Transformation or Death

Chapter 24

The Meaning of Protection (2)

Why is she here?

Han Jae-jung sat up in surprise from where he had been lying down. A burning pain shot up his spine, but he was able to bear it reasonably well.

As the patient got up, Pink Deneb was alarmed.

“Don’t get up, you crazy person! You’re hurt!”

“But I have to respond to the person…”

“Respond? The one who was just sleeping until now? Lie back down! Your wound will open up!”

Pink Deneb grabbed Han Jae-jung’s shoulders and pushed him back down. With no strength, Han Jae-jung simply fell back onto the bed. The place she grabbed hurt.

“Doesn’t touching it make the wound open up more…?”

“My touch is gentle, so it’s fine. Since a magical girl is touching you, the magical power will heal you.”

“You don’t have any healing abilities… What nonsense is a person specialized in information detection and mobility saying… Ouch.” Han Jae-jung’s rebuke ended with Deneb pinching the uninjured side of his flesh.

“Your recovery is remarkably fast. It’s hard to believe you were someone who was on the verge of death from the beating.”

Well, for someone who was on the brink of death, he regained his senses quickly. Han Jae-jung was aware of other such cases.

None other than the recovery speed of magical girls.

The recovery speed of those with the power of the stars is different from ordinary people. After a typical battle, there is no need to go to the hospital. Just emergency first-aid at home is enough for a full recovery, and they can be active again the very next day.

Han Jae-jung thought he was also such a case.

“You’re quite something, bullying the one who just woke up.”

“Bullying? I’m tenderly nursing you right now, aren’t I?”

“You don’t know the meaning of tenderness.”

He let out a deep sigh. As he smoothed back his hair, he tried to organize the events he had experienced before losing consciousness. The battle with Paradox and Libra, Blue Sirius’ intervention, the re-transformation for defense…

The armor that had cracked, the transformation sound emitted by the belt.

Origin.

‘What is that?’

[Don’t think of it as something complicated. It’s literally the origin. The form the guardian should have originally taken, based on their fundamental nature.]

Compared to the tattered wearer, the belt was unscathed. After glancing at the belt speaking from the bedside table, Han Jae-jung fell into thought.

Origin.

The starting point where the flow of water begins. The first cause from which things originate.

In Han Jae-jung’s case, there was only one place where that term could be used.

Transformation, or nothing.

Origin refers to the mindset he had during the first transformation.

In other words, the ideal to be recreated.

‘So Origin is the form that appears when one reaches that stage.’

He is a guardian.

What must he protect?

Seeing Origin activate means he currently knows the answer. But he still hasn’t a clue?

‘I’m getting dizzy…’

His head was in a mess. There were more than just one or two things he had to worry about. He was curious about whether his identity had been exposed, and about Sirius’ condition. Not to mention his own identity.

Lying on the bed had made him more comfortable, and the anguish poured out endlessly.

“You suddenly went quiet again. Are you sulking?”

“I’m not sulking because I heard that. I just have a lot to think about…”

“Think about what?”

A rattling sound. The chair had fallen over.

Deneb got up. She wasn’t going anywhere. She was approaching. Placing one knee on the bed, she gradually brought her face closer. It was like a mischievous cat with no particular reason.  With a sharp smile, she softly whispered in his ear.

“You’re using informal speech with me naturally?”

It took Han Jae-jung a while to figure out what was wrong with that.

“So you’ve decided not to pretend you don’t know me anymore?”

“Ah, that?”

That’s when Han Jae-jung realized he had been casually treating Pink Deneb like an acquaintance. His body had acted before his mind caught up.

Jo Ah-yoon. According to the faint memory, she was someone he had lived with like siblings. Was this body familiar with her, or was he just used to it even without remembering?  The informal speech had come as naturally as talking to someone he had been close with for a long time.

“That’s because you used informal speech first…”

“Really? It seemed way too natural for that excuse.”

“I guess it was.” Han Jae-jung nodded in acknowledgment.

“You really don’t know me?”

Deneb brought her distinctive pink eyes close, not letting him look elsewhere. It felt like she was saying, ‘Look me straight in the eye and tell me.’  Her rough appearance and the silver piercing by her ear amplified that sense of pressure.

It was a desperate yet powerful threat.

An attitude that did not tolerate lies.

“You really don’t remember?”

His heart was pounding. It was not the fluttering of excitement, but the palpitation of fear and tension. He felt like a thief being interrogated by the police. Thinking about his identity, the situation was practically no different.

At this moment, Han Jae-jung’s mind was spinning faster than ever.

Deneb suspects that Han Jae-jung is the villain of the Big Dipper. The place where he collapsed is where those villains fought each other. His body only sustained moderate injuries even after taking the villain’s finishing move.

There are plenty of grounds to suspect him as a villain. But judging from the current question, she hasn’t reached the point of conviction yet.

Is she suspecting the symptom of memory loss, a common trait of those who have become villains? Or is she just testing the waters, feeling wistful that an old acquaintance doesn’t remember her?

Han Jae-jung’s vision was blurry. What filled his eyes was the vivid pink, but it felt dark. The light was obscuring.

‘But neither of those is the case… What do I do?’

Calling him a villain would be too human, but saying he’s an old acquaintance has too many missing pieces. Whatever answer he chose would be wrong in this dilemma.

“Hmm? Our Jae-jung.”

Deneb placed her hand on his shoulder again. Not brutish, but stealthy. There were no signs of any quest being triggered from the belt. Without anyone’s coercion, this was solely her own choice.

Deneb smiled sweetly.

“We used to be so close, remember?”

Han Jae-jung reached out like Deneb had done. Not to the shoulder, but to her face. The hand that traced her cheek slowly hooked his little finger behind her neck, touching her ear.

“Well, damn it.”

And he yanked her ear.

“Ouch! Ah!”

“I know it doesn’t hurt much when you transform. Ah-yoon, what kind of habit is that? And what’s with this piercing? Huh? When people pretend not to know, you should understand that there are appropriate reasons. What’s with the hoodlum attitude? How did Seol-hwa and I raise you? Do you really want to die?”

“Aaaaaah! It really hurts! I’m falling!”

“You won’t fall. I know because I’ve done it a lot.”

Thud. After letting go of her ear that he had been pulling for a while, Deneb rolled off the bed. There was a loud thud and chaotic noise.

“Fuck, you know everything!”

“Pink Deneb, what are you talking about? I really don’t know you.”

The suddenly standing Pink Deneb pointed at him with a disbelieving look.

“Wow… wow… This bastard….”

But her expression was not like that. There was a bright, blooming smile there.

“Shameless, nothing has changed… Wow… Wow, really….”

She seemed somewhat relieved. Holding her reddened ear and smiling sheepishly, the young child-like appearance was still there.

Seeing that attitude, Han Jae-jung felt reassured that he wouldn’t be suspected for a while.

“What happened?”

“What, and you have to use honorifics, it’s cringy if you don’t.”

“But you’re a stranger, how can I use informal speech?”

“No, this old man is really something.”

Pink Deneb righted the fallen chair and sat down, crossing her legs and resting her chin.

“Don’t call me an old man. I’m still young.”

“With that beard and hairstyle, there’s no one who would say that. To fresh youngsters like me, you just look old.”

“Don’t you have any conscience.”

The person who said that also blushed a little, perhaps a bit embarrassed.

“Just fix your appearance! Always just wandering around as a hobo.”

“I’m not homeless anymore, I’ve clearly rented a room… Wait, how do you know that?”

“It’s just that your appearance looks like that… What, did I really get it right? Were you really homeless?”

Her expression suddenly crumpled. Of course, it was an act. She already knew the fact. Han Jae-jung also realized that her action was an act. With her abilities, monitoring him would not have been difficult.

Of course, in order to draw out Ribbon, she had to be in her transformed state, so constant monitoring was impossible.

Furthermore, her abilities were focused on detection and mobility, so she was quite busy supporting other Magical Girls, so she couldn’t concentrate on this side.

And after being interrogated by her, he always had belt sense the surroundings before transforming, so he didn’t reveal his identity.

However, she should have been able to see him being homeless on at least one of those days.

Han Jae-jung felt like sighing. Of all people, this person he knew had to find out about that fact.

“Uh, it was just for a few days. I’m not like that anymore.”

“…Is that so?”

The two ended the conversation on that topic here. They both felt uncomfortable. Furthermore, Han Jae-jung realized that Deneb did not seem to be monitoring him as much as he had thought.

‘Is it because of her character?’

After all, someone righteous enough to be a Magical Girl is unlikely to do something like stalking. Han Jae-jung was relieved to find that Deneb had not been watching him as closely as he had feared.

“Then let me ask the question again. What happened to me… Exactly?”

“Decide whether you want to use informal or formal speech. It’s confusing.”

“Informal.” 

“Annoying, isn’t it?”

The two looked at each other and chuckled.

“I’m not sure what you mean by what happened, but for now, it’s been about a day since you fainted.”

Pink Deneb deftly understood Han Jae-jung’s intention and began to tell the information he wanted to know.

“And you’ll have to be questioned a bit.”

“…By whom?”

“Because you’re the only one who’s been kidnapped by that Libra bastard and come back.”

Han Jae-jung’s body stiffened.

Libra’s plan, it was already in progress.

The plan to turn the most righteous sacrifice into a heroic sacrifice.

“Ah, don’t worry. There won’t be any police or reporters coming. Of course, your face won’t be publicized either. There won’t be any gossip magazines. The Magical Girl side will investigate and just pass on the information.”

Pink Deneb eliminated all the worrying factors for Han Jae-jung. Especially the fact that he wouldn’t have to deal with reporters was very good news.

“Thank you.”

“Thank the senior, not me. The one who took responsibility and said the Magical Girl side will handle it. They’re still fighting the villains.”

Deneb smiled and clasped her hands.

“I’m here doing information gathering as the command center. Anyway, this role is the most helpful for me.”

As she spread her hands, a Ribbon popped out, just like a magician pulling out a pigeon. The characteristic pink-winged Ribbon flapped its wings and flew around the hospital room.

“Can you open the window there?”

“Why.”

“Ah, just do it if I ask. Isn’t it the request of a lovely Magical Girl?”

“Of course, my dear Magical Girl, I’ll do as you say.”

Han Jae-jung grumbled as he opened the window. The flying Ribbon perched on the windowsill.

Now that he thought about it, operating a Ribbon for detection would require a significant amount of concentration, but is it okay for her to be having a conversation like this? A question arose in Han Jae-jung’s mind.

And that question was soon resolved.

The Ribbon she had now was not being used for detection.

The wind blew. A bittersweet wind, cold but melting on the skin. Riding the wind, the pink feathers spread out like a flower path. For a moment, it felt as if spring had arrived.

“Mr, keep up the memory loss act well? The senior isn’t as gentle as me.”

Amid those flowers, a pair of blue shoes stepped forward. Like raindrops evoking hazy memories. It seemed as if rain was falling through the snow and flowers.

One of Pink Deneb’s abilities, the Magical Girl’s mobility.

The dazzling pink feathers formed a spring, and through that spring, a person as soft as snow approached. The blue hair, blending into the sky and blurring the boundaries, gradually came closer to the person. 

“Jae-jung!”

Blue Sirius. The person he most wanted to meet, yet the one he most wished was by his side. Her cold body touched Han Jae-jung and melted.

Winter came riding on the spring.

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