27
Chapter 27
'What on earth is she doing here?'
The place they arrived at was a shabby villa that looked like it could collapse at any moment, and to make matters worse, it was a Semi-basement room.
It was a place where that distinct, musty underground smell crept up.
Kanghyun looked at Seoyeon, who was pressing the doorbell, with a Puzzled gaze.
'What is she thinking? Is she doing this to shake me off?'
Seoyeon always wore a slyly smiling mask.
It was impossible to read what she was thinking.
'She's an unpleasant woman no matter when I see her.'
She had been like that since the first time they met.
With her fox-like eyes that piercingly observed the other person.
And the way she licked her red lips with a tongue that slithered like a snake.
Standing in front of her, he couldn't help but feel like he had become prey.
'Right, that's Choi Seoyeon for you. There must be a reason she came here.'
He didn't know who on earth lived in this crumbling villa, but she wouldn't have come here without a reason.
It was clear that there was a Prey she was targeting.
A Clatter rang out from inside.
After some time passed, the door slowly opened.
A cozy Warmth leaked out from inside the house.
"W-Welcome."
Long black hair and black horn-rimmed glasses.
A plain-looking woman with nothing particularly special about her opened the door and stepped out.
It was Yuna.
Seoyeon offered a beaming smile and greeted Yuna.
"Oh my! To think I'd see you here again! So nice to see you~!"
"Ahaha...... Yes,"
Unlike the enthusiastically greeting Seoyeon, Yuna received the greeting with an awkward laugh.
'Hmm, it seems they aren't very close.'
Kanghyun came to that conclusion as he watched the awkwardly laughing Yuna.
"......Seoyeon, welcome."
"Oh my~. Mina, it's been such a long time~!"
Seeing Seoyeon greet her so gladly, Kanghyun's gaze naturally turned to the back.
Glossy, flowing blonde hair and exotic facial features.
Pale skin with Dark Circles reaching down below her eyes.
Because of that skin and hair, she was a woman who brought to mind a famous doll that little girls played with.
Of course, the glossiness in her hair was because she hadn't washed it.
Anyway.
'Wait a minute.'
It was a face he felt like he had seen a lot somewhere.
Kanghyun thought carefully before it finally came to him.
"Genius Girl Park Mina......."
Kanghyun muttered to himself like that.
Mina blinked her eyes as she looked at Kanghyun.
"......But Seoyeon. Who is that behind you?"
The Manager had said they would go wait at a cafe, so the only person standing behind her right now was Kanghyun.
At Mina's natural question, Seoyeon glanced back once and gestured as if it were nothing.
"Oh~. Just a Stalker."
At Seoyeon's words, Kanghyun's brow fiercely scrunched up.
"Who are you calling a Stalker?"
"Oh my, so you aren't a Stalker? You were following right behind me, weren't you."
"......First of all, both of you come in."
"Ahaha. Although it's my house, actually."
Kanghyun wanted to argue at Mina's words, but he didn't say anything.
Because he hadn't come here to exchange useless jokes.
"Excuse me~."
"Excuse me."
Entering Yuna’s House like that, the two Looked Around their surroundings.
It was a house that certainly looked modest.
It was a simple house that truly only had the bare necessities.
"Your home is really nice~."
At Seoyeon's Nonchalant Act, Yuna smiled awkwardly and shook her head.
"Not at all...... I don't really have anything here. Have a seat over here first."
There was a dining table where Yuna pointed with her hand.
Following Yuna's guidance, Seoyeon and Kanghyun sat at the table.
As the hulking Kanghyun sat on the chair, the kitchen felt completely packed.
"I'm sorry. This man has put on too much weight. He really is a nuisance."
"What do you mean weight! This is all muscle."
Kanghyun didn't usually lose his temper easily, but it was different when the topic of muscles came up.
Because he was a man who was always sincere about his muscles.
Kanghyun glared at Seoyeon with a growl.
Seoyeon just kept laughing as if she found Kanghyun amusing.
Yuna let out a sigh so small that the two couldn't see it before speaking.
"What can I get you to drink?"
"Just coffee is fine for me~."
"I'd like Protein, please."
At Kanghyun's words, Seoyeon made an appalled expression.
"Ahaha...... Just coffee is fine for this guy too."
"No. I want Pro......."
"Shut up and drink coffee."
"......I'll do that then. Black, please."
Kanghyun didn't particularly want to get into a battle of nerves over something like this, so he took a step back for now.
Yuna made the coffee, placed it in front of the two, and sat opposite them.
Mina sat next to Yuna as well.
As the two sat down, a strange silence fell over the table.
Kanghyun frowned as soon as he took a sip of the coffee.
"It's bitter."
"Of course it's bitter, it's black~."
"I know that too. But coffee is bitter."
"Then why did you ask for it black?"
"Because consuming sugar naturally makes you gain weight."
"Please just die."
With Kanghyun and Seoyeon's conversation ending like that, silence returned once more.
The first to break the silence was Mina, who usually found even speaking to be a hassle.
"......So, Seoyeon. You said you had a request for me? It's an artifact, of course?"
Mina spoke while looking at the Wrapping Cloth Seoyeon had brought.
Kanghyun's gaze also naturally turned to the Wrapping Cloth Seoyeon was holding.
'I see. She intended to entrust Park Mina with appraising an artifact.'
Kanghyun finally understood. The reason Seoyeon had come all the way here.
'Still, there might be more she is hiding. I will keep an eye on her until the end.'
It was Seoyeon, who always had an ulterior motive.
He couldn't let his guard down.
The three of them looked at Kanghyun, who was wearing a solemn expression all by himself, and felt Puzzled.
Seoyeon smiled meaningfully while looking at Mina.
"We're meeting after such a long time, yet you go straight to talking about work~. I'm hurt. Do you know how bored I was all by myself after you left for Korea?"
"......Sorry about that, I had things to do."
"Hey~ Of course you had your circumstances, there's no need to be sorry~."
Seoyeon smiled slyly and slurped her coffee.
"Mmm~ The coffee is really good, isn't it? Yuna?"
Seoyeon naturally turned her gaze to Yuna.
Meeting Seoyeon's eyes, Yuna got flustered and deeply bowed her head.
She looked at Yuna as if finding her cute before turning her gaze back to Mina.
"More importantly, Mina, why are you staying at Yuna’s House~?"
Mina answered without hesitation, as if she knew Seoyeon would ask such a question.
"......We met at a club. I had nowhere to go after my work finished, and Yuna asked me to stay with her, so I've been intruding a bit."
"Oho~. What kind of club?"
Seoyeon spoke while alternately looking at the two of them as if she found it interesting.
"......The Magical Girl Lovers Club. Namely, Masamo."
Mina spoke while looking at Seoyeon with a solemn expression.
At Mina's sudden remark, Yuna jumped in surprise and looked at Mina.
'What are you doing bringing up Magical Girl stuff!'
Earlier, before Seoyeon and Kanghyun came into the house.
Joohyun and Yuna had told her everything that had happened with Seoyeon.
Mina, who had listened carefully to that story, had said.
'......Just trust me. I know Seoyeon well.'
Giving a thumbs up and speaking so confidently, Yuna thought she had some kind of good plan.
'I was a fool to trust her!'
Now that the topic of a Magical Girl had come up, it was obvious she would grow even more suspicious.
As soon as she heard the words Magical Girl, Seoyeon's eyes widened and she was Staring Blankly at Yuna.
"As expected......."
Seoyeon let out a Low Hum with a thoughtful expression.
Yuna took a sip of her coffee with a depressed expression.
'It's all over now.......'
Yuna was disheartened like that, but.
Contrary to Yuna's worries, Seoyeon's expression was filled with curiosity.
Seoyeon grabbed Yuna's hands and said.
"So you liked Magical Girls too, Yuna! No wonder I had a good feeling about you from the first time we met!"
"Uh...... Pardon?"
Yuna was flustered by Seoyeon's actions.
"What's your favorite series, Yuna?"
Seoyeon spoke to Yuna with a slight flush on her face.
"Uhh...... If you're asking about my favorite, Sailor X was good, and Wedding X is also good......."
"Right, right! As expected, the absolute classic is Sailor X Moon!"
And just like that, Seoyeon started babbling on and on about Sailor X.
"Hmph. What's so good about those boring animations meant for kids. Instead of wasting time talking about that, find another clue regarding the Magical Girl."
"See, a blunt Mister like that knows absolutely nothing. It would be great if he just went home."
"I'm not leaving until you do."
"I'm sure you won't~"
Yuna looked at Mina beside her.
Mina, with a slightly proud expression, was giving a thumbs up so that only Yuna could see.
Mina had grown close to Seoyeon in the United States while talking about Magical Girls.
Therefore, she knew full well that Seoyeon went crazy whenever the topic of Magical Girls came up.
Just how long did the three of them chat about Magical Girls like that.
Their surroundings grew dim.
Even Kanghyun, who had been listening to their Magical Girl talk, was nodding off beside them before they knew it.
"Oh my, look at the time after chatting so much."
Checking the time, Seoyeon smacked her lips as if she found it a pity.
"I know, right! I don't know how long it's been since I had such a fun conversation about Magical Girls!"
"......I agree."
The three of them looked at each other with such satisfied smiles.
"Ah, right! How is your tower raiding going these days, Yuna?"
At the mention of the tower, the dozing Kanghyun's eyes snapped open.
"......Was she an Awakener."
"Yes. Although it hasn't been long since I awakened."
"Hmm......."
Kanghyun stared closely at Yuna.
When the topic of awakening came up, Yuna seemed a bit uncomfortable.
'She's hiding something.'
"What might your rank be?"
"Uhh, well......."
In an instant, Yuna's face turned bright red.
However, Kanghyun didn't care about that and continued to question Yuna.
"So? What's your rank?"
Seoyeon lightly kicked him from the side, but she couldn't fend off the persistently questioning Kanghyun.
"......FFF Rank."
Yuna spoke while looking at Kanghyun with a fading voice.
"......FFF Rank? By any chance, the Awakener who awakened with the world's first FFF Rank a while ago is......."
"Yes, that's me......."
Yuna grew so embarrassed that she wanted to hide somewhere.
Kanghyun immediately looked at Seoyeon.
Seoyeon simply shrugged her shoulders.
"Hmm......."
Letting out a Low Hum, Kanghyun fell deep into thought.
Soon, Kanghyun let out a sigh and abruptly stood up from his seat.
"It seems I've wasted my time. I will be taking my leave now."
"Oh my, are you leaving already~?"
As he was leaving, Kanghyun glared at Seoyeon once, then walked out without looking back.
"Did I make some kind of mistake?"
"No. That man is just strange. More importantly, I should get going too. I had a good time today thanks to you."
"Yes, me too."
Seoyeon also said her goodbyes and tried to leave, but it was Mina who called her back.
"So, what did you want to ask me for?"
Seoyeon clapped her hands together as if she just remembered.
"Ah~ It's fine. It's not needed anymore~. Take care, Mina, and you too, Yuna. I'll see you again when I return to Korea soon."
Saying so, Seoyeon slipped out of the house.
The two of them swept through the place like a storm.
Left behind in the storm's wake were Mina and Yuna.
"Did they finally leave?"
It was Joohyun, who had been hiding in the room.
Yuna sighed and spoke to Joohyun.
"What on earth was that about?"
"I know, right."
"Do you think we got caught?"
"Seeing her reaction, it doesn't seem like she noticed."
"......Seoyeon definitely didn't notice. I can guarantee it 100%."
"Well, if Mina says so, it must be true......? Tell us if you're going to invite someone over next time, alright? Is this your house?"
"......Sorry."
Just like that, the three of them let out deep sighs in the spot where Seoyeon had left.
Seoyeon, who had come outside.
"They're so cute, seriously."
Recalling what had happened in the house earlier, she giggled to herself.
"Mina, there's no way you would go to something like a club."
Mina, who didn't usually get along well with others. The very premise of such a Mina going to a club was completely flawed.
"And dropping such crucial evidence, no less."
Seoyeon took out the white fur she had picked up at Yuna’s House earlier,
and the fur that had fallen from the artifact when it was handed over, comparing the two.
'I don't know why the South Korea Association just threw it away when such good evidence was attached to the artifact.'
A hum naturally escaped Seoyeon's lips.
'My intuition wasn't wrong, as expected.'
Seoyeon recalled the clump of white fur that appeared in the video.
And Seoyeon brought the thin fur to her nose and sniffed it.
"Ah. It smells. The smell of a Magical Girl."
As soon as she returned to the United States, she planned to place the two hairs on an Awakener Detector and Experiment.
'If the two devices Malfunction.'
That would be the moment her suspicion turned into certainty.
"Miss Seoyeon, you're out. How did the results turn out?"
The Manager had been waiting in front of the house.
Looking at the Manager, Seoyeon smiled lightly and shook her head.
"Please throw this away. It's not needed anymore."
"Pardon? If so."
"Yes, it seems Yuna isn't a Magical Girl after all."
"Understood!"
'There's no particular need to inform Hailt.'
From the very beginning, Seoyeon wasn't looking for a Magical Girl for Hailt.
She merely wanted to become a Magical Girl herself.
'If this is really the Mascot's fur.'
Their appearances were completely different, but the stars of the video circulating right now were definitely Yuna and Mina.
'It means I can form a Contract and undergo Transformation just like Yuna and Mina!'
Seoyeon was already thrilled at the thought that she could undergo Transformation.
'I'll Experiment with these two hairs, and if my prediction is right, I'll just quickly clear this floor and come back to South Korea. Once I form a Contract as a Magical Girl, I'll quit Hailt and everything else.'
It would be the moment her dream came true, so there was no reason to stay in the United States.
She had gone as Hailt's Choi Seoyeon this time, but.
Next time, she planned to visit as someone who wanted to form a Contract as a Magical Girl.
'You all have to stay Safe until then, okay?'
Seoyeon turned around, winked toward the villa where they were, and walked away haughtily.