Ch.28Chapter 6. Enemies in the Same Boat (2)

What should I do?

I stared at the ceiling, racking my brain while avoiding any conversation with Jihye.

Under the blanket, I still held the circuit in my hand.

I couldn’t tell how powerful it was. Every circuit I’d received so far had different capabilities.

I fidgeted a bit and placed the circuit on my wrist.

Looking at it, it resembled a smartwatch, so hopefully nobody would recognize it as a circuit. Though considering how quickly I had identified it, others might too.

If I stayed here, who would eventually come for me?

What would happen then? Since I’m still a minor, would I be sent to juvenile detention? Or prison?

It felt so unfair.

What I was doing… should have been legal.

Noir Corporation’s operations were “technically” legal, so what I was doing shouldn’t have been something to get arrested for.

But wait, would a terrorist incident end with just an arrest?

I heard people died. Several of them. And many more were injured.

A building collapsed. One of Noir Corporation’s important buildings. The entire complex would probably be unusable without complete reconstruction, since the central part had completely caved in.

I… caused that by going berserk?

What happens in a case like this?

Even if it wasn’t my intention, if people died, wouldn’t that be some kind of manslaughter charge?

What if Noir Corporation sued me? The moment I’m ordered to pay even part of that massive damage, I’m finished. I couldn’t repay it in a lifetime.

And this circuit I’m holding is also a problem. How did I even get it out? Surely James didn’t—

“Jieun.”

“Huh?”

“Are you okay?”

Jihye’s voice finally broke my spiral of thoughts.

She was staring at me with wide, surprised eyes.

“Your face is pale blue.”

“Ah…”

My fingertips felt cold.

I’m scared.

I’m terrified, but I can’t tell anyone else. Jihye still doesn’t know that she almost got dragged into this because of me.

What will the news say?

Will they say I destroyed the building? Will they show my picture, or at least strongly imply it was me?

But I didn’t do it.

I might not be the cleanest person, but I never deliberately collapsed a building. That explosion was prepared in advance.

Am I going to be punished for a crime I didn’t commit?

Or is this karma for everything else I’ve done?

“…You must be really tired.”

Jihye said that and stood up.

“I guess that makes sense. You were unconscious for so long. Your body doesn’t feel good either, right?”

Jihye looked at me with an expression full of concern.

She came over and gently placed her hand on my shoulder.

“Get some rest. I’ll come again tomorrow.”

“Ah…”

“I was thinking about staying overnight, but they said that’s not allowed. It seems you still have some treatment left.”

I didn’t want to be alone. If I was alone, I felt like others would come for me at any moment.

They would come and blame everything on me.

But I couldn’t ask Jihye to stay.

Jihye still doesn’t know anything.

She might have figured out I was a combatant. Maybe she even realized that’s why Noir Corporation regularly donated to the orphanage.

But she has no idea what she might face by being involved with me. Even I don’t know what I’m facing right now.

“…Okay. See you tomorrow.”

When I answered, Jihye’s hand on my shoulder tightened slightly.

“Should I call the doctor?”

“No, it’s not that serious.”

“Okay.”

Jihye took her bag from beside the bed, placed it on the bed, and took out various items.

“They said you can have drinks now, so I bought a few things.”

I had only woken up today, but that bag had been under the bed since I regained consciousness.

Jihye might have brought new things every day when she visited. Or maybe she asked about it when she stepped out earlier.

She might have searched online to find out what I could safely consume.

“Thank you.”

“…”

Jihye’s expression clouded slightly.

“Are you really okay?”

“Yes.”

“Alright.”

Jihye finally nodded at my answer.

“Then I’ll come again tomorrow. See you then.”

I nodded.

It felt like my neck might creak, but I still managed to smile as Jihye left.

After watching the door close, I let out a long breath.

Right, I need to calm down.

All those things aren’t happening right this moment. James came to warn me, and I’m still hospitalized.

I should have at least until I’m discharged.

I tried moving my fingers. My joints still creaked, and it felt like needles were stabbing me. A side effect of the circuit? The magical girls didn’t seem to have such side effects.

…Well, it was almost a rule that when there’s good energy and bad energy, the bad side has side effects. It’s annoying to experience something that didn’t happen in the webtoon.

I lay down on the bed.

I could see the drinks still on the bed. Most were sports drinks. Hydrating ones without caffeine.

She’s always so thorough.

I reached out and grabbed one. It was still a bit cool, probably from being in the bag.

As I was about to open the cap, I heard a knock on the hospital room door.

The door opened before I could answer.

The people who entered were doctors and nurses.

“Jeong Jieun.”

Hearing that, I closed the drink cap again.

“We should have come as soon as you woke up, but you seemed to have urgent business, so we waited a bit. Is it okay if we examine you now?”

I nodded.

I put the drink back on the table.

“Well… since you’ve been asleep for a long time, there might be issues with your body. Could you tell us if anything hurts?”

“Ah, about that—”

Both the doctor and nurses had calm expressions.

I relaxed a little and described my symptoms.

*

“Hayun! Hayun!”

What woke Hayun, who had fallen asleep at her desk, was an animal that looked like a large hamster.

Well, it only looked that way—it wasn’t actually an animal. If categorized, it would be an “alien.” And its lifespan wasn’t as short as typical rodents.

Besides the fact that it could talk, its appearance differed from a hamster.

It was like a miniaturized cat, made a bit rounder and designed to walk upright. Its ears and tail resembled a fennec fox more than a cat.

“Cherry?”

Hayun rubbed her eyes and called the strange creature’s name.

The window in front of her desk was slightly open. The still-chilly outside air made Hayun shiver slightly.

“What’s wrong?”

Cherry was a “mascot.”

Actually, its real name was different—something squeaky like a real rodent that human mouths couldn’t easily pronounce. Cherry wore a collar like a pet might, with a star-shaped device symbolizing the Galactic Federation that served as a translation device.

Without that device, such conversation would be impossible.

Except for its appearance and sounds, Cherry came from a planet with highly advanced engineering technology. The circuits used by magical girls were also this species’ creation.

And presumably, Noir Corporation’s technology came from aliens of the same planet.

Anyway, when Blossom first started working as a magical girl, Cherry often followed her for support, unintentionally becoming a mascot. But in reality, its work covered much more professional areas.

These days, they rarely met unless she visited headquarters.

…Cherry’s expression was too serious for pleasantries. Normally, urgent matters could be communicated through emergency channels.

The fact that Cherry came all the way here meant there was something to convey without the Galactic Federation knowing.

“Big trouble. Big trouble.”

Cherry kept fidgeting with its front paws… or rather, hands, while saying this.

To someone unfamiliar, it might just look cute.

But when Cherry behaved this way in front of Blossom, the opponents they faced were usually extremely dangerous criminals, even by Galactic Federation standards.

“What is it? Calm down and tell me slowly.”

Despite Blossom’s words, Cherry continued to fidget anxiously for quite some time.

Cherry seemed to be checking if it was okay to speak here.

“Is this something you can’t tell others?”

“No, no, it’s not that… we might actually need all the magical girls’ help.”

“I’m listening.”

Blossom adjusted her posture. The cold air seeping through the window actually helped clear her mind.

Several papers were spread across the desk. Cherry froze upon seeing them. Blossom carefully picked Cherry up, moved it aside, and hastily gathered the papers into a drawer.

They were notes about what to say to Jieun. She had been writing down her thoughts, worried that she wouldn’t be able to organize her words when they met face-to-face.

While not something that absolutely couldn’t be shown to others, it was still a bit embarrassing to display openly.

“…”

“Cherry?”

But Cherry remained frozen after seeing Blossom’s writing.

“Blossom. No, Hayun.”

Cherry finally spoke.

“Yes?”

“What kind of person is this Jieun to you?”

“Hmm?”

Hayun froze at Cherry’s question.

Cherry already knew about Jieun’s existence. Of course, that didn’t mean it knew she was a combatant.

Jieun was Hayun’s most frequently met friend, so when talking about school in front of Cherry, Jieun’s name came up most often.

They hadn’t discussed deeply personal matters, but Cherry would know to some extent what Jieun meant to Hayun.

Only after thinking this through did Hayun realize Cherry’s question was a bit strange.

“Why? Is what you’re about to tell me related to Jieun?”

“…”

Cherry looked up at Hayun.

Its nose twitched nervously.

“Hayun. Don’t be too shocked. We need to think calmly about this.”

“Okay.”

Cherry looked at Hayun and finally opened its mouth.

“Today, that girl Jieun is going to be arrested.”

“…Arrested?”

Hayun momentarily couldn’t understand what she’d heard.

“What do you mean arrested? Why?”

Noir Corporation was bad. But they cleverly sided with the government and conducted somewhat legal operations. When the government wanted to interfere with Galactic Federation matters, they used Noir Corporation to avoid direct friction.

So Noir Corporation’s combatants were rarely arrested. If people were arrested just for helping them, finding workers would become extremely difficult.

Jieun was a combatant.

“She’s been identified as the cause of the recent explosion incident. Hayun, you were there, right?”

“Yes, I was there. And Jieun has nothing to do with that explosion. The explosion happened before Jieun went berserk. Delphinium should know…”

“That’s right. I’ve seen the reports and heard all the testimonies, so I know.”

Cherry looked up at Hayun with serious eyes.

“But there’s a problem. There are testimonies but no evidence.”

“What do you mean no evidence?”

“There’s no CCTV footage.”

“…”

Hayun frowned.

She knew they would be recorded. They had expected that before entering.

But for the company not to use such footage…

“There must have been some discussion between the Galactic Federation and Noir Corporation.”

“But there’s still no evidence that Jieun did it.”

Even as she said this, Hayun grew anxious.

“Right. That’s true. And even if they fabricate evidence, it should still be partly the company’s responsibility. It happened because there was a problem with Noir Corporation’s circuit. The people involved will probably all leave the company. And legally, that Jieun girl might not face serious consequences. She might not go to prison.”

“Then…”

“She won’t go to ‘prison.'”

Cherry’s voice lowered. Its ears trembled. Its gaze darted around, as if afraid someone might be listening.

“What does that mean?”

“We still don’t know what kind of energy Noir Corporation is using. Human emotions contain very rich energy. But if they’re using not just one, but a complex mix of emotions as energy, it’s extremely difficult for us to figure it out. The energy produced when the circuit activates is just ‘magical energy.'”

“I know.”

“But that girl seems connected to something more fundamental. Similar to the hope you all use.”

“…”

“The Galactic Federation has judged this as a new possibility.”

Cherry looked up at Hayun with a terrified face.

“That energy, no matter how I look at it, doesn’t come from a positive direction. It’s massive energy with an impressive range of use, but based on my research, the emotion combatants feel when fighting isn’t something like ‘hope.’ The company side calls it courage, but we all know that’s a lie.”

Though frightened, Cherry didn’t hesitate to speak.

Holding down its large ears with its hands, Cherry looked up at Hayun and said:

“Hayun. I don’t think the Galactic Federation is purely righteous.”

“…”

“But no matter how I think about it, doing this… doesn’t seem right. No matter the benefit, joining hands with that company for such research.”

Hayun stood up.

She checked the time. It was late.

“Let’s go. Is it okay to tell the others?”

“I’m not sure, honestly. But if you want, I’ll help.”

“Thank you, Cherry.”

Hayun carefully picked Cherry up, placed it on her shoulder, and put on her circuit.

*

“Another hospital?”

I asked the doctor.

“You said your whole body hurts, right? We can’t tell exactly what’s wrong. Let’s move you to a hospital that can make a more accurate diagnosis.”

“…”

I looked at the people around me.

There were… many doctors.

And many of the people in white coats were quite large. All the nurses were men.

I clenched my hand under the blanket. Pain crept up from each finger joint.

“Doesn’t this hospital have CT or MRI…”

“We do. But having equipment and having diagnostic capability are somewhat different.”

“Isn’t this Noir Corporation’s hospital? I thought the medical staff was top-tier.”

“This is also far from where you live. I think it would be better to transfer you to a hospital closer to home.”

“…I’d rather go to a treatment center.”

“Treatment centers can mostly handle physical trauma. There’s still no definitive way to treat microscopic issues.”

“…”

I looked around at the people again.

I’m scared. They were all staring at me intently.

Sweat formed on my palms.

“…Alright.”

I answered reluctantly.

“We’ll move you with the bed. Is that okay?”

“…Yes.”

I nodded with a trembling voice.

The people who came to move me didn’t seem to have bad intentions at the moment.

They even smiled slightly when our eyes met.

But I couldn’t trust them.

If I hadn’t heard James’s words earlier, I might not have thought anything of it. But what James said…

“…Which hospital are we going to?”

For a brief moment, they couldn’t answer.

I jumped up from my bed.

That might not have been the best idea.

Maybe it would have been better to be captured and face trial. In court, I’d have a chance for defense, and with minimal charges, the sentence might not be long.

Running like this might actually make things worse.

But still.

It felt so unfair.

To be treated this way for something I didn’t do.

All combatant helmets have cameras. If they checked that footage, they’d know I’m innocent.

Or the building’s CCTV.

…Had all that been erased too? Was the company really trying to sell me out?

And if so, this couldn’t possibly end well.

“Grab her!”

Someone shouted, and arms wrapped around my waist.

I elbowed the face of the man holding me from behind and bent one of his fingers outward. A scream came from behind me, and his right arm fell away from my stomach.

I hit my shoulder on the bed as I fell. My already painful body hurt even more.

I heard a buzzing sound and looked at my wrist—the circuit was running.

“She has a circuit!”

I heard someone shout.

I pushed the bed hard toward the people in front of me. The bed wheels rolled forcefully, pushing two people backward. They didn’t move far, but I managed to pin them against the wall.

Hearing someone rushing toward me, I quickly turned around.

I lowered my head to avoid their hands, but they caught my hair.

I drove my fist into their solar plexus. The man in nurse’s clothing made a deflating sound and fell to his knees.

Someone in doctor’s clothing was shouting something into a radio.

I ran.

I turned and ran as fast as I could.

Since I was already in the lobby, I barely managed to run to the hospital entrance.

My whole body ached, and already people were running toward me from the distance.

They were shouting something—about surrendering peacefully—

—Would you do that in my position?

I don’t want to be arrested for a crime I didn’t commit.

And beyond that, I felt something even worse. A feeling that something was seriously wrong.

I wasn’t sure where that feeling came from. But I just wanted to escape.

My left wrist trembled slightly. I felt a strange vibration, like a smartwatch vibrating.

The circuit was running. I wasn’t sure exactly what percentage, but…

…Could I trust this?

What if James had just lied to make me act out?

My head was confused, and my body hurt.

But I had to run. I’d decided that the moment I got up from the bed.