(TN: Clean Water means noob. Stagnant Water means a veteran. This is in the context of the game Rohan is playing.)
***
“Th-That’s not how you’re supposed to play it…!”
The effect of the “Clean Water vs. Stagnant Water” strategy was more remarkable than Rohan had anticipated.
Stay calm.
He needed to respond calmly.
Rohan knew exactly how fleeting this moment was and how the next words could lead to a huge opportunity.
“What are you talking about?”
“You have to get your company to at least Rank 5 so you don’t lose out on major resources…! You should use Iroha and Kiki as your tankers and start by going through th-the Supply Dungeon first!”
Once Clara blurted out all the words she’d been holding in, perhaps a mix of relief and regret flooded in together.
Seeing Clara fidgeting in clear anxiety, Rohan answered in the lightest tone possible.
“Company? Ah, right! You’re a Company Wave user too, aren’t you?”
When he replied as though he just remembered the time they ran into each other and he saw her smartphone, Clara gave the slightest nod.
Rohan kept a straight face while thinking fast.
The fact that she didn’t just say what she wanted and run away means things aren’t going badly.
Probably, anyway.
Moving the mop back and forth, Rohan picked a question that even a tongue-tied Clara would be able to answer briefly.
“In that case, do you mind if I ask a few things?”
“Ah, y-yes!”
“Do you have time…?”
As Rohan’s gaze shifted toward the clock on the wall,
Clara’s head moved along with it.
“Well, it’s almost closing time, so let me finish up here. I’ll treat you, so let’s just lock up and head to a café nearby.”
“!?”
Clara looked quite startled and her face showed her confusion.
Rohan pretended not to notice.
At times like this, you gotta play dumb.
He had to avoid simply “suggesting” they go somewhere. Proposing they go to a café was the right approach.
Aside from his role-playing in Abyss City, based on Rohan’s personal experience, someone like Clara needed direct and clear statements.
Until they became close enough to talk comfortably and joke around, he tried to hold off on giving her a choice unless it was a really casual question.
“Please wait just a moment. I’ll finish right away.”
“Auu…”
After avoiding eye contact with the flustered Clara.
Rohan hurriedly mopped the bookstore floor and wrapped it up close.
··
··
“Thank you for waiting.”
“…….”
After closing the store, Rohan put the key in his pocket.
It wouldn’t do to hide the key under a flowerpot right in front of a customer, after all.
He planned to stop by again on his way back.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes…”
When Rohan walked one step ahead, Clara followed quietly behind.
When they stepped out of the alley where the Spider Lily Bookstore was located and onto the main street, there were many cafes.
It wouldn’t take long to get there, so no room for suffocating silence was left.
If she really can’t handle it, she’ll run off without a sound.
That was what Rohan thought.
Even if Clara wasn’t particularly active or assertive, she had enough power to protect herself.
“Let’s go somewhere we can grab a quick bite.”
“…….”
Rohan had eaten cheaply at the academy cafeteria before starting work.
But Clara had been holed up in the corner of the bookstore from afternoon until night.
He could guess the situation. She almost certainly hadn’t eaten dinner.
Rohan stood on the main street and looked around.
Most of the places in sight were bustling and bright, which wasn’t a bad thing.
“A café would be nice, but a hamburger sounds good too.”
It wasn’t going to be some heavy conversation, after all.
Whether it was a café or a fast-food restaurant, both were fine for talking about the game.
I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask which of the two she’d prefer.
Rohan glanced at Clara, who was standing beside him, blinking blankly.
Sensing his gaze, the girl quickly glanced back at him.
Only then did Rohan ask,
“Where would you like to go?”
“Anywhere is fine…”
“Do you like hamburgers?”
Clara looked around left and right, then nodded her head shyly, as if she was embarrassed.
That was enough for Rohan.
Beep! Beep!
The automatic door opened, and unlike the outside, a bright interior welcomed the two.
A familiar-looking machine was waiting for them to place an order.
They have a kiosk here too.
By some coincidence, this moment was special for Rohan as well.
It would be his first time trying fast food in the academy city.
I used to get sick of eating hamburgers and gimbap on the go back in the day. But this is a first here.
Standing in front of the machine, Rohan gestured to Clara.
“Call it a learning expense. Pick whatever you like.”
“…Th-Thank you.”
Perhaps by now she felt refusing would be pointless.
Clara gave a small bow and briefly shifted her gaze around.
“Have you decided?”
“Yes.”
Rohan stared pointedly at Clara who pressed for a single cheeseburger before she folded her fingers as if she were done.
It felt like she just couldn’t bring herself to do anything else yet.
Rohan upgraded Clara’s single-item order to a set meal and added various side dishes as well.
“I’m not the type to be satisfied with just one serving of fries. Two is too much, though.”
“…….”
With that, the order was placed and paid for.
They waited briefly while Clara who couldn’t say much fidgeted with her hands clasped together.
Their order was called out soon enough, and they found seats nearby to settle down.
“Thank you for the meal…”
“Eat as much as you like. You can order more if you want.”
But even if Rohan said so, Clara probably wouldn’t.
Even if she was still hungry.
After finishing their burgers while leaving only the fries and drinks,
Rohan shifted the topic to games.
Once the conversation centered on gaming, Clara began to respond clearly and continued the discussion with Rohan.
“Have you joined a guild yet?”
“Not yet.”
“It’s always better to join a guild that hits level 10. Attendance efficiency makes a huge difference.”
“So, any guild that’s level 10 is fine, right?”
“Yes, but these days, open slots are rare. It’s easier to find one through community boards, though… hmm…”
“Are there other options?”
When Rohan asked, Clara hesitated for a moment without answering.
Though he was uncertain about what she wanted to say, Rohan waited patiently.
After a moment of silence, Clara, who had been passionately speaking earlier, shrank back into her usual reserved demeanor. She averted her gaze and whispered softly,
“Uh, would you… like to join the guild I created? All the spots are open, but… um, a guild run by someone like me is probably…”
“Oh! Would it be okay if I joined? I’d be honored!”
“T-Then, here…”
Clara provided a number, which Rohan entered into the search bar, revealing a guild.
[Clara Company]
▷ Level: Max
▷ Members: 1/50
▷ Cumulative Contribution: 35,899,000
“Clara Company? Does the name mean something special?”
“No! I just put my name in, that’s all…”
Clara’s face flushed red. She was clearly embarrassed to explain in detail.
Watching her reaction alone was enough to amuse Rohan.
“It was a bit awkward to call ‘guest’ earlier, but now that we’ve cleared this up, it’s nice to meet you properly. I’m Rohan.”
“Ah… I’ll remember that!”
Grateful for the naturally developing opportunity, Rohan continued the conversation.
“You leveled up the guild to 10 all by yourself?”
“Y-Yes…”
Rohan was impressed and praised her efforts before bringing the focus back to their shared interest in the game.
Clara answered every question smoothly and continued her explanation.
“Gerald is S-rank but has limited use, so it seems wasteful to invest early resources in him. That’s why it is better to borrow him… Do you have any friends who can lend him to you?”
“I don’t. It seems like only certain people play mobile games.”
“Hmm…”
“I was actually thinking of quitting because I had no one to talk to about this.”
She nodded her head with a serious expression on her face with her twin pigtails swaying gently.
Clara seemed to empathize with those words completely.
“But since you’re helping me like this, I have to see it through. It’s more fun when you have someone to play with, right?”
“Y-Yes, that’s right!”
Clara looked excited and went on to explain again.
Rohan was able to naturally add Clara to his in-game friends list.
“Since you can only set three support slots, I’ll assign a different support character once you move on to the next area. Just use it for stages where you get stuck.”
“Can friends in the game send messages to each other?”
“There’s no messaging feature. You can only provide support if you’re friends.”
“In that case, after I clear a stage, would I have to wait until I see you at the bookstore again to let you know? If our days off don’t match, I might have to wait a few days.”
“Uh, well, that’s…”
At that moment, Clara momentarily fell silent and was at a loss for words.
Sensing the moment, Rohan smiled and held out his smartphone.
“Chairman Clara. May I have your number?”
He asked jokingly as if it were no big deal.
But inside, his heart pounded as if about to burst from nervousness.
If she rejected him here, there was a chance Clara might stop coming to the bookstore altogether.
Please!
He had blurted it out, feeling it was the right timing, but only after speaking did he realize how anxious he was.
“……”
Contrary to Rohan’s excessive worries—
Clara tapped in her number without much hesitation.
Rohan was so overjoyed that he could have jumped up and shouted, but he kept himself in check with all his might.
“I’ll give you a quick call.”
After Rohan entered the number into Clara’s phone—
She munched on one of the few remaining fries before catching Rohan’s attention.
“And there’s something else I wanted to say…”
When Rohan leaned forward as if to tell her to say anything—
She spoke in the same strangely excited tone she had used when she first gave him advice.
“C-Company Wave actually has a really good story!”
“Really? I’m still at the beginning, so I’ll have to pay close attention as I go.”
“It has a lot of proper nouns, so people say the first three chapters are a bit of a barrier to entry… but once you get past that…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll trust you and push through to the end.”
“…..…!”
At those words, Clara’s mouth opened slightly.
She looked happier now than at any other time that day.
I really like moments like this.
Rohan understood exactly how Clara felt.
When a game’s story was so good, you desperately wanted others to experience it too.
He deeply understood that urge to share the unique foreshadowing and emotional impact.
…
…
Since both of them were so invested in the game, the conversation lasted longer than expected.
Rohan spent much more time chatting with Clara than he had anticipated.
After bidding her farewell with a “See you tomorrow,” Rohan returned to the bookstore, put the key under the flower bed, and headed to the dorm.
Bzzzt—!
On his way back,
Clara sent him a message.
[Clara: Rule #1 of Clara Company! Focus on supply dungeons until you reach the max level! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧]
She’s so energetic over text.
That cute difference made him smile.
***
TN: that last emoji means probably “Fighting!” which Koreans say to mean “You can do it!”
Clara is best girl for me!
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