I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City - Chapter 116



115 – Confession is not Initiation, but Finish

The cataclysm, a rift in dimensions, had passed.

Yet, the academy city of Elysium quickly recovered its vitality.

The constables moved busily, the cleaners dealing with monsters rushed around with their equipment, but Rohan could only marvel as the streets began to take on their usual atmosphere.

‘Their resilience is admirable.’

Of course, some shops remained closed. Still, the citizens’ resolve felt, on the whole, unwavering. Compared to his past life, even the average person felt bolder.

Disaster scattered seeds of unease for the future, but the people strove to hold their ground.

A satisfying world.

He wanted to protect this place.

The realtor Sion had been introduced to was the same.

A confirmation call arrived ten minutes before their appointment, and Rohan’s group met the individual Tigrova’s superiors had connected them with.

Judging by the plump tail and the dark markings around his eyes, most likely a raccoon therian.

Short in stature. As if pressed down from above, his head reached just below Rohan’s waist.

He seemed accustomed to looking up, his shrewd business acumen blended with a gentle impression as he offered his greetings.

“Good day. I am Matthew Blackburn, president of the Elysium Academy City Licensed Realtors Association.”

A grand title, for a man who seemed busy in many ways.

Sion politely accepted the business card he offered with both hands upon their meeting.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Unfortunately, Rohan’s group had no cards to exchange, and offered greetings instead.

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The raccoon realtor began the tour with a waddling gait that befitted his short legs and gentle physique.

And so, they arrived at the first house.

Rohan didn’t know how Sion had determined her budget, but it was a luxurious mansion that made his jaw drop at first sight.

“…There were houses like this around here?”

“Wooow…”

Despite being so close to the men’s dorms, I’d never seen this place before.

Clara couldn’t hide her admiration.

The raccoon therian pulled a keycard from his bag, continuing his explanation.

“The only drawback is the lack of a yard, but it does have a parking area. And you mentioned you were looking for supplementary features rather than a large living space, correct?”

“That’s right.”

Sion seemed to already have a concrete image of the house in his mind.

“An excellent choice, then. It’s not easy to shake off the feeling of isolation, you see.”

“Is the owner of the house inside?”

“The person who owns this house has never actually lived here. It was built as more of a retreat.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Since the academy city has limits on the land and buildings one family can own, they’ve decided to sell.”

He took the lead, opening the door and stepping inside.

Rohan and his group followed the raccoon therian.

“Oh…”

It was easily comparable to Joo-yeon’s house.

He had said the living space wasn’t large, but maybe it was because there wasn’t any furniture; to Rohan’s eyes, it looked like a plaza.

“As Mister Sion emphasized, there is an indoor shooting range, of course, and a separate, robust space perfect for physical training.”

“A shooting range… inside a house?”

Rohan muttered to himself, intrigued.

It awakened a strangely nostalgic feeling.

Back in the days when hunters were all the rage in my past life. Houses and apartments were being built like this, plastered all over the news until it became tiresome.

‘It didn’t last long, though.’

The problem was that being a hunter was a profession where innate talent pretty much dictated everything.

Thanks to that, the fervor quickly fizzled out.

But this world is different.

Even if mana is innate, it must be refined endlessly, and the body—the vessel for that mana—requires training to push beyond its limits.

Having a place at home to train the body is undoubtedly an appealing condition.

“This was emphasized from the very beginning of the design by the current owner; each room has its own private bathroom, and the bathtubs are separate…”

The raccoon therian, walking at a surprisingly brisk pace, continued his explanation, nearly running out of breath.

Rohan exhaled, watching the realtor openly share even the house’s shortcomings.

‘Guess there’s nothing for me to do.’

Based on past experiences hunting for a house, he tried to recall and assess whether the water pressure was good, if there were any noise-producing spaces nearby, and if there was enough room to place furniture.

But in this luxurious house, the price of which defied imagination, the petty worries Rohan had envisioned were unnecessary.

This wasn’t just a monthly rental, but a purchase, so he thought to delve deeper, checking management fees, liens, and illegal structures.

Even these processes were vastly different from his previous life.

A single phone call to the Academy City Administrative Center could secure a guarantee and voice recording confirming the property was problem-free.

‘The great powers are working together, managing it with a leash, huh.’

The real estate agent might feel differently, but it struck him as a truly righteous use of force.

Wasn’t national affairs supposed to be simple and efficient?

“Would you like to see the next house? It’s right nearby.”

“Alright. Let’s go.”

And so, Rohan and his companions toured several houses.

However, Sion’s heart seemed to have already settled on the first mansion.

Rohan and Clara shared the same opinion.

Finally, returning to the first house, Sion thoughtfully considered the matter, exchanging opinions with his companions.

He reached a decision.

“I’d like to move in as soon as possible.”

“We’ll connect you with furniture and cleaning companies and have everything ready for you to move in by tomorrow afternoon. If you have a lot of moving boxes, I can send you a moving company.”

“That part’s fine.”

The luggage he had was really nothing more than could be held in both hands and moved back and forth twice.

Rohan and his group moved to a different location to draft the contract.

With a lawyer provided by the Academy City present, the contract was finalized.

Now, no matter what anyone said, Sion was the owner of the mansion.

*

Having shared a meal together that was neither lunch nor dinner, Rohan bought a holster at a gun shop and reserved a scabbard at a specialty store.

Leaving with a promise to have something delicious for the housewarming party tomorrow, he returned home.

Sion returned to Clara’s cramped room for one last night of reliance.

Tomorrow, he would bid farewell to this room, where neither heating nor cooling worked properly.

“Clara.”

“Yes?”

“There’s something important I need to discuss.”

Shion, having just finished showering in cold water,

sat on the floor not in newly bought pajamas, but in Rohan’s clothes.

“What is it…?”

Clara, facing Shion with an uncharacteristically serious expression, leaned in to listen.

Shion’s pointed ears, still flushed from the cold water, began to redden with heat.

“Today… I understood my own heart.”

“…”

Shion’s words lacked a clear subject.

But the gesture alone – a hand rising to clutch their chest as if seizing their heart – was enough for Clara to be certain of what Shion meant.

“Clara’s feelings for Rohan must be the same as mine.”

The direct question froze Clara solid.

“Ah, th, uhm…!”

What good would denial do here? A lie wouldn’t work in the first place.

Clara carefully nodded, avoiding Shion’s eyes.

Acknowledging her unrequited love in front of someone else gave the girl a sense of irreversible finality.

“What are Clara’s plans from now on?”

“As for plans…”

There weren’t any concrete ones.

Confessing was frightening. What if she was rejected? That would truly be the end.

“But you realized today that you can’t just settle for the way things are, right?”

“…”

Shion’s words pierced like an awl. Clara empathized deeply.

Just seeing that girl so openly display her attraction and ask Rohan for his number had been overwhelmingly threatening.

“uuu…”

Seeing Clara shrink and wither, Shion offered a faint smile.

Moving from across to beside her, Shion took Clara’s hand.

“Is Clara certain what Rohan’s concern and attentiveness towards us truly means?”

“…No.”

“Neither am I. That’s why expressing my feelings has become frightening.”

“Oh, what to do? Rohan is just so popular…”

Clara’s voice, transparently displaying her anxiety and urgency.

Sion, having mulled over these thoughts during her shower, began to voice them.

“Clara.”

“Yes…”

“I read something online. They say confession these days isn’t an ‘initiation’ but a ‘finishing move’.”

To put a period on things only when you’re certain of each other’s feelings.

Far removed from a bold, out-of-the-blue declaration.

“!”

Clara’s eyes widened at the explanation.

For Clara, who had only ever witnessed romance in anime and games, this was a new horizon.

“What it means is, we solidify the relationship with the act of confessing only when Rohan has definitively shown affection for us.”

“B-But, Rohan showing affection… how would we even…”

“A valid question. Thus, the path we must take is simple. Prioritizing the understanding of Rohan.”

From noble mtl dot com

“Understand Rohan…?”

“What is Rohan’s preference in women? His… kinks? What kind of clothes does he like? The more we understand these things in detail, even if only by a fraction of a percentage point, the higher the chance that our relationship will progress.”

“K-Kinks…?!”

Clara, startled, blushed intensely, but Sion remained utterly serious.

She exuded the same imposing air as a commander planning a daring landing operation.

“In the first place, does Rohan even consider marriage? If so, how many wives would he have? How many children does he want?”

“Huk…”

Clara gasped, taken aback by the elf-like drive to love only one person for eternity.

Sion, even before the starting line, was thinking not of dating, but of marriage.

“From now on, there is much we must learn about Rohan. We must strive to be both competent colleagues and women worthy of his love.”

Clara chewed on her lip at Sion’s resolute tone.

“Sion… Could someone like me ever capture Rohan’s heart…?”

Such a pretty face, and yet her lack of confidence remained.

But Sion understood. She herself had difficulty shaking the same insecurities.

“Clara. I’m anxious too.”

“… “

“So, will you just sit there and give up? I won’t stop you if you choose to remain a spectator from afar, never daring to challenge.”

“…”

“Though, I wonder if you could watch, without regret, as I succeed and am loved in Rohan’s arms.”

Clara’s eyes, drained for a moment, surged again with life, a rapid flicker of various emotions playing across them.

Sion offered a satisfied smile.

Clara, determination hardening her gaze, posed a question.

“Sister. May I ask just one more thing?”

“Of course.”

“The…the reason you encourage and assist me like this…”

There was no way she wouldn’t have a desire to monopolize the one she loved.

But Sion, as if finding the question endearing, chuckled silently and gave a clear answer.

“The future I dream of includes both Rohan and Clara.”

“…!”

“There is no other reason.”