Ch.202202. Department Store Outing

“I did bring everything, but…”

“It doesn’t make sense to bring a bed too, Blanc.”

“What can I do… We’ll need to sleep somewhere, right?”

“Haah…”

“Let’s go look at waterproof covers first.”

“Is that really the priority… Haah. Let’s postpone bringing the bed for now. Blanc can sleep in my room tonight.”

“Huh…?”

“…Since I’m the one who caused this unfortunate accident. Shouldn’t I take responsibility…?”

I said with a sigh.

“W-wait a minute…? Does this mean my plans are ruined again…?”

Arin, who had her arm linked with mine, asks me in a gloomy voice.

“Arin, what plans are you talking abou— Oh. Don’t tell me.”

“…I was planning to sleep with unnie on Sunday… but Blanc unnie has already taken Saturday…”

“…Later, when you have time, ask Blanc if you can get that concession back. Blanc. Let’s remember this, shall we?”

“…It’s the first time, so don’t worry. It’s not like I’m refusing to give it to you.”

“I should be the first.”

“My, Arin. You haven’t even won yet, have you?”

“Even so! I’m declaring it in advance from now on! It might not be yet, but still! Ugh…! Yunseul unnie, I didn’t think you were like this! You were really my idol, and now you’re doing this?”

“Well… I’m a woman too. If I have someone I love, I can share but I can’t let them be taken away.”

…I think something has already gone terribly wrong with the idea that she can “share,” but…

If this is what they consider normal… well.

They’ve already agreed to it, and I, the person involved… have somehow accepted it.

As long as they’re happy, right? Since I’m responsible for “them.” Even if it doesn’t matter to me…

“No matter how I think about it, I still don’t understand this talk of sharing…”

“Hm? So you’re planning to reject everyone else including me except for unnie?”

“N-no… that’s not what I… um…”

“See? That’s why we’re sharing you, Bine. Well. I’m generous.”

“…You’ve been strangely arrogant lately.”

“I’m allowed this much. Right, Hyewon?”

“…Why are you asking me?”

“Well… because the only ones left are you, Seohyun, and Yuri unnie.”

“That’s almost half… and nothing’s been decided yet…”

“Oh, really? Well… I’ll understand. If it’s later… wait, if the youngest joins, would she have to call Arin ‘unnie’?”

“What are you talking about…?”

“Well… if someone joins after we’re married, there might really be a hierarchy? We don’t know yet… but if we’re all dating, we might all get married at the same time? Maybe not between wives, but for concubines…”

“What are you saying! Blanc, really…! How far into the future are you looking?”

“…Who would have the baby?”

“Blanc!”

Baby…?

What is she talking about? I’m dumbfounded…

“I’m just thinking ahead. Honestly, I don’t know yet… and I don’t know how to go about it. But if we get married, I’d naturally want to see a child.”

“We’re not even married yet…”

“Hm? You’re not going to?”

“…No, we’ve just started dating… I mean, I just heard your confession…”

Even though there aren’t many people watching, this is still a public place.

…

We’ve already done plenty of noticeable things, but…

Still…

Shouldn’t we be hiding our relationship for now…?

“Hm? It’s only been a day, so what’s all this talk about marriage…? What’s wrong with that?”

“No, w-wait a minute… Are we allowed to talk about this so openly…? I’m a villain and you’re a magical girl…? And quite famous, right…?”

“Yes. So?”

“…And this is a department store with lots of foot traffic. Places like this have many listening ears…? No, wait. It’s not just about avoiding saying those, um… things… Shouldn’t we avoid this kind of talk altogether…? Wait, won’t this damage your reputation…? No, not just yours, but everyone’s reputation here?”

There are many magical girls beside Blanc.

If people were to think back on what Blanc has been saying…

“Um… There’s nothing good about revealing that everyone loves me…?”

“What’s the problem? Didn’t everyone prepare for this?”

“E-even so, it’s not something to openly announce like this…”

“It’s fine because we’re all proceeding with as much preparation as you have. And… well, various exposures are actually welcome from our side. If it spreads widely that you, Bine, have fallen in love with us magical girls and are walking the path of rehabilitation without doing bad things… wouldn’t you be able to live a more comfortable life? To the point where we wouldn’t need to escort you like this.”

“…I never needed an escort in the first place. A-and I haven’t rehabilitated yet…!”

“Oh really? Then I guess I’ll have to drain some of Bine’s ‘bad water’ until you rehabilitate?”

Blanc threatens me while making a gesture with her hand, like a pervert.

Yes, the kind of creepy touch people talk about.

Or more accurately, like yesterday and today’s…

“B-Blanc! What kind of strange gesture are you making in public!”

Finally, I unlinked from Arin’s arm and swatted Blanc’s hand away to hide it.

“Really…! Arin is watching! And this is a public place!”

“Pfft… Sorry. I don’t know how to stop myself when I go wild without Bine beside me.”

“…Haah. You’re something else.”

As we talked, we arrived at the furniture floor.

As expected of a department store, it was full of expensive-looking bedding.

Blanc seemed familiar with it and led us into a famous brand store.

“Unnie, I’m here.”

“Huh…? Oh, magical girl…! Are you Ms. Yunseul?”

“Yes. You remember me.”

“Of course! Thanks to you, I met my sales target. I’m so grateful…”

“Well, you gave me a good price.”

“But… what brings you here? Are all these… magical girls too?”

“No. This one’s a villain. But it’s safe, don’t worry.”

“Y-yes…? A villain… Oh, that Bine…?”

“Yes. See this seal? She’s probably weaker than you right now.”

I wonder why she’s introducing me to the employee.

I was linking arms with Arin, but…

When attention is diverted to me like this, it’s a bit…

And as soon as that thought crossed my mind, another thought invaded my head.

What if…

What if this gets captured and spread on the internet…?

Me linking arms with Arin…?

Me, as a villain…?

Was it right for me to take the initiative and link arms with Arin…?

As I thought this and tried to pull my hand away.

“…Arin?”

“I don’t want that.”

Well.

I ended up staying like this.

How should I put this?

I want to push Arin away because I don’t want her to be harmed.

But Arin doesn’t want me to pull my arm away.

Haah…

…It’s probably all been captured already…?

Right.

“…I won’t pull away.”

“Good decision.”

Yes.

Even if the store employee over there is looking at me… I’ll just have to accept it.

…But what does it mean that Blanc is looking for a bed larger than king size…?

Family size…?

Custom-made…?

What are you planning, Blanc…?

When I asked, she just smiled.

And why did she buy so many sheet covers…?

How many did she buy…?

* * *

“Why are you buying this pad? It’s not like you’re raising a pet.”

“I am raising a pet. One that leaks water.”

“…What?”

“Anyway. I’m buying it because I need it. Did you finish grocery shopping?”

“Yes… Well. It seems like I mostly picked things Arin doesn’t want to eat… so I came over here.”

“Then put this in the cart too.”

“…Are you planning to raise a dog?”

“I told you, I have a use for it.”

* * *

We finished shopping and returned home.

I’m so relieved we avoided the worst-case scenario of ‘loading the bed into the car and flying back home with the rest of the stuff.’

And… just in case, I checked the internet.

“Oh? Bine, you look at sites like that?”

“Please don’t talk to me like I’m looking at some weird site…?”

“Sniff sniff… Hmm…? There’s a strange smell.”

Arin seems to have noticed something.

And that something is probably… traces from this morning.

I quickly opened all the windows wide to start ventilating.

And turned the air purifier to its highest setting.

“Ah…? Bine unnie…?”

“We need some ventilation. And we should start making dinner soon.”

“Ah…”

…Judging by Hyewon and Seohyun’s silent red ears, everyone except Arin seems to understand.

Please don’t look at us with those eyes…

Haah.

This is all Blanc’s fault.

“Haah… really. Thinking about today, I was linking arms with Arin among all the magical girls without permission. And then there’s all the things Blanc said. I’m worried it might have affected your reputations…”

As I made excuses, I opened the internet browser.

“Huh…?”

There should be tons of people cursing me…

“…’Bine and Iris look cute. They seem like a good couple?’ Are these people sane? Wait, below this…”

[Did Blanc get dumped? Did Bine reject her?]

ㄴ What are you talking about, Blanc is the legal wife

ㄴ Whatever you do, polar bear, you’re dead, so wake up from your dream and live happily with the brown bear in a warm southern country

ㄴ Polar bear crying in episode XX…

[All the magical girls showed up?]

ㄴ Sad for those who missed it, downvote

ㄴ Did you just say down’vote’?

ㄴ What

“Why on earth are the reactions so positive…?”

Blanc stroked my head from behind the sofa and said.

“Well… people don’t know about your transgressions. The Association has taken great care to prevent leaks, plus there’s the public relations work. You still have the image of a pitiful villain who nearly died after falling into a lake because of a madman.”

“…What?”

“Well, you’ve probably been forgotten to some extent. Quite some time has passed. Such volatile, sensational news tends to get buried under other sensational news. And people don’t really care much about things that don’t directly affect them, right?”

“E-even so…”

“It’s fine, I tell you.”

Blanc’s stroking seemed confident.

As if trying to slowly reassure me.

She gently caressed my hair.