episode_0040

“……”

What should I do?

Ha-yoon thought with a blank face.

In the end, she couldn’t do anything.

Not talking to Ji-eun, not even properly finishing her work.

The mission failed in the worst possible way.

Even though she gave up on her relationship with Noir Corporation, her plan to gain an advantage ended up failing miserably.

She hurriedly evacuated people as the antenna collapsed. Fortunately, the building didn’t collapse, but that didn’t mean it was safe to keep using it.

They said the building could only be used after a safety inspection. Most likely, extensive repairs would be needed. Although the building was sturdy, it probably wouldn’t need reconstruction or demolition.

“Ha-yoon….”

Even in such a situation, Cherry worried about Ha-yoon.

The Galactic Federation did not blame the magical girls.

Even if Noir Corporation officially criticized them, even if CCTV footage released by them appeared in the news, it seemed they were not considering giving up their relationship with the magical girls.

Of course, they also didn’t seem inclined to immediately mobilize the magical girls for other tasks.

Although they had prevented terrorism last time, this time they had unnecessarily escalated the situation. Naturally, public opinion towards magical girls had somewhat deteriorated.

“Don’t worry too much! It will surely get better.”

But it seemed Cherry couldn’t find any other logical way to comfort Ha-yoon. She just kept repeating empty words of comfort.

And naturally, those words didn’t comfort Ha-yoon.

Ha-yoon just sat there with a blank expression, lying on the desk.

Her mind was filled only with thoughts of Ji-eun.

She caught someone. She didn’t want to become a murderer.

But as soon as she made eye contact with Ji-eun, she immediately faltered.

There were other magical girls there. But since Ha-yoon judged that they didn’t help at that moment, it seemed fine.

Capable of flying in the sky, much faster than ordinary people.

Naturally, if she caught someone, she should be able to safely put them down.

The reason she fell like that was—

Ji-eun’s eyes were terrifying.

Already, the magical girls who had ruthlessly beaten up those who fought alongside that child, Ji-eun, to tidy up the situation.

At that moment, what was Ji-eun thinking?

Wouldn’t she have thought that Ha-yoon deliberately dropped the person?

I don’t know. Ji-eun’s expression was just surprised.

She jumped from a high place. And saved Ha-yoon.

While she herself fell from there.

I still remember the scream Ji-eun let out.

…It’s the worst. Really.

No matter how Ha-yoon moved, her actions seemed to torment Ji-eun.

Where did it all go wrong?

When Ha-yoon was about to dig into the ground with such momentum, and Cherry was beside her, unable to do anything.

Ring—

The smartphone on the desk vibrated, causing Ha-yoon to startle. Since she had turned her head to the side and lay with her ear against the desk, the sound was too loud.

The vibration continued. Looking closer, it was a phone call.

“Rose?”

Cherry murmured.

On the smartphone, it said “[Seo-hee Unni].”

Ha-yoon immediately answered the call.

“Yes.”

[Ha-yoon.]

The voice on the other end of the phone sounded a bit serious.

[Have you seen the news?]

“…News?”

[I see, you haven’t seen it yet.]

It was a slightly hesitant voice.

As if debating whether to say this now or not. There were pauses in between sentences.

But eventually, Rose seemed determined to tell her.

[Your friend… that girl came out on the news.]

“Ji-eun?”

[Yes.]

Rose paused for a moment before continuing.

[It seems like she’s trying to be labeled as a terrorist again this time. She’s been very active even at work.]

“Really?”

[It’s true that she stole important equipment. Moreover, that little device on her shoulder. Apparently, she used to work for Noir Corporation, so she must know a lot about that equipment.]

“….”

Rose knew that Ha-yoon wanted to hang up right away and search for related information, so she said:

[I know that she didn’t cause that incident. I saw it myself. But at least a few days ago, something happened, right? Essentially, a completed generator fell into private hands.]

…We were there because we wanted the generator.

It was a situation where the Federation and the company were pushing the ambiguous parts onto each other. We can’t know how far Ji-eun or that little device were involved in the process, but one thing is certain: the reason the Galactic Federation mobilized the magical girls was not purely altruistic

However, the Galactic Federation and the company will probably deny it. They might have already prepared convincing evidence.

Too much time was wasted in a daze.

If there had been a moment of confusion, I should have kept moving then.

Of course, then my parents would be upset. People around me will treat Hayoon strangely, and in the worst case, various articles about Hayoon might spread in the media.

“……”

Just like Jieun now.

Right after recalling her final thoughts, Hayoon felt as if all the blood in her body was disappearing again.

She trembled.

Rose couldn’t see her like that. That’s why the voice coming from the phone was still calm.

[If someone asks for an opinion, it’s better not to answer. Let’s discuss how to proceed gradually. It’s unfair if someone is wronged, but… we can’t just go against everything ourselves, right? There are people who can replace us even in other countries.]

The most important figures in the plan set by the Galactic Federation were beings who could generate energy by circulating hope.

“Let’s find a way step by step.”

“……Yes.”

In the end, their call ended without any gain.

A way.

What ‘kind’ of way should be found? How can Jieun’s situation end positively, and how can this dreadful situation come to an end?

I have no idea.

Even though I thought I shouldn’t be indecisive, I couldn’t provide any answers in the end.

Moreover.

Hayoon’s ‘hope’ was already extremely weakened.

To the point where it might fall in mid-air last time.

The more she thought that she was getting farther away from Jieun, the more the light of hope seemed to be fading away.

Just Jieun’s disappearance alone was changing Hayoon’s life too much.

“Jieun.”

Hayoon lay back on the desk again.

And she thought of Jieun.

The more she hesitated, the more guilty she felt about Jieun. Yet, she had no idea what to do herself.

Once again, she let go of all those opportunities due to her own mistakes. She didn’t even have a proper conversation.

Jieun didn’t even talk to Hayoon and even avoided her.

At that crucial moment, Hayoon thought about why she had fallen.

At that moment, she felt no magic in the bouquet.

Even though it was an item filled with memories of Jieun.

Perhaps Jieun gave it without much thought. I know that.

It wasn’t received on a birthday, nor on a special day.

She probably just thought that Hayoon was staring at the flowers quietly and gave it to her. Maybe she kept it in a vase for a few days and then threw it away when it withered.

“……”

Hayoon closed her eyes.

Cherry placed her hand on Hayoon’s trembling arm.

But in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to say any comforting words.

*

“Hey.”

“Now you’re shortening titles to one syllable. What kind of answer do you want from me?”

“Why? Isn’t it enough if I know that I called you?”

“…Call me by my name since I have one.”

“Your name is not James, it’s Chikchiki.”

“We may not sound like that to your ears, but we have our own pronunciation and intonation!”

While the planet’s name remained ‘Chikchiki.’

I decided to steer the conversation away as I didn’t want to bother with that debate.

“So, what are you going to do with that?”

James glanced at me, but apparently he didn’t want to engage in such a pointless argument, so he eventually answered my question.

“Well, actually, there’s no immediate use for it. If we use it saying we’ll replace electricity here, the whole area will experience a blackout. It will cause all equipment connected to power to malfunction.”

So maybe they initially intended to destroy it. But once they saw it, they wanted to bring it and use it.

“So, do we just keep it until we can use it?”

“That’s one way, but…”

James looked at me and raised the corner of his mouth.

Extremely ominous. For a moment, it wasn’t a hamster’s face, but a rat’s face.

“What about trying to use it in a different way?”

“How so?”

“Like as a weapon. Magical girls also use weapons they developed themselves.”

That was true when it came to Iris.

I didn’t think there was a logical reason, but…

“What if someone tries to take it away?”

“Magical girls can hide their weapons in places where others can’t see them. Since they can hide ‘developed weapons’ in some space, if you just hide it, it shouldn’t be taken away no matter what.”

Even with such hopeful eyes, I had nothing to say.

The weapons of magical girls are essentially precious items that have been transformed. More precisely, they are objects that can bring ‘hope’ every time you look at them.

Just looking at them makes you feel better and helps you not lose your dreams—a valuable item that supports you.

Once transformed into a ‘staff,’ it disappears right in front of your eyes. It doesn’t completely vanish; instead, it is said to become something that emits light like a beacon in the magical girl’s heart.

That’s why when transformed, it suddenly appears in your hands. Although you may initially regret its disappearance, ultimately, it is a romantic setting where as long as you don’t lose hope, you will be together forever.

I’m not sure how Iris’s weapon can be hidden.

In reality, the principle itself might not be significantly different. The difference probably lies in how much energy can be drawn from the weapon itself.

By the way, the bouquet Iris has was given by her parents.

Back in the days when Iris wasn’t seen as a political tool, the bouquet her parents gave her. Perhaps it was received after winning some kind of calligraphy contest.

You might wonder if the bouquet can last for so long, but plants can be preserved indefinitely if dried properly. As far as I know, I hung it upside down on the wall for years, which seemed to keep the flowers from getting damaged.

Perhaps the original state was not as good as it is now. Thanks to magic, the moments of receiving it are being reproduced, so the bouquet held by Blossom always overflows with vitality.

“I still don’t know that method.”

“…We’ll figure it out gradually.”

James looked at me as if he pitied me and said that.

“Well, I’ll try making the weapon anyway. Since there’s nowhere else to hide it other than this room, it doesn’t really matter what form it takes. Do you have a preferred form?”

For a moment, I pondered about the weapons I had dealt with before.

“…I’m good with a hammer.”

As I recalled the work I did with Earthbender, James sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

“That’s quite a weapon fitting for you.”

I wanted to hit him once, but now I was lying on the floor.

Another electric mat appeared under the ring. Now that I was earning money too.

It didn’t really matter to me if a woman slept next to me, but she wasn’t the landlady… well, technically she was, but it was uncomfortable having Earthbender, who used to use this room, around.

“It’s better not to move too much, right? You were bandaged up until yesterday.”

Earthbender seemed to notice that I was trying to grab James and said that.

“…Sorry.”

“No, it’s not something to apologize for.”

Earthbender muttered while looking at me lying on the floor.

I couldn’t work for a few days. My body was really hurting. But it wasn’t bad enough to go to a hospital or clinic.

I heard that magical girls heal their bodies with magic, so I rested with that expectation… I was indeed recovering faster than others, but the discomfort here and there was inevitable.

Ultimately, I just loafed around for a few days.

“It seems like something to apologize for.”

Earthbender said that she helped me whenever she was in trouble, but in reality, I hadn’t helped Earthbender that much.

I just had coffee with her and took her home a few times when she was drunk.

It didn’t seem necessary to help her to the extent of risking eviction.

Already facing allegations of terrorism, I had now become a real terrorist.

Until recently, opinions about me were mixed. Being a minor and somewhat attractive, many people thought, “She must not be at fault.”

There were plenty of people passionately supporting or opposing me using my name.

But this incident changed public opinion drastically.

While it wasn’t definitively determined whether I was involved in the first incident, it was clear that I was heavily involved in this one.

It just had to happen in the middle of Gangnam, where a building stood, and the large antenna collapsing inside the building was enough to make people feel threatened.

“Environmentally friendly antenna for next-generation communication technology.”

That’s what the company said about the broken one.

Without mentioning that it was for chasing magical girls, they claimed it broke due to research aimed at reducing the burden on citizens’ communications.

So, the threats I’m receiving now are incomparable to the initial ones. Yet, Earthbender is hiding me here.

Why?

Earthbender didn’t respond to my words.

“…Anyway.”

Since there was no sign of her answering no matter how much I stared, I shifted my gaze back towards James.

“Didn’t you feel embarrassed about me? Is that the kind of energy I need to transform? I think I heard something called ‘courage.’”

“…!”

James’s ears perked up.

Then his mouth slightly opened, and his pale hands stiffened in front of his chest.

It was a face frozen like a mouse caught in front of a cat.

“What happened?”

“T-That is.”

James glanced around for a moment, then barely opened his mouth.

“Do you not know what courage is?”

“Do you think I’m asking because I don’t know what courage is?”

“Hehehe.”

James laughed as if boasting.

“…Courage is truly revealed when enduring some sort of disadvantage.”

“…Is that so?”

“It’s also in an old saying. If you endure fear for three minutes, that’s courage. Enduring embarrassment is also courage, and facing the fear of death is also courage. You truly showed courage that day, didn’t you? Jumping from a high place for a friend turned foe, how courageous is that!”

He sure knows how to escape.

But James’ words make sense. If you delve into the setting, it’s a completely wrong story, but despair and courage have overlapping aspects.

In this world view, energy of despair truly emerges ‘when in despair.’ Ironically, it doesn’t come ‘when giving up.’

Humans are creatures who sometimes find peace by giving up everything. People who run towards their dreams often stress about their talents, while those who completely give up on their dreams live comfortably and satisfied in the present.

So even in a company, one can subtly deceive with ‘that’s the power of courage.’

“Well, okay.”

I took a long breath.

This time, I’ll let it go.

There’s nothing I can do if he won’t look anyway.

James seemed uninterested in talking further with me and quickly turned away. He started fiddling with something towards his robot, still full of circuits and parts.

Is he making the hammer I mentioned?

Well, it doesn’t really matter.

If weapons held by magical girls symbolize their dreams and ‘hope,’ then I, using the energy of despair, don’t need such things.

As long as I can hold and wield it, that’s enough. Doesn’t it suit me better? Just an ‘object of no significance.’

“…”

The room fell silent again.

I wasn’t as talkative as my thoughts raced. Perhaps we only had a lot to catch up on since we hadn’t met in a while.

James is busy with something else now.

…Ah.

Thinking like this makes me think of Hayoon again.

And Wisdom comes to mind.

Has Hayoon fully recovered from where she was hurt? Is she resting comfortably now? It’s frustrating not being able to contact her.

I just hope Wisdom is doing well.

Is there no way to send something like a letter?

But, right now, no matter how much I think, going to see them seems like the quickest solution. Realizing that there is no way to contact close friends, I quietly closed my eyes.

Even if it’s Wisdom, I’m not sure how to write a letter to Hayoon. I’ve only written a letter once. Maybe texting would be different.

Even in this situation, a corner of my heart feels uncomfortable when thinking of Hayoon. I still feel jealousy. Even though I saw Hayoon fall to the ground, I never thought I had won.

Various emotions mix uncomfortably, and I’m not sure if it’s positive or negative.

If I were tinkering with circuits right now, I’d probably be spinning around at a very fast pace.

…It really doesn’t sit well with me.

What I dislike the most is that ultimately, I am choosing to do things that I don’t like.