Ch.177177. We Need to Make Amends.

We couldn’t return to the dormitory.

There were still several things…

That needed to be addressed.

So we went to that room in the Association.

Well, I think I was incredibly nervous when we first went there.

Hmm…

“But when are you going to clean this up…? Shouldn’t Arin be heading back to the dormitory soon…?”

“Huh? I was planning to go back with Bine unnie.”

“Didn’t you only bring enough for one day?”

“Ah. I can just get things from my room. I have spares there.”

Naturally, since Arin is also a magical girl, she says she has her own room at the Association.

And since she uses it often during training, she has plenty of clothes inside to change into.

Especially underwear—she says she has enough to last for several days.

I guess other magical girls probably have similar setups.

My and Ellie’s underwear were bought by Blanc and Seohyun, so they’re different from what we usually wear.

As for clothes…

Well, I suppose I should be grateful that I’m not limited to a single outfit.

At first, I wore patient clothes, and after I stabilized a bit, I wore a white dress with Ellie.

A thin, indoor dress.

If our stay here gets even slightly longer,

I’ll instantly become their dress-up doll…

“Bine, do you have clothes? And Ellie?”

“Blanc… I think one set is enough for me. It’s not like we’re going outside. When you think about it, there’s no particular reason to change, is there…?”

“That’s right…! We don’t really need to change clothes, do we…?”

Our answers seemed to displease her.

Blanc looks at us with a dissatisfied expression.

I don’t think I even need to ask why.

That’s clearly the face of a child who wanted to play dress-up but couldn’t.

“Still, people won’t think well of you if you wear just one outfit all the time.”

“Really? No one seemed to mind? There are several white outfits like this here. One-piece dresses. It gives me that ‘escaped test subject from a laboratory’ vibe!”

“What kind of vibe is that… Ellie, have you been reading something like that…?”

“Movies. They’re interesting.”

“Seriously… Anyway. I’ll bring you clothes. Change into them daily.”

Change daily…?

“Isn’t this place basically our home now…?”

“Still, it’s better to dress nicely for others to see. Even if they’re our Association staff.”

“Not really…?”

“Right. It’s troublesome…”

When both of us showed our reluctance, Blanc said:

“…Let’s decide. Do you want me to fill an entire room, or will you wear them willingly?”

What kind of threat is that…?

“Wh-what are you saying, Blanc…?”

“Exactly what I said.”

“N-no…! What’s the difference between filling a room and wearing them willingly?!”

“Hmm? They’re different. If there’s a room there… have you thought about what Seohyun or especially Yuri unnie might do? Especially you, Ellie.”

“…I’ve been having unsettling dreams lately. Things must have gone wrong since the hot springs yesterday.”

“The mistake was probably made at a different time, don’t you think, Ellie?”

“Ugh… it hurts when you hit me with facts like that.”

“Right? So, both of you choose. Will you wear what I give you, or…”

“I’ll wear it. I’ll wear it… Geez. Really. We’re not elementary schoolers or kindergarteners who hate wearing clothes. The problem was that you all were too extreme! Why don’t you do this to Ellie instead?!”

“I’m going to do it to Ellie too…”

“What…?”

“And when are you two going to make up? We’re back now, aren’t we? We’ve locked up the doctor, sent the core to the lab. Are you still fighting? Are you still upset, Bine?”

At Blanc’s words, Ellie chimed in:

“Th-that’s right…! I’m sorry, Bine… Please? Forgive me. I’ll do anything…!”

“Ellies.”

“S-sorry… B-but we’re not going to stop seeing each other now… M-might as well get along while we’re together…”

“Ellies, don’t you remember how you got angry when I called you Ellie? Saying I was being disrespectful to my elder?”

“W-well… that’s true…!”

“So, you still want me to call you unnie?”

“Of course!”

Huh?

“…Ellies. Seriously? Even knowing my mental age?”

“W-well… but! If you consider how long I’ve lived, I’ve lived longer than you!”

“You’ve lived longer in that form, but that doesn’t mean you’ve grown.”

“Th-that’s…!”

“I was at least at the edge of being a minor. But you’ve lived in that form until now. Can you say there was mental growth?”

“Bine…! That’s not fair!”

“…Well, even ignoring all that. Isn’t it a bit creepy?”

“What…?”

“You want to be called ‘unnie’ by a child of similar height? If that’s the case, you could ask Arin to call you that.”

“Arin is a magical girl!”

“What are you talking about… What does that have to do with anything?”

“W-well… I won’t ask you to call me unnie, so can you call me Ellie again?”

“Sigh… Fine. You’d rather be friends than be my elder, right?”

“Yes… I can’t do without you, Bine…”

I’m the one who’s angry, yet Ellie’s the one making a sad face.

“…Ellie.”

“Y-yes…”

“…Are you only going to let Blanc call you Ellie?”

“N-no, um… Citrus too…”

“…That’s unfair. Don’t call her by her magical girl name either, call her Hyewon.”

Hyewon looks over when she hears her name from my mouth.

Maybe she’s bothered that I said her name?

“Whaaat?”

“If not, don’t let Ellie do it either.”

“Th-that’s not fair!”

“Otherwise, I’ll keep calling you Ellies. Ellies.”

“Uuugh…”

Ellie looks like she’s contemplating.

Hmph.

This much is necessary for me to feel better.

“Um… Bine?”

“Yes, what is it, Seohyun?”

“So… Ellies will call us by our names…?”

“Well, isn’t that better than Garnet or whatever? And it’s punishment for allowing her nickname without permission.”

“What about our opinion…?”

“Was that ever important? Isn’t this good for you all? You’re always insisting that I call you by your names.”

“Ah, um… huh?”

“So. It’s good for you all. And it’s a good condition for me to feel better. Right, Ellies?”

“Uugh… calling magical girls by their names… Well, kids like Arin are already doing it, so maybe it doesn’t matter, but it feels strange, like I’m giving in.”

“You are giving in, and so am I, to be fair.”

“Ah…?”

Ellie seems to have realized something, her face brightening.

“Ah, I understand! I’ll do it! Okay? Bine, do you forgive me now?”

“Um…? What about our opinion…?”

“Be quiet, Garne… I mean, Seohyun! Do you know how scary Bine is when she’s upset? It’s truly terrifying! Have you ever felt the kind of resentment that wouldn’t be appeased even if you brought Eden to her? Though it’s been over a decade… But that anger just now was real! This is the right way to resolve it!”

“But…!”

“Just accept it, Seohyun…!”

Pfft.

Why is this so funny to watch?

Yes.

This is what I wanted.

Even Yuri is laughing.

Then, approaching behind Ellie:

“Hehehe… Won’t you call this unnie ‘unnie’? Unnie would like to be called unnie by you…”

“Th-that’s impossible! Really impossible! Bine! Th-that’s really not okay! Can’t you just see her as Y-Yuri…?”

“Hmmmm… Thinking about the cute things you did to unnie… Won’t you reconsider? Unnie really, really cares about Ellie…”

“W-wait?! I-I never said you could still call me Ellie!”

“Didn’t you? Reaaally? Hmmmm… Do you know how creepy it was when you called me unnie back then?”

“U-um?!”

“Ughh… The parts you tormented back then are all sensitive and throbbing…”

“Aaaack?! W-wait! Don’t talk about that!! Bine is here too!”

“Hmmmm… Isn’t she old enough to know these things…?”

“B-but…! Arin is here too! A-and that… I’ll a-atone for it… A-anyway, Bl… I mean, Yunseul has my lifeline and authority and everything, so… y-you can do whatever you want…”

“Well. That’s all in the past… I’d rather forget about it now… So, let’s just let it go for now? See you later?”

“Th-that ‘see you later’ sounds even scarier…”

“I’m going to think about what you did. It’s still so vividly etched in my memory… Let’s stick together from now on, okay?”

“Ugh…”

What on earth happened between those two?

For Ellie to be this serious about it.

Must be her karma, right?

Well, even in Eden, Yuri did avoid Ellie.

But Ellie said she liked it and followed her around every day.

There must have been some kind of relationship between them.

“Well, you two figure it out. Ellie.”

“Y-yes…”

“I’ve forgiven you now. So will you be the magical girls’ dress-up doll instead of me?”

“Huh…?”

“You and I have similar builds.”

“That’s… they don’t want to dress me up, so… I don’t think that will work.”

“Why wouldn’t it work…”

“Bine? Are you trying to slip away by yourself?”

Blanc looks at me and asks.

“W-well…? Shouldn’t I be fine?”

“Nope. Both you and Ellie come with me, hand in hand. Anyone want to watch? Or join in?”

Blanc asked everyone if they wanted to participate.

Of course, everyone raised their hands to indicate they wanted to join.

“W-wait a minute! If we’re doing this, we should dress up Arin too!”

“What…? I’m supposed to be doing the dressing up, not being dressed up.”

“Hmmmm… Listening to Ellie, that makes sense too. So, who wants to dress up Arin?”

Again, everyone raised their hands.

Except Arin.

“Alright, unanimous decision! Let’s start with Bine, shall we?”

“What…?”

“Come on, let’s go~ Let’s find pajamas for you to wear today before the day ends!”

Why again.

Why, why…?

Why is it always like this for me…!