Novel Bin Chapter 31 - What about me...? (3)
Next time she\'s free, I\'ll make sure to book the movie she wants to see so she won\'t waste her money.
"Ms. Producer, I thought of another reward."
As I was thinking about Jung Ha-Yeon, Alice\'s voice interrupted my thoughts.
"It\'s a shame I won\'t be receiving Ms. Producer\'s mana, but I still have something I really want!"
"What\'s that?"
"I want us to take a picture together!"
"A picture?"
Well, that\'s an easy request. I can do that anytime.
"Alright. Do you want to take it now?"
"Not just yet. I want us to take a picture with our disguises off."
Alice explained that she wanted to keep the memory of our time together and post it on her social media.
"But if we take off our disguises now, it might be too crowded. How about we go outside the aquarium later, where it\'s quieter?"
"Sounds like a plan."
After exploring the aquarium a bit more, we realized we had seen everything there was to see. With no reason to linger, we stepped outside and looked for a good photo opportunity.
Scanning the area, we spotted a charming walking path nearby, so we made our way there. With only a few people around, it was the perfect spot for Alice to shed her disguise.
"Wow, it\'s getting a little frustrating to wear a wig for this long," Alice remarked with a smile as she removed her wig, letting her blonde locks cascade freely.
"Come on, let\'s take a picture right away, Ms. Producer. Come this way."
She pulled out her phone, turned on the camera, and gestured to me. I walked over to her side, and she leaned in close to me for the photo.
"Ms. Producer, come closer."
"...Like this?"
"Just a little closer!"
I finally relented and posed cheek-to-cheek with Alice, looking at the camera.
It seemed a little too close, but Team Leader 1 usually came this close too. Did this distance between girls mean nothing?
"Ms. Producer, flash a big smile!"
"...Okay."
Unlike Alice, who was smiling naturally, my face was stiff. I\'m not good at taking pictures. Please consider an introvert\'s feelings, please.
I smiled awkwardly and made a finger V. Alice snapped the photo right away. I thought that would be the end of it, but Alice had other ideas. She wanted to take more pictures in different poses.
It wasn\'t exactly my cup of tea, but since it was for her, I obliged. After all, I promised her a reward, and this seemed to make her happy.
"Alright, I\'m happy with this, hehe."
After taking nearly 20 photos, Alice seemed content and began posting them on social media.
"By the way, are you okay with just taking pictures?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Alice, you did a remarkable job stopping the attack, and I feel guilty repaying you with just a few photos."
Honestly, I\'d be willing to treat her to the finest beef in the world or even give her a generous sum of money.
"Of course, there are other things I want, but I don\'t want to ask for too much too soon."
"Really? Why not?"
"Well... I think it would be greedy of me to ask for more right away."
"...?"
I couldn\'t quite understand what she was getting at. Women\'s thoughts are often a mystery to me.
After a few more minutes of conversation, we bid farewell and went our separate ways. Alice waved goodbye with a bright smile, promising to see each other again.
"I should head home and relax."
While going out and having fun might be relaxing for someone like Alice, it\'s not quite the same for me. I only truly feel relaxed when I\'m at home.
"Tomorrow... I\'ll have the whole day off. It\'ll be nice."
As I made my way home alone, my thoughts inevitably turned to Jung Ha-Yeon. Tomorrow, she\'s going to have a hard time, and I\'ll have to consider how to comfort her when I see her next.
Jung Ha-Yeon felt like cursing, something she didn\'t normally do.
Not only had a Class A gate opened, but it happened on the very day she had planned to meet Shin Hye-Rim. She had everything prepared, from her outfit to her excitement.
"Why now, of all days...!?"
Her irritation fueled her magic as she unleashed her fury on the monsters before her.
-Keeeeeeeeee!
Every time she unleashed her magic, the monsters collapsed in a heap. Each wave that emerged from the gate was swiftly killed by her magic.
"Look at that! She\'s taking down those monsters like it\'s nothing!"
"And they\'re stronger than ever! Can\'t believe how effortlessly she\'s handling them."
"Isn\'t that the same Jung Ha-Yeon who took down Lames Jane not too long ago?"
The surrounding heroes all looked at her in admiration. After being taught by Shin Hye-Rim, her skills had already surpassed those of the original manga.
But she didn\'t care about their reactions. Or rather, she couldn\'t.
"If not for these bastards, I\'d be there by now..."
Her eyes, ablaze with fury, turned cold. Rather than fulfilling her hero duties, she seemed driven by a desire for revenge.
As the battle raged on, the pile of monster carcasses grew larger. Eventually, the gate\'s suppression stabilized.
All the heroes here knew that the reason they were able to stabilize the gate so well was because of Jung Ha-Yeon.
Among them was Shin Chul-Min, who approached her, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"Hey... You\'re Jung Ha-Yeon, right?"
"What?"
Shin Chul-Min was in awe of Jung Ha-Yeon. He\'d always known she was strong, but today, she displayed a level of strength that seemed almost superhuman.
Filled with admiration, he couldn\'t help but compliment her.
"You were amazing out there, taking down those monsters so effortlessly. Thanks to you, we managed to close the Class A gate without much trouble."
"Is that so?"
"Haha! I\'ve been noticing how much you\'ve been growing stronger...."
"So?"
"....What?"
"Is that all you have to say?"
Suddenly, Shin Chul-Min noticed the look in Jung Ha-Yeon\'s eyes.
The coldness. The simmering anger. It wasn\'t until he stood face-to-face with her that he realized just how furious she was.
"Oh, um... You know what? I just wanted to say you did an amazing job, and I apologize if I bothered you when you seemed upset."
"I apologize for being cold as well."
Despite the apology, Jung Ha-Yeon\'s gaze remained frosty.
With an awkward smile, Shin Chul-Min bid her farewell and quickly made his exit.
"S-she\'s even colder than I thought."
His murmured words reached Jung Ha-Yeon\'s ears, but she paid them no mind. There were more pressing matters at hand.
She remembered a post she had seen on Shin Hye-Rim\'s fan cafe the night before.
[A photo of God Hye-Rim and Alice together!!]
It was a snapshot of Shin Hye-Rim and Alice posted on Alice\'s SNS.
[Wow, two of my favorite magical girls!]
[The photo was taken after their trip to the aquarium. Since Shin Hye-Rim and Alice have been working together to combat the Monster Association, it seems they\'ve grown close.]
[Both of them being magical girls and blonde, they look perfect together lolol]
[Double★Magical! Double★Magical! Double★Magical! Double★Magical! Double★Magical! Double★Magical! Double★Magical! Double★Magical! Double★Magical!]
[They\'re both stunning.]
[As expected of God Hye-Rim. Looks like Alice has found herself a best friend.]
[But aren\'t they standing a bit too close? Do girls usually take pictures that intimately?]
[They seem very close.]
[Could they be dating?]
[Huh?! Lily?]
[What do you mean, Lily? Lol, it\'s not like they\'re trying to sell that image...]
[Let\'s see how they flourish with the aquarium\'s water......!]
Seeing that picture made Jung Ha-Yeon feel envious. She hadn\'t realized just how close Shin Hye-Rim and Alice had become. Truth be told, she wished she could be that close to Shin Hye-Rim herself.
But instead, she was here, battling monsters, while her plans were dashed.
"What about me?"
She longed to spend time with Shin Hye-Rim too, just like that.
"What about me...?"
"When will I get to...?"