Ch.150150. Life at the Association

Time at the Association was less eventful than I had expected.

There was the time spent fending off annoying magical girls and Ellie who insisted on helping me with everything.

Or the time sending Ellie back, telling her not to bother the Association President when she dragged him away from his work to go out for a meal.

Or the time when I was forcibly made to get up for a walk around the Association, being told I needed fresh air, only to receive… affection from everyone along the way.

No, I was just fighting until moments ago.

Seriously.

I just got out of a mission where I was dragged away and tormented several magical girls, so I really don’t understand why they find me cute…

Well, I understand when they say I’m cute and want to touch my cheeks.

Fine, whatever… I can let them do that much.

I did do something wrong. It’s only fair to allow that much.

But, but…

When they pull on my cheeks like that!

It hurts when they pull…

No, normal pinching is fine, but that, that…

When they pull while saying “so cute, so cute” and stretch my cheeks more and more, saying “mochi mochi” while tugging repeatedly…

Ugh…

That hurts the most…

H-honestly… it feels like they’re taking out their frustration on me for the extra work I’ve caused them, so I’m putting up with it, but…

Even my tolerance has limits…

Every employee who sees me strokes my head and pinches my cheeks, saying I’m cute…

With Blanc not around, there’s no one to stop them…

Instead, Hyewon, who’s accompanying me, actively tries to pinch my cheeks herself…

And then offers me up to her team members, asking if they want to try pinching me too…

That makes me even more reluctant to go out…

And yet… Ellie insists on playing in the Association President’s office…

She drags me to the President’s office and bothers him.

And every employee who comes in says things like, “Oh, Vine, hello? You’re cute today too… You won’t run away now, right? Can I touch your cheeks just once?”

When I tell them I’m actually older, they just say I’m cute and tell them to squeeze Ellie’s cheeks instead…

But they say she’s no fun, that my cheeks are more fun, soft, and cute…

Ugh…

And Ellie encourages them…

Saying I’m younger than her, so I must be more pleasant to touch…

And as if they understand, they come to me…

The male employees at least refrained from touching me due to their dignity.

But the female employees… those female employees who can’t resist cute things… mercilessly touched my cheeks…

Finally freed, I was rubbing my sore cheeks when Hyewon came to find me…

“Vine. Want to go see Arin?”

“Pardon…?”

“Arin has been coming to the Association every day after school lately. Flying.”

“…Flying?”

“Yes. Flying.”

“…Transformed?”

“Yes. Transformed.”

“…From the rooftop?”

“Probably? She hasn’t shown her magical girl form to her friends yet.”

“…But don’t some kids already know?”

“What would the mascot say? It would tell her to keep it secret for now… so she’s just following instructions. The media only shows the magical girl form… though I think her friends probably already know, at least the close ones…”

“…That aside, doesn’t flying while transformed usually give the impression that monsters or villains have appeared…?”

“I suppose…?”

“It causes anxiety among citizens.”

“…Does it?”

“I think so. Don’t you agree? Unless everyone is distracted by something else, it would really… draw attention, wouldn’t it? You all appearing transformed… wouldn’t that cause quite a stir in public opinion…?”

“Well… that’s why. She’s been doing it constantly lately. Keeps transforming and flying here.”

“…Since when, may I ask?”

“Since you said you were returning to Eden… when you disappeared with Elise at the amusement park.”

“…What?”

“Well, not immediately from that day… and she didn’t exactly rush—or rather, fly—here right after school either…”

“Then when?”

“…Since Marina, I think?”

“…Marina.”

“Yes. When she came charging in… saying she would rescue the boss, Arin really did.”

“…”

“She was… very sad. The sister she trusted appeared like that… not recognizing her. Treating her as just a rookie magical girl… using her as bait to get rid of Blanc.”

“…At that time, I truly didn’t remember.”

“Yes… well, Eden brainwashed you, so that’s why. We all know that.”

“…Truly, when I try to recall those faint memories… I don’t remember fighting Arin. I just remember fighting some rookie magical girl. Just that. That rookie magical girl must have been…”

“Arin.”

“Ah…”

I sighed as we walked.

“Yes… *sigh* Arin changed a lot after that day. She started training everywhere without regard for her body. Just watching combat footage from when she fought Yunseul. Not even watching her favorite anime anymore.”

“…”

“Then, one time she got a nosebleed. You know when magic can’t stop the bleeding? It was all due to fatigue. When you pour all your energy into something like that, of course the bleeding won’t stop.”

“Why on earth… would she not take care of herself…”

“The shock she received that day was quite significant for Arin. Well… it felt like seeing the old Yunseul. Reviewing battles after they ended, analyzing again and again. Identifying changes, recognizing patterns, analyzing and training based on the results. That’s what Yunseul used to do.”

“…Arin doesn’t need to do that.”

“No. Arin felt she needed to. She was the last person to spend time with you at the amusement park that day. And then to experience that at Marina.”

“…Ah.”

As we talked and walked, Hyewon and I arrived at the training ground.

This time we were just observing, so we went up to the viewing area.

“So… this is the result.”

On the display screen… scenes from the battle at Marina were playing.

Especially scenes zoomed in on me.

And in the training ground… Arin was training with numerous dummies, clearly overdoing it.

“Ah…”

“This is after we told her to take it easy. The Association doctor… says she should cut back even more. But she uses Yunseul as an example, so even the doctor has nothing to say.”

“…Surely not?”

“That’s right… she shows footage of Yunseul at her age and says she needs to do at least this much… It was a bit different back then. Now that things are more systematic… she should listen to us more.”

“…Even now.”

“Do you think you could stop her?”

“…If she became like this because of what I did to her… couldn’t I fix it?”

“No, I think you’d have a negative influence.”

“…”

“If you went down there now… I don’t know what would happen. First of all… what about that thing that blocks magic? We don’t know what’s happened with that, right?”

“…I haven’t been tested for that yet.”

“Right. Come back later with Yunseul for testing… then help Arin.”

“Hah… you crybaby…”

“Hey now.”

“…Hyewon, is that enough?”

“Yes. You agreed to call us by our names for at least a month, remember?”

“…Hah.”

Really…

Why do I have to call them by name?

Just…

Just…

Sigh…

I observe Arin.

…More dummies than before were broken and rolling on the floor.

And Arin, who looked truly different from when I last saw her.

She’s really grown a lot…

If that rookie magical girl back then was Arin…

I can confidently say she’s grown even more since then.

…Considering how short the time has been.

Maybe she’s growing even faster than Blanc did.

“Honestly, it’s a bit… frightening.”

“…Perhaps she’s trying to earn a nickname like yours.”

“What…?”

“Like Yunseul being called ‘Blanc.’ Even if not that, maybe she wants to reach a level where she can earn a nickname like the rest of us.”

“What do you mean?”

“Back then, you called her a rookie, didn’t you?”

“…In my eyes, she was just an unknown magical girl. Someone I hadn’t noticed before. Probably…”

“That might have become her grudge.”

“How… could that be?”

Hyewon looked wistfully at Arin through the window as she spoke to me.

“Someone very precious to her… forgot her. I don’t even want to think about it. My sister… not remembering me. Even when Yuri unnie fell, my heart ached so much. Fighting her like that hurt so much. What about Arin? She couldn’t even stop it with her own hands. Wouldn’t she think she was a burden while Yunseul was fighting?”

“…That’s…”

“Yes… I used to think about it too. Would I be a burden to Yunseul? Would I just get in her way by stepping up?”

“…”

“Yes… she just looked a bit similar, so I was just guessing.”

Hyewon picked up the microphone beside her and said:

“Arin. That’s enough now. It’s the time we agreed on.”

Hearing those words, Arin looked like she wanted to continue, but:

“Arin. That’s enough. Look who’s here.”

“Hyewon… earlier…”

“Well, I thought it would be fine around the end.”

“That’s different from what you said…”

Arin, having heard Hyewon’s words and looked in our direction,

Seemed to notice me beside Hyewon.

As if forgetting there was a window, she immediately flew:

“Unnie!”

She flew right up to the window, greeting me joyfully.

Her hair was soaked with sweat, sticking to her face.

Her costume was stained with dust here and there.

“Hehe… were you watching me, unnie?”

“Come back first. I can’t hear you well.”

“…I can’t.”

“What…?”

“I, I… just a moment…! Please wait a little!”

Seeing Arin suddenly blush and wave her hands,

…I was a bit concerned about the video playing behind her and wanted to talk about it.

“R-right now. Right now… I smell… ugh…! No way! Anyway, no! Stay there!”

“Arin…”

“Hyewon unnie! W-wait there with Vine unnie! I’ll wash up quickly and be right back…!”

Well… whatever…

It’s really fine.