Ch.151151. Daily Life at the Association

After a little time passed, just as the door behind the window was about to open.

“Unniiii!”

Arin rushed to hug me from behind.

Of course… my body, enhanced with magic power, couldn’t handle it. I ended up getting caught.

I was aware of it, but the feeling of being caught was really…

Plus, the screen that had just turned off had been endlessly replaying my battle scenes.

It was pretty obvious who I was targeting with that training… really, this is…

“Arin…”

Arin, who was hugging me, was warm, soft, and fluffy even though she’d just finished washing up.

And her long hair, which she hadn’t had time to dry before rushing over, was still dripping wet as she clung to me.

“Hehe… Unni! How did you get here?”

“Ul-b… No, Hyewon brought me… But, didn’t you dry your hair?”

“Hehe…”

She tried to brush it off with an awkward laugh.

“You’ll catch a cold, Arin.”

“Nah… I won’t catch a cold from just this! And I couldn’t keep you waiting any longer.”

“I have nothing but time anyway… Honestly, there’s nothing I can do right now. Except wait.”

“Ehehe… Still.”

I touch Arin’s hair once.

It’s soft, but really wet.

But I can’t use my magic.

“…Hyewon.”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“The necklace… Ah, never mind.”

“Hm? Is it uncomfortable? Want me to put it back on?”

“…Huh?”

“You should have said something if it was uncomfortable. Come here.”

Hyewon approaches me.

…Huh?

Isn’t something strange…?

“What…? Wait a minute. What do you mean ‘put it back on’?”

“Exactly what I said.”

“No, I mean… You’re saying you’ll temporarily remove the necklace, adjust it properly, and put it back on my neck?”

“Yeah…?”

Either she doesn’t understand what I’m saying, or I’m the one who doesn’t understand.

I’m… a villain who betrayed you and ran away, right?

Well… before I was just a villain, but now the situation is completely different, isn’t it?

Trust in me should be at zero, honestly at a level where you should be putting a contract spell on me right now, right?

So why are you so casually talking about removing my collar and putting it back on…?

“My… collar…? You do remember that I betrayed you all, right?”

“Y-yeah…? I remember? But…?”

“And yet, when a dangerous villain like me has their collar removed and could escape. You’re just going to remove it and put it back on? What if I don’t offer my neck again and just run away? Actually, shouldn’t removing it not even be an option in the first place?”

“Umm…? Why…?”

“Pardon…?”

Hyewon looks frustrated.

I’m just as confused.

No… are these magical girls normal…?

They’re just going to… release this traitor?

“I mean… haven’t you considered that if my collar is removed, I might subdue you or Arin and escape…?”

“Hmm…? Is the brainwashing still not undone?”

“No, that’s not it…”

“Then what’s the issue…?”

“You believe that…? What if I’m deceiving you right now?”

“…? We can just catch you again, can’t we? Besides… do you even have anything to do if you ran away?”

“…I don’t, but still, isn’t this strange, Hyewon…?”

“Not at all…? Look, just tell me if the necklace is uncomfortable or not. That’s all I’m asking.”

“Well, it’s not uncomfortable, but…”

“What the… Then why bring up the necklace?”

“No… um… I just wanted to use… magic power…”

“Magic power? Oh, that. Here.”

Hyewon tosses her phone to me.

On it is my name and a bar-shaped control panel labeled as management items.

“…Why are you giving this to me?”

“Hm? Why not?”

“If I press this detach button, it’ll come right off, won’t it…?”

“Yeah?”

“…And you’re showing me this? What if I secretly remove it at night and leave…”

I was trying to explain some common-sense concerns to Hyewon.

Hyewon, looking annoyed, crosses her arms and snaps at me.

“You keep talking about sneaking out, running away… Do you actually have any intention of doing that?”

“No… of course…”

“Of course not. Who announces they’re going to escape and then actually does it? Right? So hurry up and give it back when you’re done…”

“…”

I stared at Hyewon with an incredulous expression.

Arin was looking at me with… pitying eyes.

“Unni… Are you trying to run away again…?”

“Ah, no… Arin…”

“Are you… really going to leave?”

“No… No. Ellie is here anyway…”

“If Ellie wasn’t here… would you leave me?”

“No. That’s not…”

“You wouldn’t, right…? Right, Vine unni…?”

Don’t torture me by looking at me with those eyes.

“Unni…? Are you, are you leaving me again…?”

Don’t ask me such things while whimpering like that…

“Unni… Unni…”

“Arin… I, I’m not going anywhere, so please calm down…!”

“You won’t go…? You’ll stay by my side…?”

“Yes, yes… A-anyway… I was just asking about the necklace because I wanted to dry Arin’s hair… I thought it wouldn’t be allowed… naturally.”

“What…?”

“Well… it doesn’t make sense to give powers back to a traitor… That would be true even for just a villain, let alone someone who’s already lost your trust, so… But then you gave that kind of answer, so that’s why. Don’t worry, Arin.”

“D-dry my… dry my hair…”

Arin, whose sniffling had disappeared, first looked surprised, then fell into contemplation for a moment…

Then her face turned red with overflowing happiness as she stared at me.

“Well… it’s a wasteful use of magic power as heat, so people who are about to fight don’t use it, but personnel who don’t go into battle often, like Ellie, used to do it for me frequently. Yes, especially Ellie.”

“Hehe… Unni will… directly… Unni will… Unni will…”

“Um, Arin…?”

I call out to Arin, who seems lost in her own world, not sure if she’s even listening to me.

Startled, she responds.

“Ah, ah…!? Yes! Yes…!”

“…Is it okay if I dry it for you…? I’ve already got permission from Hyewon, but… it’s your hair after all.”

“Yes, of course!”

“Then.”

I increase the magic power allowance using the smartphone Hyewon gave me.

…The power is returning.

“Hmm… This should be enough. Even if magic power doesn’t recover… I’ve recovered quite a bit while I was there.”

“Yes…?”

“Just talking to myself.”

Arin’s hair remained soft despite being wet.

Slowly… I raise warm magic power in my hands.

At a low temperature, so as not to damage her hair.

But with enough wind to dry it quickly.

That feeling of warm air brushing against the back of your neck was really nice.

I hope Arin enjoys it too…

I slowly dry her hair.

Starting from the ends, gradually moving upward.

Carefully, so it doesn’t hurt or tangle.

Meanwhile, Arin is making mysterious moaning sounds.

“Are you in pain…? Or is it too hot…?”

“No…! It’s, it’s nice…”

“I see…”

I slowly dry Arin’s blue hair.

…Such a soft and kind child.

What on earth did the me in Marina do.

Even now… I put more passion into using my power with a heart of atonement.

Certainly… my magic power recovery is still minimal.

I can manage with the accumulated magic power. But it would be insufficient if I entered battle.

After drying all of Arin’s hair, I ran my fingers through it once more to check.

Making sure there were no tangles. Swish, swish with my hands.

“There, all done.”

“…Hehe.”

Arin was just enjoying it, making a relaxed laughing sound.

And Hyewon…

“Wait a bit. I’ll go wash up too.”

“Why would you…?”

“No. I also…”

“I have no magic power. It’s not recovering well.”

“…Oh.”

I was able to stop her from rushing out with just one sentence.

“Unni…?”

Of course… another problem arose with the other magical girl who was concerned about me.

But somehow… I was able to escape in various ways.

At least… at the association cafeteria, I was fed all sorts of things, plus late-night snacks, delivery food…

Ice cream, snacks, and so on…

I ended up being fed all kinds of things that gave me a good idea of Arin’s food preferences.

* * *

After spending some ordinary time at the association like this, how much time had passed?

I was just killing time with Ellie in the association president’s office again when…

“Ellie. Stop bothering the association president and let’s go back now.”

“Aw… This guy works faster when I’m here anyway. Right?”

“That may be true… but I’d appreciate it if you’d reconsider leaving. Yunseul will be here soon and has something to tell you.”

“Huh…?”

“Well… it’s important content, and since it’s related to you all, you can stay a bit longer if you want.”

“Sweet! Where’s the cola in your fridge, mister?”

“You drank it all. There might be some in the secretary’s office pantry.”

“Hmm… that’s a hassle. Can I raid the Citrus team’s pantry?”

“Sure. Hurry back.”

“Ah, do you have something like a shopping basket?”

“Use Hyewon. I was going to call her anyway.”

“Oh, can I use her?”

“You’d use her even if I told you not to.”

“Aish… really. The association president is so gloomy. That’s why Blanc always gives you an earful.”

“What…?”

Ellie leaves with a whoosh, not even waiting for the association president’s dumbfounded response.

“…Sigh. Really… Vine, why don’t you go with her if you want something to drink too?”

“No… this plum drink is enough for me.”

I took out a can of what must be a drink the association president doesn’t like, or one that Ellie doesn’t drink here, as there were still many left.

“Really…? Well, I should have one too.”

Ah, I guess the former assumption was wrong.

Then how much does Ellie drink here?

“Hmm… I’ll use this time to finish the remaining approvals… Oh, right. Vine.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“How’s life? Anything uncomfortable?”

“…It’s fine. But why ask that suddenly…?”

“Well… you’re officially our employee too. And now things are starting to… take shape.”

“By ‘take shape,’ you mean…”

“Yes. We found it.”

The meaning of “we found it” that the association president is talking about…

Is it exactly what I think it is?

“…That’s good. But why tell me…?”

“Well… because you’re involved too? At least that’s how it is, right?”

“…”

“I’ll tell you when Yunseul and Hyewon get here. I called the others too. Is there any magical girl you’re uncomfortable with?”

“…They’re more likely to be uncomfortable with me, I…”

“Really? Well… I only called those five.”

“…Arin too?”

“Yes.”

“…I’d prefer if Arin were excluded.”

…Because I don’t want to hurt Arin again.