Chapter 49: Countdown (1)

“…What?”

“The Deputy Director has restricted your movements. As of this moment, you’re not permitted to leave your room for any reason.”

The words hit me harder than I expected.

‘Why would Hojun do this…?’

Had I somehow offended him?

“…Alright. Let’s head back.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I turned my wheelchair around without much choice.

Creak.

In place of my assistant, Byeolhwa was now the one pushing my wheelchair.

It was supposedly under Hojun’s special orders.

He had assured me—very uncharacteristically—that I could trust Byeolhwa without worry, that nothing bad would happen.

It wasn’t like him to express such trust, even toward his own daughter.

But… he had a point.

And so, I chose to believe him.

At the very least, Byeolhwa’s remorse was obvious.

She really did seem to have a strong, upright heart—a true magical girl.

All I could do was trust her.

No matter the outcome.

Clang.

“…Thank you.”

“It’s nothing, Janwol-nim.”

I gathered a bit of courage and gave Byeolhwa a small smile.

Byeolmuri (TL note: Byeolmuri is Byeolhwa’s alias) smiled faintly back.

Beep–

Still, for some reason, the necklace she wore kept emitting a mechanical beeping sound.

It had already been about a week since this new life began.

Ever since Aewon left, I’d been virtually imprisoned in my room under the excuse of “security concerns.”

No more freedom to move around.

I accepted it.

At least, until today—until Hojun fully restricted my movements.

I sat quietly on the bed.

Sharing the room with a magical girl felt strange.

Memories from that day kept resurfacing, making it hard to look at Byeolhwa with pure affection.

“…The doll.”

“H-Huh…? The doll… why…?”

It was a small, slightly battered white teddy bear.

Though worn with age, it was a precious keepsake that had stayed by Ianna’s side for as long as she could remember.

I hugged the doll tightly, worried Byeolhwa might try to take it, and looked at her with wary eyes.

“It’s cute.”

“Yeah…”

I felt a little relieved.

Byeolhwa seemed to recognize the teddy bear’s charm.

Without it, I couldn’t fall asleep properly.

Still, I worried—what if she tried to take it away because she liked it?

“Can I sit next to you?”

I nodded.

Byeolhwa sat right next to me—so close that our thighs were touching.

The beeping sound from her necklace grew even louder.

“Um… I’ve been wondering… what exactly is that?”

“…It’s a punishment.”

“Punishment?”

“Han Hojun… he said if I truly regretted my sins, and if I wanted to stay by your side in place of the assistant, I had to undergo surgery.”

I widened my eyes without meaning to.

“Surgery…?”

“There’s a capsule-shaped micro-bomb implanted inside my neck. The necklace is a signal receiver.”

“W-What…?”

The necklace didn’t look like a bomb. But a receiver…?

“Han Hojun said he’s always watching. If I even look like I might harm you… he’ll detonate it without hesitation.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“…No, I’m the one who should apologize. For misunderstanding you. For causing that scene. For offending the assistant so deeply. If she wakes up… I’ll bow my head and apologize properly.”

“Yeah…”

I couldn’t offer her any real comfort.

She had brought it on herself… but even so, a bomb?

That was far too cruel.

How could a father even think of putting a bomb inside his daughter?

I couldn’t just let this go.

Next time I saw Hojun, I would confront him—seriously.

Byeolhwa fidgeted with her fingers, looking down.

I reached out and gently held her hand.

I could feel the warmth from our touching thighs.

‘There’s something I’ve always wanted to ask…’

Ianna had long been curious about something regarding magical girls.

Their dreams.

The future they hoped for—their life goals.

It felt cruel to ask, knowing the grim futures awaiting them.

But she couldn’t help wondering.

‘I should ask.’

“Hey, Byeolhwa…”

“Yes…?”

“D-Do you… have a d-dream…? Like, a goal…?”

My voice trembled.

I deliberately let my words trail off.

I worried—what if she found it unpleasant?

“To make you my bride.”

“W-W-What?!”

“…I’m joking.” “…”

It was a mischievous joke.

Frankly, not the kind of joke I should overlook, given that Byeolhwa was still a minor.

“W-We’re… both girls… and… there’s quite an age gap…”

“So what? If there’s love, anything can be overcome. My mom and Han Hojun had nearly a ten-year gap too.”

“Ugh…”

Byeolhwa grinned mischievously.

Somehow, her smile put me at ease.

“Of course, I was kidding. My real dream… is just to grow up.”

“…Grow up?”

“If I can survive two more years, I’ll become an adult. Without going crazy, without losing control, without dying. I want to become an adult. I want to stand at eye level with Han Hojun.”

“I see…”

It wasn’t a philosophical or profound goal.

Considering how short magical girls’ lifespans usually were, it made perfect sense.

For a magical girl, living past the constant shadow of death and madness was already an extraordinary goal.

“I’ll bless you…”

“…Bless me?”

“Yeah… My name, ‘Ianna,’ means ‘blessing’ too… so I’ll bless you. So you can achieve your dream safely.”

“Thank you….”

I gently patted Byeolhwa’s head.

And then—

I placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

“I-If it made you uncomfortable… I’m sorry…”

“I actually liked it.” “…”

I had assumed Byeolhwa lacked social skills.

But compared to me—trapped in this broken body—she seemed so much more human.

“C-Can we… interlock fingers too…?”

“O-Okay…”

We intertwined our fingers tightly, feeling each other’s warmth.

It felt like we were building a bridge of trust between us.

“…You have to properly apologize to the Assistant, okay?”

“Of course… and also.”

Byeolhwa hesitated.

Curious, I turned to look at her.

“Janwol-nim.”

“…Yeah?”

“Are you being controlled?”

The question nearly drained the colour from my face.

‘…Controlled?’

Did she mean by the Bureau? By Hojun?

“All the magical girls who’ve died… was that your doing?”

Her voice was still gentle—but there were thorns hidden underneath.

“…It’s not, right? Right? You were controlled? You didn’t have a choice? Please tell me that’s true, Janwol-nim.”

“I…”

I had a grand plan.

I would win everyone’s hearts, starting with Byeolmuri, and overturn the cursed future.

I vowed not to abandon anyone.

I gathered my resolve and my courage.

I would open a new future.

Byeolmuri was part of that plan too.

I wanted to give her a life where death no longer loomed.

Could I lie?

Could I really lie?

There were no eyes or ears of Hojun in this room.

I could tell the truth if I wanted to.

But—

Byeolmuri.

Would she stay calm after hearing the truth?

No.

Byeolmuri was someone who acted before she thought.

She would lose control—and immediately try to kill Hojun.

She would forget entirely about the bomb in her neck.

‘…’

It would be a catastrophe.

I couldn’t let her die because of me.

This was a burden I had to bear alone.

For both our futures.

“Not yet…”

“Huh?”

“I swear I’ll pay for everything… but not yet… it’s not the right time…”

“That means…”

“I can’t say I’m innocent… I’m sorry… b-but… I’ll pay for it… I’ll do anything you ask… so please…”

Seeing how much Ianna hesitated, Byeolmuri was convinced.

That Ianna was being controlled.

That there was something she couldn’t say.

Byeolmuri’s sharp instincts were almost spot-on.

‘Ianna holds no power. All the real power belongs to Han Hojun.’

While staying by Ianna’s side, all the puzzle pieces had fallen into place.

Ianna had no allies.

Everything was controlled by Han Hojun.

The fact that she hadn’t realized this sooner was frustrating beyond words.

…But.

There was something unsettling.

Knowing that the truth would come out, why would Hojun have allowed Byeolmuri near Ianna in the first place?

It felt deliberate.

Like he wanted the truth revealed.

Still—

One thing was certain.

Ianna’s innocence.

Someone so kind could never have committed those atrocities.

Could never have driven her comrades to death.

“Hey, Janwol-nim.”

“…Yeah?”

Ianna nervously faced Byeolmuri, clutching her stomach and trembling.

She feared whatever punishment Byeolmuri might deal.

But—

“If Han Hojun ever disappears… will you tell me the truth then?”

“W-What…”

In Byeolmuri’s pitch-black eyes, an endless, burning rage blazed.

But Ianna’s response was completely unexpected.

“Stop, Byeolhwa… Hojun… he’s… a good person… more than anyone else…”