Chapter 92 : Intimacy (1) Part-1

There was no escaping the inevitable wave of regret that would come, but at that moment, my focus needed to be on addressing the situation at hand.

It seemed like every attempt I made to fix things only led to more complications, creating a never-ending loop of problems that needed to be untangled.

Upon waking in the morning, the routine was to switch on the radio.

Someone had to be stationed next to the device, ears tuned to catch every piece of news that filtered through the airwaves.

The importance of staying informed was paramount, leaving no room for neglect in this responsibility.

Despite the need for constant vigilance, the task itself was not overly challenging.

It simply required dedication and a willingness to prioritize staying up-to-date with current events.

James and Cherry were completely absorbed in the task of repairing the intricate details of the building’s interior structure.

They found solace in the background music from the radio as they meticulously worked through each part of the project.

In addition to their construction work, they diligently attended to the fields, diligently inspecting the meat to ensure it remained fresh, and carefully monitoring its growth.

Their daily schedule was well-established and they followed it religiously.

These extraordinary young women were not ones to waste time, even when faced with moments of apparent idleness.

With the temperature rising each day, we dedicated our time to clearing the overgrown weeds surrounding us and picking up the large rocks and scattered trash that littered the roads.

While we refrained from entering the dilapidated and deserted houses to clean them, we ensured that the paths around were free of any debris to prevent anyone from stumbling over them during nighttime strolls.

The house that served as our temporary residence was gradually transforming into a habitable space, resembling a place where people could comfortably dwell.

Utilizing a mix of magic and tools, we repaired the damaged sections of the walls and meticulously cleaned the dusty corners to restore a sense of tidiness to the surroundings.

Despite the lack of available paint for a new layer on the walls, our group made a concerted effort to improve the general look as much as possible.

With a majority of five out of the six members actively engaged in the task, it was impossible for me to simply remain idle.

Consequently, I found myself moving around with my companion Hayoon, engaging in a variety of different tasks to contribute to the overall improvement of the space.

“Haah…”

As Hayoon bent over to work, she took a moment to straighten her back and catch her breath.

A bead of sweat rolled down her neck, shimmering in the sunlight that illuminated her glistening face.

In that moment, it dawned on me that she looked remarkably beautiful, though I had not realized it before.

Nevertheless, whether I acknowledged it or not, Hayoon was undeniably and objectively beautiful.

She was portrayed as a gorgeous beauty in the webtoon, and she held the title of being the most popular among all the magical girls in real life.

Various related products, such as posters and other merchandise, were available at one point, but it is uncertain if they are still being manufactured and sold.

If production of these items had ceased, it raises the question of whether their worth would diminish or grow in value over time.

Among the storage of the orphanage, lay a few items that Hayoon herself had gifted to me, now safely tucked away.

I left them there because I thought Ji-hye might burst out laughing if I hung them in my room…

Then again, thanks to that, they weren’t destroyed during the last attack.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Hayoon, noticing my blank stare, asked with a smile.

“It’s nothing.”

A person I sleep next to, cramped together in the same tent every night.

Not that it has to be in the tent—if it were Hayoon, it feels like she’d be fine doing that anywhere.

She’s done so before, after all.

I’m not sure why.

To be honest, it leaves me agonizing every night.

She probably clings to me because she considers me a close friend.

But still, even between same-gender friends, do they cling that much while sleeping?

Suddenly, Hayoon’s comment about “yuri” comes to mind.

Even in this world, the genre called “yuri” is referred to as “yuri.”

Naturally, I checked it out.

It’s not like I don’t have any hobbies here—I occasionally read web novels or webtoons.

But I doubt Hayoon would know much about that sort of content.

She’s surprisingly uninformed about those kinds of things.

“……”

So, it probably doesn’t mean anything.

I already created this situation by overthinking on my own before, so there’s no point in misunderstanding it again now.

It’s probably because she’s a character from a webtoon world within a webtoon.

Thinking that, I shook my head to clear my thoughts, but Hayoon tilted hers curiously.

I forced myself to redirect my thoughts.

Thankfully, I still had someone else to think about.

Someone who stirred complex emotions in me—not just thoughts but feelings.

I wonder if Ji-hye is doing well.

Every time I think of her face, I regret it.

Would it have been better to bring her along?

However, Ji-hye must be doing well in school.

Forcing someone like her out of that environment wouldn’t help her future.

It feels a bit unfair to compare, but at least the magical girls have a foundation to fall back on.

Even though Rose told me not to worry, her words weren’t entirely wrong.

There are people who can fail only once and others who can fail multiple times.

The number of chances one has often correlates with how much money they have.

Ji-hye, living in an orphanage, is someone who can only afford to fail once.

If she stumbles once, she may never recover—that’s the kind of person she is.

And I’m the same.

On the other hand—

No, wait.

I shook my head again.

No matter what, it’s not right to think that way about the magical girls who came here to help me.

That’s just self-serving rationalization.

Who in their right mind would willingly leave their school and get stuck in a place like this?

Iris, Rose, Delphinium, Dahlia—

And Hayoon too—

“Jieun?”

Hayoon’s voice brought me back to reality.

In the end, my thoughts returned to Hayoon again.

“Is something wrong?”

How could anything be wrong?

Living together like this, it’s impossible to hide anything even if something were wrong.

“No, nothing’s wrong.”

“If you’re too tired, should we head inside and rest? The weather’s starting to warm up, isn’t it?”

It’s not unbearably hot yet.

It’s only mid-April.

“Let’s finish what we were working on first.”

I bent over and resumed my task as I spoke.

Right.

Let’s finish what we started.

That way, I won’t have time to dwell on my thoughts.

That day passed without incident.

The government had said they would conduct an inspection, but no schedule was set yet.

There was no telling how long it might be delayed.

That night, I walked in a different direction than usual.

I headed toward the forest.

More precisely, toward the water source we use.

If I wandered around the village, Hayoon would always follow me immediately.

Then I’d end up thinking about her again.

Not that I had anything specific to focus on, but sometimes, I just wanted to spend time alone without thinking about anything.

I couldn’t tell Hayoon that. I’d already said too much.

“You’re here.”

While leaning against a tree, listening to the sound of trickling water, a voice suddenly called out to me.

“Iris.”

“I told you to call me Jo-ah, didn’t I?”

“What’s the matter?”

“Hayoon is worried about you.”

Her speech was always peculiar—unnatural for Korean.

“Because I disappeared?”

“Yes.”

I closed my eyes.

“Did you two fight?”

“No, it’s nothing like that.”

Judging by her expression, she must’ve picked up on my discomfort being around Hayoon.

Not that it’s uncomfortable, really.

At this point?

We’ve already seen too much of each other.

Plus, harboring negative emotions takes energy.

It’s harder to hate someone than it is to like them.

And if the person in question is someone you already like—

Jealousy, inferiority—they’re still there. But those feelings aren’t as intense as they once were.

How could they be?

When Hayoon goes out of her way to stay close to me, even gifting me a name as a magical girl, it’s hard to deny her sincerity.

Besides, I’ve grown stronger in battle.

I’m no longer completely overshadowed by Hayoon.

In the end, if we were to fight, Hayoon would probably win.

But even so, what I feel most now is guilt.

The guilt of someone who made bad decisions and let things spiral out of control from the start.

“If you didn’t fight, you wouldn’t have a reason to run off here.”

“It’s nothing, really…”

“Nothing, yet you ran away?”