episode_0059

I came to my senses after inhaling the musty smell unique to the abandoned house.

From behind me, Ha Yoon’s body exuded a pleasant fragrance. Maybe it was because of the magic, or perhaps it was because of the peculiar staff she held in her hand.

No, maybe it was just my imagination.

Although we had known each other for a long time, Ha Yoon and I didn’t engage in physical contact frequently. If we were to nitpick, Ji Hye was more proactive than Ha Yoon. Even if I didn’t make the first move, Ji Hye would link her arm with mine or lightly hug me when she was in a good mood.

Ha Yoon and I… what should I say? We had been close for a long time, but there was a certain boundary between us.

There was also a part of me that hesitated.

It wasn’t that I disliked Ha Yoon. Objectively speaking, Ha Yoon was a very attractive person. Just like everyone else around her was drawn to her, I also felt a humanly attraction towards her.

But at the same time, we were friends.

I didn’t want to cross the line within me and risk becoming someone I didn’t know, hurting Ha Yoon, who was my friend.

Above all, Ha Yoon was sensitive to people who wanted something from her and approached her.

That’s why I had kept a certain distance.

That’s why I could come to my senses after inhaling the musty smell of this house.

“…!”

Startled, I released Ha Yoon’s hand.

Surprisingly, there wasn’t much strength in her hand. When I let go, her hand easily left my side.

Turning around, I saw Ha Yoon standing with a slightly shocked expression.

Was it because I let go of her hand?

It didn’t seem like her gaze was directed at that.

During the past week I spent here, I tried to make this place livable in my own way.

No, I didn’t try to make it livable. I just tried to remove the parts that bothered me as much as possible. Anyway, no matter how much I tried to decorate it alone, it wouldn’t look like a place where people lived. It was awkward and difficult.

I tore off all the moldy and peeling wallpaper and burned it in the fireplace. That’s why what Ha Yoon saw was a concrete wall with gaps where the mold had fallen off.

Even if it looked worse before, to Ha Yoon, who didn’t know the previous state, it must have been the worst condition itself.

Most of the windows in the house were broken.

Whether someone had visited this place, or hail had entered while no one was managing it.

Animals might have come and gone, but anyway, that’s why there weren’t many intact windows. Still, I thought it was better to pitch a tent inside rather than being exposed to the cold night wind outside. At least there was a roof here.

I tried to sweep away as much dust as possible from the floor, but all I could find were old and worn-out cleaning tools left in the warehouse. The mop was already too dirty to be of any use, and the broom had bristles falling out in between, making it ineffective.

Since there was no dustpan, I had no choice but to sweep the dust out roughly through the open door, so there were dust particles stuck in between the sliding doors.

This place was far from being habitable, and even in a decent place where people lived, it would have been a shocking sight to Ha Yoon’s eyes.

Well, even in my eyes, it wasn’t a place where people lived.

“What are you thinking?”

I asked Ha Yoon.

Ha Yoon still looked like a magical girl.

The pink light sword that had risen from her staff was no longer visible, and her clothes made of magic had torn parts here and there. There were faint scars on her face.

However, even with such pitiful attire and expression, Ha Yoon’s appearance was still dignified.

Is this also just because I believe it to be so, like the scent I perceive?

“Jieun.”

Ha Yoon called my name.

I took a step back—suddenly realizing that there was also a rustling sound behind me.

Looking around, it wasn’t just Ha Yoon and me present in this place.

All the other magical girls had followed me as well.

Each of them had a shocked expression. Though they showed no signs of attacking me, their expressions felt like an assault to me.

Sympathy mixed with pity in the gazes that surrounded me.

I didn’t like that.

“What are you all doing…?!”

I shouted without realizing it, quickly biting my tongue.

I could feel the circuits vibrating.

My heart rate increased, and my breathing became rough. I didn’t know how to handle this situation.

If I had taken Ha Yoon to the orphanage, would I have been as shocked as I am now?

The fact that I am shocked is also shocking.

After coming to this world, I thought I was honest with myself. Of course, there were many shameful aspects. Because of my ambivalent thoughts towards Ha Yoon, I got involved with the evil organization and couldn’t easily withdraw after getting too deep.

I never did anything perfectly.

But still—I was myself. Even though I felt ashamed, I thought I accepted myself.

After coming here, I thought I was still honest. I felt cool and comfortable, away from the things that tormented me.

Was that sincere? Or was it just a lie I made up to deceive myself for self-defense?

Whichever it was, both of those things were shattered by Ha Yoon’s arrival.

Just like I never brought Ha Yoon into the orphanage, there was a psychological barrier here too.

I will leave here someday.

I will be okay when I leave.

So even if I tell Ha Yoon—so that she doesn’t become miserable even if she finds out someday—

Well, the orphanage and this mansion have both been destroyed, so it’s now irrelevant, but still.

“….”

My body felt weak.

The hammer fell from my hand as the strength drained away.

My magical girl attire had returned to everyday clothes without me realizing it. The everyday clothes were a bit tattered. It was the only clothing I had.

I was absent-minded.

Well, I had no choice but to become a magical girl. It seemed a bit extreme to take off all my clothes and wear a dress made entirely of magic.

Even though I had become the magical girl I wanted to be, I still felt miserable.

Seeing my appearance return to normal, Ha Yoon’s appearance also shone briefly before returning to its original state. She, like me, was tattered here and there.

But at the same time, she was incomparably intact compared to me.

I had brought a few pieces of clothing. But I was still the same as when I woke up. My hair was tangled everywhere, and my clothes were much more wrinkled than what Ha Yoon was wearing.

I hadn’t properly washed for a few days. Where was I supposed to wash here?

I found a flowing stream and washed my face, hands, feet, arms, and legs, but that was it. I wasn’t in the Joseon era, and I didn’t have the courage to strip naked and wash my body by the river.

“….Sorry.”

Seeing my reaction, Ha Yoon whispered an apology.

As if embarrassed—feeling very ashamed of something, Ha Yoon bowed her head and apologized to me.

“I’m sorry….”

I muttered in response.

What should I say?

What should I say?

I couldn’t wrap my head around the situation. It felt like something was blocking my throat. It was probably emotions. Various emotions tried to burst out of my heart and spill out of my mouth, but instead, too many emotions got tangled up with each other, preventing them from coming out.

“Um, um.”

Before I could say anything, someone else spoke.

James had somehow gotten off his drone and was now perched on my shoulder.

“First of all, I would like to express my delight at having this opportunity to converse.”

Speaking in a haughty tone as if he were the head of a meeting, James continued, “So, would you all kindly hand over your circuits to us? Thanks to the device I’ve prepared, we can hold out for a few minutes, but if you continue wearing the circuits, the Federation will locate this place in a matter of minutes. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to move to a worse location, would you?”

“….”

The magical girls’ gazes shifted uneasily.

“We—”

Rose was the first to speak, but before she could finish her sentence, Hayoon acted first.

Hayoon removed the circuit from her wrist and handed it over to me, her face devoid of expression. As if it were necessary, Hayoon completely erased any expression from her face.

“Take it.”

James said to me.

I absentmindedly reached out and took the circuit.

“Hyuna.”

Rose spoke, but Hayoon kept her eyes on me and softly said, “Do as he says.”

“Yes. Please follow his instructions. Otherwise, unfortunately, we won’t be able to welcome you any longer.”

James paused for a moment.

Then he looked around. I could feel him shifting his weight as he circled around on my shoulder.

“Well, in a situation like this, there is a way for all of you to rush in and fight back. In my opinion, it doesn’t seem like you came here to locate our position for the Federation. Or am I mistaken? Did you come here to attack and subdue a defenseless girl and hand her over to the Federation?”

“….”

At James’ words, Rose couldn’t say anything.

“…. Seohee unnie, please.”

Hayoon wasn’t demanding anything from me. She wasn’t asking for the safety of the magical girls who handed over their circuits, nor was she asking for surrender. She seemed to be saying she wanted to stay, to be here.

Why?

What can these girls do here?

If they remove their circuits to avoid being located, the girls here are just ordinary minors. Earthlings can generate magic through emotions, but that’s only possible when the circuit is present. Without the circuit, they are nothing. Just ordinary people who crumple up when a monster presses a finger against them.

There is only one tent. Even that is a cramped one-person tent for two people to squeeze into. I have no intention of giving up the tent, so the rest will have to sleep roughly in the dirty, damp shelter.

And yet.

Click.

Iris removed the circuit from her wrist.

“….!”

The gazes of the other magical girls turned to Iris.

The gazes alternated between me, Hayoon, and Iris.

Iris still had a somewhat uneasy expression, but hesitantly approached me and handed over her circuit.

I accepted it.

After the two of them handed me their circuits, it was Rose’s turn. She still seemed unsure if this was the right thing to do, but she still handed me her circuit. She must trust Hayoon that much.

Delphinium and Dahlia, too, eventually gave in and handed me their circuits.

In the end, I ended up with five magical girl circuits in my hand.

“Excellent,” James said with a voice filled with joy.

“There is a blocking device in the bag. Have you seen a lunchbox made of aluminum? Just put it in there. Then, at least the Federation won’t come looking for this place.”

“…”

I nodded my head and passed by Hayoon’s side.

Then, I bent down and entered the tent.

Carrying the bag, I naturally checked what was inside to some extent. The thick aluminum box was just that, an aluminum box, so the space inside the bag was filled with various things.

I roughly poured them into the tent, and I roughly threw five circuits into the box. As if throwing in something dirty.

After closing the lid of the box, I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Did you expect this?”

“No.”

James answered my question.

“I knew that the magical girls would come into contact, but I didn’t expect them to follow us like this. They might have been quite important to Blossom Island.”

There was no praise or anything like that in his words.

James’ words were straightforward. Just that I was helpful to Blossom Island, nothing more.

“Originally, it was made for temporary use of communication equipment. I didn’t expect it to be used like this.”

“Can magical communication be blocked by this?”

“It’s not just a material that blocks waves. Don’t worry. Even though it looks like this, I am a genius. I am a resident of the planet that made the circuit, don’t you know the basic principles?”

He said ‘genius,’ but when pronounced, it sounded slightly different, as if it was not a tone but a unique pronunciation of a genius. It might just be a difference in pronunciation due to the different types of sounds we can make, which may sound like just a gibberish on Earth.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

It’s not going to work.

I keep wanting to escape.

I don’t want to go out of the tent like this. I don’t know how to deal with the five people out there when I meet them.

Especially Hayoon.

Since we’ve come this far, and I’ve taken the circuit, those five can’t go back. Unless I send them back.

Maybe I should make a black hole right now and drop it anywhere in Seoul.

It’s possible. At the moment I saw Hayoon, the circuit was fiercely turning back. There is enough energy.

“If you’re thinking of sending them back, don’t do it.”

James said.

“You haven’t seen this location. Even if the circuit is gone, we might be able to find it again.”

A ruin that I don’t even know where it is? It’s a place where you have to go quite far inside. There is a way to drive there, but even that path will probably be overgrown with weeds by spring.

“You usually underestimate the abilities of magical girls, but now you’re underestimating them. There are people who can tell where a photo background is just by looking at the mountains. That’s what experts should be able to do. And if you cross-check the testimonies of the five, the possibility goes up even more.”

“So what should I do?”

“Don’t get stuck here, go outside. And give some instructions to the five. This is your territory. You are the only one here with food, the only one who knows where the water is, and the only one with a usable ruin.”

James whispered in my ear.

“And most importantly, you are the only one with the circuit. Do you think that just five ordinary girls can defeat you?”

As James finished speaking, a clicking sound came from the aluminum box that was previously empty.

It was locked. There was definitely no locking mechanism when I looked at it.

James’ words about it not just being a box seemed to be true.

“We were planning to put communication equipment in here. If someone were to come and peek inside while you were away, wouldn’t that be a problem?”

“….”

When I didn’t say anything, James let out a deep sigh.

Then he spoke up.

“If you’re not sure what orders to give, let me tell you. First, conduct a body search. There are plenty of items that can be tracked even if they’re not circuits. There are cell phones, and there are also communication devices that magical girls carry. They’re all made with ordinary Earth technology, so they can’t be tracked within this range, but if they take them far away, they can notify their location.”

After pausing for a moment and listening intently, James said, “Alright. No one has gone outside yet.”

He spoke as if he had heard something with his big fox-like ears.

“Go. Go and make sure everyone knows you’re above them. Especially Blosum, more than the other magical girls.”

“….”

If I were to completely ignore James’ words, it would probably be a lie.

But still, I didn’t want to play along like this.

If I had told James my thoughts exactly, he probably would have scolded me for being reckless.

But I couldn’t help it.

I… liked it as much as I resented it.

Maybe I won’t completely submit like James said.

So I wanted to tear my hair out right away, but—

—Alright.

James wasn’t entirely wrong.

There’s nothing to be solved by staying inside the tent.

I went out of the tent.

The children were still standing there.

They looked a bit awkward, as if they didn’t know what to say or ask.

Although the sun was still high in the sky outside, it was dark inside. It was still damp, and there was a strange smell. It looked like strange bugs would crawl out at any moment.

Was it the pressure there?

Only Hayoon was looking at me.

With determination.

As if she would do anything—

As if she was saying that, I gritted my teeth.

Yes. Is that right?

You’ll do anything, right? That’s why you came here?

“…I said I’m sorry, didn’t I?”

I opened my mouth while looking at Hayoon.

Hayoon nodded her head slightly.

“Then, at least follow my orders here.”

There’s nothing here.

It wasn’t mine to begin with. Probably, this house isn’t ownerless. There are no ownerless lands left on this earth.

But that doesn’t mean the owner will come running right away to claim the rights of this land.

So.

“First, hand over your phone. I don’t want to keep you here.”

So, I said.

“And the communication device.”

“I’ll return the communication device and phone soon. Of course, the communication function would have been removed, so it’s as good as having no function at all.”

James supplemented the explanation from beside me.

This isn’t my land.

But I still wanted to claim it.

Yes, anyway.

Since there’s nothing here.

…So, I’d rather do it this way.

It was a pitiful self-consolation—

But still, as I watched Hayoon move according to my words, a certain emotion stirred deep in my heart.

It was a dangerous emotion. It shouldn’t be left alone.

But even so, for now, I let it be.

“….”

As I took the phone, my fingertips trembled slightly.

Hayoon was afraid of me.

“….”

Silently, I turned my gaze towards the other magical girls.