Mister Will Buy You Candy -1

Noah, seated at the table, looked down at the milky broth.

Slurp, she might have been about to drool, as she was hurriedly wiping the corners of her mouth with a tissue.

“Seems like you’ve been really craving this.”

Noah nodded.

“Yes. Thanks to someone, I haven’t been able to eat this for almost two months.”

“Uh… ahem, eat plenty.”

The other magical girls each received their bowls of soup and stared blankly. I could guess what they were thinking.

Jin-ah spoke while mixing red seasoning into her broth.

“Noah and Shin Hyun must come here often?”

“Usually, yes. Noah likes this place.”

“It certainly looks delicious.”

The other magical girls felt the same way. They each added their preferred seasonings without hesitation and began eating their soup.

Everyone had satisfied expressions.

Among them, Noah was eating with the most gusto.

It seems her comment about not eating for two months wasn’t a joke after all.

“Delicious…”

Is it really that delicious?

Shin Hyun pinched Noah’s cheek as she ate heartily, even adding cubed radish kimchi.

“Is that all soup meat?”

“Don’t do that…”

“My goodness… here, have more meat.”

“What about you, mister?”

“If I eat too much, I’ll get a belly. At my age, I need to watch my figure.”

“You’re still in your early twenties.”

“Never mind. Just eat more.”

Shin Hyun passed her some more meat.

Everyone had grown accustomed to scenes like this by now.

They probably react with something like “there they go flirting again.”

Noah grinned as she received the generous portion of meat.

Could it really be that good? That alone was enough to make him feel full.

“Hehe, mister. Let’s come here together again next time!”

“Sure, as many times as you want.”

“But in exchange…”

However, Shin Hyun couldn’t help but freeze at Noah’s next words.

Especially since Noah’s expression was as innocent as could be, which made it all the more painful.

“When my father wakes up, let’s come together then!”

“…Um… about that…”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll like it.”

“What?”

“I’m sure my father will like you, mister.”

…Oh great, the conversation has taken this turn.

I had definitely prepared myself for how to speak, how to comfort her after finishing all my mental preparations.

However. Mental preparation and the actual situation are clearly different things.

Seeing Noah’s bright smile made it even more so.

“Umm… so… Noah, about that…”

Shin Hyun hesitated.

“Noah, I said I had something important to tell you, right?”

“Yes. Isn’t that why you came here? You said you’d tell me while treating me to something delicious.”

“Um… yes. This is… haah…”

“What kind of story is it that you’re acting like this?”

“…It’s about your father.”

“My father?”

It was a story that would have to be told eventually, but it continued to make him uncomfortable.

Perhaps this story would be even spicier and more painful than broth filled with hot chili peppers.

“…What is it, did something happen to my father? Ah, or are those bad guys targeting my father…!”

“No, that’s not it… haah, boss. A bottle of soju, please.”

It seemed that some alcohol might be necessary.

+++++

“…That’s what I saw and learned at the Demon King’s castle.”

Shin Hyun told Noah everything he had seen and heard.

It was a bitter story. To think that the father who she thought cared for her more than anyone might be the mastermind behind everything.

It would be difficult to accept.

He took a shot of soju, and along with the scent of alcohol, he spoke.

“Of course, nothing is certain yet. Why is your father, who’s in the hospital, that rabbit doll? Is this true or fake? And if it’s true, what circumstances led to it? It’s full of unknowns.”

“…Did you really hear such things? Did you hear anything else?”

“Hmm…”

He pondered for a moment.

‘How much should I tell her?’

He hadn’t told Noah everything the creature had said.

About being a failure, about “that woman.”

Isn’t it too cruel for the only family member she has left to hear such things?

However.

“Alright.”

Shin Hyun nodded.

After all, Noah is the protagonist of this world. The judgment should be made not by him but by Noah.

For that, she needs as much and as detailed information as possible. At least if he wants to help her properly.

“This… hmm… how should I put it.”

“Just tell me everything.”

“Hmm.”

Shin Hyun conveyed the rabbit creature’s words exactly as they were, without omitting or adding anything.

As the story continued, dark clouds began to gather on Noah’s face.

“Did… did my father really say that?”

“…”

“A failure… that he would get rid of me someday?”

“…Yes, that’s what he said.”

Clack.

Noah put down her spoon.

“…Haah…”

She looked deeply troubled. It seemed like the frustration of someone who had been thoroughly betrayed.

“Noah, are you okay?”

Shin Hyun gently stroked her head.

Noah forced a weak smile.

“Actually…”

“Yes.”

“Actually, they say my father’s body has fully recovered.”

“Hmm?”

What is she saying now?

“That being in a vegetative state… no, I don’t need to explain this, right? Anyway, they say my father is in a condition where he could fully wake up.”

“Then why is he still hospitalized?”

“I don’t know. The doctor, the priest, they all say they’ve never seen anything like it. It’s as if… his soul has left his body…”

“His soul has left…”

…Ah, come to think of it, there was such a being.

“Noah, do you remember what you saw in the letter I gave you?”

“Who?”

“Soul Eater.”

Soul Eater.

One of the creatures responsible for Noah’s bad endings. Noah, whose soul was stolen by him, suffers for life while another being enters her body.

That means he’s a being capable of soul exchange and transplantation.

If he belongs to the Demon King’s army?

If Noah’s father used him to transplant his soul elsewhere?

It’s a plausible story, but for now, it’s just in the realm of speculation. A frustrating situation where nothing can be clearly understood.

Noah wasn’t the only one shocked.

“Could it be… that mister…”

“Come to think of it, Taehwa, you’ve met that person too.”

“Yes… occasionally when I was young… he didn’t seem like someone who would do such a thing…”

“For now, this is just speculation. What circumstances there were… or whether he was just that kind of person. We can’t know yet.”

Shin Hyun said this as he took another shot of soju.

“Noah, I want to make one thing clear.”

“…Yes?”

“If, that guy really just used you.”

His voice was mixed with a slight hint of rage, but his face showed no change. However, everyone present, including Noah, could tell.

“Leave him to me. I’ll personally deal with him.”

Sc-scary.

Noah felt fear towards him for the first time. That’s how much anger he had suppressed.

“M-mister.”

“Noah.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll crush anyone who touches you.”

A slightly awkward air passed between the two.

‘…Ah.’

Noah began to understand a little why that mister had chosen the path of a villain.

At first, it was puzzling. Why such a kind and gentle person was going around doing villainous things. Now she seemed to understand.

He was someone who would do anything. Even if it meant gaining infamy, even if it meant dirtying his hands, he didn’t care much.

It wasn’t difficult to know that there was some other reason besides the fact that if she lost, the world would be destroyed.

‘…Haah… I love it so much…’

She was happy.

Happy that there was someone who liked her that much. Of course, her father’s situation was still sad.

If his words were true, she had been used from the beginning. Just as a chess piece to achieve a goal since birth.

Thinking about it made her feel very unpleasant.

Noah looked at the soup and sighed.

“…Whew… I hope there was some reason for it.”

The mood had sunk. It couldn’t be helped.

After all, she had just heard that her father might be the mastermind.

Was it to break this atmosphere? Kkomul-i slithered out stealthily.

Thanks to being in a small room with the door closed.

“Excuse me, Noah.”

“Huh…? Kyaa!? Mister! What is this!?”

“Huh? Oh, this is Kkomul-i… I guess he’s like Kyukyu to me?”

“It’s cute!”

Aha, so Noah had that preference.

“Thank you, Noah.”

“Um, can I pat your head?”

“Of course. But, I have even better news.”

Noah raised a question mark.

“Better news?”

“Yes. Good news.”

Kee-hee-hee.

Kkomul-i, who had been laughing wickedly, soon turned his gaze.

His gaze was directed at Shin Hyun.

“May I tell Noah your secret?”

“My secret…?”

“Hoo-hoo-hoo… I remember everything…”

“Wh-what?”

Kkomul-i waved his tentacle like a professor shaking chalk.

“Father-in-law.”

“Kkomul? What did the mister say?”

“I asked if Shin Hyun considered Noah’s father his father-in-law, and he didn’t deny it much?”

“…!”

“What does this mean, Noah! It means deep in his heart, Shin Hyun harbors dark and lecherous feelings for Noah—”

“Okay, that’s enough!”

Shin Hyun grabbed Kkomul-i and stuffed him into his pocket.

A dying scream of “Whaaa!?” was heard, but Shin Hyun didn’t care much.

“Noah. Kkomul-i was just joking. You know that, right?”

“I know… of course… hoo-hoo-hoo…”

“…You really know, right?”

“How cute…”

He was more concerned about Noah, who was creating shadows on her face.

After explaining for a while, Shin Hyun gave up and bowed his head. Instead of explaining, he chose to change the subject.

“So, about finding out the secret of Noah’s father.”

“Yes.”

“…Let’s kidnap the Demon King.”

Let’s kidnap the Demon King and make her spill the secrets.

“Isn’t it a bit much to confidently declare that we should kidnap a seven-year-old girl?”

“Kkomul-i, stay quiet.”

“Mister… you’ve always been like this.”

I’m not playing around.