Chapter 10 : Uncomfortable cohabitation

An impurity lingered in the space that had always been just the two of us.

While I had brought her home before, unlike then when she occupied a corner, she now sat comfortably at the dining table as if it were her own house. Her clothes were in the wash, so she had to wear a t-shirt bigger than herself, and she was greedily devouring chicken I wouldn’t have normally ordered.

She looked like a wild beast starved after days of failed hunting.

*

“Keck, cough.”

“You choked. Here.”

She took the cup with greasy hands, gulped it down in one go, and burped without a hint of shame. Dahye, seemingly pleased by this, wore a satisfied expression.

Regardless, I have to live with this mysterious girl. Judging by Stilidum’s reaction, it felt like it would’ve ended with just the false announcement about her being a magical girl… No, it’s already in the past, there’s nothing I can do.

There’s a saying here, ‘Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.’ It means to keep an eye on them and thoroughly understand them, rather than leave them as an unknown entity. So, I must observe her first and figure out her purpose in coming here.

“Where did you come from, ppi?”

“Are you a parrot, not a fairy? How many times are you going to ask the same questions all day? ‘Where did you come from?’ ‘What’s your true identity?’ And stop adding ‘ppi’ at the end of your sentences. You’ve already been caught, so why keep up the act now?”

“I’m asking again because I didn’t hear everything. Are you her spokesperson or something?”

“I’m answering for her because she’s eating. Look at her. She must’ve been so hungry to stuff her cheeks like that.”

As she said, the girl’s cheeks were puffed out. She resembled a squirrel I’d seen in a documentary once. A demon that was neither a squirrel nor a human, that is.

Increasing her chewing speed, the girl feigned innocence as if she hadn’t done anything.

“Pfft.”

Now she’s even chuckling.

I don’t know what kind of look I had on my face, but Jangmi hurriedly covered her mouth.

“So-sorry. It’s just that what you two are saying is so funny…”

“It’s okay. I’m not a stingy fairy who’d scold you for laughing, right?”

Dahye wore an expression that said ‘Just try it and see what happens’. And though I was about to ask when I ever scolded someone for laughing, I didn’t. She knew I was wary of Jangmi, so I held back. She would definitely whisper nagging remarks in my ear, so it was wise to just nod.

Recognizing her victory, Dahye clenched her fist. She must have been really pleased.

Disgusted, I got up from the dining table. I hadn’t eaten anything anyway, so there was no reason for me to stay.

Sinking into the living room sofa, I pressed the remote button. Despite flipping through channels, every news program detailed today’s events. It made sense, considering the sheer volume of incidents that occurred in such a short time.

However, this wasn’t what I was looking for. The video about the magical girl that aired yesterday was my goal. Usually, programs of that sort are scheduled, but I was intrigued that it had enough impact to warrant a call from Dahye.

A rerun seemed likely, but I couldn’t find it, maybe due to bad timing. I figured I’d have to search for it on OTT, and that’s exactly what I did.

‘The Past and Present of a Magical Girl.’ The title alone didn’t give much away, so I was about to press play when…

“I want to watch too.”

…Jangmi said, sitting down on the sofa.

“Wow. It’s huge.”

“What is?”

“The TV. It looks so different seeing it directly compared to through the window.”

“Through the window? Why would you watch it so uncomfortably? Ah, I see. You live alone, so you don’t have a TV.”

Realizing I was about to ask an unnecessary question, I spoke curtly on purpose.

“You didn’t come up here without washing your hands, did you?”

At those words, she glanced at her palms and, with stiff movements, headed for the bathroom.

Oil stains in the shape of handprints were left on the spot where the girl had been sitting. Since the cushion was fabric, I could easily clean it with dish soap, but it was hard to have a good impression of the girl who came and went without any sense of guilt.

“Were you bothering her again?”

Dahye, after cleaning up the dining table, approached with her eyebrows slanted. And ‘again’? Aside from the scratch on my neck, I haven’t directly harmed her. Well, maybe I’ve hurt her feelings, but…

About to sit next to me, Dahye paused as she saw the sofa cushion, then sat on the far end.

“So, this is that special program that aired yesterday.”

“There weren’t any stills, so I didn’t know what it was about.”

“Let’s watch it together.”

Jangmi came rushing back, seemingly without drying her hands with a towel, scattering water droplets on the floor. I was about to get off the sofa to wipe them up, but Dahye stopped me, saying she’d clean it up later.

The video was short, less than 30 minutes long. To briefly summarize, it featured the appearance of a magical girl who saved citizens from menacing demons and showed the many sacrifices made. It also didn’t miss commemorating Dahye, the hero who closed the dimensional gate after 18 years of struggle. The remaining 10 minutes depicted the current lives of demons. It was a specially arranged program without anything particularly unique.

If a post about this had appeared on the community I used to manage, I would’ve lashed out, calling it indoctrination. Unfortunately, Peng is the admin now, not me, so he must’ve been busy since yesterday filtering out the pouring negativity.

Bored, I let out a long yawn.

I turned my head toward Jangmi, wondering if she, as a half-demon, would have a different reaction. Sure enough, she was already half asleep, her head bobbing.

I found it tedious, but not enough to fall asleep. But I guess it was different for her.

Come to think of it, one of the shabby houses in the video was probably her home, so the comfort she felt now must be exceptional. The designated living spaces for monitored demons were like that.

I quietly got up to lay out bedding in the guest room. Dahye, realizing the girl had fallen asleep, asked me in a barely audible voice,

“Where are you going?”

I adjusted my tone to match hers.

“To get a blanket so she can sleep.”

“Why bother? She can just sleep with me in the bed.”

“It’s dangerous. What if she aims for your throat while you’re asleep?”

“Does Jangmi seem like that kind of kid?”

You can’t judge based on superficial information. Demons trying to deceive us have set traps, disguised themselves, and even brainwashed citizens.

So, pretending to be innocent while drooling could also be a trap.

However, the girl hadn’t shown any signs of deceit so far. She had been consistently red.

“Alright. Do that.”

If the two of them were to sleep together, I could keep watch until morning. Insomnia felt like a blessing, and I couldn’t help but smile.

Carefully carrying the sleeping child, Dahye tiptoed cautiously. Jangmi’s dangling arms, sensing the movement, fidgeted and then grabbed Dahye’s back. Happy with the gentle warmth, the girl also smiled.

Since there was only one pillow on Dahye’s bed, I had to get another, which meant going to the dressing room.

To open the bedding closet, I had to step onto a drawer, which was a hassle. Using magic to fly would make it easy, but it seemed like a waste for such a trivial task, so I opted for the inconvenience.

I pulled out a deflated pillow. It was old, so the filling was unevenly distributed, but conversely, a lower pillow was better for a child.

The two were already in her room, Jangmi’s face peeking out from the covers. Dahye had offered her arm as a pillow and was watching her with her chin resting on her other hand.

“I brought a pillow, so take your arm back.”

“Just a little longer.”

“Your arm will get numb.”

“How heavy could she be?”

She lowered her supporting hand and gently stroked the empty space by her side.

“Do you want to sleep here too for a change?”

“I have this.”

Rejecting her offer, I climbed onto the cushion I had bought for myself. The filling had also flattened to fit my shape.

“Come up later if you want. I should get to sleep early tonight.”

“Why?”

“Because I left school for something unexpected. Another teacher must have covered for me today. I should go in early tomorrow morning so I don’t look too bad, right?”

Dahye chuckled softly and closed her eyes.

I watched as her breathing gradually slowed and the blanket rose and fell evenly. I started to get up to leave, but I couldn’t.

It felt like shackles were binding me, preventing me from moving. My vision blurred. Moreover, it was as if gravity itself was manipulated, making it difficult to even open my eyes.

I knew it. This kid was up to something behind our backs. I tried to keep an eye on her until the end, but I failed. This is frustrating.

But that’s strange. I didn’t feel any magic being used?

“Wake up!”

That’s Dahye’s voice. It sounded irritated and oddly raspy, but I knew it was her. Thanks to her, I came to my senses.

Perhaps due to her shout, the strange sensations in my body disappeared. Now, if I could just open my eyes… Huh? The scenery around me has changed. It looks just like when we came through the dimensional gate opened by the demons.