NOVEL NEXT Episode 26 – Public Enemy (6)
“Wh-what?! Hwaaaak!”
Jeon So-hyun, groaning as she got up, was horrified to see the store in disarray. Customers were knocked out, and the shelves were toppled with items scattered everywhere.
“Hey… you damn girl! Are you hitting people now?!”
“I just saved you, so quit making a fuss. What happened to you?”
Jeon So-hyun shouted at Han Eun-seo, who was currently working as Aria. But Han Eun-seo just smirked and pointed a finger at Jeon So-hyun.
“…What do you mean by that?”
“I’m asking how you got spiritual powers. No, we’ll talk about that later.”
She immediately grabbed the phone and called someone. The Management Bureau received the report and informed the local police.
As a result, the man who was possessed was taken to the hospital, and everything ended without any further incident.
“Why is there nothing going on?! Who’s going to clean up the shop?!”
“The manager said it was fine, so what’s the problem? The part-timer can deal with it.”
Han Eun-seo left Jeon So-hyun, who was standing there with a look of disbelief, and stepped outside. The atmosphere outside was no different than before.
“Are we really just going to leave it like this?”
“…We might need to watch out for her as a person of interest.”
Han Eun-seo shook her head at Lulu’s words.
The abilities of mediums are special. If honed well, they can awaken as priestesses who wield the power of perm. She was convinced that there was medium blood flowing in Jeon So-hyun. And it was quite powerful.
“That aside, the number of demons isn’t decreasing. The search for Mamute is dragging on longer than expected. Is he really in this country?”
“Y-yeah. But…”
Lulu lowered her head with a serious expression. It was indeed strange for there to be this little trace. However, there weren’t really any words to say about it.
Ha Eun-seo looked around with a darkened face. People who knew nothing were bustling about.
“What if Mamute is receiving help from some force and is hiding and operating with their cooperation?”
“That can’t be. Who would collaborate with that arrogant tyrant?”
Lulu jumped as if she were startled by her mumbling. Things that were initially disregarded often had their own circumstances.
In fact, the monster Mamute was known to be a catastrophic entity that mercilessly kills even other monsters.
No one would believe that such an existence would join forces with the powers of Earth.
“…Let’s just keep wandering for now.”
With a sigh, Ha Eun-seo moved forward.
The late afternoon was coming to a close, and the entertainment district was gradually being painted in dark shadows as evening approached.
“What’s that?”
At that moment, a familiar figure caught Ha Eun-seo’s eye.
“Uh? Who was that again?”
“That’s the girl who was with Jeon So-hyun. She went to the facility.”
Lulu recognized the face that she couldn’t remember. It was Lee Jin-ah, the girl she had been keeping an eye on, with mysterious deep eyes and an odd demeanor radiating a sense of calm.
*
“Are you really okay?”
“I didn’t think they would allow me all at once.”
Park Tae-jun shrugged his shoulders. I nodded along.
I never expected that our homeroom teacher, Lee Sun-young, would allow me to go out just because of a phone call with Park Tae-jun. He wasn’t even an adult, just a middle schooler.
“What does age matter? If you grow up early, you deserve some perks. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to take you there.”
The guy who left the school with me chuckled lightly.
But I knew this arrogant chuckle had a hint of boasting. Could it be that the teacher lost her mind to allow him alone?
That big guy following us like a shadow must have done something.
“So, what are we going to do for fun? What can I do for you?”
“Doing things for you? We’re just hanging out. We’ll drink your favorite drinks. This time, I’ll introduce you to some other friends besides people from school.”
“What’s good.”
I nodded willingly. Since he was offering to do things I didn’t really desire, accommodating him a little was no big deal.
In the entertainment district at night, I could now do things that I couldn’t have handled alone due to my slender frame. Although the friends I was with were a bunch of losers, for now, I just wanted to enjoy it.
It was slightly different from the entertainment I had wanted, leaning more towards ordinary people, but I didn’t care at that moment. Feeling good, I even let him slyly rest his hand on my shoulder or fingertips in the taxi.
“Huuuh.”
“What, what’s wrong?!”
However, when we arrived at our destination and got out of the taxi, the guy who was about to wrap his hand around my waist jumped back in surprise at my pouting sigh.
“N-no, it’s nothing. Just really unlucky. I must have something weird with me.”
But I shook my head, clicking my tongue.
I wasn’t annoyed by Park Tae-jun’s actions. It was the constant sight of demons in the streets. They were truly bothersome.
Knowing full well what kind of mess someone possessed by a demon caused made me feel even more annoyed. It felt like annoying things were piling up out of nowhere.
“If you want to avoid the hassle, it would make sense to return right now.”
Ren, who was sitting on my head, muttered the truth.
“No, let’s keep going. Where is it?”
“The others probably haven’t gathered yet. Do you want to eat?”
The guy, letting out a small sigh of relief, pointed across the street. I walked along the street and casually looked back.
The big guy was still following us, lurking in the shadows. I wasn’t sure if he was trustworthy, but he would step in during emergencies.
“Isn’t it dangerous?”
[Be quiet. Finally trying to set the mood here, I can’t give up now.]
I wasn’t originally a delinquent student, and hanging out with Park Tae-jun was just about wanting a taste of the atmosphere.
It was like the human-exclusive fun that I couldn’t feel in the Demon Realm, similar to the entertainment I had enjoyed during my college freshman days.
I was stubbornly insisting on experiencing it even halfway through; I couldn’t resist what I was determined to do.
“Do whatever you want. I’ll treat you.”
“Sounds good.”
Park Tae-jun, the cheeky little brat, took me to a pretty decent place. He straightened his shoulders and quickly regained his arrogance.
Every time he boasted about his money in front of me, he expressed a specific kind of confidence. He knew I was broke, but I appeared more like a walking wallet to him.
“This.”
“…Okay.”
The look of the kid hesitating as I freely chose something expensive was slightly awkward. He probably thought I’d get intimidated.
“And if anything happens today…”
So, I decided to return a favor.
“Don’t panic. Just focus on escaping.”
“…What do you mean?”
“That’s how it is.”
My shadow swiftly moved through the darkness, grabbing and killing a demon that was about to possess a customer.
Park Tae-jun looked petrified, wondering what on earth I was talking about, but I didn’t explain further.
“Should we take a picture?”
Feeling the situation growing slightly awkward, I complied with his suggestion and took a photo.
In the end, my role was just a trophy, acting as he wanted, and I intended to fulfill that role.
“Looks like everyone has arrived. Let’s go.”
As it became completely dark and neon signs replaced the sun, we crossed the evening streets. I was already feeling good. It was just about the atmosphere, but still.
It showed how much I had missed things like this.
“Hey you guys.”
“…It’s you again, sister.”
So, unexpectedly appearing and blocking my way, her presence wasn’t very welcome.
I looked up at her. A high school girl presumed to be a magical girl, Han Eun-seo.
“What? Do you know her?”
Park Tae-jun, trying to flaunt his pride, lowered his voice and blocked my way.
I clicked my tongue and grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him back.
“I’m here with permission.”
“…Is that so?”
Her eyes scanned me from top to bottom. I didn’t avoid her gaze. After all, someone at her level wouldn’t notice my disguise.
I felt Ren keeping his mouth shut, worried he might be found out.
“What I’m saying might sound strange, but hanging out here today is dangerous.”
“What do you mean… who do you think you are…”
“It’s not dangerous at all. Other people are having fun, too.”
I smiled, pushing the grumbling Park Tae-jun further back. It seemed she was saying this because she noticed the demons.
“If it’s really dangerous, explain why.”
As I asked for a reason, the eyes behind her glasses flickered. She probably had no intention of unveiling her announcement yet.
“There are dangerous things wandering around. That’s why the Management Bureau is on high alert. It’s related to monsters.”
“M-m-monsters?!”
However, to my surprise, she disclosed that the Management Bureau was involved. Since she seemed friendly with the Bureau’s employees, perhaps that made sense.
…
At that moment, a realization struck me. Why hadn’t I caught this until now?
The magical girl closely connected to the Management Bureau—if she had personal ties with an employee, there could only be one person.
The magical girl Aria, who openly had the image of being a pawn of the Management Bureau. The very girl who was now standing before me, Han Eun-seo.
“…I’m not particularly worried.”
“What?”
“A magical girl. A pretty and cool magical girl like Aria will defeat all the villains.”
I smiled slyly as I uttered that name. I could see her eyes trembling intensely. I unexpectedly gained some precious information.