Chapter 130

I usually don’t get flustered easily by most things.

I don’t get too surprised, and my emotions don’t show much on my face.

I always have a cold expression, and even when I smile, it’s not a warm or comforting smile—more like a sarcastic one… that kind of vibe?

But now, me—

“Yoon-Woo, your face is red.”

Well, of course it is.

“Ugh, you suddenly confessing like that is so bold. It’s kind of cool, though.”

I picked up the bottle and filled Eve’s glass, then filled mine too.

Then I immediately took a sip.

“Eve, do you know what that means right now?”

“Yeah.”

Eve didn’t avoid my gaze.

Instead, she looked back at me with an even more intense stare than mine.

“Ugh.”

This is really something.

“You, you know…”

“I know. I know what you’re trying to say. But you know, I wasn’t originally a woman.”

Yeah, I know that too.

I know it very well.

“Are you saying that as Eve, as a woman… or as Seo Hye-Ran, or…”

It started to rain.

The sound of raindrops began to patter.

People started panicking at the sudden rain, saying things like, “What’s going on? Why is it raining so suddenly?”

The sound of raindrops hitting the shop window came in a lively rhythm.

As if only Eve and I were left in this rainy city, a quiet stillness settled around us amidst the noise.

“…Are you saying that as a man?”

“Does it matter?”

“It does.”

Eve, I have a secret I haven’t told you yet.

It’s a huge, powerful secret that might drive a wedge between us.

It’s something I can’t bring myself to tell you.

If you’re confessing to me as a man… well, I might not be able to accept it.

I’m not that used to being a woman yet, you see.

“You know, there’s that saying. It’s not that I like you because you’re a woman, but the person I like happens to be a woman.”

“Yeah, I think I’ve heard that.”

“Yeah, I think that’s true. I just like you, and it happens that you’re a woman.”

Should I apologize?

Should I come clean now?

That I was your friend from 10 years ago.

That I met Keru and became a Mother-Body, living as Yoon-Woo?

“Actually, I…”

“Huh?”

Eve, who was pouring me a drink, looked at me.

No, not yet. It’s not the right time.

“No, it’s nothing.”

“So, what’s your answer?”

Eve was still looking straight at me.

Her gaze was fixed on me, urging me to answer her sincere confession.

What should I say?

What should I really say?

I just kept stirring the soup with my spoon.

Should I repay everything I’ve received from Eve?

Out of a sense of debt, should I answer her?

Or should I ignore all that and answer honestly?

I didn’t ponder for long.

If I answer Eve out of a sense of debt, it would be a great disservice to her.

“I don’t know yet.”

“Yeah, I thought so.”

Surprisingly, the answer came back lightly.

Eve was smiling.

Just smiling.

“I’d have been disappointed if you said yes right away.”

“I guess so.”

That’s just how you are, Eve.

“It was sudden, and until recently, I only saw you as a friend.”

“But I don’t know why my feelings changed suddenly. There must be a reason.”

“It’s nothing. Just when I came back late from work… you told me not to sleep on an empty stomach and to eat something before bed.”

Ah, that time.

“Something clicked then. Ah, I wish this person could be my partner. I wish they could stay by my side forever. No, I wish I could stay by their side forever. That’s what I thought.”

“Uh…”

I don’t know what to say.

“Back then.”

“Yeah.”

“I had a friend named Jun-Woo.”

“Pfft!”

I almost spat out the soup in my mouth.

Some broth even went up my nose, and as I hurriedly grabbed a tissue, Eve handed me some water.

“Why are you so surprised?”

“Ah, no. No. It’s just that his name is similar to mine. Same ‘Woo’ character.”

Eve nodded at my explanation.

“So?”

“He was a really close friend before I became a Magical Girl. He was really good to me. He didn’t have parents either. He always smiled through the hardships.”

Was I like that?

“When I suddenly became a Magical Girl and was asked to keep living as one… I couldn’t tell him anything, and we lost contact. I kept thinking I’d go see him soon, but 10 years passed.”

That friend is right in front of you!

Of course, you wouldn’t recognize me!

“When I was with Jun-Woo, I felt really at ease. Strangely, I feel the same way with you. I feel comfortable, like I can just be myself… that kind of feeling. Maybe that’s why I like you even more.”

“Uh, yeah.”

Eve laughed awkwardly.

I also smiled slightly at her expression.

Anyway, she remembered me.

She felt sorry for not being able to contact me and thought of me as a good friend.

That’s not a bad thing.

“I used to wonder why other Magical Girls dated each other, but I guess I understand now. I never thought I’d end up like this.”

Our situation is a bit different, Eve.

Or maybe not. I was originally a goddess, so I was just temporarily in a man’s body, and now I’ve returned to my original form.

What if I hadn’t met Keru and just kept living like that?

I should ask Edell about that next time.

By the time we finished eating and left the shop, the rain had already stopped.

The streets were soaked from the downpour, and everything felt sticky from the humidity.

“Let’s take a taxi. I can’t take the subway on a sticky day like this.”

“You’d find any excuse to take a taxi anyway.”

“Caught me, huh?”

We chatted about random things as we headed home.

In the taxi, there was a bit of a fuss when Eve saw me transferring 10% of the house deposit via online banking, asking if I really had to move out. But in the end, the deposit went through, and we set a date to meet the landlord in a few days to sign the contract.

“Dusik-ah!”

“Unnie, you’re back?”

“We’re going to sign the house contract!”

Dusik, who came out to the entrance, hugged me tightly when I told her the news, and her face lit up.

“Really?!”

“Yeah! But why are you so happy?”

“Huh? Me? When?”

“You’re like that right now.”

Dusik’s face was filled with an unmistakable bright smile.

What’s so good about it?

We’re leaving this nice house for a worse one. What’s there to be happy about?

“No, I’m just… sad. Ah, I’m sad. Hahaha.”

Are you reading a Korean textbook?

“When are we moving?”

“We haven’t even signed the contract yet. We just paid the deposit, so we’ll sign soon and set a moving date. But you didn’t even ask where it is?”

“Ah, my mind’s a mess. Where is it?”

“Incheon.”

“Incheon… Incheon. Do I have to transfer schools then?”

Oops.

Is that how it works?

“Where in Incheon?”

“Near Bupyeong Station.”

“Bupyeong Station should be fine. It’s just one subway ride. It shouldn’t be much different from now, right?”

Come to think of it, Dusik’s school is quite a distance from here.

I didn’t think about that.

“Is it a manageable distance? Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. It’s just one subway ride, right? It’s actually more inconvenient here because I have to transfer.”

Hmm.

Dusik’s probably right.

“Alright, that’s good then.”

“Hehe. I can’t wait to move.”

“Do you want to come with me when we sign the contract? I’ll schedule it for the weekend.”

I’m not sure if it’s possible, but it would be nice.

Dusik, Kabe, and Sohee could all come, see the house, and get familiar with the area.

“Sounds good!”

Things are definitely going to get busy from now on.

We’ll sign the contract, look into moving companies, and figure out what furniture and appliances we need for the new place.

“Oh, Yoon-Woo.”

“Yeah?”

Eve, who had changed clothes first, called me from the master bedroom.

“What are we doing about the next fight?”

Ah.

Right.

That’s a thing too.

“Hmm, I’ll discuss it with Keru and let you know. Is that okay?”

“Yeah. But don’t put it off too long. We need to get it over with quickly. If we delay, Edell will complain again.”

What a bothersome woman.

“Can’t we just wing it?”

“No.”

Eve cut me off sharply, her expression serious.

“We’re short on ad exposure. This time, we need to go all out. We’re sending out all the Magical Girls we’ve got contracts with, so you guys need to prepare accordingly.”

“What happens if we don’t meet the quota?”

Eve closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh.

“What do you think? A penalty fee.”

I made a firm resolve to meet the quota.