20. I'll Take the Lead, So Just Follow Along (3)
I stayed crouched in front of the sofa for a long while, cleaning up the sticky fluid.
With the soaked boxers already tossed aside long before, I looked back at myself wiping up the fluid and kept chewing it over....
Somehow, I felt pathetic.
"Sniff...."
Tears came again.
Before I ended up in this body, I didn't cry easily, and I was confident enough to call myself strong-willed and cheerful.
After I ended up in this body, my emotional spectrum turned strange.
Even in ordinary moments I got snappy, and the moment things went even a little wrong I shed tears like now... These uncharacteristic sides of me kept increasing.
I got carried away by curiosity and even ended up feeling a dizzying sensation I should never have felt.
What was even more humiliating was that, in the end, I reached climax after all.
I couldn't erase from my mind the image of myself heaving on the sofa, so I ended up hanging my head.
"It's embarrassing enough to make me want to hide somewhere...."
When tears fell onto the sofa I had barely managed to wipe clean, I scrubbed them away again with the rag, bit by bit.
I wiped my tears with the back of my hand several times, then buried my face against the sofa and steadied my breathing.
I'd have to keep living in this body from now on.
Is this really okay? My body will keep adapting to the changes. Even right now, I'm feeling them firsthand.
Even if my personality changes, I'm still Yu Seong-woo. Even if my outward appearance changes, I'm still Yu Seong-woo.
Even though my status and name changed to Peregrine, I'm still Yu Seong-woo.
I have to keep hypnotizing myself like that.
But when I remembered myself staggering over the sofa in Peregrine's body, letting out heated breaths in Peregrine's voice....
Somehow reality sinks in, and the tips of my ears turn red.
"Hup."
In an instant, I jolted upright.
Once I started sinking, all sorts of thoughts came rushing in one after another.
Let's sort this out. Let's not make it complicated.
My body just changed, and I'm just adapting to an unfamiliar body. I just need to understand and accept it to that extent.
There's nothing complicated about it. Since it isn't my original body, it's only natural that things differ from usual.
I'm still Yu Seong-woo. Get a grip, Seong-woo.
Just as I headed to the bathroom because my soaked thighs felt unpleasant, the terminal caught my eye.
"...."
I still had to do what needed doing. Anyway, because of you, I got thrown into a huge panic midway.
I picked up the terminal and started writing a reply to Park Won.
"Um, well... From. Now. On. Don't. Text. Me. At. Night, Partner."
No..., let me delete the polite speech and "Partner."
Somehow, I kept saying "Partner, Partner" outside so much that it was becoming a habit.
It might feel unfair to you, but you're partly at fault too. Why do you worm your way into someone's head when they're on edge?
And I held back from saying something harsh here, so take it graciously.
"Hmph. Anyway, it was the worst possible timing."
Only then did I start washing my soaked body in the bathroom.
Because after being completely worn out, the feeling of warm water soaking my body was nice.
For a long while, I stayed trapped inside the falling stream of water, surrendering my body to the warmth that filled the bathroom.
───
And so the weekend morning dawned.
I walked out onto the veranda and draped myself over the railing, tasting a somewhat bitter feeling.
So the human relationships that make up society are this important.
Even when the weekend came, there was nothing I could do. At this rate, it's no different from a weekday.
But going to see people I used to know was complicated on this side too. With the line-of-duty death announcement already out, it would make no sense for me to approach other people.
Going to see them for no reason would only complicate things, so this is goodbye to my old ties. No, it has to be goodbye.
Disappearing all of a sudden without any explanation..., that's something I feel quite sorry about toward the people who knew me.
So, realistically, the records left on my terminal were....
"Somehow the records are Park Won, Park Won, An Gi-yeon, Park Won... Haaah."
I let out a sigh deep enough to sink into the ground at the bleak terminal records.
I hated myself for looking at records like these and still wondering whether there was any possibility of connection.
Someone who could reassure me that I was still connected to society without making things feel too heavy.
I was doing this because I needed that kind of bond, but the situation was this bleak.
[Ding.]
The moment the terminal rang, I instinctively pulled it out right away.
It wasn't that I was waiting for anyone's contact in particular, but it was true that the alert was secretly welcome.
I was feeling unusually sentimental, and a message happened to arrive right then, so I was only checking it.
[Park Won.]
Tch.
Of all people, it had to be this guy calling....
What kind of contact could this be? Work-related? He isn't the type to contact me about work on a weekend.
Then, for personal reasons? Who knows. I'd have to hear what the call was about to know.
"Ahem. Ahem, hm. Ahem...."
I cleared my throat and pressed the call button on the terminal.
"Yes, Partner. .... No, what is it."
[Hm. The title "Partner" seems to have become a habit for you now.]
"Just get to the point. I was enjoying a peaceful weekend until just now."
[I'll cut straight to it. Do you have some time today?]
My words caught in my throat.
"Why do you ask about my time?"
[You probably still can't go out properly in that state.]
That was true. Since I had no one I could contact.
And there were things that worried me about going out somewhere.
"If you're saying you'll make time on the weekend to take me somewhere, don't bother. There's no need for that."
[Oh?]
"Of course. Resting leisurely at home for once isn't bad either. We have a business relationship, don't we? Going somewhere together on a weekend—we're not that kind of people, are we?"
Park Won's reaction disappeared from the other end of the line.
Did I speak too harshly? I didn't mean it to that extent.
He might have been considerate in his own way, thinking I might be lonely. Of course, he didn't seem like the type to be that attentive, but still.
I felt a little guilty for no reason.
[Then, have a good weekend.]
"Wait...! At least tell me why you called. I'm curious."
[Weren't you the one who didn't want your weekend disturbed?]
"Th-that..."
Hold on.
Let me recall why I told this man not to hang up.
Did I reflexively grab hold of him because the harsh words I'd said were oddly bothering me?
That made sense.
Am I the type who wants to confirm whether this man is truly rotten or not?
Right, that was true too.
If so, did I need to confirm whether this Park Won was doing this out of concern for me, or whether he was approaching me to satisfy some private desire?
Of course. Obviously.
This much was acceptable. So it wasn't an action I couldn't justify to myself.
"Ah..., whatever. Just hurry up and say it."
[Do you like going to see birds?]
"All of a sudden, out of nowhere...?"
[I go fairly often myself. It's not bad for a change of mood.]
"Well..., I've never gone to see them."
[Would you like to go see them?]
Go see birds? You and me?
"No one else is coming?"
[Is there any need for them to?]
"...."
I hadn't really considered going somewhere alone with you.
But it wasn't like I had anything special to do.
So, well....
It wasn't that I was eager, but partly as a change of mood. Partly to find out more about you.
It might be... okay, maybe.
[Don't misunderstand. I'm doing this because the Director gave an order.]
"Tch. Of course..., what order."
[I was told to keep close watch on the Magical Girl under my charge. On the condition of covering for one disciplinary incident.]
"I said I'm sorry about that...! But do you really have to go that far?"
[It was a major incident, wasn't it. More importantly, do you have any casual clothes?]
Huh?
Casual clothes?
Why would I have women's clothing like that?
Buying women's underwear this time was already a first for me...?
"No...?"
[We'll have to go buy clothes too, then.]
"...."
[Wait right there.]
"C-can't I just wear the clothes the Association gave me?"
[Do you have any reason to advertise that you belong to the Association? If that's what you want, why not turn on a broadcast and walk around.]
Look at that sarcasm.
"Ah..., wait. I'll rush out right now and just buy something roughly. It's fine if I'm a little late."
[I'll go with you.]
"If I say I'll go alone..., you won't let me, will you? Since I already caused an incident once."
[Of course.]
Ugh. Who can I blame.
Wait. No....
This is also a chance to openly keep watch on this Park Won guy.
I can see for myself whether this guy is really the kind of person so full of greed that he'd lay hands on a Magical Girl.
If he really is trash, just as I worried....
Isn't this actually a good opportunity?
"Fine. Then I'll wait."
[Mm.]
With that curt reply, the call ended.
Just like that, I set the terminal down and stared at the name Park Won, now added one more time to the records.
"Good."
I closed the terminal.
And then, feeling a strange burst of energy, I lifted the corners of my lips.
I'm someone who's always looking for a chance to catch you making a mistake, and somehow the situation was lining up nicely.
Heh. Heheh....
"I'll keep very close watch on you. Just let me catch you doing anything suspicious."
If the rumors about you turn out to be true, I'll set you straight for good.
Brace yourself. I'm someone who used to be a Grade 1 Partner. I'm serious about Magical Girls.
As long as I can find a weakness of yours, I can put up with staying next to someone I dislike.
"Heh, haha...! Ah, the situation is kind of funny."
Laughter burst out of me in the end, and I scratched my lower belly as I came back into the room.
Anyway, I should wash up and get ready before seeing you.
I can't keep watch looking all shabby and pathetic.