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That wasn’t what Ha-yoon wanted.

To Ha-yoon, Ji-eun was never a light presence.

Not just a simple friend—though it was a phrase often used even among close friends, Ji-eun held a special meaning for Ha-yoon.

From a very young age, not only did they grow up as friends, but Ha-yoon also owed so much to Ji-eun.

Whenever Ha-yoon was struggling, it was Ji-eun who stood by her side, taking her hand with a nonchalant expression and leading her away to help lighten her mood.

Ha-yoon didn’t not know that.

The wind was blowing.

No, it wasn’t just the wind. Everything in the world was being pulled in one direction.

“It’s dangerous! Run!”

“How am I supposed to run in this situation!?”

Several police officers shouted in panic. Soon, Seo-hee rushed in, grabbing Ha-yoon by the nape of her neck and dragging her inside the building. It was unclear if that structure would even remain safe.

“Ha-yoon!”

Yeon-woo’s voice rang out.

“We can’t hold on like this…! We’re definitely going to get sucked in!”

Light was flowing in the sky.

In the distance, a dark, round object claimed its space in midair, sucking in even that light.

The light gathering around the black sphere looked like the corona of the sun, making Ji-eun appear as if she was bearing all the light of the world.

Her expression was visible.

A face that simply looked down at everything in the world with no emotion.

Why was she looking at things that way? The laughter Ji-eun used to have when she saw Ha-yoon was now gone.

Her clothes seemed to be melting and sticking to her body. No, they probably weren’t clothes at all. Pure magic. The flashy magic that magical girls wielded when fighting someone seemed to have fused with her body.

What had gone wrong?

Was it because Ha-yoon didn’t properly understand Ji-eun’s feelings? It must have been a problem that she had just left Ji-eun alone up until now—

…..

No, that wasn’t it.

It wasn’t just neglect.

Ha-yoon had attacked Ji-eun several times. Without knowing her face, she had broken her arms and legs, shattered her ribs, and perhaps even cracked her skull or inflicted wounds on her insides.

She knew nothing.

Because among those she thought of as evil—a target she judged in the name of justice—there was just Ji-eun.

“Ugh.”

Had she not felt her bones breaking? Had she not felt Ji-eun stab her with that magical girl-like pink sword?

No, she definitely must have felt it. One of those who were groaning and screaming from being hit was surely Ji-eun. Ji-eun could have even endured that sound.

And so, it couldn’t be reversed.

It was already something that had passed. Apologizing now wouldn’t change anything.

The world before her blurred.

What she had so despised, those who had discriminated against Ji-eun, was nothing compared to the terrible thing Ha-yoon herself had done to Ji-eun—

“Lee Ha-yoon!”

Seo-hee’s voice echoed out.

“Think about that later.”

Seo-hee spoke as if she understood what Ha-yoon was thinking.

“For now, let’s calm down. We have no other choice. If it’s now, it’s still okay. No one has died!”

Do they really have to do this again?

To protect some petty sense of justice, do they have to torment Ji-eun once more?

Ha-yoon wasn’t sure anymore.

But still, she somehow moved.

Ha-yoon flew. Just like always. She drew her sword. Just like always.

Though her vision was still hazy, she had to do something. She didn’t know what to do, but—

What if this is the end?

Ha-yoon thought.

What if this was the last moment she could talk to Ji-eun?

She didn’t want to persuade her. While she did wish to fully understand Ji-eun’s heart, it wasn’t even that.

In that last moment, Ha-yoon selfishly wanted to express her feelings.

Because if this passed, there would be no hope left.

Giving up saving people, and hoping to understand Ji-eun, she just wanted to selfishly spill her heart out.

When she came to her senses, Ha-yoon was flying towards Ji-eun.

Now, she could hardly even notice what was going on around her. She heard the sounds of fighting. What they were fighting against, she couldn’t tell.

Her head was too chaotic.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

It definitely didn’t have to be like this. There had been opportunities. She felt as if she had grasped at that opportunity—

“Ji-eun!”

Ha-yoon shouted.

Ji-eun’s gaze turned to Ha-yoon.

Ji-eun extended her hand towards Ha-yoon.

At the tips of her fingers, something like a dark liquid formed into a drop, then—

Bang.

An explosion erupted around Ha-yoon. The surroundings fell silent for a moment.

“…Ah.”

The surroundings had vanished. Not a single other being that had surely been nearby remained. What had happened, in that last moment, Ha-yoon hadn’t noticed while flying just looking at Ji-eun.

Her heart raced wildly.

As if a dream had shattered in an instant, Ha-yoon gasped for breath.

…It was because of Ha-yoon. If she had looked around just a bit more, if she had expected what magic might come flying towards her, such a thing wouldn’t have happened—

The sounds around her stopped.

As if everything was being sucked in. Ha-yoon was terrified of that—

“Ha-yoon.”

But that fear stopped with the sweet voice that came next.

“Ha-yoon.”

“…”

With her mouth agape in astonishment, Ha-yoon turned her head towards Ji-eun.

There stood Ji-eun, clad in hardly any clothing. Behind her, something shone, indistinguishable between a black hole or the sun, and beyond it, a world was slowly sinking into darkness.

No light remained in the sky. No, there was light, but—all of it was connected to what was behind Ji-eun.

“It’s okay to stop now.”

Ji-eun whispered sweetly.

“You don’t have to win anymore.”

“Is it okay?”

“You don’t have to endure anymore.”

Ji-eun’s face drew closer.

Her pupils, half-closed, were blankly unfocused. Ha-yoon realized. What was in front of her might no longer be Ji-eun.

Or had Ji-eun changed like this?

“There will be nothing left to protect—just the two of us.”

“Just the two.”

“No one will interfere. No one… will compare us.”

“…Ah.”

That voice was so sweet.

Yes.

Ji-eun had always said that.

She had never said just to give up. The reason she endured, without collapsing, had now vanished.

“B-but, I….”

“It’s okay.”

Ji-eun said, gently cupping Ha-yoon’s face with both hands.

It was cold.

“Let’s just wipe everything away and stop these annoying thoughts—”

In that last moment, Ha-yoon felt a surge of fear.

Bit by bit, something seemed to come to mind.

Yes.

There were moments where it could have been okay not to have things be like this. Perhaps there were other choices to be made. Choices that could lead to better outcomes.

But at least, not now. Not now, while she was living such a happy future like this.

Ha-yoon was fine with that.

This was the future they had decided upon.

Leaning against Ji-eun’s soft body, Ha-yoon closed her eyes again.

This time, she would have a happy dream.

Thinking that, she drifted off.

 

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