Ch.157Chapter 25. A Slightly Changed Daily Life (9)

Even with all that’s happened, the sound of the ocean is truly calming.

While playing in the water is fun, just listening to the sound soothes my heart.

These past few months, so many things have happened.

From life-or-death battles to getting caught up in some cosmic-scale conspiracy, with various organizations entangled in it all, making everything incredibly complicated—

…Even now, I can’t say it’s completely over.

“…Next semester, I need to study properly again.”

My first semester grades ended up being a complete mess.

I did study hard for the finals and managed to bring them up somewhat, but not back to my previous level.

Jihye’s grades suffered too, so both of us were in trouble.

Especially me, since I was paying reduced tuition based on my grades. Thankfully, the school was somewhat understanding of my situation.

Annoyingly, the other magical girls all managed to get their grades back to normal. Talent really isn’t something to be taken lightly.

Hayun returned to her top-tier grades, and so did Ju-a.

The third-years also seem like they won’t be as affected for the college entrance exam as they initially thought. Well, the college entrance exam is usually more influenced by what you studied before the final year anyway.

In contrast, I had to start running again, as always.

I wanted to go to the same university as Hayun.

“Jieun?”

Hearing someone call me from behind, I turned around to see Hayun rubbing her eyes as she came out of the pension.

While her swimsuit had been somewhat revealing, her sleepwear was anything but. Even on vacation, Hayun wore proper pajamas, top and bottom.

It worries me a bit that someone so proper in every way seems to lose her moral compass when she’s with me.

It’s fortunate that I’ve drawn the line at still being a minor, but what will happen when I become an adult?

“Are you cold?”

As I shuddered with a strange sense of fear, Hayun asked.

She had a blanket draped over her shoulders. She had brought that thin blanket even in the middle of summer because she knew we’d be outside at night.

We hadn’t drunk any alcohol, but it was still a bit chilly in the middle of the night or early morning.

Hayun came to my side and gently covered me with her blanket.

Of course, she kept half of it for herself.

“…”

Ever since we kissed, it was as if all boundaries had disappeared, or maybe she just considered us a couple now. Hayun did these things so naturally.

And as always, I felt competitive with her.

Pretending to be casual, I reached out and pulled her by the waist. Hayun blushed but snuggled closer to me.

Yes, I know she’s leading me on. I know I’m walking right into her trap.

But what can I do? Even if bees and butterflies know that flowers attract them for pollination, they can’t instinctively reject it.

They’d starve otherwise.

…I suppose I’m the same.

Because alongside the jealousy I’ve harbored since childhood, I’ve also held its opposite emotion.

“Should we go inside?” I asked.

Inside the building, the snack bags we’d opened and eaten from last night would still be spread out. Some had even spilled onto the floor.

We hadn’t had a single drop of alcohol, yet somehow it looked no different from a college MT trip.

“No…”

But to my question, Hayun answered like that.

“Let’s stay like this a little longer.”

If someone gets to spend time alone with the person they like, how do normal people act?

Having never dated before, this was somewhat uncharted territory for me.

If you’re not dating, you might talk to get closer. Or you might say nothing at all, assuming nothing will come of it anyway.

We weren’t saying anything either, but not because we thought “nothing would come of it.”

Rather, yes.

Because this was such a moment.

Standing close together without saying anything, just feeling each other’s warmth—that’s why we remained silent.

Without any competition. Without jealousy.

A peaceful time where we could fully sense each other’s presence.

The two of us stood there for about ten minutes, saying nothing, just looking at the ocean.

*

After that dreamlike trip ended, I spent the rest of the vacation studying hard.

Well, that’s not to say I only studied and didn’t enjoy the vacation at all.

Whenever we had time, we gathered to watch movies, chatted briefly at the neighborhood park, or ate delicious things at cafes.

I became a full-fledged student.

Yes. There was something I hadn’t realized until now—even without being a magical girl, I wasn’t really a “proper student.”

I did study hard, fulfilling a student’s basic duty, but the problem was that I was a combatant.

Though I belonged to a major corporation, I was in a strange position—not quite a regular employee—and I engaged in violent work, fighting magical girls.

I often went out in the middle of the night, got beaten up, and came back home.

But now, that doesn’t happen at all.

It felt fresh and strange.

Then one day.

It was too hot to go outside, but somehow I couldn’t focus on studying either.

I didn’t particularly want to do anything else on that sweltering summer day.

I looked over my desk.

Most of the equipment that had been here was removed, and my desk was almost restored to how it was before the room became a mess.

The broken CD case was still there, but next to it, new cases had taken their place.

They had accumulated during the vacation.

The other magical girls who shared the room had all gone back to their homes. None of their relationships had deteriorated as badly as with Hayun.

Pang Pang had also returned. She had company work to do and needed to prepare various things to achieve her goals.

In the end, Hayun was the last one remaining in the room.

Jihye doesn’t seem to have any intention of kicking Hayun out. She probably heard about Hayun’s relationship with her parents.

The orphanage doesn’t seem to want to force her out either.

Hayun’s parents, whether out of pride or because they don’t want others to know about the situation, haven’t come looking for her.

…At this rate, the three of us might end up living together when we move out.

I scratched my head and picked up an album I had bought but hadn’t even opened yet.

It’s an album I’ve never seen before. Why did I buy this?

Maybe Hayun bought it?

Hmm.

Well, it doesn’t really matter.

Hayun has good taste in albums. Her preferences are quite classic, so it’s probably a masterpiece I’m not familiar with.

I opened the album’s packaging and took out the CD.

Then I put the CD into the player and pressed play for the first time in a while.

There was a soft sound of the CD spinning inside, and then the music started playing.

Jihye, who was sprawled on the floor, giggled.

“That’s an expensive OST.”

“You know this music?”

“Huh? It’s famous, isn’t it?”

I shrugged. Jihye looked a bit shocked.

Well, the lyrics are in English, so it might be famous. Probably sung by some well-known band.

“OST?”

Hayun, also sprawled on the floor, asked.

As if infected by Jihye, Hayun sometimes sprawled on the floor like this too. Well, it probably wasn’t “only” from Jihye that she caught this habit.

“Doesn’t this scene feel like a movie? A scene from a youth film.”

“Ah.”

At my answer, Hayun nodded as if she understood.

Yes.

If this scene were a movie, the music playing would be the OST.

That’s how it is.

I sat in the chair and listened to the music.

Sweet blues with a soft voice layered on top—it was pleasant to listen to. Yes, it did seem familiar somehow.

After listening to the music for a while, the door opened carefully.

The person who peeked her head in was Ju-a.

“Perfect timing. Did you come to hang out?”

At my words, Jihye laughed again.

“Usually she’s the one who brings trouble, this character who appears at this timing.”

“Trouble?”

Ju-a tilted her head in confusion, hearing such words as soon as she entered.

“I mean, if this were a movie,” Hayun offered an explanation, but it was too abbreviated, and Ju-a became even more confused.

Well, that’s fine. We can explain it to her slowly.

A movie, huh.

I like that.

The theme has changed a bit, with less action, less thrill, and no more plot twists.

I liked how things had changed.

I prayed in my heart that our daily lives would remain this way.