LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 46
Have I ever seen Ji-eun angry?
I might have seen her getting annoyed. I’ve seen her cry while watching sad movies. I’ve seen her laugh too.
Having spent so much time together, it would be odd not to have seen her emotional side.
Yet, still…
I’ve never seen Ji-eun get mad.
When we were very young, Ji-hye once touched Ji-eun’s stuff without permission. Back then, we were all in the same room, so the concept of “belonging to someone else” didn’t come easily to us.
Ji-eun didn’t get angry. She just made a face that seemed to be holding something back.
At that young age, even that was a bit scary.
As we slowly started to understand each other, we adjusted to one another. That somewhat stiff and intimidating first impression was just an illusion; as we spent time together, she turned out to be quite understanding and a little mature for her age.
Maybe that’s why Ji-hye had never seen Ji-eun lose her temper like that.
She looked like a child.
It was as if she was instantly spitting out everything she had bottled up inside.
An angry child who doesn’t know how to express her feelings, so she flails her arms and legs a bit more than she intends—such was her appearance.
But the outcome didn’t really look like a child throwing a tantrum.
The floor around her was smashed, there were sounds of explosions, and that sturdy armored vehicle crumpled like a piece of paper.
The noise Ji-eun emitted sounded painful.
Today, no matter how I look at it, what Ji-eun did cannot be labeled as a bad thing.
She saved Ji-hye, who was taken hostage, and partnered with magical girls to defeat the rampaging alien. She didn’t harm any police officers and didn’t show any particularly hostile behavior.
If anyone among the many people here wanted to talk to Ji-eun, she would have gladly engaged with them.
She might seem a bit cold on the surface, lacking charm, and a bit gruff, but she’s definitely not a bad person.
Crash!
With a powerful strike from above, the waist of the armored vehicle collapsed. A huge crack formed on the ground. The center of the vehicle sank into the ground.
The people surrounding her were too scared to attack Ji-eun.
Light flowed from the sky.
I shouldn’t be scared.
Since everyone around me is frightened, I absolutely shouldn’t be.
That kid over there is Ji-eun.
No matter how she looks, she’s still Ji-eun, the one I’ve been searching for.
But in the end, Ji-hye crouched down on the floor.
It wasn’t just fear. To describe it, there were probably various reasons mixed together. I was too tense that my legs went weak, and I didn’t fully understand what was happening right now. It was the first time I had seen an alien up close. It was also the first time I had brushed with death.
It was just that, so I was drained. I had experienced too much today to endure all of that.
The ground trembled, and a sound akin to a scream echoed.
“……”
Ji-eun looked up at the sky.
I wonder what she saw beyond it.
What is that black hole? Did Ji-eun create that too?
After gazing at the sky for a while, Ji-eun turned back to Ji-hye.
There was nothing left on her expression.
Not a single tear fell. It was as though she had thrown up everything inside and was left with nothing, wearing a hollow expression.
She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
She tried to get up, but her legs wouldn’t cooperate.
I have to catch her.
If I don’t grab her now, I might never be able to.
But Ji-eun didn’t wait for anything.
She simply vanished.
Just like that, the moment I blinked, there was no trace of Ji-eun left.
Neither the light that had enveloped the sky nor the black hole that seemed like it could swallow everything.
Only a completely wrecked armored vehicle and the ground that had been mercilessly destroyed remained.
“……”
For a long time, no one opened their mouth.
*
It was after Ji-eun had moved that Ha-yoon finally snapped to her senses and started running.
“Wait!”
Ha-yoon shouted towards her comrades rushing towards Ji-eun.
Are they going to catch Ji-eun? Do they plan to hurt her again?
She tried to move quickly.
But it was hard because of the black hole in the sky. If she jumped up, she felt like she’d be sucked in immediately.
No, it’s okay.
Not yet.
I have enough magic. The circuit is still operating properly.
Just as she was about to exert herself and run towards Ji-eun…
Ji-eun vanished.
Again?
—No, the black hole is still there. Not all magic vanishes simultaneously when the caster disappears. Ji-eun’s magic has always worked like that.
She’s still nearby.
Just when she regained her composure and was about to scan the surroundings…
Bang!
A sound rang out.
Ji-eun was moving among the police in the distance.
It was a side of Ji-eun I had never seen before.
She was rampaging in fury.
“…Ji-eun?”
I thought she couldn’t hear me here, but I found myself mumbling it out loud.
“…Ah.”
That must be it. She must have bottled up a lot inside. It’s only natural for a person to feel that way.
Someone who had become a nationwide wanted person for something they didn’t even do. Not a simple annoyance but labeled as a terrorist who killed people.
Everything in the world must feel resentful. She must have held it all in until now.
A scream erupted.
It was Ji-eun’s scream.
A voice filled with horrifying pain.
Her body stiffened, unable to move.
If only it hadn’t been this way. If Ji-eun had attacked first, the story might have turned out differently. At that time, the justification might have been on our side.
But Ji-eun was shot for saving someone from danger.
Before that, it seemed like they were ready to capture her, having tossed a net over her head.
When you do such things to someone who was showing kindness—
At some point, the screaming stopped.
After a brief moment of silence, suddenly everything around appeared fine.
There was no black hole that seemed like it was going to swallow everything, and the light flowing from the sky was gone.
Ha-yoon instinctively knew Ji-eun had vanished.
We hadn’t even exchanged a word yet.
I finally thought we could share a conversation, but before it could even happen, it was all over.
“……”
Why?
Why is it so obstructive?
Is it really such a problem just to share a single word?
Ha-yoon walked slowly towards the crowd.
As she approached, people looked at her and hurriedly moved aside. Walking down the path they cleared, she arrived at the spot where Ji-eun had been just moments ago.
There lay a tragically wrecked vehicle, so mangled it was hard to tell what it had originally looked like.
All eyes turned towards Ha-yoon.
Why?
Did she look like she wanted to say something? Did they think she was going to chase after Ji-eun right away?
Were they expecting her to catch that unidentified magical girl?
“…Blossom.”
Iris cautiously broke the silence.
Ha-yoon looked at Iris.
Iris had a perplexed expression. She looked worried too.
It seemed like she was about to say something, but in the end, Iris couldn’t say anything to Ha-yoon.
Maybe she was going to say it wasn’t Ha-yoon’s fault.
But it was Ha-yoon’s fault.
From the very beginning, she should have thought things through.
Being a magical girl is a job meant to protect people.
However, she had gone about resolving everything with violence, merely seeing people as a simple dichotomy of good versus evil.
Only after seeing Ji-eun caught in that web did she begin to feel remorse, but by then, it was already too late.
…Because the situation had escalated to this point.
Turning my gaze back to the damaged armored vehicle, I stared at it blankly before turning my head again.
This time, the person whose eyes met mine was Ji-hye, who sat far away on the ground.
*
“Ji-eun?”
The moment I returned to my room and collapsed, Earth Buddy came over, worried.
Then, noticing the blood on my left shoulder, he quickly opened the first aid kit and pulled out a bandage.
“……”
James, who had been resting on my shoulder, climbed down to sit below.
I lay down on the floor as if collapsing.
The carpet was stained with blood, but there was nothing I could do about it. I was truly out of energy.
The adrenaline from the battle had faded, and the pain I had forgotten rushed back in.
“…I’ve… messed everything up.”
I muttered to myself.
I couldn’t show my heroic side by going in later than the magical girls and saving the day.
I had shown some semblance of cooperation, but that was the end of it. People didn’t trust me.
I even snapped at the police who shot me. That armored vehicle, once a national asset, was now in a state where it could never be used again.
That road would probably remain unusable for a long while. I had smashed it up during the fight, and in the end, the black hole had caused even more collateral damage.
I wondered if windows of nearby buildings had been broken.
From now on, the vigilance of those chasing me would surely intensify. They’d have confirmed the threat of the weapons I had, making them more determined to hunt me down.
If we crossed paths, they might even shoot at me.
“…I’m sorry.”
That apology wasn’t meant for anyone in particular.
It was meant for Earth Buddy, who was wrapping the bandage around my shoulder. I had dirtied his home even though I practically lived there for free.
And also for James, who had thoughtfully devised plans and created weapons. Though I couldn’t be entirely grateful to him, I still felt guilty since this mess was my fault.
But James didn’t say anything to me.
He simply rested his chin on his hands, seemingly deep in thought, before eventually saying, “It seems like we’ve lost the weapons.”
“…Huh!?”
I jumped up in surprise, then quickly lay back down.
My shoulder hurt too much. While it didn’t feel like the bullet had penetrated, I still received a blow strong enough to draw blood. The circuit was still operating, but my outfit had turned from magical girl attire to the clothes I had worn outside.
Could I have left them behind?
“There’s no need to worry too much. You probably just instinctively left them in a subspace.”
James explained.
“I confirmed that the last thing you were holding was secured in your grasp.”
“…….”
Right, that’s quite meticulous.
But I didn’t want to be thinking about this right now.
To be precise, I didn’t want to think at all. Everything just seemed so messed up. The situation I was in.
I wanted to cry, truly.
I did my best…
Even if it doesn’t seem like it from others’ perspectives, I genuinely tried my best. That choice might’ve been wrong, though.
“…It’s not a good atmosphere for talking right now. Let’s continue later. Today’s events were more productive than expected.”
Even though he’d cursed me when he almost got shot, he’s acting fine now.
“Should I set up a blanket for you?”
Earth Buddy asked.
I couldn’t manage to get angry at that.
I got up from my spot. My left shoulder was still throbbing with pain, but I couldn’t just lie in bed like this.
It’s not even my blanket.
…Well, technically, it is my blanket since I bought it with my part-time job earnings.
But I shouldn’t be sleeping while it’s covered in dust.
As I stumbled towards the bathroom, Earth Buddy looked at me with a slightly worried expression, but I decided to wash up anyway.
*
After finally cleaning myself up and changing out of the torn clothes, I collapsed onto the floor mat.
The reason I woke up was the delicious smell tickling my nose.
“Oh, you’re awake.”
Earth Buddy said, placing the chopsticks he had picked up back down.
“There’s still water in the pot, so you can boil it right away and eat.”
“…Thanks.”
I felt like I was starving to death.
Looking over at the window that was almost bedridden with darkness, it appeared I hadn’t slept that long after all.
“How long was I out?”
As I turned to check the time, Earth Buddy swallowed a mouthful of ramen and answered.
“A day and a half.”
“…Huh?”
I looked at Earth Buddy, surprised.
“Honestly, I thought it was a bit dangerous, but when I shook you, you mumbled something, so I left you like that for now.”
“I see.”
Well, I’m in no condition to go to a hospital. That must be why I’m this starved.
I touched my left shoulder. The bandage was still wrapped around it, but it didn’t hurt as much as it did when I was first injured. In between, there might’ve been some sort of magical effect, and my body could be getting better.
I put water back in the pot and heated it up, getting the instant ramen ready.
Just the smell was already mouthwatering. In the end, I lost my self-control and tossed some ramen that wasn’t even fully cooked into my mouth. There was still a bit of stiffness and crunchiness left, but it was delicious.
I slurped down a piece of ramen hungrily, practically inhaling it, and mixed in the cold rice Earth Buddy had given me, leaving no drop of soup behind.
I felt like I could finally live.
“Phew.”
I guess even I can’t resist my instincts.
Watching me devour the ramen, Earth Buddy shrugged.
“I’m glad you seem fine.”
“…Huh?”
“I saw it on the news. It wasn’t live, but the traces you left from the fight were reported.”
“Ah.”
The happiness from filling my stomach dissipated in an instant.
“What did… they say?”
“…It’s not exactly good news.”
Still, thinking it’s better that I know, Earth Buddy pulled up the content on his smartphone and showed it to me.
I took the smartphone and read it silently.
[Magical Girl Attacks Police]
That was roughly the content of the article.
In the picture was an armored vehicle, shattered to pieces beyond recognition, along with that rifle I had bent up.
The ground I had smashed down after striking it repeatedly was also shown.
Of course, the article didn’t vilify “magical girls.”
So it seems, they referred to the magical girls of the Eun-ha Federation. It seemed they created a sensational title to increase the viewer count even a little.
The article was describing me.
It said I fought an alien and, disregarding the police’s attempts to apprehend me, instead threatened them by demolishing the armored vehicle.
“Ha.”
The direction of the article was so blatantly obvious that it made me want to laugh.
In other words, it’s saying they’ll hunt me down at all costs. Labeling me a criminal.
What a farce.
Then again, a crime is a crime.
It was true that I refused to get apprehended. I did blow away police trying to stop me in the middle of Seoul and demolished cars and walls.
I infiltrated a company and ran away with the most crucial parts, and when I reappeared, I shamelessly destroyed city property and threatened the police while escaping.
But the article didn’t mention why I did those things. Of course, I wouldn’t expect it to.
“Maybe I should become a real villain.”
I muttered like that.
Should I just kill whoever, without a care for lives?
Maybe that’s what the writer is trying to convey. If my life was being serialized in another work, I’d be somewhat separated from the surrounding characters.
The good protagonist who must kill their rampaging and corrupted friend; perhaps that’s a picture the writer wants?
“……”
I imagined Ha-yoon killing me.
It would probably hurt her rather than me. I’d actually find it rather comfortable…
Ha.
Being in a world where you can’t even choose to die, what a joke.
I handed the smartphone back to Earth Buddy. After hearing my words, he stared at me wide-eyed.
“…There’s no way that will happen, so don’t worry.”
Even though I was feeling a sense of injustice that made me want to roll around in the dirt, if I actually became a villain now, I wouldn’t be able to resolve that injustice.
Well, truth be told, I probably already looked like a villain from their perspective.
I recalled the magical girls rushing towards me in the end. I’m just thankful that Ha-yoon didn’t run at me.
…Am I thankful? I’m actually not sure.
Somewhere deep down, I still felt something simmering and boiling.
While I believed that the situation I was in was unfair, at the same time… there was a feeling of it being for the best.
Against all odds, there was a ridiculous desire to tear everything down.
If the writer actually exists and is the one who placed me here, isn’t it only natural to want to completely destroy the foundation of the work?
“……”
And at the same time, I also thought that such actions shouldn’t be done.
Ha-yoon’s face came to mind. She would probably look pained while fighting me. Until now, she had only been able to face me because I had my face covered.
If I were to reveal my face and fight, Ha-yoon wouldn’t be able to unleash her full power.
And such a fight would have no meaning. The “Blossom” I want to win against is not a fragile or weakened being. Winning in that manner would hold no significance in this world at all.
Only with my strength, being able to perfectly defeat Blossom who retains her full power—that would be the only proper form of revenge.
…Revenge against this world using Ha-yoon.
“Ha, haha…”
I let out a dry laugh.
Earth Buddy looked at me, slightly concerned.
I sighed heavily and glanced around again.
“James is over there.”
Looking over there, James was sleeping.
He was sharing the same mat I was lying on, and there was a risk of him being crushed by me if he rolled over, so I arranged for him to have a separate place.
I made a makeshift nest out of my torn clothes and placed a hot pack underneath. It was pretty decent since it could remain warm all day if I covered it.
James was curled up on it.
Next to him was some sort of mechanical device that seemed half-finished.
Could that be one of my weapons? It seemed small for that, though.
Should I ask him about it when he wakes up?
I began to replay the events I had experienced.
I wouldn’t want to only reflect negatively. Though the world’s perception of me was worsening, there were still things I had gained.
My potential.
It was indeed a phenomenon that only occurred when I was extremely stressed, but I can create a black hole that turns the area around me into chaos.
It is literally a black hole, even distorting light.
While I enter and come out, nothing else that has been sucked in has come back. Not even my weapons.
Will it be possible to retrieve them?
The components that James would need might still be inside.
Let’s use everything as my weapons.
At this point, I can’t be treated like a mere cornered rat. I must become a dangerous being that they can’t afford to disregard.
I know that the odds aren’t in my favor. But it’s too frustrating to give up.
That’s why my circuits continue to operate.
Perhaps that very fact is my strongest weapon.