16. Well, That Person Is My Partner, But... (3)
"Yes, welcome."
"Ma'am. Two orders of salt-grilled meat, please."
"Sure, just a moment."
I arrived on the street half-dragged by Park Won.
Then, pressing my hat down, I muttered to myself amid the bustling crowd.
I really shouldn't have come... I still can't get used to mingling in crowds in this body.
"No need to be tense. It's just a routine patrol."
"I wasn't particularly tense... It's just unfamiliar, that's all, Partner."
Like at the department store, I turned my head this way and that, scanning my surroundings once more for no real reason.
The tuft on top of my head, pressed down by the hat, kept twitching and itching.
[Tsssss.]
The sound and smell of grilling meat each perched on my shoulders and whispered.
Confusing, isn't it. I know, so focus over here. Doesn't it look delicious?
Peregrine falcons are carnivores. This is just part of that instinct.
So, it's not strange to be getting antsy. Right, of course...
"Ugh."
I want to eat it. I want to eat it right now.
All I can see is the salt-grilled meat cooking right in front of me.
And I haven't had proper meat in days.
So it's hard to hold back. I don't know, I want to eat. Meat. Meat...
"Think you can handle it? Playing the part of a Magical Girl, I mean."
"Wha--?!"
"What's there to be so startled about?"
"G-give me some warning before you just jump in...!"
When I glared at him, startled, Park Won just raised an eyebrow.
A look that said, what's the problem... no. Fine. Honestly, when you think about it, it's not your fault.
More importantly, what's with you saying something normal for once.
"I can't exactly say whether it's hard or not when I haven't even properly played the part of a Magical Girl."
"Is that so."
"Honestly, I feel self-conscious. Other Magical Girls are running themselves ragged, and here I am like this."
"Are you saying you'd like to be a bit more active, then?"
"I'm talking about responsibility, Partner. Separate from accepting that I'm a Magical Girl."
I don't know the reason, but in any case, the Yu Seong-woo of the past chose to become a Magical Girl.
Having seen the people waiting with my own eyes, I can't exactly run away now.
Someone has to bear the weight of the role they've been given. Even more so if it was my choice.
So, I know full well in my head that I have to accept it...
"Now that I think about it, I don't actually know anything about your circumstances."
"Why don't you show a bit of Partner-like behavior yourself. Take some interest in the Magical Girl you're in charge of."
"If you wanted attention, you should have said so."
"Huh...? No, I'm saying be faithful to the role you've been given. Could you not hear what you want to hear, Partner?"
With a take-it-or-leave-it air, Park Won turned his gaze back to the front.
I'm not the kind of person who's friendly enough to play along with jokes like that, you know.
"Here you go."
"Take it."
A delicious-looking piece of salt-grilled meat was held out in front of me as I sulked.
My head went blank at the smell of the greasy meat.
Can my dissatisfaction really get crushed this easily by a single salt-grilled skewer...?
Somehow, my pride wouldn't let me just happily snatch it up.
But these juices, and even the charred smell unique to street food.
Was this how the first humans to discover fire felt? My heart is really pounding...
"At this rate, we'll be here all day. Hurry up and take it."
"Th-this is... I'm only taking it because it's your kindness, Partner. A-as part of patrol duties..."
"Hurry up and take it and relax your face. Even I'm suffocating standing next to you."
"Haah... Peregrine wouldn't have been like this. Right?"
My head was pressed down. Park Won's hand had touched the hat I was wearing.
He pressed the hat down with force and said nothing.
"Stop... you're pressing my head along with the hat!"
"If you're Peregrine, act a bit more like Peregrine."
"I'm telling you, it's not as easy as it sounds."
"Even so, you'll have to decide someday. In the end, the citizens are longing for a Magical Girl to protect them, and now the weight of that responsibility is on you."
"..."
"The way you are right now isn't like Peregrine."
Park Won, you...
So you are capable of saying something normal after all?
"For one thing, for someone who's supposed to be Peregrine, you're not cute at all."
Excuse me?
"Does that even matter?!"
"You don't understand. Peregrine was a Magical Girl who appeared on broadcasts and stages often."
"No, that's not the point! I thought you were finally going to say something half-decent to comfort me, and that's where you end up...?"
"This is a fairly important issue."
"Oh, for real, should I kick you...? Whether I'm cute or not is none of my business. There!"
"..."
"I-it's not like it's wrong for me not to be cute."
I trailed off mid-bite of the salt-grilled meat.
It's true I don't need to be cute, but based on everything said so far, maybe I should at least practice pretending to be cute...
"Do you dance at all?"
"As if I'd dance...! I can't!"
"You went on about your role... If that's your role, you should do it regardless, shouldn't you?"
"Tch..."
Congratulations. Hoisted by your own petard. Ta-da.
I felt dizzy, as if my whole body was bound by the words I'd just thrown out.
Right now, this side is. That. That...
I don't even know the transformation incantation...
"What can you do. If it seems like you have to do it, you have to do it."
"Let's think about that topic later. My head's already at capacity."
In the end, I cut off Park Won's words and decided to focus solely on eating the salt-grilled meat.
When your thoughts get complicated, go straight for the meat.... Right, you were right about this, Park Won.
Once I tasted the juices, my thoughts were erased in an instant.
In vampire movies, they go crazy from bloodlust, and I can kind of understand it now.
Vampires probably had a lot on their minds too...
"You eat well."
"Well, peregrine falcons are carnivores, so it can't be helped."
"Want one more?"
Sss....
No. No, no matter what.
Let's not forget our duty.
"Let's go, Partner. Anyway, our main objective is patrol. Patrol. Yes."
"Huh. Ma'am, thanks for the meal."
As soon as the cash changed hands, I pushed Park Won's back with my hands, shoving repeatedly.
He's tall as a beanpole, and why won't he budge easily.
To shove him out of the shop as he stood there blankly asking what the problem was, I had to lean my whole body into it and strain.
Once we got out of the shop like that, Park Won briefly stopped me and took a call.
He just quietly raised a finger and gestured for silence, so I kept my mouth shut along with him.
"Oh, yeah. On patrol. Where, you ask? The outskirts of the city, obviously. It's not slacking off."
[──. ──? ───!!! ──! ──!!!!!!]
"No way. Would the great Peregrine allow slacking off?"
You're going to sell me out. You had this all planned, didn't you.
"Got it, so head toward the bridge? Hm. Understood."
"Hey. Just now, you used me..."
As soon as the call ended, I looked up at Park Won.
But Park Won paid no attention and started patting my back, urging me to move.
"Get in the car. We need to go a bit urgently."
"Huh? What's going on?"
"A suspicious report came in from a bridge nearby."
"Is it an Aberration...?"
"Probably. There don't seem to be any Magical Girls available for assignment, so we'll have to go and buy some time for now."
A Magical Girl with no mascot and no transformation.
Park Won was telling someone like me to go to the scene with him for now.
What help could someone like me possibly be.
As that thought arose, my steps somehow began to feel heavy.
"What are you doing?"
"Huh? No, nothing... I'm coming, Partner."
"No need to worry. Your activity permit hasn't been approved yet anyway."
"..."
"You'll just observe the situation and help evacuate civilians. That'll be enough."
───
"Right now, a report has been received that an Aberration is causing a disturbance at the bridge."
"I-I'm sorry. Aberration appearances have decreased recently, so..."
"An Gi-yeon, come over here and sit down."
An Gi-yeon felt wronged, as if she alone had been forced to take the blame.
Being scolded by the Director with that peculiar speech pattern made An Gi-yeon feel miserable.
'Why are you making a fuss at me...! Aberrations naturally appear irregularly. It's not exactly my fault!'
"Our Magical Girls... have long worked for the safety of the citizens."
"That's right..."
"We have only just entered a lull in Aberration appearances. The citizens have begun to feel at ease."
"Uh. Uhh..."
"But if we show inadequate response now... how can the citizens feel at ease──."
An Gi-yeon lowered her head.
The Director's dry, monotonous scolding from across the desk.
An Gi-yeon already knew well how great an ordeal that scolding would become for her.
"Just give me a little time and I'll handle it right away! As it happens, for the immediate need, someone nearby..."
The Association personnel she had called as soon as she got in touch was Park Won.
Then, the Magical Girl who went with him must surely be Peregrine.
She had planned to just hand the wheel to Park Won as usual and leisurely suck up her salary.
But the result was failure. All of this information went straight to the Director.
"Who are the Partner and Magical Girl who accompanied you?"
"..."
"Speak."
"Th-that, Park Won... he's the Partner."
"And the Magical Girl who accompanied you?"
"Pe. Per... Peregrine. B-but I told her not to overstep, so surely there won't be any major problems...!"
In that instant, tentacles began to extend from behind the Director.
The tips of the countless tentacles were coated in ominous slime.
Death.
If you touch the Director's tentacles, you die from the deadly poison.
An Gi-yeon knew that fact better than anyone.
[What shall we do, young lady.]
"Endure it, my guardian."
Slither.
Until the tentacles finally vanished into the darkness, An Gi-yeon had to endure the sensation of her blood running cold.
Poor An Gi-yeon. She had no idea that an even greater storm was about to sweep in.
"I shall go myself."
"What?! There's no need for you to go personally, Director...!"
"No, it is my oversight that I did not stop her before she was sent to the scene. An Gi-yeon, guide me."
"Eek...! Please, give me a chance to handle this!"
Ugh.
Before she knew it, the tentacles had crept under An Gi-yeon's legs and were writhing.
Overcome with goosebumps, An Gi-yeon covered her mouth with her hand.
"Guide me."
An Gi-yeon lamented inwardly, her insides burning.
Her smooth road of cushy assignments had been scorched to the ground.