15. Well, That Person Is My Partner, But... (2)
For now, he did seem to be someone from inside the Association.
If I tried to lie clumsily, it felt like he might already know everything about my situation.
But if I told him the truth, that would mean going against Park Won, who had stressed over and over that this was confidential, and that grated on me....
Still, I did want to dig up information about Park Won. Lately I'd started to have doubts about whether the things I believed were just rumors or not.
For now, I'd play the part of Peregrine and stall for time until Park Won arrived.
"Well, yes. If it's just for a little while...."
"Ah! Thank you. There was something I wanted to clear up. Of course, our conversation here is confidential."
"So... you're saying this isn't a request for an official conversation?"
"Well, for one thing, the people who are allowed to talk with you are limited, formally speaking. It's set by regulation."
So that's what it was.
No wonder they'd only whispered from a distance at the rehab center.
I didn't know why they'd made such a fussy rule, but... anyway, I could tell they wanted to keep me tightly hidden away.
"But the fastest Magical Girl... how could I pass up a chance to talk with someone like that? Right? Don't you think?"
"Is that so? Then I'm glad. Since you're taking an interest in an ordinary Magical Girl like me...."
"Have you finished recovering? I heard Park Won became your temporary Partner, so I was worried."
The moment Park Won's name came up, I had a hard time keeping my expression in check.
I kept up a modest smile, the kind Peregrine would wear, but the hand holding my cup tensed.
"Thank you for your concern. Still, fortunately, I've gotten a lot better."
"He hasn't been harassing you or treating you unfairly, has he? Park Won, I mean."
"No.... Fortunately, he's been treating me well."
"He does have a record, and there are rumors going around, as you might have heard."
"Rumors?"
"There was a rumor going around that he tried to get personally close to a Magical Girl—a Tactical Weapon."
"...."
"Now that you've become his Partner, I was asking because I wondered if something untoward might happen. Purely as a fan of yours, of course."
Listening quietly, I wet my throat with my latte for no real reason.
This conversation was basically just gossip, wasn't it. What I wanted was some proper information about the man.
It felt a bit unpleasant, so I set my cup down and gave a short, dry cough.
"You're welcome to let what I said go in one ear and out the other, Peregrine."
"Did you see it yourself, by any chance? Not that I have any other motive."
"No..., for now it's just hearsay. That he was disciplined and left the Association is a fact. If I spoke out of turn.... I apologize."
"For now, he is my Partner. Still, thank you for your concern."
"As expected of Peregrine, the city's idol. You're dependable. I trust you'll keep moving forward with strength."
He spoke in a tone that said he was relieved, but looking at his expression, I could tell by instinct.
I could faintly hear the subtle breath that comes out when something hasn't gone the way someone wanted.
It meant his real purpose wasn't concern for me—it was somewhere else.
A peregrine falcon's instincts are pretty useful at times like this.
"Still, I think there must be a reason rumors like that go around..., so I'll keep a closer eye on things."
"Ah, of course! If you ever need my help, please call on me anytime!"
I gave vague answers and played along, but the shutters had already come down in my mind.
My conversation with this man ended there.... It hadn't turned out to be a conversation that would help me in any way.
All it did was pile up more rumors about Park Won. At this rate, I'd have been better off not hearing any of it.
After that brief exchange, the man said he had a schedule and left.
After my reaction to the rumors, the rest of our conversation drifted into empty small talk.
I didn't let it show either, but I'd long since given up on the idea of getting information out of him.
In the end, only after I'd finished my latte did Park Won come into the café.
Sauntering in like a shameless old snake.
Glaring at the man, I furrowed my brow the way I always did.
"Sorry. I ended up running late through no fault of my own."
"I'm sure you did."
"Did something happen?"
Park Won took a seat across from me.
By the time Park Won came in, the café had emptied out and grown quiet.
Maybe it was because the bustling atmosphere had settled, but only then was I able to let go of some of my tension.
Except the empty space was immediately filled again with wariness toward the man called Park Won.
"No. Nothing much."
"Really?"
"I said really. You apologized as soon as you got here, Partner. I can't exactly make someone kneel after they went to the trouble of coming."
"Hm."
I looked out the window. When I glanced over, Park Won was looking out the window too.
Sitting right next to the man in question, I chewed over the rumors about him.
Anyway, the part about him being disciplined seemed to be a matter of record.
This Park Won... was he really the kind of person who would cross the line? After spending a few days with him up close, I wasn't sure.
"Ugh...."
"Don't glare at me like that. I'll apologize properly."
"I'm talking about you. Are you the type who doesn't care what people around you think?"
"What's this all of a sudden?"
Park Won spoke flatly, with a look that said he had no idea what I meant.
Seeing him like that actually made me more frustrated, so I rested my chin on my hand and narrowed my eyes.
Either he had no worries, or he was just that indifferent to everything.
Come to think of it, the fact that a man who'd been disciplined had come back to the Association at all didn't seem normal.
"No. I mean... this is something we talked about before. I just... wanted to keep checking."
"So something did happen after all."
"That's not it, Partner. Leaving that aside, you know too, don't you? That there are rumors going around."
"Well, you mean that talk about my record from before?"
"Yes."
I answered shortly and waited for Park Won's reaction.
You're still unpleasant, but when I watch you, I honestly can't tell.
So say something, anything. Don't make me out to be someone who just chases rumors.
"It's true."
"What? No, don't you have anything else to say?"
"No. It's not wrong, either."
"Then, you really did, with a Magical Girl—."
"If I said I didn't, would you believe me?"
"What are you suddenly talking about now...."
"Calm down. There are a lot of ears around."
His utter nonchalance made it obvious he wouldn't care what happened around him.
He spoke casually, as if brushing it off, and adjusted his ridiculous sunglasses.
Wearing those black sunglasses all the time, no wonder he can't see what's around him.
"Haven't you gone a while without eating meat?"
"Answer my question first..., no. It has been a while since I had meat. Why do you ask?"
"When your thoughts get too tangled, go sit in front of a grill and cook yourself some meat. Carnivorous Magical Girls all feel better when they do that."
What is he even saying, seriously. I'm over here seriously agonizing.
I was trying to figure out whether he's actually trash like the rumors say, and what? He tells me to go eat meat?
Go eat meat...?
Meat....
"Wipe the drool off your mouth before you talk."
"Gulp...."
"I understand the drooling, since you've become a peregrine falcon."
It was true. The moment I thought of meat, my head went blank.
Meat full of juice. It didn't have to be beef.
Pork, chicken, lamb, anything.... Meat. As long as it was meat, anything would be good.
Grilled over fire was good, but meat that still had some blood in it wasn't bad either.
Ah, right... yukhoe. Yukhoe would be good. I wanted to pay good money for fresh yukhoe.
The image of bright red yukhoe topped elegantly with a white pear for accent flickered in my mind....
"Ah...! All my complicated thoughts just flew away...! Are all Magical Girls this faithful to their instincts...?!"
"Everyone's like that at first. Get up, we need to get to work."
"Now I'm just more worked up for nothing.... Why did you bring up meat in the first place?"
"As an apology, let's make today's patrol route focus on the street stalls."
The street lined with street food, you mean...?
"Isn't that a little too contrived for a patrol route...?"
"It's written in the contract. What I do with my Partner is entirely at my discretion. And you're honestly looking forward to it too."
"Not particularly.... Anyway, no slacking off. Absolutely not."
"Are you saying the people selling food on the market street aren't citizens?"
"That's not what I said...?"
"You don't plan to protect the market people? After an Aberration shows up and smashes all the stalls, you can say you couldn't slack off—."
"Aaaah—! Yes, let's go, yes! Lead the way, Partner! I'm worried about what else might come out of your mouth at this rate!"
I'd been telling myself to stay quiet just moments before, but I raised my voice for no good reason and shot up out of my chair.
Grabbing the back of Park Won's neck—the man who scraped at my nerves—I hurried out of the café.
He's the kind of person who, when the conversation turns to him, tells you to skip the chatter and go eat some meat.
I worried for nothing. Holding onto rumors won't get me any answers.
It really would be better to see for myself and judge. Whether he's simply beyond saving, or actually a bad person.
"Do you drink?"
"Huh...? Well, I can drink."
"I was thinking we could have some meat and a drink after work."
"No. No, thank you. If I ate with you, I think I'd get indigestion."
"I have my doubts about whether you're actually an adult."
"Yes, I am...! Only my body got smaller—I'm a perfectly fine adult! What, do you want me to issue you a certificate of quality?!"
What a heartless man....
Forget the peregrine falcon. You're a certified beast, seriously.