READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 28
What should I do?
As I brainstormed hard without engaging in any conversation with Ji-hye, my hand still held onto the circuit beneath the blanket.
I had no idea about its performance. All the circuits I had received up to now had varying capabilities.
For now, I wriggled my body and placed the circuit on my wrist. It looked no different than a smartwatch, so I hoped no one would realize it was a circuit. Given how quickly I had spotted it, the chance that others would notice was high.
If I stayed here, would someone eventually come to catch me?
Then what would happen? Since I’m still a minor, would I be sent to a juvenile facility? Or prison?
It felt unjust.
What I was doing should… have been legal.
What Noir Corporation does was “for now” legal, so what I was doing shouldn’t warrant police intervention.
No way, could a terror incident simply end with police catching me?
I heard someone died. A few lives, at that. Many more were injured.
A building collapsed. One important building belonging to Noir Corporation. The district would probably be unusable unless rebuilt entirely, since the center had completely collapsed.
Did I… cause that?
So what happens now?
Even if I say it wasn’t my intention, if someone died, wouldn’t that classify as a “serious offense”?
And what if Noir Corporation decided to sue me? The moment a ruling arrived demanding compensation for even a fraction of the immense damages, I would be done for. I could work my whole life and never repay it.
No, in that case, this circuit I had now becomes an issue too. How on earth did I get this? Don’t tell me James—
“Ji-eun.”
“Yes?”
“Are you okay?”
Ji-hye’s voice finally made me stop drowning in my thoughts.
She looked at me wide-eyed, clearly startled.
“Your face is pale.”
“Ah…”
My fingertips felt cold.
I’m scared.
I’m scared, yet I can’t tell anyone else. Ji-hye still doesn’t know that she almost got ensnared because of me.
What will the news say?
Will they claim I destroyed the building? Will they show my photo and hint that I was the one responsible, or will they outright broadcast that I am guilty regardless?
But I didn’t do it.
I’m… not so clean that I would intentionally bring down a building. That was a prepared explosion, to begin with.
Will I be punished for a crime I didn’t commit?
Or is this the culmination of everything I’ve done until now?
“… You must be really tired.”
Ji-hye said and then stood up.
“Well, I can understand why. You’ve been unconscious for so long. You must not be feeling well either?”
With a worried expression full of concern, she looked at me.
Then she came closer and lightly placed her hand on my shoulder.
“Rest well. I’ll come back tomorrow.”
“Ah…”
“I was thinking of getting some sleep too, but they said that’s not allowed. It seems your treatment process still has a bit to go.”
I didn’t want to be alone. Once alone, it felt like others would come looking for me any moment now.
They’d probably come and insist that everything was my fault.
But, still, I couldn’t ask Ji-hye to stay with me.
She doesn’t know anything yet.
She might have figured out I was a combatant. Maybe she even knows why Noir Corporation regularly donates to the orphanage.
But she has no way of knowing what might happen to her when involved with me. I don’t even know what might happen to me now.
“… Okay. See you tomorrow.”
When I responded that way, Ji-hye applied a bit more pressure with her hand resting on my shoulder.
“Should I call the doctor?”
“No, it’s not that bad.”
“Okay.”
Ji-hye grabbed a bag she had placed near the bed and set it on the mattress, pulling out various items from inside.
“I think it’s okay to drink something, so I brought a few things.”
I had just awakened today, and that bag had been there since I opened my eyes.
She might have bought something new every time she visited. Or maybe she asked while she was out just a moment ago.
Perhaps she just picked out drinks that were safe to consume based on internet searches.
“Thank you.”
“……”
Ji-hye’s expression soured a bit.
“Are you really okay?”
“Yes.”
“Alright.”
Upon my response, Ji-hye finally nodded.
“Then I’ll come tomorrow too. Let’s meet then.”
I nodded.
I felt like my neck might creak, but I could still manage a smile at Ji-hye’s departure.
Watching her close the door, I let out a long breath.
Right, calm down.
Everything isn’t happening all at once right now. James came to warn me, and I’m still hospitalized.
At least until I leave the hospital, there should be time.
I moved my fingers. They creaked at the joints, and it hurt as if pricked by a needle. Was it a side effect of the circuit? Magical girls never seemed to have such side effects.
If there’s good energy and bad energy, it’s almost a given that the bad side would have side effects. It’s frustrating that it’s something I’m experiencing that didn’t come up in webtoons.
I lay on the bed.
The drinks still situated atop the bed were mostly sports drinks. Non-caffeinated hydration solutions.
Really, she’s thorough.
I reached out and grabbed one. Since it had been in the bag, it was still a bit cool.
As I opened the bottle and brought it to my mouth, I heard a knock on the hospital room door.
Before I could respond, the door opened.
A doctor and some nurses entered.
“Jeong Ji-eun.”
Hearing this, I tightened the lid back on my drink.
“Honestly, we should have come as soon as you woke up, but we thought you might be preoccupied with something urgent, so we waited a bit. Can we examine you now?”
I nodded.
I put the drink back on the table.
“Yes, then… since you’ve been asleep for so long, there may be several parts of your body that don’t feel quite right. If you have any painful spots, could you start by telling us about those?”
“Ah, um—”
Both the doctor and the nurses had calm expressions.
I relaxed a bit and began to explain my symptoms.
—
“Ha-yoon! Ha-yoon!”
The one waking Ha-yoon, who was sprawled across the desk asleep, looked like a large hamster.
Actually, it only looked that way; it wasn’t a real animal. If we had to classify it, it’d be an “alien.” Its lifespan was not short like other rodents.
Moreover, aside from the fact it could speak, its appearance was different from a hamster.
You could say it resembled a cat that had been shrunk down and pudged out a bit, designed to walk on two legs. Its ears and tail, rather than resembling those of a cat, were more akin to those of a fennec fox.
“Cherry?”
Ha-yoon rubbed her eyes and called out to the peculiar creature.
The window in front of the desk was slightly ajar. The still-chilly outdoor breeze filtered in, causing Ha-yoon to shiver slightly.
“What’s up?”
Cherry was the “mascot.”
Actually, its real name was different. The sound it made was akin to a chirp that a real rodent would make, hard to imitate with human lips. On Cherry’s neck was a collar that resembled something pets wear, and the star-shaped device on it represented the Eun-ha Federation, functioning as a translator.
Without that device, communication itself would have been impossible.
Aside from its appearance or the sounds it made, it was an inhabitant of a planet with very advanced engineering technology, and the circuits used by magical girls were also its work.
I suspected that the ones originating from the alien planet were likely the products of Noir Corporation as well.
Anyway, when Blossom had just started working as a magical girl, she had inadvertently become a mascot due to her frequent support role, but in reality, she extended far beyond that level of expertise.
Lately, I hadn’t had the chance to encounter her unless I went to headquarters.
… But Cherry’s expression didn’t seem right for expressing joy. If this were an emergency, they would’ve contacted me via the emergency network.
The fact that Cherry had come all the way here meant she had something that needed to be conveyed without the Eun-ha Federation knowing.
“Something bad happened. Something really bad.”
Cherry nervously fidgeted its front paws… or rather, its hands.
To an unknowing observer, this would just look adorably cute.
However, when Cherry showed this behavior, the ones who generally appeared before Blossom were highly dangerous criminals that even the Eun-ha Federation deemed extremely dangerous.
“Why? Calm down and talk slowly.”
Even after Blossom’s urging, Cherry continued to fidget for a long time.
It seemed to be worrying about whether it could say this in front of Blossom.
“Is it something you shouldn’t say in front of others?”
“No, no, that’s not it… It’s that other magical girls might need to come together.”
“I’m listening.”
Blossom corrected her posture. The cold air seeping through the window was indeed helping clarify my mind.
There were some pieces of paper spread across the desk. Cherry froze upon seeing them. Blossom carefully moved Cherry aside to clear the papers away and hastily shoved them into a drawer.
It was what I had organized to say to Ji-eun. Just looking at her face, I thought that if I didn’t sort out my words, they might spill out unexpectedly, so I had been brooding over what to say.
I wouldn’t say it was something that must never be shown to others, but I was still a little shy to openly show it.
“….”
“Cherry?”
But Cherry had been stiff ever since seeing Blossom’s writings.
“Blossom. No, Ha-yoon.”
Cherry finally spoke up.
“Yes?”
“What is that Ji-eun like?”
“Uhm?”
At Cherry’s question, Ha-yoon froze.
In fact, Cherry already knew of Ji-eun’s existence. Of course, it didn’t know she was a combatant.
Ji-eun was Ha-yoon’s most frequently met friend, so whenever Ha-yoon would talk about school-related events in Cherry’s presence, Ji-eun’s name would likely come up.
Though she hadn’t shared overly personal stories, Ha-yoon had likely said enough for Cherry to have some understanding of what Ji-eun was like.
When I thought about that, I realized something felt off about Cherry’s question.
“Why? Is what you’re going to say about Ji-eun related?”
“….”
Cherry looked up at Ha-yoon.
Its nose was twitching nervously.
“Ha-yoon. Don’t get too surprised, just listen. We have to think calmly.”
“Okay.”
Cherry gazed at Ha-yoon and finally opened its mouth.
“Today, that Ji-eun is going to be arrested.”
“……Arrested?”
Ha-yoon couldn’t comprehend what she just heard for a moment.
“Arrested? Why?”
Noir Corporation is bad. But they cleverly side with the government and carry out their operations somewhat legally. When the government wanted to meddle in the Eun-ha Federation’s affairs, they took a backseat and utilized Noir Corporation to avoid direct conflict.
Therefore, combatants of Noir Corporation are generally not arrested. If one could be captured just for helping with something, finding people willing to work would be exceptionally difficult.
Ji-eun was a combatant.
“Because she’s being pointed out as the cause of the recent explosion incident. Ha-yoon, you were there, right?”
“Yeah. I was there. And Ji-eun’s not involved in that explosion. The explosion happened before Ji-eun went on a rampage. Delphinium would know that…”
“That’s right. I saw the reports and heard all the testimonies, so I know.”
Cherry looked up at Ha-yoon with serious eyes.
“But there’s a problem. There are testimonies, but no evidence.”
“No evidence?”
“There’s no CCTV footage.”
“…….”
Ha-yoon frowned.
She knew they would get caught on cameras. They went in knowing they’d likely be filmed.
But the fact that the company wouldn’t utilize such footage…
“Something clearly went on between the Eun-ha Federation and Noir Corporation.”
“But there’s still no proof Ji-eun did anything.”
Even saying it, Ha-yoon felt a surge of anxiety.
“That’s true. And even if they fabricated evidence, it would partly be seen as the company’s responsibility. This whole incident likely arose from an issue with the circuit at Noir Corporation. Probably, everyone related to it will end up leaving the company. And that Ji-eun might not face any magical repercussions. She may not even go to prison.”
“So then….”
“She won’t go to ‘prison’.”
Cherry’s voice grew quieter. Its ears trembled delicately. Its gaze darted around, as if fearful that someone might be listening.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Noir Corporation hasn’t revealed what kind of energy they’re using. The emotions of earthlings are very rich. But if it’s not one, but a blend of several complex emotions used as energy, figuring that out from this side is exceedingly difficult. The energy that the circuit emits is ultimately only ‘magical energy.’”
“I know.”
“But it seems like Ji-eun is linked to something more fundamental. Similar to the hope that you use.”
“…….”
“The Eun-ha Federation sees this as a new possibility.”
Cherry looked up at Ha-yoon with a terrified expression.
“There’s no way that energy is purely positive. It’s immense energy, and the range of use seems vast, but based on the research I’ve conducted so far, the emotions the combatants felt while fighting were not of ‘hope’ or anything like that. The company claims it’s courage, but we all know that’s a lie.”
Though terrified, Cherry didn’t hesitate to speak.
With its large ears down, holding them with its hands, Cherry looked up at Ha-yoon and said, “Ha-yoon, I don’t think the Eun-ha Federation is as righteous as they seem.”
“…….”
“But no matter how you think about it, taking actions like that… It doesn’t seem right. Even if it benefits them, working with that company to conduct such research…”
Ha-yoon stood up.
She glanced at the time. It was late.
“Let’s go. Is it okay to tell the others?”
“I honestly don’t know. But if you want, I’ll help.”
“Thanks, Cherry.”
Ha-yoon carefully lifted Cherry onto her shoulder and clasped the circuit around her wrist.
—
“Another hospital, you say?”
I asked the doctor.
“You mentioned your whole body hurts, right? We can’t precisely know where and how you’re hurt. Let’s move to a hospital where we can provide a more accurate diagnosis.”
“…….”
I looked around at the people.
There were… a lot of doctors.
And the majority of those in white coats were rather large. All the nurses were men.
I gripped my hands tightly beneath the blanket. Pain shot through each joint.
“This hospital has CT or MRI….”
“We do have those. But having the equipment and having a proficiency in diagnosis are two different things.”
“This is a hospital belonging to Noir Corporation, right? I know their doctors are of the highest caliber.”
“This place is far from where you live. I think it’s better to transfer you to a closer hospital.”
“……I want to go to a treatment center instead.”
“Most of what can be treated in a treatment center is physical trauma. There is still no way to thoroughly treat microscopic sections.”
“…….”
I surveyed my surroundings again.
I’m scared. Everyone was staring at me intently.
Sweat beaded on my palm.
“……Alright.”
I answered that way for now.
“You’ll be moved with the bed, are you okay with that?”
“……Yes.”
I nodded, my voice trembling.
The people moving me didn’t seem to have any ill intentions at the moment.
In fact, when our eyes met, one even offered a slight smile.
But I couldn’t trust them.
If I hadn’t just heard James, I might not have thought much about it. But what James said was still fresh in my mind.
“……But, which hospital will we go to?”
For a brief moment, they couldn’t respond.
I abruptly stood up.
That might not have been the best thought.
Being captured and facing trial might have been better. At least in a trial, there’d be a chance for a defense, and with a minimal application of the law, the sentence might not be severe.
Running away like this might worsen the situation.
Yet, still.
It felt so unjust.
Receiving this treatment for something I didn’t do.
All combatants’ helmets have cameras on them. They can see that I did nothing wrong.
Or the CCTV in the building.
… Had all of that been fixed as well? Was the company truly trying to sell me out?
And if that were the case, wouldn’t the outcome be anything but good?
“Grab her!”
Someone shouted, and arms wrapped around my waist.
I elbowed the face of the man who was hugging me from behind and twisted one of his fingers outward. I heard a scream before his right arm fell away from my belly.
As it fell, my shoulder collided with the bed. My already painful body ached more.
I heard a buzzing sound, and looking at my wrist, the circuit was active.
“I have the circuit!”
I heard that shout.
I pushed against the people in front of me with all my might. The wheels of the bed rolled powerfully, pushing two people back. It didn’t move much, but it was possible to make them hit the wall.
I heard shouting approaching me and quickly turned my body.
I lowered my head to dodge the attack and pulled my hands away, but my hair got caught.
I punched into the solar plexus. I heard the sound of air escaping from the man in nurse’s clothes, and he collapsed to his knees.
A figure dressed as a doctor was shouting into a radio.
I ran.
I turned my body, moving as quickly as I could.
Since I was already out in the rain, I barely managed to run to the hospital’s exit.
My whole body hurt, and from afar, I could see people running towards me.
They were yelling something. They were saying I should surrender peacefully or else—
—Would you do that if you were in my shoes?
I didn’t want to be captured for a crime I didn’t commit.
Moreover, a more terrible feeling loomed. Something felt very, very wrong.
I didn’t know where that feeling originated, but I just wanted to escape.
My left wrist trembled slightly. It felt as if my smartwatch were vibrating.
The circuit was active. I didn’t know exactly what percentage it was at, but—
… Can I trust this?
Was James just lying to provoke me into running wild?
My head spun chaotically, and my body ached.
But I had to run. I had promised myself that the moment I stood up from the bed.