episode_0083

“The food you ordered has arrived!”

The employee who took a picture with me earlier approached the table with a cart.

I couldn’t help but swallow my saliva at the sight of the fantastic food that filled the entire cart, each piece steaming.

Honestly, I don’t think there’s anyone who wouldn’t have the same reaction as me after seeing that sight.

Even more so, if you’re in a situation where you’ve lost a lot of stamina while being manipulated around by a former magical girl who disabled her legs and is now the owner of a bakery.

“It’s raining, I’m drooling.”

“… Don’t use it. No. There’s no way I would do that.”

“Look, but your eyes are looking at that.”

“That citrus, isn’t it, ma, the same?”

Citrus has no right to tease me.

As soon as the food came out, the one who reacted faster than anyone else, the one who wanted that shiny, steamy thing more than anyone else, saying, ‘Eat me… Doesn’t it look delicious?’ was citrus.

… I can’t say I didn’t do it either. Anyway, Citrus has no right to be made fun of.

The food was placed on the table one by one, and I tried to put some food on my plate.

“Hey, what do you want to eat? I’ll get it for you. Sit down.”

“I can reach it too.”

“Really?”

“… That end is something that can be done by just standing up a little.”

“Just sit down. What do you want to eat?”

“Ahh… Then can I have some salad over there… ”

“Okay, is this enough?”

“Yes. Thank you… I will eat it now.”

“What? It’s uncomfortable to stand up in a place that can’t even be reached. What if it splashes on my white clothes? And, I have to move anyways to take care of my sister.”

“… Ugh. Okay. Are you really going to use me?”

“Ah, yes, yes. Use it a lot.”

“Ha, I can’t even joke around.”

I took a bite of the salad Hye-won had given me, dipping it in sauce.

It was delicious with the sweet and sour yogurt and bitter vegetable flavors combined.

I really liked the sourness of the cherry tomatoes that burst in the middle, which was a nice touch.

“Salad… Ah.”

“You liked the salad? But this is a pasta restaurant. Hmm… Vine really chose well. You have good taste. What do you want to eat?”

“I’ll eat whatever you give me.”

“Hey… Then, do you want to eat this?”

“Yeah, well… ”

Hye-won scooped up some chicken cream spaghetti that was nearby and handed it to me.

Hmm… When I sit down and look, I can definitely see that it’s not reaching…

If I can’t reach you, there’s nothing I can do. Yeah.

What I tell Hye-won to do is really out of reach, so that’s why I’m doing it.

After thinking about that, I felt a lot more at ease.

“Yum… Oh, this is delicious. Hyewon, please eat it too.”

“Yeah. Ah, the meat is getting cold. Hand me the plate.”

But, the way my plate was filled before I could even eat it… It felt like I was really his little brother…

If, as soon as I finished my plate, he asked me what I wanted to eat and brought it to me, I can confidently say that I was getting more attention than I thought.

“You eat well. This girl gets full just by watching our babies eat. Hehe… ”

“Hey… Since when was I your little sister, Citrus… Yum.”

“Huh? Hyewon is your friend, right? Then she’s my sister too?”

“You, have you forgotten that I’m the magical girl who fought you? And Hyewon too. You’re both my enemies. Slurp… Yum.”

“What kind of enemy would eat with you at a restaurant like this? And do it so cutely.”

“Oh, I told you, isn’t it cute? Are you kidding me? Sigh. Yum.”

“Phew… Yeah, yeah. Eat a lot.”

Seriously, me. I wonder if I should keep saying I’m cute.

After eating like that and going outside, we could see that there were a lot of people in front of the restaurant.

“Hey… Hye-won, did you expect something like this?”

“Ah, well… If I said I didn’t expect that, I’d be lying, right?”

You could definitely tell they were fans, judging by the way their voices got louder and they started chanting as soon as we came out…

“How do I get to the aquarium like this?”

“Ah, these guys are staying out of the way, so it’ll be okay. Maybe? You don’t have to worry about the things you’re thinking about.”

Hye-won said that and started walking while pulling Citrus’ wheelchair.

As she said, as we started walking, the people ahead of us split in half and made way for us.

A sight where people step aside and make way for others, even though no one is there to stop them from approaching.

“… Oh.”

“I told you?”

“I didn’t know it would be real… Last time, it definitely was.”

Like the reporters and the crowd I met in that courtroom and other places.

I thought you would just stick to me.

So, I was thinking that I might be bothering Hye-won and Citrus again.

“What are you staring at? Why don’t you hurry down and take your time? If all these people come in, there won’t be any room for us to watch. Let’s hurry up and go in.”

“Oh, yes.”

Without having to hurt anyone, we just went through the crowd surrounding us and found an empty department store.

So, I was able to get to the aquarium easily.

When I bought the aquarium tickets, nothing happened except that the staff didn’t recognize me and stopped me from buying tickets for two adults and an elementary school student.

Seriously, this is scary.

Aren’t you giving instructions somewhere…?

* * *

Vinay was very happy.

Just like other kids of this age, laughing and looking around.

“Hyewon, look over there. There’s a gargoyle… Is it bigger than me?”

“Maybe? You’ve never been to an aquarium before?”

“No? When I wasn’t in this body, I brought my cousins. It feels different from when I saw them then, it’s strange.”

“Ugh… ”

I followed her around the aquarium and thought deeply.

Why do I have these feelings for Bine?

Yeah, come to think of it, Vinnie and I… are the same gender.

But, why…

Ah, have I already fallen for Vinnie?

Have you been caught in the vines that hold people back?

…ah.

I see.

That’s what it was.

There, with a bright face,

“Hyewon! Look here! It’s an emperor penguin. Doesn’t it look like you? Phew.”

“What makes you similar to me?”

“You look alike in many ways. You’re like the one I saw while fighting. You’re cute. As expected of a penguin… ”

Indeed, if a normal ‘villain’ had said that to me, would I have just stayed quiet?

No, it definitely would have been the hand that went out first.

I was just laughing at the villain who was teasing me for resembling a cute but stupid penguin.

how.

… Vine, is it different?

Compared to the time we fought, the time we spent together was nothing but a speck of dust…

Because you can tell that it’s different…?

No, why me? Where did I start?

I don’t know if you know my confused mind or not.

Still looking at me with that bright expression.

“Hyewon? Are you making such a weird face while looking at something cute? Hey, isn’t that penguin in the corner cute? It’s wobbling around… Phew… ”

“So Hye-won. What is our little sister thinking so intently about?”

“No, um… no. Penguins are cute. Over there, that one looks like you?”

“No, if you look at the yellow hair and behavior of these penguins, it’s you. Look. Oops, I fell.”

“I don’t fall like that.”

“Phew… Really? I saw something.”

“That was a long time ago. It was like that when I was a student, but now… ”

“Even now when I watch the video, it’s similar. When you go out with Arin, the scene where you try so hard not to make a mistake. I got scolded for holding back laughter.”

“Hey… !”

“Well, that was cool. I didn’t think you’d show that kind of behavior to protect Arin. That was cool for you.”

“… Ugh.”

“Oh, I saw earlier that they said they were doing something at the concert hall in 30 minutes. Was it a dolphin show? Would you like to go see it?”

“Was there something like that?”

“You didn’t even know that I had planned the course for today? Hmm… It’s almost time. Should we go?”

“Oh, yeah. Sister? You want to go?”

“Hyewon, if you want to go, you should go. Can you get in here too?”

“Usually wheelchairs are given the front seat.”

Then, we entered a large concert hall.

It’s amazing how they can create such a large space while being underground.

A place that can accommodate a large number of people, but with seats at the front for those who cannot climb the stairs.

“Oh. Thanks to you, I got to sit in the front seat. That’s nice.”

“Really… Citrus you are… !”

“Phew. Why, can’t I even say something like that?”

“No, ah, ah… ahhh… ugh… I’m sorry… ?”

“It’s okay. Bine’s face is red. Sorry, sorry. But Bine’s reaction is funny, isn’t it? It’s a face that makes you want to tease her.”

“No, you really… I’m haa… Right, I’m bad… Yeah… ”

“Ah. It’s okay, it’s okay. I can live without my legs.”

“Ah… Ahh… ”

“Oh. Are you really okay? Hey! Lee Hye-won! What did you do to Bin?”

“No, why me… ”

“What did you say to me with my leg? I told you it was okay.”

“No, I didn’t say anything… ”

“Right? I forgave you, but I believe you wouldn’t say anything behind my back. My little brother is a good person. Right?”

“No, I really didn’t do that… ”

Rather, I’m the one being bullied, and does my sister even know that?

I am overwhelmed by this strange feeling, this feeling that my heart is not my own.

ha…

My sister realized that I hadn’t really done such a thing, so she sat next to me and fiddled with the hair of Vinnie while waiting for the show to start.

The lights go out for a moment.

The spotlight illuminated the stage.

The aquarist appeared with a magnificent sound.

… Vine, you said you didn’t expect it with words. If you make that kind of expression.

It’s cute.

ah.

This is because we are family.

Because we have a new family.

What’s cute is that I feel it because we’re family.

If they’re family, you might think they’re cute.

If you are family, you can have good feelings.

Look, the way my older sister treats me like my younger sister so naturally.

I think of Binnie as my younger sister, so that’s why I do that.

To a person of the same sex, and especially to a child who looks so young, the only feelings I can have are familial love.

Still, there was something that seemed unexplained and incomprehensible.

… That’s probably because we’re all family.

family.

family.

It sounds good.