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A few days later, the Chairman reached out to offer help.

Naturally, but unfortunately, my performance on the midterms right after was a complete disaster. Ha-yoon and the other Magical Girls managed to scrape by with what they had learned, but I had a talent for forgetting things I hadn’t reviewed or prepared for.

Under normal circumstances, I would have despaired over this fact.

Wasn’t I just thinking about wanting to be by Ha-yoon’s side? For that, I thought some sort of qualification was necessary.

Now that I think about it, what’s the point of that?

Even after she learned about my true nature, for some reason, Ha-yoon didn’t plan to leave my side. Instead, she seemed determined to stick to me, spouting words about love and such.

Despite hearing that my test scores likely wouldn’t be good, she merely offered me light words of comfort and didn’t seem particularly disappointed.

I mean, could I really judge anything more when someone looks at me and says they ‘like’ or ‘love’ me?

It’s easy to think that feelings are false.

But my mind resisted taking that easy route.

Even if I appeared this way, I was someone who could turn the Hope Circuit. And that hope was the ability to look at the present situation a bit more brightly.

Seeing Ha-yoon’s bright smile, it wasn’t easy to think that it was ‘false.’

As a result, while I completely bombed the exam, oddly enough, I didn’t feel particularly bad; it was an indescribable state.

Rather, I was just glad that school was ending swiftly during the exam period.

Of course, it wasn’t all good. My friend was in the hospital, so my feelings remained steady, neither overly positive nor negative.

So, a few days passed as I experienced a mixed bag of feelings—

“……What is this?”

May, now undoubtedly spring, greeted me with a view of a large pile of boxes stacked up when I returned to the orphanage. They looked like they had been opened by someone only to be resealed, with different-colored tape layered over them.

“They say they are deliveries.”

The teacher looked at the boxes, piled almost to the ceiling, with a perplexed expression.

“The sender is unknown, but the experts confirmed everything before it got here. They said there’s no danger, but…”

I creased my brow slightly and approached the boxes.

There were shipping labels of sorts on top, but the sender’s section was blank. The only thing written was my name in the recipient section, along with the address of this orphanage.

I rummaged through my bag, which I had on my back, and pulled out a small cutter knife.

I carefully pulled the blade out and sliced through the tape on the box.

When I opened the lid—

“Hmm.”

James, who had crawled up to my shoulder to peek into the box, mumbled.

“It seems to be equipment sent by the Chairman.”

The box didn’t contain a massive amount of items. They were secured tightly with large blocks of Styrofoam to prevent damage from excessive jolting during transport.

There were antennas that seemed meant for cable television, a laptop that was much thicker than usual, and items that resembled large military radios… Although smaller than the box, the items inside weren’t small.

“It looks like the promised equipment.”

“Indeed. This must be linked to your communicator. By installing it appropriately in the room, we could achieve a command center atmosphere.”

Inside, there were objects adorned with small buttons that seemed impossible for a human to operate. It’s like a hamster could use it as a keyboard, something akin to that.

“Do we really need this?”

We had fought well even without things like this until now.

It’s not that we didn’t have anything like a headquarters, but the truth was that all we did there was eat and live a daily life. Cherry had set up a device and made various tactical plans while looking at the map…

“If we can see the operational status in real time, that would be great.”

Cherry said.

“It’s not just radios or computers. There are also a bunch of drones that can be controlled remotely. With this, there shouldn’t be any lack when we’re supporting you.”

“….”

What was the Chairman thinking, providing such support?

It didn’t seem like this was just about catching the PuffPuff monster. It hit me suddenly. If it were only about catching it, wouldn’t there still be no real issue right now? We had severed all the substantial resources and manpower that PuffPuff possessed.

…Or maybe.

Could it be that the Chairman thinks there’s some other force involved? One so powerful that we couldn’t win without outside support?

I still didn’t fully understand.

We hadn’t gone to attack the place yet.

Originally, I had planned to drive the current PuffPuff to the corner and strike when she gathered her forces to protect herself.

But somehow, we had ended up chasing PuffPuff herself.

Is it because of my innate dark nature? I can’t shake this ominous feeling when I think about the police directly investigating the facility.

“So….”

Rose opened her mouth cautiously, unlike her usual self.

“Where do we put this? Can we keep it in your room?”

I was momentarily at a loss for words.

Looking at the teacher, she nodded with a faint smile.

“Well, since you’re half the reason this building exists, wouldn’t you have the most rights to use it here?”

At the teacher’s words, I suddenly felt a bit shy.

To be honest, I wasn’t entirely comfortable with it. This was an orphanage, after all. It’s a place for children, and was it really okay for us, always preparing for a fight, to use it as a base?

But I couldn’t think of any other place… That abandoned building must have an owner, after all.

Above all, my presence here was also a way to protect the orphanage. Thinking about the possibility of Ji-hye facing the same threats as last time sends shivers down my spine.

“Thank you.”

Eventually, I replied like that and gave a slight bow.

*

From the afternoon until dinner, we set up the equipment in the room.

Fortunately, after putting the record player and CDs that had been on the desk into the box and storing them away, there was enough space, so it wasn’t a huge problem.

Just until this morning, our desk, which had looked like a student’s desk, had now somewhat transformed into a war room.

I felt slightly guilty when I saw such a ghastly sight and thought about Ji-hye.

“Let me help too.”

Ji-hye suddenly chimed in.

Different from the timid appearance she had shown until recently, she looked confident. The Ji-hye who had shared a room with me.

“I don’t want to just be protected while you’re fighting.”

“But…”

I hesitated to respond.

To say that, in truth, Ji-hye lacked the power to transform into a Magical Girl.

It felt a bit awkward to bluntly say, “You don’t have that power.”

“I can help from here.”

As though she understood my thoughts, Ji-hye continued to look at me earnestly and spoke.

“I’ll do my best to learn!”

Ji-hye’s reply seemed reminiscent of a child throwing a tantrum.

But the way she appeared made her earnestness even more pronounced.

The eyes of the Magical Girls gathered on me, waiting patiently for my answer.

I glanced at Ha-yoon, but she merely smiled slightly and nodded.

So, I supposed this choice was fully mine to make.

“Ji-eun.”

Cherry, who had been perched on the desk, opened her mouth as I turned my attention to her.

Cherry smiled softly.

“The more helpers we have, the better it is. Especially, the more eyes we have to monitor the situation here, the better.”

Watching Cherry speak as if nothing much would happen, James chimed in.

“I happened to find an extra circuit. It’s uncertain whether it was put aside as an emergency supply or for a different purpose, but… well, I’m sure there’s some intention from the Chairman. Since neither Cherry nor I can use it, it would be good for an Earthling to hold onto it.”

James showed me a circuit that looked quite similar to what I had.

I couldn’t tell whether it was the Despair Circuit or the Hope Circuit.

“The Chairman isn’t a Squeaky Adult, but he is well-versed in circuit technology. So, if the conditions are right, it’s sure to operate properly.”

James lifted up the circuit he presented.

The circuit didn’t activate in my hands. The reason for that was still unclear. Maybe there’s a specific condition—ah.

Could this be the circuit made from ideas that old man left behind?

“……”

As I quietly stared at the circuit with a bit of a strange feeling, I handed it over to Ji-hye.

I didn’t know if she could use it or not.

But at least we already had a circuit each that we could utilize.

If anyone needed it, it would definitely be Ji-hye.

The usage method? Well, we could just take our time to learn it. If crafted well, circuits can usually be used by ordinary people. Normally, it’s closer to a Despair Circuit than a Hope Circuit, though.

…It feels like it’s been ages since we talked about that ‘Courage Circuit’ company.

Maybe because I was the one giving it away, Ji-hye received it with a bright expression as she slipped it on her wrist.

I think the screen might have dimly lit up. However, it didn’t flow out as bright as when I activated the circuit.

“Then, you’re allowing it, right?”

“Of course. If you want to help me, then you should.”

As I said that with a smile, Ji-hye also flashed a shy smile in return.

*

That evening.

After dinner, I tidied up the items in my bag.

The children had each gone outside to do their own thing.

Ha-yoon seemed to want to stick by my side, but with the other Magical Girls helping at the orphanage, she reluctantly left the room.

Ji-hye also seemed to be absent for some reason, and by the time I came to my senses, I found myself alone in the room.

“……”

I scratched my head for a moment.

Somehow, it seemed the Magical Girls felt they were guilty for not involving me. They kept trying to do things without me, and it felt a bit odd.

I know they were trying to be considerate.

…The truth is, our relationship ended up this way because, ultimately, it was my fault. When those girls started to follow me around, I made unilateral decisions.

Thinking that made me feel a bit uncomfortable being left alone in my room, so I went outside.

Rose, Dalia, and Delphinium were playing with the children.

To be honest, I didn’t have a particularly fond attitude towards kids. My somewhat blunt personality was the same even in front of children, and I found myself getting a bit annoyed when they repeatedly asked me the same questions or made the same statements.

Nonetheless, I couldn’t really lash out at kids who were much younger than me, so I’d often just grit my teeth and endure, and maybe because of that, they didn’t seem to dislike me.

Hmm.

Watching the kids hanging onto Rose’s arms, I thought maybe it wasn’t that big of a deal.

In the end, the Magical Girls who interacted with them warmly were certainly much more appealing than my brusque demeanor. I understood that.

In fact, Magical Girls were almost like celebrities in this world.

Dalia was also very popular, not just Rose, and even Delphinium, who was a bit more blunt than me, also had her share of fans.

Should I feel a bit bitter about that? I mean, seeing even the bratty teen who had been particularly cold to me happily joining them makes me wonder if I should even feel that way.

Jua also seemed to have somehow gotten involved with the three of them too, awkwardly finding her place among the kids.

It was amusing to see her personality, which liked kids but didn’t quite know how to interact with them, being clearly reflected on her face.

But Ha-yoon and Ji-hye were nowhere to be seen.

Were they outside the building?

Thinking it over, it was quite a peculiar combination. No, the combination of Ji-hye and the other Magical Girls was perhaps unique altogether from the start.

It seemed that, as a girl of her age, Ji-hye had a fair bit of interest in the entertainment industry. But when I thought about it again, Ji-hye’s interest also seemed to lie in Ha-yoon. The fact that she knew I was close with Ha-yoon likely framed her reactions, but it’s also quite possible that she didn’t have any substantial interest beyond that.

It was just that during free time, she might have been bored and browsing the internet on her smartphone, stumbling upon information to share with me.

“Hmm.”

If I said they’d become friends in the meantime, that wouldn’t be entirely out of the question…

Last time, Ha-yoon had jumped into the conversation when Ji-hye and I were talking.

Would it be okay for me to interrupt?

*

The first person outside was Ha-yoon.

On usual days, she would probably be playing with the other kids alongside them at the orphanage. Ha-yoon always strived to maintain her image as a diligent child in front of others and had worked hard to uphold that image.

Ji-eun had said that wasn’t necessary, but still. Once you show it once, changing that behavior later isn’t easy.

She feared that others would be disappointed. Fear that Ji-eun would be let down was precisely why Ha-yoon stubbornly upheld that image.

To be honest, it was a bit exhausting. Ji-eun had become a place of refuge during those times.

However, realizing that Ji-eun was also quite worn out, I couldn’t keep relying on her.

So here I was outside—would that be a bit strange?

“There you are.”

I turned around at the sound of Ji-hye’s voice.

Ha-yoon, sitting where Ji-eun had sat last time. I wondered if Ji-hye would say something, but such a thing didn’t happen.

Ji-hye came over with a light smile and sat down beside her.

The two of them sat in silence for a while.

It was Ji-hye who broke the silence first.

“I thought Ji-eun was really popular at school.”

“Huh?”

Ha-yoon blinked at Ji-hye, as her comment seemed a bit odd.

“Why? I thought she’d be quite popular among the boys? She’s pretty and has a nice figure. I don’t really know about her usual personality at school, though.”

Ji-hye laughed as she spoke.

“And yet, she still doesn’t have a boyfriend, huh? If Ji-eun gets a person to date, that guy would be her first, I guess.”

“Uh….”

Ha-yoon pondered Ji-hye’s words, trying to grasp what she was implying. Ji-hye seemed pleased as she continued.

“Speaking of which, it’s surprising. Ji-eun has never received a confession? I wonder if it’s because there aren’t any boys around?”

“Ji-eun hasn’t received a confession?!”

“Uh?”

At Ha-yoon’s response, Ji-hye turned her head in confusion.

“……She said she has never received one. That’s what Ji-eun said.”

“Ehhh?”

Ha-yoon tilted her head.

While she didn’t grasp what Ji-hye was trying to convey, at least she remembered that Ji-eun had indeed received confessions before.

“Ji-eun has received confessions. Even at the beginning of this year, she did.”

“Ehhh?!”

A more bewildered sound slipped from Ji-hye’s mouth.

“Honestly, it’s inevitable that she’d be popular with the boys, right? I could totally see all the boys from the same class having crushes on her.”

“Ehh???”

Ji-hye looked dazed for a moment, then her expression morphed into one of mild anger.

“She told me she’s never gotten a confession!”

“…….”

After briefly contemplating, Ha-yoon quickly grasped the reason behind it.

“Ah, I see.”

“See what?”

“That’s probably not a lie.”

“Hmm?”

“Ji-eun seems to think that the confessions she received were not directed at her.”

“……So you mean, it’s not a confession directed at her? What does that mean?”

“Hmm, let’s see.”

Ha-yoon contemplated whether she should say this or not and decided to spill the beans. It didn’t feel right to hold back after getting this far into the conversation.

“I too happened to be quite popular with the boys. I mean, Ji-eun was always alongside me back then.”

“……”

Ji-hye gazed silently at Ha-yoon speaking.

“So I think she didn’t think those were directed at her — perhaps the boys who confessed thought they were confessing to me first before trying to get closer to Ji-eun?”

Saying it made me feel exceedingly shy. It was like an embarrassing excess of self-awareness.

But what could I do? Ji-eun truly thought that way.

“……Ji-eun really has a lot of problems.”

Ji-hye sighed deeply as she spoke.

“So, anyway, does that mean ‘there is no one’ she’s dating?”

“Uh, well….”

Ha-yoon responded somewhat flustered.

Only after hearing Ji-hye’s next words did she manage to guess what Ji-hye was aiming at.

“So… if there is someone dating Ji-eun, then in that case, they would be her first girlfriend.”

With that, the fire of determination seemed to flicker in Ji-hye’s eyes.

 

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