Ch.8383. Vines and Citrine (4)

“Your food is ready!”

The employee who had taken a photo with me earlier approached our table, pulling a cart.

The cart was filled with dishes, each one steaming with a tantalizing aroma that made me unconsciously swallow my saliva.

Honestly, I don’t think anyone could see this sight and not have the same reaction.

Especially if you’re in a situation where your energy is depleted after being pushed around by a former magical girl and current bakery owner who made you unable to use your legs.

“Vine, you’re about to drool.”

“…Ahem. No, I wouldn’t do that.”

“Look, yet your eyes are still fixed on the food.”

“Citrus, you’re one to talk, aren’t you?”

Citrus has no right to tease me.

She was the one who reacted first when the food arrived, wanting those glistening, steaming dishes that seemed to say, ‘Please eat me… don’t I look delicious?’

…I can’t deny I did the same, but still, Citrus has no right to tease me.

As the dishes were placed on the table one by one, I tried to serve myself some food on my plate.

“Vine, what would you like? I’ll get it for you. Stay seated.”

“I can reach it.”

“Really?”

“…I just need to stand up a little to reach that end.”

“Just stay seated. What would you like?”

“Ah… that salad, please…”

“Sure, is this enough?”

“Yes. Thank you… I’ll serve myself from here.”

“It’s nothing. It would be uncomfortable for you to stand up when you can’t reach. It might splash on your white clothes, you know? Besides, I need to move around to take care of my sister anyway.”

“…Sigh. Alright. Are you really going to make me take advantage of you?”

“Oh, yes, yes. Please take advantage of me all you want.”

“Ha, I can’t even joke around.”

I took a bite of the salad Hyewon had served me, generously coated with dressing.

The sweet and sour yogurt blended perfectly with the bitter vegetables, creating a delicious harmony.

The occasional burst of cherry tomatoes added a tangy accent that complemented everything wonderfully.

“Salad… ah.”

“You seem to like the salad? But this place is known for its pasta. Hmm… Vine, you really chose well. You have good taste. What else would you like?”

“I’ll happily eat anything you give me.”

“Come on… then, would you like this?”

“Yes, sure…”

Hyewon scooped some chicken cream spaghetti from nearby and handed it to me.

Hmm… sitting here, I really can’t reach it…

If I can’t reach it, there’s nothing I can do. Right.

I’m only asking Hyewon because I genuinely can’t reach it.

Once I convinced myself of that, I felt much more at ease.

“Yum… oh, this is delicious. Hyewon, please eat too.”

“Yeah. Oh, the meat’s getting cold. Give me your plate.”

But having my plate filled before I even asked for anything… it felt like I was really becoming her younger sibling…

If she’s asking what I want to eat and bringing it to me as soon as my plate is empty, I could proudly say I’m receiving more attention than I expected.

“You eat well. Just watching our babies eat makes this sister feel full. Hehe…”

“Um… since when did I become your sibling, Citrus… nom.”

“Hm? You’re Hyewon’s friend, right? That makes you my sibling too, doesn’t it?”

“You seem to have forgotten that you’re a magical girl who fought against me? The same goes for Hyewon. You’re both my enemies. Slurp… nom.”

“What kind of enemy eats together at a restaurant like this? And so adorably at that.”

“Come on, I’m not adorable. Are you making fun of me? Chomp. Nom.”

“Pfft… sure, sure. Eat up.”

Seriously. She keeps calling me adorable.

After finishing our meal and stepping outside, we could see that there were many people in front of the restaurant.

“Um… Hyewon, did you expect this?”

“Ah, well… it would be a lie if I said I didn’t expect it, right?”

Judging by how the voices grew louder and the murmuring started as soon as we came out, they were definitely fans…

“How are we going to get to the aquarium like this?”

“Ah, these people will make way for us, so it’ll be fine. Probably? You don’t need to worry about what you’re thinking.”

Hyewon started walking, pulling Citrus’s wheelchair as she spoke.

Just as she said, as we began to walk, the crowd in front of us parted in half, making way for us.

The sight of people voluntarily stepping aside to clear a path, without anyone blocking our way…

“…Wow.”

“Told you, right?”

“I didn’t think it would actually work… before, clearly…”

Like those reporters and crowds of people I met at the courthouse and various other places.

I thought they would just rush at me without hesitation.

And so, I was worried about causing trouble for Hyewon and Citrus again.

“What are you spacing out for? We need to go down quickly if we want to view comfortably. If all these people follow us in, we won’t have any space to see. Let’s go in quickly.”

“Ah, yes.”

Without having to harm anyone to move forward, we simply emerged from the crowd surrounding us into an empty department store.

Because of that, we could easily reach the aquarium.

Except for when I had to stop the staff from trying to issue tickets for two adults and one elementary school student, either not recognizing me or mistaking me for a child, there were no issues.

Honestly, it’s almost scary how smoothly things are going.

Is someone giving out instructions somewhere…?

* * *

Vine was having a lot of fun.

Like other children her age, she smiled as she explored here and there.

“Hyewon, look over there. The stingray is… is it bigger than me?”

“Maybe? Have you never been to an aquarium before?”

“No? I’ve brought my younger cousins here before, when I wasn’t in this body. It feels different from when I saw it then, so it’s fascinating.”

“Hmm…”

As I followed her around the aquarium, I pondered deeply.

Why do I have these feelings toward Vine?

Right, come to think of it, Vine and I… we’re the same gender.

But why…

Ah, have I already fallen for Vine?

Have I been caught by the vines that ensnare people?

…Ah.

So that’s it.

That’s what it was.

Over there with a bright face,

“Hyewon! Look here! It’s an emperor penguin. Doesn’t it look like you? Pfft.”

“How am I like a penguin?”

“You resemble it in many ways. Like when I saw you in battle. It’s cute. Penguins really are…”

Indeed, if an ordinary ‘villain’ had said something like that to me, would I have stayed calm?

No, I probably would have raised my hand first.

A villain teasing me, saying I look like a cute but silly-looking penguin, and I’m just smiling?

How?

…Is it because Vine is different?

Despite the time we’ve spent together being a speck compared to the time we’ve been fighting…

Is it because I can tell she’s different…?

No, why am I… from where did I…

Whether she knows about my confused feelings or not.

Still with that bright face, looking at me and just.

“Hyewon? You’re making such a strange expression while looking at something cute. Come on, isn’t that penguin in the corner cute? The way it waddles… pfft…”

“So, Hyewon. What are you thinking about so deeply, my little sister?”

“No, umm… it’s nothing. The penguin is cute. That one over there looks like you, though?”

“No, if you look at the yellow head and behavior of these penguins, they’re exactly like you. Look. Ah, it fell down.”

“I don’t fall like that, you know.”

“Pfft… really? I’ve seen otherwise.”

“That was in the past. I might have done that as a student, but now…”

“Even now, the videos look similar. When you went out with Arin, you were trying so hard not to make mistakes. I had a hard time holding back my laughter.”

“Hey…!”

“Well, you were cool. To show such a side of yourself to protect Arin. That was cool of you, for someone like you.”

“…Ugh.”

“Ah, I noticed earlier that there’s something happening at that performance hall in 30 minutes. Was it a dolphin show? Would you like to go see it?”

“There was something like that?”

“Did you plan today’s itinerary without knowing? Hmm… it’s almost time, shall we go?”

“Ah, yes. Sis? Want to go?”

“Hyewon, if you want to go, we should go. Can this get in too?”

“Usually, wheelchairs are given the front row seats.”

And so, we entered the large performance hall.

It’s amazing they could create such a spacious area underground.

A space that can accommodate many people, with seats at the very front for those who can’t climb stairs.

“Oh. Thanks to Vine, we get to sit in the front row. That’s nice.”

“Really… Citrus, you…!”

“Pfft. What, can’t I say that?”

“No, ah, uh… ah… ugh… s-sorry…?”

“It’s okay. Vine’s face turned red. Sorry, sorry. But Vine’s reactions are so fun! You have a face that makes people want to tease you.”

“No, you really… haa… I guess I deserve it… because I’m bad… yes…”

“Come on. It’s fine, it’s fine. Life’s not so bad even without legs.”

“Ah… ahh…”

“Oh! I said it’s really okay? Hey! Lee Hyewon! What did you do to Vine?”

“Huh, why me…”

“What did you say to Vine about my legs? I told you I’m fine.”

“No, I didn’t say anything…”

“Right? I believe you wouldn’t say anything behind my back after I forgave you. Our sister is kind. Right?”

“No, I really didn’t…”

I wonder if my sister even realizes that I’m the one being bullied here.

This strange feeling, as if my heart isn’t my own, overwhelms me.

Sigh…

My sister, perhaps realizing that I truly didn’t do such a thing, started playing with Vine’s hair as we waited for the performance to begin.

The lights dimmed for a moment.

A spotlight illuminated the stage.

With a majestic sound, the aquarist appeared.

…Vine, you say you’re not excited, but with that expression.

How cute.

Ah.

This is because she’s family.

Because she’s a new family member.

Finding her cute is something I feel because she’s family.

If she’s family, I can think she’s cute.

If she’s family, I can harbor these fond feelings.

See, just as naturally as my sister treats her like a younger sibling.

I must be thinking of Vine as a younger sibling too.

The only emotion I could have for someone of the same gender, especially someone who looks so young, is familial love.

Yet, there was something that seemed unexplained. Something I couldn’t understand.

…But all of that must be because she’s family.

Family.

Family.

It has a nice ring to it.