shower, then stretched while talking to her parents on speakerphone.
Noah must have fallen asleep the moment she arrived. There was no reply to her messages.
Ramen…
She felt hungry and ramen suddenly came to her mind.
This was a first.
She went to a convenience store and bought some ramen.
She did her best to make it on her own, but it didn’t taste good.
If what Rohan made was a perfect 100, then this was maybe a 10 at best.
She couldn’t eat it. She decided to just brush her teeth and go to bed.
“Eumm…”
A soft and warm bed. After settling into it and closing her eyes for three minutes, Ichinose suddenly sat up, feeling confused.
What is this? Why does the pillow feel like this?
The pillow she had been using for so long was now giving her a subtle discomfort she had never felt before.
Wondering if the shape of the back of her head had somehow changed, she sat on the bed and felt around her head.
Round. No problem.
She had been blessed with a nicely shaped head.
“Ha!”
Finding it ridiculous, she grabbed one of the stuffed animals lined up on her bed and lay down again.
She could definitely sleep. Compared to the deserted island, this was paradise.
Still, if she were to rate it objectively, this pillow was probably about a 98 out of 100.
Nothing was lacking.
Yet, there was a strange sense of disappointment.
A perfect 100 would be greedy. This is more than enough.
Her thoughts wandered aimlessly.
As her mind drifted toward dreamland, it began to paint hazy pictures.
She reflected on that unforgettable day.
“…….”
Rohan’s words and actions vividly came to her mind.
And just like Noah had said, her heart began to race.
Whoosh!
Ichinose quickly pulled the blanket up over her face.
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