Ch.72Chapter 13. Counterattack (4)

I’m not stupid enough to immediately execute a plan just because I have a rough draft.

Of course, I do have impulsive tendencies. Like when I stormed into the headquarters last time.

But back then, there weren’t any other viable alternatives. I couldn’t hide in Pang Pang’s house forever. The longer I stayed in the middle of the city, the higher the chances of getting caught would have become, and above all, I felt guilty toward Pang Pang.

I came out without knowing the situation would improve this much, but now that things have gotten this much better, the plan needed to be a bit more careful.

First, before hitting the complex, we strike other important locations of the corporation.

Preferably in a way that would confuse Noir Corporation about our true objective.

“The headquarters building is the one in front of Seoul City Hall. Actually, that place isn’t as significant as you might think. It’s just where the head quarters are, but it’s not where actual research or design takes place. Of course, you can’t separate management and strategy from a corporation, but what you need isn’t management strategy.”

That was true.

It might be the most important building for the corporation. It’s where the company’s direction is decided, and stock prices would fluctuate based on what the people working there say.

How many companies in the world operate without money?

“So the corporation is probably considering the possibility too. Since you escaped with all limbs intact, they’ll think your ultimate target will be the complex itself. That’s what rational thinking would suggest. Because you need to win.”

“So?”

“You just need to show them that you’re not entirely rational. To be honest, you haven’t exactly displayed rational behavior in the past either. The company will probably be fooled by your actions.”

Hmm.

Something about that statement doesn’t sit well with me.

I’m aware of it myself, but having someone else point it out is a completely different story.

If I think about James’s comment bluntly, isn’t he saying that the corporation doesn’t think I’ll attack after deep consideration and planning?

“Wouldn’t it be a method to use what the opponent considers a weakness as a strength?”

“…So you’re saying I should make them think I’ve lost my reason and am hitting strange places while ignoring the most important parts?”

“Exactly. Isn’t that something you want to do anyway? Destroying things without reason while venting your directionless anger. Especially if the targets you’re smashing are the very entities that drove you to this situation, I don’t see any reason to refuse.”

Unable to deny those words, I hesitated for a while.

“Well, fine.”

Eventually I nodded. What choice did I have? Directionless stress is most easily forgotten when rampaging thoughtlessly. Until now… I’ve felt that sensation quite often.

“But right now, I’m not alone. The magical girls are also moving with me. What if they think the magical girls planned this and told me about it? You’re here too.”

“Then we just need to show that this group is divided. You rampage, and the magical girls urgently try to stop you.”

“That’s—”

But someone interrupted James’s words.

Hayun, raising one hand slightly, looked back and forth between James and me with somewhat anxious eyes.

“Wouldn’t that make Jieun’s situation even worse?”

“There’s no image left to worsen, is there? And if we succeed in the end and it’s revealed that this side was wronged, that bad image will improve all at once. I’d like you to remember once again that everyone here has already crossed a line of no return to some extent.”

“……”

At James’s words, Hayun closed her mouth.

After briefly looking around to see if anyone would object, James slowly continued.

“And while we’re at it, I’d like you magical girls to also express that you’re filled with indignation. The more fake targets, the better.”

I looked toward the kids.

They were all just hesitating with expressions that showed they didn’t know how to respond.

Even if it was just a job, even if they were politically involved, even if somewhat realistic settings were attached due to the webtoon’s nature, magical girls are still magical girls.

Wonderful kids who use hope as energy to fight against enemies.

It’s natural for them to react this way to being told to destroy things here and there for purely emotional reasons.

“…Since we have time for now, let’s take a bit more time, and tell me if there are any shortcomings.”

Only after I said that did the kids nod.

James called it a deception operation to achieve our goal, but the reality was slightly different.

These words ultimately meant that for my goal, you all need to get more deeply involved too.

No, they’re already so deeply involved that I don’t even know if they can pull out.

“Then I’ll select the targets. Since I need to gather information, it’ll take at least a few days. Please spend your time as usual until then. You all already know this, but please don’t go anywhere far.”

*

Should I ask James to make a game console or something?

Even if not the latest console game system, he might be able to make a toy-like game console in black and white.

Come to think of it, I’ve never owned such things in this life. Forget game consoles, I didn’t even have a personal computer. If I had homework to do, I had to use the computer that everyone at the orphanage shared, and buying one for my personal use… even if I had money, it would have been behavior that drew unwanted attention.

Usually I spent time having various conversations with Jihye. Or I’d go out somewhere.

Someone once said that to farm, you have to be extremely diligent.

Farming is also a battle with nature. Things that humans consider nutritious are mostly nutritious to other animals too, and land where such things can grow is also good land for other creatures to grow.

But we cultivated our fields with magic.

Actually, it wasn’t grand enough to call it “we.” Even without me paying special attention, Dalia and Delphinium took care of everything.

So the saying “you have to be diligent” was somewhat distant from me.

Rose went around looking for corners of the house to repair. Though she was young enough to be called a little girl, Rose already had quite a sturdy body even without being a magical girl, and she fully demonstrated her skills when doing various physical tasks.

I often stayed by Rose’s side helping with the work. Though Rose ended up moving the heavy stuff anyway.

Iris worked with James making and adjusting various equipment. James wanted “information” and “concealment,” and as the two put their heads together to make this and that, the situation gradually improved. We still didn’t have parts to make things like TVs, but now we could hear quite a lot of information that was available through sound.

Hayun also meticulously searched around for places to improve. She always took on even the dirtier jobs with a smile, and thanks to Hayun’s leading example, we could live without major friction.

In such an atmosphere, even my temperament couldn’t dare stick its head out.

Even I live with at least minimal awareness of the mood. When I’m essentially freeloading, throwing tantrums would just be unseemly.

I felt it more keenly because I’d done it before.

It would have been more comfortable if they had gotten angry and distanced themselves from me instead.

…….

A day passed like that, and around sunset I washed up.

Hayun and I were together as always.

During that time alone, I absolutely couldn’t be at ease. I always sat with my back toward Hayun, and I assume Hayun did the same.

After washing the dust off my body as cleanly as possible and drying my hair as much as possible, there was nothing more to do.

I went outside and spent time walking around the area.

During work, we didn’t have that much time to talk to each other, and I could substitute answers by pretending to concentrate on something.

But not when resting.

The magical girls chatted about various things, and sometimes tried to include me in conversations.

I wasn’t used to such situations and felt uncomfortable, so eventually this routine of walking around this neighborhood where only we lived became a kind of routine.

And every time I left the house, there was someone who followed behind me.

Those light footsteps were naturally Hayun’s.

When she first followed me here, Hayun’s condition wasn’t entirely good, but at some point Hayun’s condition improved enough that she could even hum.

I could vaguely tell that this was “because she was with me.”

What am I to her, really?

…But I couldn’t bring up that topic in front of her. Hayun would surely look hurt just from hearing those words.

The village wasn’t that big, so it took less than 10 minutes to reach the end.

When I got there, I casually sat on a wooden chair nearby.

A wooden chair you might see in very old movies set in schools, with paint peeled off so it looked somewhat whitish.

We’d found it in a corner of the ruins, dusted it off, and brought it here.

The path from the forest to the road was somewhat open, but at this time it just looked dark. Only the occasional passing car lights reminded us that we weren’t completely cut off from civilization.

Actually, those faint lights made the scary atmosphere even more ominous. The light couldn’t reach inside here anyway, and after the light passed, the forest looked particularly darker.

Hayun sat in the seat next to me.

Also a chair we’d brought here.

The reason I brought a chair here was because I didn’t want to drag a chair all the way here every time I came out.

Hayun had brought another chair for herself next to mine at some point, and every time I came here, she sat beside me and spent time together.

We were both sitting in different chairs, but at a distance that made me wonder if we were sitting too close together.

Hayun gently leaned against my side.

Creak. The chair squeaked again.

Hayun’s hand came up over my hands resting on my knees, slowly moved along my skin, and matched finger to finger.

Then slowly moving along beside those fingers, she put her fingers between mine and intertwined them.

Perhaps because we’d been in warm water until just a while ago, Hayun’s hand was incredibly warm and soft.

The floral scent brushed past my nose again.

Now I’m certain this isn’t a scent from shampoo. This fragrance came from Hayun even when she hadn’t washed.

Why did I only notice now? It’s not like we’d never hugged before.

Come to think of it, outside, there was no reason for us to stick close together like this.

Both Hayun and I usually kept our distance. There wasn’t really a reason. It just felt like we should.

So every time our bodies touched, I was too tense to have the leisure to notice things like scents.

Had Hayun always smelled this good?

Was I the only one who hadn’t noticed, or was it because I couldn’t distinguish scents properly?

Every time Hayun stayed by my side like this, I had the same thought.

Why?

Does this mean I’m such an irreplaceable person to Hayun?

I opened my mouth wanting to say something, then closed it again.

“……”

“……”

Hayun also didn’t say anything for a long while.

She had no intention of letting go of my hand. How much time passed? For some reason, I felt like I shouldn’t look at my watch right now, so I stayed frozen in place.

I couldn’t throw another tantrum today after doing it yesterday.

I was already an unseemly person, and I didn’t want to become even more unseemly.

I just mulled over incomprehensible emotions that my mind couldn’t understand.

“We’ve done this before.”

“We’ve done this before?”

But at Hayun’s sudden words, I found myself asking back without thinking.

Hayun didn’t seem to care at all that I didn’t remember, and slowly continued.

“Yeah.”

“When?”

Even when I asked that, Hayun didn’t answer.

She just stayed there leaning against me, as if enjoying my body heat.

When Hayun finally got up, my shoulder was slightly damp.

Enough that I had to briefly consider whether I needed to wash again.

*

It was something from childhood.

In middle school.

When she was in middle school, Hayun felt much more severe pressure than when she was in elementary school.

Back when she wasn’t a magical girl yet. When she’d just become a middle schooler and was receiving regular test scores for the first time.

Even though her test scores started with ‘9’, her parents weren’t entirely satisfied.

Their expectations were always set higher.

Even with objectively high scores and high rankings, they were people who hoped those numbers wouldn’t drop any lower.

Hayun tried hard. Talented as she was, Hayun always tried to meet her parents’ expectations.

She had to go to academies in between, and with piano competition practice on top of that, Hayun reached a point where it became difficult to make personal time.

There was no option of prioritizing one thing. Everything had to be perfect.

Unable to play with friends, kids naturally started drifting away from her. Barely maintaining her grades, she received a lot of envy and jealousy.

She’s being dramatic, always studying again, grades are more important than friends.

With Hayun’s personality, quitting places she’d already started attending was “not allowed.”

Then, the first time her grades dropped was during the first test of her second year.

Her parents didn’t yell loudly, but they couldn’t hide their disappointment.

Questions about whether her condition had been poor lately. Questions about whether there was something else preventing her from concentrating.

Both were accurate.

She was too busy and had few ways to relieve stress, so stress had accumulated a lot, and she had to handle too many things at once, making it difficult to concentrate.

Telling them wouldn’t change anything.

“Want to take a walk?”

It was then that she heard those words from Jieun.

In Hayun’s eyes, Jieun seemed endlessly free. Yet with that freedom, she never left Hayun’s side.

When Hayun stayed at school to study, Jieun also stayed and studied with her. If she seemed to have worries, Jieun would ask what she was thinking, and if she was sitting alone somewhere, Jieun would come sit beside her without saying much.

On the way home from school, Jieun said that and pulled Hayun’s hand.

Before she could say she had to go to academy, Jieun was already pulling Hayun along, walking through an unfamiliar place.

Literally walking.

Without taking the bus home, they walked for a long time and arrived at some walking trail.

Jieun plopped down in one of the spots and patted the seat next to her.

“Sit here.”

“……”

With a bewildered expression, Hayun sat down.

Jieun didn’t say anything. For a long while.

As if she would just stay there for her.

From some point on.

Hayun found herself talking to Jieun about various things.

Mostly complaints about her current situation. To the extent that she was surprised that she was saying such things—no, that she had even been thinking such things, Hayun was pouring out her thoughts.

Jieun listened to all of it silently, not missing a single word until the end.

Only after spilling everything did Hayun blush. Embarrassed that she’d told such stories to her friend.

Had she gotten tired of it?

Like the other kids had, would she get tired and leave her side?

But after thinking quietly for a few minutes, Jieun suddenly said.

“Then let’s go to the same high school.”

“Huh?”

Had we talked about that?

Ah, I think we did.

For middle school, she’d gone to an ordinary nearby school. Since Jieun seemed to live in a similar area, she ended up going to the same school as in elementary school.

Her parents wanted her to go somewhere else for high school, and naturally going to such a place would mean parting with what few friends remained.

“We can go together. I’m… studying.”

“Still……”

Hayun forcibly swallowed whatever words were about to come out.

“What’s impossible about it? My grades are high even now.”

“……”

At Jieun’s words, Hayun couldn’t say anything for a long while.

Slowly, some warm emotion rose from deep in her chest.

“And you didn’t go to academy today. Should I go get scolded together with you?”

“…No, it’s okay.”

“If it really doesn’t work, at least use my name. I could get scolded instead.”

“…It’s okay.”

That “it’s okay” was sincere.

Even in situations where they couldn’t see each other often, Jieun tried to stay by her side for a long time somehow, and always waited until school ended to go home together.

Since she’d done this much after seeing her struggling.

That much was unavoidable, she thought.

“Should we go now?”

As if realizing this too late, Jieun said with an embarrassed and sorry expression.

Her face lit by the streetlight was smiling awkwardly.

“…No. It’s probably almost over anyway.”

Hayun said that and rested her head on Jieun’s shoulder.

“Let’s just stay a little longer before going.”

“Whatever.”

The two stayed like that for a long while.

Hayun became a magical girl about half a year later.

Just becoming a ‘magical girl’ and consistently doing that work seemed to satisfy her parents in a different direction, because when Hayun said she didn’t want to attend academy anymore, they allowed it.

And thanks to that, she had more time to spend with Jieun.

Jieun kept her promise and went to the same high school as Hayun.

…Thinking about it now, even if they hadn’t gone to the same high school, wouldn’t the two have met somehow anyway?

Seeing how they can be together like this now—

“……”

Hayun, leaning against Jieun’s shoulder, was lost in such thoughts in a daze.