Ch.44. Philo Talk, and.

The fact that being embraced by someone can be more suffocating than expected is probably common knowledge to most people.

Especially when you’re being tightly held like a pillow by someone larger than yourself.

Yes, I’m talking about Blanc, this so-called magical girl of justice. How cruel of her to embrace me and refuse to let go.

Some savior bringing justice, this magical girl is.

Ah, I suppose she passes if justice means keeping evil so confined it can’t escape.

But she fails for tormenting an ordinary civilian like this.

“Blanc… please wake up… I can’t breathe…”

The benevolent villain attempted a feeble rebellion against this pathetic justice who showed no signs of waking up.

I pushed and shook Blanc vigorously, trying to wake her.

“Wake up! Seriously… let me go already!”

Only after shouting for quite some time did Blanc begin to stir and regain consciousness.

“Mmm, just a little longer…”

“Get up and release me already. Wake up now!”

After struggling for a while, Blanc finally woke up and released me, allowing me to regain my physical freedom.

“Huh? Vine…? Ah! S-sorry! Were you uncomfortable?”

“Oh. You’re finally awake… *sigh*… Really, what kind of failed magical girl are you?”

“Vine, I’m sorry… Were you very uncomfortable?”

“Yes. *Sigh*… This is ridiculous, ugh… Anyway, please pay me what you promised.”

“Ah, right.”

“Ten thousand won per hour, and we were together for over 12 hours. Plus, that suffocating embrace surely exceeds the scope of normal services.”

“Vine, you don’t have a bank account or anything like that, right?”

“Correct. Please pay the full amount in cash.”

“Then, let’s go to my place.”

“What? Blanc, your place is the magical girl dormitory, isn’t it?”

“How do you know that?”

“That’s none of your business. Just bring it to me later. I’ll be going now.”

No, that doesn’t make any sense.

Even someone like me has boundaries. Me, a villain, entering a magical girl’s home—a dormitory with other magical girls? Who knows what they’d do to me.

It’s better to avoid unnecessary conflicts with these magical girls.

After Eden’s collapse, living quietly has been hard enough.

And I’m supposed to willingly crawl into a den of magical girls who might harbor ill will toward me?

Absolutely not.

“No, I’ll give you the money at our place. Follow me if you want it.”

*Sigh*, so she’s using money as bait to drag me to that den.

Right now, avoiding being taken there seems more urgent than figuring out her motives.

“I refuse. Why are you trying to drag me to that magical girl lair? Having a villain like me there won’t benefit either of us. You know that.”

“No, this isn’t negotiable. I’m only giving it to you at our place.”

Really, threatening me with payment…

The problem is, if I don’t get that money, I won’t be able to pay my overdue rent and Eden damage compensation…

Without that money, I’d probably be evicted and end up sleeping on the streets.

Then I’d face harassment from civilians in parks and beatings from drunk passersby. I can see it all too clearly.

“*Sigh*, do I really have to go?”

“Yes, if you want the money. Just follow me quietly.”

“There’s really no way out of this, is there?”

“Nope.”

“You’re a magical girl, yet you have no qualms about such villainous thoughts… *sigh*, fine, I give up. But I’ll take the money and leave immediately.”

“So you’re coming? Great! Let’s go!”

“First, let’s wash up. You look… *sigh*.”

“Ah, um…?”

How clueless. How is she supposed to be the strongest magical girl?

She threw off the bathrobe she was wearing, and we left the hotel.

A residential building not far from the bustling area where the hotel was located.

Ah, I really didn’t want to come here.

Walking into this magical girl den of my own accord.

I have bad memories of this place.

Actually, there’s no way I could have good memories of it.

When Ellie was brought here, I came to rescue her.

They knocked her out and dragged her here just for causing a disturbance with one monster, restraining her in an underground facility.

Doing that to Ellie, who’s weaker than me…

Hah, I’ve ended up back here again.

“Come in. It’s not much, but make yourself comfortable.”

“I’m extremely uncomfortable, so just bring the money quickly. Are there other magical girls in the house right now?”

“Hmm, Yuri unnie is sleeping, Seohyun and Arin went to school… Hyewon went to see her sister. So I guess there’s not really anyone around.”

“So someone is here, isn’t that right?”

“You know Yuri unnie’s personality. She sleeps a lot and avoids anything bothersome.”

“Still, she’s here. And if it’s Yuri, isn’t she that pink-haired magical girl?”

“Magical Girl Plum, you’re probably right.”

“Hah, that makes it even worse. Considering what that unemployed nuisance did, I shouldn’t be here.”

“Ah, that? Don’t worry, unnie has probably forgotten about it. She’s not the type to hold grudges.”

“Please talk sense. Do you know that since that day, that jobless one has been specifically targeting me?”

“Really? That can’t be. Besides, she’s deeply asleep now, so she won’t know anyway. You don’t need to worry so much.”

“*Sigh*, fine. Just pay me quickly. I don’t want to stay here a moment longer.”

The interior of the dormitory was like organized chaos—somewhat tidy, but definitely not clean.

I know these magical girls receive government support and earn decent personal income. Why not hire a housekeeper instead of leaving it like this…

Well, not my business. I just want to get paid and return to my warm… no, um… humble but precious home.

“Okay, just sit here for a moment. I’ll be right back.”

“Fine. Please hurry. I want to leave.”

Blanc sat me down in a chair and went into her room.

So many thoughts are running through my head. Why am I sitting here?

Why did I spend the night with Blanc yesterday?

*Sigh*, really. I followed Blanc out of frustration then, but now I wonder if it would have been better to just kick her out and never see her again.

While I was engaged in this bit of self-reflection, Blanc returned with two white envelopes of money.

“Here, this is the money I promised. And this, would you like to see?”

“What? What is that… no, what is this?”

“What you could get each month if you accept my offer.”

“Since I won’t be accepting your offer, this money is just a pie in the sky. Now that our debt relationship is settled, we have no further business. I’ll be going now.”

As I tried to get up from the table with the envelope, Blanc stopped me.

“Then, let’s make a bet instead of an offer.”

“A bet? I’m not particularly interested.”

Really, I’m not interested. Getting involved with magical girls is something I absolutely detest now.

I’m not even committing evil acts anymore, and I don’t want to be involved again.

“I’m leaving. Goodbye.”

And with that, I closed the dormitory door behind me.

Now I really want to go home. Even villains get mentally exhausted…

* * *

Good.

Now I can finally go to my peaceful home.

Where no one will pick fights with me.

Where I can be quietly alone.

But on the way home, it seems a persistent leech has attached itself to me.

Didn’t I say we wouldn’t see each other again when I left?

Why are you following me?

I can feel you sneaking around, you know.

“Blanc, I can see you. Come out.”

“…”

“Your magic use may be blocked, but my magic detection isn’t. Stop hiding and come out. You want to talk, right?”

“…”

“If you don’t come out now, you’ll never get another chance like this.”

“Ah, fine! Yes, I followed you to make an offer.”

“What offer? Will you leave me alone if I listen?”

“I want to formally employ you!”

What?

Employ? A magical girl employing a villain?

“Do you want me to commit sabotage? Is there a building you want blown up, someone you want killed, or a place you want to terrorize?”

“No, no! Not that kind of employment!”

“That’s usually why villains are hired. So why exactly do you want to hire me?”

“Live with us in our house!”

“No.”

“Don’t reject it so firmly. Please think about it once more. I’ll pay you as much as you want. I’ll provide food, clothing, and shelter, plus generous bonuses…”

“Blanc, why are you so obsessed with me? I’m a villain. Don’t you realize what kind of repercussions there would be if it became known that you, a magical girl, were living with me?”

“You don’t have to do anything, just eat and relax… please… okay?”

“Blanc, get a grip. There are other magical girl scraps besides you in your house. Aren’t you considering their opinions?”

“They’ll understand my decision. You just need to choose.”

“Why are you doing this to me? Do you need to keep me under your watch to feel at ease? Is that it?”

“That’s not it! It’s, um…”

“See? Even you can’t explain your reason. Let’s not make this exhausting for both of us.”

“I… I couldn’t protect you…”

“If you’re obsessing over me for such a trivial reason, you’d be better off giving up this fixation and saving other civilians instead.”

“Why, why do you keep belittling yourself like this!”

“I am a villain. A being the world doesn’t need.”

“Who says the world doesn’t need you? Who decided that the world doesn’t need you!”

“That’s just the natural order of things, isn’t it? Villains must disappear. I’ve heard it countless times.”

“Still, you as Vine, not as a villain, are not someone who should disappear.”

“I am a villain. It’s not something you can separate.”

“Are you committing evil acts now? You? Didn’t you say yourself that you’ve stopped your evil deeds?”

“Yes, but the karma I’ve accumulated—”

“You’ve already paid for all that! All that’s left is you, not as a villain! What’s the problem?”

“I am a villain. Blanc, people don’t change easily.”

“No, the you in Eden and the you now are completely different.”

“No, they’re not different.”

“Then let’s bet. Whether you’ll return to being the extremely wicked villain you were then while living with me.”

“Fine. That should be easy.”

“The criterion will be getting a clean admission of defeat from each other.”

“About whether I change or not, right?”

“Yes, and if you win the bet, you can do whatever you want with me.”

“Fine. This will be over quickly.”

This suddenly established bet—I’ll beat Blanc and live quietly.

In my home where no one comes.