Ch.35Chapter 7. Enemies in the Same Boat (4)

At first, I wasn’t thrilled about quitting school to work.

No matter how boring school classes might be, they’re never as tedious as manual labor. Plus, working hours are longer than study hours.

Of course, things might be different if I had to do evening self-study sessions at school.

But, how should I put it…

“Let’s eat first, food!”

It wasn’t a particularly large worksite, the jobs were only temporary, and there were only enough workers to count on two hands—

Or maybe that’s precisely why I felt this way.

I found this work quite manageable.

I know why.

The reason I can feel this relaxed while doing physical labor is definitely because of the circuit I’m wearing.

My original body would have been completely exhausted after just the morning shift. I did have some basic stamina from physical work before, but the abilities needed for continuous labor over several hours are different from those needed for a quick fight.

In that sense, the Earthaboo is honestly impressive.

She’s been enduring in this environment all this time.

Actually, the “reason” I know about the Earthaboo is just what she told me herself, so the real reason might be different. But whatever her true purpose is, the Earthaboo was working hard and living in this land despite being around my age.

While still doing things she wanted to do.

“Why?”

Noticing me staring at her, the Earthaboo asked.

Then she looked at the kimbap in her hand and held it out to me.

“Want more?”

“No, I still have some of mine left.”

I said that and put some kimbap in my mouth.

By the way, I also received a can of coffee. Seems like I’m supposed to drink it after the meal.

Of course, the Earthaboo didn’t get any. Everyone working here knows what happens when she drinks coffee.

Canned coffee actually contains more caffeine per volume than many other drinks.

The Earthaboo didn’t insist on getting one and quietly drank her sports drink instead. She’ll probably buy herself a cup when she gets off work though.

As I chewed on the plain kimbap, I shivered slightly.

Just because I’m using a circuit doesn’t mean my body doesn’t heat up while working. Naturally, I sweat when moving around a lot, and when that sweat cools in winter, it gets a bit cold.

I increased my speed of stuffing kimbap into my mouth. It seemed better to finish eating quickly and find a warm place to sit.

At first, I was a bit afraid that people here would ask about my situation.

I was planning to lie if they asked, but as they say, the longer the tail, the easier it is to catch. If I had to lie repeatedly, contradictions would emerge, and eventually, I might get caught.

But the people working here didn’t really ask questions about me.

“Because there’s no need to talk about it.”

When I expressed my confusion, the Earthaboo explained.

“Many people come here to work and leave. Some are from Earth, some aren’t. Not everyone working here has a story, but some do, so we just don’t pry.”

“I see…”

So the Earthaboo, and by extension me whom she introduced, are in that position.

Knowing that made me feel a bit more at ease.

I understand my situation well.

I can’t hide forever. Once something happens, whether it’s the company, the Federation, or the government, there will definitely be people coming after me.

Right now, I’m just temporarily hiding, but if the company cooperates, finding me wouldn’t be impossible. Noir Corporation has the technology to track Magical Girls by their energy, don’t they? There’s no reason they couldn’t apply it to me.

James warned me about that too.

So, our job is to understand the situation as quickly as possible and take revenge on the company executives or do whatever it takes to make sure neither side can touch me carelessly.

It’s going to be dangerous. Once we start moving in earnest, I won’t be able to continue this kind of life. And it would be too much to involve the Earthaboo.

Or in some sense, maybe she’s already involved.

“…”

With these thoughts in mind, I wolfed down the kimbap.

After chewing and swallowing properly, I moistened my throat with the small can of coffee.

As the coffee with a bit too much sugar and creamer entered my body, my tired body began to regain strength. The combination of sugar and caffeine is indeed perfect for physical labor.

“Come on, let’s finish up and go home.”

Hearing the older man shout, I crushed the coffee can in my hand and got up.

Perhaps because I’d eaten, I felt the cold a little less.

The air felt refreshing when I breathed in. This was probably just my imagination. After all, this is a construction site, a place full of dust.

Yet, strangely, I didn’t dislike it.

Here, there were no kids giving me jealous looks for being next to someone famous, no teachers glaring at me for doing something they didn’t like, and no kids trying to pick on me at the beginning of each semester.

I didn’t have to try to hide my circumstances, and I wouldn’t get beaten up by anyone. There was no burning magical energy mass to collide with, no worry about which part of my body might break.

Just a daily routine of coming here, working, getting paid, buying something light to eat on the way home, and going back.

I miss Hayun. I wonder if Jihye is doing well.

But at the same time, I was trying my best not to think about that.

Nothing has been resolved, there’s no sign of resolution, and the few relationships I had have all been shattered.

Naturally, what I should be feeling is worry and regret.

It would be a lie to say I don’t feel those things at all.

But the strongest emotion I feel right now is liberation.

A strange sense of liberation from the pressure I felt from those beings I so desperately wanted to be with.

*

“Hayun, want to go eat something together today?”

A group of girls who rarely spoke to her approached.

“Um, well…”

“Or should we go see a movie? Do you like movies?”

“Karaoke is good too. There have been a lot of annoying things lately, right? Let’s go blow off some steam.”

The girls spoke as if they understood everything Hayun was feeling.

Hayun found it a bit bewildering. These were girls she rarely talked to normally, and when they did speak to her, they were always cautious, as if walking on eggshells.

But for the past few days, they had been approaching her almost uncomfortably closely, as if they’d caught an opportunity.

Ironically, among these approaching girls, there were quite a few whose faces she recognized.

More specifically, girls whose parents knew her parents.

“Or do you want to come over to my place?”

One of them asked.

“We don’t need to go somewhere noisy, we can just relax at home and then you can leave. We live close by anyway.”

Was that so? Maybe. If their parents interacted and they attended this school, it made sense.

But Hayun found these invitations a bit burdensome.

“Sorry, today I…”

“There’s no one to interfere anymore.”

Someone said that, cutting off Hayun’s words.

“Right. Even when we finally got time alone with Hayun, someone would always come out of nowhere and interfere and take her away.”

“You don’t need to be scared anymore. There’s no one showing off now.”

“Come to think of it, wasn’t she from an orphanage? Maybe she was approaching you with ulterior motives?”

“Why would you say that?”

The girls’ conversation was abruptly cut off by Hayun’s words.

“…Ah, sorry.”

The girl who had been gossiping about Jieun apologized to Hayun. Her expression seemed quite sincere.

“I didn’t mean it that way. There are many stories of people who overcome difficult situations and succeed. But, you know, Hayun.”

She lowered her voice slightly.

“Remember how she would suddenly appear and interfere whenever you tried to do something? How she would butt in and threaten us just for talking to you? Remember? Of course, not everyone in that situation is like that. But… don’t you think it’s a bit strange? If it were just you, Hayun, you could definitely have more friends—”

No, that’s not right.

They completely misunderstood the context.

Jieun would immediately notice when Hayun was uncomfortable and pull her away by the wrist.

Because suddenly being approached by people is scary. Being surrounded by several people throwing various comments is scary.

“I, I… I’m sorry. I have prior plans today…”

“Ah~”

At Hayun’s words, the surrounding girls made overtly disappointed expressions.

“I see. But you’ve been saying that for the past few days.”

“After what happened…”

“Mmm.”

The posture of the standing girls looking down at Hayun sitting in her seat was inevitably one of looking down.

But when Jieun stood like that, it never felt this way.

Her smiling face wasn’t this scary, and there was no feeling of wanting something.

Were the other kids always like this?

Or—

“Hayun, you don’t dislike us, do you?”

A voice that seemed to ask carefully. Eyebrows that drooped slightly as if concerned. A troubled smile.

Everything seemed to show that there was “no malice,” but…

Why?

Hayun was wondering what thoughts lay behind that smile.

‘Was I always this suspicious?’

She was surprised at her own thought.

“Hayun?”

“Huh?”

“You don’t dislike us, do you?”

The question came again.

“No… it’s not that I dislike you…”

“I see, then.”

The girl said, taking Hayun’s hand.

“Then, let’s meet up next time when you’re free. Having more friends isn’t a bad thing. And later, you too—”

Hayun could only listen to that conversation with a blank expression.

Until now, Hayun hadn’t disliked school.

She didn’t like everything about it. As a person, there were parts she didn’t like.

But not now.

As if the “reason to like it” had completely disappeared, school had become a place she just didn’t want to go to.

Only one thing had changed.

Jieun was gone.

Whenever Hayun was being persuaded by someone and hesitating, it was always Jieun who approached and diverted the conversation.

When Hayun was feeling down, it was Jieun who would take her hand and go somewhere bright, buying something sweet to put in her mouth.

Just the absence of such a Jieun had changed people’s attitudes this much.

When Jieun suddenly intervened and took Hayun away, how did people think of Jieun? They probably didn’t think well of her at all.

Had Jieun been taking the glares that Hayun should have received all this time?

“…”

She thought she liked Jieun because Jieun looked at her without calculation.

Did Jieun really want to act that way?

Maybe Hayun, as a friend, saw her that way, and Jieun had to force herself to act that way even though she didn’t want to?

While Hayun wanted others to look at her without calculation, was she actually looking at Jieun with extreme calculation?

She missed Jieun.

But at the same time, she was afraid.

Afraid that the reason she wanted to see Jieun was simply because she wanted someone to be disliked in her place.

No one properly expressed their feelings in front of Hayun. But what was happening behind her back?

Just as Jieun had to work at Noir Corporation, was she actually being severely bullied in places Hayun couldn’t see?

Thinking about that made her feel a bit cold.

“…Jieun…”

She murmured quietly, so others wouldn’t hear.

There was no answer, of course.

Because Jieun’s seat was empty.

Could she come back?

Could they return to their previous life?

Maybe Jieun already doesn’t want to return to that life?

She was scared.

That’s why she jumped up from her seat as soon as the homeroom teacher finished the class and ran out of the classroom with her bag.

Even when she returned home, her father and mother were out. They’ll probably come home late today too. The situation still hasn’t been resolved.

With a slightly tired expression, she went to her room and lay down on the bed without changing her clothes.

What did Jieun think when she looked at Hayun?

She thought she was being good to Jieun.

She often gave Jieun gifts of things she noticed Jieun looking at intently when they were together.

But when she tried to recall, she realized she didn’t really know what Jieun liked. She knew Jieun liked listening to music. And that she listened to all genres without discrimination. Hayun had bought and listened to the same albums Jieun bought.

Beyond that, Jieun had accommodated Hayun. Even without being specifically asked to, even without Hayun saying she wanted to do something.

In reality, Hayun knew nothing about Jieun’s situation.

“…I want to see her again.”

She was afraid of what conversation might unfold. But still, she wanted to meet her.

She wanted to apologize for her mistakes and express gratitude for what she was thankful for.

If they met again, it definitely wouldn’t be a situation where they could talk properly.

But still.

…And that wish was fulfilled before the day was over.

*

“While you were working outside, I’ve set priorities.”

He’s talking as if he did more important work while I was out working.

Well, in terms of food consumption and waste production, James does consume the least among us. He mostly ate nuts and seeds, and not even a handful at that.

He did shower or bathe, but it was enough to fill the sink with water and put him in. These days, I just fill a water basket in the bathroom and put him in. At least he can get out on his own.

A hamster that bathes alone and is toilet-trained—no matter how I think about it, he’s an ideal pet.

Of course, I’m the only one in this house who sees him that way. The Earthaboo at least recognizes James as an “alien,” so whenever I play with James, she looks at me like I’m a serious racist abusing another race.

The reason she didn’t push that narrative was probably because she had some resentment towards James. After all, the Earthaboo was a combatant under James.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

James, who had suffered a lot at my hands, spoke with a wary look at my gaze.

He was already in a position with his front paws—no, hands—on the floor, looking ready to run away at any moment. These days, James would run behind the Earthaboo whenever I tried to catch him. Each time, the Earthaboo’s expression would become even more complicated.

“…Nothing, continue your explanation.”

At my words, James continued his explanation while still looking at me like I was a suspicious person.

“The most important thing is to shake off tracking. I didn’t bother creating combatant tracking technology. Most of them have such weak energy that tracking by energy alone is almost impossible, and it would require much more expensive equipment.”

Right. The Despair Circuit just has a GPS attached to it. I remember hearing from the Class Leader that if you can attach it, that’s much more economical.

The reason Magical Girls are tracked by energy is simple. There’s no one to implant such a GPS in a Magical Girl’s circuit. How could mice successfully plan to put a bell on a cat’s neck?

“So?”

“Tracking is done via satellite. But we can’t bring down satellites.”

Reconnaissance satellites in geostationary orbit. Tracking with satellites that orbit every 90 minutes would only update information once every 90 minutes. It’s better to have satellites in geostationary orbit.

“But what if we damage the base station’s receiver?”

“They could just use a new receiver.”

“Did you know? That technology itself is top secret. It was also made for the government.”

“Are you saying there are no spares?”

That’s strange considering all combatants could go in and see it. There are probably some Magical Girls who know about it too. Since many combatants have been captured, it wouldn’t be strange if some information had leaked.

“Very few know the location of the base station. And yes, that’s right. There are no spares yet. More precisely, they’re being made.”

So.

“If we destroy all of that, we can be free for a while. At minimum a few months, at maximum over a year.”

“…”

But that means we have to commit terrorism.

Isn’t that a bit dangerous?

“The relationship between the Federation and the company has become very bad. There are quite a few ways to leak information. If the Federation learns about this ‘tracking technology,’ they will definitely want it. For the company, this technology is also a ‘check and balance,’ so they can’t just hand it over. Even if they hand over the core technology, they need to keep some cards in their hand.”

“…”

I stared at James for a while.

“You’re really like a villain.”

“What, you flatter me.”

Seeing James with his business-like fur gently bow his head made me oddly annoyed, but I held back for now.

So that’s it.

That means when the two sides clash, we can slip in, achieve our goal, and get out.