I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City - Chapter 95



94 – A Comfortable Pillow

“Sit here.”

At Ichinose’s invitation, Rohan straightened his back and stood.

Perhaps it was the warm light of the campfire, but Ichinose’s expression seemed softer than usual.

“Hurry now. You don’t want me to ask three times, do you?”

Without a word, Rohan moved to Ichinose’s side.

He sat where Ichinose had patted, inviting him to sit.

“…”

Using the laid-out clothes as both a makeshift mat and a boundary, they subtly brushed against each other, careful not to encroach.

The space would have been ample for two average men, but with the stocky Rohan, it was an unavoidable closeness.

“Aren’t you cold?”

“Not at all. There’s still some dampness in my clothes, but it’s warm with the fire.”

“Catching a cold would mean the end of the exam. You need to take care of yourself.”

“Heh… I’m lucky to have met such a partner, enjoying such luxury on a deserted island.”

Ichinose drew his knees to his chest and cast his gaze into the bonfire.

The small spark, which had been on the verge of dying in his own hands, miraculously revived under Rohan’s care.

The flames, now larger, were vigorously consuming the firewood, exerting all their strength to keep the space warm.

“I wonder how Noah is doing. He gets easily out of sorts when he’s hungry, so I’m worried.”

“Don’t worry too much. He might have found a hidden stash of food and be living large.”

Ichinose chuckled, as if imagining something.

It’s good to think positively, rather than worry about things you can’t fix.

It’s just… not so easy.

“It makes me a little relieved that I told Noah if it gets too much to bear, he can just take the sticker off. The effect is stronger than I thought, even I was surprised.”

“It’s not just Noah, it’s the same for us too. If it’s unbearable, you have to take it off.”

Ichinose slowly turned his head to look at Rohan.

He didn’t know about himself, but judging from Rohan’s actions today, he could easily endure five days.

‘…’

Each passing moment adds up, making Rohan’s past even more intriguing.

Still, asking a Southerner about their past is practically an act of triggering trauma, definitely not a topic to broach carelessly.

‘For now, maybe it’s enough just to feel that my partner is reliable.’

Ichinose closed his eyes, feeling a peacefulness wash over him as the tension eased.

He continued the small talk, feeling the warmth on his skin.

“From the moment we learned the test site was a deserted island, there were certain expectations, weren’t there?”

“It felt like the academy was deliberately hinting at things.”

“So, Noah and I watched survival expert mercenary videos together, even borrowed some books.”

“Oh! There are things like that?”

“I learned a lot of theory and knowledge this way… but all I can say is that experiencing it firsthand is so different.”

“Theory and practice being different is the same in every field. But you can’t just dismiss the theory, or you’ll run into problems you can’t solve.”

Rohan agreed, snapping a branch in half and pushing it into the flames.

“Speaking of theory, I was wondering, how did you do on the written exam?”

“I solved as much as I could thanks to you. No time to scribble in the corners like during the placement test.”

“That’s good.”

“I was bothering you every day, so I had to do at least this much.”

“I didn’t particularly think you were a bother. You asked a lot of sharp questions, so I often had to revisit the theory myself.”

They continued chatting.

Rohan reached out to grab the firewood and kindling he had diligently collected after eating.

Some of it was wet, but if he used it sparingly, they could probably get through the day without any problems.

“Still, as for education… experiencing things firsthand is definitely more… than books…”

Ichinose’s voice, which had been continuing the small talk, turned into a mumble.

Her voice dwindled, strength leaching away.

The late hour, past her usual bedtime, and the quenching of hunger and thirst had summoned a wave of sleep.

The sticker’s amplified desires, without brakes, cranked the intensity of her sleepiness so high that Ichinose, despite her anxiety in the unfamiliar surroundings, could no longer resist.

“…”

Rohan watched Ichinose in quiet silence.

Huddled with her knees drawn up, she nodded, dozing.

A mere few seconds passed before her head slumped forward.

Though her eyes were closed as if she were simply resting, it was clear she had fallen asleep.

‘Well, no wonder she’s tired.’

Rohan himself was fighting off the slumber that clawed at his eyelids.

It was a profound impulse, promising unconsciousness the moment he let go.

Still, Rohan had his methods. By continuously cycling through memories that chased away the drowsiness, he figured he could endure for a day or two without issue.

“…”

He looked at Ichinose’s profile again.

Then he began to think.

‘Should I let her sleep?’

Perhaps pursuing something like a night watch wasn’t feasible today.

Deciding it would be better to let her sleep soundly and regain her strength.

How long had he kept the campfire alive, feeding it kindling?

“Uuuh…”

Ichinose’s body slowly tilted, her head landing on Rohan’s shoulder.

“!”

Rohan snapped awake.

What was this, some kind of scene straight out of the subway? A fresh shock that completely banished the drowsiness.

“You’ll hurt your neck sleeping like that. Sleep comfortably.”

Intending to move aside and let Ichinose lie down on the clothes, Rohan supported Ichinose’s head with his palm and wriggled.

But as he attempted to slip away, Ichinose, breathing rhythmically, gripped his shirt.

“Instructor… this time, I’ll…”

Rohan chuckled at Ichinose’s sleep talking, and tried to pry her hand loose.

His expression shattered, instantly replaced by bewilderment.

“What is this?”

Even trying to pry it open starting with his little finger, the fist clenching her shirt wouldn’t budge.

How much had he swung that sword for such grip strength without even using magic?

Forcing it open any further felt like it would cut or injure her fingers.

“…”

In the end, Rohan was left with only one option.

‘Stay still.’

*

‘Huh?’

When Ichinose woke from her slumber.

The first thing she saw was a small bonfire, the size of a fist, emitting a faint warmth.

It had burned through so much firewood, a mountain of ash had accumulated.

‘It’s so quiet…’

Next, in her hazy, half-conscious state, she realized the torrential rain had stopped.

She didn’t even need to see it; the gentle whisper of the wind confirmed it.

Could she sleep a little longer? Her head was foggy and unfocused.

An unusually comforting sensation urged her to close her eyes again.

Just as Ichinose was about to tumble back into the abyss of sleep,

a sudden surge of curiosity struck her like a bolt of lightning.

‘Now that I think about it?’

When did she even fall asleep? And what was she using as a pillow right now?

Slowly, she reached out with her senses.

She was resting on something firm and broad. Something unknown that had warmth, so it couldn’t be an object.

‘…’

Was it okay to wake up? A subtle unease made her hesitate to open her eyes.

But, Ichinose couldn’t avoid it forever.

With her eyes closed, her unique skill sharpened her senses.

Forcibly absorbing information about her surroundings.

‘No way… it can’t be.’

Reluctantly, she opened her eyes. Ichinose shifted to look at the rocky ceiling.

Not the ceiling, but a familiar face greeted him first.

“Slept well?”

Arms crossed, Rohan leaned against the wall, his gaze lowered in greeting.

Ichinose, unable to fully grasp reality, blinked dazedly.

Rohan calmly continued explaining the situation.

“The sun just barely rose. Perfect timing to wake up.”

“…”

Ichinose numbly fumbled with his hand.

Realizing that what he’d been using as a pillow was Rohan’s thigh.

The realization struck, and his mind went white, like a flashbang detonated in his consciousness.

“Ah…? Ahh…!!”

Ichinose’s lips trembled, and his face flushed a deeper and deeper crimson.

As if a fever had built to its limit, then exploded.

Ichinose sprang up, as if propelled.

“Full of energy this morning.”

The start of the second day.

Rohan smiled with satisfaction at Ichinose’s vigorous state.

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“The ground’s quite damp, which is unpleasant.”

“…”

“I wonder if we’ll spot a Hornbird again today. We can’t exactly eat Geroa or Mud Slime.”

Rohan acted as if nothing had happened.

Ichinose, his mouth firmly shut, picked up his sword and followed behind.

“If worse comes to worst, maybe we can try fishing closer to the sea?”

“Th-that sounds alright!”

After several attempts, Ichinose managed to speak.

His head was still lowered, but he seemed to be recovering, little by little.

“Ichinose, have you ever fished… uh?”

Rohan stopped mid-sentence, and Ichinose’s eyes cautiously flickered open.

His partner’s gaze lifted skyward. He followed, mirroring the action.

“…What is that?”

Only then did Ichinose register the anomaly.

The sky, just traversed by the transport ship.

Something was descending, slowly.

In numbers too great to ignore. Not just one, but scattered, distributed across every corner of the island.

Square crates suspended from parachutes, brazenly spewing plumes of red smoke.

A familiar form, impossible to dismiss. Rohan’s eyes widened.

‘Air drops!’

Rohan recalled the words Joo-yeon had spoken from the transport ship.

A single sentence about distributing supplies, for all to see.

A prearranged signal.

“Probably supplies, wouldn’t you say?”

“Ah! Right, there was talk of that.”

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“The closest one’s over there.”

Rohan pointed toward a supply drop.

Instantly, he changed direction.

“Hold on a moment.”

At Ichinose’s words, Rohan stopped dead.

He turned to see Ichinose, eyes closed, a question forming on his face.

“Since they’re so conspicuous, isn’t there a high chance we’ll run into other groups?”

“We should assume it’s inevitable.”

“What will we do?”

The underlying meaning of Ichinose’s question was clear.

Rohan’s answer was equally concise.

“The instructor said he’d understand non-lethal altercations.”

Ichinose nodded, understanding.

Rohan resumed moving.