I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City-Chapter 172: The Summer Sea (1)

After watching the car Rohan was driving pull away,

Momo and Jane returned inside the house and quickly prepared something to drink.

Jane filled a glass with ice and poured in a generous amount of whiskey.

Momo brewed a steaming cup of tea.

With some simple snacks arranged as well, they sat down together and began an open-hearted conversation to shake off the lingering excitement.

Naturally, the topic centered around the only young man in the group—Rohan.

“Yui’s reactions are just too precious and cute. She’s got a different charm from Noah.”

“She’s like a perfect mix of me and my husband, right?”

Jane nodded, saying it was a perfect comparison.

Then came the question she was most curious about.

“What about that brat Jun’s reaction?”

“My husband hasn’t said he dislikes it. But he hasn’t said he likes it either.”

“That guy never knows how to play along.”

Jane clicked her tongue and shook her head playfully.

Momo gave a gentle smile and moved on to the main point.

“What do you think of Cadet Rohan, Jane?”

“He’s polite, but there’s no groveling in his eyes—I liked that. If you want to make it in the world today, you need that kind of backbone.”

Even if the comment sounded vague, Jane’s intuition carried real weight.

And since her husband had no complaints and even Juyeon praised him, Momo felt reassured that both she and her daughter had good judgment in men.

“And—”

Jane stopped mid-sentence to down her drink in a gulp.

She flicked her tail and emptied the glass in one go before continuing.

“You can tell just from how the girls treat him. The purer someone is, the more sensitive they are to even the slightest flaws.”

“You’re right. Come to think of it... This is the first time Noah’s ever called a guy a close friend.”

“That’s what makes it so interesting. People like us, worn down by society, might not care about a few flaws, but girls like ours? They’re different. Even when guys lined up for them since they were little, they kept their distance—because they’re so sensitive to lustful intent.”

“That’s something you told me before. I remember it well.”

Momo picked up the bottle and refilled Jane’s glass.

Lifting the now-heavy glass, Jane cheerfully tapped the floor with her tail.

“Anyway, if even our picky daughters approve of and grow close to him, then I doubt the academy sees him in a bad light.”

“According to General Juyeon, Cadet Rohan is an absolute oddball—a total beast.”

“Well, damn! If he’s earned that kind of praise, he must’ve been a monster from the start. And the fact that he’s not cocky about it? That’s another point in his favor.”

If Juyeon acknowledged him, the story only got more interesting.

“Really~ Just thinking I might be called ‘grandma’ soon gives me ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ butterflies.”

“Ahahaha! Yui hasn’t even started dating yet! What’s gotten into the famously composed Ichinose Momo, acting so impatient?”

Jane didn’t say it, but even if they did start dating, it didn’t guarantee it would end in marriage.

Momo was fully aware of that too.

Even so, she spoke with the tone of someone who had already reached her conclusion.

“No, I’ve got good reason to say so.”

“Hm?”

Jane perked up, listening closely to the voice of the former tactician.

She wondered if Momo had come up with a plan or strategy without her noticing.

“You know as well as I do—no man could reject our Yui, right? And I don’t think Yui will ever take interest in anyone other than Cadet Rohan. That only leaves one conclusion, right?”

“...”

Jane stopped drinking and looked Momo in the eyes.

‘That wasn’t just a joke thrown out for laughs. Scary woman.’

She was dead serious. There wasn’t a flicker of doubt in her eyes.

So it wasn’t just Ichinose Jun who turned into a fool when it came to their kid.

‘So even a strategic genius from Samhwa Nation becomes a fool when it comes to her daughter.’

It was a far cry from the thorough and calculated image she’d always shown.

Unfamiliar, yes.

But not unpleasant.

‘Yeah. Enough time has passed. A softer side like this isn’t bad either.’

Jane silently agreed with Momo’s words and emptied her glass.

***

Passenger seat, next to Rohan.

That spot was naturally claimed by Baby-nose, still thrilled from reuniting with him.

The three of them had previously reached an agreement via message.

So Clara surrendered her seat without a single complaint.

Clara had sat up front on the way from Academy City, so it was Shion’s turn for the return trip.

And since this leg of the journey was through Samhwa Nation, they’d decided Ichinose should sit up front to reflect her desires and satisfaction as one of the “Night Blossom Pact.”

The bond formed by the Night Blossom Pact was truly strong.

And it brought Ichinose immense satisfaction.

‘I even got premium intel out of this.’

Still not even reaching for the seatbelt, Baby-nose soaked in the secret information passed to her.

If the dreamlike situation Shion and Clara had described actually played out,

Ichinose felt she might never escape the grasp of the Night Blossom Pact—a delightful kind of dread.

“The address is 17-46...”

Ichinose input the location into the GPS and leaned back into her seat.

Just watching Rohan check the directions made her start to chatter.

“It’s a little outside the capital, but the location’s good, right?”

“Forty minutes? That’s nothing. It’s perfect—there’s a lot nearby.”

“As you can see, once you step out of the lodging, there’s plenty of shopping areas around. Even if we need something in the middle of the night, it won’t be a problem.”

“Great. Let’s hit the road.”

Rohan glanced at the rearview mirror and couldn’t help chuckling when he saw Noah snuggling up to Clara, purring.

He was just about to take his foot off the brake—

But seeing Ichinose sitting rigid and holding her breath, he pressed it back down.

“Our lady must always ride in the back, huh? You’re not used to this, are you?”

“W-What...?”

Ichinose pretended not to understand, acting her heart out.

Rohan smiled and leaned over to help her with the seatbelt.

“It’s annoying, but you need to get used to this. It’s essential for the passenger seat.”

“Y-You’re right... I forgot...”

Frozen in tension, Ichinose nonetheless savored the moment—

Rohan’s scent, the warmth of proximity.

Only Shion, who hadn’t had this moment yet, clicked her tongue in quiet jealousy.

...

“Ooooh! The sea! The sea!”

Noah pressed her face against the window.

The sunlight glittered on the water, and her eyes sparkled just as brightly.

“Shouldn’t we go in tomorrow? It’s getting kind of late today.”

At Rohan’s suggestion, Noah immediately leaned between the front seats,

sending a wild, predatory glare at the driver.

“No way! I’ve got my swimsuit on under my clothes! We’re going in today and tomorrow!”

Now that she’d actually seen the ocean, she couldn’t possibly hold back.

Feeling her excitement, Ichinose smiled and chimed in.

“The sun’s still high. We should have at least two hours left.”

“Two hours is plenty for some water fun.”

As Rohan responded positively, Noah’s round ears perked up with a happy flutter.

Ichinose closed the navigation app and gave directions.

“Rohan, turn left here—there’s a parking lot.”

Rohan slowed down and carefully turned in.

A sign came into view:

[PRIVATE PROPERTY – NO TRESPASSING]

Ichinose got out, fiddled with a panel on the gate, and it opened to reveal a wide, pristine beach.

“Waaah...”

“This is amazing.”

Shion and Clara let out awed murmurs.

Vroooom—

As Rohan slowly drove in, the lodge and parking area Momo had mentioned came into view.

Everything was tidy and elegant—just what you’d expect from Ichinose family property.

Once the car stopped, Noah was the first to leap out.

Rohan stretched and looked around as the girls approached to thank him.

“Thanks for driving, Rohan.”

“Oppa... you worked hard!”

“You did great. I feel guilty for how comfy the ride was.”

“Think nothing of it.”

Their thanks seemed to wash away the exhaustion of the long drive.

Rohan opened the trunk and began unloading the stacked suitcases.

“I’m using the third floor, right?”

“Yes. Rohan, you take the third floor... We’ll all share the second—it’s pretty spacious.”

“I’m going straight to the water. Here, take the camera!”

Noah ran back from the beach and slung her camera around Rohan’s neck.

As she rushed back toward the ocean, Ichinose sighed and picked up her suitcase for her.

“Let’s get changed and meet at the beach?”

“...Okay.”

“Oppa! See you in a bit...!”

“Heh.”

Rohan headed upstairs carrying his backpack and the camera Noah had given him.

As he entered the spotless, pre-cleaned room, he let out a soft “Oh.”

‘This is way too big for just me.’

Looking out the window, he saw Noah already splashing into the sea.

She wasn’t kidding about the swimsuit—her outer clothes lay shed on the sand like a snake’s skin.

‘Is she a tiger beastkin or a snake?’

He figured Ichinose would be the one sighing as she picked up those clothes.

Smiling at the thought, Rohan admired the sight of Noah swimming,

then leisurely looked around the room and began getting ready.

‘Ramen and meat should be enough for dinner, right? Gotta pick up drinks too... Hmm...’

After going over a few things in his head, he finished getting ready.

Barefoot, he stepped out, letting the sand slip between his toes and taking in the salty sea breeze.

It really hit him—this was the beach.

As he buried his feet in the white sand,

he spotted the girls, already changed and seated, waiting for him.

‘Ah.’

Rohan instinctively raised the camera Noah had given him.

He wanted to capture this moment.