episode_0033

The incident of that day was extensively featured in almost all major media.

Fundamentally, the Galactic Federation, as well as most companies opposing the Galactic Federation, processed and provided information advantageous to themselves when providing information about the incident.

Therefore, the content of the articles in the newspapers is mostly fragmented. There is no way other than to combine photos taken by passing citizens with smartphones or cameras, information disclosed by the two organizations, and testimony from within to create articles.

Of course, most media outlets only select and make articles based on “announced information” that suits their tastes, and there was hardly any effort to do more than that.

However, the incident that occurred in the heart of downtown Seoul was impossible to completely conceal from others, regardless of who announced it.

Several police cars were damaged.

One armored vehicle transporting a special forces unit was overturned.

There were no fatalities, but there were thirty-two people with serious injuries.

… There was a shooting incident in downtown Seoul. Moreover, the bullets fired were not from pistols, but from rifles, submachine guns, and shotguns.

And among the bullets that were fired, there were live rounds.

All those bullets were aimed at one person, a minor girl.

When dealing with a monster, sometimes bullets are used. If it’s a truly dangerous situation, even live rounds must be used, and citizens somewhat acknowledged that. If people don’t get hurt by those live rounds, it’s unavoidable.

However, shooting at a human being, especially aiming at a minor girl, caused quite a bit of resentment among many people.

“It was necessary.”

That’s what a police official said.

“The fleeing girl had the ability to harm people, and she could move without much trouble even with the live rounds that were fired. It was necessary to suppress her.”

“If so, how can you allow her to flee after doing such a necessary thing?”

“….”

Opinions were somewhat divided regarding the use of live rounds.

Even if it’s a minor, if they wield a knife and cause a disturbance, they must be suppressed even using live rounds. Otherwise, someone could really die. Before that, we could consider using a stun gun or other non-lethal weapons, but if the opponent has not just a knife but also a circuit, there was no difference between them and a monster.

So, did they stop the girl even by doing that?

Everyone knew about that situation.

A new magical girl was born in the middle of Seoul that day.

The magical girl flew up into the sky and then escaped into a black hole.

There were various opinions on whether it was really a black hole, but one thing was certain. If that girl wanted, she could appear anywhere again.

I shot a minor who was causing a disturbance. However, I failed to stop or subdue the minor and only ended up with the dangerous item called “Circuit” in their possession.

Regarding this, the police had nothing to say.

“…I’m sorry.”

If I had to say something, that’s all I could say.

Failure is failure.

The Galactic Federation remained silent. Noir Corporation also remained silent. The only ones speaking were the people who had mobilized the forces at the time, but even they didn’t say much.

It was enough to seem like avoiding responsibility in the eyes of the people.

However, within those two groups, there were various internal conflicts brewing.

*

The magical girls were also in turmoil.

“I just rejected an interview request a while ago. It’s already the fourth request from that channel. Aren’t they tired of it?”

“Yeah, I guess so. Since we can mix in some words even during the rejection process, we can still get some coverage if we make a little effort.”

“Yeah, it feels like they’re trying to keep scratching at it. Saying things like ‘weren’t there magical girls at the scene?’ or ‘couldn’t they have stopped it’…”

Rose let out a deep sigh.

It had been about a week since that day.

It might be just a week, but in modern society, a lot can happen in a week. It was a time when even a light rumor could settle down.

However, even as time passed, the story of that incident continued to flow. It would take more time for it to settle down.

If that black magical girl doesn’t show up again.

Since then, Noir Corporation has made no moves.

Despite confidently pinning Jeon as the suspect, they hadn’t brought up anything else afterward. No matter who requested an interview, they only discussed fundamental matters.

There was no talk from the Galactic Federation either, so the magical girls only suspected that something important had happened besides Jeon’s escape.

“Now… what’s going to happen to us now?”

Iris asked a little anxiously.

Iris always tried to maintain a confident expression, but she couldn’t help but worry about this matter.

Over the past two years, Iris had been establishing her identity as a magical girl. Now she was proud of that work.

In a sense, she could feel self-worth in her position as a magical girl.

If she were to quit being a magical girl now.

If she couldn’t finish the research she had been doing until now.

It was too anxious.

Moreover—

She saw Hayoon sitting in the corner of the lounge with a gloomy expression.

Iris will still have to stop being a magical girl. No matter how much she feels her self-esteem there, she was considering it closer to a “job.” A very good job. A job she liked. Even if that’s the case, if she has to quit, she has no choice but to quit. She can’t keep carrying the name “magical girl” forever.

But Hayoon lost a friend.

No one dared to say those words directly in front of her, but everyone seemed to think so.

Even Hayoon herself.

“…….”

Delphinium, who was sitting in the other corner, also glanced at Hayoon. Normally, she wouldn’t care about anyone and would just read books, but that wasn’t the atmosphere now.

The same was true for Dahlia. The one whose pride was most crushed in battle was Dahlia. Because even though she was confident in magic and close combat, she was defeated miserably and her wand was broken. She is fixing it, but she couldn’t fix that fact.

But even putting aside such thoughts and looking at Hayoon, Hayoon had a dark expression.

Hayoon herself knew very well.

It was fortunate that no incident had occurred yet, but if she had to fight again in this state, she would only be able to hold back the ankles of other magical girls.

Hayoon was evaluated as having the most outstanding energy among the magical girls.

Delphinium’s magic had a wide range, Dahlia’s magic was easy to apply, Iris’s attacks had a long and accurate range. Rose could crush the threats posed by all other magical girls head-on in close combat.

And Hayoon—Blossom, with her energy, could sever everything. No matter how thick the opponent’s armor was, they couldn’t block the light coming from Hayoon’s wand.

And yet, people weren’t hurt, so it was a very useful ability.

Moreover, that strong energy also affected the circuits of other magical girls. Just by Hayoon taking the center, the power of the other magical girls was almost halved.

But not now.

Hayoon lost hope.

She didn’t completely lose it. She can still transform and summon blades. Other applications are also possible.

But she couldn’t exert the same power as before.

When was the decisive moment? How can she revive hope?

Hayoon thought hard. No matter how her situation was, she didn’t want to cause trouble to her other team members.

No matter how much she thought, at the end of it all, there was Ji-eun.

Ji-eun, who grew up together since childhood. When Hayoon became a magical girl, and as the gaze of others gradually shifted, Ji-eun remained right by her side.

Even when someone else wanted something from Hayoon, Ji-eun didn’t particularly want anything.

I just smiled and acted like an ordinary friend as always.

Why was Jeong Eun involved in the battle?

… The conclusion is, it didn’t take long for that to come out.

Nuar Corporation had tried to keep their mouth shut until the end, but they found out through a persistent journalist that Nuar Corporation had been consistently donating to an orphanage.

Nuar Corporation has never donated anonymously, and that’s why they got caught.

Did they want to build an image of a socially responsible company?

But that journalist also revealed that a girl named “Jeong Eun” was living in that orphanage. After persistently lurking, he requested an interview with the girl who was heading to school, and she blurted out, “She was the one I lived with in the same room.”

Jeong Eun was living in the orphanage.

Without any family to take care of her.

Of course, the reason Jeong Eun could grow up to be such a bright child was probably because all the teachers and children she lived with at the orphanage were good people.

Hayoon had no idea.

As a magical girl, she had no idea what situation her friend was in when she leaned on her.

Hayoon’s bones broke several times because of Jeong Eun. Hayoon’s magic couldn’t hurt people, but her body could.

Not every fight ends neatly with magic. To subdue someone, you have to hit them, kick them, and slam them to the ground many times. Especially Jeong Eun was persistent in fighting.

The reason she fought so persistently was probably to earn the operating expenses for the orphanage.

Realizing that Jeong Eun had some kind of energy, she would have approached her from the company. And she must have sent her into fights several times under those conditions.

… As a result, Jeong Eun must have fought Hayoon several times, looking at Hayoon’s face.

Her own face, beaten mercilessly by Hayoon.

“….”

She looked down at her hand.

Her hand was trembling.

Justice.

Hayoon fought for justice. The Milky Way Alliance couldn’t be perfectly just, but she still wanted to fight against the clear villain, Nuar Corporation. Her parents supported that decision.

Jeong Eun too.

Every time she met Hayoon at school, what did Jeong Eun think?

On the day after she broke her finger bone while blocking Hayoon’s kick,

On the day after she hit the ground after being hit in the abdomen with her elbow,

On the day after her collarbone was deeply indented by a fist over the broken glove,

Jeong Eun met Hayoon. In fact, since they were both wearing helmets, it’s impossible to know exactly how they hit each other. The only thing that is certain is that Jeong Eun was there.

If Hayoon had known that Jeong Eun was there, she would never have fought sincerely.

However, Ji-eun had seen that side of Ha-yoon. Even when she was being scolded, even the next day.

Did she think it was creepy?

Did she think Ha-yoon, who made people like that, who made herself like that, whined in front of her?

And yet, did she smile?

Ji-eun didn’t expect anything from Ha-yoon. If she had wanted information about the Eunhae Federation, or if she had wanted some weakness of the magical girls, or anything else to give her an advantage in a fight, Ha-yoon would have been more at ease.

But Ji-eun had no grudge. Ha-yoon never mentioned it either. She was aware of her position as a magical girl.

Was the smile Ji-eun gave all false? Was it not a smile that endured fear and disgust?

Yet, did Ji-eun treat Ha-yoon well like that?

Is she safe now?

Even right after becoming a magical girl, Ji-eun was injured everywhere.

How many shots did she take and fall, with thick iron wires on her body, unable to move properly.

At the last moment, Ji-eun’s expression is remembered.

That expression looking down with a cold, stiff face.

Completely different from what Ji-eun had shown so far.

She tried to endure it with gritted teeth, but tears came out again. She quickly wiped her eyes with her hands, but tears continued to flow.

“……”

Someone handed her a handkerchief.

When she looked up, it was Rose.

“…… I’m sorry.”

Ha-yoon took the handkerchief and wiped her eyes.

Rose seemed to want to say something, but in the current situation, it seemed impossible to empathize with Ha-yoon in any way.

Ha-yoon kept crying.

She didn’t even want to go home. Every time she faced her parents at home, they just said that hitting Ji-eun was something that had to be done.

Why did Ji-eun not tell Ha-yoon to stop?

… She knows.

If Ji-eun had said that to Ha-yoon, she wouldn’t have thought of Ji-eun as her special friend. She would have thought of her just like everyone else.

Perhaps Ji-eun knew that and endured it that way. She adapted to Ha-yoon’s selfish heart.

Even enduring so much pain.

She wanted to meet her now.

It was okay to hear any story; she just wanted to know that she was safe for now.

If they meet next time.

If they meet next time—

……

What should I do?

In the end, Ha-yoon couldn’t find the answer today.

*

“Ji-hye.”

At the sound calling her name, Ji-hye flinched. She had been like this for the past few days.

The room was still occupied by Ji-hye alone. The teacher made sure not to bring other children into the room so that Ji-eun could come back at any time.

Ji-hye felt the same way. She hoped for Ji-eun’s return.

She didn’t know what was happening, and people around her kept prying into the matter. Especially since the reporter who had blocked her way to school and bombarded her with questions had appeared, reporters occasionally showed up at Ji-hye’s school.

There was even a reporter who came in the morning and rummaged through the desk as he pleased.

Since then, the school never let reporters inside, but now the problem was the kids.

“Who is this Ji-eun?”

The kids asked about something they had never shown interest in before.

The kids already knew about Ji-eun and where she was. They just hadn’t been confronted with the story before. Ji-hye had never shown Ji-eun’s face or introduced her to the other kids. She knew Ji-eun’s personality.

And of course, Ji-eun knew the truth. It seemed like she thought it was impossible to hide forever, as she said it was okay to talk about it as long as it was just the story.

Since Ji-eun became a magical girl, suddenly the kids around Ji-hye started asking about Ji-eun.

Why would that be?

Did they want to make a fuss in front of the reporter? Or did they want to post it on the internet?

Ji-hye became anxious.

But she didn’t know anything about what Ji-eun was doing. She understood why she didn’t speak. If she had known that Ji-eun was doing such a thing, the teacher would surely have refused Nuar Corporation’s donation.

…These kids knew that story too.

Yet, despite knowing—

“I heard from kids at other schools that she couldn’t get along with people.”

“Yeah, that seems right. Even when other kids talked to her, she was really sharp.”

“They say she got close to the magical girl because of information.”

“It seems like she tried to find out things while being close.”

She was distracted by the words that were spreading here and there.

Ji-eun?

No, she didn’t seem like that at all.

Ji-eun cherished the CDs on the desk very carefully. She naturally treasured the CDs she had personally chosen, but what she treasured even more was the CD Ha-yoon had given her. Her cautious manner of opening the case as if it could scratch when touched made her seem a bit funny.

Sometimes, whenever Ji-eun brought up Ha-yoon, her face brightened.

The story of the magical girl was, of course, told. But that was all.

The stories about Hayoon that Jieun usually told were mostly about where they had played. When did they start knowing each other, and how close they were.

Jieun thought there was no way she would do such a thing to Hayoon.

But Ji-hye couldn’t refute the kids’ words.

Because it was being shouted on the news. Because it was being shouted in online newspapers.

The kids all seemed to believe the article. So, speaking confidently in front of them was necessary.

“Still, I’m glad. We didn’t get involved.”

“……”

That night, Ji-hye ran to her computer as soon as she saw it.

Of course, when she arrived, the situation was already over. It was a time when the buses had stopped running, so she had wasted her energy running.

Nearby, people with fierce looks were standing and controlling the situation. All she could recognize were overturned cars and debris scattered everywhere.

Just from that, she could imagine how fierce the battle had been right there.

Just knowing that Jieun was there made her heart pound. Will she be okay? She should be okay since she ran away.

The place she saw the story was an article. The article that Ji-hye didn’t believe.

In the article claiming that Jieun had “fled”—

“…Sorry, I’ll go to the restroom for a moment.”

Ji-hye said that and quickly got up from her seat. Seeing Ji-hye’s face turn pale, some of the kids got up to go with her.

She refused and quickly left the classroom.

It felt like she might throw up at any moment.

Even while listening to those words from Jieun, Ji-hye couldn’t say anything.

She was afraid that if she did, the kids might think strangely of her for defending Jieun. Or maybe even the teacher would think strangely of her.

The daycare teacher had told her not to say anything for a while, no matter what questions she received.

So, it was a natural action, but…

She entered the restroom. Luckily, perhaps because break time was ending, no one was in the restroom.

Ji-hye went into a stall, closed the door quickly, and retched facing the toilet. Fortunately or unfortunately, she didn’t vomit.

But feeling weak, she sat down on the floor.

“…Jieun.”

I’m sorry.

Maybe she should have refuted it then. She should have said that Jieun wouldn’t do such a thing, that she definitely wasn’t that kind of person.

But she was scared.

Yes, it wasn’t because the teacher had said so. It was just that the situation was too frightening, so Ji-hye chose to run away without saying anything.

She felt so pathetic for doing that.