“Here, I’ll leave the cup and utensils here. The bright colors make them easy to spot, which is nice.”
“Mhmm…!”
Rohan, having washed the extra cup and utensils for Clara, moved his hands to another task.
He pulled out the instant rice and ingredients for side dishes that had been stored on the shelf for cooking.
“This will take a little while, so if you get bored, you can watch TV. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”
“Mhmm, I’ll just watch from here.”
Clar who seemed to be curious about the cooking process stood beside Rohan and started observing him with an eager expression on her face.
Come to think of it, I haven’t been cooking as much since coming here.
With that thought, Rohan began washing the vegetables and stacking them neatly on the cutting board.
He shook the water off his hands and picked up the kitchen knife.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Onions, carrots, and green onions lined up on the cutting board were swiftly chopped into chunks.
As Clara watched the smooth, efficient process, she asked in a cheerful voice,
“Oppa, do you enjoy cooking?”
“It’s not so much that I enjoy it. I just figured managing food expenses was an efficient way to save on living costs.”
“Ooh…!”
This was something rooted in his past life.
However, even in the Academy City of Elysium, that aspect wasn’t all that different.
“These days, I only cook on weekends. During weekdays, the academy provides meals, so it’s easier.”
Without the cheap Academy cafeteria for students, he would undoubtedly have struggled financially.
Without that option, he might have wasted points on shop skills just to stave off hunger.
I don’t want to be obsessed with money… but having a certain amount does give you peace of mind.
Rohan had endured poverty tirelessly until he became a hunter. So much so that the very state of being poor felt tedious.
He understood well how much material deprivation could eat away at a person.
That’s why he hated being poor.
If his wallet was any thinner than it was now, he would’ve had to calculate the balance in his head while buying Clara something tasty or agonize endlessly over giving a gift to his manager.
Even imagining it left a bad taste in his mouth.
He didn’t want to skimp in those areas.
“Rohan oppa.”
“Hmm?”
“If I get a proper status here in the Academy City and end up living in a place with a kitchen… it’d be good to try cooking for myself, right?”
That was Clara’s way of saying the place she currently lived in didn’t even have a kitchen.
Rohan found that disheartening.
“If it’s something you want to do, cooking is definitely a good hobby. But I don’t think you should feel forced to do it if you don’t want to.”
“I-I’d like to try if I knew how… but I’ve never done it before, not even once.”
“Next time, why don’t we try making something together? If you follow the recipe, it’s totally doable.”
“!”
– Nod, nod, nod.
Clara nodded her head vigorously with her expression brightening with eagerness. Her twin-tails swayed back and forth as she moved her head enthusiastically.
Seeing her excitement, Rohan extended his pinky finger to seal the promise, then continued cooking.
Once the instant rice was heated in the microwave and transferred to bowls, the meal was ready.
As they sat across from each other at the dining table, a special warmth filled the air and the two couldn’t help but smile naturally.
“Let’s dig in!”
“Eat up.”
“You too, Oppa! Hehe…”
“Just hearing that makes all the effort worth it.”
From Rohan’s perspective, it was heartwarming to see Clara enjoy even such a simple meal so much.
Her genuine enthusiasm made him wonder about what she normally ate and he started worrying a little.
Then, a certain someone crossed his mind.
Sion.
The aloof princess flickered briefly in his thoughts.
However, this wasn’t the moment to bring her up to Clara.
Serious talk during a meal just ruins the appetite.
Bringing up the main topic could wait until after everything else was taken care of.
Meals were meant to be enjoyed in peace, after all.
After finishing their meal with lighthearted chatter, Clara leaned back and started stroking her still-flat stomach with a satisfied sigh.
“Whew… I’m so full…”
“Did you eat a lot?”
“Mhmm! Thanks for the meal!”
“I’ll pack the leftover side dishes in containers and put them in the fridge, so if you’re ever hungry, feel free to come by and eat. Just heat them up the way I showed you earlier, and they’ll be ready in no time.”
After tidying up the dishes, Rohan began arranging the large stack of mangas Noah had given him and the items he had purchased, all while continuing his explanation to Clara.
In particular, the washing machine was a different model from the one in Clara’s room, so a brief explanation was necessary.
“Fill the detergent up to this line here. The fabric softener goes in the compartment right next to it.”
“Mhmm, mhmm! I understand.”
“Clothes that need to be hand-washed or have zippers or decorations should go in the laundry net we bought earlier. Using it will reduce wear and tear, so make sure to use it.”
“Oh…!”
These were things the girl, who had only received spy training in Xeno before fleeing, had never known.
Clara nodded her head as if she now understood the purpose of the laundry net, and listened attentively to Rohan’s instructions.
“I think that’s about it. If I’m not around, don’t open the door for anyone who knocks. Understood?”
“Okay!”
As Rohan quietly watched the girl, who was brimming with excitement over the little things, he experienced a shift in his feelings.
Even if things didn’t go as planned with bringing Clara into his team, he decided to make sure she could live comfortably.
This wasn’t the game; it was reality.
Forcing her to do something she wasn’t willing to do could make the challenges ahead unbearably harsh.
“Clara.”
“Hmm?”
The girl turned to look at him with a smile as if asking if he had called her.
Rohan smiled wryly at her innocent reaction and made a suggestion.
“Well… how about we go for a walk to help digest the food?”
···
···
The two of them walked together and each held a drink.
Rohan had coffee, while Clara sipped on fruit juice just in case.
“You said you’d start using the hot water from Monday, right?”
“Mhmm. Is that okay…?”
Rohan nodded his head while assuring her it was fine.
“Of course. It doesn’t matter when. I’ll keep the window locks undone for you, too.”
“Hehe.”
Hearing his reassurance again, Clara smiled happily.
“Even if I’m gone for a while, feel free to use it as you need.”
“Gone for a while…? Because of the academy?”
“There’s no training planned at the academy that would take that long yet. It’s just… I might have to step away for a few days because of something else.”
Clara blinked her eyes. She was trying to understand what Rohan meant.
After pulling her lips away from the straw, she looked at him curiously.
“Do you work somewhere else besides the Spider Lily Bookstore?”
“If you look at it as work… well, you could see it that way.”
“Hmm?”
When Rohan gave an unusually vague response, Clara tilted her head in curiosity.
“There’s a direction I’ve been focusing on because I’m considering making it my main career. The bookstore job is part of the foundation for that.”
“Is it okay if I ask what kind of work you’re aiming for?”
“I haven’t mentioned it to anyone else yet, but in the end, it’s related to battle.”
“Then I’m the first person you’ve told about this…?”
“That’s right. You’re the first.”
Hearing that it was tied to battle made her think it might be something serious, but she couldn’t deny she was happy to be the first person to hear about it.
“Want to hear more?”
“If it’s okay with you…”
Clara answered without a hint of hesitation, and Rohan smiled at her response.
After making sure no one else was around, he stopped walking. They were in a quiet alley near the dormitory.
“As you already know, Clara, I’m from the South, right?”
“…Mhmm.”
“For graduates of Orion Academy, the most common path is to return to their home country and join a respected battle unit.”
Rohan took a sip of his coffee before continuing.
“That doesn’t mean there’s no path for students like me, who graduate with nowhere to return to. There are quite a few cases of graduates immigrating to other countries.”
“…….”
“There are only two years left until graduation. If you have a lot to prepare for, it’s a short time, but if you let it slip by carelessly, it can feel long.”
Rohan had said it was only two years, so did that mean there was a lot to prepare for?
Clara bit the straw and blankly stared at his mouth from which Rohan’s voice flowed.
“I have two options in mind.”
“Two options…?”
“One is to join a military unit in another country after graduation.”
“And the other?”
At Clara’s question, Rohan paused for a moment.
Taking a measured sip of his coffee, he kept her waiting briefly before meeting her eyes and responding.
“To stay in the Academy City. Either as a security officer or a freelancer.”
“!”
That would mean they could keep seeing each other.
That thought naturally popped into Clara’s head.
“What I want to achieve right now is the latter. I’ve grown fond of Academy City, and working independently suits me better.”
It was the kind of statement that felt like it came from someone who had experienced all of life’s ups and downs and fully understood themselves.
Clara blinked quietly, taking it all in.
They weren’t far apart in age, yet Rohan had such a clear sense of direction. She couldn’t help but be impressed.
“Clara.”
“Mhmm?”
“Do you have anything you want to do in the future?”
“M-Me? I’m not sure…”
She shook her head weakly.
Her immediate future was already so dark and uncertain that she had never thought beyond it.
“That’s okay. You’ve done your best so far, Clara. It’s enough to take your time finding your path for the future.”
“……..!”
It didn’t feel like empty words; there was a powerful conviction in his tone as if he truly understood everything.
Clara felt a whirlwind of intense emotions stirring inside her chest.
“Clara.”
“M-Mhmm!”
Her voice was tinged with a faint tremor, and she responded in a lower tone as if she was embarrassed.
Rohan softened his expression and a gentle smile formed at the corners of his lips as he asked,
“Until you figure out what you want to do in the future, would you like to stay by my side?”
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