Discipline Begins (2)
Rough words burst from my mouth. Even I flinched at how naturally the casual speech flowed, smooth as water.
"Ha...."
And so, her expression was a sight to behold.
Her mouth hung wide open, like she'd just seen a dog start talking.
"You, you... what did you just say...?"
"What? I said get lost, you bitch. You've been lurking around in front of my door since yesterday."
"Hey! Are you insane?!"
She let out a piercing shriek. The hallway reverberated with the sound.
"You're the insane one."
I didn't retreat a single step, closing in on her instead.
"Got nothing better to do? You're a civil servant, right? A government leech stalking someone at their door? Should I file a complaint with your department?"
"...You, you fucking bastard!"
Her face flushed red then purple. She looked ready to swing at me any second.
I couldn't fathom what made her so great. My words were crude, sure, but not a single one was wrong.
This must be what they call the corruption desire.
That impulse to lash out at me. That twisted instinct craving entanglement with me.
But if that was the case, then she surely had some awareness that her own groveling like this was leading her straight to ruin.
Just like when you touch cigarettes, booze, or gambling. You know, but you can't stop. That's addiction. That's the corruption desire.
Which means I need to push even harder.
Yeah. This had to be the right answer. Half-assed soothing or dodging would be like dangling drugs in front of an addict.
This bitch was no different from a pervert getting a dopamine hit from watching a loser like me act out!
"No more bullshit? Then move. I'm tired."
I ignored her and headed for the door lock. She blocked my path.
"Hey! I'm not done tal─!"
"Ugh, enough!"
I didn't dodge her advancing body—instead, I shoved my shoulder right into her.
Thud!
Our shoulders collided. Normally, as a magical girl, she should've held firm while I got bounced back. Civil servant or not, a magical girl was still a magical girl.
No way her strength was weaker than an average guy's.
But─
"Ack...!"
She lost her balance, staggering into the hallway wall. Clutching her shoulder, she trembled.
I paused mid-lift on the door lock cover and glanced at her.
"Ha, such a drama queen."
Dying like that from a shoulder bump? I clicked my tongue and punched in the code.
What a load of crap.
Beep-boop. Click.
The door opened. I slipped inside without looking back.
I could hear her ragged breathing behind me, but who cared.
Slam!
Door shut. I leaned against the entryway, listening for a moment.
"......"
Silence. Normally, she'd kick the door or scream her lungs out.
Guess they were right—a mad dog does need a stick.
"Should've done this ages ago."
I chuckled, kicking off my shoes.
Tonight, I'd sleep like a baby.
Park Min-jeong's hands shook as she unlocked her door.
Before the entryway sensor light even faded, she kicked off her high heels into the air.
She flung her handbag onto the bed and stripped off her jacket, letting it crumple on the floor.
"Aaaargh! That jerk!"
She clutched her head and screamed.
"Crazy bastard! Out of his mind?! Yeah, totally lost it!"
Her face burned red. Was it rage, or something else? An inexplicable heat wrapped around her body.
Her eyes landed on the large rabbit plush on the bed—a leftover merch from her early magical girl days.
"What're you staring at? You think I'm a joke too?!"
She grabbed its ear and hurled it. Not enough. She snatched a pillow and pounded the mattress wildly.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
"Die! Die! You fucking dog! Loser piece of shit! Who do you think you are, glaring at me?!"
After rampaging like a beast for a while, she finally collapsed onto the bed's edge, drained.
"Hoo... ugh... haa...."
Her hair was a mess, her stocking rolled down from the scuffle. With a trembling hand, she clutched her left shoulder.
"Nngh...."
It throbbed.
That guy in 304. Looked like a scrawny sardine. I figured he was some shut-in hikikomori who never saw sunlight.
What the hell was that force? Did I just get pushed back?
"No way."
She shook her head. She was a magical girl.
D-grade civil servant or not, she had the physical specs to overpower any average man. Sure, she was caught off guard, but no way she'd get shoved around like that.
"Must be... I've been too tired lately."
She rationalized it. Yeah, overtime galore these days. Stress piling up. Body's just weak right now.
"No other explanation."
Jeong Ji-un's face wouldn't leave her mind.
That arrogant glare. Those lips spitting curses. That back, ignoring her like a bug.
"...Pisses me off more the more I think about it."
She ground her teeth.
Truth was, she'd hated him from the start. Ever since he moved into this officetel two months ago.
Two months back.
First time in the elevator, something felt off.
Messy hair, stretched-out sweats like he hadn't washed in days. A faint musty stink—he was a textbook shut-in.
And that gaze raking her legs. Sneaky peeks while he pretended that he wasn't there. So damn gross.
Magical girls deal with stares like that all the time, but his felt extra vile.
Perverted creep.
Every encounter after that just stacked up her dislike for him.
Sloppy trash sorting. Late-night delivery trash left at his door. Cardboard boxes piling in the hall.
His mere existence was stress. She'd wanted to complain to city hall and get him evicted, but held back for professional decorum.
But then.
"He dares to curse me out?"
It started yesterday. That pathetic loser suddenly flipped.
Used to avert his eyes and mumble—now blocking her path? Today, straight-up shouldering her aside?
"Ha, unbelievable."
She let out a hollow laugh. Fury boiled up. She wanted to smash his door down and smash his face.
But oddly, the anger wasn't pure disgust.
Thump, thump. Thump.
Weird. Heart racing too fast.
Face heating up, fingertips tingling. Like pre-battle adrenaline rush, high on endorphins.
"This... just anger. Obviously!"
She rubbed her chest, muttering. That damn guy's fault for making her boil.
"Calm down, Park Min-jeong. He's just a civilian. Touch one as a magical girl civil servant, and it's not ending with a reprimand."
Habitually, she reached for the cigarette pack on the nightstand. Lit one up.
Flick, whoosh─
Orange flame kissed the tip. She inhaled deep, filling her lungs to the brim.
"Huuuuh...."
Right as she went to exhale.
"Urk...!"
She jolted, spitting out the cig.
"Fuck... what the hell?"
Revolting. The menthol that usually cleared her head now smelled like burnt rotten straw, nauseating.
Why? She wanted to try again, but even the scent flipped her stomach.
"Blegh...."
She wiped her mouth roughly with her hand. Tears welled from the disgust.
"Cigs gone bad? No, cigs don't go bad."
She glared at the butt. Fine. Fresh pack from yesterday.
"What the fuck is this?! Nothing goes right!"
She flung the pack to the floor in a huff.
Throat parched. Burning. Something missing. An unfillable void gnawed at her chest.
Her gaze drifted to the entryway. Beyond it, to 302.
Should I go smash his door and chew him out?Grab his collar, force an apology?No, can't risk my job.But he hit first—self-defense, right?
Her thoughts tangled endlessly.
Logically, she should ignore and just go to sleep. She has work tomorrow.
But her body wouldn't obey. His face kept surfacing, his curses echoing.
Get lost, you bitch.
That rough voice. That contemptuous glare.
"Ughhh...."
She buried her face in the pillow, kicking her legs.
"So annoying! Fucking annoying!"
Weird. Felt shitty, but it was stimulating too.
That humiliated sensation. The moment that nobody shoved her aside—stuck in her brain, wouldn't fade.
"I'm losing it."
She bolted up, chugged cold water from the fridge.
Gulp, gulp—the chill slid down, but the inner heat raged on.
"Just you wait."
She wiped her mouth, eyes flashing.
"Next time I see you, you're dead meat."
She had no clue why she obsessed over him. The root cause.
Just that he pissed her off. Built-up resentment exploding.
Clinging to that, she crawled back into bed.
A few days flew by after that.
Contrary to her vows, Park Min-jeong's routine seemed perfectly back to normal on the surface post-contact.
No— to a third party, it even looked like positive improvement.
No more kicking the neighbor's door or screaming fits, thanks to tamped impulses.
"Hoo...."
Of course, she wasn't at peace inside. That cocky glare as he shouldered past. Calling her a "bitch" with utter disdain. Thinking about it just stoked the fire in her gut.
Tap tap. Tap.
"Senior. Senior?"
"Huh? Oh, what."
Park Min-jeong snapped her head up. Over the office partition, a petite girl with straight navy hair peeked out.
Blue Lane.
Her direct junior and active magical girl Blue Lane, Lee Su-ah.
"What're you thinking about? Called you three times."
"Ah, sorry. Reports backed up."
"Liar. Your monitor's off."
Su-ah pouted, tapping the partition.
Min-jeong hurriedly jiggled the mouse to kill the screensaver.
"...Just resting my eyes. What is it?"
"Nah, just here for approval. The Sector 3 purification op. You bounced the last one."
"Did I? Gimme... wait, why're you bringing it?"
"Heh, magical girls think about post-retirement now too? Paperwork's a breeze."
In other words, learning admin early....
Tch, C-grade? Just snag a guy and marry already.
Su-ah handed over the stack. Min-jeong skimmed it with a sigh.
"Lemme see...."
Flip, flip.
Only the rustle of pages in the quiet. Su-ah perched on the desk corner, swinging her legs.
Sniff, sniff.
Then—Su-ah leaned in toward Min-jeong.
"...What?"
"Senior."
"Yeah."
"Wore perfume today?"
"Like I'd have the energy."
Min-jeong gruffed, slamming her stamp down. But Su-ah looked oddly bright.
"No, you smell nice today?"
"Nice smell?"
"Yeah. That usual stale cig stink you have? Gone."
"Ah...."
"Instead, like shampoo? Senior finally quit smoking?!"
Su-ah beamed cluelessly, clapping.
Quit smoking. The words soured Min-jeong's mouth.
Not quitting 'cause she succeeded. She couldn't.
Post-that-day, cigs tasted off. No, the satisfaction vanished. Inhaling just nauseated her, no clarity.
Forced a few, but ditched half-smoked every time.
Forced nicotine withdrawal, basically.
"Eh... body not feeling great lately. Cutting back."
"Whoa! Good job! Thought my lungs were rotting from secondhand every time near you."
"Harsh much?"
"Truth. Anyway, congrats. Skin looks better too."
Su-ah grinned, grabbing the papers.
"Gonna head out first! English cram school makeup today."
"Yeah, good work. Be safe."
"Yup! You too—head home early! No moping alone!"
Su-ah bounced out.
What a mouth on her.
Tch.
Listening to fading footsteps beyond the partition, Min-jeong sank deep into her chair back.
"Haa...."
No cig smell, huh. Body felt lighter, sure. Less coughing. Praise from junior.
Logically, great. Quitting a useless habit.
So why this shitty mood?
Like eating but skipping rice for sides. Or bathroom without wiping.
An unfilled lack scratched at her chest.
"......"
Unconsciously, her eyes hit the smartphone on the desk corner.
8 PM. Usually quitting time for beer and Netflix.
Wonder what that jerk's up to.
302 guy's face popped up unbidden.
"Fuck, why am I thinking of him?"
Min-jeong shook her head hard, jumping up.
Go home. Sleep it off.
She grabbed her bag and fled the office.