I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City - Chapter 100



99 – The Young Lady’s Embarrassing Past and a Ramen-Learning Theory

The sun was asserting its presence in the middle of the day.

A bonfire, much smaller in size compared to last night, was crackling.

Rohan felt the subtle warmth radiating outwards and looked down.

“Mmmm…”

Ichinose is there, sleeping so deeply you could carry him away without him noticing.

He travels through dreamland, his quiet breaths at odds with his formidable strength.

“Should I burn just this one more?”

Rohan plucked a log from the pile and nestled it into the flames.

Once the log he just added turns to ash, he intends to wake Ichinose.

“It hasn’t even been a few hours since I woke up, and I’m already sleepy, hungry, and thirsty…”

Freeing his hands, he quietly opens a bottle of mineral water, quenching his thirst.

“Experiencing it firsthand, it’s really no ordinary test.”

Memories surfaced of his hunter days, trapped underground for long stretches, hounded by monsters.

That just shows how potent the sticker’s effects are.

It was definitely an experience that would turn students raised in comfort inside out.

That also highlights its purpose in preparing them for the Monolith Dungeon.

“…”

Rohan stared blankly as the campfire gnawed on the wood.

Is this what they call fire-gazing?

The crackle of burning logs. Ichinose’s breathing.

Amidst the mingling white noise, Rohan opened the quest window.

[Ominous Peace]

◇ Quest Details: You have observed shadows lurking in the world. Though aware of the muddy currents and impurities trying to infiltrate the flow, you must diligently perform your mid-term exam according to your role as a student.

◇ Category: Main Story

◇ Success Reward: Differential distribution based on rank and contribution.

◇ Failure Penalty: None

He studied the details, lost in thought.

‘Will Chapter 2 of the main story play out exactly the same?’

Rohan, of course, remembers it well.

Compared to the bitter taste of Chapter 1 in Abyss City, Chapter 2 was lighthearted, with a visually pleasing finale.

He could witness battles between genuine powerhouses that players were curious about.

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He could estimate the level of power the protagonist needed to aim for, and confront one of the masterminds of the world.

‘But that was when it was a game.’

Lighthearted and visually pleasing, that was only from a gamer’s perspective.

Thinking of it as actually happening, Chapter 2 is even more perilous.

‘Omega… the escape being just text makes it hard to guess how it happened, doesn’t it.’

He meticulously chews over the main story of Chapter 2.

Naturally, the contemplation stretches on.

The core appeal of Chapter 2 was meeting other students and engaging in diverse interactions depending on the choices.

The non-lethal combat was enjoyable too, experiencing characters and using unreleased or upcoming characters.

After squeezing out all the rewards, the Anticurrent Reverie would appear at the end, showing the gamers that these were some of the villains who would be hitting on them. That’s the skeleton of Chapter 2.

“Hmm…”

Of course, the protagonist is not involved in the final battle, so if I stay still, the most important part will likely follow the established plot.

But I can’t completely shake off this unease.

It’s worrisome.

Will the battle be exactly the same as the footage of Abyss City?

Will the duel between the lead and Omega repeat brilliantly, only to end in a draw due to a time-out?

I have an advantage with my information, so I want to ride the wave and do something.

Unlike Sion’s matter, the enemy, ‘Omega,’ was on an entirely different level.

The end of Chapter 2 is the protagonist’s stage, so the opponent is a worthy adversary.

If a student clumsily interferes, they might die without even knowing what hit them.

Or, they could hinder the protagonist, preventing the battle from ending in a draw.

‘I wish it would just end without the Anticurrent Reverie appearing. But looking at the quest, that doesn’t seem likely.’

If the situation doesn’t deviate beyond what I imagined, the students will be safe.

Because Omega has something promised in return for Hex’s help.

“Ah.”

It’s time to wake up Ichinose.

While trying to predict things by digging into information, time slipped away quickly.

Looking at the peacefully sleeping girl, he speaks.

“Nyah-chinose. Wake up.”

“Ugh…”

Considering Ichinose’s personality, continuing to let her sleep past yesterday is impossible.

I wish I could let her sleep soundly, but the situation where one side bears too much is something that would anger Ichinose.

Roles, they must be divided, lest trouble arise.

“Ichinose Yui, open your eyes, this instant.”

Rohan added, his voice a low rumble.

The girl stirred slightly, a small sound escaping her lips.

“Papa… Yui wants to sleep just a little longer…”

“Papa?”

Rohan chuckled softly at Ichinose’s sleepy murmur.

Could it be that Ichinose Yui, the sharp-witted heiress, became so pliant when with family?

A precious sight indeed, one never witnessed in Abyss City.

“Papa will make you ramen. Wake up.”

“…?”

Ichinose blinked blearily, her expression lost in the haze of sleep.

Golden eyes flickered open, then retreated into hiding.

“Awake now?”

“….”

Her eyelids lowered. Even with her eyes closed, it was clear she was awake.

Silence. A conflicted set to her lips.

What thoughts were swirling in Ichinose’s mind that prevented her from moving? Did she remember the sleepy utterance she’d just made?

“Ahem! Excuse my intrusion…”

Ichinose straightened up as if nothing had occurred.

But alas, a pity.

The girl had mastered the art of concealing her emotions, but her acting wasn’t yet skillful enough to completely ignore and hide such overwhelming embarrassment. She still lacked a certain shamelessness.

And so, she spoke.

“Rohan.”

“Yes?”

“Erase it quickly. Obliterate it from your memory.”

“Erase what?”

“That…”

The blush blooming on Ichinose’s face was not solely due to the small campfire.

Of that, he was certain.

Rohan couldn’t hold back, seeing the girl’s state.

“Just tell your father. What is there to forget?”

“!!!”

Ichinose, startled, leaped from her seat.

Her jewel-like eyes were vividly clear, she was so flustered.

The churning emotions looked ready to burst from the entrance any moment.

“Understood. I won’t.”

“…”

“Sit down. I’m debating whether to eat and sleep.”

“Haa…!”

Ichinose, running her hand across her face to calm herself, sat back down.

Was this practical exam day going to become a new low in her dark history? The girl felt faint.

“Anyway, I’ll go fill the mess kit with water first.”

A perfect excuse to give Ichinose time to compose herself.

Rohan grabbed his mess kit and stood up, deciding it was best to use the water he received yesterday quickly.

After giving her an appropriate amount of time.

Rohan returned to their lodging, a smile playing on his lips.

“Crying-baby-nose.”

“What if someone hears you calling me by such an embarrassing name…!”

“So it’s okay to call you that as long as others aren’t around?”

“Would it be?”

She was certain that if she opened her eyes, Rohan would be grinning mischievously.

This was a different kind of teasing than what she was used to with Noah, whom she was always with.

“What a shame. It sticks in my mind, I’m going to keep thinking about it.”

“Haa… if you’re going to be like that, I’ll have to think of a nickname for Rohan, too.”

“I’d love that. When we get back, I’ll change the name in my phone right away.”

“…”

Rohan sensed it. The playfulness ended here.

Any further and it would be too much.

He was certain that if he brought it up again, Ichinose would sulk.

“Ichinose. You like ramen?”

Rohan asked casually, setting a mess kit filled with sloshing water over the fire.

Ichinose pouted slightly as she answered.

“I’ve had it before. I don’t dislike it.”

“How’s your stomach? If you’re not feeling it, you can sleep a little longer and eat later.”

“I’m hungry… Aren’t you hungry, Rohan? Let’s eat now.”

Ichinose replied honestly. Satisfying.

Rohan picked up a ramen packet and began to ramble as the mood struck him.

“Good cooking is important, of course, but I think ramen is unusually dependent on the circumstances. There are times when ramen just *tastes* better.”

“Is there, really?”

“Ramen after swimming, ramen after snow removal in the dead of winter, ramen as a hangover cure. There are others, too.”

“…So, except for the last one, you just mean it’s tastier because you’re hungry?”

Rohan’s lips curved upwards at Ichinose’s typical response. He tore open the packet.

They’d agreed beforehand to save the canned goods, so he didn’t touch them.

“Anyway, the point is, being outdoors like this is one of the factors that makes ramen delicious.”

“You’re going to make it, Rohan? I know how to make ramen.”

“This isn’t a matter of dividing labor. I can’t give this up. I’m going to cook the ramen.”

Ichinose showed a rare, playful smile at Rohan’s declaration.

“You’re going to open up a whole new world of ramen that I’ve never experienced?”

“Hmm, up to *that* level…? I’ll do my best, starting with the water ratio.”

“I’m *sooo* looking forward to it.”

Ichinose, as if she had found something to tease him about, stared with her hands framing her face like a flower.

It was probably an attempt to put pressure on him, but Rohan felt refreshed just looking at her.

‘Let’s get to it.’

Now that they had decided to eat ramen, there was no reason to hesitate.

Rohan used firewood as shims to level the mess kit.

“Once the water boils… Hmm?”

A subtle presence.

Rohan, who had been continuing his theory of Ramenology, turned his gaze toward the entrance.

He picked up the longsword he’d placed on the ground.

Ichinose was ready quicker than Rohan.

Prepared to swing her blade at a moment’s notice.

“…”

Rohan and Ichinose exchanged the hand signals they’d learned in class.

Holding their breaths to escape the cramped terrain, they emerged from their dwelling and stood outside.

The sound of footsteps, faint, but impossibly clear to Ichinose.

Two people.

Approaching through the rain-soaked, muddy ground. Their direction undeniable.

Normally, tension would mount as the figures drew near, but…

Rohan and Ichinose recognized the familiar aura and exchanged a look.

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“This?”

“A familiar presence. They’ll notice soon enough, too.”

She relaxed her grip on the sword.

They waited for the students to emerge from the thicket.