3. You Should Have Thought About the Consequences (3)
So this is how it ends up.
"Still, coming back to the Association isn't so bad, is it? It feels like coming home."
"...."
"Hey, don't look so gloomy. Civilians would kill to visit this place."
"Those people get to leave after a tour."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
"Magical Girls don't get to leave. That's the problem."
The Association building flickered past beyond the car window.
Between the streetlights rushing by, the Association shimmered, blurring and sharpening in turn.
A Magical Girl was the Association's strategic weapon.
The Association was the cage that kept those Magical Girls.
The realization that this was the cage I'd be staying in from now on made me sigh.
Maybe I would've been better off stuck in the rehab center....
"Heh, so your memory hasn't completely vanished after all?"
"I vaguely remember what a Magical Girl is."
"Guess I should've wiped everything."
I doubted my ears for a second.
An Gi-yeon, what the hell is this woman saying with that easy smile on her face?
"What did you just say?"
"Huh? Oh, I was talking about the roadside trees! The Association only cleared some of them, so it looks ugly, right?"
"Suspicious. If I dig through my memory a little, I feel like I might even remember your name...."
"Yep, should've wiped it all clean. Right?"
"What?"
"The Association's front gate is rusted."
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?! I swear I'll yank the wheel—just drive properly!"
My memory's still hazy, but one thing's for sure now.
I have to be careful around this woman named An Gi-yeon.
"Want to grab lunch before we go in?"
"If it's with you, no."
───
"Here. Your temporary Magical Girl ID."
"Ugh...."
"From now on, you'll be the real Peregrine. Or if not, you'll be pretending to be Peregrine...."
"I know that much."
"You need to be careful. You know, right? All information about you is classified."
An Gi-yeon leaned in toward me with a dead serious expression.
Then she pressed the ID directly into my hand and spoke.
"I'm serious. From now on, Peregrine will be playing the role of a Magical Girl who lost most of her memories to Memory Erasure."
"I'm genuinely curious—why does it have to be kept so classified?"
"...."
An Gi-yeon paused briefly, then opened her mouth.
"Because it's easier for me to make excuses that way."
"...."
"With the amnesia setup, Peregrine can go rest after just the necessary tests."
"That's the only reason?"
"Two birds, one stone—I get off work early too. Then when the temporary Partner arrives, I hand you over and done! Ah, sweet deal."
"You're the one talking like you've got it made, not me."
"Well, there is a more detailed reason. But even if I explained it, you wouldn't understand right away. Let's just go in?"
There was no special schedule on the first day back at the Association.
Simple identity verification and paperwork.
And then, confirming memories from the previous incident.
"I'm sorry, but due to the effects of Memory Erasure, Peregrine currently can't remember anything."
An Gi-yeon answered most of the questions for me, consistently.
That due to the aftermath of her Partner's death in the line of duty, she had voluntarily requested Memory Erasure.
So she currently couldn't answer properly, and so on.
All I had to do was act according to what An Gi-yeon and I had agreed on beforehand.
Nod when agreeing, stay silent on difficult questions.
Shake my head when something seemed wrong.
Those were the only answers I gave the Association.
I wondered if this was really okay, but An Gi-yeon said it was fine.
Not that any questions about Yu Seong-woo even came up..., but well, that's nothing new at this point.
What followed was a physical examination.
Let me say this upfront: it was an ordeal.
"Now, please remove everything except your underwear."
"I'm sorry. I wasn't wearing underwear inside the rehab center. I came straight from there...."
"Then let's proceed quickly."
"Yes...?"
"Take it off──."
Coming from the rehab center without underwear had been the problem.
The examiner urging me on, and An Gi-yeon grinning sleazily behind her.
In front of those two, I stripped completely.
Without leaving a single thing. Everything.
"Don't turn your back. Face this way, please."
Humiliating. Even if I'd had a man's body, stripping fully naked would've been embarrassing.
But of all things, in this situation, in this body, stripping fully naked...
At this rate, everything's exposed. If they're just taking measurements, couldn't they do it with clothes on?
"I'll take your measurements now."
"An Gi-yeon. Is all this really necessary?"
I reflexively switched to polite speech and pinned my gaze to the floor.
Standing with both arms spread as the examiner instructed, the air against my bare skin was cold.
I curled my fingers and toes for no reason, and whenever the cold measuring tape touched me, a short breath escaped.
Just finish it quickly..., please. I'm begging you.
I know it's just a simple exam, but there's a kind of shame you can't shake off just by knowing that.
So, hurry up....
"Uh, yeah...."
Hurry...!
"Hic. Wait..., it tickles."
"It's nothing weird──."
She spoke in a drawn-out tone as her mechanical touch moved across my body.
Arm length, leg length. Chest, waist, and thigh circumference.
Measuring those..., fine. I can deal with that.
Being measured while stripped naked is unpleasant, but fine. I'll let it slide.
"Uh, hup...! Wait. Th-there. Why are you measuring there...?!"
"Huh?"
"I asked you..., why you have to measure there of all places...!"
"What do you mean...."
The moment a thumb pressed from between my legs up to my lower belly, I startled violently.
Fuck, what kind of physical exam is this?
If she'd just been pressing, I wouldn't have reacted much...
But doing it while I'm stripped naked makes it weird.
"Your condition is a bit unusual. The numbers are a little off compared to your previous exam results."
"I don't know what you're talking about, so just finish it quickly...!"
I squeezed my eyes shut, standing on tiptoe.
Right. The problem is that my body turned into this from the start.
Because my body ended up like this, everything is mortifying.
So stop..., stop stroking my lower belly with latex-gloved hands.
"Can't you..., stop?"
After stroking my lower belly with the tip of her middle finger for a long while, the examiner tilted her head.
What. Why..., you already did it, so enough.
An Gi-yeon, are you seriously just going to stand there and watch?
"Ah, just a moment, Examiner. Peregrine has undergone Memory Erasure. Her growth, including her wings, has regressed as well."
"Has there been a case like that?"
"Yes. She's reverted to a state before laying her first egg. From here on, this is internal Association policy."
"If it's internal Association policy..., understood. How did someone so capable and bright end up like this."
The examiner nodded, pulling her latex-gloved hand away from my lower belly.
Only then did I curl up and glare at An Gi-yeon.
You..., you're the worst. If something like this was coming, you could've at least warned me.
At least the rehab center didn't grope me. Don't just handle a 27-year-old adult however you please....
"It's just an exam, an exam. You're overreacting."
"Am I the only one who thinks this is weird?"
Am I..., am I the only one embarrassed by this? Is this really a normal exam for Magical Girls?
"Still, there are signs."
"What...?"
"Peregrine, I said there are signs. It probably won't take long."
"..."
"A Magical Girl's awakening starts from that point, so take good care of your body."
At those shocking words, I shook my head without realizing it.
Because I had no idea what she was talking about.
First egg, awakening..., what is she even saying.
Laying eggs—wasn't that a joke or..., some special case, something like that?
"The exam is over. You may leave."
"Thank you for your work, Examiner. You should say hello too, Peregrine."
This brat..., who does she think she's treating like a little kid. The other person is a full-grown adult... no, forget it. Like she'd even care if I said anything.
I merely exchanged a polite greeting with the examiner, carefully managing my expression as if protesting to An Gi-yeon.
Peregrine. What kind of life have you lived?
[Rattle.]
I stepped out of the exam room as the door closed, and buried my face in both hands.
I feel like I'm going to hate going to the hospital.
I feel like I'm going to hate hospitals themselves, on a visceral level.
Because if I ever get badly hurt and end up in the ER, they'll probably be all "Are you okay? Are you okay?!" while groping my lower belly.
Whether it's the rehab center or the exam room.
Hospitals—I don't even want to see one anymore...
"You held up like a man, though."
"I swear I'll kill you...."
I glanced around, looking this way and that.
There are still people around.
"Ahem. Hm. I swear I'll kill you, An Gi-yeon...."
"Not sure about that, but if you go down that path over there, you'll find the dormitory. Please stay there for the time being."
"What about you?"
"I'm off work!"
"You're just going to watch me get examined and then clock out?"
The Association—what an easy place to make a living.
The Association I remembered was a place that worked you to the bone hunting Aberrations.
So it all depends on how you play it here too...
"Ah. She's gone..., how can she really just leave like that."
Ugh. Anyway, there's nothing I can do just standing around here.
But honestly, wandering around makes me a little uneasy.
Whatever the circumstances, with my guardian gone, it means I have to manage on my own in this changed body.
[Magical Girl No. 4, entering examination now!]
[Yes, I hear you. Preparing for deployment now.]
[What? A broadcast appearance? No, why would a Magical Girl go there..., she already appeared once last time.]
....
[Partner, do you think I can do well? I can do it, right?]
[It's fine. You practiced for today. You're going to shine on stage with your fellow Magical Girls.]
[I'm requesting an embargo on the last interview's content. What? It already aired? What kind of ethics is that!]
I covered my ears for a moment against all the sounds roaming through the Association.
I wanted to get away from all the voices I could hear without even trying.
For now, I just want to rest until I feel satisfied.
Let's go back. Back to the dormitory.
Staying in a place like this will only make me dizzy.