Chapter 49: Love and be loved (2)

Taking one more step forward, the moment I escaped the pawnshop, Hyunseo grabbed the hem of my clothes with a grip that wasn’t very strong.

Even I barely noticed it because my desire for her to do so was so great. If it had been an ordinary person, they wouldn’t have even been aware that they had been grabbed, it was so weak.

Still, I stopped walking as if bound by heavy shackles.

The main reason was that I was directly hit by a mental shock rather than physical force.

The magical girl finally didn’t hide her feelings of loving the queen of the evil organization Dark Moon.

Not hiding the bright smile drawn on her lips, I was so curious about what kind of expression Runt, the mascot who had not been chosen by her, was making that I immediately turned my gaze.

“Hyunseo.”

“…”

It was more serious than I expected.

He was looking at, no.

He was glaring at Hyunseo’s left hand that grabbed me, with a deeply frowned expression.

The despair engraved on the face of the mascot who had his magical girl stolen by the queen of the evil organization Dark Moon was so sweet.

“This time.”

Then, when he opened his mouth, perhaps because he had never shouted loudly before, a metallic sound tore through the air.

It wasn’t a pleasant, husky voice, so I also frowned.

“That woman is right.”

At first, I thought it was because of Runt’s voice.

When I realized that wasn’t the case, sadness washed over me.

“Will you continue to remain a magical girl, or will you love the queen of the evil organization Dark Moon? Choose, Happy.”

Hyunseo was bold yet passive, and I was only observing the bold aspects and rejoicing.

“Still can’t decide?”

“…I’m sorry, unnie.”

The moment I witnessed the passive aspect, the positive emotions that had been overflowing in my heart instantly evaporated.

She grabbed the hem of my clothes, but she didn’t look at me.

She didn’t look at Runt either.

She was just about to touch the desk with her face still unable to escape from her worries.

“Hyunseo. Do you know that you’re only doing things that you need to apologize to me for?”

So I was slightly angry.

As if thorns had grown in my mouth, I pressured Hyunseo with a sharp tone.

“That’s not it…”

After uttering those words, I regretted my actions, thinking that I shouldn’t have done that.

I didn’t want to see the sight of Hyunseo flinching, pierced by my harsh words.

…
…

But ‘the sight of Hyunseo flinching’ was quite a sight to see.

“Unnie, if you give me a little time…”

“Listen to me, Park Hyunseo.”

I didn’t want to hear any more of her cliché excuses that she needed time, so I shut her mouth.

And when I opened my mouth, the sadism derived from distorted love was deeply revealed.

“You record my voice because you want to listen to it all day long, and you even prepared this smartphone because you want to talk or text with me.”

“…What?”

When I shook the smartphone that I had stolen a little while ago, Runt’s expression, who was hearing this for the first time, became foolish.

I didn’t bother to care about it.

“You want to make excuses that it’s not true, right? But what to do? I put my resident registration card in the smartphone case, and even the password is my birthday. Are you going to say that you don’t love me even after being caught with this?”

“Wait! Just a minute! Runt! I can explain everything!”

Hyunseo, who was tired of the constant harsh words, finally raised her face.

The tears flowing down her cheeks, which were so red that I could feel the heat, were so impressive that I almost closed my mouth.

“How are you going to explain it? And if you’re going to explain it, do it properly.”

I thought my heart would weaken if I kept looking at Hyunseo, so I turned my gaze to Runt.

Then, I manipulated the smartphone screen to show him even the card that could be used for payment.

“This is…”

“It’s a card made in my name. This is also Hyunseo’s work?”

“H-How did unnie get that…!”

“I told you. I know everything. I know everything about you, Park Hyunseo.”

It was the moment when the sadism that had been boiling in my heart exploded.

I had come this far even though I had vowed not to love Happy anymore in my 133rd life.

Now, the only way to retreat would be to go to the 134th life.

However, because I was desperate to be loved by Hyunseo in this life, I didn’t hate myself for aggressively launching an offensive like a car with broken brakes.

I actually liked it.

The liberating feeling of revealing the hidden emotions was so sweet and thrilling that I wished she would feel the same way.
“Just a little… please give me a little more time to think.”

While saying that and stalling for time, Hyunseo put more strength into her left hand that was grabbing my clothes, as opposed to her forehead that was touching the desk again.

She was feeling happy yet disgusted at this moment, wanting to be connected with the queen of the evil organization Dark Moon as a magical girl.

I didn’t hate her wavering attitude.

I was the same when I was spouting harsh words, and I was the same in the 132nd life.

I regarded the past of hating and loving Happy as a nightmare and a memory.

Thinking that Hyunseo could also be like that enough, I opened my mouth to give advice as a senior with a previous record.

“I want to.”

Hyunseo.

“I really want to.”

Stop worrying now and

“Your mascot doesn’t want it.”

Confess to me quickly.

“And I also.”

Whisper that you love me.

“I don’t want to deal with a magical girl who can’t even make a proper choice.”

Then I’ll make you happy.

“So.”

So.

“It’s time to choose now, Park Hyunseo. Me or Runt?”

With the question forcing a choice, a long silence covered us.

Perhaps it was short.

However, none of the three of us were looking at the clock, so no one accurately grasped how much time had passed.

I could only recognize that Hyunseo’s sobs, which I occasionally heard, had already exceeded ten times.

It was too short for the person making the decision, and it was too long for the people forcing the choice.

“Ha.”

Because of that, I tried to pretend to leave the pawnshop one more time to resolve the boiling sadism.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry, Runt.”

The need to do that disappeared.

Slowly, as if carrying a very heavy object with difficulty, Hyunseo lifted her face covered in tears and apologized to Runt.

“Are you… serious?”

I don’t know if the expression of being abandoned is right, but a similar situation unfolded.

All sorts of negative emotions appeared on the face of the mascot who had not been chosen by the magical girl.

“I like Yeres unnie so much. I want to have conversations with unnie as is, hold hands tightly, take pictures… I want to try doing things like that.”

Hyunseo was the same.

Perhaps she was ashamed of this moment of not only having her forbidden love discovered by Runt but also expressing her inner feelings, the intensity of the tears flowing was gradually increasing.

“So… please, I’m begging you. Pretend you didn’t see it. Don’t tell anyone about me and unnie meeting…”

Only I was smiling in this tragic situation.

Hyunseo chose me. Hyunseo chose me.
Hyunseo chose me. Hyunseo chose me.
Hyunseo chose me. Hyunseo chose me.
Hyunseo chose me. Hyunseo chose me.

The sentences engraved in my graffiti-covered heart were all the same.

“I’m sorry, Runt. I’m really sorry for being this kind of magical girl.”
“…Okay.”

No matter how the situation unfolds, is the magical girl’s mascot helpless?

Unlike my expectation that he would resist strongly, Runt only repeatedly sighed deeply and accepted our relationship without a word.

It was Hyunseo who felt sorry and grateful to such Runt and hugged him tightly.

It was different from the past life where he hated me so much for being kidnapped by Happy.

Could it be that he thought that the reason Hyunseo transformed into Happy back then was me?

“Th-That… Unnie.”

Let’s think about that later.

Hyunseo, who wasn’t crying anymore but whose voice was still wet, finally looked at me.

“You called?”

“What… what should I do now?”

“First, listen to my demands.”

“I understand. What do you want from me?”

Hug me tightly.

Kiss me.

While doing that, bite my upper or lower lip.

Torment the precious parts of my body.

There were many thoughts that came to mind, but I couldn’t utter them.

Because there was one thing that I had to put into practice without fail if Hyunseo chose me.

I gathered water and cast a spell.

Wishing for
Restriction
If the target breaks the promise
To be plunged into pain.

“Restriction… magic?”

Runt was the first to react to the magic I cast.

Nodding his head, he began to provide additional explanations.

“That’s right. There’s a restriction that if you reveal our relationship to others, you’ll suffer from pain.”

“…You’re not killing him.”

“Why do you think I’m killing him? Because I’m the queen of the evil organization Dark Moon?”

Runt tried to nod his head at the following question, but he stopped.

Instead, I chuckled at the sight of him sighing deeply because he looked pitiful.

“I’m going to be the magical girl’s precious lover from now on. Let’s overlook this much.”

“I thought it would be like this from the start.”

“That means it’s okay, right?”

“Do as you please.”

It was Runt who took another deep breath.

This time, he looked at me and Hyunseo alternately before sighing deeply.

“….I’m sorry, Runt.”

Unlike me, who chuckled at his pitiful appearance, Hyunseo’s eyes welled up with tears of guilt.

But she didn’t interfere with me.

“If I see any signs of you trying to corrupt the magical girl, I’ll interfere with you even if I die from the pain of the restriction magic.”

“That won’t happen. I promise you with the infamy accumulated in my name.”

“The infamy accumulated, huh. That’s certainly befitting of the queen of the evil organization Dark Moon.”

Runt nodded his head heavily and approached me.

Without hesitating, he moved his hand and a mark was imprinted on his body.

Fortunately, it looked like a cat’s unique blotches, so there was no risk of being caught unless you observed it closely.

The first deal I made in my 133rd life was successful.

“Shall we go take sticker pictures now?”

I hurriedly changed the subject because I wanted Hyunseo to stop crying now.

I held her hand tightly with the intention of putting into practice my intention to make her happy right away.

[ ♪ ♪ ♪ ]

“Ah…”

At that time, Hyunseo’s smartphone rang loudly, and happiness disappeared from her face as she confirmed the reason.

“Who is it that’s calling?”

Curious, I checked the word displayed on the smartphone.

D*mn it.

It was Hyunseo’s mother.