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Life is so ridiculously unpredictable that sometimes truly baffling things happen.

Just yesterday, people who were rolling in money and living extravagantly end up homeless on the streets overnight.

Or sometimes, it’s the exact opposite: people who were at rock bottom suddenly find some wild stroke of luck and rise to the top.

This bizarre situation bizarrely overlapped both of those scenarios.

Well, if you nitpick the details, it’s a bit different, but still.

I was someone who, despite appearances, had a decent grasp of the future. Naturally, I had some knowledge about making money.

After buying a smartphone, I was glued to the internet every day until “coins” started trending, and as soon as I recognized what I knew to be a goldmine, I bought a heap of them and sold off for a fortune.

In contrast, there was a family that saw aliens coming and went all in on that, but they wobbled the moment Noir Corporation started collaborating with the country, and they ended up investing way too late and losing everything.

Fortunately, I was able to provide a place for those parents to stay—

“……”

—And their daughter, Ha-yoon, came looking for me.

“……”

Well then.

Neither of us said anything.

To be honest, I was feeling a bit nervous.

The moment I began making a ton of money, I quit being a combatant altogether and slacked off in my high school studies.

After making a substantial donation to the orphanage, I took Ji-hye and started living together. To be fair, Ji-hye was a bit hesitant about always getting help from me, but eventually, she got used to it.

Ha-yoon seemed to be a bit like that too.

“……You don’t have to be so uncomfortable.”

I said lightly as I set my chopsticks down.

Our house was spacious. It used to be the kind of place I absolutely detested during my childhood.

Most of my resentment was from jealousy. How could they live so well when I was having such a hard time?

Now, I didn’t really need to think that way anymore.

“Yeah, but Ji-eun…”

“You’ve helped me a lot when I was struggling.”

That was true.

Even now, my room was filled with gifts from Ha-yoon. All the CDs she gifted me were well preserved. I even occasionally took them out to listen to.

“Think of it as paying me back for what I received.”

“W-well still…”

“It’s fine, really.”

I sensed that even Ji-hye was a bit embarrassed just sitting there with us, so I quickly said that and ended the conversation.

However, Ha-yoon’s watchful eyes remained fixed on me until we finished eating.

*

What does a rich person do with their life?

If I were the owner of a company, I’d rather be working.

But since I started out with the mindset of defeating magical girls, it was only natural that I had no intention of working now that my goals didn’t matter anymore.

I just rolled around without a care in the world. Even if I spent ten million won a month from now on, I had enough money to last a lifetime.

I had deposited the money in the bank, so interest came in. I kept getting calls urging me to invest, but I mostly ignored them.

Cleaning the house by myself was quite challenging.

So, there was someone who came over daily to clean for me, and each time, I would just hunker down in my room and wait…

“…What are you doing right now?”

I asked Ha-yoon.

Ha-yoon, holding a rag, quickly hid it behind her back and shook her head.

“Oh, um…”

“…Ha-yoon.”

I sighed deeply and went over to her, reaching behind her to see what she was hiding.

“Eek!?”

Ha-yoon was flustered by my sudden action. I snatched the rag right out of her hand.

The rag was barely damp. It wasn’t that Ha-yoon was weak; she just didn’t seem to know how to clean properly.

“…I told you there was no need for this.”

I said a bit irritably.

“Besides, where did you even find that rag? Were you seriously thinking about cleaning while I was in my room? I said you don’t have to take any money.”

“Since you’re not taking money…”

The job of a magical girl hasn’t completely disappeared. Other magical girls’ families haven’t all gone bankrupt. It’s just that the work has drastically reduced, and so has the income.

I told Ha-yoon to save up that money since she would eventually need to live on her own.

…

I thought I could live together forever without any real issues, but I didn’t know what Ha-yoon thought about it.

“Haah.”

I sighed deeply and grabbed Ha-yoon’s wrist.

“J-Ji-eun…!”

Ha-yoon was pulled over by my hand.

I sat on the living room sofa and tugged at Ha-yoon’s arm.

Then I placed her on my lap. In that position, I hugged her tightly.

“Nope. Don’t do anything.”

Did I suddenly gain confidence?

To be honest, it was a bit questionable to feel this confident just because I came into some money.

Did I think I could get away with this just because Ha-yoon was living in my house?

It wasn’t like Ha-yoon disliked it, so I guess that was a valid point.

“……”

Ha-yoon’s face turned bright crimson, but she couldn’t say anything.

As we sat there for a while, the TV still off—

Beeep, beeep, beeep.

I heard the sound of the door lock being punched in, click. Someone walked in.

And the person who entered halted as she saw us.

“……”

It was, of course, Ji-hye who lived with us.

Ji-hye gaped at the two of us, her mouth hanging open.

I silently let go of Ha-yoon, and she slid off my lap to sit next to me.

Her face was still flushed.

“Wow, what a sight to behold.”

Ji-hye grumbled and stomped off to her room.

Neither Ha-yoon nor I could respond.

*

That night.

I turned off the lights and lay down in bed, ready to sleep, when someone burst into my room without knocking.

It was Ji-hye.

“Ji-hye?”

“Sleep like this tonight.”

“Um?”

“You used to sleep like this, right?”

“No, that was only because there was only one room in the orphanage.”

“Really? Then why were you all over Ha-yoon today? Does this big house suddenly feel cramped?”

With Ji-hye’s words, I was left speechless.

Ji-hye confidently walked right up to my bed, dove in, and patted the spot next to her.

“I’m sleeping here from tonight.”

Seeing Ji-hye, dressed in her pajamas, made me chuckle.

“Sure, be my guest.”

I said that and lay down next to Ji-hye, a bit startled when she snuggled up next to me.

But before I could even react, Ji-hye wrapped her arms around my waist.

“……”

And she seemed to be tensing up, as though she intended not to move at all.

But that wasn’t where the story ended.

As soon as Ji-hye made herself comfortable, someone else came into the room.

…It was Ha-yoon.

Seeing Ji-hye and me sprawled together, Ha-yoon’s eyes widened, and she spun around reflexively, then paused momentarily before pivoting back.

She came toward me and—

“Ha.”

Ji-hye let out a laugh, looking utterly bewildered.

Ha-yoon plopped down beside me, claiming the empty spot. Though not as confidently as Ji-hye, she still made her move.

Ha-yoon looked up at me and said, “…It seems you like to cuddle…”

“……”

So, was this her way of ensuring that I wouldn’t leave her, even in this manner?

Two versions of myself were in a fierce battle in my head.

One was arguing against doing something so shameless. “What are you doing with a friend?”

The other was inquiring, “If you really hated it, you wouldn’t be doing this.”

The side saying not to act shamelessly seemed to struggle to think of a counterargument, before quickly conceding.

And that made sense. With Ha-yoon, she likely wouldn’t think poorly of relying on a body to solve things.

If she disliked it, she wouldn’t be doing this.

Ultimately, that’s how I ended up sleeping.

…

Isn’t this resembling the lives of the people I used to disdain?

I thought that for a moment, but feeling the warmth radiating from both sides, I decided to just accept it—

*

I think I had a dream like that.

When I woke up, it was a different room.

But the fact that two stunning beauties were snuggled up on either side of me remained unchanged.

Perhaps the reason I had such a dream was for that very reason.

Ha-yoon and Ji-hye.

Both were resting on their arms, resting their heads against my chest.

…

Thinking back, it seems like they were the ones benefiting most from this situation…?

“……Sigh.”

What am I thinking?

Ultimately, the one who gained the most is likely me.

Instead of causing everyone pain by letting go of just one person, the sheer luck of being able to enjoy these happy days was a blessing in itself.

…Guess I’ll just sleep some more.

I have nothing to do today anyway.

Thus, I savored the happiness for just a little longer.

 

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