Ch.4949. Look at Me Straight

I enjoy feeling the warmth while holding Eli and Arin’s hands.

And the things Arin tells me.

About how people were while I was asleep.

What the Association Director did, and how the magical girls at home managed.

“Oh, right. How many days was I collapsed like this…?”

“Ah, it’s been about ten days since then… Just a moment…”

Arin briefly took out her phone to check the date, then informed me it had been exactly 15 days.

“15 days… I was lying down for quite a long time. Oh, then the house…”

“Hmm, we managed fine by ourselves even without you, unni. We were doing pretty well.”

“No, the terrible state I saw before I collapsed can hardly be called ‘doing well.’ Sigh. I’ll have to clean up first when I get back.”

“Oh right. Should I tell you something interesting?”

“Something interesting?”

“It seems Seohyun unni really depended on you after you came. After you collapsed, she was depressed for a while, couldn’t get up, was late for everything… Haah. You have no idea how hard I worked to wake her up.”

“The redhead is certainly difficult to wake up.”

“And you know what? When I tried to wake her, she’d say, ‘Just a little longer… Bine…’ Doesn’t this mean she’s completely fallen for you? She’s truly become a corrupted magical girl.”

Just then, the redhead who had been secretly listening from behind got upset.

“Arin! I never…!”

“See? Whenever I mention this, she blushes and protests like that. I told her that every time I woke her up, and yet she… Pfft…”

This is the perfect time to tease her.

“Did you really do that? No matter how much you like me… I never thought…”

“No, I never did that! Those are all lies Arin made up!”

“Hmm… really?”

The way her face reddens with each probing question.

She didn’t need to so obviously show that her denials were false.

“O-Of course! I-I would never do something like that…!”

Well, she’s really bad at lying in these situations…

“Well, I’m glad you like me. At least I can rest assured I won’t be assassinated in my sleep. So, Arin, do you have any other stories?”

“Well… Hyewon unni came by every day asking if you were okay… Since she commutes to the Association, she was here almost daily. She just stepped out for a bit today… but said she’d be back soon.”

“Hmm, the crybaby was concerned about me?”

“Yes. She was thinking about you a lot deep down. She’d come in every day grumbling, ‘When is she going to wake up? Seriously. Such a bother. And when unni heard you collapsed, she immediately asked where you were and rushed over…’ Sometimes she’d get angry saying she’d stop your sister. Haha… really.”

“What… You mean news of my collapse spread all the way to Citrus? Haha… Really. Such a commotion over a villain like me collapsing.”

“The real commotion was caused by someone else. But truly, many people are worried about you.”

“Such concern isn’t necessary for a villain like me…”

Arin’s grip on my hand tightened.

And it wasn’t just her hand that tensed.

“Don’t say things like that.”

“Arin…?”

“If you say that, what does it make of all the people who worried about you? Yes, I’m finally saying this, but you’re always saying you’re a villain, that you’re someone who should disappear from this world, that you don’t deserve things… What are you talking about?”

Huh…? Did I do something wrong…?

Her voice grew increasingly agitated.

“And thinking about it, this is strange too. You’ve already paid for your crimes, yet you keep saying you’re a villain, an evildoer. Really… Unni. You’re not a villain anymore…”

“Arin…”

“And please value yourself more, okay? Your body isn’t just your concern anymore! Even Elis over there, I realized she cares terribly about you. Not just her, but Yunseul unni, Hyewon unni… Yuri unni… even the Association Director! Really. When there are so many people around you who care, how can you say such things!”

“I-I’m sorry… Arin… It’s just…”

“Ugh… really… Do you know what you did wrong? Do you actually understand?”

“Y-Yes… I do!”

“What did you do wrong then?”

“W-Well…”

Arin’s piercing gaze bears down on me.

As I try to avoid her gaze, which has become not just sharp but actually painful—making me realize that a mere look can sting—

“Unni? Why are you avoiding my eyes? Look at me properly and tell me. You said you knew what you did wrong.”

“Yes, um… well…”

As I hesitated…

“Unni.”

“Yes…?”

“You heard me clearly, right?”

“Yes, but…”

“Tell me what you did wrong. Come on.”

“W-Well… but… I really am… a villain…”

“Not that.”

“Oh, um… I’m sorry for disregarding everyone’s concern…?”

“And?”

“And… I’m sorry for causing you all to worry…?”

“Haah… Fine. That’s enough for now.”

“Huh…?”

“Come here. Let me give you a hug, unni.”

Hmm…?

Not understanding what this means, or why Arin suddenly got angry in the first place.

And then I’m suddenly embraced by Arin, whose anger has subsided…

“Ugh, hey, you…! This isn’t what we talked about!”

“With things like this, it’s always a gain to take what you can get when you can.”

“That’s cheating! Bine! Hug me too!”

“Gah?!”

As if being suddenly embraced wasn’t enough, I’m now tackled by Elis, whom I’d forgotten about while focusing on Arin, and end up sandwiched between the two…

“P-Please spare me! Elis, let go…!”

“No! I heard everything. If I don’t do this, you’ll run away again!”

“Ugh… can’t… breathe…! Ack…”

“Bine unni, don’t ever think about running away again. You won’t commit any more evil deeds, right?”

“A-Arin… please let go first…”

“I’ll let you go if you promise not to run away.”

“Yes, yes! I, I pro… promise…”

Arin released me just as I was about to suffocate.

Barely freed from between Arin and Elis, as I try to gather my wits, they both grab my hands again.

Now holding tight so I can’t escape.

Haah, I should just give up.

I wasn’t planning to run away anyway.

Even though I said I would run away, it seems even those words had a negative impact on Arin.

Haha… I suppose this was a disaster I brought upon myself…

I shouldn’t have said such things in front of Arin.

It just came out as a habit…

As I was thinking this.

The closed door burst open, and the crybaby with bright blonde hair rushed in.

“Is Bine awake?”

“Why are you shouting? Yes, I’m right here.”

Sitting slightly reclined on the hospital bed, I’m in a position where it’s easy to make eye contact with anyone entering the room.

Looking at her sunlight-like presence, I feel relieved, but at the same time, I’m concerned about Arin who’s holding my hand…

“Wait, wait a minute. Bine, that child next to you…”

“You mean Arin…?”

“Not Arin. That, that one next to you…”

“Oh, you mean Elis?”

“You, don’t tell me… you brought her… no, that’s impossible… Did she put some device on you…?”

“No, from what I heard, Blanc brought her. Didn’t you know…?”

“What, Yunseul brought her?”

“That’s what I heard. Oh, she’s right behind you. Wouldn’t it be better to ask her directly?”

Just then, a silver-haired woman and a sturdy middle-aged man entered.

“Hyewon, what’s wrong?”

“Eek?! Y-You startled me!”

The crybaby seemed to want the whole world to know how genuinely startled she was, as she literally jumped in shock.

“Were you that surprised? I never saw this side of you on the battlefield. I’ll store this memory in a corner of my brain forever. Pfft.”

“Hey, hey! D-Don’t do that! Forget it, forget it!”

“It’s not something I can forget just because I want to!”

As I teased the crybaby, she tried to lunge at me, but Blanc stopped her.

Holding her shirt lightly to keep her back, Blanc ignored the crybaby who looked at her with tearful eyes asking why she was stopping her.

“Oh, Blanc. You’re back? Where are the staff members?”

“They said they were bringing some examination equipment. I went to the Director’s office first and brought him along.”

“I see. It must have been a while, I suppose? For me it feels like just a moment ago, but for the Director, it’s been 15 days.”

“Yes, it’s been a while. I’m glad you’re awake.”

“Hmm, rather than that, I have something to say to the Director… Ah.”

Wait, I think I just destroyed the floor…

I was so angry at Elis that I had trouble controlling my strength…

And the materials used in this room seemed quite expensive.

I should probably keep that to myself for now.

“Bine? You had something to say?”

“Ah, um… the training ground, yes. Is the training ground okay?”

The Director’s response to my question was simply to hold his head in his hands.

Right, it wouldn’t be okay.

Even though it wasn’t that intense a fight… the last memory I have of the training ground is…

It was in ruins…

“Well, we’ve already replaced it with spare equipment from the Association, but you completely demolished it.”

“I-I’m sorry about that… haha…”

“No, it’s my fault for cutting the budget without anticipating such an intense battle. We’ll just build the new training ground bigger and stronger.”

“Haha… I see…”