Relationships: The Tiger as a Stepping Stone -5-
“I’ll leave the extra cups and utensils here. The bright colors make them easy to spot—nice touch.”
“Y-Yeah...!”
Rohan finished wiping down the spare cups and utensils Clara would use and set them aside. Then he moved his hands to the next task.
He pulled out instant rice and ingredients for side dishes from the shelf reserved for cooking.
“It’ll take a bit, so if you get bored, feel free to watch TV. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”
“N-No, I wanna watch from here.”
Curious about the cooking process, Clara stood beside Rohan, observing with a delighted expression.
Come to think of it, I haven’t cooked much since moving here.
With that thought, Rohan washed the vegetables under running water and stacked them neatly on the cutting board.
He shook off the excess moisture and gripped his kitchen knife.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Onions, carrots, and green onions fell apart in neat chunks on the board.
Clara watched the fluid process with growing excitement, then asked in a voice tinged with enthusiasm.
“O-Oppa, do you like cooking?”
“It’s not so much that I love cooking—it’s just more efficient for saving on living expenses if you manage your food budget.”
“Ooh...!”
This was a story rooted in his past life.
But Academy City Elysium wasn’t all that different in that regard.
“Lately, I only cook on weekends. Weekdays, I eat at the academy.”
Without the cheap academy cafeteria for cadets, things would’ve been financially brutal.
Without that option, he might’ve wasted points from his Shop skill just to stave off hunger.
I don’t want to be obsessed with money... but you need a certain amount for peace of mind.
Poverty had dogged him relentlessly before becoming a hunter—tedious enough that the deprivation itself felt boring.
He knew firsthand how material scarcity gnawed at the soul.
That’s why he hated being broke.
If his wallet were any thinner, he’d have had to calculate every penny when treating Clara, and agonizing over gifts for the shopkeeper would’ve been a hassle.
Just imagining it left a sour taste.
In that sense, he didn’t want to skimp.
“Rohan oppa.”
“Yeah?”
“Once I get a status in Academy City and move into a place with a kitchen... it’d be good to learn to cook myself, right?”
Her current place didn’t even have a kitchen.
Rohan felt a pang of sympathy.
“If you want to, cooking’s a great hobby. But no need to force it if you don’t.”
“I-I want to try if I knew how, but I’ve never even done it...”
“Wanna make something together next time? Just follow a recipe, and you’re good.”
“!”
Nod nod nod nod.
Clara nodded vigorously, her face lighting up with eagerness. Her twin tails swayed every which way.
True to her request, Rohan hooked his pinky with hers to seal the promise, then resumed cooking.
Once the instant rice was microwaved and scooped into bowls, everything was ready.
Only when they sat across from each other at the table did the special warmth sink in, drawing natural smiles from both.
“Thanks for the food!”
“Dig in.”
“You too, oppa! Heehee...”
Clara picked up her utensils with a little hum, her face openly beaming with joy as she tasted the simple meal Rohan had whipped up.
Her eyes went wide.
“O-Oppa’s cooking is so good...!”
“Hearing that makes it all worthwhile.”
For Rohan, seeing her savor such a basic spread was gratifying.
Her reaction made him worry about what she usually ate.
And there was one person who’d been holding back from joining them.
Sion.
The prim princess flitted through his mind.
But this wasn’t the time to bring her up with Clara.
No heavy talk during meals—you’ll get indigestion.
The real conversation could wait until after.
Meals should be enjoyed carefree.
They finished with light chatter.
Clara rubbed her flat stomach—though it hadn’t visibly swelled—and let out a satisfied sigh.
“Huuu... so full...”
“You ate a lot.”
“Yeah! Thanks for the meal!”
“I’ll put the leftovers in containers in the fridge, so eat whenever you’re hungry. Just reheat like I showed you.”
As he cleared the dishes, Rohan explained while arranging the stack of comics from Noah and the new purchases.
The washing machine was a different model from the one in Clara’s room, so it needed a quick rundown.
“Fill the detergent up to this line. Fabric softener’s in the next compartment.”
“Got it!”
“For delicates, zippers, or decorated stuff, use the laundry bags we bought—they’ll hold up better. Always bag ’em.”
“Ah...!”
Things the girl, who’d fled after basic etiquette training at the brothel, had never known.
Clara nodded eagerly at the laundry bag’s purpose, hanging on Rohan’s every word.
“That about covers it. If I’m not here, don’t open the door for anyone knocking. Got it?”
“Yes!”
Watching the girl buzz with excitement over these little things, Rohan felt a shift in his heart.
Even if recruiting her as a teammate didn’t pan out, he just wanted her to live well.
This was reality, not a game.
Forcing her without her own will might prove too harsh for what lay ahead.
“Clara.”
“Yeah?”
She turned with a smiling face, as if delighted to be called.
Rohan gave a wry smile at her innocent response and suggested,
“Hmm... wanna go for a walk to help digest?”
…
…
They strolled with drinks in hand.
Coffee for Rohan, fruit juice for Clara—just in case.
“You said you’d use hot water starting Monday, right?”
“Y-Yeah. Is that okay...?”
Of course, Rohan assured her.
“Anytime’s fine. I’ll keep the window lock off.”
“Heehee.”
Reconfirmed permission brought a happy smile to Clara’s face.
“Even if I’m gone for a few days, use it freely.”
“Gone for a few days...? Academy stuff?”
“No big training plans at the academy yet. Just... other business that might keep me away a few days.”
Clara blinked, trying to process, then pulled her lips from the straw with a puzzled look.
“O-Oppa works somewhere besides Flower Lily Bookstore?”
“If you call it work... yeah, kinda.”
“Huh?”
Rohan’s unusually vague reply tilted Clara’s head in confusion.
“I’m focusing on something I might make my main gig. The bookstore part-time is just a foundation for that.”
“C-Can I ask what it is?”
“Haven’t told anyone yet, but it’s tied to combat.”
“So I’d be the first to hear about it...?”
“Yeah. Looks that way.”
It sounded serious, tangled with violence, but being the first to know filled her with undeniable joy.
“Wanna hear?”
“If you’re okay with it...!”
Rohan smiled at her immediate, unhesitating response.
He checked that no one was around, then stopped in a quiet alley near the dorms.
“As you know, I’m from the Southern Ruins’ Remnant.”
“...Yeah.”
“Most Orion Academy grads return home and join prestigious combat units.”
Rohan wet his throat with coffee and continued.
“But that doesn’t leave paths barren for cadets like me with nowhere to go. Plenty emigrate to other countries post-graduation.”
“...”
“Just two years left till graduation. Short if you’ve got prep to do, long if you slack off.”
Only two years—did that mean tons of prep?
Clara stared blankly at Rohan’s mouth as his voice flowed, straw between her lips.
“I’m weighing two options.”
“Two...?”
“One: join a combat group in another nation after graduating.”
“And the other?”
Rohan paused at her question.
He sipped his coffee for a deliberate beat, then met her eyes and stated plainly,
“Staying in Academy City. As a peace officer or freelancer.”
“!”
Then I can keep seeing him.
That thought surfaced first in Clara’s mind.
“That’s my goal right now. I like the city, and going independent suits me.”
The words rang with the weight of someone who’d weathered storms and fully reflected on himself.
Clara blinked in quiet awe.
They weren’t far apart in age, yet his path was so clear—she couldn’t help but admire it.
“Clara.”
“Yeah?”
“Got any dreams for the future?”
“I-I don’t know...”
She shook her head feebly.
The path ahead was too dark to even glimpse what lay beyond.
“That’s fine. You’ve pushed hard this far. You can take your time finding it.”
“...!”
No empty consolation—his words carried conviction, as if he knew her struggles.
Clara felt a storm of emotions whirl in her chest.
“Clara.”
“Y-Yeah!”
Her voice trembled with moisture. Embarrassed, she lowered it to reply.
Rohan curved his lips softly and asked,
“Until you find what you want to do... will you stick with me?”