“Unni, you don't like , do you?”
“…What? Ms. Ha-Yeon, what do you an by that?”
Her own words took Jung Ha-Yeon aback. She hadn't intended to be so blunt, but her mouth had already started moving by the ti she realized it. However, since her feelings were genuine, Jung Ha-Yeon decided just to say what she wanted to say.
“I an exactly what I said. I don’t support the idea of you and Ms. Hye-Rim being together.”
“Why not? It’s not like it has anything to do with you… Oh, could it be…”
Alice tilted her head and noticed Jung Ha-Yeon rolling her eyes with a pouty face. Just from that expression, Alice understood Jung Ha-Yeon’s feelings.
“…Ms. Ha-Yeon, do you also like Ms. Hye-Rim?”
“It’s not that I have such feelings. I just don’t want to imagine Ms. Hye-Rim in a special relationship with soone else.”
“I see. You’re not honest with your feelings, then. I understand.”
Alice smiled at Jung Ha-Yeon’s words.
It wasn’t that Alice found her cute. It was because Alice felt unsettled that a rival had appeared from an unexpected place. However, the reason Alice was smiling was simple.
“So you’re saying you don’t like Hye-Rim, right? Then, you won’t be a hindrance for , will you?”
“…Huh?”
Alice wanted to make it clear. She didn't want to be obstructed even if she couldn’t offer help.
“I’m the type of person who always achieves the goals I set. So, no matter what, I’ll beco Hye-Rim’s lover.”
“L-lover…!”
“I’m quite honest with my feelings. I like Hye-Rim. I want to entrust myself to that reliable person. I also want to do many things with Hye-Rim.”
Jung Ha-Yeon was internally flustered by Alice’s blunt display of emotions. On TV and to people around her, Alice appeared pure and childlike. Therefore, seeing this devilish smile for the first ti confused Ha-Yeon.
“But, unlike , you said it yourself that you don’t ‘like’ Hye-Rim, right? So, is it okay for to date Hye-Rim?”
“A-ah, that is…”
“I understand that you don’t want to beco close to Hye-Rim. But I’m not the type to hesitate just because soone told not to.”
Saying this, Alice, who was smiling brighter than ever, made Jung Ha-Yeon clenched her fists without realizing it.
This is dangerous. It felt like I’d accidentally triggered Alice’s buttons with what I said. It strongly feels like that.
“Hehe, let’s stop talking about this now. We should be discussing the expedition rather than love, right? I’ll think about the date with Hye-Rim on my own.”
“I’ll be counting on you for the rest of the expedition.”
With that parting remark, Alice left to cheer the others on.
Jung Ha-Yeon stared blankly at Alice’s departing figure.
“Ha-Yeon, is sothing wrong? You look upset.”
“…Mi-Na.”
“Yeah?”
“I think it’s the first ti I’ve heard a woman speak.”
“…What are you talking about? You're also a woman speaking right now.”
Mi-Na looked at with a puzzled expression, but I just sighed.
It was the first ti I had experienced a so-called “catfight” between two won over one person. I never expected to hear sothing like “Unni, you don’t like , do you?” directly from Alice.
I vaguely knew that Alice had feelings for Ms. Hye-Rim. But I never imagined she would be so proactive about it.
I didn’t expect her to directly confess her feelings for Ms. Hye-Rim to and insist that I shouldn’t interfere.
“Sigh. What is a woman?”
“What are you even talking about? If you're curious about won, you should just look in a mirror.”
"...…"
I felt agitated. I was too anxious. I couldn’t stay like this.
Alice had already scheduled a date with Ms. Hye-Rim after the expedition. But what about ?
I managed to move next door to Ms. Hye-Rim, but it only stopped at being neighbors. If it’s only about being close, won’t Alice or others take Ms. Hye-Rim away?
…But why am I thinking about losing Ms. Hye-Rim? Ms. Hye-Rim isn’t an object. Moreover, it’s not like I want to be Hye-Rim’s lover like Alice does.
Yet, Alice wants that.
Holding hands, walking around, gradually getting closer, kissing when parting, and even more…
Crack!
“Oh my god! What a surprise. Ha-Yeon, why did you suddenly break a spoon while eating? You’re being strange.”
“…Sorry. It was unintentional.”
Thinking about such things made inadvertently angry and I clenched my hand.
Just the thought of it makes dislike it. The idea of Ms. Hye-Rim being affectionate and giving her all to soone else.
Until yesterday, I thought Ms. Hye-Rim cared for more than anyone else in the world.
Even now, when I said I was going on the expedition, she personally wrote notes on the demon realm for .
In the evening, while we were setting up our camp, our heroes were burning mosquito coils. Why? Because I brought them based on Hye-Rim’s note.
[There are various pests in the demon realm. Beyond just common insects, there are also monster-like bugs. These creatures hate the sll of mosquito coils, so it’s a good idea to bring them.]
Indeed, while capturing monsters, several insects were crawling on the heroes’ bodies. So were bloodsuckers like ordinary mosquitoes.
Once we started burning the mosquito coils, they disappeared completely.
Not only that, the place where we’re camping was also chosen based on Hye-Rim’s note.
[Monsters in the demon realm generally prefer damp and dark places. So, avoid setting up camp in valleys since you might get surrounded by monsters.]
There are many other detailed tips.
I’ve never t anyone who knew so much about the demon realm. It seems they knew more than the experts who studied it. It makes wonder if she has lived in the demon realm.
She wrote so much just for and even gave a necklace imbued with magic.
I haven’t once taken off the necklace Ms. Hye-Rim gave since last night. I even wore it to sleep.
It wasn’t botherso or uncomfortable at all. Rather, it reassured as if Ms. Hye-Rim was beside .
Ms. Hye-Rim, who makes so happy and cares for . The person who fills my mind. The one who treats better than anyone else.
And yet,
She did more considerate things for soone else than she did for ?
That Ms. Hye-Rim gave her whole heart to soone else?
I don’t like it. Even just imagining it makes unhappy.
Don’t interfere because you don’t like it?
Just don’t pay attention?
I can’t even be sure. I’m sorry, Alice, but I don’t know how I’ll act in the future.
“…I miss Ms. Hye-Rim.”
Thinking about Ms. Hye-Rim and recalling Alice’s words, I suddenly wanted to see Ms. Hye-Rim.
So, so much.
I wondered what Ms. Hye-Rim is doing now.
“It’s… night.”
At the team leader 1’s words, we closed our eyes and bowed our heads. Even though we had earplugs, we could still hear so of what was said.
Now is the crucial part. I heightened all my senses and focused as much as possible.
While moving, I couldn’t hear the sound of clothes brushing against each other. However, I could feel the subtle vibrations and flow of the air.
I gathered mana secretly and examined every change in the air around .
The area with the most movent was at the 9 o’clock position, where Shin Yu-Sung was.
So…
“Daylight has arrived.”
At Team Leader 1’s signal, we lifted our heads and removed our earplugs.
“A mafia mber will be chosen…”
“It’s Shin Yu-Sung.”
“…Huh?”
Before Team Leader 1 even finished, I spoke up. I was certain.
Shin Yu-Sung is the mafia.
“Everyone! Let’s vote imdiately! The culprit is Shin Yu-Sung!”
“Ah, wait, wait, team leader. How can you suddenly accuse soone of being the mafia? We haven’t even started the deduction phase.”
Despite the confusion, Shin Yu-Sung asked if I had evidence, and I responded firmly.
“It’s intuition.”
“…Huh?”
“My intuition is telling . You’re the mafia.”
“Since the team leader’s intuition has never been wrong, it must be right. I’ll vote for Yu-Sung too!”
“I’ll vote imdiately.”
“I’ll also vote for senior Yu-Sung…”
At my instigation, the other team mbers also voted for Shin Yu-Sung. This happened less than a minute after the mafia ga started.
When I looked at the team leader to confirm if Shin Yu-Sung was indeed the culprit, the team leader nodded with a bewildered expression.
“…Yes, Ha-Yeon, as you said, the mafia is indeed Yu-Sung.”
“Nice. Then, Yu-Sung, you’ll take the patrol duty tonight.”
“No, this is too much. Team leader, what kind of trick did you use?”
That’s the secret of the magical girl.
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