episode_0011

With a warm smile, the sun holds his younger brother,

Sharing his light even with the endless darkness,

Sharing his warmth. That kindness in his smile, that touch.

“Vine, I want to say that it doesn’t matter at all, that I forgive everything.”

“If I say that, then the path my brother has walked for me will crumble with just one word from me. Isn’t that right?”

“And at that time, you aimed a weapon at me, and I aimed a weapon at you too.”

“So, forgiving you, deciding on a punishment, is really difficult.”

“Yet, I. Dare I say.”

“Vine, even though you were on the opposite side of justice, your nature, your true feelings are not like that at all.”

“I know. Really. That you are not bad.”

“Even after retiring from this, I have been watching over you.”

“At first, resenting you for making me like this.”

“Gradually, the feelings of resentment diluted, and for our cute junior Blanc, I watched over you.”

“Yet, what I saw in you.”

“Come here, Vine.”

Around the sun, there was a force pulling in, was it called gravity?

Even that deep darkness of distrust, embracing it in his arms,

She who embraces it, holding that warmth.

“Vine, thank you for your hard work. Truly.”

Even the unshakable amethyst trembled.

The expression that had no movement, turned to gold.

Yes, even though the original expression returned, the waves in that calm surface made by Pawon.

Quietly delivered a verdict.

“Vine, the punishment I want for you,”

A moment of silence,

“Is to make our brother happy.”

“For my brother who has not lived his own life for me, who I could not help because of my uncomfortable body, because I could not take care of him.”

“Please, take care of him. Watch over him by his side.”

“And Vine, you too.”

“Do not rely too much on anyone, find yourself.”

“The past cannot be picked up again. But still, we must move forward.”

“Vine, live happily too.”

And so, she who had been warmly embracing for a while,

For some reason, with reddened eyes,

Cleanly erased with the remaining magic and sat in front of the two girls.

“Alright, that’s it! Hyewon, you will listen to me too, right? Hmm?”

“… Unnie, is that really enough?”

“Oh, are you not going to listen to your loving unnie?”

“… Your eyes are really a scam, unnie.”

“Hey, Vine.”

“Oh, yes. Did you call me? Geumyang.”

“Hey, can you change that nickname?”

“Well, I have never changed someone’s nickname before.”

Listening quietly to their conversation, Hyein asked softly.

“Vine, isn’t Geumyang a bit difficult to say?”

“Well, then shall I call you what I used to call you before?”

“Before Vine called me Citrus…”

“I was ‘Crybaby.’ How could Eden feel sorry for me at first sight and cry so much. It really stuck in my mind.”

“Isn’t this person exactly like that now?”

The former ‘Crybaby’ owner said, laughing loudly.

“Hahaha! That’s good. Crying in unnie’s arms just now, then your face scrunches up, pfft! Hyewon is still a baby, a baby.”

And the new ‘Crybaby’ owner scolded angrily.

“No! I’m not a baby! I’m not a crybaby!!”

“Yes, I’ll call you Crybaby. That’s good. Congratulations on being the first person I’ve changed a nickname for. Congratulations, Crybaby.”

“Hey!! Just call me what you used to call me earlier!!”

The two of them, engaged in a heated argument, were being closely observed by Yoonseul from behind, who then spoke to them.

“So, Hyeon, is this the end for you?”

“What…? Is this the end?”

“Hyeon, you said you would follow everything I say. You wouldn’t lie to me… Oh, my back…”

“Ah, I get it! But how can you make up so easily in a moment like this? Isn’t it strange? I mean, how did Yuri and the others accept her so quickly?”

“Well, they had their own share of struggles. And it’s only been a day since Vina came to our house. Well, compared to the chaos you caused, it was less.”

“Yuri, even after going through such a terrible ordeal?”

“Well, she calmed down a bit when Vina showed her that sealed scroll.”

“What about Seohyun? She must have been greatly affected by her too.”

“Seohyun is… cautious but slowly accepting, I guess. But I’m by her side, so she feels relieved.”

“Ari, I don’t know.”

“Right. In Eden terms, it’s like fighting a lower-level monster. It will take a while to get to know Vina.”

“Well, you and Ari were quite out of the ordinary.”

As they continued their conversation, Hyein interjected.

“Vina is strong. She’s on par with you, Yoonseul.”

“Well, right now, she seems like she could lose to an elementary school student passing by.”

“Oh, come on. That’s not true. Hey, it’s something to be proud of being called Citrus by such a strong person. Really.”

“I call the magical girls I consider enemies by their code names. You were strong enough back then.”

“Yeah, it feels good to be praised. Instead of talking like this, why don’t we go down to the store and get some bread?”

To which Hyeon countered, “It’s your day off today. You should rest enough. Right? So let’s just order something simple to eat. Why bother going out?”

“Oh, right! Vina, can I add one more thing to what we talked about earlier?”

“Um, what will you do if I say no?”

“Really? Just listen to me once.”

“Sigh, fine. That’s why I hate humans. Their duplicity…”

“Okay. Hate all you want, and help out at our store. We won’t pay you, though. Okay?”

This proposal might have seemed appealing to Vina, but there was someone who opposed it.

Yoonseul, who had been silently listening to everything, was surprised and opposed it.

“No! Unni, Vina is already working hard! We’re sold out! Completely sold out!”

Upon hearing this, Vina, with an incredulous expression, said to Yoonseul, “Hey, Blanc? I’m not an object. But still, I am an individual, right?”

“Vina, if you agree with Hyein’s words, I’ll consider you surrendered in our bet.”

“Where’s the coercion in that?”

“Hahaha! I see. I see. Okay, I get it. Instead, can you help a little?”

“Oh, Unni. Vina won’t be busy, so I’ll go out and help when she’s not busy.”

“Blanc, why are you deciding my employment without my consent…”

“We already hired you at our house! You can’t steal our talent!”

“Sigh, nothing has changed at all…”

Until Hyeon, who was ordering pizza in the background, shouted in frustration, Vina and Yoonseul continued their endless bickering.

To an onlooker, it may sound like a childish argument, but in reality, they were discussing things that should not be heard by children.

“Hey! Stop bickering and decide what pizza you want to eat!!”

“Oh, I’m fine with anything. It’s been so long since I’ve tasted something like pizza. Just the basic cheese pizza would be heavenly.”

“What…? Pizza is considered a luxury item? Bine, really…? Ah, I see. Haa, Bine. You can call me unnie. Come here and hug me. Yes?”

“Citrus, what are you talking about? Playing the drum and gong alone. Anyway, I’m fine. Ask Blanc.”

“Me? Then, the one with lots of meat, yes. That one should be fine.”

Hyewon, who had finished ordering through the delivery app, asked.

“Yeah, then while we wait for the pizza. There’s nothing to do. Should we do something?”

“Then, how about telling an old story?”

“What kind of old story are you talking about? It’s not like we’re gathering with friends.”

“Well, if it’s a memory, it’s a memory. Everyone has at least one bad memory, right?”

“Yeah, it feels like just yesterday when our Hyewon became a magical girl and defeated a monster alone.”

“That monster, could it be the one I brought?”

“No, it must have been a natural occurrence. They don’t send rookies to your monsters.”

“No! Such an embarrassing memory…! It’s someone else’s, right?”

“Well, Yoonseul, when she first entered the headquarters, she got lost in the building because it was so big and was sitting in a corner, and I saved her.”

“Oh, unnie! That, that’s…!”

“Huh, did you do such a pathetic thing, Blanc?”

“Oh, Bine, when we first met, you were so scared that you hid behind the monster…”

“Citrus! That story!!”

And so, the stories of the four people continued until the pizza was delivered,

with sighs, laughter, and embarrassment, attempts to escape from embarrassment, and several refusals, the time of dark history continued until they finished eating all the pizza.

Without caring about the constant dark history, Bine, who finally saw the pizza after a long time, ate it so deliciously that her expression changed from dry to satisfied,

she even ate to the point of refusing more when Hyewon, who was sitting in front of her, tried to give her more.

“Haa, I’m full.”

“That’s right. This is surprisingly big. Unnie, dropping in 2 pieces… that bread-loving unnie…”

“Ugh, I’m full.”

“Yes, I’ll clean up, so Blanc and the others can sit.”

“No, leave it, I’ll do it.”

“You go rest, crybaby. What’s so difficult about cleaning up?”

“Okay… ugh… what should we do now…?”

“Oh, Hyewon. I was going to go to the department store to buy clothes for Bine before you came.”

At that moment, there was someone sitting in a wheelchair, with sparkling eyes.

“What? You’re going to buy clothes for Bine?”

The ruby of the sun began to burn as brightly as when making bread.