I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

Clara’s connection with the Red Spider Lily Bookstore began sometime in the summer, long before Rohan started working there. By now, months had passed since the girl had claimed her corner of the store.

Thanks to the manager’s kindness, after learning about her circumstances, the little nook in the store had essentially become Clara’s refuge—a space she could call her own.

Here, she immersed herself in knowledge, spending her days flipping through the worn magazines and books that had been donated or marked for disposal.

Detective stories, history, fashion, horror, essays, dictionaries—it didn’t matter. Whatever she grabbed first became her next read. Slowly but surely, Clara filled her head with a diverse array of concepts and ideas.

Rustle, rustle.

“...”

Today, she was looking at a discarded workbook someone had solved and left behind.

There wasn’t any particular reason—her hand had simply landed on it as it sat on the top of a pile.

The cover revealed it was a study guide for the Orion Academy entrance exams.

Recently, a lot of books like this had come into the store in bundles.

The one Clara picked today was densely packed with handwritten notes and explanations, filling every available space on the pages.

‘Such cute handwriting.’

Clara treated the handwriting as part of the reading experience, enjoying it just as much as the text itself.

Deciphering the notes and understanding the explanations felt like solving riddles, and she found the process fun.

‘Oh! I’ve seen this monster before...’

Thus, Clara quietly spent another day lost in her own world.

Now that the manager had gone home and Rohan was at the counter, this was her comfort zone.

Rohan never asked questions about things she didn’t want to talk about.

Even when they chatted, he adjusted the conversation in a way that didn’t make her feel stuck or overwhelmed. His ability to maintain this mysterious balance of distance and warmth was remarkable.

On top of that, Rohan’s genuine enthusiasm for games made their conversations enjoyable.

Whenever he asked in-depth questions about the lore of Company Wave, Clara found herself so excited that she would chatter away at breakneck speed before realizing it.

‘Ah, so embarrassing...’

She blushed just thinking about the time she got carried away explaining.

Rohan had smiled and encouraged her to say more, but for Clara, that memory always made her face burn with embarrassment.

Anyway, she knew Rohan was an Academy cadet and likely one or two years older than her.

‘...Could he be... a friend?’

Even thinking the word felt undeserved, as if she didn’t quite fit into such a bright, radiant connection.

“Hehe.”

A ticklish feeling bubbled in her chest, and a faint giggle escaped Clara’s lips.

Smiling, she reached out to grab her next book when the bell above the entrance jingled.

Then came voices—Rohan’s and a woman’s.

Hearing Rohan’s noticeably more cheerful tone compared to when he dealt with other customers, Clara instinctively quieted her movements.

She shifted silently and peeked toward the counter.

—The manager has gone home, so I’m responsible for closing the store.

Rohan was chatting happily with the woman.

Clara couldn’t quite describe how it made her feel, but something about watching them unsettled her.

‘Of course... it’s not like I’m the only person he knows...’

Clara shifted her gaze from Rohan to the woman and froze for a moment.

‘W-wow...’

The woman was stunningly beautiful—so much so that admiration spilled from Clara’s lips unbidden.

Her striking red hair and sharp features exuded an overwhelming aura of confidence and grace.

Clara felt a tiny spark of possessiveness disappear instantly, dwarfed by the woman’s commanding presence.

‘Wait...’

As Clara studied the woman intently, her head tilted slightly in confusion.

Was it just her imagination, or had she seen this person in a magazine before?

—If the manager were here, I’d have greeted them... but it’s good to see you’ve earned their trust. That’s a positive thing.

How long had Clara been watching them from her hiding spot?

Suddenly, she sensed something.

‘Huh...?’

It wasn’t a physical threat or killing intent.

Instead, it felt like a silent reprimand, as if telling her that her actions—watching like this—were improper and impolite.

The red-haired woman’s presence radiated an undeniable authority, and Clara felt like she had been caught.

“!!!”

For the first time, Clara’s carefully concealed position had been detected so easily. Her legs began to tremble.

In that fleeting moment, Clara glimpsed something radiant and overwhelming—a blazing sun.

Its light consumed the shadows she hid in, leaving her feeling utterly exposed and vulnerable.

She had never encountered such a presence before. This woman was terrifying.

Clara quickly averted her gaze and retreated to her usual corner of the bookstore.

‘She... she’s watching me!’

Even as she tried to hide, Clara felt an unshakable sense that the woman could see her no matter where she went.

The oppressive feeling of having nowhere to hide filled Clara with fear, making the exit to the bookstore feel impossibly far away.

“Haah...!”

Even after Jooyeon had left, Clara was still trembling, and she caught Rohan’s eye.

Rohan stopped mid-step on his way to grab the mop and quickly approached her.

“Are you okay? Are you feeling sick?”

“...”

With trembling hands, Clara suddenly grabbed the front of Rohan’s apron.

It was an instinctive action, bypassing reason—a move completely unlike the usual Clara.

Rohan’s mind immediately began piecing the situation together.

“Is this because of the instructor?”

“T-that’s...”

Seeing her stammering, Rohan instinctively realized this was his chance.

It was an opportunity to approach a sensitive topic naturally.

“Alright, here we go.”

Rohan crouched down and sat to meet Clara’s eye level.

How long did he sit there in silence?

Eventually, Clara’s tightly clenched grip on his apron began to loosen, and her trembling subsided.

Rohan, watching for the right moment, softly broke the silence.

“Feeling a bit better now?”

“...”

A faint nod.

“Would you like some water?”

“...”

She shook her head lightly, signaling that she was fine.

Rohan studied her for a moment, carefully selecting his next words.

The most important thing now was to elicit a positive reaction.

“You know, you’re pretty amazing.”

At the sudden compliment, Clara raised her head slightly, her curiosity piqued.

Rohan’s words seemed to gently graze a secret she had never spoken out loud.

“Most people would just feel a sense of intimidation when they see the instructor, but... could you actually sense her mana?”

Rohan’s tone was full of genuine admiration, as though he couldn’t believe how subtly she had managed to suppress her reaction.

Clara’s eyes widened, and they began trembling furiously.

“A-ah, n-no, it’s not that...”

Before she could offer a clumsy excuse, Rohan cut in.

“The instructor does have a very strong presence. But there’s no need to worry about it, and certainly no reason to be scared.”

He didn’t press further or expect an explanation.

Rohan simply wanted her to know that he acknowledged her uniqueness—that was enough.

---

[Clara: I’m so sorry, so so sorry, it’s all my fault! (╥﹏╥)]

Rohan quickly replied, reassuring her not to worry and that they’d see each other tomorrow.

‘Man, I’ve got to hurry.’@@novelbin@@

Between calming Clara and wrapping up late, the store’s closing was delayed.

Rohan placed the keys under the flower bed outside the bookstore and rushed off.

As he stepped out of the alley, there was no need to look around—Jooyeon stood out immediately.

Rohan jogged over and stopped in front of her.

“Sorry for being late!”

“It’s fine. It’s rare for anyone to finish exactly at closing time.”

Jooyeon’s hands were empty—she must have already dropped off the books.

“I have a place in mind. Let’s head there.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Jooyeon smirked slightly as she watched Rohan fall in step without a word of protest.

“Aren’t you curious about the menu?”

“Well, to be honest, I am.”

Jooyeon gestured with her eyes toward a towering building ahead.

“There’s a family restaurant on the fourth floor of that mall. It’s a Samhwaguk franchise—you’ve probably heard of it.”

“Oh, wow...”

With a mix of awe and excitement, the two chatted as they entered the mall.

Cadets in academy uniforms could be seen here and there, some bowing deeply in recognition of Jooyeon.

When they stepped off the escalator onto the fourth floor, Rohan noticed a restaurant with an interior similar to a famous steakhouse chain.

It felt... odd.

“How many in your party?”

“Two.”

Since it was quite late for dinner, the restaurant was quieter than expected.

Rohan followed the staff’s lead, sitting across from Jooyeon at their table.

“Order whatever you like.”

Jooyeon slid the menu across to Rohan.

Unfamiliar with all the options, Rohan found himself glancing around instead of focusing on the menu.

While the food choices were one thing, he couldn’t help but notice that most customers were enjoying greasy snacks and beer.

“It says here it’s a promotional beer night for office workers...”

“Ah, that explains all the drinks people are holding.”

“Do you not drink beer, Instructor?”

At Rohan’s question, Jooyeon shook her head.

“I don’t drink.”

“Do you dislike it?”

“No, not at all. In fact, I think about having a drink from time to time.”

Jooyeon pushed her bangs aside and gave a broad, carefree smile before adding:

“But emergencies can happen at any moment.”

Her words were short yet perfectly clear.

Rohan immediately understood.

“...That’s no easy lifestyle.”

“It’s what I signed up for when I was brought to the Academy City with this mission.”

“Thanks to you, Instructor, everyone is becoming a powerful force.”

As a former hunter, Rohan knew how crucial it was for someone’s efforts to be acknowledged—it made a significant difference to morale.

Jooyeon smiled slightly, resting her chin on her hand as she studied Rohan.

“This instructor has high expectations for you too, Rohan.”

“I’ll get stronger quickly so you can enjoy that drink in peace.”

“You sound reliable. I’ll look forward to it.”

“When the time comes, I’ll be the one to pour your drink.”

Jooyeon couldn’t hide her delight at his words.

She chuckled softly, a rare sound.

“When I feel like I can step away without worrying about the city’s safety, I’ll accept that drink.”