Ch.40Chapter 8. Weapons (1)

“…..”

I wondered what to do.

Hayun thought with a blank expression.

In the end, I couldn’t do anything.

Neither talking with Jieun, nor even properly finishing the job.

The mission had failed in the worst possible way.

The plan to maintain the upper hand while giving up the relationship with Noir Corporation had failed miserably.

While the antenna was collapsing, I worked hard to get people outside. Fortunately, the building didn’t collapse, but that didn’t mean it was safe to continue using it.

They said the building could only be used after safety inspections were conducted. Most likely, repair work would be needed. Since it was built to be quite sturdy, it probably wouldn’t need to be demolished or rebuilt.

“Hayun…”

Even in that situation, Cherry worried about me.

The Galactic Federation didn’t blame the magical girls.

Even though Noir Corporation officially criticized us through official channels, and their unilaterally released CCTV footage appeared on the news, they didn’t seem ready to give up their relationship with the magical girls yet.

Of course, that didn’t mean they were planning to immediately deploy magical girls for other tasks either.

Last time, we were credited with stopping a terrorist attack, but this time, we were seen as unnecessarily escalating the situation. Naturally, public opinion toward magical girls had somewhat deteriorated.

“Don’t worry too much! I’m sure everything will be fine.”

But Cherry couldn’t seem to find a more logical way to comfort me. She just repeated empty consolations.

And of course, those words didn’t comfort me at all.

Hayun just sat there with a blank expression, slumped over her desk.

Her mind was filled only with thoughts of Jieun.

I caught a person. Because I didn’t want to become a murderer.

But as soon as I made eye contact with Jieun, I fell.

There were other magical girls there too. But they probably didn’t help because they judged that I would be fine.

Someone who could fly and move much faster than ordinary people.

Naturally, if I caught someone, I should have been able to safely put them down.

The reason I dropped her then—

I was afraid of Jieun’s eyes.

We magical girls had already been brutally beating up Jieun and the people fighting alongside her to resolve the situation.

What must Jieun have thought at that moment?

Did she think I deliberately dropped the person?

I’m not sure. Jieun’s expression was just one of surprise.

She jumped from that high place. And saved me.

While she herself was falling.

I still remember the scream Jieun let out.

…This is the worst. Really.

No matter how I moved, my actions seemed to be heading in a direction that caused Jieun pain.

Where did it all go wrong?

While Hayun was blaming herself as if she might dig a hole in the ground, and Cherry was fidgeting anxiously beside her.

Zing—

The smartphone on the desk vibrated, making Hayun flinch. She was lying face down with her ear against the desk, so the sound seemed extremely loud.

The vibration continued. Looking at it, it was a phone call.

“Rose?”

Cherry murmured.

The smartphone displayed [Seo-hee unnie].

Hayun immediately answered the phone.

“Yes.”

[Hayun.]

The voice on the other end of the phone was somewhat serious.

[Have you seen the news?]

“…The news?”

[So, you haven’t seen it yet.]

It was a hesitant voice.

A voice that seemed to be wondering whether to say this now or not. There were small gaps between her words.

But in the end, Rose seemed to have decided to tell her.

[On the news, that girl… your friend appeared.]

“Jieun?”

[Yes.]

Rose paused briefly before continuing.

[It seems they’re trying to paint her as a terrorist again. The company is being very aggressive about it.]

“What?”

[It’s true that she stole key equipment. Plus, that Squeakean on her shoulder. Apparently, he used to work for Noir Corporation. They say he would know a lot about that equipment.]

“…..”

Sensing that Hayun might want to hang up and search for related information, Rose said:

[I know that incident wasn’t her doing. I saw it myself. But, at least what happened a few days ago is true. A practically completed generator ended up in private hands.]

…We were there because we wanted the generator too.

It was an issue that arose because the Federation and the company were trying to shift responsibility for ambiguous parts onto each other. I don’t know how much of it was what Jieun or that Squeakean were aiming for, but at least the Galactic Federation’s reason for deploying magical girls was definitely not pure.

[…Sigh, I honestly don’t know what to do either. In this situation…]

We could reveal all the facts to the world.

But even then, the Galactic Federation and the company would deny it. They might have already prepared convincing evidence.

Too much time had been wasted while we were hesitating.

If we had time to be confused, we should have kept moving then.

Of course, then my parents would be angry. People around me would treat me like a strange person, and in the worst case, various articles about me might spread through the media.

“…..”

Just like Jieun now.

Right after that thought crossed my mind, Hayun felt as if all the blood in her body had drained away again.

She trembled.

Rose couldn’t see that. So the voice from the phone remained calm.

[If anyone asks for your opinion, I think it’s best not to answer. Let’s discuss how to act going forward. It’s not right for innocent people to suffer… but we can’t go against everything by ourselves, can we? There are people in other countries who could replace us.]

In the Galactic Federation’s plan, the most important figures were beings who could generate energy by circulating circuits through hope.

[…Let’s find a way gradually.]

“…Yes.”

In the end, their conversation ended without any progress.

A way.

What kind of “way” should I be looking for? How can Jieun’s situation be resolved positively and this terrible situation end?

I have no idea.

Even though I thought I shouldn’t hesitate, I couldn’t come up with any solutions.

Moreover.

My “hope” was already extremely weakened.

To the point where I fell while flying last time.

The more I thought about the distance growing between Jieun and me, the more that light of hope seemed to fade away.

Just Jieun’s disappearance was changing my life too much.

“Jieun.”

Hayun slumped over her desk again.

And thought about Jieun.

The more she hesitated, the more time passed, the greater her guilt about Jieun grew. Yet she still had no idea what she should do.

This time too, she had squandered all those opportunities through her own mistakes. She hadn’t managed a single proper conversation.

Jieun even avoided talking to Hayun and left.

Hayun thought about why she had fallen at that crucial moment.

At that moment, she couldn’t feel any magical power from the bouquet.

That bouquet was also an object containing memories with Jieun.

Jieun probably gave it without much thought. I know that.

It wasn’t received on a birthday or any special day.

Jieun just bought it for Hayun when she saw her quietly looking down at flowers. She probably thought I would just put it in a vase for a few days before throwing it away when it wilted.

“…..”

Hayun closed her eyes.

Cherry placed her hand on Hayun’s arm.

But in the end, she couldn’t offer any words of comfort.

*

“Hey.”

“Now you’ve reduced my address to a single syllable. What kind of response are you expecting from me?”

“Why? Isn’t it enough that you know I’m calling you?”

“…I have a name, so use it.”

“Your name isn’t James, it’s Squeaky.”

“That might be how it sounds to your ears, but we have our own pronunciation and tones!”

Yet the planet name is still ‘Squeaky’.

Finding it too tiresome to argue further, I decided to change the subject.

“So, what are you planning to do with that?”

James glared at me, but apparently not wanting to engage in such an argument either, he finally answered my question.

“Well, there’s no way to utilize it right now. If we tried to use it to replace electricity here, the entire area would lose power. And in a way that would damage all connected equipment.”

So that’s why you initially planned to destroy it. But when you actually saw it, you wanted to take it.

“So you’re just going to store it until you can use it?”

“That’s one option, but…”

James looked at me with a raised corner of his mouth.

Extremely creepy. For a moment, his face wasn’t that of a hamster but of a rat.

“What about utilizing it in a slightly different way?”

“In what way?”

“As a weapon, perhaps. Magical girls also use weapons they’ve developed themselves.”

That was true of Iris.

It makes sense in a way, but.

“What if someone takes it away?”

“A magical girl’s weapon can be hidden somewhere invisible to others, one way or another. I don’t know the origin, but seeing that even ‘developed weapons’ can be hidden in subspace, as long as you hide it, it won’t be taken away somehow.”

Even with that expectant look, I have nothing to say.

Magical girls’ weapons are basically transformed from cherished objects. More precisely, objects that can give ‘hope’ whenever they’re seen.

Precious items that make you feel good just by looking at them, helping you not lose your dreams.

After transforming into a ‘wand,’ it disappears from sight. It’s not completely gone, but becomes something that shines like a lamp in the magical girl’s heart, according to the setting.

That’s why when they transform, it’s suddenly in their hand. Even if they initially regret its disappearance, it ultimately stays with them forever as long as they don’t lose hope—a romantic setting.

I’m not sure how Iris can hide her weapon though.

Actually, the principle itself might not be that different. It’s probably just a matter of how much energy can be extracted from the weapon itself.

For reference, the bouquet Hayun has was given to her by her parents.

A bouquet given by her parents when they didn’t see Hayun as a political tool. Probably received after winning some writing competition.

You might wonder how a bouquet could last so long, but plants can be preserved indefinitely if dried properly. As far as I know, it was hung upside down on the wall for years, which is why the flowers could remain relatively undamaged.

The original condition was probably much worse than now. Thanks to magic, the moment it was received is recreated, which is why the bouquet “Blossom” holds is always full of vitality.

“I don’t even know how to do that yet.”

“…We’ll figure it out gradually.”

James looked at me with disdain as he said that in response to my comment.

“Well, I’ll make a weapon anyway. Since there’s nowhere to hide it except in this room, the form doesn’t really matter. Do you have any preferred shape?”

I briefly considered the weapons I had handled before.

“…I know how to use a hammer.”

Recalling the work I used to do with the Earthaboo, I said that, and James shrugged with a sigh.

“That’s a weapon befitting you.”

I wanted to hit him, but I was currently lying face down on the floor.

The semi-basement room now had another electric pad. Since I was earning money now too.

I didn’t mind sleeping next to a woman, but it was awkward since the original occupant of the room—well, not the owner, but essentially the tenant—the Earthaboo, was uncomfortable with it.

“It’s better not to move too much, you know? You were wrapped in bandages until just yesterday.”

The Earthaboo said that, apparently noticing that I was trying to grab James.

“…Sorry.”

“No, you don’t really need to apologize.”

The Earthaboo murmured, looking at me lying on the floor.

I couldn’t go to work for days. My body really hurt. And I wasn’t in a position to go to a hospital or clinic either.

I heard that magical girls heal their bodies with the magical power flowing through them, so I was resting with that hope… I was definitely healing faster than others, but the aches and pains were unavoidable.

As a result, I just mooched off her for several days.

“I think I do need to apologize.”

The Earthaboo said she helped me because I had helped her whenever she was in trouble, but I hadn’t actually helped her that much.

I just had coffee with her and took her home a few times when she was drunk.

It doesn’t seem like something worth risking deportation for.

I was already suspected of being a terrorist, and now I had become an actual terrorist with no way out.

Until recently, opinions about me were quite divided. Because I was a minor and fairly pretty, quite a few people thought “it’s not her fault.”

There were also plenty of people who unconditionally supported or opposed me just to attack each other using my name.

But this incident reversed public opinion.

While it wasn’t definitively determined whether I was responsible for the first incident, this time there was clearly a lot that I had done.

The building happened to be in the middle of Gangnam, and the fact that the huge antenna collapsed inside the building was enough to make people feel threatened.

‘Eco-friendly antenna for next-generation communication technology research’

That’s what the company called what was damaged this time.

They didn’t say a word about it being used to chase magical girls, only claiming that what they were researching to reduce the communication burden on citizens was destroyed because of me.

So, the threats I’m receiving now are incomparable to before. Yet the Earthaboo is still hiding me here.

Why?

The Earthaboo didn’t answer my question.

“…By the way.”

Seeing no sign of an answer no matter how long I waited, I shifted my target back to James.

“Didn’t you say something about shame to me? Is that the kind of energy I need to transform? I thought I heard it was ‘courage’.”

“…!”

James’s ears perked up.

His mouth opened slightly, and his small flesh-colored hands froze in front of his chest.

He looked just like a mouse frozen in front of a cat.

“What’s going on?”

“T-that.”

James glanced around briefly before finally opening his mouth.

“Don’t you know what courage is?”

“Do you think I’m asking because I don’t know what courage is?”

“Hehehe.”

James laughed as if putting on airs.

“…Courage is something that only emerges when you endure some disadvantage.”

“…Is that so?”

“There’s an old saying. If you endure fear for three minutes, that’s courage. That’s right. The courage to endure shame is also courage, and enduring the fear of death is courage too. You showed truly courageous behavior that day. Didn’t you? Jumping from such a high place for a friend who had become an enemy, how courageous is that!”

He’s good at evading.

But James has a point. If we look at the setting, it’s completely wrong, but despair and courage do have something in common.

In this world, the energy of despair emerges precisely when one ‘despairs.’ Interestingly, it doesn’t come when one ‘gives up.’

Humans are animals who can actually feel at ease when they give up and let go of everything. People who strive toward their dreams often stress about their talents, while those who have completely given up on their dreams are sometimes more satisfied with the present and live more comfortably.

That’s why the company can so cleverly deceive by saying ‘that’s the power of courage.’

“Well, fine.”

I exhaled deeply.

I’ll let it go this time.

It’s not like I could do anything even if I didn’t.

James, apparently not wanting to talk with me any longer, quickly turned around and ran. Then he went to his robot, which still had many circuits and parts remaining, and started fiddling with something.

Is he making the hammer I mentioned?

Well, it doesn’t really matter.

If the weapons magical girls have symbolize their dreams and ‘hope,’ then I, who use the energy of despair, don’t need such things.

As long as I can hold it and swing it, that’s enough. Isn’t it fitting? ‘An object with no meaning.’

“…..”

The room fell silent again.

The Earthaboo wasn’t as talkative as I thought. It seems she talked a lot whenever we met simply because we hadn’t seen each other in a while and had accumulated stories.

James is now focused on other work too.

…Ah.

This makes me think about Hayun again.

And about Jihye too.

I wonder if Hayun’s injuries have healed. Is she resting comfortably now? It’s frustrating that I can’t contact her.

As for Jihye… I just hope she’s doing well.

I wonder if there’s a way to send something like a letter.

But for now, no matter how I think about it, it would be the fastest way to get caught. Realizing that there was no way to contact people close to me, I quietly closed my eyes.

Besides, while I might know what to write to Jihye, I wouldn’t know how to write a letter to Hayun. I’ve only written a letter once. Text messages would be different.

Even in this situation, thinking about Hayun makes me uncomfortable in one corner of my heart. I still feel jealousy. Even though I saw Hayun fall to the ground, I didn’t feel like I had won at all.

Various emotions mix together in a sticky mess, and I’m not sure if it’s positive or negative.

If I were wearing the circuit now, it would probably be spinning very quickly.

…It’s really something I don’t like.

The most displeasing thing is that I ultimately chose to do these things I don’t like.