Ch.112112. Two Villains in Black and White (2)

After being tormented for a while.

I was finally released after being forced to shower.

“…Vine.”

“Yes, Eli. You’re pretty.”

“Being pretty isn’t the issue… Eli, you weren’t like this before…?”

“No. The problem is that you’re exceptionally beautiful today, Vine. It’s all your fault.”

Eli defending herself with such a ridiculous reason.

What could I do?

I had no choice but to go along with it…

“…Still, touching me all over while washing was a bit much.”

“What? I was just washing you. Thoroughly.”

“…You’re consistently perverted.”

“Hey now. You shouldn’t treat someone who washed you like that.”

“No. Just… sigh…”

By that point, it was already awkward to tell her to stop.

I should probably be grateful that Eli didn’t go overboard there.

“…Eli.”

“Yes, Vine.”

“When we go out today, are you going to disguise yourself?”

“…I suppose I have to.”

“True… since Elis has never been publicly revealed.”

“I’ve never been caught. And even if I were captured, it’s not good to attract people’s attention.”

“What are you going to do about that collar?”

“…Disguise it as a choker?”

“A choker with that body? Wouldn’t Blanc be extremely upset?”

“Come on. Do you know how many high school students wear chokers these days?”

“…Hmm, I don’t think that’s right. I’ll be right next to you.”

“…Is that so?”

“Besides, when we go outside, we can’t hold hands, right?”

“…Why not?”

“Because outside, I’m a villain, but you’re Suyeon, aren’t you?”

A normal person holding hands with a villain?

While being friendly with a magical girl…?

“Ah, it’s fine.”

As if trying to end my worries, she pulled out a badge from her pocket.

“…When did you get this?”

“When I went to the Association last time. I picked up what they had issued for me.”

“An access card?”

“Yes. Since ‘Kim Suyeon’ doesn’t have an access card. Elis has one, but wouldn’t it be strange if Association’s specially recruited employee Suyeon didn’t have one?”

“Pfft. What’s that supposed to be.”

“Anyway, if I wear this… it should be fine, right?”

That’s right.

It serves as another justification that the Association is monitoring my existence, while allowing us to be close.”

“So, you’re going to wear that?”

“Yes. I’m now Association employee Kim Soyeon. Come here, you villain.”

Elis embraced me, confining me in her arms.

“Ugh… it’s suffocating, Eli.”

“Bad villains should be restrained by Association employees~”

Leaving the excited Eli behind.

Blanc came downstairs, seemingly having just finished preparing, so we should get going.

“Huh? Oh. Suyeon, are you going out like that?”

“Yes! Hehehe… It’s been a while with Vine…”

“Excuse me. Are you speaking informally to a magical girl, new employee?”

“Well. I’m still Elis since I haven’t disguised myself yet, you know?”

“Ah. Then I should eliminate a villain here…! I need to transform! Where did I put my wand…? The activation word is…”

“What are you saying when you’re a magical girl who can transform instantly and handle things without all that! Stop joking around. Do you have colored contacts?”

“Colored contacts? Do I have any…? I don’t think so.”

“Sigh… Release some of my magical power.”

“Okay. Come here.”

…What’s this.

Why is she so casually releasing the magical restrictions on Elis, a villain…

Blanc used her smartphone to release the magical restriction near Eli.

Eli moved away from me, stretched a bit, and then.

“…Yap.”

In an instant, she dyed her hair brown and her eyes a similar color.

“Wow… I really can’t recognize you.”

“When a person has distinctive features, that’s what sticks in people’s minds. If you remove those characteristics, they become truly ordinary.”

Eli’s disguised appearance was truly… something no one would identify as Eli.

While her original white hair and red eyes were distinctive.

“It’s awkward seeing you do Elis’s arrogant actions with that body.”

“What? Arrogant?”

As Blanc said, it’s really awkward when Eli acts the same way with that appearance.

With round glasses and a face that looks like she’d excel at studying, like those typical good students at ordinary schools.

When she acts in that… what Blanc called ‘arrogant’ way…

“Pfft.”

“Vine?!?!?”

It’s hard to hold back laughter.

“No… when you act like that with that appearance, pfft… it makes me think this is what happens when a model student goes astray.”

“Vine, even you…”

“Why are you looking at me with those betrayed eyes, Eli. It’s really strange, I’m telling you.”

“…Aah.”

After comforting the depressed Eli.

I also asked Eli for a disguise.

“This time, should we just color your eyes black?”

“What… do people remember me by my purple eyes?”

“That’s the only feature of yours worth hiding. And black hair is what most Koreans have…”

As I said that, I looked at Blanc.

“What. I had black hair too. It turned white when I became a magical girl.”

“Except for some unusual cases, naturally black hair is the majority, so it should be fine.”

“…What about the collar?”

“Well… I think we could just add some decoration to it. Hey, Blanc. Do you have anything?”

It’s quite funny seeing her speak so casually while looking like a model student.

“Why would you think I’d have decorations for a collar…”

“Why not? You’re the type to be prepared for this. Come on, hand it over.”

“Sigh…”

What’s this.

Why is she going upstairs…?

Does she really have decorations…?

“See? You had them all along. We can both say they’re chokers.”

“Huh…?”

“Of course, since I have magic to spare.”

Eli changed her collar to make it invisible.

“Eh…? You could use magic on that…?”

“Yes. Well… it’s just a spell that lightly covers the outside. Of course it works.”

“Ah…”

“But it’s impossible to cast this while under magical restriction. It takes more power than you’d think.”

“But, if Blanc puts the restriction back on, won’t it turn back into a collar…?”

“Nah. If I tell her the right amount, she’ll handle it properly.”

“…How can you trust Blanc like that?”

“She will, right…?”

Her trust in Blanc is strangely high.

Why…?

In just two days anyway…

“Vine.”

“Yes…?”

“You don’t need to worry so much.”

“…What was I worried about?”

“Everything will be fine.”

“…Really?”

“Yes.”

I don’t think my expression changed much.

How does she read me like that?

“Here. I brought it.”

“Huh… why do you have something like this?”

When Blanc brought a silver decoration, Eli immediately started teasing her, thinking she found something to mock.

“Hey.”

“Did you really think this was a collar? Don’t tell me you actually see us as pets? Total pervert!”

“What are you talking about…”

“Well, collar decorations are for dogs, right! Ugh, Blanc, I didn’t see you that way. Gasp, could that be why you made a contract with me…?”

“Hey.”

This time, seemingly genuinely angry, she hit Eli on the head.

“Ouch! That hurt! You hit me with magic! It hurts! Waaah! Hitting a powerless civilian with magic! This is tyranny! Tyranny!”

“I gave you back your magic, and you’re a strong monster anyway.”

“Ah…?”

“Besides, you’re going to hide yours that way. I only brought one for Vine.”

“…Wait a minute, Blanc. You’re not going to restrict my magic again…?”

“No. Elis is a weak villain anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”

“What…?”

“Even if Vine is on par with me, Elis is… honestly.”

“Hey!!!”

“Well, if we’re just talking about raw power, it’s true, right?”

So, the reason she’s letting Eli use magic is… because she’s weak…?

Ah, if that’s the case, I can understand.

But it’s very different from the reason Eli gave me herself.

“Eli…?”

“What, Vine. Are you going to call me weak too?”

“No…”

Eli seemed upset by Blanc’s words.

Well… but it’s true that she’s weak…

“Here, Vine. I was going to give this to you tomorrow, but I’ll give it to you today.”

“What…?”

“Without decoration, people might really think it’s a dog collar. So at least you can say it’s a choker…”

Blanc handed me a small pendant.

“…Is this an identification tag?”

“It’s not like that…”

“Or a name tag?”

“No… just a decoration.”

“Ah, like something to write a slave or pet’s name or gender… or to make it easier to attach a leash…?”

“I said no. It’s just a decoration, a decoration.”

“What…? That can’t be. Surely Blanc would…”

“Why are you doing this to me… What are you suddenly saying? It really is just a decoration. I had a hard time picking out something pretty. This kind of decoration…”

“Wasn’t available at the pet shop.”

“…Yes. No, wait. Why would I go there!”

“Well… I figured as much. And then you thought ‘this won’t do’ and went to an accessory shop.”

“…”

“There, you looked at choker decorations and picked out a pretty one. Hmm… I can’t accept this.”

“Why…? Don’t you like it…?”

“No. It’s just…”

It would become too precious to me.

…

If I receive something like this from someone I’m supposed to hate.

Then, when I betray them, my heart would hurt too much.

“…Ah, it’s that again. Then, let’s do it this way.”

“What…?”

“I’m not giving it to you. I’m lending it. You have to return it later.”

“…Well, I understand.”

As I reached for the pendant.

Blanc came closer and attached it herself.

It’s rounded so it doesn’t catch on anything, and being metal, it feels slightly cold.

I wondered what shape it had.

“…”

“What? Isn’t it cute?”

“I thought you said you weren’t treating me like a pet.”

A small heart-shaped pendant.

And one small amethyst.

On the back, there’s a name and a date.

“…This date.”

“That day. The day we met again.”

“…This still seems like pet treatment to me.”

“Well. This much is just decoration.”

“Wow… it’s cute, Vine?”

Even Eli says it’s cute.

Well…

I’ll just accept it.

But I need to return it before I leave.

I should remember to leave it behind when I go.

“…Well, I’m not a pet, but I’ll accept it since you’re giving it to me.”

“Good. Now… Eli, hurry and color Vine’s eyes. Let’s go. Aren’t you hungry?”

“I’m starving. So much that if anyone bothers me now, I’ll consider it a challenge to fight.”

“You know you’re not arrested yet, right? If you fight outside, you’ll go to jail.”

“Eek!”

“Why are you surprised, Eli… That applies to ordinary people too…”

“Oh, is that so…?”

With a heavier neck.

And a heavier heart, I left the house.

Blanc.

The silver pendant she gave me looks truly white when it reflects the sun.