LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 335
Pang-pang wasn’t a Magical Girl, but she often came to hang out at our headquarters.
There were quite a few areas where civilians weren’t allowed, but honestly, it wasn’t too inconvenient for us to play around. After all, most of the places restricted to us weren’t where we, the Magical Girls, would usually go anyway.
“How have you been? Are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah. I think not working has made me gain a bit of weight, actually.”
Pang-pang answered my question with a smile.
Still, she felt a bit awkward around the other Magical Girls. I mean, she usually only played with me and Ha-yoon.
However, that relationship was gradually improving.
Even though she had been a Combatant and was the granddaughter of the Noir Corporation’s Chairman, back when she was a Combatant, she was usually at the very bottom of the ranks, and when her weaknesses emerged, she became the one who kicked powerfully while other Magical Girls couldn’t do anything.
“I’ve been learning a lot of different things.”
Pang-pang said.
“Mostly about how to run a company. Honestly, it’s been tough trying to cram all that into my head suddenly after not learning anything until now.”
I chuckled and handed her a can of coffee.
Well, it must be hard; I’ve never thought that high school was easy either. Running a big corporation probably requires an even greater effort.
“I found something I want to do.”
Pang-pang took a sip of coffee and said as I opened a can of cola.
“Something you want to do?”
“A dream.”
Pang-pang looked at me with a smile.
She didn’t seem drunk yet. So, this was probably a story told with a clear mind.
“I want to be an astronaut.”
“Right, you said you wanted that, didn’t you?”
I recalled our previous conversation and smiled as I spoke.
“Now that you have money, are you going to try to build a spaceship?”
“Yeah. But I want to go somewhere other than the places that others already know.”
“Somewhere else? There are still plenty of places in this galaxy that no one has seen yet.”
The galaxy is vast and empty. Even if the sky seems filled with stars, the distance between those stars is usually ridiculously far. In the past, it would have taken ‘an eternity to reach.’
Even now, it’s a place one simply cannot reach without technology.
“But still, the first time is the best, right? Just like the astronauts from Earth. If you’re going to dream, dream big.”
Seeing her face turning red, I wondered if this conversation was still being held with a clear mind.
“…There are many technologies out there. The ones that Noir Corporation is researching.”
“That’s probably true.”
Only Earth dwellers can move with the technologies that exist on Earth.
“And, maybe, we could find a way to get to other galaxies. It might take a long time, but I think it’s definitely possible.”
“Really?”
Yeah, was the first time really meant that way?
“Is it too ridiculous?”
“To be honest, I don’t know.”
I genuinely had no clue about space technology.
However.
“If it is possible, then it is possible.”
“Yep. So.”
Pang-pang said.
“If, in a few years, I grow up and can properly manage Noir Corporation…”
Pang-pang looked at me with a serious expression.
“Could you help me a little?”
“Sure, why not.”
It wouldn’t hurt. I was confident that Pang-pang wouldn’t use my help in a weird way.
“Great! I also want to see another galaxy.”
There must be countless lives living there as well. Just like how there were countless lives we didn’t know about in the night sky we looked up at.
“Really!?”
Pang-pang exclaimed, her face turning completely red.
“I can at least help out with my friend’s dream.”
“That sounds amazing!”
Was she completely drunk now? Her face was so flushed, it seemed like it.
When she hugged me tightly and planted five quick kisses on my cheek, I was pretty sure that was the case.
*
I was almost always with Ji-hye, but after becoming a Magical Girl, our time together has decreased a bit.
I hadn’t completely become independent or anything, but I certainly had started to spend more time outside.
Now that I had become a Magical Girl too, I thought we would spend even more time together, but Ji-hye ended up going to find her family again, which actually left us with less time to meet.
But to be fair, the time I spent with other kids was still about the same as before.
“Are you getting along well with your mom these days?”
“Actually, it still feels a bit awkward.”
Ji-hye said.
But her expression was definitely smiling.
If it were me, I wouldn’t have rated that person so highly.
She somewhat tried to look for her daughter, but the story was that she didn’t start looking properly until the church collapsed after that.
Since neither of us had been adopted up to this point, Ji-hye could meet her without any problems; if she had been adopted into another family, it would have been nothing but confusion.
I had been through that myself.
But this wasn’t a topic I could casually bring up in front of Ji-hye. After all, there are people who think differently than I do.
Besides…
Yeah. To be honest, I was just a little jealous. That person was surely treating Ji-hye really well.
So, that “awkward” expression was probably closer to the awkwardness one feels with a new family, stemming from the environmental changes.
“But, I’m happy.”
“I see.”
Ji-hye found hope. Hope for a family.
Given that Ji-hye’s ability to “protect” was created, acquiring someone she had to protect was probably a joyful development. That’s how I decided to take it.
“But it’s not as happy as when I’m with you. This is a different kind of joy.”
Ji-hye suddenly jumped in with that statement, which caught me off guard.
As I bolted up from the bed, Ji-hye had already dove onto my bed.
“It’s fine; I won’t eat you.”
There are plenty of kids coming into my room, but no one has ever climbed on top of me like this—oh, there was one person, but hmm.
“I told Mom I was sleeping out, so I can sleep here today, right?”
Ji-hye’s room was of course set up separately, but I understood what she was implying.
“Just like when we were little. Is that okay?”
“We didn’t sleep this close together when we were little.”
“Eh, we don’t need to care about the specifics.”
Ji-hye said with a smile.
Well, I guess it’s fine.
There hasn’t been much time for this ever since she left the orphanage first.
Seeing Ji-hye stick closely to my side, I wondered if she had some ulterior motive, but she genuinely just slept.
Thank goodness… or maybe not?
*
It wasn’t a relief.
The complex feelings I had stemmed from the fact that Ha-yoon popped into my mind.
Didn’t I say that another girl besides Ji-hye was already in my bed? That would be Ha-yoon.
It was like Ha-yoon bragged about it to Ji-hye after she came over once before, which led to this situation.
Maybe because I had experienced it already, I felt surprisingly calm. Have I reached a point where it doesn’t bother me if girls come into my bed?
…Well, no matter how I think about it, that doesn’t seem right.
“……”
Looking up at the ceiling, Ha-yoon wrapping her arms around mine seemed a bit audacious.
My heart was racing like crazy, and yet she was sleeping so comfortably.
“Hey, Ha-yoon.”
So, I called out to Ha-yoon.
“Yeah?”
“Have I ever told you about my dream?”
“Dream?”
Ha-yoon’s eyes sparkled. Was she not sleeping after all?
Well, it didn’t matter.
“Yeah. My dream.”
“What dream was it?”
“……”
What should I say?
After pondering for a bit, I suddenly realized there was no reason to hide it now.
My dream had already come true.
There will be dreams in the future, but at least that dream I had…
“Being next to you.”
Ha-yoon was the shining star above me.
I knew she was an ordinary girl too. One that gets hurt, feels pain, and worries—an ordinary girl.
But at the same time, Ha-yoon was a girl who never gives up.
She does everything well and is just the right amount of humble. A wonderful friend who stays by my side.
That’s why I wanted to be with her.
Especially now that I knew the world was like a webtoon.
At that time, I even felt a bit jealous.
“……”
Ha-yoon suddenly went quiet.
Then, as if she were going to sleep, she shut her eyes.
“Ha-yoon?”
With her face turning bright red, she didn’t seem like she was going to sleep at all.
A little light from outside came in, illuminating Ha-yoon’s face, and I could see her eyelids fluttering.
“……Me too.”
Ha-yoon muttered softly.
“Huh?”
“I’m also, since you’re my dream.”
“……Ha-yoon?”
There was no answer.
Ha-yoon simply kept her eyes closed, pretending to sleep.
“……Hah.”
I let out a small laugh and lay down facing Ha-yoon.
Then slowly, I inched closer and pressed my forehead against hers.
Ha-yoon’s body slightly trembled.
I said it was a dream.
It was an answer filled with so many questions, but still, it felt nice.
I could just ask her later.
After all, we still had a lot of time to spare.
Just because a dream comes true, it doesn’t mean the dream ends.
Then, what’s left is simply continuing that dream, isn’t it?
“……Goodnight, Ha-yoon.”
“Yeah.”
Ha-yoon replied softly to my words.
I feel like I’m going to have a good dream tonight.
Maybe it will be something not too different from the usual “ordinary.”