Ch.284IF Side Story: From the Beginning (52)

“…Phew.”

I let out a long breath.

In my sparring with Hayun, I was able to use my powers reasonably well.

Human hope is such a funny thing. It can completely crumble from something so small, yet revive again just by grasping and pulling up an equally tiny part.

It hadn’t fully returned to what it was before, perhaps because there were still some lingering anxieties.

But I could fight again. At least I was confident I wouldn’t end up covered in blood like when I faced that Kaijin.

“It’s not like I stepped on a landmine or something.”

“Huh? Jieun, what did you say?”

“Oh, nothing.”

I quickly shook my head when Hayun reacted to my muttering.

Even so, I’m not that fragile. I just experienced something that shook my mental state. Yes, that’s all it was.

“How was it?”

Anyway, just feeling that my power had returned wasn’t very objective. So I asked Hayun too.

“It was excellent,” Hayun answered with a gentle smile.

Her kindness put me at ease.

…Once again, I was indebted to Hayun.

Being able to become a Magical Girl was only possible because of my debt to Hayun, and finding my power again was also thanks to her.

I even properly understood what kind of world this was thanks to Hayun. If it had simply been “a world invaded by aliens,” I would have just lived and died accepting that reality.

…No, maybe not.

Maybe I would have just burned with jealousy watching Magical Girls flying in the distance.

If there was some entity that brought me here, they probably placed me in this position to suffer by watching Hayun, but Hayun genuinely cared about me.

It was solely because of Hayun’s existence that all of this was possible.

A person whom I couldn’t harbor negative feelings toward even if I tried. That’s what Hayun was to me now.

“By the way, Jieun.”

“Yes?”

“Are you… still in contact with that person?”

“Oh, yes.”

It was confirmed that they weren’t my family. After properly checking through Cherry, it showed they were completely different people.

But that didn’t make me want to cut ties immediately.

I’m a suspicious person by nature. Just in case, I asked Cherry for something additional: whether that person had any connection to Noir Corporation.

The result was “no connection at all.”

It seems they did receive some information, but it was only that “I might be that person’s daughter.”

I guess that person had been searching for their daughter, so that information remained somewhere. Noir Corporation tried to use that.

And the effect was much better than they expected. Originally, they probably intended to persuade my “parents” to make me quit being a Magical Girl, but it worked even better on me.

And that’s why I couldn’t feel at ease. They had somehow figured out my weakness.

They might really search for my real parents with burning determination.

Maybe that’s why I couldn’t use my powers properly.

“I feel sorry for them, you know.”

“Jieun…”

Hayun looked at me with a somewhat pitying expression.

Well, my situation is pitiful too. Others would certainly see it that way. A child without parents. A child raised in an orphanage.

But that’s what made me free. At least now I’m doing what I want to do. I almost lost hope precisely because a fence I thought didn’t exist suddenly appeared.

“Oh, right.”

Something suddenly occurred to me, and I looked at Hayun.

“That executive, you let them go?”

“Yes…”

Hayun slightly lowered her head.

“I thought it would cause bigger problems if we just kidnapped them.”

“I see.”

That makes sense. They’re a corporate executive after all.

If we acted recklessly despite our anger… the line drawn between the Federation and corporations might collapse.

Actually, what Hayun did might have crossed that line too. Well, they crossed it first. People who cross lines usually don’t care about such things.

Is the corporation that… desperate?

“And the person who helped was that Combatant?”

“Yes.”

Hayun nodded.

“They didn’t show their face until the end.”

But she was certain it was the Combatant who always stayed until the end to fight me.

So that person crossed the line for Hayun. Boldly crossing a line that a Magical Girl couldn’t cross.

“…”

Why would they go that far?

“Are you worried?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Honestly, I’m not sure.

I don’t even know what they look like.

If you ask if I’m worried, then yes, I am. Even if I don’t consider them a complete friend, they’re something of a rival to me. Though I’m much stronger.

So what I’m really wondering is…

Why?

Are they really just a fan of Magical Girls? Do they sincerely like me?

I don’t know.

But I’d like to meet them again sometime. Though I don’t know if that will be possible.

“I wish we could find out if the corporation sues anyone.”

“Because that person might be the one getting sued?”

“…Yes.”

“Jieun…”

Hayun thought for a moment, then slowly spoke.

“But that person might not be on Earth by then.”

“Huh?”

“They didn’t have a circuit on their wrist. That means they’re an alien.”

“Ah.”

I see.

Noir Corporation is an entity operating within legal boundaries. Even if they commit illegal acts, the government turns a blind eye to some extent.

In other words, they’re like us.

So if someone rebelled against them like that… they might somehow force them off-planet.

“No, they might actually stay on Earth.”

I considered a different possibility.

“Outside Earth, they’d have to deal with Federation law.”

And the Federation really dislikes Noir Corporation, just like other alien corporations on Earth.

They might even try to protect them.

“…I see.”

But either way, it’s not a good future for that Combatant.

I let out a light sigh.

*

After recovering both physically and mentally to some extent, Hayun and I decided to have some fun for the first time in a while.

The other Magical Girls, who probably couldn’t relax properly because of me, also had a chance to unwind in the break room.

However, there aren’t many places where Hayun and I can go to have fun.

The karaoke was fun, but it’s not somewhere to go when you’re already tired. Hayun doesn’t play games, so we don’t have any reason to go to an internet cafe.

And I was still a bit scared to invite her to the orphanage… I was thinking of inviting her after I felt more mentally prepared and after discussing it with my teacher.

So, our options were, well…

We decided to visit Pang Pang after a long time.

Pang Pang always has a cheerful personality. Plus, she becomes even more cheerful with coffee. Sometimes she gets a bit too cheerful, but she’s still a fun friend.

At first, she seemed conscious of the fact that Hayun and I were Magical Girls, but soon she started acting completely uninhibited in front of us, as if it didn’t matter at all.

Actually, she seems to let loose even more in front of us. I guess that’s because she considers us close friends.

…

She doesn’t seem to have any other acquaintances besides us.

With a plastic bag containing several cans of coffee and energy drinks in hand, we stood in front of Pang Pang’s semi-basement door.

And knock, knock, we knocked on the door.

For a while, there was no sound from inside.

Hayun and I looked at each other.

Maybe she went to work?

Usually, she was home when we came after six o’clock.

Once more, knock, knock, we knocked on the door.

After waiting a bit longer, the door creaked open cautiously. Beyond it was Pang Pang’s face, looking more tense than I’d ever seen before.

Upon seeing us, Pang Pang immediately broke into a bright smile.

“You’re here!?”

Then she shifted her gaze to the plastic bag in my hand.

“Did something happen?”

I asked, a bit surprised to see Pang Pang with an expression that seemed to crave alcohol—no, coffee.

“Um… no?”

Seeing my eyes narrow, Pang Pang shook her head.

“No, no. Really, nothing happened. Just, well. I was sleeping. Yeah. So maybe I didn’t hear you the first time?”

“Really?”

“Oh, yes. I did some exhausting work yesterday. So I was… resting deeply, yeah.”

I’ve never seen Pang Pang stumble over her words like this.

While not exactly eloquent, the basically outgoing Pang Pang was usually quite talkative.

So she wouldn’t be like this just because she was a little sleepy.

“…Let’s go inside first.”

Sensing something serious, I spoke, and Pang Pang made an expression like she was about to break into a cold sweat.

…Could it be that she got involved in something shady because she needed money?

No, that doesn’t seem like Pang Pang… but she might have been treated unfairly somewhere.

In the end, Hayun and I practically pushed our way inside.