Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Seol Ha-yoon Dies
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Tap tap.
"……"
Tap tap tap.
"……"
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap...
"Ah, I get it..."
Stomping—that's not something only Ramu knows how to do, huh.
After we finished eating, she finally stopped her stomping once I timidly shuffled over and sat down next to her.
Then she nodded in satisfaction.
See? Told you. She's a total beast.
To cut to the chase, I had no choice but to spill everything to Seol Yu-na. What was I supposed to do? Right from the start, she was like, "Is that you?" and ready to blurt it out.
I resented the glasses from Frost. Fooled me. She said no one would recognize me if I wore these.
But thinking about it, the glasses only separate Seol Ha-rin from Neph—they don't separate Seol Ha-rin from Seol Ha-yoon. I was the idiot here.
Still, it felt so unfair! Isn't guessing that I'm Seol Ha-yoon right now just pure slander? She's the monster here—who else could it be?
Anyway, I tried to dodge at first, but I doubted dodging would even work on this born-to-be-beast of a girl, so I gave up.
While I explained everything, Seol Yu-na listened intently without changing her expression once.
"So."
"Uh, yeah?"
"Your body's completely a girl's now, right?"
"Uh... yeah? Biologically speaking..."
"Hmm."
She stood up and approached me.
I flinched on instinct. Is this the fear a herbivore feels in front of a predator?
Back in the day, it was bear vs. pig at worst, but now it's bear vs. human. And the bear would rip the human apart.
Her hand landed squarely on my shoulder. Then she whispered in my ear.
"You've been through a lot."
"......Huh?"
"I said you've been through a lot."
I'd braced myself for her to mock me for turning into a cute girl, but Seol Yu-na surprised me with her reaction.
I tilted my head, and she replied matter-of-factly.
"You have been through a lot. Saving people as a magical girl when it wasn't even your fate, and not being able to tell anyone."
"Y-You're not gonna tease me? For turning into a girl?"
"? You didn't choose it, did you? It's force majeure—what can you do?"
"S-Seol Yu-na, you...!"
"What matters to me is you, not 'male you.' What do you take me for?"
Ugh! So touching. I never dreamed I'd hear this from Seol Yu-na.
Sure enough, even if siblings want to kill each other sometimes, they have your back when it counts. No wonder Ramu told me to tell my family.
Truth be told, I'd been feeling kinda lonely. The only one I could tell "I'm Seol Ha-yoon" to was that little beast who looks at me weird. Now I can tell her too. Sniff sniff.
But then Seol Yu-na's hand slid down from my shoulder, wrapping around my slender arm.
And it headed straight for my stomach, the touch so odd that I raised my right hand to stop it.
Tch. She didn't stop.
Hey?
"R-Red light?"
"Fire trucks don't stop at red lights."
What the heck? I thought she hated anyone touching her, saying it'd be a total freakout, and she hated touching others just as much.
Curious what she'd do, I clamped my mouth shut. Before I knew it, the fire truck arrived and started poking at my belly fat.
"Small, white, and squishy."
"......?"
Then her other hand grabbed my chin and forced my head up.
Seol Yu-na stared straight into my eyes. I could see my reflection in hers.
Normally, she'd spit some snide remark with eyes full of contempt at this distance. But now... they dripped with honey, for some reason.
Ah, this feels familiar. Where'd I see this before?
'Right. Pluto.'
? No way. It can't be. My little sister wouldn't.
"Anyway, so if you get stronger as a magical girl, you can go back to your original body?"
"Probably...?"
"Well, whatever. Doesn't matter."
Seol Yu-na rested her chin in her hand and looked at me.
"Who would've thought the famous magical girl Neph was you, bro."
Whoa! She knows magical girl Neph!
Maybe because no one else recognizes me usually, but hearing her say it made my lips curl up involuntarily, and a goofy "Hehe" slipped out.
"Hehe."
"?"
"N-Nothing."
"Hmmm."
Seol Yu-na's eyes narrowed.
Big trouble.
"So you've been living as a little girl for a month? Back to elementary school, making friends with eight-year-olds."
"……"
"Buying tons of girly clothes. To wear yourself."
"……"
"Wearing skirts around. Even panties... hmmm."
"N-No, not panties!"
This is a total misunderstanding! The panties are the ones supplied by Magic Castle. I haven't fallen that far!
"Anyway, got it, bro."
"What..."
"Since it's come to this, we need to sort out how you call me."
"H-How I call you?"
She tapped her cheek.
"Look at you now. Anyone can see I'm the big sis and you're the little sis."
I scowled. What nonsense is that?
"That's just the surface..."
"? No, it's not. I checked the family register. It says right there: Seol Yu-na and her little sister, Seol Ha-rin."
She pointed at me with her index finger when she said "Seol Ha-rin."
"Fact: Socially, you're my little sister."
"I-I told you Ramu faked it."
"Fact: No evidence."
"If I call Ramu..."
"So you gonna summon your mascot every time you're out and about yelling 'This is my proof'?"
Can't do that. Not like I wanna advertise I'm a magical girl everywhere.
Wait.
"Ha-rin's my little sister on paper, right? So wouldn't it make sense for you to call me big sis?"
"......Yes?"
"What? Don't wanna?"
I shook my head wildly.
Of course I don't!
She might see me differently now, but to me, she's still that bratty little sister Seol Yu-na. Call her big sis? Where'd I put the Laxatives?
Then Seol Yu-na added flatly.
"If you don't like it, what're you gonna do about it?"
"Eh."
"What can you even do if you hate it?"
I racked my brain for what I could do.
Roast her? Nah, she's immune.
No matter how I thought, nothing. She's got the upper hand now. Right—that's why I never wanted to tell her, even if I died.
As my tiny brain ground away, Seol Yu-na stepped closer. Uh. What?
I've felt scared of her plenty of times. Just clenching her fist makes me hallucinate inner energy or something. Whoa.
But the fear from her now was different. Even if Seol Yu-na's tough as nails, she's still a girl.
Shorter than Seol Ha-yoon and lighter too. I'd crush her in a fight as Yaksha, but I'd never really felt intimidated by her presence before.
Now she's two heads taller than me, and given the situation... the overwhelming physical gap triggered pure instinctual fear.
Of course, cute little sister Ha-rin knows she won't suddenly smash me with a King's Fist like old times if I sass her, but something felt seriously off.
My throat bobbed as I swallowed, about to swallow again.
"Answer."
"……"
"Or I'll tell on you. To Seol. Ha. Yoon in Canada. Have him call me himself and say, 'Don't make Ha-rin call you sis.' Then I won't."
What the hell. Since when do you listen to me?
The Seol Ha-yoon in my mind shot up in maximum rage. I'll punish this bitch someday.
Of course, in reality, I couldn't and wouldn't. All I could do was drag a Seol Yu-na doll to the imagination lab and beat it up.
In the end, Seol Ha-yoon made trembling Ha-rin kneel in the mental world and gently coaxed her.
Ha-rin, you wouldn't really do it, right? Don't. You know that, right? Bro believes in you, Ha-rin?
But.
Her eyes are totally rolled back. Scary as hell. What do I do?
What do you mean what? Endure! Just endure!
My inner selves waged a desperate battle. And the winner was...
"......S-Sis."
"Can't hear you."
"......S-Sis."
"Louder. And cuter."
"......Big sis."
Ha-rin.
"Once more."
"Big sis!"
Seol Ha-yoon Dies.
"Once more!!"
"Big sis!!"
Only after killing off Seol Ha-yoon did the demon finally pat my head in satisfaction.
"Yeah yeah. What is it, Ha-rin? Why'd you call for big sis?"
"Y-You told me to first..."
"?"
"...I'll make a six-line poem."
Hierarchy established.
"Think positive. It even came up in Sphinx Man or whatever. Wasn't it the guy sitting in the chair?"
"……"
"Having one ally who knows everything should put your mind at ease, right, Ha-rin? I could even help with your magical girl stuff."
Right after sorting the hierarchy, she locked in calling me Ha-rin.
And the guy in the chair was a reliable, fun friend—you're an assassin.
But I kept my mouth shut. Arguing would just lead to hierarchy reconfirmation (physical).
So what was our self-proclaimed ally doing?
"Next, this one."
"......Why."
"You bought it to wear yourself, right? Can't big sis inspect what kinda clothes little Ha-rin wears daily?"
"......Don't wanna."
"Big sis does."
And so began the forced Ha-rin Dress-Up game. Player: Seol Yu-na. Character: Me.
In her hand fluttered the cat-ear hoodie I'd shoved deep in my closet.
"You bought this yourself too, right?"
"......Yeah."
"Gotta wear it, then?"
Damn.
I reluctantly took the clothes and headed to the bathroom.
"Why? You could change right here."
Bang!!
The sound of the door locking was my one act of defiance.
A moment later.
Creeeak.
I opened the bathroom door and stepped out. Seol Yu-na, lounging on the bed, eyes gleamed.
"Do a V, do a V."
"Eh."
"I'll just look once. Do a V."
Her tone was soft, but her eyes were fierce, so I tearfully spread my fingers and held them to my eye.
"......V."
Then.
Click. Click. Click.
"? Whatcha doing."
"Taking pics."
Not like I didn't know that.
That's when it hit me.
"N-No pics. Big trouble if others see."
"Why? Those glasses hide it, right?"
Before starting Ha-rin Dress-Up, she'd asked if I could take off the glasses. When I asked why, she yelled, "Gal!!! This shit."
Or something like that.
Anyway, that's why the glasses are now in invisibility mode. Photos probably won't reveal Neph, sure.
"Still."
"Ha-rin."
Her hand returned to my shoulder.
"No 'still' about it."
"?"
"If big sis says so, it is. Got it?"
And she nodded my head for me.
For a second, I seriously considered transforming and applying for a ban.
But honestly, no confidence I'd win, so I dropped it. Mana's low anyway. Not scared or anything.
"So what're you gonna do with that..."
"What else."
She shoved her phone in my face.
What the—
?
She'd already posted it.
"Good job, right, big sis? Now everyone knows Ha-rin's my little sister."
Dirt piled on dead Seol Ha-yoon's grave.