We sat back-to-back, avoiding each other’s gaze.
Even though Hayoon was the one who initiated the conversation, she was just as embarrassed as I was.
Neither of us could look directly at the other as we entered the tub.
No, there was no way we could.
Even as a so-called villain, I still had a sense of conscience.
The basin we got into was quite deep—somewhat shorter than a drum barrel… What do you even call this kind of basin?
It’s made of rubber, the type you’d use to pickle large quantities of cabbages in salt for kimchi.
As Hayoon pointed out, with two people in it, the amount of water inside naturally decreased.
It reminded me of when you put a brick or a water-filled bottle in a toilet tank to reduce water usage—although comparing it to that felt a bit off.
We really should’ve just gotten into a regular bathtub.
But given the current circumstances, my thoughts kept skewing negative, leading to comparisons like these.
Sitting in the tub, I splashed water on myself and rubbed my skin with my hands.
I wasn’t sure if I was actually getting clean.
There was no body wash or soap, after all.
How stupid of me.
I remembered to pack everything else but didn’t even think about hygiene supplies.
…
Still, the water was warm, and that alone was enough to make me feel good for the first time in a while.
We sat there awkwardly for a while.
If we had a towel to cover ourselves, it wouldn’t have been quite so uncomfortable.
Of course, it would still be awkward, just not to this degree.
I still couldn’t bring myself to look directly at Hayoon.
This abandoned house had a door leading outside from the kitchen.
Fortunately, the door’s glass was frosted, so no one outside could see in, even if someone were passing by.
But would anyone pass by? Hopefully not.
If someone suddenly barged in through that door—
—well, the others would probably jump in and handle it.
I didn’t want to feel reassured.
I didn’t like acknowledging that I was relying on the magical girls for help.
But, damn it, the problems I’d agonized over for more than a week were solved by the magical girls in just a single day.
Even though I could wield magic and manipulate energy, all I could manage was smashing enemies’ heads with a hammer.
The circuit on my wrist whirred to life.
James said it was fine to wear it while bathing, so I left it on.
I guess it was meant to generate energy even while I was soaking in the tub.
It would be strange if it weren’t waterproof.
Without that feature, it wouldn’t work in the rain, let alone withstand impacts.
Sitting awkwardly in the tub, I looked down at the circuit in a gloomy haze.
That’s when Hayoon spoke up.
“Uh… can I ask what kind of energy powers that circuit?”
Her voice was cautious, coming from a direction opposite to my own.
She must have been sitting with her back to me, just like I was.
She had to be.
Any closer than this, and the embarrassment would’ve been unbearable.
“No.”
I answered curtly.
I didn’t want to talk about it.
I knew it was a stubborn reaction.
Given the situation, we were already in the same boat.
It would help to cooperate and avoid keeping secrets from each other.
But… I already felt humiliated.
Everything I wanted to keep hidden had already been exposed.
Even the secrets I’d gained after those revelations were laid bare—and the magical girls were already working to solve them.
I knew it was a useless emotion, but I hated admitting it.
I didn’t want to feel even the slightest bit of relief.
So my voice came out sharper than I intended.
“Oh… okay.”
Hayoon’s voice sounded a little hurt.
Deep inside, something in my chest ached.
—You don’t want to hurt her, right?
You don’t want her to feel pain?
A quiet voice whispered from within me.
—You like Hayoon, don’t you? She’s your friend, right?
Then why are you acting so cold?
My nose stung, and my vision blurred slightly.
It was fortunate we were sitting back-to-back out of embarrassment.
And it was a relief that Hayoon didn’t push the topic further.
If she had asked more, how would I have answered?
I’d probably have snapped at her to mind her own business.
Hayoon was worried about me.
Maybe it was that thought that made me feel such a deep sense of defeat.
The insecurities I’d carried since childhood hadn’t gone away with age.
I kept my mouth shut and stared straight ahead, overwhelmed by the misery I’d created for myself.
Did she ask something she shouldn’t have?
When Jieun didn’t answer, Hayoon felt a growing sense of impatience.
She could tell that Jieun’s demeanor had changed significantly compared to before.
Even though it had been a while since they last met, Jieun was still Jieun.
She didn’t ask for anything, even in a situation like this.
She didn’t ask for help, didn’t suggest staying together, and didn’t express any desires.
Perhaps Hayoon should consider herself lucky that Jieun hadn’t pushed her away entirely.
Was it that Jieun had grown tired of her?
Or maybe she found Hayoon bothersome now?
Hayoon had once thought that Jieun not demanding anything of her was a sign of true friendship.
But now, she wondered if that was just her own biased judgment of Jieun.
Jieun, who had never asked for anything—
Even in moments of hardship and despair, she never asked for anything and stayed by Hayoon’s side as a friend.
And yet, Hayoon realized she had always expected too much from her.
Why wouldn’t Jieun speak about the emotions that fueled her energy?
Was it because they were far deeper and darker than Hayoon could imagine?
Even now, Hayoon could hear the hum of the circuit on Jieun’s wrist.
Even when they were alone together.
… Was it always like this, even before?
Had Jieun always harbored those inexplicable, dark emotions whenever they met, only for Hayoon to fail to notice because the circuit didn’t exist back then?
Hayoon recalled how Jieun had endured the jealousy and malice of everyone around her.
Had she truly been able to withstand all of that?
Or had Hayoon’s association with other magical girls only deepened Jieun’s darker feelings?
Even the auxiliary circuit on Hayoon’s wrist seemed to sync with Jieun’s energy.
Hayoon bit her lip.
She wanted to fix their relationship.
But it had already shattered.
Perhaps it broke when Hayoon struck Jieun.
Under the name of justice, she had hit her again and again with that pink staff.
Along with Jieun’s broken bones, her split lip, and the blood that spilled, perhaps the feelings Jieun had for Hayoon also shattered into pieces.
The heavy, humid air weighed on Hayoon’s shoulders.
Splash.
The water level, which had reached Hayoon’s chest, suddenly dropped.
Jieun had stood up from the tub.
“Are you done?”
“…Yeah. I’m just going to dry off for a bit.”
Jieun’s voice was devoid of any annoyance.
The sound of cloth brushing against skin reached Hayoon’s ears.
Suddenly, Hayoon felt the urge to turn around.
She didn’t know why.
Maybe she was just feeling a bit petty.
Hayoon had emotions, after all.
She couldn’t deny that she was in the wrong.
She understood why Jieun felt the way she did.
Hayoon had made so many mistakes, and because of that, Jieun had suffered immeasurably.
But still—
Still… they had been so close.
To Hayoon, Jieun was an irreplaceable friend.
Sure, Hayoon was also close to other magical girls.
Unlike the other kids who hid their dark intentions while approaching her at school and bullied Jieun for it, the magical girls treated Hayoon as an equal.
But even so, none of them felt as important to her as Jieun.
While she would fight to the death for the other magical girls, her feelings for Jieun were on a completely different level.
It wasn’t just about giving and receiving.
It was something beyond that.
Perhaps it was inevitable that Hayoon couldn’t resist her impulses.
Even though they had known each other for so long, Hayoon realized she didn’t know much about Jieun after all.
She understood, rationally, why Jieun had hidden so much, but emotionally, she couldn’t accept it.
Maybe that’s why she felt a little too excited about this situation—bathing together like this.
So, Hayoon acted purely on impulse and turned around.
And then she gasped.
Was it because Jieun’s pale, bare body was as beautiful as she had imagined? Perhaps.
If not for the vivid, blue bruises covering her back.
If not for the bright red marks etched on her shoulders.
If not for how thin she was, her ribs visibly protruding even from behind.
Perhaps it would have been as beautiful as she imagined.
Even with all of that, Jieun’s body was still beautiful.
Someone with a cruel streak might even say those marks made her stand out more, made her seem more fragile and pitiable.
But Hayoon felt nothing but shock.
She knew those bruises couldn’t have been caused by her.
They were likely from the recent battles.
Or perhaps they were older injuries from even before that—after all, just over a week ago, Jieun had fought countless monsters.