Ch.334IF Side Story: From the Beginning (102)

After that, we just continued on like before.

Even after confirming our feelings for each other and expressing our affection, our relationship didn’t change dramatically.

Well, linking arms, hugging, or lying down next to each other to sleep were things we’d always done anyway. Like close friends, we kept going on just the same.

That’s not to say we ignored our feelings.

I think I was fully aware that those girls liked me.

Not out of arrogance, but with gratitude, continuously.

During summer vacation, we all went to the swimming pool together. Not stopping at just one pool trip, we went to the beach the very next week.

During the few days in between, we hung out at the Magical Girl headquarters.

This story is about what happened during those few days.

*

I sparred with Seo-hee. Both of our skills were improving. Now we could face each other quite seriously in the ring without using magic.

In my past life, I never found a reason to exercise, but here, after sparring with Seo-hee like this, I somehow felt refreshed. Seo-hee seemed to feel the same way.

“Later, want to face each other in a real ring?”

“Huh?”

“Sparring is just sparring. Winning and losing here is important too, but I mean properly, with official rules. In a place with referees.”

“…Are you telling me to become a professional fighter?”

“Why not? We’re still young. And becoming a professional doesn’t mean you have to become a champion, right?”

That was true.

Lying spread-eagled on the ring and staring at the ceiling, I smiled.

“Well, alright. Though I’ll retire much earlier than you.”

“That’s fine. Just standing in the same ring with you once is enough.”

Seo-hee hadn’t given up on her dream.

Or perhaps…

Her dream might have changed a little.

“A professional fighter, huh.”

What was my dream?

I hadn’t thought about it yet. In my past life, I just drifted along until I became a college student.

“That’s nice.”

“Isn’t it?”

We laughed together as we lay side by side on the ring in the training hall.

*

When we had free time, we went up to the rooftop. Yeon-woo was growing flowers there, even though it was the middle of summer and quite hot.

“Because it’s hot, I need to take extra care of them. Some of the flowers I’m growing don’t naturally grow in our country.”

“I see.”

I naturally helped alongside her as I responded.

To be honest, I don’t know much about flower names. I roughly know the famous ones that everyone knows, but that’s about it.

Even after our fight that destroyed everything, Yeon-woo didn’t give up and replanted lots of flowers. No, rather, the variety expanded beyond just flowers, and now various vegetables were growing too.

“I’m going to build a research lab here someday.”

“A research lab?”

“Yes. A lab for researching flowers and plants like these. There’s plenty of space anyway, right?”

That’s true. And somehow, I think Cherry would probably allow it.

“I want to see not just Earth’s flowers, but plants from other planets too. If possible, I’d like to have a place nearby that I can completely control.”

Yeon-woo, like Seo-hee, hadn’t given up on her dream.

Now I think I understand a little about what hope these children are looking at.

Even if it seemed like they had given up on their dreams, they had only set them aside temporarily because of what adults said. A light of hope they would definitely pursue again whenever they had the time and freedom.

“And someday, I want to grow a flower that I’ve named myself.”

“Like a new variety?”

“Yes. I haven’t thought about which flower to create a variety from yet, but someday, definitely. I want to create a flower so beautiful that anyone passing by would have to look at it twice.”

“I see. I’ll support you.”

I said with a smile.

But it seemed Yeon-woo wasn’t finished speaking.

“And I’ll name that flower after you.”

“…Huh?”

At those words, I looked up blankly from where I was gently moving soil with a trowel.

But as always, Yeon-woo’s expression was firm. Well, her expression was basically playful, but at the same time, these words were infinitely sincere.

“Jieun would be good, right? Or maybe ‘The Most Beautiful and Noble Jieun in the World’? Oh, I know! A lily! Let’s make it a lily!”

“…No…”

I was about to say something, but just shook my head.

That’s right.

If that’s her dream, it’s not something I should object to. And having a flower named after me isn’t going to cause me any major problems.

If I think of it as Yeon-woo’s gift, it’s quite romantic in its own way.

“Happy Lily Jieun…”

“No, please reconsider that name at least…”

But combining the Magical Girl name with my name is a bit too much.

*

Unlike the other girls who engage in various activities, Chae-yeon is generally quiet. She usually reads books. The only difference is sometimes her posture changes.

Most of the time she sits properly in the lounge chair reading a book, but occasionally she rolls around on the bed or floor while reading.

“By the way, don’t you like e-books?”

I asked once, noticing that she always read paper books.

“I like the feeling of turning pages.”

I understand that.

I preferred e-books because my studio apartment was small and I wanted to minimize belongings, plus it was convenient to read before bed and just toss it aside, but I couldn’t dislike the sound, feel, and smell of turning pages in a paper book.

“When I turn page by page, I can feel how much of the book I’ve read.”

“I see.”

“…”

“…”

The conversation stopped.

I already realized years ago that Chae-yeon doesn’t dislike me.

Chae-yeon just finds it a bit difficult to carry on long conversations. I don’t think that’s a flaw. Silence isn’t always uncomfortable.

“Someday.”

As I was checking my phone, thinking about reading a book myself, Chae-yeon suddenly spoke.

“Someday, I want to write a book like this.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Someday. Much later.”

Does that mean long after we’ve become adults?

Well, to write a book, it’s good to read a lot and experience many things.

“…You.”

“…Me?”

“I want to write a story about you and me.”

“…”

Chae-yeon hid her face behind her book. I could see her reddened forehead peeking out from between her bangs.

I had no idea how to respond to that.

During just these few days between trips, I was hearing these kinds of things from each of the girls one by one.

Well, I’m fine with them liking me, but…

“I see.”

“…Do you dislike it?”

“No, that’s not it.”

Chae-yeon lowered her book slightly, peeking at me with just her eyes showing.

I smiled and said:

“If you really do, you must show me the first thing you write. Before anyone else.”

“Okay.”

Chae-yeon answered and finally lowered her book completely.

A smile had spread across her lips.

It was a pretty smile. It would be nice if she smiled like this more often.

*

If Seo-hee and Yeon-woo are outdoor types, Chae-yeon and Ju-a are more indoor types.

Of course, if you asked which of those two is more introverted, it would be Chae-yeon, but Ju-a is surprisingly quite introverted too.

The reason she spoke to me so excitedly when we first met was simply because she was thrilled to meet someone she admired.

“I’m so, so happy these days.”

Ju-a would sometimes randomly express her feelings.

Usually when we were alone together.

It was a bit strange to say this while we were disassembling a hammer to look inside, as if she were a car enthusiast expressing happiness while looking at an engine.

But Ju-a’s “happiness” seemed to encompass a much broader area.

“I’ve loved Magical Girls since I was little.”

“From cartoons?”

“Yes. Including cartoons. Of course, I knew they weren’t real, but…”

But then one day, real Magical Girls appeared.

“…”

I remember that shock.

For a long time, I didn’t know what kind of world this was, and when I found out that Hayun, who had been with me since childhood, was actually the protagonist of this world and a Magical Girl, I couldn’t explain how I felt.

I was jealous. I wanted to be someone who could change the world too.

“We did change the world, didn’t we?”

Ju-a said with a bright smile. It was as if she had read my thoughts, but it was just a coincidence. Still, I was happy about it.

“That’s right.”

If someone were to say we hadn’t changed anything, that person would truly be full of inferiority.

“Yes. We changed the world. As Magical Girls.”

“Actually, I consider my dream fulfilled the moment I came here. Since my dream since childhood was to become a Magical Girl.”

That’s why Ju-a’s hope always shone. Being with us was Ju-a’s hope in itself.

…This is like me too.

I found myself stroking Ju-a’s head as she bent down to look at the hammer again.

“Eek!?”

Ju-a jumped in surprise, which startled me too, making me pull my hand back.

Realizing she had overreacted, Ju-a’s face turned red.

“Ah, um, well, I, uh.”

“No, no, it’s fine, just calm down. It’s my fault for touching you suddenly.”

We both said this while looking at each other.

And suddenly, once more, I felt that our actions were more similar than I thought.

Without either of us initiating it, we laughed.

I see.

Everyone’s dreams are different. But we are all Magical Girls fighting with the same hope.

Then, I think it’s okay if I haven’t found my dream yet.

I feel like if I continue to be with these children full of dreams and hope, my own dream will naturally take shape someday.

Feeling our laughter overlap, that’s what I thought.