Ch.216216. Sweet Dream of Reversal

“Ellie. Are you hot? Why are you drinking so much water…”

“…Who’s the one making it hot here.”

“I’m cold, you know.”

“Just give me more water…”

“Shouldn’t Yuri need water more than you, Ellie?”

I glanced over at Yuri.

“I-I’m fine…”

“…Ellie? If you did something to Yuri…”

“I didn’t really do anything to her.”

“…Huh, really?”

While wiping the bowl with the last piece of lettuce.

Chomp, in one bite.

With meat in it too, the texture is surprisingly nice.

In the morning, sometimes eating like this is better than having rice.

“Sigh… Just leave the empty dishes. I’ll wash them.”

“I’ll do that.”

“But I’m wearing the apron?”

“…Ah. You want to show it off?”

“That’s not what I… Hah. Whatever happens, happens. Everyone’s seen everything once already… Yes, that’s why I’m saying I’ll do it.”

“Really? That’s fine by me!”

Ellie excitedly dragged Yuri to the sofa and escaped.

For some reason, she seems to want to stay longer.

“No, I’m kidding. Just go upstairs and change your clothes quickly. I’ll take care of the dishes.”

“I can’t trust you people. You magical girls with zero life skills.”

“We can do some things, you know.”

“Wasn’t the reason you made me wear this outfit just so you could admire it?”

I decided to ignore that and just clear the dishes.

It’s not that many anyway. I can finish quickly.

I move the kitchen step stool to the sink and climb on it.

“…Are you going to watch?”

I turned around sharply as I spoke.

Just Blanc with a dumbfounded expression.

Why is that?

She’s the one who made me wear this barely-there outfit, so why is she embarrassed now?

Well, it doesn’t matter.

This body has already been seen all it can be seen, defiled all it can be defiled.

As long as Blanc is happy, that’s all that matters.

Still, just in case, I glanced back occasionally.

Blanc, whose cheeks were getting redder and redder, had disappeared at some point.

Hyewon was also just spacing out before she disappeared.

Well, maybe they had something urgent to do.

At least the vegetables hadn’t gone bad.

I make sure to buy only fresh vegetables.

Hmm… Maybe they drank something wrong.

Or perhaps they went upstairs first to change clothes.

When I finished washing the dishes, everyone was sitting on the sofa.

For some reason, they all looked excited.

They also looked a bit weak.

“What’s going on with everyone…?”

“Ah, th-that… Ellie…”

“Ellie?”

“H-hic…!? N-nothing happened…!”

“Well… Yeah, I kind of get that part. But what about Blanc and Hyewon? Why…? You seem to have changed your clothes…”

“Well…”

“Uh, umm…”

They’re being shy about something again and avoiding my eyes.

And from somewhere, there’s a citrus scent like lemon, and a scent I’ve been smelling and tasting a lot lately.

“…Blanc?”

“D-don’t look at me like that…”

“Hmm…”

I stare at her intently.

And observe.

For some reason, really for some reason I can’t understand.

Even though it’s slightly returned to normal now, there’s a weakly wrinkled appearance.

Moist places, like the mouth. Or other “mouths.”

That kind of phenomenon that appears when something stays in such places for a long time, even due to osmotic pressure.

Just in case, I also examined Hyewon’s hand.

Surprisingly, Hyewon’s hand looked fine.

Since Hyewon mainly uses her right hand, I looked at that one.

There were no such marks.

…What is this?

I really don’t understand about Hyewon. But Blanc…

“Sigh.”

“H-hey…!? Vine, w-what’s with that disappointed sigh…?”

“It’s quite vexing that you’re cheating on me with another girlfriend while I’m right here.”

“W-what are you saying…!? I-I only have you…?”

“Well, I’m glad you were thinking of me while doing it?”

As I spoke, I grabbed Blanc’s right hand.

And put the suspicious hand in my mouth.

Nom.

“H-hyak!?”

“Phew. Just as I thought.”

“W-wait, wait, wait, Vine…!?”

“Surprisingly, you have quite a lot of weaknesses too? Since I’m always the one being teased, you didn’t think you’d be on the receiving end?”

“W-what do you…?”

Her flustered appearance is quite cute.

So, I wanted to take it a step further.

I don’t really need to do this, but…

Maybe I just wanted to set the mood.

Maybe I felt it would be okay because it’s Blanc.

Or… revenge for yesterday?

I moved close to Blanc’s ear.

Blew a short breath.

And whispered quietly.

“Why didn’t you ask me if you were going to do that? Perhaps you couldn’t bring yourself to.”

Then, lowering my voice even more.

“You should have asked me. To fuck you.”

Well, it feels strange saying such things while wearing this barely-there outfit.

The reason Blanc did that was probably closer to “wanting to fuck” rather than “wanting to be fucked.”

But our relationship has already let go of reason and engaged in a lot of emotional exchanges.

I too wanted to let go of reason and do what I wanted.

In a voice only Blanc could hear.

Well, Blanc’s reaction was…

Delicious, truly.

Either she didn’t know I could talk like this.

Or she was completely speechless, not knowing how to respond.

Your reaction is cute, Blanc.

“Hehe. How adorable.”

“Ueh.”

I don’t know why Blanc is standing there with a stupid blank expression.

It must be because of what I just said, normally.

“Come on. If you keep spacing out, I might really do it?”

“H-hueh…”

“Blanc?”

“Eh…”

“Yunseul.”

“…U-um…?”

“That’s right. You’re finally back to your senses. Come on. Let’s get ready and go. We need to go to the Association, right?”

“…Y-yeah. But.”

“But?”

“…We have some time left.”

“Ah.”

Really.

I didn’t expect her to say that.

“…Hyewon.”

“U-um…?”

“What time do we need to be there?”

“W-well… U-um…”

“Blanc seems out of it, and you’re like this too? That’s not good.”

“U-um… Around 11? As long as we get there before then…”

“30 minutes to get there. Okay, I understand.”

It doesn’t take much time to get ready…

Ah.

We need to shower again.

I should consider that.

While I was thinking.

“…Like earlier, speak casually. A-and… call me by my name…”

Blanc whispered in my ear.

“How adorable. Truly.”

“U-um…”

In the end, I took Blanc’s hand and went into her room.

.

.

.

Fortunately, we weren’t late to the Association.

…I came to understand the pleasure of being the aggressor a bit more in detail.

So this is how it feels, Blanc.

…It feels like I’ve learned something I shouldn’t have.

* * *

“Vine, you look happy?”

“That could be said, but why suddenly…”

“No… Well, Yunseul looks happy, and you look happy too.”

From what I hear, Blanc has already talked to the Association Director.

When we’re openly holding hands in the Director’s office, there’s no way she wouldn’t have said anything.

No, to begin with, someone like the Director would have enough ability to know all about our relationship.

That’s how they would have secured the Director position.

They probably became the Director because they have a good eye for people and for relationships between people.

Perhaps, even if Blanc hadn’t told them…

“So, are you enjoying your love life? Yunseul?”

“Yes, of course.”

“I thought you would bring a more ordinary partner.”

“Well… an ordinary partner… isn’t Vine ordinary enough?”

“I’m not particularly against it. Vine is quite decent.”

“Is it a bit strange for a woman to date a woman…?”

“No, well… the reaction seems fine.”

Since the Director themselves acknowledge it.

Well, someone like the Director is almost like an honorary parent, right?

They’ve been taking care of Blanc since she was young. It must have been quite eventful in many ways.

Even from my perspective when I was in Eden, the Director was… well.

That kind of existence.

“Blanc?”

“Y-yes…?”

“So, what’s the purpose of your visit today?”

“Ah, well… tests and various things.”

When Blanc couldn’t continue, the Director stepped in.

“Magical girl aptitude test.”

“Pardon?”

“Well, even if you say you won’t do it, we have no way to force you. But why not try it once for fun? It’s a test related to your physical strength and combat, so it will be a good reference when you help Arin or other friends in the future.”

“Ah…?”

“Not just that… Well, it’s a win-win situation for you. Should I show you the costume?”

“Cut it out. Sigh… Magical girls again? Magical girls, magical girls… How do magical girls always manage to give me a headache?”

“While dating those magical ‘girls’.”

“So far it’s only two… Ah.”

“Hmm…”

Ah.

I made a mistake.

“…A person, no. A monster might have such things happen in life. I’m a monster, so these monstrous acts…”

“No, that’s not the issue…? I wasn’t trying to make an issue of that. They’re doing that to you because they like you, right?”

“…What?”

“Well, Hyewon looks at your photos behind your back, and so does Seohyun.”

“Director, you’re an old man with the vile hobby of looking through your subordinates’ phones…”

Hearing that, he waved his hands dismissively.

“That’s not it… Well, that’s the feeling I get. What would I feel for a girl young enough to be my daughter? My wife would kill me.”

“…Huh?”

“How should I put it. They all have the feeling of women in love. All of them? What I wanted to say was… only two?”

“…Three if you include Ellie.”

“You’re honest.”

“You would have found out one way or another.”

“I suppose… Make sure they don’t fight.”

“That’s for me to handle.”

“I’m saying this with a parental heart. It would break my heart to see the kids fighting.”

“My goodness, you worry too much. You really don’t need to worry. If they truly love me, they won’t fight.”

“Well… I don’t understand women’s hearts.”

“Oh, right. There was something else I wanted to talk about.”

“Hmm…? Without Yunseul?”

“Yes. Well… it seems like something I should only tell you, so I had no choice.”

“Well… I understand for now. Yunseul?”

“…Director, don’t try to seduce our Vine.”

“What nonsense. A child who looks younger than my daughter.”

“…You say that after sending such a child out on extermination missions?”

“That was then.”

With those final words, Blanc left the Director’s office.

Yes.

Now I need to talk.

About how to deal with the remaining forces.

About uprooting what’s left of the fallen ideal.