I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

Chapter 41

‘...’

The afternoon waned as the sleepiness brought on by a full lunch finally wore off.

Ichinose, having finished her allotted study for the day, spun her chair around to glance at the empty bed behind her.

It felt strangely awkward.

Noah, who usually occupied her bed every day without fail, was nowhere to be seen today. Without Noah bombarding her with questions, Ichinose had managed to finish her studying much faster than usual.

‘Could she possibly be napping even though it’s almost dinnertime?’

Or perhaps she’s just lounging around in her room because it’s the weekend.

“Hm...”

Lying on her soft bed and hugging a plushie, Ichinose pondered.

Should I go to her room and wake her up?

Considering Noah’s parents had entrusted her with their daughter, Ichinose couldn’t help but feel conflicted.

Even so, one thing was clear regardless of their words’ true intent.

‘If Noah is studying diligently, even the great Serho Emperor would be shocked.’

Given her nature, the fact that she hadn’t given up after three days was already worthy of praise.

Noah Frozenheart, dedicating herself to academics—it was a sight so fresh and unusual that Ichinose still found herself surprised every time she saw it.

Given her shocking transformation, Ichinose thought it might be okay to let her rest for the weekend.

For someone unused to studying, spending time with books must have been quite the ordeal.

‘This chill in the air...?’

Clara, just in case, carefully observed the beautiful woman standing next to Rohan.

The beastkin woman radiated a dazzling beauty.

Her tall and slender figure resembled that of a model from a fashion magazine, with a slender waist and a bust rivaling the female instructor Rohan had once mentioned.

Her exposed midriff revealed a toned abdomen without a trace of excess fat.

What unfair genetics!

Clara couldn’t help but feel she’d encountered irrefutable proof that life was unfair.

As if her striking appearance wasn’t enough, there was another point Clara couldn’t overlook.

‘A... a strong one...’

Although not as powerful as the red-haired instructor Rohan had mentioned, the beastkin woman exuded an abundance of magical energy and an overwhelming presence.

Drawing from her past fear and mistakes, Clara made sure to conceal her presence flawlessly this time.

She remained silent, carefully monitoring the situation.

“Manager, this is the friend I mentioned... uh, yeah, this friend.”

“Hello! You can call me Noah! Nice to meet you!”

At Rohan’s introduction, Noah greeted the manager with an energetic voice, as if she’d been waiting for this moment.

The manager returned her enthusiasm with a warm smile.

“Well, thank you for coming all the way to our little bookstore.”

“This place smells the nicest out of all the bookstores I’ve visited!”

“Hoho, does it now? I appreciate you saying so.”

“Big chain bookstores on the main street don’t use wooden shelves, so they don’t have this kind of scent!”

Noah carried on the conversation like she’d known the manager for years, praising the comforting aroma of the store.

Rohan was left speechless at her uncanny ability to blend in socially, rendering his presence almost irrelevant.

“Well, it’s good to have some lively chatter in the bookstore. Feel free to hang out, Miss Noah. Rohan, make sure to look after her.”

“...Understood. I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you!”@@@@

As the manager prepared to leave, Noah grinned and shot a triumphant glance at Rohan.

“Well then, this old man will get going now. Thanks for this gift—it’ll go nicely with tea for me and my wife.”

With a small present in hand, the manager left the store.

Though the gift wasn’t particularly expensive, the manager seemed pleased, and Rohan felt satisfied as well.

“Hehe, time to relax after all that studying.”

“Don’t tell me you broke down from just a bit of theory work.”

Her strange laughter didn’t match her appearance. Rohan smirked and stepped behind the counter, putting on an apron with the store’s name printed on it.

When he asked where she was, he received a crying emoji in response.

Blinking at the screen, Rohan decided to call her.

Ring... Ring...

As the dial tone echoed, a voice reached his ears.

"O... Oppa..."

It wasn’t through the phone.

It was her actual voice.

At last, Rohan spotted her.

He stepped out from behind the counter and approached Clara, who seemed smaller and more withdrawn than usual.

"What’s wrong? Did something happen?"

Clara didn’t answer, just fidgeted with the edge of her apron.

Her slightly pursed lips and sulky expression only made her look adorable in Rohan’s eyes.

"I don’t have any energy because you didn’t greet me when I started work."

"..."

"Did you finish all the macarons?"

She nodded softly.

"Good job. I’m glad you enjoyed them."

"..."

Clara gripped the apron tighter, her lips trembling as if she wanted to say something.

At that moment, they both sensed someone approaching. Clara’s head whipped to the side.

"What’s going on? Who are you talking to?"

Noah appeared, holding a manga in one hand.

"Hic!"

Clara stifled a startled gasp and darted to the opposite side of the bookstore in an instant, moving like a cat startled by a cucumber.

Noah raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Wow! Who are you? You’re as fast as Nosé!"

"Auu... Oppa..."

As Noah’s curious eyes sparkled, Clara shot Rohan a pleading look.

Rohan stepped between them, blocking Noah’s path.

"Go back and finish your manga."

"It’s not like I’m going to eat her..."

Noah looked genuinely offended, but Rohan didn’t budge.

It would take significant time for someone as extroverted as Noah and someone as introverted as Clara to understand each other.

"Want to read it together? I’m only on the first volume, but it’s really fun. We can chat while we read!"

"Chat...?"

Peeking out from behind Rohan, Noah tried to initiate a conversation.

Her words seemed to remind Clara of something, and she murmured:

"Please finish it before you try tutoring me again, Miss Customer."

"I’ll tell the manager you’re forcing me to study!"

"Go ahead. I’ll probably get praised for it."

"Samwha Nation’s laws prohibit torture! It’s inhumane!"

"Unfortunately, you’re from Tigrova, so those laws don’t apply to you. Also, studying isn’t torture."

As the two bickered, Clara watched them, her chest swelling with an unfamiliar feeling.

Finally, she spoke up.

"O-okay!"

"What was that? You think it’s annoying, don’t you? Wait... huh?"

Rohan turned his head toward Clara, confused.

Thinking he’d misheard, he waited for her to repeat herself.

Clara, trembling slightly, met Noah’s gaze and said again:

"Let’s read it together... a-and talk..."