Runaway Girl (3)

Runaway Girl (3)

“What a mess.”

Literally.

A mess, chaos, pandemonium.

Despite the late hour, there was no room to step between police, paramedics, and onlooking citizens. In this state, I kept a straight face and burrowed through people’s bodies toward the scene.

“W-weren’t you going to run away right away?”

“Idiot. After drawing this much aggro, there must be some measures taken. Would they just leave the victims alone? I’ll just slip in there too, go somewhere appropriate.”

I had my own plan. Going around haphazardly like this, it seemed unlikely any proper person in this cold world would take in a girl with nowhere to go.

“Jin-ah…”

“What. What’s wrong.”

I completely changed my expression and approached Kim Su-jung with a face like I was about to fall over in shock. A police officer wrapping her in a blanket opened his eyes wide seeing me.

“Do you know her?”

“I went out briefly, then came back when I heard loud noises from home.”

I kept a straight face. Actually, I did say I had something to take care of outside when I left.

“I-I see. Come this way. Something big happened. Don’t go home. You’ll see something terrible.”

The police officer gave me a blanket too without much suspicion. I wasn’t particularly worried about being suspected to begin with. The connector on my hand was the only evidence, but like Ren beside me, ordinary people couldn’t see it.

“Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah… but…”

More concerning was Kim Su-jung’s state. She nodded while trembling. Well, she didn’t directly see it.

That scene of filleting a pig alive.

“Seems So-hyeon unnie is really shocked.”

But Jeon So-hyeon who covered Su-jung’s eyes and ears seemed different. I approached So-hyeon sitting blankly a little ahead.

“You.”

She suddenly pointed a finger at me. That fingertip was trembling.

Her eyes? Naturally looked like they’d been through a violent earthquake.

“Know you’re lucky. If you were there too… couldn’t have covered… all your ears.”

“Who’s helping who? Better take care of your own heart first. Un.nie.”

“…What?”

“No use pretending to be strong like that. I can see how delicate you are inside. You have enough warrior qualities but if you can’t overcome that you’ll end up consumed by yourself.”

“…”

She seemed shocked and was lost for words with a blank face. From my position, she was also someone I cared about slightly as much as Kim Su-jung.

She even dared give me a knock on the head.

“Anyway the job’s done. Throw everything you saw and heard today out of your head.”

I shared my own know-how. It was one of the ways I trained my mental fortitude while adapting to the demon realm in the past.

Just forgetting everything completely. Anyway, considering all the things that would happen in the future, dwelling on it would only hurt me.

“What did you say to unnie?”

“Just to stay strong.”

Returning, I smirked at Kim Su-jung who seemed to have somewhat recovered her spirits.

“Management Bureau! Please make way!”

“Over here!”

Right then, they arrived at the scene making a noisy commotion.

“So, Takiras continued killing despite warnings.”

“Yes. We tried to stop her peacefully, you know?!”

“…I heard you drew weapons and attacked as soon as you saw her face.”

“Anyway! We’re going! We definitely cooperated, right?”

The magical girls left after getting their injuries treated. The one talking with them was a young woman who was a Management Bureau employee.

Heard she was some kind of Office Chief or something.

“No matter how rough that child is, she’s a magical girl. Magical girls absolutely cannot harm those who aren’t evil.”

“But Director Oh. You know that magical girls’ definition of evil is different from our common sense and norms, don’t you?”

At her words with a sigh, someone who looked like a high-ranking police official shook his head. I watched the scene with excitement while drinking hot chocolate brought by a citizen.

“She’s gone beyond Code Red. We haven’t investigated fully yet, but the murdered woman was an ordinary runaway student from the runaway family…”

“Chief! Chief! Another body!”

Then came noise, seems they finally discovered Kim Gwang-hun’s body discarded in the alley.

Naturally another commotion broke out. Watching these scenes, after checking the mood briefly, I made up my mind.

“W-what? Why that expression?”

“What’s wrong with my expression?”

“It’s the expression you had when sneaking onto the criminal organization’s ship saying it was interesting.”

Ren read my expression and started making a fuss. Annoyed, I kicked him away and approached that glasses woman called Director Oh or Director Wu or whatever.

“What is it?”

She stopped the police trying to block me and smiled at me.

I also raised the corners of my mouth slightly. Unlike Kim Su-jung or Jeon So-hyeon, I couldn’t sense the faint evil normally felt from ordinary people from her.

Meaning she was a very good person who could be trusted.

“There was a man called Kim Gwang-hun who ran this runaway family.”

“Uh…?”

“He regularly ordered us to move strange objects and gave us food and shelter in return. Those objects, white powder wrapped in tape and newspaper.”

“…Is that true?”

“Of course.”

I spilled, no, tattled everything.

There were two intentions. To prevent any possible delays, and also to package my image. If they weren’t just an ordinary runaway family but people who professionally transported and relayed drugs, the nature of the crime would be worse.

“Will, will I be arrested too?”

No way since you’re under age. Of course, I covered my mouth as if regretting speaking while acting scared.

“Ah, no. That won’t happen. What’s your name?”

“Lee Jin-ah. That’s Kim Su-jung.”

She waved her hands in panic. Everything up to here was according to my plan.

Now the target will focus on uncovering the runaway family operated as a criminal organization rather than Code Red magical girl Takiras who carried out the massacre.

“What did you talk about with that person?”

“Well. That we did nothing wrong?”

Returning to Kim Su-jung’s side, I smirked. All that was left was to watch the situation while taking a break.

“Come this way. Everyone, let’s rest for today and talk from tomorrow.”

As it got later, the police started gathering and taking away the runaway girls including me.

I also got in the police car with Kim Su-jung and Jeon So-hyeon who stuck close.

Though Kim Su-jung fell asleep oblivious to the world, So-hyeon’s face was dark.

Whether victim or not, fact is she ran away, and looking at things, the work she’d been doing until now didn’t seem very clean either.

“So, you’re saying Takiras just did what she usually does?”

“I only stated the facts. Drug dealing, child abuse, criminal organization operation, etc. All crimes that magical girls count as superior achievements.”

Oh Yun-seo who stayed up all night nodded with a tired face.

Those meeting and talking with her were high-ranking officials including the police commissioner. They sighed here and there as if unsatisfied with her answer.

“Anyway, we must catch Takiras. Over 20 people killed so far. She kills even in situations where killing isn’t necessary.”

“That may be true but…”

“No then Deputy Chief Park. Just how do you propose to catch that child? You said estimated rank S or higher!”

The meeting became noisy. Oh Yun-seo who came as Management Bureau representative first listened to all the police side’s positions then dragged her tired body outside.

The dark circles under her eyes were visible.

“…Eun-seo.”

“I heard everything.”

Then before her as she left the police station, a high school girl appeared. Han Eun-seo, the magical girl cooperating with the Management Bureau who operates under the activity name Aria.

Han Eun-seo naturally handed her the coffee in her hand.

“I’ll find her and definitely break all her limbs.”

“No. Don’t do that.”

“She’s running wild like crazy!”

When she shook her head, Han Eun-seo flared up. But she remained calm.

“You’ll be in danger. Moreover, that arm you twisted and broke. She recovered instantly and appeared. Maybe she’s not alone.”

“…If she’s not alone, I’ll kill the bastards behind her too.”

“I want to talk with that child.”

Oh Yun-seo smiled bitterly. She didn’t like the magical girl system itself that drove young girls to the battlefield from the start.

“She seems to be wandering. That’s why she’s fixated on achievements and acting so rough and extreme.”

“…No matter how young and pitiful, if you have power you need to take responsibility.”

“We can surely set her straight.”

She forced a smile. Knowing her personality, Aria, Han Eun-seo couldn’t say more than that.

“Where are you going?”

“I met some children yesterday. Since they had direct contact with the magical girl too… thought I’d do some tests and counseling, maybe send them to a facility under the Management Bureau. Want to come see? Those kids might become your family too.”

“You know I live independently.”

Though she said that, Han Eun-seo ended up getting in her car.

The car cut across the road straight toward the Management Bureau. There were several girls caught up in yesterday’s incident who were handed over from the police.

The Management Bureau, which researches and handles everything related to magical girls, judged there must be something to get from them too.