Ch.183IF Side Story: Galactic Love (8)

After dealing with another Kaijin, I noticed the room felt humid.

Well, not unpleasantly humid. It’s not really the dry season yet anyway. A bit of moisture in the air might actually be better.

I tried to find the source of the humidity and traced it to the kitchen we weren’t using. It seemed like steam was leaking through the door that wasn’t closing properly.

As I tilted my head and walked over—

“Jieun!”

Pang Pang waved at me.

There was a large red basin there.

It wasn’t sized for normal use… more like those huge basins my grandmother used to use for kimchi-making. Pang Pang had found it somewhere and dragged it here.

Even James had gone with me to hunt Kaijin. That basin couldn’t have been light to carry.

We’d been feeling a bit weak lately. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much the two of us could do. We were still rationing food, so things weren’t at their worst, but the unbalanced nutrition wasn’t good for two teenagers like us.

But soon, it would be time.

We’ll execute the plan soon. We’ve made weapons, and people have taken notice of how we fight.

Above all, Hayun and the Magical Girls were completely focused on me.

Well, I’m not sure if that’s good or bad, but honestly, it doesn’t matter anymore.

…or at least it shouldn’t matter.

“Let’s soak in warm water and recover from fatigue,” Pang Pang said.

It seemed Pang Pang had been preparing this the whole time I was out. Despite having little strength, she must have searched empty houses alone, found something useful, fetched water…

And even cleaned a large pot to boil water in.

At this point, I couldn’t even be upset about how far she’d gone. I felt like gratitude wasn’t enough, and all I had left was guilt.

“…But there’s not much water. To be honest… I got a bit tired of carrying it halfway through.”

No, she must have been exhausted.

I raised my hand and scratched my head.

“…So, can we bathe together?” Pang Pang asked quietly.

With that expression, in this situation.

How could I possibly say no?

Incredibly embarrassed, I just shrugged my shoulders.

*

This is a bit of a confession.

While living with Pang Pang, I’ve caught glimpses of her body. It was unavoidable.

Maybe because I’m a woman, Pang Pang had no reservations about changing clothes in front of me. After doing physical work and coming home sweaty, changing clothes or washing up was natural, and Pang Pang would just start undressing as soon as she got home.

I never saw her front clearly.

But I did see her back. Fitting for someone who did physical labor, her muscles were well-developed throughout her body. She seemed to take care of herself.

And today, I caught another glimpse.

How long has it been since she came outside with me? Her back seemed to have lost some weight. Of course, I didn’t get a proper look either time, so I couldn’t be certain.

Was it just my imagination?

I hoped so.

Pang Pang and I got into the bath together.

Even someone as easygoing as Pang Pang seemed embarrassed about sharing a bath with me, so she sat with her back toward me. I also turned my back to her and stared blankly ahead.

“…”

Mountain nights aren’t as quiet as you might think. The trees rustle with every breeze, and the sound of wind weaving through them can be eerie.

But right now, I had no time to be scared of such things.

“…Phew.”

I let out a small sigh.

Maybe it was because I was warming my body in hot water after so long, but I felt a deep relaxation spreading from deep within.

With my eyes half-closed and mind blank,

“…Pang Pang.”

I called her name.

“Yeah?”

Pang Pang answered.

As I shifted my position slightly, the water splashed.

“…Why are you doing all this for me?”

“All this? What do you mean?”

Pang Pang fell silent for a moment before speaking again.

“Haven’t we had this conversation before?”

Had we? My mind wasn’t working well. I had just returned from an intense battle, and now my body was relaxing in hot water, making my brain feel like it was melting.

“…But the situation is very different now from when we had that talk.”

“…”

At my words, Pang Pang hesitated, which was rare for her.

“Just saying ‘because we’re friends’ isn’t enough, is it?”

Because we’re friends.

Is that not enough? I wasn’t sure anymore.

In my past life, I thought I had friends I could risk my life for.

That is, when I was young and naive. I believed in the kind of friendship you only see in boys’ manga.

But as I slowly grew older, I realized it was different.

In the end, what mattered most was me and my family. It was the same for my friends. No matter how close we were or how happy we were to see each other, as time passed and we started working or studying, it became difficult to meet.

Distance makes hearts grow apart, and although we were still happy to see each other when we met again, the children who had become adults were no longer willing to risk their lives for each other.

Would such friends have helped me this much?

Or was it because Pang Pang was just this age?

I thought about Hayun. I thought about Jihye.

I hadn’t met Jihye yet, and Hayun always looked pained whenever she saw me. So honestly, I still wasn’t sure how those two felt about me.

But at least Pang Pang, who had been with me since I ran away, was different.

Pang Pang… from then until now, she’s just been helping me continuously.

Is that possible just because we’re friends?

Is it possible to follow someone, abandoning your carefully built nest and everything you’ve worked for, just because you’re friends?

There’s a saying that you shouldn’t even cosign a loan for a friend, but Pang Pang had gone through worse than that because of me.

What if she secretly hated me deep down and was just following me to survive—

—No, that thought was too extreme.

“…”

After thinking for a moment, Pang Pang spoke.

“To be honest, when I think about losing everything I’ve built up until now, it is a bit… sad.”

My heart sank at those words.

Even if I thought I’d steeled myself, hearing it said aloud was different.

“But when I weighed everything on a scale, I realized there was one thing I’d regret forever if I gave up.”

“…”

I quietly waited for her answer.

“Toys can be bought again. Same with posters. And computers. I mostly streamed music and movies, so as long as I have my account, I can watch them again once I settle down.”

The water splashed on Pang Pang’s side.

Maybe she had turned slightly toward me.

I couldn’t tell if I felt her gaze or not.

But somehow, I felt embarrassed, as if my inner thoughts had been exposed. Perhaps it was because I hadn’t collected my hazy thoughts.

“But… I felt like if I lost you as a friend, I could never find someone like you again.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Feeling embarrassed for no reason,

“Because I’m a Magical Girl?”

I asked, even though I knew that wasn’t what she meant.

Pang Pang laughed softly.

“Well, that’s definitely part of it.”

As if she had already read my mind, Pang Pang answered cheerfully.

“But— that’s not all. I told you before. When I came to this world and was struggling alone, having you by my side was what gave me the most strength.”

She had said that before.

“…Even though they say it’s not addictive, there was a reason I drank coffee almost every day. Yes, even though I ran away, it was lonely. Having no friends. Just having to live like that. The future seemed bleak. So I tried to forget.”

“…Isn’t it actually addictive? That sounds like a typical alcoholic’s excuse.”

“But it felt good drinking it with a friend.”

I didn’t push the issue further.

I didn’t want to ruin the mood.

“And you even took drunk people home. So, yeah. Maybe that’s why I could drink so carelessly when I was with you.”

“…”

“So, this is also something precious I gained after coming to Earth. This relationship. I didn’t want to give it up.”

“Even if it means taking this risk?”

“Even if it means taking this risk. Maybe this is just another adventure?”

“…”

That last comment was so typical of Pang Pang.