episode_0011

My heart raced, but regardless, the situation was becoming increasingly serious.

At least, from my perspective.

With Hayoon by my side, there was only one thought on my mind.

…Do you know about that journalist?

Nouveau Corporation doesn’t explain the situation to me well. The same goes for other operatives. We’re treated like basic day laborers, after all.

But what about the journalist?

If I were a criminal wanted by the Galactic Federation, they might treat me similarly. No, they had to.

Hayoon and I needed to be captured clearly enough for them to know where we were taken, so we adjusted our positions accordingly.

In front, Ji-hye and Iris walked. By subtly positioning ourselves in front, it made it difficult for Hayoon to appear to be with a man.

Furthermore, since Iris was a magical girl, her face was well known. Wasn’t the goal to capture scenes of her with her boyfriend?

It would be obvious to anyone that it looked like friends hanging out, so naturally, the angle of Iris appearing would be excluded.

From behind or the side. With a telephoto lens, someone could follow from a distance and take pictures.

I think there’s a good chance I’ll be photographed from behind. If taken from the side, my face, which doesn’t particularly hide the fact that I’m a woman, would be clearly visible.

Iris was walking ahead, looking at her smartphone. It seemed she was checking if the article had been updated.

Hayoon moved closer to my side. She even leaned her head against my shoulder.

“….”

Surprisingly, Hayoon didn’t seem to have any particular complaints about this posture.

Does she act like this with other friends too?

I briefly pondered, but it didn’t seem like that was the case. When we met while out with Jiboo last time, she didn’t act like this.

I don’t have romantic feelings for Hayoon. I know she’s pretty and kind, so it’s natural to feel attracted to her—like a childhood friend.

Besides, there’s quite an age gap between us. So, I don’t entertain such thoughts at all.

But even so, my feelings weren’t entirely unaffected.

There’s hardly a man who wouldn’t be swayed when a pretty woman is right beside him. Unless he’s sexually oriented towards the same gender.

What is it?

I’ve never seen Hayoon in such a cheerful mood before.

No, in the webtoon, she came across as quite playful, so maybe her personality is gradually showing through—

—Ah, I see.

Right now, she might be acting. At least, that’s what I thought inwardly, understanding it somewhat. But Iris, who was walking ahead, stopped in her tracks.

“…I found them.”

“Huh? Wait, Joo-ah—”

Yuna seemed to have felt something when she saw Iris like that, and the moment she reached out to her—

Iris was already holding a gun in her hand.

…Huh.

Well, of course, it wasn’t the long rifle she usually shoots. It would be too burdensome to carry something like that without even transforming yet.

Plus, there are a lot of people around here. If she started fighting after transforming for no reason, it could cause a big problem.

So, what she was holding right now wasn’t a rifle but a handgun. It was not a large one that police officers would use, but rather a gun that fits in the palm of her hand.

Phew.

Iris slid her hand between Yuna and me and pulled the trigger.

“Bang!?”

As the sound of the gunshot rang out, a strange noise came from a little way behind us.

“Joo-ah!”

Yuna shouted at Iris.

Is she angry? Seeing her furrow her brow, it seems fitting for Yuna to glare at her in her own way.

“…Don’t worry. I remember faces properly, so it’s fine.”

No, but seriously, how can she aim so carelessly while shooting?

Well, even normally, it felt more like she was just pointing the muzzle roughly rather than aiming accurately. Maybe this thing had some kind of homing function? At first glance, it just looked like a laser, though.

“Excuse me?”

We heard such a voice from behind us.

Turning to the source of the sound, we saw a couple approaching a man lying on the ground.

Even though the man suddenly collapsed, it seemed like the old man passing by was trying to help, but—

Thwack!

The man swatted away the hands reaching out to him and got up from where he was sitting.

Then our eyes met.

“…Ah.”

Normally, I probably wouldn’t have noticed at all, but maybe because I knew the situation now.

The man’s right eye twinkled for no reason. Even though he wasn’t wearing glasses, it shone as if sunlight were reflecting off a lens.

Whether the man realized the situation or not, he immediately turned around and started running.

And Yuna’s expression changed as she watched the man flee.

The arm she had linked with mine had already been released long ago. The slightly satisfied expression had completely vanished, replaced by the same expression I had seen every time I fought.

It was different from Iris’s expression, which seemed to anticipate a fight.

Blawson always maintained a “firm” expression. Yuna didn’t seem to know how to get angry, but still, her stiff expression was at least “serious.”

Yuna ran.

“Eek!?”

“Sorry!”

As the man pushed through the crowd, Yuna followed after him, shouting.

“…This won’t be easy.”

Iris said.

It’s ambiguous to transform. There are many people around, and most importantly, it’s not a real combat situation. The Galactic Federation also manages its image in its own way. If we overreacted, it would cause various problems.

The jurisdiction may be irrelevant, but “public opinion” is something we can’t ignore.

“Hmm.”

Iris seemed to be considering a different approach, even though not transforming doesn’t mean she can’t catch up. She looked up at the building.

“Alright. Should I try going above the building?”

Without saying a word to us, Iris just dashed towards a nearby building.

“….”

Left behind, Ji-hye and I glanced at each other for a moment. Then, we hurriedly started following the two.

*

At this point, it’s reasonable to assume that Hayoon would recognize me to some extent. If I were quietly walking around in disguise, it might be difficult to notice, but running through the crowd as I am now, it’s natural.

However, there didn’t seem to be anyone trying to stop a magical girl who was earnestly pursuing someone. As I ran hard, I sneakily looked up at the building to the side.

Jumping.

Most people’s attention seemed to be directed toward the fleeing journalist/stalker and Hayoon, so they probably didn’t notice, but I saw Iris leaping between buildings. It was definitely not just her own strength; she must have used magic or something.

The stalker was running incredibly fast, as if his legs had been modified. Hayoon was also running tirelessly to keep up with him.

“Hey, wait, wait.”

As I ran hard, suddenly a hand reached out in front of me. It was Ji-hye, who was running a little ahead of me.

“Why?”

“Ugh, just a moment… This is too tiring, isn’t it?”

Ji-hye gasped for breath as she spoke.

“Do you think it makes sense for ordinary us to chase after an alien running away and a magical girl following? ”

Well… does it?

My breathing was heavy too, but not as heavy as Ji-hye’s. After all, I was a somewhat professional fighter, constantly fighting by redirecting energy. There would be a big difference compared to a real expert, but compared to an ordinary person, well…

“….”

While pondering for a moment, I exhaled. Then, I took out my smartphone and called Hayoon.

Ring ring… The signal went through twice.

“[Jieun?]”

Hayoon answered the phone.

“Hey, Hayoon. Do you think we can easily catch them?”

[Uh, well…]

Seeing her hesitating, it seemed unlikely. After all, the stalker was notorious enough to have a galactic-scale warrant out for him. If we could easily catch him, that would be even stranger. Besides, neither of us had transformed.

“Jieun!?”

When I suddenly started running, Ji-hye followed me in surprise.

Adjusting the speed so that Ji-hye could keep up, I spoke to Hayoon.

“Hayoon, can you circle around and create a diversion? Can you contact Iris?”

[Uh, yeah. I can contact her, but…]

“Yeah, then the two of us should be enough to run. The location is—”

When I got here, I recalled the route I had seen and told Hayoon where we should go.

…This is a habit. Whether they succeeded or failed in their mission, the combatants had to disperse quickly and escape. There probably wouldn’t be any cases of getting caught and sent to prison, but just in case their identities were close to being revealed. Besides, if they secured an escape route, they could use it elsewhere even if they didn’t actually need to escape.

It was the same here. While walking down the street earlier, I instinctively checked the streets ahead. Even if I couldn’t know the details, eventually, the streets of the downtown area would somehow connect to the main street.

If I could just manage to come back—

*

Upon hearing Ji-eun’s calm voice, Hayoon paused for a moment.

Is Ji-eun always like this?

Her personality… She was originally quiet and composed. She tended to speak a bit more in front of Hayoon, but still, she wasn’t talkative.

If there was an empty seat next to her, she would quietly come and sit, waiting until it was time to speak. That’s how Hayoon felt.

And that’s why Hayoon felt most comfortable when she was next to Ji-eun.

Hayoon’s parents were people who had many expectations for her. They were good people, but because of their high expectations, their usual conversations often revolved around discussions about the future.

Her friends… They were all good kids, but usually, they were the ones to start the conversation. Sometimes, when they came in groups and each took turns speaking, it felt chaotic.

It’s not that she disliked them, but…

“Yeah, got it. Then I’ll try to come back.”

Hayoon calmly replied. She touched the wireless earphones in her ears to end the call and immediately connected to Iris.

[Blosum?]

Iris, who answered the phone, sounded a little surprised.

“Hey, can you distract that person for a bit?”

[Oh, that’s a good idea.]

Phew.

A noise that was almost imperceptible to others overlapped, and suddenly, a thud. A matan struck the right side of the giant who was running ahead.

The matan left no trace. However, it seemed that the extraterrestrial criminal could immediately feel its power, as he quickly turned his body and started running in the opposite direction from where the bullet had flown.

[Where should I lead him?]

“Back to where we were earlier. Looks like Ji-eun has something in mind.”

…Your friend?

It was quite an unenthusiastic response.

It was a natural question. Of course, it could be seen that it hadn’t been long since magical girls had started operating in Korea.

Two years. It was a long time, or a short time, depending on how you looked at it. Moreover, being a magical girl wasn’t something that was always ongoing. Unless a case occurred and the Milky Way Federation contacted her to intervene, or unless she found a case first and took action, Hayoon was just a high school student.

Upon discharge from the military, there was time left over, but it was different from that. Iris thought of herself as a professional, but in reality, Hwayoon judged otherwise. They often clashed like magical girls and were more likely to individually defeat rather than cooperate in battle situations. Nonetheless, there had been no real enemies so far, and Hwayoon mostly accommodated Blowsome’s requests to be friendly with everyone.

Well, Hwayoon thought that if a much stronger opponent suddenly appeared, they might end up being the ones at a disadvantage.

“It’s okay. Jieun is smart.”

Her grades were almost top-notch. In fact, to the extent that other kids around her were jealous. While she lagged slightly behind Iris and Hwayoon in terms of rankings, maintaining such grades without attending an academy spoke volumes about her intelligence.

Besides, she was good at finding her way around.

[“Are you trying to entrust command to civilians right now?”]

“I’m not trying to take command, just following their advice.”

…Above all, Hwayoon didn’t think Jieun’s words would be harmful to her. Even when other kids expected something from Hwayoon, Jieun would sit beside her and silently ponder what Hwayoon might want, looking at her with thoughtful eyes, and provided necessary help when needed.

Honestly, Hwayoon trusted Jieun’s words more than Iris’s.

…Whether that was a good thing or not, she wasn’t sure.

[“Well, okay. There shouldn’t be immediate danger. The opponent seems unarmed.”]

“Yeah.”

Hwayoon nodded at Iris’s response.

And she increased her running speed a little.

It wasn’t as fast as when she transformed, but the distance between the giant and Hwayoon was gradually decreasing.

Okay. She had directed them back to the main road, but how could she know from which alley the giant would emerge?

…In truth, it wasn’t really that difficult.

Unfortunately, this world had seen tremendous development in social media. Moreover, people’s perspectives were broader than one might think. Even if something passed right above their heads unnoticed, if something flew in the distance, their gaze involuntarily followed.

There were many people with purple or pink hair in this world. However, that didn’t mean those two colors went completely unnoticed. Among people with similar hair colors, it might not stand out, but if a girl’s hair on top of a building was purple, it stood out immensely.

No, seriously, what was she thinking, jumping around on top of buildings? If she was going to do that, she might as well transform into a magical girl.

…Well, thanks to that, Hwayoon had a rough idea of where she was.

“Uh… uh… Oh, over there, it seems like over there!”

Wisdom’s words resonated with me, but I didn’t have time to respond. I ran while looking at my smartphone. #MagicalGirl #Blossom #Iris

Their names were trending on social media hashtags. Videos of the place people had filmed were popping up everywhere. There were even videos about her eye-catching pink hair and purple ponytail. And on top of that, Iris was even shooting at a giant.

…Our teamwork is quite awkward. Well, it was like that in the original webtoon too. Anyway, thanks to this, we could find a fairly convincing place to go to first and wait. It was a good idea to wander through the alleys earlier. I can’t remember all the backstreets, but I’ve memorized some parts and locations that could serve as landmarks.

Although the multiple alleys seemed incredibly complex, if you memorize just a few main roads, you can roughly guess where each one leads. It doesn’t really matter if you only wander through the narrow alleyways.

It may seem convoluted, but in reality, if you keep running until the end, these alleys eventually lead to main roads. Even those living in the alleys would need to head to the area where the shops are clustered for their daily lives.

Furthermore, Nuar Corporation is serious about dealing with magical girls, despite how it may appear. They’re a thorn in our side.

The smartphone I carry looks ordinary, but it has the Nuar Corporation employee app installed. At first glance, it looks like a navigation app, but in reality, it’s a service that utilizes Nuar Corporation’s geostationary orbit satellite.

A tracking system that uses specific energy waves only found in magical girl circuits. It’s not really illegal; it measures “energy,” not tracks “people.”

It’s only under the rare circumstance of coincidental luck overlapping that I could confidently speak to Hae-yoon. The reason lies here. They are guys who don’t explain things beforehand but meticulously equip themselves with necessary functions, which is so peculiar, almost comical.

Well, there’s a good chance this was made for a different purpose and publicly released. In that sense, it might not be much different from a real navigation system.

Still, I swear I never use this function in my daily life. Really. I just had to install it because it’s an employee feature. Why would I bother tracking someone I can meet at school anyway?

…Saying this makes me sound like more of a stalker.

“Oh, there!” Wisdom pointed toward the top of a building.

There it was.

I saw a flash of purple hair leaping in the distance. Her hair was almost as long as Blossom’s, making it visible from quite a distance.

On my way here, I spent five thousand won to buy a frying pan.

Next to the alley, she waited while holding her breath, waiting for the sound of footsteps to draw near—

Thunk!

She immediately swung the frying pan, connecting it solidly with the alien’s face.

“Kkeng!”

The giant was struck in the face by the frying pan and staggered backward, falling over.

Thud!

The sound of his head hitting the ground echoed.

Oh, was that too harsh?

“…….”

Moreover, in the heat of the moment, I got carried away and joined in, but this guy isn’t just an ordinary employee.

Well, if there’s a stalking charge, the pictures I took could be quite aggressive, so even if he’s a bad guy…

Am I okay?

Belatedly feeling anxious, suddenly something heavy clung to my back.

“Ha Yuna!?”

For a moment, I thought Ha Yuna had recognized me and was coming to handcuff me.

But that wasn’t the case.

“Jieun, amazing! How did you do that?”

“…….”

I used an app to track you—of course, I couldn’t bring myself to say that.

Fortunately, magical girls are unaware of the type of energy used on our side, or else I would have been tracked down by them long ago.

In the distance, Iris lightly jumped down from the building.

It seemed she no longer cared about hiding.

Her gaze seemed to scrutinize me with a hint of amusement.

… Did I go too far?

I thought as I trembled slightly.

*

… Is she unusually perceptive for a civilian?

Iris observed the “friend” from Blossom, lost in thought.

It felt like some kind of image was overlapping or trying to emerge.

Ah, right.

Come to think of it, among the combatants I often see, there’s one with a chest that sticks out like that.

Of course, it’s always the ones wearing tight-fitting “combatant” attire that stand out.

Although I couldn’t say I recognized him by his chest, I did use the helmet as an excuse, but he was a strange guy who exuded determination unlike the other combatants.

Always stumbling at crucial moments—

“…… Haah.”

What is she thinking when she looks at the civilian?

Iris exhaled softly, turning her gaze towards the fallen stalker.