Alcohol is Best for Spilling Emotions
Kim Hee-soo's eyes trembled faintly.
Such a reaction was beyond what I'd expected, leaving me more than a little flustered.
She probably just couldn't wrap her head around the sight of me standing there perfectly fine.
"Ha-young, the doctor clearly said... recovery would take a long time..."
As expected, unnie zeroed in solely on the fact that my condition was 'fine'.
I walked over slowly, facing her from even closer up.
"Unnie, I'm Serendipity. When those bastards dump buckets of cum in me, it's nothing but a win for me."
"That had an effect?"
"Yeah, probably? Not totally sure, but how else do you explain it?"
"Yeah, figures. Thank god. Really... thank god."
Muttering half to herself, Hee-soo unnie pulled me into a crushing hug.
The faint tremor in her hands as they wrapped around my back came through crystal clear.
I'd known she cared about me, but I had no idea her feelings ran this deep.
"Isn't it kinda weird for Serendipity to go down from getting fucked by some villains?"
"Totally. Our Ha-young wouldn't crumble to trash like that."
Hee-soo unnie gently stroked my cheek, her eyes roving over every inch of my body.
That gaze was like a collector meticulously polishing their one priceless treasure, not a single flaw in sight.
"Unnie, I heard from the doctor. You killed them, right?"
For an instant, her touch froze, a brief silence settling in.
But it wasn't heavy or dark.
Just a split-second pause while she picked her next words.
"Yeah, I did. They did that to our Ha-young."
There wasn't a shred of hesitation in unnie's voice, no spineless excuse about it being a mistake.
If anything, she was rock-solid certain that snuffing out their lives was the cleanest, most perfect way she could tie up loose ends for me.
That icy conviction threw me off a bit.
"I heard that too. This isn't the first time you've killed a villain."
"Is that right? So, has your view of unnie changed?"
It'd be a lie to say there wasn't even a tiny shift.
But it was more bewilderment than disgust.
I was just shocked that this ruthless side had been hiding under the shell of the 'kinda pervy but sweet unnie' I thought I knew.
"Hmm, a little. Didn't know unnie had such a scary side."
My honest answer made her touch pause again.
Unnie flicked her eyes like she was gauging me, then flashed a bittersweet but resolute smile.
"Figured. Magical girls killing someone? Most can't even imagine it."
"Less scared, more thrown off. It's so different from your usual self."
I laid my hand over hers.
I could feel my warmth seeping into her chilled fingertips.
Truth be told, if we're splitting hairs, I'm no picture of normal either.
Me, getting off hard to memories of villains pounding me like it's the perfect side dish—or unnie, who doesn't hesitate to kill villains.
We're both miles from ordinary.
"Let's head out now."
"Huh? Can I even...? I'm under team leader's orders—confined to solitary, can't leave."
"Psh, it's fine. I'll own it."
"Oh, wait... before that, got something to tell Ha-young."
Right as we stepped toward the door, hand in hand, she hesitated like she was psyching herself up to spill.
"What?"
"Ye-na unnie and me right now... it's like a cold war, I guess."
"Cold war?"
"Yeah. I pretended to listen to her, then killed the villain anyway."
Oof, that's a mess even I can't smooth over.
"Why'd you... You're the one who usually follows Ye-na unnie's advice best."
"I was so pissed... just... yeah."
"Sigh, I'll fix that too. Out of solitary first."
I busted unnie out on my own whim and headed straight for the central conference room where team leader was.
"Team leader."
"Huh? Ha-young?!"
She jumped at my voice, rushing over in a heartbeat.
Cupping my cheeks with both hands, she poked and prodded, checking me over.
First time seeing her get this emotional—it felt awkward, but a little laugh slipped out anyway.
"Pfft! I'm good. Doctor checked me out—totally normal."
"R-really? Doctor said everything was trashed."
"Guess it's Serendipity's special trait."
Team leader let out a relieved sigh, tension draining away.
But it didn't last.
Spotting Hee-soo unnie behind me—head bowed like a guilty prisoner—team leader's eyes iced over in a flash.
"Kim Hee-soo, defying team leader's orders right now..."
"Team leader, I brought her."
"What?"
She stared at me like she couldn't believe it.
Her eyes churned with a storm of emotions.
I cut in before she could respond.
"Team leader, you were a magical girl too, so you've at least thought about it once."
"Thought what?"
"Why we can't kill villains. Why we always have to capture 'em alive."
My question hung heavy, the conference room air thickening.
It was a question I'd wrestled with endlessly as a magical girl.
Their atrocities only got crueler, but we had to pull punches like we were protecting them.
That contradiction? It always screwed us over.
"Ha-young, magical girls aren't killers."
"I know. Not asking if you've done it. Just if you've ever wondered."
Hitting the nail on the head, she clamped her lips shut.
The quiet room hummed only with faint machinery.
"You know how brutal it is keeping your head when a comrade's mind-snapped by a villain."
"Yeah. I know. Obviously."
"Not asking you to ignore what Hee-soo unnie did forever. Just... let this one slide."
I gripped her hand tight.
The chill in her eyes thawed under my desperate stare, bit by bit.
"I get it's tough—she's been disciplined before for the same reason. That's why I'll vouch."
"Vouch? Ha-young, you know what that means?"
"Yeah, obviously. If it happens again, all the blame's on me."
"Why go that far?"
Her question tugged my lips into a soft curve.
The answer was a no-brainer.
"She's a comrade. Can't ditch someone who broke the rules for me."
"Still so young. Too pure."
"Eh, really? Young, sure—but pure? My life's the opposite. Hehe..."
Team leader shook her head with a faint sigh.
"Electra's confinement lifted as of now. Comrade vouches, so no repeats, yeah?"
"For real...?"
"Don't believe me? Back to solitary?"
"N-no! Thank you, team leader."
"Unnie, it worked! See? All me!"
I tackled her in a hug, cheering the win.
"Yeah, all you, Ha-young. Thanks so much."
"Knew how you felt, so I helped."
Hee-soo unnie's punishment wrapped up neatly like that.
Now for the grudge between Ye-na unnie and Hee-soo unnie.
I figured this would be way tougher.
"Um... wanna, like, talk it out?"
"..."
"..."
Spot on.
Or rather, it blew past expectations.
Ye-na unnie wouldn't even look at Hee-soo unnie, who just hid behind me, clueless on where to start.
Normally, Hee-soo unnie kicking things off would've been ideal.
Problem: she didn't see her actions as wrong.
"Sigh... Ye-na unnie, she's here. Talk a little?"
"..."
"Hee-soo unnie first, then?"
"What even to say?"
Stuck in the middle, I was choking on the tension.
One side flat-out refused to engage; the other didn't think an apology was due.
This stalemate had me thinking bed rest sounded blissful.
"Both playing hardball? Fine, I got a fix!"
I ditched them alone for a sec and bolted out.
Ran straight to team leader's private booze fridge and cracked it open—carefully, even knowing she was in conference.
Snagged a pricey whiskey bottle and three glasses, then sprinted back to Ye-na unnie's room.
"Here! Booze time, everyone!"
"Booze? Outta nowhere?"
"Ha-young, not feeling it."
"Booze is perfect for this!"
"What if a villain shows...?"
"Soo-ah's got it."
Nothing else mattered right now but thawing their rift.
Getting them back to normal? Top priority.