Chapter 48: The Sole Guardian Part 2

Released:

“Uuuuuuuuu!!!”

Clara who had returned to her cramped room flopped face-down on the bed and hugged her pillow as she rolled around.

She kicked her pale legs, thumping them against the bed. She couldn’t bear it otherwise.

– Then… can you pat my head…

The desire she unconsciously let slip out and Rohan’s agreeing touch…

Those two things roused the girl’s body, generating a mad rush of heat.

To give my head to O-Oppa… I must be crazy, must be crazy, must be crazy, must be crazy.

The girl was confused by her own actions. And she was so embarrassed she felt like her mind was breaking.

“Phewww…”

Clara lifted her head from the pillow and pressed the back of her hand to her flushed cheeks, trying to cool them down. They felt like hot coals.

Even though it had subsided a lot compared to when she was being patted, she was still this hot. She couldn’t imagine what kind of face she’d made at the time.

What’s wrong with me?

A fresh wave of confusion washed over her, truly making her head spin.

More than the future tasks she would carry out with Rohan, she was troubled by her own state.

Do I want Oppa to praise me? Or…?

Even a girl who’s just begun to enjoy a normal life can guess certain emotions.

Since she’s been immersed in subculture, she at least knows a lot about the relationships men and women form.

But this basic emotion called “love”, each character has a different take on it. Each one was brought about by unique circumstances.

No way. I haven’t known Oppa that long… It’s just a favorable impression of him being a nice person… right?

That thought also acted as a refuge for Clara, who couldn’t take a step forward.

She’d seen plenty of times what disasters might happen when a confession is rejected and how relationships collapse.

It’s absolutely terrifying.

Of course, that was all in games and anime, not in reality.

“….…”

That’s why she was afraid and scared to pin down this feeling with a definitive answer.

The moment she named it or nailed it down, even without confessing, she had no idea how it might change.

Bzzzt—!

The long-awaited phone vibration.

The girl who was deep in thought had her hand shoot out like lightning,

[Rohan Oppa: The instructor even came all the way to the Public Safety Bureau, haha. Did you get home safely?]

“!”

If it’s “the instructor”, then it must be that red-haired beauty!

Just thinking about her was terrifying. If she stood in front of her, she wouldn’t be able to speak. She swallowed nervously.

Wh-What do I do? There’s no way I can beat her with my current skills…

For some reason, her train of thought reached that conclusion.

“….…”

Her flush cooled in an instant. Rising calmly from the bed, the girl decided she needed a cold shower right away.

And Clara herself wasn’t sure why, but…

At the moment, training was far more urgent to her than gaming.

***

“Wooooow!”

So this is what the finest housing in the academy city looks like.

Following behind Joo-yeon, Rohan walked through the luxurious entrance and plainly expressed his admiration.

Seeing this, Joo-yeon silently smiled while entering the passcode, then placed her hand on the doorknob—

But something crossed her mind, and she paused.

I did put away all the underwear from the drying rack… right…?

She always tried to stay on top of housework and tidying to avoid letting things pile up, but there’s no predicting everything.

On top of that, she recalled she’d left in a hurry and kept the lights on.

“Rohan.”

“Yes!”

“Sorry. Could you wait here a moment?”

“Of course.”

Rohan was an unplanned visitor, so he understood Joo-yeon’s situation.

While he waited, Rohan sent Clara a text message.

He wondered how long Joo-yeon had been inside—

Beep!

The door swung open, revealing Joo-yeon’s face.

Unlike her usual suit attire, she was now wearing comfortable casual clothes. It was a rare sight you wouldn’t see in Abyss City.

“Sorry to keep you waiting when you’re not feeling well. Come on in.”

“No, it’s fine! Excuse me!”

Joo-yeon’s home gave off a gentle, cozy warmth.

It was the kind of pleasant temperature that made you want to lean back and drift off to sleep.

“Make yourself comfortable. Right now, rest is the best medicine.”

“Yes! I’m amazed at how spacious it is. This is my first time seeing a place like this.”

“The more space you have, the harder it is to maintain. I don’t even use most of it.”

As Joo-yeon said, the hallway leading to the living room was long and wide.

Even so, it was perfectly tidy overall.

You can see the instructor’s personality here.

There wasn’t a speck of dust in any corner. She was meticulous.

They arrived at what appeared to be the living room, which was just as immaculate. Like a well-kept model home.

A digital clock floated on the glass window and it caught Rohan’s eye.

[00:04:32 Sunday]

Noticing the time, Rohan spoke without thinking.

“Ah, it’s already past midnight.”

“I see. It’s Sunday already.”

Rohan thought. So many things had happened overnight.

He had met Noah, studied with her, taken a part-time job at a bookstore, introduced Noah and Clara there, visited the dormitory with Clara afterward, and even managed to bring down an entire organization.

Arriving at Joo-yeon home and reaching Sunday served as the finale, making Saturday feel like a true masterpiece the more he looked back on it.

Great. I like it.

Rohan, unlike in his previous life, found enjoyment in his lively daily routine.

He felt like he could keep going with renewed energy.

“It’s already late, so you should get some sleep. I’ll give you toiletries, so wash up briefly and then head to the bedroom.”

While hearing Joo-yeon’s advice not to let water touch his wounds because she had already applied medicine, Rohan fell into brief thought.

He then looked around. Seeing the closed doors, he asked on a whim.

“Excuse me, Rohan here! I have something I want to ask you, Instructor.”

“Go ahead.”

“Are there multiple bedrooms in this house?”

Joo-yeon looked puzzled, as though she didn’t understand his intent.

After a moment of thought, she understood. She lifted the corners of her lips slightly.

“There’s only one. You’re also the first guest I’ve ever brought here, Student Rohan.”

“Ah… I’m honored!”

“Huh, you’re showing an unexpectedly nervous side.”

Although Joo-yeon spoke playfully, the fact that Rohan was her first guest was no joke.

She had never once invited anyone, let alone a man, to the residence provided by the Academy Principal in the Academy City.

It was no different at her home in Three Nations Alliance.

Her house in her home country was where she lived with her parents. Occasionally, friends visited, but they were all women.

Bringing a man who wasn’t family into her house was the first time in all her life.

“There’s only one bed, but don’t worry. I’m not planning on sleeping tonight.”

“Perhaps—.”

As Rohan tried to say something she was expecting, Joo-yeon cut him off.

She did so with a force that allowed no rebuttal.

“I’m not staying up just because of you, so don’t worry.”

“….…”

“I’m just curious about the rest of the book I closed. Missing one night’s sleep won’t cause me any trouble.”

She might also receive urgent calls from the Public Safety Department regarding on-site investigations or any remnants of the enemy.

Those were messages that Joo-yeon, as his guardian, had to take anyway.

“Go wash up first. This is all you need. There’s just about everything in there.”

Joo-yeon opened a shelf and handed him a toothbrush.

Since he couldn’t take a shower today, that was enough.

Rohan finished washing his face and brushing his teeth and then came out.

During that time, Joo-yeon sipped the coffee she had brewed and delivered some unfortunate news.

“Unfortunately, none of the clothes I have would fit you, Rohan. The size wouldn’t match.”

“It’s all right. What I’m wearing now is comfortable enough.”

While they couldn’t be compared in terms of strength, in appearance, Rohan’s build and height were larger than Joo-yeon’s.

It couldn’t be helped that there were no clothes he could wear.

“That open door over there is the bedroom. Hurry up and go to sleep.”

“No, I’ll sleep on the sofa!”

“Hmm, so you won’t listen to your instructor. The more time passes, the more I get the impression that Student Rohan is a troublemaker.”

“…All right, I’ll impose on your bedroom.”

Realizing nothing he said would work, Rohan quickly bowed his head.

Joo-yeon followed him into the bedroom, saying she wanted to watch him pull the covers over himself.

“Are you cold? I can turn up the heat.”

“It’s perfect. The temperature is so good that if I close my eyes, I feel like I’ll drift off immediately.”

“…..…”

He sure did know how to chatter about anything.

Joo-yeon let out a laugh. She was slightly taken aback.

Lying down and marveling at the feel of the expensive pillow, Rohan called out to Joo-yeon just as she was about to leave the room.

“Instructor.”

“Hmm?”

“About going to the training room when I wake up…”

Before Rohan could finish his sentence, Joo-yeon’s gaze turned sharp.

Her piercing stare felt as hot as being branded by fire.

“I won’t allow it. Do you want to beg for your instructor’s supervision until you’re fully recovered?”

“No, that’s not it! I was about to say that I should rest….”

He had expected this, but it meant he wouldn’t be able to see Ichinose’s face, which had been like the start of his day.

It was a real pity.

“I’ll still go to my part-time job, though.”

“Ask for their understanding. As the Public Safety Department mentioned, there’ll be a substantial bounty and reward.”

That was usually something Joo-yeon couldn’t stop, but this time it was different.

With just a few words, Joo-yeon made him promise to skip his part-time job, then unfolded her arms and reached for the light switch.

“Instructor.”

“Do you still have something to say?”

“This is the most important thing.”

“…What is it?”

As though satisfied that Joo-yeon was listening.

Rohan lifted his head slightly from the pillow, smiled, and got to the main point.

“Thank you so much for everything today. If I meet you in my dreams, I’ll thank you again.”

“……”

With those words, he let his head flop back onto the pillow and closed his eyes.

Joo-yeon gave a short laugh and turned off the light before leaving.

··

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It was three in the morning.

Joo-yeon was sitting in the living room, leisurely reading a book.

She had her phone within reach so she could respond to any call at any moment.

Flip, flip..

She wondered how long she had been flipping through the pages.

– If you go that way, the path…

Rohan’s voice drifted out from the bedroom.

Joo-yeon’s sharp ears caught it immediately, and she rose from her seat to head to the bedroom.

When Joo-yeon stepped into the bedroom, she saw Rohan on the bed, tossing and turning.

“Have to kill… ugh…”

Was he having a nightmare?

Even though his eyes were closed, the tortured expression on his face revealed what he was feeling.

“If I just clear… this path… we can survive…”

Every word he mumbled in his sleep was the same. He was struggling to stay alive.

“………”

Was he reliving his time in the South?

Seeing this unfamiliar side of Rohan, Joo-yeon felt an indescribable emotion.

He’s never shown this side of himself at the Academy.

All she had ever seen was his politeness and his effort to smile.

Perhaps he was hiding some mental aftereffects.

Joo-yeon took a step toward the bed.

She reached out her hand carefully.

“It’s all right. Don’t worry.”

“Ugh…”

Joo-yeon spoke in a gentle voice so Rohan wouldn’t awaken and wiped away his cold sweat with her warm hand.

His face looked a bit more at ease.

Joo-yeon wore the kindest smile as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

She waited for Rohan to calm down.

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