Ch.178178. Let’s Change Clothes and Eat

Do you know the feeling of having to try on clothes until the sun completely sets?

Do you know how desperate it feels when there’s a window behind you, and you realize in real-time that the sun is setting?

Do you know the feeling of being forced to try on several more outfits even after pleading for mercy with Arin and Elly, citing dinner time, only to be told that chicken and pizza have already been ordered?

That annoyance and unimaginable exhaustion…

Moreover, they make us try on couple outfits to see how the three of us match, and they keep making us change in and out of clothes to see if they suit themselves too.

Who would have thought it would take hours just to choose pajamas?

And when I think about the clothes they picked for outdoor wear…

On top of that, Arin got to escape because she already had her own clothes, so she became one of the people dressing us up.

The amount of clothes per person increased, and I could feel the cycle speeding up.

When there were three of us, at least we each took turns changing, so there was some break time in between.

Now there are more people holding clothes, but without any breaks in between—immediately selected, photographed, touched…

In the end, after trying on dozens of outfits, everyone returned with arms full of clothes.

When I asked where they got all these clothes, Blanc just smiled and said she bought them from somewhere.

I think I need to find Blanc’s hidden dressing room in the Association later.

With this amount…

It’s definitely just one room, and it’s Blanc’s room at that.

All those clothes in my size…?

Clothes that would fit Arin or Elly, who are similar in size to me…

When I asked when she bought them, she said that since Elly didn’t have clothes when she started staying at the Association, she collected them one by one.

And then she bought a whole bunch at once.

Whew…

Should I say it’s really too hard to adjust to this completely different lifestyle?

I should feel happy about wearing new clothes, but I only feel tired.

After changing into pajamas, I moved to a slightly larger room.

The feeling of everyone walking around the Association in pajamas is a bit strange.

It’s hard to think of it as normal for five magical girls and two villains to be walking around in pajamas in the Association building, which is empty except for people working overtime or on duty.

The feeling is like being at a retreat.

Especially since we properly finished our business in Eden. Even more so.

Actually, I like this atmosphere because it keeps me from thinking about other things.

Should I say it’s good?

Being preoccupied with changing clothes and feeling that exhaustion makes other distracting thoughts disappear.

Well, what’s good is good.

I should enjoy these moments while I can.

The room we moved to for eating chicken was like an office but also had a space like a regular break room where we could relax.

Surprisingly, the Association’s welfare benefits are quite good, so there’s strong competition, and many people come for interviews.

But considering how many people get cut, it might not be such a great workplace after all.

Since they need various talents in many ways, they had no choice but to improve welfare benefits.

“With a place like this, couldn’t we just sleep here…?”

“Well… we could, but they give you a studio apartment or dormitory where you can actually live permanently, right? That’s a bit better. I should talk to the Association President about this for the future.”

“Is there really a need to mention it…?”

“Just in case. I should ask for a room that can accommodate more people. If something happens like now where many people need to stay at the Association, we can’t handle it.”

“But this is temporary…”

“Still. Here… chicken. This is pizza. This is regular cola, and that’s zero cola.”

“Wow…”

When I opened the chicken box, there were no chicken bodies, just legs and wings.

It seems like there’s one chicken’s worth of each flavor.

“I ordered seven chickens so we wouldn’t run short. Everyone eats a lot anyway, right?”

“Wow… Unnie, you’re rich… Ah, you are rich…”

“Yes. Eat without worrying. Oh, wait a moment.”

Blanc took Elly into what looked like a pantry from the break room and brought back vinyl gloves and ice cups.

“Here… those who want ice can use these, and there’s also cider in the refrigerator.”

“Ah… aren’t those not ours…?”

“It’s fine. The Association President fills those up anyway. There’s plenty, so eat a lot. Actually, you have to eat it all or it will expire.”

“Ah…”

In an instant, seven chickens were placed in the center, and a pizza in front of each person.

It’s truly a lavish feast worthy of celebration.

“Well… it might be a bit strange to celebrate with delivery food like this. But we should do what we need to do, right?”

“This is more than enough…”

“That’s right, unnie. Wow… I’m actually worried we won’t be able to finish it all…”

“Not finish it? Arin, isn’t this bulgogi pizza your favorite? Plus the rice cakes in the chicken over there.”

“Y-yes, that’s true… but will Hyewon unnie be okay…? You said you were on a diet…”

“It’s fine to eat like this for one day. And I can drink zero cola. We moved around a lot today.”

Hyewon answered Arin as she opened the zero cola bottle and filled her cup.

Next to Hyewon, Elly was pouting.

“Hyewon, you’re acting like you did something when you didn’t? When we were fighting the boss, you were in the back…”

“Hey. What do you mean I didn’t do anything… Even though the four of us went and Yunseul did most of the work, I still contributed somewhat?”

Sharp-tongued Elly got a light knock on her head and let out an “Ouch.”

Well, that’s just Elly’s personality issue.

It seems the magical girls are somewhat aware of that too.

“Hehe… but… don’t you have beer or highballs…?”

“Alcohol, unnie?”

Yuri, who was already sleepy and clinging to Elly, asked for alcohol.

“Ah… there’s none in the pantry. Actually, shouldn’t there not be any?”

“That’s obvious, Blanc. Why is Yuri looking for alcohol at work?”

“Because… painful memories are coming back, you know… *sob* I need alcohol to forget these memories…”

Elly gave Blanc an urgent look, asking if there was any alcohol.

But having spent a lot of time with Yuri in this state…

Elly, who knows a lot about Yuri but doesn’t know much about her in this state, heard Blanc’s next words.

“Unnie. It’s not good to pretend to be depressed like that to trick us. Especially with a child like that next to you.”

“Tch… I thought I could get away with it this time…”

“Y-Yunseul…? C-can’t we just give her some…?”

“Elly. She’s just joking.”

Seeing Elly trembling excessively, Yuri hugged her even tighter.

“That’s right… Hehehe… How could someone so fragile have done that to unnie back then…?”

“T-that’s…”

“Well… now that my heart is a bit more at ease, we can talk about it slowly…”

“T-that… that…”

“Yes… you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to… This unnie… is okay with that…”

Seriously.

What are they doing?

Both Elly and Yuri.

“Excuse me, you two. The pizza will get cold…”

“Ah, Bine!”

“A-and… if it’s about what happened in Eden, I think I bear some responsibility too. Since I was Elly’s direct superior… I’ll take responsibility. For now, could you let her go…?”

“Hmm… being held like this… that’s a completely different story? This is because both Bine and Elly like being like this.”

“W-what?!”

“U-um… Yuri, what do you mean by that…”

“Hmm? Elly is cute, isn’t she? Right now is when she’s cutest and safest, and reassuring… right? Because it’s reassuring when I hold you?”

“But you can’t eat like that…”

“Oh, oh. This unnie will take care of all that.”

“Sigh…”

Still, Yuri loosened her grip on Elly a bit.

Whether she really likes her or not, she’s feeding Elly with an “Aah-“

And Elly naturally accepts it, then suddenly gets flustered and doesn’t know what to do.

Hmm…

I don’t know what kind of relationship they had.

But if there was something between them, maybe I should take responsibility instead.

After all, I was the one who took her to Eden and corrupted her.

“Unnie? Why aren’t you eating?”

“Ah, Arin.”

“This pizza is really delicious. It’s my favorite brand. Here, try it. Aah-“

“Aah…?”

Chomp.

Hmm?!

It’s delicious…!

Is this bulgogi pizza…?

It’s not the basic combination, but a sweetness and another sweetness hitting all at once, along with the perfect saltiness of soy sauce flavor…!

“Bine, do you have a kid’s palate?”

“*Gulp*… Pfft. What? Seohyun, what are you saying…? I eat anything well…”

“Your eyes were literally sparkling.”

“What…?”

“There’s plenty here, unnie. Eat it all.”

“No, that’s your share, Arin…?”

“There’s no ‘mine’ or ‘yours’ here.”

Hyewon said that while taking the combination pizza that was in front of me.

“By the way, how was it, unnie? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Blanc said we’ll have a proper examination tomorrow. Oh, Blanc! That’s right. Where’s the collar?”

“In the drawer in your room.”

“I see… Please bring it to me later.”

“Sure. Is it uncomfortable?”

“Please increase the magic power a little more.”

“Hmm… let’s do a detailed examination of your tail first. You’re not trying to use that, are you?”

“Well… I’m of no use now, aren’t I?”

“No. You agreed to help Arin, remember?”

“Ah… you mean the magical girl chick?”

“Yes, our cute little chick Arin.”

“Unnie!”

“Ah… if that’s the case.”

Chomp…

Delicious.

This evening grows more pleasant with pizza and chicken.