Chapter 59: Chapter 59 - Unni, you don’t like me, do you?

“Unni, you don't like me, do you?”

“…What? Ms. Ha-Yeon, what do you mean by that?”

Her own words took Jung Ha-Yeon aback. She hadn't intended to be so blunt, but her mouth had already started moving by the time she realized it. However, since her feelings were genuine, Jung Ha-Yeon decided just to say what she wanted to say.

“I mean exactly what I said. I don’t support the idea of you and Ms. Hye-Rim being together.”

“Why not? It’s not like it has anything to do with you… Oh, could it be…”

Alice tilted her head and noticed Jung Ha-Yeon rolling her eyes with a pouty face. Just from that expression, Alice understood Jung Ha-Yeon’s feelings.

“…Ms. Ha-Yeon, do you also like Ms. Hye-Rim?”

“It’s not that I have such feelings. I just don’t want to imagine Ms. Hye-Rim in a special relationship with someone else.”

“I see. You’re not honest with your feelings, then. I understand.”

Alice smiled at Jung Ha-Yeon’s words.

It wasn’t that Alice found her cute. It was because Alice felt unsettled that a rival had appeared from an unexpected place. However, the reason Alice was smiling was simple.

“So you’re saying you don’t like Hye-Rim, right? Then, you won’t be a hindrance for me, will you?”

“…Huh?”

Alice wanted to make it clear. She didn't want to be obstructed even if she couldn’t offer help.

“I’m the type of person who always achieves the goals I set. So, no matter what, I’ll become Hye-Rim’s lover.”

“L-lover…!”

“I’m quite honest with my feelings. I like Hye-Rim. I want to entrust myself to that reliable person. I also want to do many things with Hye-Rim.”

Jung Ha-Yeon was internally flustered by Alice’s blunt display of emotions. On TV and to people around her, Alice appeared pure and childlike. Therefore, seeing this devilish smile for the first time confused Ha-Yeon.

“But, unlike me, you said it yourself that you don’t ‘like’ Hye-Rim, right? So, is it okay for me to date Hye-Rim?”

“A-ah, that is…”

“I understand that you don’t want me to become close to Hye-Rim. But I’m not the type to hesitate just because someone told me not to.”

Saying this, Alice, who was smiling brighter than ever, made Jung Ha-Yeon clenched her fists without realizing it.

This is dangerous. It felt like I’d accidentally triggered Alice’s buttons with what I said. It strongly feels like that.

“Hehe, let’s stop talking about this now. We should be discussing the expedition rather than love, right? I’ll think about the date with Hye-Rim on my own.”

“I’ll be counting on you for the rest of the expedition.”

With that parting remark, Alice left to cheer the others on.

Jung Ha-Yeon stared blankly at Alice’s departing figure.

“Ha-Yeon, is something wrong? You look upset.”

“…Mi-Na.”

“Yeah?”

“I think it’s the first time I’ve heard a woman speak.”

“…What are you talking about? You're also a woman speaking right now.”

Mi-Na looked at me with a puzzled expression, but I just sighed.

It was the first time I had experienced a so-called “catfight” between two women over one person. I never expected to hear something like “Unni, you don’t like me, do you?” directly from Alice.

I vaguely knew that Alice had feelings for Ms. Hye-Rim. But I never imagined she would be so proactive about it.

I didn’t expect her to directly confess her feelings for Ms. Hye-Rim to me and insist that I shouldn’t interfere.

“Sigh. What is a woman?”

“What are you even talking about? If you're curious about women, you should just look in a mirror.”

"...…"

I felt agitated. I was too anxious. I couldn’t stay like this.

Alice had already scheduled a date with Ms. Hye-Rim after the expedition. But what about me?

I managed to move next door to Ms. Hye-Rim, but it only stopped at being neighbors. If it’s only about being close, won’t Alice or others take Ms. Hye-Rim away?

…But why am I thinking about losing Ms. Hye-Rim? Ms. Hye-Rim isn’t an object. Moreover, it’s not like I want to be Hye-Rim’s lover like Alice does.

Yet, Alice wants that.

Holding hands, walking around, gradually getting closer, kissing when parting, and even more…

Crack!

“Oh my god! What a surprise. Ha-Yeon, why did you suddenly break a spoon while eating? You’re being strange.”

“…Sorry. It was unintentional.”

Thinking about such things made me inadvertently angry and I clenched my hand.

Just the thought of it makes me dislike it. The idea of Ms. Hye-Rim being affectionate and giving her all to someone else.

Until yesterday, I thought Ms. Hye-Rim cared for me more than anyone else in the world.

Even now, when I said I was going on the expedition, she personally wrote notes on the demon realm for me.

In the evening, while we were setting up our camp, our heroes were burning mosquito coils. Why? Because I brought them based on Hye-Rim’s note.

[There are various pests in the demon realm. Beyond just common insects, there are also monster-like bugs. These creatures hate the smell of mosquito coils, so it’s a good idea to bring them.]

Indeed, while capturing monsters, several insects were crawling on the heroes’ bodies. Some were bloodsuckers like ordinary mosquitoes.

Once we started burning the mosquito coils, they disappeared completely.

Not only that, the place where we’re camping was also chosen based on Hye-Rim’s note.

[Monsters in the demon realm generally prefer damp and dark places. So, avoid setting up camp in valleys since you might get surrounded by monsters.]

There are many other detailed tips.

I’ve never met anyone who knew so much about the demon realm. It seems they knew more than the experts who studied it. It makes me wonder if she has lived in the demon realm.

She wrote so much just for me and even gave me a necklace imbued with magic.

I haven’t once taken off the necklace Ms. Hye-Rim gave me since last night. I even wore it to sleep.

It wasn’t bothersome or uncomfortable at all. Rather, it reassured me as if Ms. Hye-Rim was beside me.

Ms. Hye-Rim, who makes me so happy and cares for me. The person who fills my mind. The one who treats me better than anyone else.

And yet,

She did more considerate things for someone else than she did for me?

That Ms. Hye-Rim gave her whole heart to someone else?

I don’t like it. Even just imagining it makes me unhappy.

Don’t interfere because you don’t like it?

Just don’t pay attention?

I can’t even be sure. I’m sorry, Alice, but I don’t know how I’ll act in the future.

“…I miss Ms. Hye-Rim.”

Thinking about Ms. Hye-Rim and recalling Alice’s words, I suddenly wanted to see Ms. Hye-Rim.

So, so much.

I wondered what Ms. Hye-Rim is doing now.

“It’s… night.”

At the team leader 1’s words, we closed our eyes and bowed our heads. Even though we had earplugs, we could still hear some of what was said.

Now is the crucial part. I heightened all my senses and focused as much as possible.

While moving, I couldn’t hear the sound of clothes brushing against each other. However, I could feel the subtle vibrations and flow of the air.

I gathered mana secretly and examined every change in the air around me.

The area with the most movement was at the 9 o’clock position, where Shin Yu-Sung was.

So…

“Daylight has arrived.”

At Team Leader 1’s signal, we lifted our heads and removed our earplugs.

“A mafia member will be chosen…”

“It’s Shin Yu-Sung.”

“…Huh?”

Before Team Leader 1 even finished, I spoke up. I was certain.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Shin Yu-Sung is the mafia.

“Everyone! Let’s vote immediately! The culprit is Shin Yu-Sung!”

“Ah, wait, wait, team leader. How can you suddenly accuse someone of being the mafia? We haven’t even started the deduction phase.”

Despite the confusion, Shin Yu-Sung asked if I had evidence, and I responded firmly.

“It’s intuition.”

“…Huh?”

“My intuition is telling me. You’re the mafia.”

“Since the team leader’s intuition has never been wrong, it must be right. I’ll vote for Yu-Sung too!”

“I’ll vote immediately.”

“I’ll also vote for senior Yu-Sung…”

At my instigation, the other team members also voted for Shin Yu-Sung. This happened less than a minute after the mafia game started.

When I looked at the team leader to confirm if Shin Yu-Sung was indeed the culprit, the team leader nodded with a bewildered expression.

“…Yes, Ha-Yeon, as you said, the mafia is indeed Yu-Sung.”

“Nice. Then, Yu-Sung, you’ll take the patrol duty tonight.”

“No, this is too much. Team leader, what kind of trick did you use?”

That’s the secret of the magical girl.