Ch.119119. Protagonist and Antagonist (3)

“Nom…”

…Blanc staring at me so intently it’s uncomfortable.

What’s with her?

“Is something wrong?”

“No. You just seem to be enjoying your food.”

“That’s because it tastes good, isn’t it? Nom…”

“Cute…”

What’s she been mumbling about?

Blanc, do you really know exactly how good my hearing is?

Speaking so softly… I couldn’t even see her lips properly to make out what she was saying. She keeps mumbling and murmuring.

And then taking pictures to post in the group chat.

I’ve already turned off the notifications.

Like those two people still checking their phones at school long after lunch break is over.

Or that one person who’s supposed to be working for the Association but is just playing with their phone.

Anyway, all these slackers are going wild right now.

If I leave it like this, my phone might get so hot it could cook my flesh.

Well, at this temperature, it’s probably not enough to burn a superhuman’s body. It’s just a figure of speech.

“Nom… So, why aren’t you eating?”

“Ah, right. I should eat.”

“Yes. Let’s eat quickly. Have you thought about what you’d like to do together afterward?”

“Ah… I need to think about that too?”

“Well… do you really need to worry about it? There aren’t that many things for us to do together anyway.”

“Really?”

“Well… I suppose it depends on the person. That’s why I’m telling you to think quickly. Then I can follow along with peace of mind.”

Nom.

This soybean paste stew is pretty good.

It’s delicious when you mix it with rice and take a big bite.

But why was her living situation so miserable?

She can cook this well but can’t keep things organized?

No, how could she pile up all that delivery food and not feel something was wrong?

No matter how I think about it, that deplorable state that could only be described as a pigsty… you need to know.

Honestly, it’s not like I have OCD or anything. I’m just an ordinary person who even lived in a shantytown.

Really. Really, after giving her the benefit of the doubt multiple times, I still thought that what I used to live in—something I could barely call a home—might have been cleaner.

Ah… maybe not.

Anyway, it was that deplorable.

Honestly, the fact that nothing was rotting or attracting bugs…

Sigh.

Living in such an environment with Arin.

If Arin’s parents saw this, they’d be horrified.

“Nom…”

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

“You should be the one thinking. Instead of worrying about me, you should be deciding what we’re going to do.”

“But… I asked about you and you’re telling me to answer about myself… Haah… Whatever. Never mind.”

“Even just something you want to do… Well, I know you need to think about it, but… wouldn’t it be better if you decided quickly? Then I can at least prepare to go out.”

“…Alright. But I really don’t have anything specific I want to do.”

“Well… anywhere is fine. Is there a place you want to go? Maybe somewhere you need to take someone like me. It wouldn’t hurt to think about it. Even though I’m a villain, you said you’d spend a day with me. Shouldn’t we make the most of it?”

“Someone like you…”

“Well. You might think I’m being self-deprecating. But that’s how I see myself.”

“Haah…”

“So think about it. Ah, shall I do the dishes?”

“No. Just leave them. Elise will do them.”

“If Eli’s going to do them, I’d rather do them myself.”

“Elise needs to work too. She said she would do it. She’s the one who said she doesn’t want to see you doing hard work for a month.”

“No. Well… that’s not even hard work.”

Eli is really…

I knew she was overprotective, but…

To think she’d conspire with Blanc like this.

“Still, I don’t feel right making Eli do it.”

“Well… she volunteered to do it in your place. You should feel comfortable letting her.”

“That’s exactly what I’m not comfortable with. Eli is… still young, isn’t she?”

“What do you mean? Elise is a proper high school student now, old enough to know what’s what.”

“…Haah.”

…Is that so?

While I’ve been saying Eli is overprotective of me, was I actually the overprotective one?

“I see. Well… I guess there’s no helping it. But at least some basic tidying…”

“Yeah. Let’s just do that much. Anyway, Elise said yesterday she’d take care of it.”

“Alright. I’ll leave it to her. I’m leaving it to her.”

“Mm-hmm. So… are you done eating?”

“I’ve had enough. Did you not finish?”

“No. I was waiting for you.”

“Then let’s clean up.”

“Sure.”

I was about to clear my own bowl and utensils, but…

“Leave it. I’ll do it.”

“But…”

Blanc took them from me, and I ended up just sitting there.

“Stay put. Why does someone who needs rest keep trying to do things?”

“But…”

Well. Sigh… there’s nothing I can do about this…

For someone who’s supposed to be resting, I’ve been dragged around quite a bit.

Maybe doing housework would have been more restful.

Well…

So I decided to just sit on the sofa.

And check my backed-up messages while I’m at it.

The responses are way too intense.

I wonder if this is really the firepower of just three people.

Well, they probably didn’t say anything weird, so I quickly scrolled down.

Blanc finished cleaning up, and it seems she’s decided where to go.

“I’ve thought of a place to go.”

“Yes…?”

“Let’s just go for a walk.”

“Didn’t we do that yesterday too?”

“No, well… let’s just wander around.”

“Where to?”

“Just follow me. To help digest our food. And get some fresh air.”

“Well… alright. If that’s what you want.”

It’s good that Blanc has decided.

What would we do together at home?

The slacker would probably wake up and bother us, and we’d just watch Eli work.

If I see Eli working, I’ll definitely feel unsatisfied and step in. Then Blanc would be annoying about it.

Going out is better, that’s what I was thinking.

Well. I’m glad we’re going out.

“Then, shall we get ready?”

“Yes. You go shower first?”

“You go first. I’ll pick out some clothes for you.”

…What I forgot here was that Blanc, like Citrus, Crybaby, and the slacker, was a magical girl who enjoyed dressing me up.

And that’s really becoming a problem because…

“…Why don’t you shower first? I’ll pick out my clothes in advance.”

“No way.”

Today we’re clearly not going to a department store or shopping mall, but becoming a dress-up doll is becoming a major issue.

“…Just bring one outfit. I’ll go shower. Just one.”

“Hmm… just one?”

“Yes. Just one.”

“I don’t want to.”

“…Bl—I mean, Yunseul. Are you serious?”

“Yes. I’m serious. So hurry up and get ready. What I heard from Yuri unnie last time…”

“Wait. What? What did you hear?”

“Hmm? Yuri unnie bragged about raiding your closet with you and taking lots of cute pictures.”

“And?”

“And…? Did something else happen?”

“Is that it? Are you sure that’s all? You’re certain?”

“Yes…? Why are you suddenly…?”

“It’s nothing… Sigh. I’ll get ready quickly. Please be gentle with me…”

Fortunately, it seems Yuri didn’t show Blanc that video.

As if I’d go crazy enough to shout a transformation phrase and cosplay as a magical girl…

Sigh.

The more I think about it, the more complicated my thoughts become…

Maybe I’ll feel better after washing up and coming out clean.

Sigh.

So while getting ready to go out, washing my face and brushing my teeth.

After recovering my senses a bit, what I faced was a mountain of clothes and Blanc.

“…The villain has already been defeated, hasn’t she? Do you have some strange fetish for killing the loser twice?”

“Come on. That’s not it.”

“Isn’t it exactly that?”

“No, it’s not. This is me showing a lot of restraint. Do you know how much I deliberated?”

“…I’m not doing this. I quit. Just kill me instead.”

“Sorry, but that’s not an option. Arin would be sad.”

“I’m about to cry right now, so that’s… haah.”

“Yes, yes. Cry a lot.”

“…Ha.”

Everything’s going dark before my eyes, is this right?

Haah…

Clothes again?

Are you crazy?

Yes.

You must be crazy.

* * *

“…So we end up with this outfit after all.”

“Isn’t it cute?”

A black suspender dress with a white shirt and red ribbon.

…Lots of frills.

“I don’t like being cute… I really don’t. No, I dislike it even more now. Yes, I’ve definitely grown to hate it. Thanks to you, I’ve realized just how much I despise it, understand?”

“Come on. You’re just saying that.”

“What if I’m not just saying it?”

“It’s written all over your face. You look pretty, our Bi.”

“…”

Suddenly calling me pretty…

Why…

“Ugh… I don’t know! Hurry up and get ready to go!”

I rush out of the dressing room.

For some unknown reason, my emotions are stirring.

This shouldn’t be happening.

Why am I suddenly like this?

In the end, I couldn’t figure out the answer even after sitting on the sofa until Blanc came down.

“Shall we go?”

“…Yes.”

Blanc seemed to notice something strange about me.

But she tried to let it pass naturally.

“But where are we going?”

“Hmm?”

“I’d like to know where we’re heading…”

“…A place with memories?”

“A place with memories? Do we have such a place?”

“Yes. Our connection is deeper than you might think, isn’t it?”

“Well, yes, but there are many such places, aren’t there? The Association, the courthouse, the park…”

“No. Those are too ordinary. This place isn’t ordinary.”

“…Where on earth is it?”

“Just get in.”

The place Blanc took me to was the parking lot.

A place we need to drive to…?

The Eden base…?

“Put on your seatbelt.”

“I won’t die even if I don’t wear it.”

“The law is the law. Put it on quickly.”

“…Yes.”

After driving for several tens of minutes.

We arrived at a neighborhood.

A neighborhood not too far away.

However, a neighborhood quite familiar to Blanc.

The neighborhood where Blanc’s family home is.

“…This school.”

“That’s right. The school where you and I first met.”

It is a special place indeed.

Truly.