Ch.226226. Graffiti

“So why did you suddenly grab my hand?”

“…Because you kept holding it and then let go. I just grabbed it.”

“Hmm…”

Even as she says this, she still doesn’t let go of my hand, as expected.

When I grabbed her hand earlier, she flinched in surprise.

Then she held it tight and hasn’t let go since.

“Looks like you’re happy to have finally caught the fish you’ve been waiting for.”

“I was afraid the fish might be too full from eating other bait to take mine. Fortunately, it seems like it did.”

“Everything tastes different, after all.”

“What a greedy fish.”

“Yet you keep scattering bait, don’t you?”

“True.”

She squeezes my hand as if she’ll never let go.

Yes.

I’ve been caught by the hook hidden in the bait.

Without even realizing when it happened.

“We’re here.”

Our destination is a street so crowded it proves its nickname as the “Street of Youth” is no lie.

To think she’d bring me to such a crowded place.

“Hey.”

“There’s a saying: to hide, hide in the forest.”

“Wouldn’t two palm trees stand out terribly in a pine forest?”

“If the pine trees are dense enough, people might miss them.”

“Ha.”

Hyewon pulls me along here and there.

Just like an ordinary couple out on a date.

We stop at a small accessory shop, and she says things like “Isn’t this cute?” and “That’s super cute.”

She puts things on my head and takes pictures with little clicks.

Not to be outdone, I give her things that suit her.

I deliberately handed her cute little trinkets, and though she said they didn’t match her, she still held onto them tightly, which was quite adorable.

“Let’s go with that one.”

“This?”

“It looks similar to you.”

Hyewon hugs a cute yellow teddy bear.

It’s the plush I gave her to hold, and it really is cute.

“Then you should get that one too.”

“What?”

I was holding a black cat plush in my hand.

Of course, Hyewon had placed it in my hands…

“I can’t be the only one with a plush, right?”

“No… that’s not…”

“I’ll buy it for you.”

“I can’t buy you a plush in return.”

“Since you picked it out, I’ll consider it a gift from you, okay?”

“…Honestly.”

The way laughter slips between her words.

I can feel that she likes me.

…I wonder if that’s okay, to this extent.

Just until last year.

No, even before that. If I think about when I first started living with her…

Almost every encounter felt like walking through a field of thorns.

Even after I immediately went to Hyein that day, it wasn’t easy for the relationship between Hyewon and me to improve right away.

She had hated me and tried to kill me until now—even a passing dog would bark in agreement that it doesn’t make sense for her to suddenly like me just because that issue disappeared.

“Isn’t it strange?”

“What is?”

“That you could make me like this.”

“Hmm… I think it’s even stranger that you made me like this.”

“Me?”

“Well… truly. I never thought I’d become this kind of person. Especially toward you.”

“Well… I thought the same.”

“I’m sorry. For everything until now.”

“…What?”

“Why. Even after your sister forgave me, I kept saying to myself that I’d forgiven you and all that. But deep down, I still felt conflicted. The more I grew to like you, the more I saw you getting along with others. In my heart, I knew I shouldn’t feel this way, or rather, it should be fine now. I had that kind of inner conflict.”

“That’s only natural, isn’t it?”

“I didn’t expect you to just say it’s natural.”

“Well… it’s not like I thought everything was over just because I received that forgiveness right then and there. I haven’t forgotten the memories I spent with you, but I was still cautious nonetheless.”

“Well… when you put it that way, where does that leave me now?”

“You knew all that when you said it, come on.”

“Then…”

We look into each other’s eyes, as if we both understand.

“Are you going to do it here?”

“No.”

“Why not? Ah, quite a crowd has gathered.”

As we talked, staying in one place for a while, quite a few people had gathered around.

If she were to confess to me here, Hyewon’s reputation would plummet.

Not just because I’m a villain, but, um…

Maybe my body type is a big issue.

This small stature of mine.

Really, even among adult women, there aren’t many as short and small as me.

From society’s perspective, it would definitely…

Yes.

It would certainly be bad for Hyewon.

“It’s not about the crowd. Confessing in a store like this just isn’t cool.”

“Do you want something cool?”

“I told you I’d protect you.”

Looking at her like this, she really seems like a man trying to protect me reliably.

Well, I might be the man in this relationship.

I can’t say I have all my memories, but I’m the one with more experience.

…Though I’ll temporarily forget that my experience is only with women.

Even with that gallant appearance, she’s still cute.

“Then, will you rescue me from this crowd?”

“Nothing I can’t do.”

Like most shops in the Street of Youth, it’s a place where people gather.

We had to get past the people who had gathered to see us, go to the counter, and then head outside.

Since we’re indoors, there’s a ceiling.

“Bine.”

“Yes? Hyewon?”

“Remember what you once said to me?”

“…What would that be? Crybaby?”

“No, not that. That you’re unnecessarily fast and hard to catch.”

“Ah. Well… that’s a characteristic of Citrus, I suppose.”

“I’ll make you feel that again.”

Hyewon grabbed me, put strength in her legs.

With just enough force to avoid hitting the ceiling with her head, she leaped forward and landed at the end of the checkout line.

Though it was the end of the line, with only two employees, we could go right in.

“I’d like to pay.”

“…Eek!”

“You were surprised.”

“Well, I knew it would happen… are you okay?”

“Y-yes… I-I’d like to p-pay…”

“Yes. Your basket… Bine.”

“Here.”

I placed the basket on the counter.

It’s fortunate there’s no line; if there had been…

Look at those people outside the checkout line taking pictures with their cameras.

“Hyewon, doesn’t it seem worse than usual?”

“Well. This age group… I mean, people our age tend to be interested in magical girls.”

“Are middle-aged people often unaware?”

“Right? I heard there was some magical girl animation about borrowing the power of the moon back in the day, but that’s what people in their 40s and 50s watched. They often don’t know much about magical girls like us. Some even think we’re like soldiers.”

“Soldiers. That’s accurate in a way.”

“Stronger than soldiers, but with greater risks.”

“But with more freedom, right?”

“If magical girls were gathered in one place like soldiers… something big might happen, don’t you think?”

“Like villains targeting that one spot.”

“Exactly.”

“So there’s a reason for giving freedom.”

“It’s about dispersing both the risk and the power.”

“Are there any restrictions?”

“Just notifying when traveling, that sort of thing.”

“So nothing too major?”

“Still, we are girls after all.”

While we were contemplating the life of magical girls, the checkout seemed to be complete.

“That’ll be 128,520 won. Would you like a bag?”

“Yes, please.”

“Alright. So that’s 128,550 won… and, perhaps separately…”

“Ah. Do you have paper?”

“Yes…! And, that person…”

“…Yes?”

“Oh my… so cute…”

I didn’t expect to be asked for this too.

I do have a signature I created in panic last time, but… well.

It’s not exactly something I’m used to, but I didn’t expect to find someone who wanted something from me even in a place like this.

It would be different from the people near our lodging who like magical girls or have some positive interest.

“Can I… take a picture?!”

“Well… I don’t mind. Would you like to ask her directly?”

It would have been nice if she had just handled me along with herself.

“I don’t mind. Well… my face is already known in various ways. Though not in a good way.”

“Oh my… it’s really you…! Really. No, um, so cute… Then just once here…! Pose…!”

Pose.

What am I supposed to do?

I just awkwardly make a V-sign while looking at the camera.

Well, standing in front of people other than those kids is awkward.

And it’s embarrassing.

I can really let down all my guards and do anything for those kids…

Actually, let me correct that.

If they forced me to do something similar to the punishment I received then, I’d have no choice but to do it, but for anything else, I can put everything aside and do as they ask.

In front of them.

But in front of ordinary citizens, it’s a bit…

…I’m a criminal, so it can’t be helped.

I’m well aware of the shame of the crimes I’ve committed.

After all that, how could I possibly stand proudly in front of people?

Only… because Hyewon is protecting me.

I’m just walking around because I trust Hyewon.

“Thank you…! And, an autograph…!”

“Would you like me to do it on the same paper as Bine?”

“Oh…! Yes! That would be great!”

Gold and purple pens emerge from beneath the counter.

How can such colorful pens be at a checkout counter…?

As I was thinking that.

Ah, this is an accessory shop.

Well, it’s possible.

Maybe they bought permanent markers, and they happened to be multicolored.

The gold pen is quite interesting.

It seems to have glitter too.

“I’ll go first, Bine.”

“Well… sure, go ahead…”

Hyewon skillfully writes her name in an elegant handwriting on the paper.

Then she hands it to me.

“Here. Give it a try.”

…What is this.

If she does it like this.

This is like…

She just didn’t draw a heart in the middle…

This isn’t some kids’ doodle.

And don’t smile awkwardly like that, Hyewon.

I’m embarrassed too.

I wonder if she noticed my reddened ears.

I inscribed my name next to Hyewon’s.

Both our names.

Together forever in one place.