Chapter 48: Love and be loved

If something engraved in your heart fades, something else becomes clear.

Like everyone else, I was the same.

As the intensity of my fear of Happy lessened, my love for Hyunseo swelled uncontrollably.

To be honest, I feel like I’ve become a fool who can’t properly discern things.

It might be excessive self-loathing, but I couldn’t help but think that way.

My attitude of loving the magical girl who abused me in the past was so embarrassing that it was unsightly.

Even though the ‘Quest Jewel’s’ punishment had expired at the end of my previous life.

Why did it turn out like this?

If it’s because that magical girl’s appearance is the same but her personality is different…

Should I see myself as an easy woman who decides her destined partner based on looks alone?

No way.

During the 133 times I repeated my life to achieve the 100th goal, I hadn’t loved Happy at least until the 131st life.

My heart had never fluttered when I met her eyes, my face had never turned red, and I had never longed for the loneliness that came after parting with her.

On the contrary, I hated her, loathed her, and regarded her as an object that must be eliminated.

Then, for what reason did I become a fool?

I knew the answer from the beginning.

It’s clearly my fault for not abandoning the artificial emotions that I should have forgotten at the end of my 132nd life.

No, that’s not it.

Let’s not use the word clearly.

Maybe it’s not?

I just didn’t want to admit it was my fault.

The reason was simple yet complex.

That damn pride caused problems again.

Because I’ve lived a life where I turned failure into success through the ‘Quest Jewel.’

I need to confirm whether the contradiction of fearing and loving one magical girl who is divided into two is truly a failure.

…
…

I couldn’t.

The more I thought about it, the more bizarre the concern was.

To still try to live according to its will in a situation that has become complicated due to the ‘Quest Jewel.’

I didn’t want the judgment of all my brain cells to die, as if I had admitted that I had become a fool.

The problem started from there.

I’m a fool.

If the Hyunseo in front of me changes her personality like she did in the 132nd life, I’ll become a victim trembling in front of a predator.

Then I’ll fall into a difficult situation where I ask the ‘Quest Jewel’ for help again, but do I really have the right to curse the ‘Quest Jewel’?

I felt like I was being suffocated and dying from being crushed by endless worries.

Even when I opened my mouth to breathe, all that came in were acrid smoke-like worries.

But I forced myself to continue thinking.

Remember, Yeres.

You have to kill that magical girl someday.

It’s just that today isn’t that day, and this life isn’t that life.

Someday, I’ll have to do it.

So, until that someday comes…

“Run away, Happy! You mustn’t be deceived by that woman’s words anymore!”

I stopped thinking at the sudden noise.

What have I been doing until now?

Looking at reality, I saw the chaotic scene where the conversation had been cut off by Runt’s shout, who had woken up from his fainting spell.

That’s right.

I was angry at Runt.

From that moment on, anger surged.

How dare a mascot interfere with our love?

The desire to torture him with a more vicious magic than the one I had cast a little while ago surged within me.

I didn’t try to satisfy my desires recklessly.

Even if he is a nuisance, he is a mascot that helps the magical girl.

If I killed him because I couldn’t swallow my anger, Hyunseo’s heart, who loves me, might turn cold.

Then what should I do?

That’s right.

There was such a way.

I came up with a plan that was extremely befitting of the queen of the evil organization Dark Moon.

I just need to make Hyunseo shut his mouth so that Runt can’t interfere with our love anymore.

“What are you doing! Get up right now!”

“I guess I’m uncomfortable. Hyunseo, do you feel the same way as Runt?”

“….”

I was annoyed by him constantly shouting in a loud voice, but I ignored him and asked Hyunseo a question.

She didn’t answer the sentences that Runt and I had uttered.

She was just busy weighing who to choose, her face pale.

“Happy!!!”

“If you feel the same way, it’s okay to run away.”

Judging that I needed a little bluff, I supported my chin with my right hand and tapped the desk with my left index finger.

Then, I threatened Hyunseo with a tone full of 余裕 unlike Runt.

“However, if you run away, don’t ever wish for this appearance from me again.”

So that the scales formed in her heart never tilt towards Runt.

I uttered a sentence that she had no choice but to choose me.

“…!”

“Why are you so surprised? Did you think I was going to be obsessive?”

“No…. That’s not it…”

“I’m sorry if you thought so. It’s just a passing amusement for me. I don’t care whether I end up with you or not.”

“Ugh…!”

Lie.

If the forbidden love between the queen of the evil organization Dark Moon and the magical girl ends like this, I’ll lie in bed all day and cry.

But I didn’t stop bluffing.

I lifted the index finger that had been tapping the desk and gently caressed her hand.

She was surprised at first, but she didn’t avoid it.

Because she already loves me.

I prayed and prayed that Hyunseo would fall into the trap I had dug herself.

“What are you doing, Happy! I’ll call for reinforcements right away…!”

“…I’m sorry, Runt.”

The magical girl chose me after much deliberation.

Not satisfied with just holding the caressing index finger, she forcibly spread my hand and interlaced her fingers with mine.

The temperature felt was hotter than the heat of a summer afternoon.

Suddenly, I was reminded of when my first experience was taken away, and I felt a thrill throughout my body.

“…What?”

In contrast to me, who was feeling that way, Runt, who had not been chosen by the magical girl, frowned so badly that marks would remain even if he returned to normal.

Unlike before, when he was shouting in a loud voice, I was slightly excited by the question that had no strength in it.

I stole Hyunseo from you.

This magical girl is mine now.

You f*cking mascot.

“I… I want to talk to Yeres unnie a little more.”

“Why are you calling that woman unnie? Were you subjected to mind control magic?”

“I’m sorry. I’ll explain everything to you later. So…”

“Wait a minute.”

However, because the continuing atmosphere was so cold, I also frowned.

Of course, it wasn’t as bad as Runt’s, and it wasn’t a situation where I should frown this much.

It’s just that I felt like he was taking away the time I was having a conversation with Hyunseo.

“Why do you keep thinking I’m tormenting Hyunseo?”

I deliberately lifted the interlaced hands slightly and shook them lightly.

At the provocation, or the desire to show off the spoils, Hyunseo flinched, and Runt frowned so much that he couldn’t remember what a peaceful expression looked like.

“Because you’re the queen of the evil organization Dark Moon.”

“I hope you don’t hate me just because of that.”

“Do you not know what just that one thing means?”

“Then what do I have to do to make you believe me?”

“I will never…”

“First, listen to this. Hyunseo, can I borrow you for a second?”

“U-Unnie! No!”

I was the only one who was excited, and the atmosphere of the two had sunk as if they had submerged to the bottom of the abyss.

Because of that, my body was frozen to the point where my movements were slightly clumsy, and taking advantage of that gap, I snatched Hyunseo’s smartphone, which was still activating the recording app, at the edge of the desk.

When I pressed the stop button, a list of files that had been recorded so far opened, and I played one of them.

[ Excellent skill. I will retreat this time. But I will definitely win next time! Just you wait, Magical Girl Happy! ]

It happened to be a recording file that Happy had played for me in my 132nd life.

“What… is this?”

What else could it be?

She recorded my voice every time she met me.

“Happy?”

“…”

“What is this? Explain it to me.”

“That’s…! Just a minute. I’ll just take a minute to sort out my thoughts!”

“Happy!!”

Hyunseo, who couldn’t think of an excuse, buried her head on the desk to avoid answering.

I immediately played the next recording file because the silence that came after the selected recording file ended was awkward.

After that recording file ended, I played the next recording file.

After the next recording file ended, I played the recording file after that.

After the recording file after that ended, I played the recording file after the next one.

“…Stop.”

Runt looked at Hyunseo with a desperate look in his eyes after the playback didn’t end even after exceeding 10 times.

By now, he must have understood what this recording file meant.

“Happy.”

“…Yeah?”

“You… you recorded every time you met that woman?”

“…Yeah.”

“Why?”

“…Soon.”

“What?”

“I wanted to listen to unnie’s voice all day long.”

The degree of despair deepened even more at her answer.

A mascot despairing at the shocking secret of a magical girl.

As the queen of the evil organization Dark Moon, there was no scene more pleasing than this,
Also, because Hyunseo didn’t hide her heart that she loved me,

I silently ridiculed him, taking advantage of the gap where Runt’s gaze was fixed on the floor.

“Happy… you… you love the queen of the evil organization Dark Moon?”

The shock must have been great.

Runt’s voice became so small that I wouldn’t have been able to hear it if even a slight noise had echoed.

It was a situation where that could happen.

Even I, the protagonist of the voice, couldn’t help but be shocked when I first heard it.

And Hyunseo was worse than Runt.

She couldn’t bring herself to speak, so she nodded her head to replace the answer.

“Oh my god…”

From that moment on, the magical girl’s mascot didn’t hide its anger.

At first, I thought he was getting angry at Hyunseo, so I tried to stop him right away.

“You.”

“Me?”

It wasn’t.

He glared at me, hissing like a cat.

“Yeah, you.”

“Why did you call me?”

“What are you trying to do by corrupting the magical girl?”

“I corrupted her?”
If it was righteous anger.

For example, if he was angry at why I was taking away his magical girl, I would have apologized.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurd sound.

The reason I became like this is because of that magical girl, Runt.

Happy and Hyunseo corrupted me like this, they didn’t become like this because of me.

“I don’t know why you think that way. Come here and take a closer look.”

I immediately cast a spell and sat Runt, who was sitting on the floor, on the desk.

Then, I turned his eyes, which were glaring at me, and induced him to look at Hyunseo.

“If I did, I would have used magic. Then there would be traces of being attacked by magic on Hyunseo’s body.”

“…”

“But look closely. Look straight. There’s nothing.”

“That can’t be. With drugs that aren’t artifacts or magic…”

“Runt. This is my last piece of advice.”

“…”

“I didn’t do anything to Hyunseo.”

“…”

“If you don’t believe me, you can ask Hyunseo.”

Because the problem will be solved if she speaks honestly.

When I tapped the desk, Hyunseo raised her head.

Her face was still flushed red as if she hadn’t calmed down yet.

“Park Hyunseo.”

“…Yes, unnie.”

“If you don’t sincerely love me, I’ll disappear right away. I won’t threaten you in any way, and I’ll forget everything that happened today.”

If that’s what you want.

“If not, apologize to Runt for hiding your true feelings until now.”

“Wait a minute. Why does Happy have to apologize to me?”

“Magical girls and mascots are best friends. If there are secrets that can’t be told in such a relationship, wouldn’t it be one of two things?”

“…What is it.”

“Either you’re not close yet, or the magical girl hates the mascot.”

“That’s not true!”

“Then?”

“This is…! This is all a problem that will end when you disappear!”

Even though I deliberately turned my head, Runt glared at me again.

For that reason, I didn’t witness the scene where Hyunseo shrugged her shoulders.

“Do you really think so?”

I gestured to her, asking for confirmation while looking at her.

But I didn’t do anything special.

I was just looking at her, but even that much action seemed too much for Hyunseo.

“You’re the queen of the evil organization Dark Moon. How can I believe your words!”

“Then I’ll do that for you.”

Was that why?

Hyunseo didn’t open her mouth easily.

Why can’t she say it when she loves me this much?

It must be because of various reasons.

But, that’s not something I need to worry about.

I just want to be loved by her.

I jumped up from my seat.

“It was nice meeting you, Park Hyunseo.”

Are you ready, Hyunseo?

If you don’t catch me here…

“I’m sorry, unnie!”

As expected.

Just like I couldn’t forget my love for her,
She also didn’t give up on her love for me.