2. You Should Have Thought About the Consequences (2)
In the late hours before dawn, my eyes half opened at the signal.
Still half-asleep and drifting in and out of consciousness, I got out of bed, and just as I was thinking that my feet should be touching the floor by now—
"Light. It's too dark to see...."
I nearly fell, but barely caught myself and held on.
It was something I kept forgetting, but this body was a lot smaller than before.
I told myself I needed to be careful every time I moved, but it just wasn't working out.
Still, even if it was dark, this was enough. It was enough to see what was in front of me.
The toilet was this way. Put the lid down and....
Trickle.
Drip. Trickle.
"Mm...."
Normally, when you relieve yourself, you should hear a familiar sound. Like it always had been.
But the sound that should have been there wasn't, and instead the space between my legs just kept getting wet.
A warm stream was running down somewhere, and it was unpleasant. My pants were getting soaked on their own, too.
I looked at the toilet with bleary eyes.
Something felt ominous.
Was this a dream? No. Even when I pinched my cheek, it wasn't a dream.
Something was going wrong.
"Ugh... something's, like. Damp...."
I snapped fully awake.
My soaked legs and toes were telling me something was wrong.
"Wait..., this is weird. It feels empty and gross."
A gross feeling washed over me, still holding a vaguely lukewarm heat.
When the warmth faded quickly and turned cold, I became aware of reality even faster.
"Uh, huh? Eh, huh...? Huh? Uhh...?"
Making stupid breathing sounds, I opened my eyes wide with my mind now fully awake.
So, normally, I would be relieving myself through the part that was supposed to be there.
But right now, I..., I didn't have it, did I? Right, because I didn't have it.
Because it wasn't a man's thing, when I relieved myself I didn't get the familiar feeling—I heard a trickling sound instead.
No, what am I even saying.... I felt like I'd become an idiot.
"No way. Don't tell me...."
They say a person's thoughts freeze up when they panic. I felt like I finally understood that feeling for sure now.
I stood in front of the toilet with my pants down for five minutes like that.
My unfamiliar lower body completely exposed, I stood frozen in front of the toilet, breaking out in a cold sweat.
"Ah, ahh. Ah.... I hate this. Wh-what do I do. What do I do...?"
I hurriedly pulled my pants off and turned on the shower.
First, quickly rinse my wet legs with water, and these pants. These.
What do I do with these...? Should I wash them? Can't I just wash them out with water?
If I hang up the wet ones, will they dry...? Do I just wake up tomorrow morning and put on the dry ones...?
Had I really become this helpless? Ugh, I don't know... Right now, all my thoughts just felt stupid.
"Ugh, ah! Gah, guhh, that hurts.... Of all places to fall, seriously...."
Backing away in shock, I missed my footing.
As I fell on my elbow, the sensation of pressing something was vivid.
The words written on the button... Help Call. The red buzzer was even lit up.
[If pressed, we will assist you immediately.]
What?
"Patient, are you all right? Is something...."
"Uh."
"Are you all right...?"
"No, no. I can explain... This, it's not what it looks like. It really isn't!"
When the on-duty nurse came in, I instantly curled up.
As I slumped down onto the wet floor, the shower sprayed my head.
I was burning up. From head to toe, I was burning up. My heart pounded like I'd done something wrong.
"It's all right, this happens often. I'll help you."
"...."
"You don't have to cry. You understand, right?"
Something about that soothing, coaxing tone stabbed at my shame.
I knew she wasn't doing it out of malice.... Besides, I was a full-grown adult....
Treating an adult like that is rude, you know....
"Hngh...."
Despite the kind nurse's touch, I bit my lip hard.
───
For the past few days, I had kept to myself quietly.
Tests, walks in the park. Tests, and then walks in the park again.
As a bonus, a resolution never to make the same mistake as that day again.
"Haaa...."
Even now, thinking that I had been so rude at my age made my face burn.
Since that day, I hadn't been able to look that nurse in the face.
Let me apologize in advance to the former Peregrine, the previous owner of this body.
For being rude with your body.
[So she was alive after all, Peregrine?]
[The atmosphere's different, isn't it. Maybe they brought in a new Peregrine.]
[Quiet. From now on, talk like that is all confidential.]
At the voices drifting from a distance, I turned my head for no reason and let my gaze wander.
As I discovered my abilities one by one, I felt like only the inconveniences kept increasing.
The first of Peregrine's abilities I discovered at the rehabilitation center was exceptional hearing and vision.
Should I call it the instinctive ability of a beast stalking its prey?
Before I even learned how to fly, I ended up picking up the knack of eavesdropping on sounds from far away.
But somehow, everything I heard was Peregrine, Peregrine, Peregrine...
No one seemed to care about Yu Seong-woo, who had died in the line of duty.
"Well, sure."
Unlike the Magical Girls who drew attention, their Partners were nothing more than supporting roles.
Occasionally they appeared on broadcasts and showed chemistry with their Magical Girl in interviews, but that was all.
It meant that a Partner always remained within the bounds of being a Partner.
"Even if they drag someone who was a supporting role into the lead now, what am I supposed to be able to do?"
And why were the Association people who were supposed to come taking so long?
You people have a whole pile of explanations you owe me.
"Peregrine?"
While I was grumbling with a sulky voice, I heard a voice I had been waiting for but wasn't exactly glad to hear.
So she came, An Gi-yeon.
"Nice of you to come. Talk with me some more."
"I don't like how you're glaring at me so fiercely. First of all, everything you need is already in the documents...."
At that, I opened the documents.
The very word that had blacked out Yu Seong-woo.
I pointed at the letters with my fingertip and glared at An Gi-yeon.
"Explain this word properly."
"You didn't listen when I actually tried to explain it."
"I'll listen properly, so explain it again right here. More importantly, you said you were bringing a temporary Partner."
"That's..., ehehe."
Laughing awkwardly, An Gi-yeon sat down facing me.
The way she cleared her throat and carefully considered what to say somehow made me uneasy.
What kind of person was she trying to bring in, anyway?
"There are still a few procedures left before that person can come."
"What...? You said it was a temporary Partner anyway, so why all the fuss...."
"Well, Peregrine is a special case, so we couldn't just assign anyone to you. Your body still hasn't adapted yet, has it?"
"Why does that come up here?!"
"I was just genuinely worried...?!"
At the word "adapted," I instantly turned my head away.
With my hand clamped over my mouth, I squeezed my eyes shut.
I had barely managed to forget.
I had been trying so hard to bury the mistake from that day in a corner of my memory.
The memory of being soaked through that day surfaced for no reason, and I curled my toes again.
I wished she wouldn't bring this up anymore.
"Hm?"
An Gi-yeon just tilted her head with an utterly clueless look.
Unlike her, I had no choice but to glare narrowly at her, tense as could be.
"I'll handle that myself, so mind your own business. Who exactly are you trying to bring?"
"Ah, hm."
"What's with that look. Don't make people anxious."
"Do you know someone named Park Won?"
"Park Won...?"
"Yes. He's a bit, um... this person has quite an unusual record himself."
Park Won. Park Won..., a person with an unusual record, Park Won.
Who was that? Something about the name felt really ominous.
It wasn't an unfamiliar name. It was a name that seemed lodged in some corner of my memory that hadn't flown away.
Ah.
"Why that person, of all people...."
"Ah, you remembered?!"
"He's the guy who was directly under the Association and then got demoted! He had a record for violence against Magical Girls and exploitation!"
"Oh dear, you remembered that much."
There's a limit to everything—they wanted to assign someone like that to me?
Even if he was a temporary Partner, an ex-convict?
"No!"
"Don't be like that. Still, his abilities and experience are solid."
"His criminal record is just as solid. I still say no."
"Ugh. This is difficult... Look, Peregrine. Aren't you asking for a bit too much?"
"...."
"First of all, Magical Girls are formally the Association's Tactical Weapons. Honestly, what weapon in the world gets to pick and choose its people?"
I nearly shot up out of my chair, but then sank back down.
I had forgotten, but Magical Girls were in that kind of position.
A bird locked in a cage called a contract.
That was what Magical Girls were like....
While I was reeling, An Gi-yeon reminded me of my situation again and continued speaking.
"Ah, I don't actually mean we'll treat you like an object. Part of why the procedures are taking so long is to prevent that kind of thing from happening again."
"What, so he's writing a letter of apology or something?"
"Something like that. They attached conditions to make sure he can never do it again. That's enough on that question! Did that answer it a bit? Ahem."
"Seeing this, the Association really does a pretty halfhearted job."
"Honestly. More importantly, won't you come into the Association? You can't stay at the rehabilitation center forever."
Resting my chin on my hand, I thought hard.
An Gi-yeon had a point. Right now, I was in a situation where I had to go back over everything from start to finish.
At the very least, who the original owner of this body, Peregrine, was.
What kind of relationship Peregrine and I had.
And before that, this body. This uncomfortable body.
I needed to learn more about the Magical Girl body, too.
"So, if I transfer to the Association, there won't be any personal examinations, right?"
"Huh? Why would there be examinations?"
"It's embarrassing having to take my clothes off and be examined every morning...."
"Ah-ha...."
What was I supposed to do with that guy, quietly nodding with that sleazy grin?
"Let's go to the Association after all. The temporary Partner will come to the Association once he's ready anyway."
"You still haven't answered me, An Gi-yeon. Hey."
"Eeng, I don't know."
"Hey!"