As I maintained a consistently displeased expression while listening to the civil servant’s story, it seemed apparent that he had come to the conclusion that he was unable to persuade me at that moment.
Consequently, he left the room after proposing a short break.
Once the door closed behind him, I took a few moments before breaking the silence.
“So, what do you all think? Do you want to go back? You’re in your third year, isn’t it about time you’d want to return to school?”
At my words, the magical girls’ gazes turned sharply toward me.
Rose hesitated for a moment before responding.
“Would delaying university by a year really make a huge difference in life?”
Typically, there may be an impact on the situation.
It’s important to note that perspectives on this matter can differ based on gender.
In particular, male students often need to interrupt their studies for military service or public service obligations, which can result in a two-year hiatus.
Additionally, despite starting university at the same time, the dates of graduation can vary among individuals.
Furthermore, some students choose to delay their graduation in order to search for employment opportunities or enhance their academic records by retaking certain courses.
In situations of extreme neglect, some students may exhibit such a lackadaisical approach to their education that they end up failing to accumulate the necessary credits for graduation.
However, this realization often only truly hits home once you enter university.
During high school, the gravity of the situation might not be as apparent or urgent.
It is worth noting that these students in question all hail from affluent backgrounds.
Therefore, even if they were to postpone entering the workforce for a few years, their financial stability would not be compromised.
Consequently, perhaps there is no need for me to be overly concerned about their future prospects.
Reflecting on the group gathered here, it dawns on me that I am possibly the sole individual who would face dire consequences if I did not start earning a living immediately upon reaching adulthood.
“There’s a bigger concern than that,” Iris said, breaking her thoughtful silence.
“If they really want to convince us, they might bring our parents along.”
At the mention of her words, the girls’ expressions underwent a subtle change.
In the initial webtoon, the connections between the magical girls and their parents, with the exception of Hayoon, were not explored extensively.
The countenances of characters who were not part of the main story line were left without illustrations; they merely functioned as background figures, occasionally being allotted lines with minimal detail.
Hence, my inferences stem solely from the context provided.
Based on my observation, it appears that Iris and Hayoon’s family circumstances were portrayed as somewhat alike.
Iris’s interactions with her parents were not explored extensively, but the hints we caught implied that they viewed her as a way to navigate their political affiliations.
This dynamic shed light on Iris’s recurring emotions of envy and respect towards Hayoon.
In contrast, there was no mention of Delphinium and Dahlia’s relationships with their parents, while Rose’s bond with hers seemed relatively harmonious.
Thus, it’s possible that, aside from Hayoon and Iris, the rest of the girls could be greatly impacted by their parents’ influence.
In the event that Iris’s parents directly intervened and exerted pressure on her, she might ultimately yield to their demands, illustrating the potential weight of parental expectations on her decisions.
After all, they’re still teenagers.
As they teeter on the edge of adulthood, the prospect of achieving immediate independence at the age of twenty seems daunting in today’s society.
It appears that they may have put off confronting this reality until now, but the weight of their circumstances has finally caught up with them.
In all honesty, it must be acknowledged that they are essentially a group of runaway teenagers in this situation.
Iris’s candid statement only served to further dampen the already somber atmosphere that hung over them.
Even Hayoon, who typically exuded an air of defiance towards her parents and a determination to chart her own path, now displayed a visible unease, almost as if she was apprehensive about the thought of having to face them.
Am I the only one here immune to something like this?
It made me think harder.
No matter the circumstances, I was adamant about not allowing myself to become the villain in this situation.
The thought of these kids’ futures being jeopardized because of my actions weighed heavily on me.
However, I knew that I couldn’t simply offer hollow words of reassurance, so I chose to remain quiet with my arms crossed.
As time dragged on, it felt like an eternity had passed since that moment of contemplation.
The absence of a clock in the room was conspicuous, almost as if it was intentionally designed to add to the sense of unease.
Based on the visible marks on the wall where a clock used to be, the impression was that it had been intentionally taken down.
The motive behind this action was unclear.
It raised questions of whether there was an effort to create a sense of urgency or if the removal was simply a coincidental occurrence, such as the clock breaking, which happened to coincide with our presence in the room.
Just as I was seriously pondering whether my mental circuitry included a clock function—
Bang!
The door swung open again.
And standing beyond it was—
“Jieun!”
A beaming Ji-hye greeted me.
In that instant, my mind, which had been spinning rapidly, came to a complete halt.
Ah, so that’s how it is.
I kept acting like I didn’t have any vulnerabilities, unlike the others, but in truth, I had one too.
Ji-hye, who had been by my side all this time.
Ji-hye entered the room, making a rustling sound as she came in.
She was carrying two large plastic bags in her hands, seemingly filled to the brim.
Struggling with their weight, she finally set them down on the floor and closed the door behind her.
The civil servant didn’t follow her in.
Did they think this approach would be more effective in persuading me?
“What’s going on?”
The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them.
Ji-hye, who had been smiling brightly as she picked up the plastic bags again, paused.
She looked at me with a slightly awkward expression.
“Ah… sorry, was I not supposed to come?”
No, I had never thought that.
We’d shared the same room since we were kids.
Half out of necessity, but over time, it became natural for us to live as though “your room is my room.”
“No, it’s not that.”
It had been so long since I’d seen her.
Ever since my circumstances changed, this was only the second time we could talk.
Yet I couldn’t even let myself feel happy about it.
Because I knew why they brought Ji-hye here.
…Maybe they wanted to emphasize that, just as the other girls had their parents, I had Ji-hye.
Now I finally understood the reason behind their delay in stalling for time earlier.
It was clear that the bus delay was caused by the need to pick Ji-hye up.
Looking back, the decision to involve the “parents” proved to be a risky move for the government, as it had both positive and negative consequences.
All the parents of the magical girls were intricately connected to the Federation, creating a complicated situation.
The Federation, as the creators of the magical girls through their advanced technology, naturally had a strong desire to bring them back and would not hesitate to use the parents as leverage to achieve their goal.
During that time, I found myself completely disconnected from the Federation.
Additionally, it was my influence that led the magical girls to break free from the control of the Federation.
Therefore, it made perfect sense for them to focus their efforts on persuading me, as it would be the most effective strategy.
They possessed a very efficient method of communication to achieve this goal.
While conversing with Ji-hye, I had to be cautious of the individuals looming in the background.
“Here.”
Ji-hye smiled innocently at my reply and quickly picked up the plastic bags again, bringing them toward us.
I got up belatedly and grabbed one of the bags from her hands.
“I could have carried it myself.”
“How could I let you?”
Trailing behind Ji-hye, I carefully set the bags down on the expansive round table around which we were gathered.
Within moments, a few of the bags tipped over, causing their contents to spill out onto the table – a colorful array of snacks, instant noodles, canned goods, undergarments, socks, and even a handful of fresh groceries.
I couldn’t help but wonder if Ji-hye had purchased all of these items with her own hard-earned money once again.
Perhaps the reason for her delayed arrival was because she had taken the time to go out and procure this assortment of goods.
As I surveyed the items scattered before me, I couldn’t help but ponder whether she believed that we would have a desire for such items.
However, deep down, I suspected that her efforts were more likely aimed at pleasing my own tastes rather than anyone else’s.
All the snacks in the bags were my favorites.
“Well, um…”
Ji-hye hesitated for a moment.
“Things like plants, you can grow yourself. But these are things you can’t get without a factory. So I thought they’d be necessary. You can’t make instant noodles or snacks on your own, right?”
At her words, my nose stung for some reason.
Could her first thought, even while being dragged here, have been about buying all this stuff?
Did she ask for a moment to buy these things?
The magical girls looked a bit dazed.
“You…”
I started to speak but stopped.
I’d forgotten the most important thing to say.
Instead of focusing on why Ji-hye was here, I had been preoccupied with why we were here.
What I should’ve asked first was—
“Are you okay?”
“Oh, I’m fine.”
At my question, Ji-hye took a half step back, put her hands on her waist, and straightened her shoulders as if to show me.
She really did look fine.
At least to me, she seemed different from the last time I saw her.
“I saw what happened today online. Your outfit looked great; it really suited you.”
“It’s… it’s not like that!”
I wasn’t sure what exactly wasn’t “like that,” but Ji-hye’s words made me blush with embarrassment.
Watching me silently for a moment, Ji-hye let out a small sigh.
“…When I was at the orphanage, the police officers suddenly came by. They said they were there to pick me up.”
I see.
If I’d still been in the middle of fighting, would they have actually brought Ji-hye to the battlefield?
The thought made me want to curse out loud, but I held it in, knowing Ji-hye would be the one hurt if I said something rash.
“They told me the fight ended while we were on the way, so we stopped for a moment, then started moving again. I asked where we were going, and after some hesitation and consultation, they told me they were taking me to see you.”
Ji-hye smiled broadly.
Then, as if she had done something incredibly praiseworthy, she stretched her arms out toward the plastic bags on the table.
“So, I asked them to stop on the way and bought all this. How is it? Did I do well?”
I stared at her blankly for a moment before nodding.
“Yeah, thanks.”
“Huh?”
Ji-hye looked a little surprised when I thanked her so sincerely.
“No jokes about ‘coming to visit me in the military’ or anything?”
“No, none of that.”
I shook my head as I spoke.