READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 307
To be honest, I don’t feel bad at all.
I’m not really sure what the typical boundaries for skinship between women are in the world I used to live in, but if she really disliked it that much, I doubt she would have hugged me like that.
But then again, I couldn’t just let myself be happy on my own.
The reason? Well, it’s a reason that’s pretty typical for me.
So… yeah, I feel embarrassed. Honestly.
It felt awkward to reveal that I liked being loved rather than just being loved by someone else.
In my past life, I wasn’t particularly unfortunate. I think I lived quite ordinarily, just like everyone else. It’s just that… how should I put it?
Yeah. I didn’t have any particular connections with other women.
Besides, these girls are much younger than me. If you consider my age from my previous life, I’m a bit older, and if you factor in how long I’ve lived in this world, I’ve lived here for much longer.
Even though I’m technically a high school student here, without clear boundaries, it’s evident I’d get confused too.
I don’t overestimate myself too much.
“…Well, fine.”
When I frowned a bit, the kids cautiously stepped back.
I’m not sure about what the other kids are wearing. From the outside, it doesn’t look too noticeable.
But my clothes are completely soaked. With sweat. And I doubt it’s just mine.
To be honest, it’s a bit gross.
But that doesn’t mean I can just leave to wash up while we’re playing.
“…”
Noticing it was too quiet, I lifted my head and saw that the kids all looked glum.
Did I frown too much?
I recalled how I had been acting in front of the kids. I thought I was being serious in my own way, but now that I think about it, I usually treated them pretty cheerfully.
I would randomly throw my arm around someone or challenge them to a duel.
So, my frowning might have seemed a bit intimidating.
“…So, um, it’s fine. I was just a bit hot.”
Even I thought that was a strange excuse. Saying it was fine when I had such an angry expression doesn’t really make sense.
But somehow, Ha-yoon’s expression lit up again.
“Is that so? Yeah, summer is coming soon.”
“Right. Should we gather like this a few times during summer break?”
Right after Ha-yoon said that, Seo-hee immediately chimed in.
“Oh, I’m totally in.”
Yeon-woo raised one hand high above her head.
They may bicker regularly, but looking at them like this, there really aren’t any other close friends. Well, maybe that’s exactly why they can bicker so freely.
…Yeah. They’re close friends. All of them here. I can’t give up any one of them.
And that’s why it feels exceptionally joyful when these kids rush up to me.
“…”
Chae-yeon also raised her hand silently.
The three of them then turned to look around at us.
“…Hey, aren’t you all second-years this year? Next year you’ll be exam candidates. Shouldn’t you be starting to prepare?”
“Hmm? Of course, we’re exam candidates next year. If we’re talking about peak time as high school students, this year is it for us.”
Yeon-woo immediately rebutted my statement.
“…I’m studying properly.”
Chae-yeon said as if she was giving advice to underclassmen. She’s a year ahead of me. She’s both a senior and, technically, a year older too.
“Right. Even if we look like this, we’re all top students. Otherwise, our parents wouldn’t have let us become Magical Girls.”
When I saw Seo-hee talking with a smile, it was strangely convincing but also didn’t sit well with me.
“…Didn’t your parents make you start it?”
“Not me!”
Jua raised her hand and shouted. Great. That makes four of us.
Two Magical Girls and, if there’s some event, Ji-hye who will definitely answer my call—so it’s just these three who have gathered.
“Well, it’s clear that Jua really wants to be a Magical Girl.”
Whether Jua took that as a compliment or not, she smiled at me.
It is a compliment… right? Well, I’m not really sure. I’m just stating the facts.
But at least it’s true that among us, Jua had the heart most suited for being a ‘Magical Girl.’
…What on earth had Jua gone through in the original story to become so darkly evolved compared to the other Magical Girls? Even now, she’s carefully modifying the bullets so they don’t overpower the Combatants.
No, more importantly, I’m curious about how the attitudes of other Magical Girls shifted just because I showed up.
Jua’s attitude significantly influenced the attitudes of the other Magical Girls.
It started a bit forcefully, but slowly, all these girls changed their hearts.
That’s a good thing. It really is… but I can’t help but question whether it was my help or not. At the same time, I’m also the only one who changed.
“Feeling a bit left out here.”
Seo-hee said.
“Still, thanks to you, I’m having quite a fun Magical Girl life. I’m even grateful to Ha-yoon for wanting to bring you along.”
“…”
Hearing that, I stared intently at Seo-hee, causing her to frown slightly.
“Hey, that doesn’t mean that Ha-yoon didn’t need to come either! Ha-yoon fights exceptionally well, and among us… how should I put it, she’s the most ‘Magical Girl-like,’ from her mindset to her outfit.”
At that, Ha-yoon twisted her body, turning red.
Told you, right?
To be honest, I don’t really fit the ‘Magical Girl’ image. If anything, saying I’m not all that different from the services of the Noir Corporation isn’t too far off.
The outfit’s a bit embarrassing, but in my hand, I wield a hammer. A tool for smashing things.
Or for jamming them in.
“So, that’s it. If we all don’t go together, it’s meaningless, right?”
Yeon-woo said.
“Exactly.”
Seo-hee nodded vigorously.
And even as she was saying that, she was raising her hands high above her head. Is her arm not hurting?
“So, in this vote, it’s not simply about who raises their hand more. Everyone has to raise their hand to progress. If even one person is missing, it won’t work.”
So that’s why they were holding up their hands.
I locked eyes with Ha-yoon.
She smiled with a somewhat troubled expression.
But I can tell the difference in that smile. Even though it’s the same troubled look, when Ha-yoon wants to do something versus when she doesn’t, it’s usually clear. I wouldn’t be able to express exactly how I distinguish that, but…
Right now, it’s a look filled with desire.
“Alright.”
I raised my hand. Almost simultaneously, Ha-yoon did too.
“Right? We definitely need days like this in summer, right? Might as well go a bit farther.”
“…Again with Cherry?”
We’re already swamped with things to do.
“Cherry can take some time off for about two or three days. It’s vacation time.”
“How is looking after the kids a vacation?”
I responded as if it were absurd, but it seemed like the kids didn’t catch on.
But still, our hands haven’t come down yet.
“Uh, uh?”
When we turned our gaze, Ji-hye looked really flustered.
“Me, too?”
“Just like Ha-yoon sticks to Ji-eun, you stick to Ji-eun too.”
Yeon-woo said.
“Well, Ji-eun is also your sister. Wouldn’t it be fun if we all went on a trip together? We’re also welcoming gatherings of close friends.”
“Ah, uh, yeah.”
As our eyes met, Ji-hye hesitantly raised her hand.
Seo-hee grinned widely.
“Great, then. Let’s proceed like this?”
Though when I say ‘proceed,’ I’m not entirely sure how we should go about it.
The kids lowered their hands again and crowded around the food. The meat was almost gone, but they were bringing out sausages and chicken skewers instead. I wonder when they brought all this.
“…”
I looked up at the sky.
Since the aliens arrived, the earth’s environment has gotten so much better. It’s incredible how things improved so much in just a few years.
The fine dust has decreased a lot, and there are more clear days. Summers aren’t getting hotter than before either.
But even in such a clear sky, the number of stars remained so few. It’s unavoidable. The stars are hard to see because it’s too bright around here.
Even if you’re in the middle of a mountain, Seoul is still Seoul. Due to the lights scattered like stars down on the ground, the stars in the sky are hard to see. Moreover, I don’t even know if what I see is actually a star. Since the sky has been filled with so many spaceships since meeting the aliens.
Suddenly, Pang-pang came to mind.
Another girl I can easily interact with.
…
I’m not sure what the summer vacation schedule will look like, but if I could find Pang-pang before that…
Could I invite Pang-pang too?
What would it be like for Pang-pang to be invited? She’s such a big fan of Magical Girls that she even asked for my autograph, so it might give her a heart attack.
Or maybe she’d be more composed since she’s the type to smile so normally in front of me.
…That’s something I guess I can think about after I’ve found her.
Alright. I’ll definitely do that.
Step by step, gathering all the clues.
“Ji-eun!”
Ha-yoon called out to me, and I looked down and went over to the kids.
Delicious smells wafted into my nose. I’d been eating continuously just a while ago, but my stomach rumbled, so I guess being a high school student really means being a high school student.