Chapter 92 : Intimacy (1) Part-2

Persistent as ever.

However, if it were Iris, I could see why.

Even back when I was a combatant, Iris and I clashed constantly.

Iris used to hate me.

It’s only natural to dislike someone who would constantly try to punch you or make snide comments about your skirt.

Looking at her expression now, though, it doesn’t seem like her feelings are entirely negative anymore.

Perhaps it’s because last time, the tables were turned, and she ended up on the receiving end of a skirt-related comment.

When I didn’t respond, Iris leaned against a nearby tree.

Just like I was doing.

We weren’t standing too close, just maintaining that kind of distance.

“Why don’t you come closer? After all, we’ve bathed together before,” I said abruptly, spurred on by the mischievous look on her face.

“Hmm.”

Iris merely scoffed, dismissing my words with a laugh.

Back during combat situations, she used to get flustered by every little thing I said.

Now, this indifference feels a bit disappointing.

“That’s absurd.”

“What is?”

“Everything you say is absurd, but I don’t understand why you talk to me like this. Don’t you act a bit more reserved around others?”

“…Do I?”

Maybe.

I suppose that could be true.

Although, we never really talked much before.

Come to think of it, my relationship with Hayoon has also changed in many ways.

Before, I didn’t feel like it was hard to initiate a conversation with her.

Even though I was a combatant, I planned to quit once I became a college student.

Until then, I thought I could avoid major problems as long as Hayoon didn’t find out.

After all, no matter how much we fought, I couldn’t beat a magical girl.

Even on the one occasion I achieved my objective, I never broke their arms or did anything extreme.

I must have thought that made me morally in the clear.

But after being discovered, everything spiraled out of control.

When I realized that the root of all the complications was my existence, the discomfort became hard to ignore.

Still, it’s strange.

Iris is tangled up in this mess of a story just as much as I am.

So why is it that I can talk to her like this?

“…Am I easy to talk to?”

“Should I kill you?”

“Haven’t heard that in a while.”

I stared at Iris.

If I had to describe our relationship, it was Iris who acted as if I made her uncomfortable.

Ever since she saw my true face as a combatant, she’d avoided me, as if feeling guilty about something.

“For a while, you avoided me like I was the plague.

If anything, I find your behavior odd.”

At my words, Iris fell silent.

After a brief pause, she cautiously asked, “Did it bother you?”

“You? Saying something like that?”

“You’re not even threatening to kill me this time.”

“Should I?”

“Do whatever you want. It’s your life, not mine.”

After a moment’s hesitation, I said, “But honestly, the part about me being easy to talk to might be true.”

Iris glared at me.

“I mean, you were always so emotional when fighting me. Definitely not an easy opponent. I’ve never won against you. But… the others never reacted that way to a combatant. They’d usually just neutralize me like I was some random obstacle and go about their business.”

Iris, flying straight at me from afar, always recognizing me immediately—she wasn’t easy to deal with back then.

Frankly, it was terrifying.

But at the same time, among the magical girls, she was one of the less scary ones.

She was the only one who’d approach me directly or acknowledge me from a distance.

“How did you even recognize me? I’ve told you before, I even switched helmets,” I asked.

Iris stayed quiet for a while before finally responding, “There are ways to tell.”

But she didn’t seem willing to elaborate further.

Figuring there was no point in pressing the issue, I decided to let it go.

We stood there in silence for a while.

“Do you hate it?” Iris suddenly asked.

“Hate what?”

“Becoming a magical girl.”

Caught off guard, I answered absentmindedly, “What makes you ask that?”

“You’ve been acting like this ever since you found out. Do you dislike it that much?”

“And what about you? Are you okay with it?” I asked, staring at her.

“What do you mean?”

“Me becoming a magical girl.”

“Haven’t you technically been one for months already?”

The fact that she’d think that far surprised me.

Of course, the atmosphere between us had softened a bit since we started living together.

I always assumed it was because she felt sorry for me.

But at the same time, I thought Iris was more rigid about concepts like justice than even Hayoon was.

In the webtoon, Iris wasn’t on the best terms with the other magical girls aside from Hayoon, largely because of her uncompromising personality.

Her frequent clashes with Dahlia, who maintained her position without excelling in any particular area, were a testament to that.

Although, when I saw Iris and Dahlia together in person, they didn’t openly argue like that.

Maybe it’s because this situation is too unique to allow for outright conflict.

After all, as magical girls, neither of them has major character flaws.

“That and this are different matters. What’s important now is your determination.”

“What?”

“I don’t know how you define the justice of a magical girl, but even we weren’t chosen by some god or anything. We were just fighters belonging to the Federation. Sure, hope was necessary to fight, but what we did didn’t really go beyond that.”

I blinked.

Was she blaming herself?

She hadn’t shown it outwardly, but perhaps ever since she started rejecting the Federation’s orders, she’d begun to feel conflicted about her previous actions.

“At this point, there’s no one left to oppose you. You’ve fought alongside us multiple times, used magic, and transformed into a magical girl.”

“Well, you’re not wrong.”

“Besides, the Federation’s idea of justice has already crumbled, hasn’t it?”

I stared at Iris for a moment.

“Iris.”

“I told you to call me Jo-ah,” she said, annoyed.

“Well, I’m used to calling you Iris now.”

“You were calling me by my name until just recently, and now you’re saying you’re used to Iris? What kind of logic is that?” she said incredulously.

“You even used my name when we were defusing that bomb!”

I closed my mouth.

I had tried to get a word in but ended up listening to her rant instead.

Taking a deep breath, I exhaled slowly and nodded.

“Fine, Jo-ah.”

“What?”

Her sulky expression was typical of her.

Come to think of it, we had already risked our lives fighting together.

There was no reason to revert to calling her by a nickname.

Usually, nicknames come with familiarity, but still.

“Have you ever said something like that in front of the others?”

“Could I?”

She asked as if the answer was obvious.

“But you’re saying it to me? How long have we even known each other?”

Not even half a year yet.

“Well…”

Jo-ah hesitated before her expression turned slightly puzzled, as if realizing something.

“Maybe it’s because we haven’t known each other for long that I can say these things. Sometimes, there are things you can’t say to someone you’ve known for a long time.”

“Ah, I get that.”

I nodded.

For some reason, Jo-ah looked at me as if she was getting angry. Why?

“Oh, right. I think I understand something else now.”

As she tilted her chin up and spoke, she twisted the corner of her lips upward, much like she did when we first met as enemies.

“It’s because you seem easy to talk to. You can say those things to someone who seems approachable, right?”

“It would’ve been much more convincing without that awkward excuse tacked on.”

“Awkward?!”

Jo-ah shouted in outrage.

Seeing her face, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

For some reason, that expression reminded me of the Iris I used to know.

Well, it’s the same person, after all.

But it’s been a while since I’ve seen her like this.

“Let’s head back.”

“Wait, what was that about being awkward?”

“Come to think of it, you’ve been copying me a lot lately. Even last time, you pointed out my skirt and repeated what I said.”

“That was just giving you a taste of your own medicine! And besides, you really were just wearing panties under there!”

“Exactly, so shouldn’t you have kept quiet? That’s harassment, you know.”

“Harassment?! Don’t you remember the things you’ve done?”

“Hey, keep it down. We’re supposed to be hiding. What if someone hears us?”

“Well, you started it!”

It was strange.

This was probably the first time Iris and I had talked like this.

Yet, it didn’t feel unfamiliar.

Maybe it’s because this is how I’ve always thought of Iris.

Though, I’m not even sure what exactly that image is.

Maybe it’s because she reminds me of a Chihuahua—small but feisty.

That’s probably why she feels familiar.