Truly, every human has flaws and shortcomings. Shin Hyun is no exception, and neither is Noah over there.
Noah has one such flaw. No, even Magical Girl Iris has this particular flaw.
While it might be seen as a strength from a human perspective, as a Magical Girl—and especially as someone tasked with punishing evil—it carries a certain risk.
“Too kind for their own good.”
Perhaps due to the influence of her father, who was a Hero, Noah is excessively kind.
When faced with injustice, she can’t stand by; she feels compelled to rescue those in danger. She doesn’t torment the weak or harass those who bow their heads.
The problem is…
“It’s an issue when you’re this way with villains too.”
[What? You didn’t do this out of choice, right?]
[You had no choice but to earn money for medical bills?]
[…I get it. Everyone deserves a second chance. I’ll just tie you up—be obedient.]
[Urgh…! You tricked me…!]
Even in games, Iris sometimes meets a bad ending after being betrayed by a villain.
Most of the time, Iris believes that these villains have their reasons and are capable of reform.
To put it nicely, she’s kind; to put it harshly, she’s gullible.
“A world where everyone is happy. Sounds great.”
But I’d rather ask:
Does a kid with a sick mother at home hang out with bad people and commit acts of terrorism?
Most people who decide to live honestly don’t start off as terrorists.
In short, villains are almost impossible to reform.
Beings whose mindset is fundamentally different.
There may be a few exceptions, but at least none existed around Iris.
If left unchecked, the future is all too clear.
The future of someone who gets taken advantage of by a villain.
That place will likely become a brothel.
So I’m going to teach you a lesson. At the very least, learn to be cold-hearted when subduing a villain.
Shin Hyun decided to take action.
“…Kuh…!”
“You’re weak.”
“Quiet…!”
It was when he clearly realized he had the upper hand over Iris.
“Do you think I’m frail?”
“Yes. But that’s not important.”
“…What?”
“Stand up. Attack again.”
The girl’s gaze toward the man was filled with anger.
A back alley in the city, a straight, unavoidable path stretched ahead. Facing each other, we maintained silence and stillness.
He seemed calm, but Iris did not appear so. The girl’s clothes were covered in dirt.
The silent girl glaring at the man looked quite battered.
Though it wasn’t a fatal strike, bruises would undoubtedly cover her body. Just standing there made her breathing heavy and her legs wobble.
Even if she tried to run now, it wouldn’t be surprising.
However, the girl instead clenched her teeth and charged forward.
Whoosh!
In an instant, the girl’s body teleported and came down from above.
You thought it was an opening, huh?
Good judgment. The front was blocked by tentacles, and the top was empty.
But…
Wham! The girl’s fist, wrapped in a magic circle, was stopped by a raised tentacle.
“Tch…”
The girl glared and continued her attacks until the tentacle blocking her shattered completely.
The shock resonated through his body, and the man didn’t just stand there watching.
Other tentacles swung and enveloped the girl.
The tentacles drew chaotic curves in the air.
Even though they were simply swung around, when each hit could be fatal, and when there were just too many of them…
They became an inescapable net that squeezed its prey.
Crunch!
The tentacle struck the girl’s torso.
Her body twisted violently.
Snap!
The tentacle grabbed and threw Iris.
Her body slammed into the ground.
Bang. The sound of concrete breaking echoed as cement dust flew everywhere. It was around then that Shin Hyun stopped the tentacles.
Following his hand movements, the dancing tentacles ceased their motion and disappeared under his robe.
If the girl could get up, that would be good, but she was shaking in a way she’d never shown before.
Even as he approached, she could only weakly try to rise, only to collapse again soon after.
Thud. The sound of the girl kneeling echoed. All the strength had drained from her body.
Like a marionette whose strings had been cut.
That’s exactly what the girl looked like.
“Are you still alive?”
The man leaned down and asked the girl.
Blood flowed from the girl’s forehead, and her anger spread with her breath.
“You look furious.”
“I’ll… kill… you…”
“That’s not something a magical girl should say.”
I gently teased her as much as possible.
“Dealing with someone like you is easy.”
“…What?”
“Do you know why I’m doing this? Magical girl.”
“…No.”
The girl shook her head.
The man sat on a tentacle like a chair and spoke sincerely.
“In fact… I have a sick elderly mother.”
“…”
“Not much time left for her life.”
“Speak plainly.”
“Terminal illness. Pancreatic cancer, they said.”
Of course, it was a lie.
In this world, and in the previous one, Shin Hyun had no parents.
He acted out the emotions of someone whose loved one had received a terminal diagnosis, as he’d seen in TV dramas.
“…It was painful. Losing someone precious. Being unable to fulfill my parent’s final wish.”
After saying that, the man looked up at the sky.
With a long sigh.
Apparently, his expression was quite striking.
“…What was the wish?”
It was an overly kind tone to use with someone she’d just fought.
The man opened his mouth under the piercing gaze.
“My mother always wanted a grandchild. Unfortunately… I’ve never been particularly interested in marriage. I’ve had a few girlfriends, but eventually, we all broke up.”
The girl listened silently.
“The reason… is simple. Because of this.”
The man lifted a few wriggling tentacles.
“I absolutely adore the sight of people being violated by tentacles.”
“…What?”
“That’s…”
“Not normal, I know. A form of paraphilia, you might say.”
“So, you couldn’t have kids because of that?”
“Yes. No one could understand.”
“…Of course. Who would want to be violated by tentacles?”
The man let out a melancholy voice.
“Is that… how you feel too…”
“Of course. I prefer normal people.”
“…Hmm… Perhaps the great magical girl active in this area might understand this feeling.”
“So that’s why you did these crazy things?”
The man nodded at the girl’s words and extended his hand.
“I surrender.”
“…What?”
“There’s no point continuing the fight. If someone as exceptional as you finds me unacceptable, most women probably would too.”
“Just do it normally!”
“Impossible. My nature won’t allow it. How did I end up like this… Or maybe it’s fate.”
As the girl consoled him with a softer tone,
“Don’t give up. Maybe there’s someone out there who understands you.”
“…Is there?”
“…Maybe?”
His tilting head. A faint smile began to rise on his lips. The girl slowly approached, encouraging him with a supportive expression while the man stayed still.
There was no sign of hostility. Thinking this, as the girl moved closer to the man,
“Huh?”
At that moment, a loud crash resounded.
“…You just died once, girl.”
Next to the girl was a large piece of flying concrete debris, shattered by the man’s tentacles.
“You…!”
“Old mother? Wishes…? Haha… HAHAHA!!”
“…You tricked me.”
“Brilliant. There are still fools who fall for such emotional manipulation!”
The girl froze in place as the man laughed loudly, mocking her openly and cruelly.
When the laughter subsided, the man stared intently at the girl.
“That’s what a villain is, girl. Selfish and self-serving. We’ll fabricate any lies necessary.”
“…You bastard.”
“Kidnapping a woman isn’t difficult. However…”
The man took slow steps and started to disappear into a secluded area.
Accompanied by an unpleasant voice.
“I hope you mature more. Like a ripe fruit, worth eating.”
The girl stood frozen in place as the man disappeared laughing.
Even his laughter faded, leaving only an eerie silence in the early morning.
Someone’s sigh replaced the fading laughter.
“Haa…”
Shin Hyun, sighing deeply enough to shake the world, was the source of the sound.
“…Damn it.”
‘…Are you okay?’
“I expected it, but…”
It felt much worse than I anticipated.
This…
+++++
It was a bitter feeling.
Maybe it was because the rain fell unnecessarily.
…No, it’s not because of the rain, is it?
Noah.
Thinking about him made my heart uneasy.
“Did he get hurt badly?”
He hadn’t shown up all week during weekdays, neither as Noah nor as Iris.
Did I go too far?
What if he’s crying somewhere?
Such worries weighed heavily on my mind.
‘I guess I need to visit him directly.’
If he’s not coming, I’ll just go to him.
I happen to know where his dormitory is.
Looking at the clock’s hands. They were moving briskly, racing against time.
It was already quitting time. I hastily packed my bag and prepared to leave work.
Then,
The bell jingled.
Probably the last customer of my shift.
“Welcome.”
“Uh, where are the kimchi?”
“…The kimchi is over there at the end.”
The customer walked over, picked up some kimchi, and brought it to the counter for checkout.
After calculating and handing over the kimchi,
“…Doesn’t it hurt?”
I gently patted the girl’s head. My heart ached seeing the bandages wrapped around her forehead.
“It’s fine.”
It was Noah.
Noah had returned to the convenience store, sporting bandages and Band-Aids all over.
“I had to tidy up a bit, so I didn’t leave the house for a while.”
“Is that so… By the way, have you been eating properly?”
“Nope. Mostly ramen.”
“This won’t do. Let’s go eat.”
Just then, the relieving staff arrived, and I quickly left the convenience store.
What should I feed him? Meat sounds good, right? Is there a meat restaurant open late at night…
“…There’s no way.”
“Why are you like that?”
“Well, I wanted to feed you meat, but there aren’t any places open at this hour.”
At my words, Noah chuckled.
He proudly shoved the black bag containing kimchi towards me.
“What’s gotten into you?”
“Look.”
“Kimchi and green onions… Onions… Wait, could this be…”
“Pork. More specifically, belly pork.”
“What’s this for?”
“It’s…”
Noah aimlessly tapped the floor.
“I’ll cook for you, so can we go to my place? I’ll make you some kimchi stew with pork.”
It seems Noah wants to cook for me. Truthfully, I wanted to cook for him, but it’s hard to refuse that eager look in his eyes.
I nodded.
“Your place? Where? Should I go to your dormitory?”
At my question, he waved his hands frantically. His cheeks turned red as he edged closer to me.
Soon, he looked up at me and…
Noah gave me an answer I never imagined.
“No. Your place, Uncle.”
“…What?”
