Chapter 35
The filming was over. As soon as I confirmed that it was finished, I approached Su-hui and said,
“Let’s go.”
“Ah, okay.”
Su-hui followed my lead as we headed out of the filming set. At that moment, I locked eyes with Bing Seol Hwa.
Damn it, I didn’t really know what the situation was, so it was hard to say anything.
I chose to ignore it. It was better not to engage in conversation and risk getting into a difficult situation.
Fortunately, I had an excuse. The person walking next to me was my assigned magical girl, Su-hui. Even if I hurried to complete the schedule with her, it wouldn’t seem strange. …Well, technically, I didn’t have any specific schedule after this broadcast today.
Thus, I tried to avoid giving any glance at Bing Seol Hwa and continued on my way. But I caught a faint sound coming from her lips.
“Ah…”
It was a voice that seemed somewhat regretful.
Damn it, my head was starting to ache again. Before it got worse, I quickly left the filming set.
Once we returned home, both Su-hui and I sighed simultaneously.
“Oh, Su-hui, why the sigh?”
I asked, looking at her. Su-hui let out an “Ah,” and opened her mouth to speak.
“Just, the schedule seems a bit busy.”
“Haha, it’s been busy, hasn’t it? Especially with all the schedules lined up, and still dealing with monster exterminations.”
“…That’s the duty of a magical girl.”
At her words, I couldn’t help but smile. Even though she received a lot of celebrity treatment, the essence of a magical girl was ultimately to defeat monsters. Su-hui understood that all too well.
Most B-rank and above magical girls rarely step in unless a B-rank or higher monster appears. They usually respond only when the association calls them. However, Reina actively cooperated in monster extermination.
Defeating C-rank or lower monsters wouldn’t significantly help her magical power, but just showing her commitment to the duties of a magical girl was already a plus.
So, I smiled while looking at Reina. For now, it was enough to just focus on her.
…
After all the schedules were over, Bing Seol Hwa sat alone in her room.
She glared at herself with eyes filled with hatred.
Why? I couldn’t understand. Surely, the reason she wanted to shine was for him.
Clear hatred, anger. And a hint of reluctance.
Each of these emotions resonated within Bing Seol Hwa. Why was he like this toward her?
She closed her eyes and opened them again. In the luxurious, vast room, bright lights illuminated everything, yet it strangely looked dark. As Bing Seol Hwa lifted her hand, she soon discovered an anomaly. It seemed that a cold aura was emanating from the hand that was casually resting on the chair.
It was magical power flowing out unconsciously, even without transforming into a magical girl. This proved how strong she was.
Yes, she had grown strong. Stronger than ever, beyond comparison to the past, and had become famous. At this point, in this Republic of Korea, one could say no one shined brighter than her.
But what good was it? She didn’t want to shine for anyone else. All she wanted was for that one person, just one person, to see her light, and she had desperately tried to become a shining star.
However, he had become the manager of another magical girl now.
He clearly said he was in a relationship with Reina. They even lived together. That meant he had already sought another light, leaving her behind.
I don’t know why. I also cannot understand why he unleashed his hatred upon me.
I still think about it. What if she and he hadn’t broken up back then? If that had been the case, would she have been able to find happiness by his side?
No, not at all. That’s nonsense. Her family had given her everything. Yet, it was also what led her to lose everything. There wasn’t a single thing she could genuinely possess.
Even if she had struggled to avoid breaking up with him, the outcome would have been nothing short of tragic.
The past version of herself knew that too. She realized that insisting on staying by his side wouldn’t lead to anything.
That’s why she left his side. Even from a distance, she hoped he would see her. Even that way, she wanted to bring him joy.
But why, why, why, why—
The icy chair froze over even more, turning into an even colder block of ice. No matter how she tried to gather her magic, her power had already rampaged wildly, reflecting the tumult within her heart.
Reina. A magical girl obsessed with the Black Knight. And now, the magical girl who had made a contract with him.
Bing Seol Hwa saw that gaze. A clear look that regarded her as a rival. That girl seemed to have a keen sense of intuition.
…What was taken from her could be reclaimed.
The same went for her relationship with him. If she played her cards right, she could restore their bond. She didn’t know why he had turned out that way, but simply—
With a deep sigh, Bing Seol Hwa called for someone.
“Bring me all the information about magical girl Reina and her manager. I want to investigate further.”
A panicked voice responded, “Weren’t you the one who said to stop targeting Reina? That the risk outweighs the return…?”
“That doesn’t matter. What’s important is that I’ve determined I need it. So, bring it to me.”
That was it. Whether Mirinae could target Reina or not was never the point.
The person standing before her lowered their head deeply and began to move in a fluster. Bing Seol Hwa simply watched them silently.
…
On a rare day with no schedule, I received Reina’s permission and briefly headed somewhere alone.
After defeating numerous monsters in North Korea, a considerable amount of memories had returned to me.
Particularly, taking down the Gremlin proved effective. Even if it was a decaying S-rank monster, my magic had increased somewhat. Well, I figured it didn’t matter much.
Among the recovered memories was the reason why Baek Seung-hyun had become an orphan after losing his family.
I got out of the car and quietly gazed at the scenery. The desolate landscape was merely a scene where everything had crumbled and weathered away.
Any traces of buildings had vanished, with shattered tiles scattered in between.
In this ruin, there had once been a traditional house.
That was Baek Seung-hyun’s home. One that he would never see again.
The sight of the ruins seemed almost identical to the image left in Baek Seung-hyun’s memory, except for a few differences.
“Ha, shit.”
Without thinking, profanity slipped out. It was probably instinct from Baek Seung-hyun’s body. After all, it wasn’t a pleasant sight to see the place where he had grown up completely collapsed into ruins.
My head began to throb. Gradually, Baek Seung-hyun’s memories replayed.
Buildings crumbling. Flames engulfing vegetation, and people screaming in despair and fear.
They died. They died. They died. They died. Countless people were trampled to death by monsters.
It was an S-rank monster. Even now, it would be difficult to stop one if it appeared, so what had South Korea been like back then? Countless people were crushed by monsters before they were finally repelled by several A-rank magical girls.
Too many lives had been lost in the process. Baek Seung-hyun’s family had also perished. The only one left was Baek Seung-hyun.
Just as he heard the monster alarm and was about to escape to a shelter, the monster had suddenly changed its course. The monster that was heading in a different direction abruptly turned and killed the people in that direction.
Unfortunately, the sudden change in direction had claimed the young Baek Seung-hyun as its victim. Losing everything at such a young age, he was left in the care of acquaintances of his family.
Perhaps that was why Baek Seung-hyun hated and despised monsters. He loathed the very thing that had made him lose everything.
…And that body now stood here, having become an S-rank monster.
“Shit, really.”
Once again, I spat out a curse. I splashed some water on my face and looked back at the ruins. Perhaps the family of this body was still buried beneath the debris of those ruins.
I soon straightened myself up. There didn’t seem to be anything left to see. After all, I had confirmed everything I wanted to.
As I headed back toward the direction of the car, my mouth felt strangely bitter.
…And then, I felt something—‘a presence.’
A presence that didn’t seem human, something alien.
—
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