I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City-Chapter 111: The Academy City Is Smaller Than You Think

The academy ended earlier than expected.

After the individual interviews, returning to Class 1 to listen to Juyeon's explanation was the final step.

The most important takeaway from that? A holiday.

All the days originally designated for exams were now official holidays.

Since a weekend was tacked onto the end, the cadets essentially had a long break.

As Rohan headed to the meeting spot, he checked his phone. The time was 11:40 AM.

Just before lunchtime.

‘Since I have some free time, should I extend my training?’

If he wanted to at least get a rough grasp of his third sword technique, he had to make the most of this holiday.

Once today's business was done, maybe dedicating the rest of the break to training wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Oppa!"

"Rohan. Over here."

Rohan, who had been contemplating while looking at the calendar, lifted his head.

Even amidst the crowd, Shion and Clara stood out unmistakably.

Shion was wearing a knit sweater and jeans that perfectly suited the April spring breeze.

Judging by the size, they were obviously not Rohan’s clothes, and considering the style, there was no way she borrowed them from Clara either.

It was definitely something he had never seen her wear before.

"What, did you already go shopping?"

"This is the only thing I bought so far. I plan to get a few more today."

"Oh."

Rohan nodded with a short exclamation.

Shion, fiddling with the hem of her sweater, hesitantly asked.

"...Does it look weird after all?"

"Weird? No way, you look great."

"!"

Setting aside the common saying that fashion is all about the face, Shion already seemed to understand what style suited her.

Maybe it was an innate sense.

"Oh, oppa, what about me...?"

"It’d be a waste of words to even say it. You look stunning."

At Rohan’s casual praise, the girls exchanged glances before smiling with slightly flushed faces.

Clara lowered her head in an attempt to hide her expression.

Shion, on the other hand, took a step closer to Rohan.

"Rohan. If I asked who looks prettier, would that be troublesome?"

The elf girl added a teasing lilt to her already deepening smile.

Rohan tilted his head back as if escaping and looked up at the sky.

She really knows how to set up a trap.

"...Let's get moving. Where are we going first?"

The meeting with the real estate agent introduced by Yuho of Tigrova was scheduled for the afternoon.

For now, they headed to a large shopping mall within the Academy City.

Since the academy had ended early, plenty of first-year cadets were roaming around.

"Oppa, don’t you have anything to buy?"

"I do, but I can’t get it here. It’s something I can buy later. When the time comes, I’d like some advice from you two."

"Hmm?"

"From me and Shion...?"

Two pairs of eyes immediately focused on him.

Rohan smirked slightly and gathered mana at his fingertip, releasing a faint burst.

There was no real power behind it, but the way the mana was discharged made his intention clear.

The girls widened their eyes.

"I discovered a new talent. You might’ve noticed it while spending time with me."

"Oh! Oppa, does that mean you can use guns now?!"

"I tried it once during the test. But I couldn’t control the mana, so I broke the gun."

"Wait, so it wasn’t something you could do before, but it suddenly became possible?"

"Yeah. The method just popped into my head while trying to use a skill."

"...That’s unheard of."

The ability to channel mana into projectiles wasn’t something that could be learned through training.

It was like having dimples when smiling—some people had them, some didn’t.

Like eye and hair colors varying from person to person, it was an innate trait, independent of will.

Since it would be difficult to explain the concept of skill leveling,

Rohan chose to skip that part and get straight to the point.

"I want you two to help me choose a handgun to carry."

The moment he said that, both Shion and Clara’s eyes sparkled.

"Oppa with a handgun...!"

"If you have a preferred style, I can recommend something. What model did you use on the island?"

Rohan folded his arms and stroked his chin, barely recalling the name.

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"Kangseol-75?"

"Not a bad choice."

"A decent mass-production model."

Rohan's lips curled into a satisfied smile.

Agreement between them was always a good sign.

"I'll leave it to you."

Seeing his trusting gaze, the girls immediately started chirping like canaries, exchanging excited remarks.

"Oh! Oppa, I think a heavy revolver with a rotating bolt structure would suit you! One that uses Magnum rounds...!"

"If it’s gas-operated with a rotating bolt, wouldn’t it be too bulky to wield alongside a sword? If we’re considering it as a secondary weapon, a stainless-steel revolver might be a better option. Holsters are well-designed these days, so a 2-inch model wouldn't be too inconvenient."

"But... Oppa has big hands and thick fingers, so a gun with a strong, masculine feel would suit him..."

"Hmm, you're not wrong, and I get your reasoning. But portability is still important."

The more they delved into the topic, the more their opinions diverged.

Just from that, Rohan could already see where this was going.

‘Yeah... I’m probably going to end up buying two guns.’

At some point, the group had stopped walking.

Rohan started moving again.

"Let’s talk about handguns after we finish shopping. The gun store stays open late."

"Oh! Right...!"

"Agreed."

Rohan let them step onto the escalator first before following behind, casually asking:

"So, what’s first? Clothes?"

"Clothes, of course."

"...Right."

Clara clamped her mouth shut, while Shion gave a vague answer.

Sensing something was off, Rohan asked again.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see if you follow us."

Rohan trailed behind the girls as they stepped off the escalator—

Only to find himself standing in front of a store specializing in women’s underwear.

Inside, a few female cadets from the academy could be seen browsing.

"..."

Rohan slowly turned his gaze toward Shion.

Shion met his eyes and confidently smiled.

"Underwear is clothing too, isn’t it?"

"By that logic, we should start calling Charizard a grapefruit."

"Charizard?"

"Never mind... Let’s just go in."

Since Rohan didn't object and walked in without resistance,

Shion and Clara eagerly started browsing the merchandise.

Shion, picking up a hanger, proudly held it up for Rohan to see.

"I do need underwear, but I also wanted to get something comfortable to sleep in."

The fabric was thin, white, and semi-transparent.

Through the material, Shion’s fingers were visible.

"...Isn’t this a negligee?"

"It’s categorized as sleepwear. Am I wrong?"

"Well, technically no, but still... Hmm..."

Now that it was right in front of his face, he couldn’t help but imagine it.

Wouldn't that be a bit too... revealing?

"Heh, don’t worry. I’m not careless enough to expose my bare skin to just anyone."

"Good. That’s reassuring."

Rohan pretended to be unfazed, but his voice sounded slightly stiff.

Shion found his reaction amusing.

"Rohan. Do you think it would suit me?"

"Uh..."

"O-Oppa! What about this one?"

Clara, seemingly drawn to the opposite of Shion's, had picked up a black negligee.

She hovered around Rohan with it in hand.

A relentless pressing attack from both sides.

Rohan's mouth went completely dry.

***

After finishing his preparations to go out, Noah Frozenheart spotted his prey.

Wagging his tail playfully, he lowered his stance—

Then, as usual, spread his arms wide and lunged at his friend.

"Nose! Come here!"

"..."

"Huh?"

Ichinose didn’t dodge like he always did.

He stood there, seemingly deep in thought, without moving an inch.

And so, Noah successfully landed in his embrace.

"Nose?"

Baby-nose Yui.

No, full name Ichinose Yui.

For the first time ever, she had invited a man outside of her family for a meal—

And tasted failure.

‘Now that I think about it... Why did I assume it would automatically work? What was my reasoning?’

The men who had accepted her invitations before—

Had they all endured this level of pressure?

Even °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° though having prior plans was a valid explanation,

The idea that he might have avoided her because it felt burdensome,

Or that he simply found dining with her uncomfortable,

Made all kinds of thoughts flood her mind.

‘Maybe... I’ve grown too accustomed to being respected...’

Yet here she was, boldly telling people to treat her as a warrior, not a woman.

The more she reflected on it, the more she wanted to smack herself for talking so big.

"Nose? Are you listening? Hellooo?"

Still snug in his arms, Noah poked his soft cheeks several times.

Only then did the petite girl slowly lift her head.

"Ah... You're here."

"What's with you today? Should we just take it easy instead?"

"I'm fine. More importantly, let go. I can't breathe."

Ichinose freed herself and naturally resumed walking.

"Can we stop by a shop before we eat?"

"Sure. What do you need to buy?"

"My chest got bigger again. My bra’s uncomfortable. I can’t breathe!"

"..."

Ichinose chose to remain silent.

Gripping her sword tightly, she quickened her pace.

Noah just grinned, enjoying her reaction as he followed behind.

Upon arrival, Noah and Ichinose stepped onto the escalator.

"Hey, why do guys like fat so much?"

Feeling the stares of passing men, Noah curiously grabbed his own chest and squeezed it.

Ichinose let out a sigh and used the hilt of her sword to push his hands away.

"...Stop doing that in public."

"Ehh~ Nose, are you mad?"

"I'm just telling you not to do things that draw attention. And no more acting cute, it’s annoying."

"But my dad says my cuteness is the best!"

"..."

Ichinose knew.

If she said even one word, Noah’s antics would only get worse.

Her best option was to stay quiet and head straight for the store.

"Ah! Exams are over, it's paradise! Paradise! I’m gonna sleep in tomorrow!"

"If you sleep too late, it'll be hard to get back on schedule when classes start again."

"It’s fine! You’ll wake me up anyw— huh?"

Noah, who had been bouncing around energetically, suddenly froze mid-step.

Seeing the abrupt halt, Ichinose instinctively stopped as well and looked at him questioningly.

"...What is it?"

Noah stood still, staring intensely into a store.

Then, his voice rang out.

"Hey... isn’t that Rohan?"