NOVEL NEXT Chapter 41: Chapter 37
The system's words brought immense relief to Ryo Akira. *Why didn't you say this earlier?* he thought. This would've saved him so much trouble!
Ryo quickly accessed the system store and browsed through the options. Sure enough, it had clothes available! To his surprise, the selection was impressive, with uniforms from the Survey Corps, Garrison Corps, and Military Police Corps.
However, the price wasn't cheap—a single outfit cost the equivalent of five days' worth of rations. Normally, Ryo would scoff at such an expense, but in his current predicament, he had no choice. Gritting his teeth, he purchased a set and quickly changed into it. Feeling much better, he peeked toward the lakeside. The girls were still gathered around a bonfire, no doubt furious.
*They're still waiting... Definitely not a good time to show my face.* He decided it was best to take a long detour back to the dormitory.
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A Tense Return
"Ryo! You're okay!"
Armin and Eren rushed toward him as soon as he entered the dormitory. Armin looked genuinely worried, while Eren appeared guilt-ridden.
"Ryo, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to cause any trouble for you. I was just... worried."
Ryo sighed. Eren's apology was earnest, and it was obvious that Armin had coached him to say the right things. While Ryo wanted to chew them out, especially Eren, he decided to let it go.
"Forget it," Ryo said with a wave of his hand. "What's done is done. Just don't pull something like that again."
Both of them nodded in relief. However, Ryo noticed the lingering glares from the girls whenever he passed by. Though they hadn't told anyone about the incident, it was clear they hadn't forgiven him either.
*Great,* he thought, *guess I'll be dodging death stares for a while.*
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Krista's Late-Night Worry
The next morning, Krista appeared at the boys' dormitory with dark circles under her eyes, clutching a bundle of freshly washed clothes.
"Brother Ryo, are you okay?" she asked, her voice full of concern.
Ryo's heart softened at the sight of her exhaustion. "I'm fine, but what about you? Why do you look like you haven't slept at all?"
Krista smiled weakly. "It's nothing. I was just... worried about you. I'm glad you're okay."
Ryo frowned. "You should go back and rest. It's a rest day today. You don't need to push yourself."
Krista hesitated for a moment before nodding. Then, as if summoning every ounce of courage, she stammered, "Brother Ryo... um... please don't do anything like that again. If you... if you wanted to see something like that, you could just ask Krista directly."
Her face turned beet red, and her voice trailed off into an inaudible whisper. Without waiting for a response, she handed him the bundle of clothes and ran off, leaving Ryo standing there in stunned silence.
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Warm Resolve
As realization dawned, Ryo clutched the bag tightly.
*She waited by the lakeside all night because she thought I might be in trouble?*
His chest tightened. Krista's simple yet selfless actions warmed his heart. "You're such a fool," he muttered to himself, smiling.
At that moment, Ryo made a silent vow. He would always protect Krista, ensuring she never had to worry about him like this again.
After putting away the clothes, Ryo headed toward the training ground. He had originally planned to spend the day with Krista, but seeing her exhaustion, he decided against it.
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Unrelenting Determination
Even on rest days, Ryo trained. He believed that his advantage as a reincarnator and system user would mean nothing without discipline and hard work. Strength was everything in this world, and to protect those he cared about, he had to be stronger than anyone else.
However, as soon as he arrived at the training ground, something felt off. A group of recruits was lingering, their eyes locked on him.
*Why do they look like they're waiting for me?* Ryo thought uneasily.