Ch.311IF Side Story: From the Beginning (79)

“…I did it.”

I muttered while catching my breath.

The kaijin that had been in front of us were all collapsed. The two of us, Hayun and I, had succeeded in taking down all those kaijin.

The power of hope is truly mysterious—it can grow or shrink depending on how I set my mind.

I still don’t quite understand what it means for a person to generate energy by activating circuits through sheer willpower.

When I was reading the original story, I just accepted it, but since entering this world, I’ve been constantly thinking about it.

Cherry said that if you could understand its meaning, it wouldn’t be magic.

“What should I tell Yeonwoo?”

The flower beds, already damaged by the kaijin, were now completely destroyed beyond repair.

Soil was scattered everywhere. The earth that had been slightly darkened from Yeonwoo’s watering was now haphazardly spread across the rooftop floor, which was dented in places with exposed rebar. The flowers were all trampled and torn beyond recognition.

So my muttering wasn’t just idle talk—it contained genuine remorse. That’s how sorry I felt toward Yeonwoo.

“…I’m sure Yeonwoo will forgive us.”

“You think so?”

I looked at Hayun with some doubt, but she nodded.

Somehow, her face held certainty. And also a hint of hesitation. Those two emotions are difficult to have in one expression.

Her eyes shone with confidence, but at the same time, the ends of her eyebrows drooped slightly. I couldn’t quite tell what she was certain about and what she was hesitating over. Perhaps I was just imagining it since the expression appeared only for a moment.

Above all, I didn’t have time to interpret Hayun’s complex expression right now.

Who would collect and store kaijin like this… Well, obviously Noir Corporation.

I can understand the “why”—to use them in battle. Like now. They’re opponents that even magical girls struggle against, and they can’t be killed carelessly.

But I can’t figure out the “how.” Kaijin are believed to be created when aliens are unfortunately exposed to raw human emotions. I say “believed” because it’s still not certain.

The theory is that the mana in aliens’ minds interacts with human emotions, like a circuit activating—

“Jieun.”

With a start, I returned from my thoughts to reality.

“Let’s go check on Jihye.”

“Oh, yes!”

Only then did I start moving quickly. Hayun immediately followed me despite my sudden movement.

Four kaijin would be manageable, but…

Could people who can “possess” four kaijin not have more?

I don’t know. There are too few clues right now.

And when clues are lacking, it’s safer to assume “there could be more.” That means Cherry and Jihye are in the most danger in this situation.

[Hayun! Jieun!]

I heard Cherry shouting through the communicator.

[We’ll be in the safe room!]

I was relieved that Cherry had made the right decision. Hayun and I looked at each other and nodded.

…The Federation didn’t come. I don’t know the exact reason, but in the worst case, they might have been attacked on their way, or they judged that coming down here wouldn’t be easy given the situation.

The Federation is currently permitted to be in the country as an “unarmed friendly organization” to the government.

There are places where they can be minimally armed, but those are only where warp devices are located.

If they came down here armed to help us, it would surely cause problems.

It might be different if they were in orbit.

My head is a mess. The ridiculous thing is that even in this situation, I’m worried about being late for school.

Not just for myself, but for Jihye and the others too.

…I never thought I’d have the same thoughts as those joke scenes in the original story.

[Eek!?]

But those thoughts were blown away by the sound from the communicator.

“Jihye?”

It was definitely Jihye’s scream.

But the communicator was with Cherry…

[It’s the safe room!]

Cherry’s shout came at the same time as my thought. So Jihye’s scream was heard because something happened to her while Cherry was pressing the button to talk to us.

The situation was too urgent to respond or ask what was wrong.

“Let’s go!”

“Yes!”

When I shouted, Hayun immediately responded.

My body ached all over, but… what could I do?

Damn it. It was the same strategy again.

A diversion where both targets are ones we absolutely cannot abandon. Using human lives in the same way.

I disliked Noir Corporation even more.

*

“Eek!?”

Jihye screamed. In her arms was the generator.

Somehow, while hurriedly entering the safe room with Cherry, she had tightly embraced it. She must have unconsciously grabbed the large object in front of her.

Though large, it was a sphere that could be held with one hand. The weight wasn’t too much for Jihye to carry.

“It’s okay, Jihye.”

Cherry, who had been saying something into her ribbon, spoke.

“Jieun and Hayun will be here soon.”

BANG!

But as soon as those words ended, the safe room door shook violently.

Creak.

That thick steel door bent slightly inward from the outside.

“…This door is reinforced with magic.”

Cherry muttered in disbelief.

“…Once again, I’m sorry for getting you involved in this situation.”

But Cherry quickly remembered that Jihye, a civilian, was present and hastily said that.

“If I had known this would happen, I shouldn’t have allowed it.”

“No.”

It was a strange thing to say, but Jihye actually preferred it this way.

If, if Jieun had said “Then I’ll come next week” and hung up at that moment, Jihye would have been disappointed.

She wouldn’t have been able to dislike Jieun despite that. All that time would have felt meaningless. Perhaps that disappointment could have been read as “despair.”

But this situation happened instead.

She felt sorry for Cherry. In this place, Jihye was someone who couldn’t help at all.

“I’m genuinely glad you invited me. Even now.”

Yes. Despite feeling sorry, she was glad to be here.

That she was no longer in a different world from Jieun.

…Of course, she didn’t want to get hurt. She didn’t want to die. She especially didn’t want to be someone’s hostage. Even while thinking all these things were nearly impossible to avoid while staying by Jieun’s side, strangely enough, Jihye felt joy at being able to be “near Jieun.”

Honestly, at this point, she wasn’t thinking about school. Missing one day of school would be fine. She wouldn’t feel at ease going to school alone while Jieun was struggling.

Being here didn’t change much. She didn’t know if she would be helpful or not.

But still.

Though it was selfish, Jihye preferred being here—where she could get news directly—than being separated from Jieun. She preferred being here where she could hear Jieun’s voice directly, rather than listening to news reports that might not even be accurate.

That was all.

“…Huh?”

She didn’t notice Cherry realizing something and looking at her.

“Jihye. Wait, you…?”

Only when she noticed Cherry speaking like that,

“Oh, ah…! Sorry. Is this yours?”

Though Jieun had said it wasn’t exactly “Cherry’s”…

She quickly handed over the sphere, which had started to glow slightly white, to Cherry.

Yes. Even if she couldn’t help, she shouldn’t get in the way. That’s what Jihye was thinking, but—

“Jihye, how did you do that?”

Cherry asked, blinking her eyes.

“…Huh?”

“That’s definitely a generator that doesn’t activate with our emotions.”

Blink. Blink.

At Cherry’s words, Jihye could only blink her eyes.

“No, um, is that so?”

Cherry became lost in thought.

“…Rather, if there’s only a difference in direction… it’s just more sensitive to turning that way… then turning it in the opposite direction would just be a bit harder, but with enough emotion…”

“Um, Cherry?”

“Ah, yes! Sorry, I just had something to think about…!”

“Oh, no. If it’s really important, I shouldn’t interrupt—”

“No, that’s not it.”

Cherry said.

Her eyes looking at Jihye were intensely serious.

“Just a moment.”

Cherry hopped around on the desk in the safe room. After pressing a few buttons, there was a click. Something opened somewhere.

The first drawer of the desk.

Cherry quickly crawled inside and came out holding something almost as big as her body, which looked difficult to carry.

It looked just like a wristwatch.

“Would you like to try this on?”

It was what Jieun wore.

Or more precisely, what all magical girls wore.

“While recalling that emotion from earlier!”

“…Huh?”

At Cherry’s sudden words, Jihye could only stare blankly.