I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City-Chapter 158: What About Noah?
[Reté: Senior! I got my license with those friends!]
[Reté: Photo]
The cool girl holds her freshly printed license and makes a peace sign with her fingers.
Before replying to the message that called for a smile, Rohan recalled.
‘Ah, a driver’s license!’
He knows how to drive. He’s done it so many times, to the point where the tires wore down and became smooth.
When he went to save Shion, he even hijacked a car and enjoyed a short drive with Clara.
However, this version of Rohan doesn’t have a license.
It might be a good idea to get one before the trip. It’s not just about going to the beach; it will be essential for the future.
‘Can I use just one driver’s license in other countries?’
After replying to the message, Rohan started searching the internet.
Satisfactory information came up immediately.
‘What a good world it is.’
If you obtain a license in Ellysium, the academy city, you can use it in Tigrova, Samhwa Nation, and the Sepia Archipelago, which run the academy city.
It can also be used in other countries, as long as the country doesn’t specifically disallow it.
For a few countries that do not accept licenses issued here, as long as you get a stamp from the police department, there’s no problem.
‘The goal is to get it before the vacation.’
Another task was added.
He checked the price and added it to his calendar. Once that was done, Rohan unpacked his gear.
‘Now, let’s settle the debts a little.’
It was time to pay back the colleagues who helped him with the exam.
When he opened the door, Shion and Clara were waiting, dressed in casual clothes.
The girls, wearing tank tops and dolphin shorts, with their long legs exposed, tested Rohan’s self-control.
“Rohan. Hurry up and give me a massage. My legs feel like they’re made of steel.”
“I’m coming. Let’s go.”
As Rohan approached the living room, Clara added a condition.
“Oh, big brother... My legs are sore too...”
“Are your shoulders okay?”
“Ah, well, my shoulders too...”
“Okay. I’ll do both.”
Rohan was serious about the massage. He had even bought body oil for massaging on the way back.
“Here, first customer?”
Rohan cracked his thick fingers, preparing to start.
Clara swallowed her saliva and averted her gaze, while Shion smiled and raised her hand.
“Me first.”
With body oil in one hand, Rohan walked toward Shion.
Shion hid her rising tension and waited for Rohan’s touch.
“Do you need anything else besides the massage? Something you want to eat or a place you want to go?”
“I’ll think about it slowly.”
“Ah, I’ll think about it...!”
Rohan had no intention of paying off their troubles with such simple gestures.
Originally, what Shion and Clara wanted wasn’t something he couldn’t do, even if it wasn’t in the form of a debt.
Swish.
Rohan applied the oil to his hands and reached out.
As Rohan’s large hand moved up Shion’s thigh, she couldn’t suppress the sound that escaped her.
“Ugh...”
“Is it cold?”
“No... It’s fine.”
“If it hurts, tell me.”
Rohan continued massaging with an incredibly serious face, keeping his eyes fixed on Shion’s legs.
Shion, trying not to make any strange sounds, covered her mouth with both hands.
“Ah...”
Through her covered lips, Shion let out a sweet sound.
Clara, her face red with heat, watched Shion’s face melt in happiness.
Soon, she would be in that position herself.
It was torture just watching.
The waiting was unbearable.
***
“Do you like Rohan?”
“···!”
“No? Was I mistaken?”
“···.”
Ichinose, with a face as red as a ripe apple, hesitated for a while.
Before getting an answer, Noah smiled knowingly and waited quietly.
Seeing Noah’s grin, Ichinose whispered in a small voice.
“...How did you know?”
“Isn’t it more strange not to know?”
Watching Ichinose, who was surprised that she had been caught, Noah couldn’t hold back her laughter.
Since the time she became serious about the sword, Ichinose had been trying to hide her softer sides, but recently, things had changed. She was softening and becoming more gentle in a good way.
Noah knew this was Ichinose’s true, unpretentious self and original nature.
That’s why she was happy.
In the past, Ichinose rarely showed any cute or soft sides—maybe once a year—but now, when she was with Rohan, she showed it at least once a day.
“Where did it show? Was there something different in your actions compared to usual...?”
“There are many differences. Normally, when you talk to a guy, your mouth is straight, and your eyes become sharp. Your voice tone also drops.”
“When I’m with Rohan...?”
“Just to give an example, it’s like the two people who are always together with Rohan. Your face looks like theirs.”
Noah’s example of Shion and Clara seemed to have hit the mark.
Ichinose went blank for a moment.
Love tends to do that. It makes people act foolishly.
Though Ichinose thought she was hiding it well, it leaked out in unnoticed ways and got caught.
Since this was Ichinose’s first time falling in love with a man, the frequency of these little slips was especially high. So high that even Noah, who had no interest in romance, could catch on.
“Eh?”
Meanwhile, Ichinose recalled.
The sudden curiosity and strange behavior from her mother whenever they had called recently.
Her mother had always been a playful person, so Ichinose had just let it slide, but now it felt different.
“Noah... D-Do you think my mother and father know about this...?”
“They must know for sure. Your mom and dad can tell as soon as you do something even a little odd. I think they knew much faster than me.”
“!!!”
“But doesn’t it matter?”
“W-What do you mean it doesn’t matter?! How...”
“Heh! Listen to the thoughts of this tiger-faced young girl.”
Noah, with her tail, poked Ichinose in the stomach, calming her down.
Then she began to share her reasonable assumptions.
“Your mom and dad probably know how you feel, but they didn’t say anything. Your mom even told Rohan to take care of you and gave you the beach to use. What do you think that means?”
“···.”
“Doesn’t it mean they like Rohan to some extent?”
“D-Do you think so...?”
Ichinose’s mind began to bloom with the idea. Her lips trembled as she couldn’t contain her smile.
‘Surely, Rohan must have a good impression with the adults, too.’
He’s polite and knows how to greet people.
With those basic things well done, it’s natural for adults to have a good impression of him.
“I want to ask you something now, too.”
“Huh?”
“Where did you fall for him? Was it like in the fairy tales, love at first sight?”
“Th-That’s not it...”
Ichinose blushed and curled up.
Talking about this topic made her feel ticklish and she couldn’t stay still.
“Is it because he’s good-looking?”
“I don’t really focus on looks... Noah, do you think Rohan is handsome?”
Noah’s question caught Ichinose off guard. She’d never heard her say that before.
Does she like those with strong features and a fierce impression?
“After the exam, some of the other girls were saying that, too.”
“···.”
“It’s natural that his name got out there with his achievements. Anyway, if it’s not his face, then what is it? Does he cook meat well?”
“There are many reasons... but... his kindness?”
“Kind? Aren’t all the guys kind to you?”
“Those guys are different. There are different kinds of kindness, and the feelings behind them are different.”
“Oh~”
Perhaps because Rohan was being compared to other men, Ichinose’s tone subtly rose in defense.
Noah’s eyebrows twitched as she observed.
“I have another question. What’s it like to like a guy?”
“Just...”
“Does it make you feel like your instinct to reproduce is rising?”
“W-What are you saying...?!”
“Why? It’s not strange. Isn’t it just a natural thing?”
Ichinose looked at Noah in confusion, but this time, Noah’s face wasn’t joking.
Her eyes blinked as if asking, “What’s wrong with that?”
“This... you’ll understand when you fall for someone of the opposite sex someday.”
“Huh, I can’t imagine it.”
Noah seemed uninterested in liking the opposite sex, still.
Her tail, which had been flicking about, drooped.
“I was the same. But who knows? You might not be able to approach someone you like and end ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ up running away, circling around them.”
“Me? If I want something, I’ll get it first, then I’ll feel satisfied.”
“Maybe, but you’ll see. You can’t just do what you want. It doesn’t work like that.”
“Ugh... I don’t like that.”
Seeing Noah grimace, Ichinose couldn’t help but laugh. After all, hadn’t she felt the same way not long ago?
She was also looking forward to the day her friend fell in love.
What would Noah Frozenheart, the girl who would one day fall in love, be like?
Would she boldly approach and try to claim her love like she said, or would she act like a stray cat, avoiding the person and circling around them? Or perhaps, if those examples don’t fit, what form would it take?
Ichinose was curious, and at the same time, she felt a sense of contentment.
‘When that time comes, I’ll have to help her as a senior.’
Though she may not be a successful senior, just listening might be helpful.
Ichinose thought that as she hugged the stuffed animal lying on her bed.
