Ch.281IF Side Story: From the Beginning (49)

When faced with danger, people naturally react differently.

While some can endure tremendous crises through sheer conviction and mental strength alone, others flee at the slightest fear.

The difference between these two responses isn’t simply a matter of personality. It’s heavily influenced by the cause of the situation they must endure.

That’s why a mother whose child is in danger reacts differently from someone who’s just working for money.

If a child dies before their mother’s eyes, she’ll live the rest of her life trembling with guilt for failing to protect them. Even in ordinary family relationships, such thoughts can never be shaken off.

But money is different. The amount might change the equation, but generally, people value their lives more than money. If not their lives, then at least their well-being.

So, by that general logic, the executive before Hayun should have been terrified enough to spill everything he knew by now.

But the executive hadn’t done that.

“D-do you realize what you’re doing? You people… should be protecting the antenna!”

The executive shouted, trembling.

Hayun looked at the other magical girls.

Magical girls rarely worked alone. Though they might face enemies alone in unavoidable situations, they usually formed teams.

And whenever teams were formed, Hayun naturally always ended up in the same team as Jieun.

That felt comfortable, in many ways.

But now, even though all the magical girls were out here, Jieun was nowhere to be seen.

Depending on the situation, it was uncertain whether Jieun would continue being a magical girl.

“Ah, that antenna,” Seo-hee spoke up.

“Why are you worried about it? Wouldn’t it be better if it broke?”

“…”

The executive seemed at a loss for words.

Hayun could read some emotion in that expression. Something like, what are these magical girls talking about?

“Besides, it probably doesn’t matter. We didn’t just come here unprepared. We’ve taken care of things in our own way.”

“…No matter what happens, I can detect it.”

Chaeyeon said as she slowly rose from her seat.

“And I can aim and shoot if needed,” Ju-a added, following behind her.

The executive was even more speechless watching the two of them.

“So, if you don’t want to suffer here, you’d better start talking,” Yeonwoo said.

“What did you do to Jieun… no, to Lily?”

“…”

The executive’s expression turned blank.

Hayun thought they might be able to get answers without much difficulty.

But soon, the executive’s expression turned into a sneer.

“So, in the end, one of your magical girls couldn’t make it, is that what you’re saying?”

The executive sneered.

Hayun blinked once.

Perhaps encouraged by her surprised expression, the executive spoke more gleefully, as if relieved.

Did he think they couldn’t attack him because of this fact?

“From the beginning, hope has always been such a weak force. Earthlings lose hope just from having their minds slightly disturbed. Oh, of course.”

The executive continued.

“It’s true that she’s her mother. I don’t know how you found out about my involvement—”

But those words didn’t reach their conclusion.

Thunk.

Hayun’s hand landed on top of the executive’s head.

At a glance, it looked like she might be about to pat him.

But Hayun’s eyes didn’t suggest any such intention.

Creeak.

That sound came from beneath her hand.

“…Today, I found something strange when I came here,” Hayun said slowly.

“Until now, we’ve never properly captured an executive, have we? But today, we came right up to one.”

“…”

Now it was the executive’s turn to blink.

“Thinking about it again, we’ve never actually targeted executives from the beginning. Justice always came first, right? Saving people, somehow protecting homes that you were destroying, stopping sabotage operations. All things that would be meaningless if we were too late.”

“…Th-“

The executive’s mouth opened slightly as if to say something, but when Hayun shook her head, it closed again.

“So, conversely—yes, whether our missions fail or succeed, if we target an executive first, we can definitely confront them like this.”

“…What are you trying to say?”

Though he spoke with bravado, the executive couldn’t hide his bewilderment seeing Hayun’s eyes shine.

“W-what are you doing?! Are you magical girls planning to commit murder?!”

“Murder? That’s harsh,” Seo-hee said with a shrug and a laugh.

“Are you even human? When Hayun grabbed your head earlier, there was a creaking sound. Are you actually a robot? Come to think of it, it doesn’t make sense for an executive to come out and risk danger personally. You’re probably being controlled from somewhere far away.”

“No, he seems too scared for that. Though I agree his head is made of metal,” Yeonwoo commented calmly from the side.

“…Cherry,” Chaeyeon said from above.

“Cherry is small.”

“…”

The executive’s expression went blank.

Hayun raised her staff and lightly sliced the executive’s leg with its tip.

That part “sliced” far too easily.

“You’ve seen combatants fight many times, haven’t you?” Hayun said.

“We can destroy everything without hurting the being inside. All of us.”

“…”

“And we can arrest the small person inside right now.”

“That’s illegal—”

“It only appears to look like an Earthling, but what’s inside is an alien unknown to others. Is your name and face properly registered with this country’s government?”

The executive couldn’t say anything.

“So, you have two options,” Hayun continued calmly.

“Have this robot you’re riding completely dismantled and then be handed over to the Federation. If you’re from Noir Corporation, you’ll probably get out quickly, but I’m not sure if you’ll be able to work properly at Noir Corporation again. Or maybe the Federation might pin something big on you. Or,”

Hayun stared directly at the executive as she presented the other condition.

“Or, you can tell us the truth and just return safely.”

“…”

The magical girls fell silent.

As if waiting for an answer.

“…What if the truth is that she’s her daughter?”

“We’ve done our own investigation,” Hayun said.

“If she were her daughter, wouldn’t there have been no need for an executive to go and give instructions personally?”

“…”

Creeak.

The sound came from the executive’s head again. Now that they knew it wasn’t a human head, it seemed like she was applying more force.

“…Ha.”

But instead of answering, the executive laughed.

“Hahahahaha! So, so what?”

The executive shouted.

“Are you going to kill me if I don’t answer? You presented the wrong conditions from the start. All you can do is arrest me and hand me over to the Federation? What illegal activities have I done? This country isn’t even a member of the Federation!”

“…”

“Just let go of my head. If you really cross the line, the Federation will have big problems too.”

“You—”

“And if you get arrested for doing something because of ‘Miss Jeong Jieun,’ wouldn’t you lose your last remaining hope?”

With an expression that seemed to ask, what can you do if I’m lying?, the executive spoke.

And apart from that question, everything else he said made sense.

Jieun would certainly despair if Hayun crossed the line. Especially if she were the cause.

“Ah, look, one of our company’s combatants is running over here. Perfect timing.”

As the executive said, a combatant was approaching from the distance. Seo-hee clutched her forehead. The combatant who they had let go, who always confronted Jieun.

Who would have thought he’d return here—

But seeing the approaching combatant, everyone’s jaws dropped.

The combatant wasn’t wearing a helmet.

Instead, he had a paper bag with holes cut out over his face, as if he’d picked it up somewhere. It even had some dirt on it as if it had been rolling on the ground.

The helmet was—in his hand.

“Here—”

The executive raised a hand toward the combatant. Hayun’s hand had already left the executive’s head—

For some reason, the running combatant stopped midway.

And, also for some reason, he raised the helmet high above his head,

Then threw it with all his might at the magical girls.

The magical girls didn’t even bother to dodge. Normally, getting hit wouldn’t hurt much anyway.

But a tin can with a small alien inside is a different story.

“Quack!?”

The helmet flew past the magical girls in an instant and struck the executive’s head forcefully.

And immediately after, a drop kick landed on the staggering executive’s face.

Such attacks seemed too harsh for an alien robot that couldn’t use circuits.

With a crash, the executive rolled dramatically across the floor and slid far away.

“…”

The magical girls stared at the executive with their mouths open in shock.

Then they looked at the combatant, whose bread bag somehow remained intact.

“…”

The combatant soon covered his head with both hands.

Even though he went so far as to find a bread bag to hide his face?

The magical girls alternately looked at the two of them, momentarily speechless.