Ch.201201. Cheering Up

“It seems I’ve become a regular at this place.”

“That just means it’s delicious, you know.”

I put the food Blanc is feeding me into my mouth.

It really is delicious.

To be honest… I prefer cooking for myself to suit my own taste, but there are reasons for eating out too.

“Vine unnie! I’ll feed you too, say ahh!”

“Yes. Just a moment…”

I cover my mouth with my hand since I still have food inside.

Gulp.

Blanc had given me the largest piece, so I was taking small bites to avoid swallowing it all at once.

And now Arin is trying to feed me from the side.

“…Hehe.”

I can’t ignore the pizza she’s offering with her own hands.

Korean-style reinterpreted gorgonzola pizza.

The one that Italians would get angry about if you dipped it in honey.

Well… I can’t say I’ve never been to Europe.

Honestly, it wasn’t my jurisdiction. That area.

It was collected by another branch director of Eden.

Well, I heard that branch was completely annihilated.

Probably, all those organization members gathered by Baal.

Ah, Baal. I need to pay attention to that too.

First, I swallow the pizza Arin gave me.

“Here, water.”

Sluuurp…

If she even gives me water directly…

“Excuse me, aren’t you two eating…?”

“No, we are eating. We just think it’s cute and nice watching you eat.”

“Yes, that’s why I’m doing it too.”

“…Both of you, eat.”

When I lowered my voice and spoke seriously,

Only then did they put in their mouths the food they were about to give me.

“Haah… I really appreciate you taking care of me. Truly. But… couldn’t you at least take care of yourselves first? I worry about you.”

“Vine worries too much about unnecessary things.”

Ellie said from across me while being fed by Yuri.

Pointing with her finger at what she wanted to eat next.

“They’ll eat on their own anyway, you know? Ah. Put that in your mouth.”

Ellie grabbed Yuri’s arm and shoved the asparagus that came grilled with the steak into her mouth.

“Hii, hiik!? A-asparagus, I hate iit…”

“You were trying to feed that to me?”

“B-but it’s good for your hea…lth…”

“Right. It’ll be good for your health too, so open your mouth.”

“Auugh…”

At Ellie’s command to open her mouth, she obediently opened it and struggled to eat.

“Pleease…”

“Chew.”

“Ugh… it tastes, terriblee…”

Is it so bad that tears are forming in her eyes?

No, if she doesn’t like it, she could just say so. But why…

Really, she’s acting in ways I can’t understand these days.

Well, if this is the new normal, then I guess it’s normal.

“But Ellie, why is your hair…?”

“You’re asking why I’m in disguise?”

“A regular person among magical girls…”

“Well, I’m a researcher for the association, so I have a reason to be friendly with magical girls.”

“But I’m a villain…”

“Yes. And I’m livestock.”

“What does that mean…?”

“Well, that’s the setting. Do you know how hard it’s been for me? Being dragged out from morning and going around everywhere…”

“Eh…?”

“So, I’m going to make you pay me back later. You.”

“Ellie…”

She’s angry.

But it seems like she’s angry for a different reason.

It seems like… she’s noticed everything.

“…So, how was it?”

“How was what, Hyewon?”

“Vine.”

“…It was delicious.”

“…Haah. This is troubling.”

“Why?”

“How could you, on the first day… Haah. I don’t know. Let’s just think about it again when the time comes.”

“…Oh right. I need to buy a mattress.”

“How long has it been since you changed your bed… Oh.”

Hyewon stares at me.

“…Why are you staring at me like that, Hyewon?”

“…I wonder if they have that at the furniture store?”

“I was planning to go look at that anyway. The mattress can be installed the same day, right?”

“Even if not, we can take it with us since we came in a big car.”

“W-wait a minute. Hyewon and Blanc. What are you two talking about, or rather, what subject are you discussing?”

“…Preparations for the past, present, and future?”

Hyewon evaded with an ambiguous answer.

Within that metaphor…

“Haah… really…! Please don’t talk about such subjects… this is a public place…”

“What are you saying, Vine? We’re just talking about a normal broken bed.”

“That’s right. Vine, why are you acting like Hyewon said something strange?”

“…Haah, even Blanc.”

“Hehe. Sorry, sorry. But… there’s no harm in being prepared.”

“It is my fate, but aren’t you being too much?”

When I sighed and spoke,

“Yes, yes. Sorry, sorry.”

Blanc’s head pat descended upon me.

Haah…

A head pat from Blanc.

Well… it’s not like it’s an insult received during battle, and it’s a loving pat so I’m happy…

But it’s still dizzying all the same.

“Such conversations… please at least have them inside, when Arin isn’t around. I’m not saying don’t have them at all, or don’t speak directly… just… normally.”

“Arin… indeed shouldn’t hear these things. Yes. Arin, I’m sorry.”

“…I’ve lost another first time, now that I think about it. Why can’t I be the first? Is it because I was born too late? Is that what’s wrong? I wanted to live in the same era as Vine unnie. I’m at the point of resenting myself for not being born earlier. No…”

It seems Arin understood what we were talking about.

“This… can’t be helped. I want Arin to have a wholesome school life… and I hope you won’t get hurt while working as a magical girl.”

“Vine unnie’s first… mmph!?”

Was Arin so depressed that she blurted out the word “first” loudly?

I panicked and covered Arin’s mouth.

“A-Arin…! Y-you shouldn’t say such things here…!”

“Pfuu… Y-yes… B-but… since all of Vine unnie’s… those things have been taken away… I’m just a pitiful soul who has to pick up what’s left…”

“…You took my first kiss, if I recall.”

“Y-yes…?”

“The kiss on the cheek. That was the first one I ever received. From a lover, that is.”

“B-but… on the lips…”

“Even if my lips already have Blanc as their owner, there are still plenty of things I haven’t experienced. If I were to debut as a magical girl right now, doing it together with Arin would be my first time. And… going to the sea together would also be a first. There are many firsts left in this world. There will be as many memories to build as there is life.”

“…Unnie.”

“I can’t promise I can give all of that to Arin. I have… six bodies to take care of… or maybe not, but… anyway… I’m sorry for saying such irresponsible things…”

“How could unnie be irresponsible…! If anything, I’m the one being unreasonable…”

“It’s not unreasonable. Yes… Arin is too good for me.”

“…At this rate, there will be no end to this. Right, unnie?”

“Yes. I agree.”

“Since I couldn’t take your first… Then I’ll take another of unnie’s firsts. No, I’ll do something more precious than a first with you. Please let me leave my name in your mind.”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure you can do that.”

“Hehe.”

Seeing Arin’s innocent smile makes me smile too.

“…Well, since I’m the first, I’ll let this slide. Arin was cute just now…”

“Blanc, what did you just say…?”

“I said the food’s getting cold. Let’s eat quickly.”

Blanc forcibly put a few more pieces of steak into my mouth.

Ugh, just meat is too rich.

Asparagus…

Give me tomatoes at least… I don’t like eating only meat…

* * *

“So, to cheer up Arin who figured it out?”

“Right. That’s why everyone came out at once. Well… I also didn’t want to interfere. So we had various conversations.”

“Ellie… what are you saying?”

“We agreed not to interfere with the first time.”

“Ellie.”

“It’s your fault. Deal with it. You’re the one who made us have this conversation.”

“…What does that mean?”

“It’s because you’re too virtuous. Anyway… today we came out partly to cheer up Arin. So stay close to her.”

“Okay.”

I link arms with Arin who was walking ahead.

“U-uweh…?”

“…This is the first time I’ve taken the initiative to link arms with Arin.”

Overcoming my embarrassment.

Honestly…

It’s embarrassing for me to walk like this.

But… if it can make Arin feel better, I can do it anytime.

“R-r-really…?”

“Yes. Would I lie to Arin about something like this? So, where were you planning to go?”

“Ah… I was going to look at clothes for Vine unnie with Yunseul unnie. Especially night…”

“W-wait a minute…! Arin, w-what do you mean by night…?”

“For now, that’s what it is. It’s true that we don’t know for sure. And we were going to look around floor by floor… then go back. Of course, we also needed to check the furniture section…”

“Blanc…!”

“I think it’s necessary. At least there should be a few sets of underwear in each room.”

“W-what are you saying… Why would my underwear be in everyone’s rooms…?”

“Listen to me. You’ve never gone wrong listening to me.”

“I haven’t listened to you much… Haah.”

“Yes, yes. Let’s go for now.”

Somehow those two seem the most excited.

The people following behind…

Hyewon and Seohyun also seem excited.

No, Seohyun looks like she has no thoughts.

Ellie is excited.

Well… the department store is spacious… so time should pass quickly…

And so, at the place I was dragged to while holding Arin’s arm…

I ended up buying 7 sets each, a total of 42 sets of underwear.

Well… on the way, Yuri and Ellie did separate for a while, saying they were stopping by the women’s fashion floor.

Somehow… it worked out well, and Yuri’s hands were full of something.

When I asked Yuri what it was, Ellie answered that it was underwear.

…Could these two be…? I thought, but…

Well, that’s their private life.

It’s enough to know that my shopping wasn’t finished by the time they came up.

Haah…

I ended up with my hands full again.

Again.