I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City-Chapter 94: Shower (2)

Shhhhhh—!

The heavy rain lashed against their skin, the downpour coming down like an overturned bucket.

Within seconds, they were drenched, soaked to the bone like wet rats.

The rain was so intense that opening their eyes properly was nearly impossible.

Even so, Rohan and Ichinose didn’t move from their spots.

There was no point in rushing to escape the rain when they had nowhere to go.

"This is only going to slow us down even more."

"..."

The weather wasn’t just affecting Rohan.

Even if Ichinose didn’t rely entirely on her vision, this level of rainfall could easily disorient her other senses.

This wasn’t good.

"Let’s just keep moving for now."

Rohan left a rough mark on a tree with his sword before leading the way.

Ichinose nodded and followed behind him.

...It’s refreshing.

The raindrops slipping between her lips barely alleviated her thirst.

Her soaked hair and heavy clothes clung to her uncomfortably, but oddly enough, just that little bit of water made her feel lighter than before.

For the first time, getting drenched in the rain didn’t feel so bad.

Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!

Their feet sloshed through the muddy ground as they advanced through the pitch-black forest.

Eventually, they spotted a natural shelter—a formation of massive boulders leaning together, forming a crude roof.

They slipped beneath it, and although it wasn’t much, at least it blocked most of the rain.

It wasn’t deep enough to be called a cave, but in this situation, it was more than enough.

Both of them let out a breath of relief at the same time.

"Whew!"

"Sigh..."

They exchanged tired smiles.

The absurdity of the situation, combined with their utterly drenched appearance, made it almost funny.

"The wind’s blocked off pretty well too. Not bad for something we found by chance."

"This should be good enough to use as a base."

While Ichinose unsheathed her sword to shake off the moisture, Rohan took off his soaked jacket, wrung out the water with a loud squeeze, and spread it on the ground.

"Sit here."

"...How could I sit on someone else’s clothes? I’ll use my own, so hurry and put that back on."

As Ichinose moved to take off her own outerwear, Rohan quickly stopped her.

"Your clothes are barely half my size."

"This much is enough for me to sit on."

"Forget it. Take off your shoes and socks, go rinse them off in the rain."

"...What?"

Before she could argue further, Rohan had already moved on, cutting off any chance of circling back to the previous topic.

"They’re covered in mud. It’s better to rinse them before drying them out. You don’t want to be walking around tomorrow with sand rolling around inside your shoes, do you?"

"I can take care of that myself. I’m a cadet, just like you, not someone who needs to be looked after."

Ichinose’s voice lowered slightly, betraying a hint of irritation.

Rohan chuckled.

Her dedication to self-sufficiency, her firm belief in her own martial identity—it was almost admirable.

"I’m not saying I’m protecting or looking after you. We’re just dividing tasks efficiently."

Rohan conjured a small flame at his fingertip.

It was an application of Flame Judgment Sword, his unique fire attribute skill.

"Can you keep the fire going while I’m gone? If you don’t know how, I can do it instead."

"I can do it. It’s just... I just need to keep adding fuel, right? And fan it if needed."

The rocky alcove was surprisingly deep and spacious.

There was a bend in the formation that blocked the wind, and in that area, they could see plenty of dry grass, branches, and even some old animal fur—ideal kindling scattered around.

"That’s not wrong, but keeping a fire going is harder than it sounds."

"..."

Ichinose’s eyes flickered with a strange feeling.

Rohan’s tone and expression weren’t mocking or condescending.

"I was going to stay and watch over it myself, but I also have to clean the Horned Bird, and I need to set up something to collect rainwater."

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He wasn’t like the people who belittled her out of habit, who treated her differently just because she was small or a girl.

He wasn’t looking down on her, nor was he laughing at her for something she lacked.

It reminded her of a father doting on his daughter during a camping trip.

There was an odd gentleness in his attitude—something that felt almost out of place.

"First, take off your socks and shoes. Hurry up."

"D-don’t rush me... Just turn around for a second."

Rohan, still smiling, leaned his longsword against the uneven rock wall.

Then he grabbed a spare dagger from his belt.

Ichinose checked multiple times to make sure Rohan was facing away, gathering firewood as he had said.

Only then did she sit down and slip off her muddy shoes, followed by her damp socks.

Even wet, her feet were pale and small.

For some reason, it felt wrong to show them to someone of the opposite sex, and she found herself unconsciously wriggling her toes.

"Ahem... Here."

"Alright. I’ll leave the fire starter with you then."

"Got it."

Even when she tried to help, Rohan’s efficiency left no room for her to step in.

No matter what she tried to do, she just ended up hovering around him.

Without saying much, Rohan swiftly gathered the kindling and arranged the fire pit.

Then, tucking the muddy shoes and socks under his arm, he picked up the Horned Bird and the dagger before heading outside.

He had been going on about wanting to wash off the blood, and now that he had the chance, he looked genuinely excited.

Just as he was about to step outside, he threw one last comment over his shoulder.

"You should wring out your clothes at least once, even if they get wrinkled. Relying only on magic will just get you sick."

His footsteps faded into the distance.

Ichinose, watching over the small flickering fire, silently got to her feet.

...He’s right. I should wring them out if I want to stay warm.

She stepped away from the fire, grabbed the hem of her skirt, and twisted.

Water streamed down in a thin trickle.

And at that moment, she realized—

A simple fact that could only be grasped by sight.

'...A white shirt means my underwear is...'

Even though she was wearing a T-shirt underneath, the fabric clung to her, faintly revealing its outline.

Even in the darkness, for someone with mana-enhanced vision, it would be visible enough.

Had Rohan already seen her like this?

"..."

Ichinose’s hands trembled as she began to unbutton her shirt.

Was that why he had hurriedly cut ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ her off earlier, telling her not to take it off?

Tap. Tap.

As she continued to undo the buttons, her embarrassment grew, but she couldn't let her guard down.

Standing outside in just her underclothes—there were limits to how much she could allow.

"Huuuu..."

Even so, she needed to stay composed.

Letting out a slow breath, she steadied her mind.

Act like it’s nothing.

Before being a girl, she was the heir of Tianwaitian and a warrior.

Would she flinch just because her clothes were torn in battle? That was the kind of mistake that invited death.

Stay calm.

She had to keep her mind steady.

If she made a big deal out of it, both she and Rohan would only end up feeling awkward.

***

Rohan moved swiftly through the rain.

He scrubbed the mud from the shoes and socks as best as he could before setting them under a spot where the rain wouldn’t reach.

He cut down a few sturdy, broad leaves—ones that resembled banana leaves—to collect rainwater, finishing the preparation in no time.

Then, he drew his dagger and began processing the Horned Bird.

He cut it into large sections and washed the meat thoroughly. There was more than he expected.

Not sure how this will taste.

For him, as long as it filled his stomach, it didn’t matter.

But Ichinose would probably need it to taste at least somewhat familiar—like chicken or turkey—if she was going to eat it.

Once he had filled one of the large leaves with neatly cut pieces of meat, he picked up her washed socks and shoes in one hand and called out as he reached the cave entrance.

"Ichinose. Can I come in?"

— "Y-yes! Just... come in!"

Her response was flustered, almost urgent.

Rohan immediately realized why the moment he stepped inside.

"...!"

The campfire had died out, suffocated by an excessive amount of firewood shoved into it all at once.

Only wisps of gray smoke curled lazily into the air.

"T-this is... um..."

Ichinose, crouched over the embers, had been desperately blowing on the fire before she raised her head.

Her golden eyes shimmered with guilt.

And her small, bare toes curled slightly in embarrassment.

Rohan couldn't hold back his laughter at the sight.

***

The campfire came back to life under Rohan’s touch.

And without delay, the cooking began.

Using his longsword as a skewer, he threaded the Horned Bird meat onto it.

With Scorching Blade and the campfire combined, the roasting process began.

Ichinose, having quenched her thirst with the water Rohan had brought, couldn’t take her eyes off the meat as it turned golden brown.

Her gaze still held hesitation at the thought of eating a monster—

But her throat betrayed her, gulping audibly, sending Rohan into an endless cycle of amusement.

She was the only one unaware of how obvious she was.

As time passed, Ichinose remained entirely fixated on the roasting meat.

Rohan, using his dagger, split open a piece to check if it was fully cooked inside.

Satisfied, he sliced off a leg, placed it on a leaf, and set it in front of Ichinose.

Then, without hesitation, he took a bite himself, acting as the food taster.

"It’s not as good as chicken, but it’s decent. Try it."

"I-I’ll eat well."

She hesitated for a moment before slowly bringing the meat to her mouth.

Her small lips nibbled at it cautiously, chewing like a tiny hamster.

After a few bites, her eyes blinked in surprise—it wasn’t bad.

She chewed again, swallowed, and—

"Is it edible?"

"..."

Maybe she was embarrassed by how hesitant she’d been at first.

With a flushed face, Ichinose gave a small nod.

"Eat as much as you can. Even if it’s just meat, hunger makes the best seasoning."

"That... makes a lot of sense now."

Ichinose expressed her gratitude to Rohan and quietly ate beside him.

For the first time, she truly realized how precious the things she had taken for granted were.

Hunger and thirst—just how terrifying they could be.

He never stops.

That was Ichinose’s impression.

Rohan was diligent. He never paused, always moving from one task to the next.

She wanted to help somehow, but she wasn’t sure what to do.

Unable to decide, she took his longsword and carefully wiped off the moisture and grease that had accumulated on it.

Once she finished, she looked up—he was still doing something.

"Rohan."

"Hm?"

The way he turned at the sound of his name reminded her of a large dog.

A faint smile crossed Ichinose’s lips.

She shifted slightly to the side, patting the fabric beneath her.

"Sit here."