Meeting and Carrot -1-
Buuuz—!!!
The atmosphere on the road back to Academy City was completely different from when we'd headed to Samhwa Nation.
Setting aside the fact that the car was now far more luxurious, there was this tangible sense of driving with my lovers that just warmed the air.
"Rohan."
"Yeah?"
"Hehe, it's nothing."
Watching Sion fiddle with the gear shift hand playfully made my heart ache a little.
And at the Nabiya Rest Stop—a pavilion we'd stopped at to grab drinks on the way back—Clara's cuteness had me totally smitten.
"O-Oppa...! Look at this... right here... ."
"What's up? What is it?"
Rohan leaned in to follow where Clara's finger pointed.
Mwah! She pressed her lips briefly to his cheek with a little pop.
"Hehe... ."
Their eyes met, and Clara blushed bright red, beaming ear to ear.
Rohan grinned back. These were happy times.
Even after grabbing drinks and piling back into the car, the moments that melted him continued.
"Alright, let's hit the road again."
"Rohan. My seatbelt won't budge. Feels like it's caught on something."
"In that case, don't keep pulling—just push it back in once... ."
As Rohan leaned close to unfasten Sion's seatbelt in the passenger seat,
Sion planted her soft lips on his cheek, leaving a mark. Then, with a prim little tug, she fastened it.
"Hm, there we go."
Click! She buckled up and smiled.
Unlike her bold smile, the tips of her pointed ears flushed red.
Sion and Clara were busy showering Rohan with affection he could barely contain.
Thanks to that, the trip back to Academy City felt incredibly short.
By the time we pulled up to Sion's Mansion, it was already the point where "already?" slipped out naturally.
He unloaded their suitcases from the trunk and carried them inside.
Standing at the entrance, Rohan kept chatting with his two new girlfriends.
"I'll drop the car off first. Tomorrow, I'll meet with Instructor and head back here."
"Because of Cheongnim?"
"Yeah. Instructor's basically responsible for us cadets, so I gotta give a proper report. Looks like she's been fielding calls left and right because of me."
"O-Oppa... y-you're not gonna get in trouble, right?"
Clara shuddered all over at the thought of Juyeon getting mad—it must've terrified her.
If it were before, he'd have patted her head, but now he gently pulled her into a hug to calm her down.
Sion naturally snuggled in too.
Rohan held both girls close as their everyday chat flowed on.
"I got some praise over the phone, so it'll probably just be a warning about rushing things."
"I hope nothing comes of it."
"It's fine, it's fine. Won't take long."
"If Oppa says so... ."
Rohan gripped their slim waists tight and met their eyes.
"You're tired from the trip—get some good rest. Got it?"
"I'm fine. You're the one who drove—you must be the most exhausted."
"M-Me too... I'm okay... !"
Clara's face flushed first from the deep embrace, while Sion's ears warmed subtly.
Easy reactions to read.
"Guess I'll head out now. Gotta return the car before it's too late."
Rohan kissed Sion and Clara with affection, nipping their lips lightly,
then flashed a smile and left the mansion.
"... ."
"... ."
Rohan's kisses always hit different. The sensation of being loved made their heads spin.
The two girls touched their flushed lips in a daze.
They waved timidly to Rohan as he departed.
After dropping the car at the repair shop Ichinose Jun had recommended, Rohan strolled leisurely toward the Orion Academy Dormitory.
The moment he stepped into a quiet alley off the bustling streets, he paused.
'Should I try it now?'
He couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer. No way he could wait till the dorm.
Time to test the storage function from his exclusive weapon's level-up.
Shing!
Rohan drew Radiance from its sheath on his back and toyed with it. He bounced it tap! tap! on his palm.
Radiance had a long blade.
In a world where most carried weapons, this one's size and length still stood out.
Rohan wielded it one-handed with mana and strength, but its length and weight screamed two-hander to anyone glancing.
'Pistols are no hassle to carry, but this greatsword's different. Depending on how I store and draw it, I could use it for ambushes too.'
To try storing, he opened the Shop skill.
Thrusting the tip in experimentally brought up a notification window.
[Storing will consume 5 points]
'Hm.'
Resolved to spend the precious points, he slid the blade right in.
Magically, Radiance vanished into thin air.
Yet he felt certain it existed properly in the Shop skill. As his exclusive weapon, it was bound to him.
His hand felt empty, but the sword was ready—that realization brought no anxiety or void, just comfort.
'Gotta test drawing it too.'
Drawing the stored weapon was simple.
Just like buying from the Shop, his hand slipped into empty space. It gripped the hilt exactly as inserted.
'The real key's elsewhere.'
The question: any lag when yanking and swinging aggressively?
For the test, Rohan pulled hard and swung wide.
Whoosh—!
A sharp whistle of wind.
If he'd swung in the dorm, the fridge or a wardrobe would've been smashed—the arc was that wide.
'Perfect.'
Rohan was satisfied. No restrictions drawing and swinging big.
The storage function exceeded expectations.
'Put it away again?'
Nah. He'd need to draw for training anyway.
Until points stopped being an issue or became plentiful, he'd only store on special occasions.
To save points, he'd carry it on his back like usual for now.
Click!
Sheathing Radiance, Rohan resumed walking to the dorm as if nothing happened.
The day after Rohan returned to Academy City.
Juyeon grasped the door handle of the café where she'd promised to meet him—fifteen minutes early.
Carrot Instructor had raved about it as the perfect spot for a talk back in the day.
"Welcome!"
After a light greeting with the rabbit beastkin server—ears poking from her hat—Juyeon eyed the menu.
"Hm?"
Something felt off, so she glanced down.
She checked the bread display, then back to the menu.
'Carrot cake, carrot juice, carrot tart... ?'
Carrot cake and juice popped up at other cafés sometimes.
But this place was carrot overload.
With all the staff being rabbit beastkin, it clicked why Carrot had been so hyped.
She considered switching cafés but checked the time and gave up.
'Eh, they've got regular coffee anyway.'
Mostly carrot-infused foods and drinks, sure, but standard options were there too.
Just as she went to order coffee, Juyeon sensed a familiar presence.
Without ordering, she waited a beat—and Rohan pushed through the door.
"Instructor! Good to see you!"
"...Rohan. Lower your voice."
Juyeon's lips twitched at his energetic vibe.
Smiling here would ruin the stern atmosphere for the talk, so she reined in her emotions.
"Come pick something from the menu."
Rohan strode over and stood beside her.
He blinked at the menu.
"Neat place. Never knew a café like this existed."
"Carrot Instructor recommended it."
"Ah... I'll go with the carrot ade."
An unexpected pick. Curiosity from the "best" label, maybe.
Juyeon chuckled softly and ordered her coffee plus Rohan's choice.
They sat and sipped their drinks first.
Rohan swirled his carrot ade with the straw, then tasted it.
"Hmm... ? Oh!"
His brows furrowed oddly, then he nodded like he'd figured it out.
Juyeon knew she should dive into the main topic, but his antics pulled a question from her.
"Taste good?"
"Wanna try some, Instructor? It's better than it looks."
She shook her head at him offering the drink outright.
"No thanks. Even if it's good, doubt it pairs with coffee."
"Ah, yeah, fair point."
As Rohan slurped it down,
Juyeon broached casually.
"So, how was the Samhwa Nation trip?"
"Great rest after so long. The food, scenery, culture—awesome country."
Juyeon eyed him like you serious?
"Calling it 'rest' so boldly when an incident's still fresh in my mind from the reports."
"... ."
Rohan averted his eyes, straw in mouth.
Juyeon knew that look.
Just like her big dog back home—sneaking guilty glances after shattering Mom's favorite vase.
His antics made scolding tough; she just laughed.
"...Before the full story."
Juyeon's gaze shifted to the café wall.
Rohan watched, unsure what she was doing.
"What're you doing back there, Carrot Instructor?"
At her called name,
rabbit ears perked up from behind the wall.