“Alright, good job. Take a short break.”
“…Yes.”
Following the woman’s voice, An Gyeol Won stood still in his place. Without sparing him even a glance, the woman lifted up a piece of cloth.
It was a triangular-shaped cloth with a small, cute ribbon attached to it.
“Liking something like this, An Gyeol Won, you’re quite a pervert yourself, aren’t you?”
“…”
“Hmm, but thanks to that, I was able to obtain it this way.”
As the sunset entered through the window, the woman’s face was revealed. If Shin Hyun had seen that face, he would have been shocked without a doubt.
“Noah’s underwear… haa…”
This was the kind of bizarre behavior—burying one’s nose into someone else’s underwear and sniffing—that sort of kid.
The kid who was about to move their hand towards the groin area paused momentarily under the gaze of an observing eye.
“…”
“Why are you looking at me like that? Didn’t you steal a lot from other kids?”
Her identity was the person Shin Hyun called ‘Queen Bee.’
Park Eun Ji, the queen bee of the delinquent circle, was savoring it with an ecstatic expression on her face.
“Haa…you damn bastard…”
At the same time, she cursed someone with a look of frustration.
“What’s with you clinging to Noah like that…”
Noah’s guardian, Sa Shin Hyun. Even though Park Eun Ji had no reason to know his name, she didn’t like that man.
“It wasn’t much longer…but because of that guy, things with Noah have become more difficult…”
Park Eun Ji let out a particle of magic from her fingertips while licking her lips. And there was a doll agreeing with her words.
“That is correct. It’s truly regrettable.”
“It’s thanks to your help that we were able to easily control An Gyeol Won. He used to rebel a little, but now he’s just a toy, isn’t he?”
“Thankfully.”
“Isn’t it funny how he doesn’t even realize he’s being controlled?”
“You’re right, Controller.”
The rabbit doll made Park Eun Ji smile.
“I’m really lucky.”
She thought of herself as incredibly fortunate.
Not only did she gain the ability to manipulate others’ minds, but she also recently acquired a special assistant.
Thanks to that, her power grew stronger, allowing her to make even An Gyeol Won, a capable individual, her subordinate.
It was pure luck.
Who would have guessed that she’d catch the thief rumored in school red-handed? Threatening to report him made it easy to turn him into a subordinate.
And above all, the biggest stroke of luck was…
“Noah.”
Perhaps meeting Na Noah, that girl.
With snow-white hair and an endearing, hesitant appearance, Park Eun Ji had inwardly decided. She wanted to make that girl hers.
For that, she put in a tremendous amount of effort.
Gradually wearing down the target until decisively breaking them at the crucial moment.
It was a method her father often used when taking over small shops.
Instead of capturing someone outright, slowly tightening the grip and cutting off their breath at the last moment.
Park Eun Ji tried to capture Noah using this method.
If it hadn’t been for that man, she might have already cast a spell on Noah.
“…Tch. Hey, Rabbit, will this really work?”
“Yes. He will surely return here.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because he has confidence in his skills and values Noah, that girl, immensely.”
“…Hmm…”
“Would a human truly sit idly by if something precious to someone precious to them was stolen? No, they wouldn’t. They’d personally go searching for it—the culprit.”
The rabbit doll nodded mockingly.
For a doll, he was surprisingly philosophical.
“Yes, that’s how human hearts work. When they’ve suffered an injustice, they want to inflict the same on others.”
“…Hmm.”
“Don’t you understand that well yourself?”
Park Eun Ji smirked at the doll’s words. Though the doll seemed somewhat exaggerated, she liked it.
“Yeah. Then let’s do it.”
That man was annoying too, after all.
‘How dare you stick around Noah? And who are you threatening anyway?’
“Hey, An Gyeol Won!”
“…”
“If you see that guy while wandering around, bring him here. Got it?”
“…Yes.”
Watching An Gyeol Won trudge away, Park Eun Ji nodded.
‘Someday, Noah will be like that too…’
Without hiding her dark intentions.
+++++
After dropping Noah off at home, I made an excuse and returned to school.
The school was already preparing to close. Most students had disappeared.
They must’ve finished earlier today, as promised.
Well, it’ll be easier to work this way.
‘Kkomkmu, how’s it going?’
“Umm…the bad vibes are getting worse.”
Kkomkmu was currently investigating inside the locker room since I couldn’t go in myself.
“Absolutely sure. An Gyeol Won was here.”
With confidence in its voice, Kkomkmu crawled out from the door crack and climbed onto my leg.
“Of course.”
“Were you aware of something?”
“Just a gut feeling?”
Hearing my words, Kkomkmu made a sound before continuing.
“But something feels off.”
“Feels off?”
“Yes. There’s a strange vibe mixed in.”
“Mixed in?”
“Do you know what it is?”
“No. It’s something new to me. But…it doesn’t feel good.”
After pondering for a while, Kkomkmu continued.
“It’s not particularly strong or anything. It just gives off a bad vibe.”
Disgust heavily permeated Kkomkmu’s voice.
“Not An Gyeol Won’s…who could it be then?”
“Don’t know.”
Could someone else be involved? Maybe it’s that rabbit from before.
Should I call Noah?
I had that thought, but…
“Better to come alone if they’re plotting something.”
Bringing Noah along unnecessarily could be dangerous. As an Iris, I’m the one who would be in danger.
“…Sigh, can you find them?”
“Yes…but…”
“But?”
“There doesn’t seem to be any need to.”
Looking in the direction Kkomkmu pointed with its tentacle, I saw An Gyeol Won.
The guy looked like his soul had left him as he slowly approached me.
“…! Feels bad…”
Even without Kkomkmu’s words, I could clearly sense it.
I felt an unpleasant residue of magic so strong it made me nauseous. A guy with such magic must definitely be a creep.
I stared at him intently and smiled once.
“Why? Do you want to get hit again?”
“…”
“You haven’t even taken off your bandage yet?”
“…My master summoned me.”
“Hmm?”
“Your master called?”
Master?
“Are you M?”
“…”
“Dude… playing that kind of stuff at school? Anyway, you’re giving off creepy vibes everywhere.”
Since I had no intention of listening to his straightforward words, I decided to keep questioning.
“Did you steal Noah’s underwear?”
“…Yes.”
“Where’d you hide it? Give it back, along with the others.”
“Nanoha’s belongs to my master.”
“And who exactly is this master?”
“Follow me and you’ll see.”
An Gyeol Won ended his sentence by turning around and started heading somewhere.
‘There’s nothing else to do but follow. Kkomkmu, prepare for transformation.’
“Yes. I’ll prepare to transform immediately.”
+++++
Thud, thud.
I followed where An Gyeol Won led.
“Are you alright?”
“There’s no other big clue besides this.”
The place An Gyeol Won led me to was the school supply closet. The smell of cigarettes lingered strongly, indicating it had been abandoned for quite some time.
It must be a hangout for quite a few delinquents.
Just as if proving that point, quite a number of guys were gathered there.
“Oh wow, it’s dark. Are you guys children of darkness?”
“…”
“No response, boring.”
While taunting and provoking, the guy remained silent. Like a soulless puppet.
It felt like the guy had completely changed in just a few hours.
After a long silence, the guy finally spoke.
“I’ve brought him.”
He was staring blankly into the air.
“Master.”
Master?
A voice echoed, and someone appeared from the dark corner of the ceiling.
“We meet again?”
“…You.”
A familiar face.
“So it’s you, Queen Bee?”
“Queen Bee? My name is Park Eun Ji.”
Park Eun Ji.
That’s the name of that woman.
“Thanks for teaching me something I didn’t care much about.”
“…Still as irritating as ever.”
The guy twisted his face. His attitude was as if he were seeing his worst enemy.
I’ll ask directly. What’s your relationship with Noah?”
“Noah?”
“Yeah. Noah. You two seem pretty close.”
What kind of relationship?
“Like an acquaintance uncle?”
“Lie.”
“It’s true.”
Of course, there’s a deeper story, but there’s no need to tell this guy.
Rather than that.
“Why are you suddenly so interested in Noah?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“Obvious?”
The guy showed a white piece of cloth while babbling.
“It’s because I was interested in Noah first.”
I immediately understood what it was.
“It was you.”
“That’s right. You asked me to. Oh, don’t misunderstand. An Gyeol Won was already like this before I asked.”
“…Perverts attract perverts. Birds of a feather flock together, right?”
“Don’t lump me in with those kinds.”
To me, both of them are perverts and trash, but I refrained from saying it. I didn’t come here to argue.
“So, why did you summon me?”
“Simple. To eliminate you.”
“Eliminate?”
“Yeah. You see, I want to make Noah my pet someday.”
Park Eun Ji wore an ecstatic expression.
“Took a lot of effort, but Noah strangely has high magical resistance. Still…yeah, it seems there’s not much left.”
“…Why are you doing this?”
“Why? Because I like Noah.”
“Does liking someone mean doing this? Harassing and bullying them?”
In response to my words, Park Eun Ji sneered for a while. Suddenly, the laughter disappeared from her face, leaving behind a cold voice.
“There’s no other way to train a disobedient dog except with a stick.”
“Huh, you bastard.”
“Say whatever you want. Either way, I intend to kill you.”
As Park Eun Ji said that, she moved her hand. As if conducting an orchestra, she waved her hand, and the delinquents began to walk out slowly.
All of them looked vacant and sinister.
“…There’s an unpleasant magical aura spreading.”
“I know. Looks like she brainwashed them all with her own abilities.”
Not only that. All the brainwashed ones had been ‘enhanced.’
“Since you seem to have some abilities too, I specially prepared for you.”
“Prepared?”
“I’ve gotten stronger lately. In the past, I wouldn’t have been able to do this.”
Park Eun Ji laughed and put on a black mask on her face.
It was a familiar mask I’d seen somewhere.
The moment I saw it, I realized Park Eun Ji’s true identity.
“This Controller is really lucky, huh?”
“Controller.”
“Yeah. That’s my name as a villain. It may be a bit country, but just listen.”
Controller.
The moment I heard her name, a smirk crept onto my face.
An Gyeol Won and Controller, huh?
“…Looks like luck’s on my side.”
If I play my cards right, I might be able to catch two rabbits at once.
