Promise-2

“Isn’t it dangerous?”

Worry took precedence. She looked at him with a troubled face.

“The Four Heavenly Kings that you were faltering against, I caught them, didn’t I?”

“Who was faltering!”

She shouted, and Kang In-ho covered his ears.

“Ugh, so loud! Okay, okay.”

“Hmph.”

As if her anger hadn’t subsided, her shoulders moved intensely.

“But, will people’s memories of you be erased too, Mister? I’m not sure.”

“We’ll know tomorrow. But it doesn’t matter even if they aren’t erased.”

“It’ll be troublesome if your face is exposed, though.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. My personal information is already unclear anyway.”

“…Still.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. If I can’t erase people’s memories with the Star’s Power, I’ll just be careful. And stop complaining, you didn’t say anything about the conditions you set.”

“…Okay. I just feel like I’m not beneficial to you, Mister.”

When he came on strong, Kim Sung-ah took a step back.

“It’s late, do you want to eat something? Aren’t you hungry?”

Thinking that the conversation was over, he got up and headed for the refrigerator.

“No, I’m tired, so I’m just going to sleep.”

“Is that so? First, I need to see what ingredients are left.”

Kim Sung-ah watched his back as he rummaged through the remaining ingredients in the refrigerator, contemplating what to make for tomorrow.

“Mister.”

“What.”

“Why did you say those conditions? There’s no reason for you to do it.”

“Then, do you have a reason for being a Magical Girl until now?”

“That’s…”

“You do it because you have the power to do it. It’s not like you have a special sense of duty. I’m happy if people’s daily lives are protected, so that’s why I’m trying to do it.”

“Is that so.”

“Yeah.”

A moment of silence. Kim Sung-ah, unable to bear the silence, opened her mouth again.

“I have another question.”

“What is it now.”

“Do you dislike it if a much younger girl says she likes you? Don’t men like young girls?”

“Hey, do you think men just see a young girl and go ‘wakyapyahuknonjjuk’? You’re learning all the wrong things.”

“But isn’t it better to be young than old? You’re not impotent, are you, Mister?”

“Did you hurt your head when you were fighting earlier? Why are you suddenly like this?”

“It’s important to me.”

Kim Sung-ah jumped up. Kang In-ho sighed at her serious face and closed the refrigerator door.

“Before considering older or younger, taller or shorter… I tend to think it’s important whether we get along well.”

“But appearance is important too, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s important. There was a time when I thought that was important too.”

“Then…”

“But.”

He cut her off.

“But, it’s important whether I get along well with them. No matter how pretty they are, no matter how much money they have.”

Kim Sung-ah closed her mouth at the bitter smile he wore.

She couldn’t gauge how many wounds were inside him to pry any further.

“So you too, think about it carefully. Maybe the affection you have now isn’t love. It might just be a feeling that arose because you’re lonely and need a place to lean on.”

“I’m…!”

“That’s enough. It’s late, go to sleep. I’ll clean up here and sleep.”

“I’ll help you.”

“Just sleep. You must be very tired.”

“Okay.”

At his firm refusal, Kim Sung-ah went up to the second floor.

Kang In-ho opened the refrigerator door and started cleaning the inside only after he heard the sound of the door closing.

“Aish, it’s all spoiled.”

He clicked his tongue as if he was disappointed that the side dishes he had made were spoiled.

By the time he had finished cleaning the inside of the refrigerator, the day had already passed.

Thanking that the next day was a holiday, he went up to the second floor.

It wasn’t like he rested on holidays, but at least he could make Seong-a’s breakfast late.

“Looks like she’s asleep.”

He muttered as he passed her quiet door.

Then he opens the room across from it. His room was neatly cleaned, as if she had cleaned it.

He threw himself onto the bed. His body fell onto the soft mattress and bounced up slightly.

“It’s been tough.”

As the tension was released, muscle pain rushed in from all over his body.

He stretched out his right hand towards the ceiling. He clenched and unclenched his hand. Then he drops his hand back onto the bed.

He said he was used to it, but the fatigue accumulated from living on the streets and the stamina consumed from fighting the Four Heavenly Kings today made his eyes close.

“Ah… I’m sleepy.”

He tries to resist the force of his eyelids, which are gradually pressing down, but it was helpless.

That way, his vision closes, and his consciousness flies somewhere.

Kang In-ho drifted in the ambiguous space between dream and reality.

-Click

With the sound of the door opening, footsteps were heard.

The sound, which was heard very carefully as if brushing past, stimulated his ears instead.

The bed shakes once. It seems like someone got on the bed.

And the presence comes up from below him.

Hot breath touches his nose.

He struggled to open his eyes.