Midterms Begin
‘Huh?’
Rohan rubbed his eyes at the number Sion was showing him.
He opened his status window, but it didn’t seem like a hallucination. Nor was it some random number punched into a calculator.
He couldn’t rule out the possibility of a hallucination too subtle for the status window to detect, but for now, he decided to take it at face value.
‘One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand…’
The units kept climbing. An unreal amount of money. Rohan clamped his mouth shut.
His mind went hazy, and words spilled out unbidden.
“This isn’t some hypnosis app, is it?”
“What are you talking about… It’s the proceeds from selling part of the Testarosa inheritance left in Tigrova.”
“Ah!”
It clicked for both Rohan and Clara. The story suddenly made perfect sense.
Sion pocketed her smartphone and hurried the two along.
“I’ll explain the rest over dinner. It’s too long a tale to list out here on the street.”
They still needed to discuss how to use the money and their living arrangements in Academy City.
But more than that, the three of them just wanted to keep up their aimless chatter.
Those moments made Sion happier than anything.
Before dinner, a light hand-warming session.
Sion unpacked the luggage she’d prepared for Tigrova back into Rohan’s dormitory.
“…”
When she had no choice but to return the borrowed outerwear.
As Sion fiddled with the hanger, reluctant to let go, Rohan approached with a paper bag.
Clara sat on the bed, watching the two quietly.
“Seeing that balance earlier made me flinch a bit.”
“Hm?”
“Here, a gift.”
“!”
Sion didn’t hide her startled expression.
Rohan shoved the paper bag at the frozen Sion with one more word.
“My arm’s gonna fall off. Take it.”
“Ah…”
Waterdrop Friends printed on the outside.
An unexpected joy blanked her mind white.
“Why a gift all of a sudden…?”
“Saw it and thought of you. Gifts don’t always need a reason. If I had to pick one, there are plenty.”
Rohan tried to play it off as just a “welcome back safe and sound” thing, hiding his embarrassment.
But Sion read right through it.
The act of giving gifts embarrassed him.
‘Really…’
Why did this bigger guy look so cute to her?
She swallowed hard, her heart pounding like it might burst. Thump! Thump!
Rohan’s presence loomed larger before her eyes. Clara, staring intently from the bed, felt distant and blurry.
“Can I open it now?”
“Of course.”
She peeled off the tape neatly, without damaging the packaging.
Inside the paper box sat the dolls. Ululi and Blueby, the characters sketched in Sion’s memo pad.
“…”
With trembling hands, Sion pulled out the dolls and blankly exchanged gazes with them.
Things she’d coveted so badly at the merch shop but could only admire from afar.
For Rohan to gift them without warning—could she really be this happy?
It almost worried her that she’d used up her lifetime quota of happiness.
“Like them?”
“Yeah… Thank you so much. It’s the best gift ever…”
Sion beamed, hugging the dolls to her chest. This delighted her more than her sudden windfall.
These children from Rohan would spend their lives on her bed.
‘I see.’
Hugging the dolls, Sion realized it.
Looking at Clara, who watched the scene with a warm smile, confirmed it.
‘That hair clip was a gift too, huh.’
She’d seen Clara fiddling with it nonstop, grinning ear to ear.
Sion had noticed. That item was definitely connected to Rohan.
…
…
A high-end meat restaurant with private rooms.
The place Sion and Clara had scouted and chosen, with Sion offering to treat for dinner.
“First, the most important part.”
“Important part?”
Sion’s serious tone. Rohan, lining up cups and filling them with water, looked up.
Clara, setting the tableware, paused and turned to Sion.
“…Even with financial breathing room, I still want to work together. I lack experience.”
Sion glanced at them, gauging their reaction.
Rohan and Clara’s lips curved up.
“Obviously welcome.”
“Y-Yeah…!”
Rohan grabbed the tongs and laid meat on the hot plate.
First time grilling proper meat in Academy City—saliva pooled in his mouth.
“This new money? Think of it as mental security. You can chase what you want, fail, and still not starve. Huge merit.”
“…Yoho said the exact same thing.”
Rohan eyed Sion, who muttered in wonder.
“Sion. Anything you wanna buy?”
“Hm…?”
“Like upgrading your phone to the latest model? The one I got you isn’t the newest.”
“No. No plans for that.”
She’d just change the registration and keep using it.
Pointless extravagance, and it was from Rohan—no way she’d replace it.
“What I want now… is a house, first off.”
A grand scale.
But recalling the balance she’d shown, no issue.
“Smart.”
“I don’t know much about that stuff, so I’d like you two to check it out with me…”
“Let’s go house-hunting after exams. I’ll look into it too.”
“Mm.”
Sion’s gaze shifted to Clara beside her.
The girl blinked in question. Sion reached out, pinching Clara’s adorably soft cheek.
“Once we get a place in Academy City, I want to live there with Clara.”
“S-Sis… Is that really okay…?”
“Of course. You were the first to offer goodwill.”
Before leaving for Tigrova, she’d been against it.
Clara had volunteered: if they got a place with Rohan’s prize money, she’d live there with Sion.
“It’s not just repaying kindness. I want to live with you more.”
“Hauuu…”
Clara’s eyes spun at Sion’s bold affection.
From Rohan’s view, a heartwarming scene with no reason to stop.
“Clara’s got a good heart—that’s her blessing.”
Rohan said as he sliced the sizzling meat into chunks.
By the time Clara accepted Sion’s offer, the meat was perfectly done.
“If we buy a house… we’ll need to leave a room for Rohan’s bulky gear and equipment.”
“O-Oppa too…?!”
“Me as well?”
Now a proper trio team—no issue there.
They oiled their stomachs, chattered until their throats were parched, then rose.
Perfect chance to teach Sion mobile payments too.
“Great meal.”
“Sis… It was so good…!”
After settling the bill, parting ways felt too soon.
Rohan, having gotten a free meal, led the girls to a café for dessert.
Only then did exams come up.
“Monday to Friday. You two’ll be fine, right?”
“…”
“…”
Sion and Clara sealed their lips in unison, as if rehearsed.
Rohan stirred the ice in his drink and continued.
“High chance we can’t on the island, but I’ll contact you as much as possible before departure.”
The girls pouted duck-lipped but accepted reality.
Then voiced their curiosity.
“Rohan. What’s the uninhabited island exam like?”
“Hard to explain exactly. They kept mentioning Monolith prep, so probably survival and response in a resource-scarce scenario.”
“O-Oppa… so you’ll be on the island with those girls…?”
Clara’s “girls” were limited: Noah Frozenheart and Ichinose Yui, likely.
Clara held her breath awaiting his answer.
Sion crossed her arms seriously, furrowing her brows.
“We’ll be on the island together, at least. But teams could be random.”
“Hmm.”
“I-I see…”
Back to chit-chat after. They lingered in the café later than expected.
Clara led Sion to her place, while Rohan returned to the dorm, squeezing his refreshed brain for more study.
Sunday passed after Saturday.
Rohan wrapped theory that day, focusing hard.
Only met Sion and Clara at mealtimes.
Monday.
Breakfast with the girls he wouldn’t see for a while.
Arriving at Orion Academy, Rohan sensed a different vibe.
Everyone there earlier than usual, no chatter—dead quiet.
Noah beside Ichinose glared at her book like she’d bore holes through it, hair still wet.
“Fuu…”
Perfect focus atmosphere. Rohan exhaled deeply, sat, and opened his book.
‘Today’s the real start.’
No mistakes on exams, safe completion of all tasks—might need bold decisions.
‘Who’ll I pair with on the island?’
For Sion and Clara, the start of trials.
For Rohan, time to face the next main story.