Transformation or Death

Life of Downfall (4)

“What are you suddenly doing!”

Han Jae-jung shouted loudly in surprise. Then, startled by his own shout, he covered his mouth. People passing by on the bridge occasionally started turning their attention towards them.

Most people were puzzled. Why was there a magical girl here, and who was that man? They heard something about suicide – was this some kind of rescue operation?

Some people hurriedly left the scene, perhaps connecting the magical girl’s appearance with the appearance of villains.

“Ah!”

Red Vega let out an exclamation as if she had realized something. Then she embraced the still bewildered Han Jae-jung and took flight.

Despite the sudden flight, she didn’t forget to be considerate.

Red Vega’s flying technique was truly exquisite, creating an invisible, paper-thin transparent membrane that completely protected against both air resistance from high speed and low temperatures from high altitude.

Han Jae-jung looked at her as if protesting ‘what are you doing?’ Red Vega avoided his gaze as she answered.

“There are people here and it’s too dangerous. Let’s leave for now.”

“What?”

This wasn’t an answer to his previous question. The sudden attack plus the irrelevant response. Han Jae-jung’s irritation accelerated further.

“What is this supposed to be…!”

His voice started trembling violently like when crossing the precarious cloud bridge. His agitation gradually showed on the surface.

‘I’m already short on time, and suddenly you bring up old finished stories to cause trouble.’

His already heightened nerves were further stimulated as people’s gazes gathered before, and his unresolvable anxiety led to impatience, which led to irritation.

That resulting irritation deprived him of the capacity to understand impulsive actions, and that deprivation provided sufficient justification to make harsh swear words burst from his mouth.

However, before fully yelling at her, Han Jae-jung barely suppressed his voice.

“What are you trying to do…!”

Han Jae-jung glared at Red Vega as if displeased.

Her red eyes were filled with moisture, rippling like a lake, and those eyes were trembling as if someone had thrown a stone into that lake.

Sympathy and worry, confusion and surprise.

Though no words were spoken, various languages were contained in her eyes.

Seeing those eyes that seemed about to cry at any moment, his anger dissipated.

‘…Let’s not take out my anger needlessly.’

It was clear there would be little difference between wasting time worrying or wasting time like this with someone.

It was even clearer that getting angry now wouldn’t solve anything.

Han Jae-jung, judging it wouldn’t be too late to act after hearing the circumstances, swallowed his words.

“I’m… Sorry….”

Silence followed Red Vega’s gloomy apology.

The silence broke when the flight ended, when Han Jae-jung’s feet touched the ground.

“…Where is this?”

Han Jae-jung looked around with fish eyes. It was the veranda of what appeared to be a quite nice apartment.

“Our… House.”

“Ah, I see.”

He tried to recall the moving episode from the original work.

If those words were true, this meant this was an area redeveloped from the slums that were partially destroyed during the villain attack.

In other words, it meant this was a building erected on the site where Red Vega’s grandmother used to live.

He suddenly became solemn.

“…It’s a nice house.”

He lightly complimented the house while cutting off the conversation. Now wasn’t the time to mourn someone. He had his own pressing matters to deal with.

“Well, I thought this would be the best place to talk quietly… Going to your house wouldn’t work with Haru next door, and going to Baekho would also be… Since it’s that kind of talk.”

“Look here, Ms. Vega.”

When Han Jae-jung called Red Vega softly, her shoulders flinched.

“Do you think I’m crazy enough to suddenly jump into the river? Wasn’t that all finished business?”

“….”

“Can’t a person with worries take a break and look at nature sometimes? Why make such a big deal out of something like that? Huh?”

The irritation he had barely contained started surging again as soon as his mouth opened. His eyes blazed. It wasn’t even worth comparing to the cooled flames rising from Red Vega.

“Suddenly doing that puts me in such a difficult position! And you’ve been doing this constantly from before! Ms. Vega, did you think I wouldn’t notice you enjoying making things difficult for me? But I endured it. I kept quiet about it. Even if I’m someone you can comfortably torment as you please, there should be a limit….”

The target of Han Jae-jung’s irritation gradually shifted. From Red Vega to himself.

He felt pathetic for genuinely getting angry at a kid who was a minor just months ago, and he felt disgusted at himself for causing trouble to someone he had resolved to protect.

“Sigh….”

He exhaled his irritation with a sigh, and simultaneously inhaled wretchedness.

“Anyway, I’m fine. I’m not going to suddenly go crazy and jump into the river. I appreciate the house invitation, but neither you nor I have time for me to stay for even a cup of tea. I ran out in the middle of work.”

Han Jae-jung took out his phone and showed her the screen. He forced a smile onto his lips like wringing out a dry cloth.

“Look. The message history on my phone now. If I stay here any longer, Ah-yoon will give me hell. Before we all get in trouble, we should go our separate ways….”

“What if you go crazy?”

“What?”

“You, you could go crazy.”

Han Jae-jung was taken aback but realized what she was trying to say. She was refuting his statement ‘I’m not going to suddenly go crazy and jump into the river.’

“You could have… Suddenly gone crazy… And jumped into the river….”

She trailed off as if making an excuse. It really wasn’t much different from an excuse. Han Jae-jung was dumbfounded.

“It seems like you’re the crazy one, not me, Ms. Vega.”

The forcibly wrung-out kindness was about to run out. His sharper tone proved it.

“…I guess so.”

Red Vega smiled bitterly. It was a sorrowful smile that contrasted with her fancy attire. The moment she smiled, the magic surrounding her disappeared and only a girl remained.

“I guess I went a bit crazy. You promised not to commit suicide, but I misunderstood again… Ehehe….”

When she conceded like this, Han Jae-jung was left speechless.

However, something still bothered him. She strangely emphasized ‘promised not to commit suicide’. As if any death except suicide was possible.

‘…Has she figured it out?’

Han Jae-jung got chills. He didn’t know why he got chills. Whether he was scared that the fact he had been keeping secret was revealed, or whether he got goosebumps because he didn’t know how she had discovered what he had been keeping secret. Or was he worried about getting scolded.

‘Getting scolded by a kid.’

Finding all these assumptions ridiculous, Han Jae-jung sneered internally. Come to think of it, there was no reason to get chills. So what if she knew? Even he, the person involved, couldn’t do anything about it. At most, she could spread rumors.

But given Red Vega’s personality, it was obvious she would never carelessly reveal others’ secrets. Whether she had noticed or not didn’t matter to Han Jae-jung.

Han Jae-jung suddenly found everything bothersome. Human relationships were annoying and he was sick of talking. So he maintained his silence until Red Vega spoke again.

His cold gaze pierced through Red Vega for a long time.

Red Vega turned her gaze here and there like someone lost in the vast ocean before finally settling on his eyes and opening her lips.

“Then, shall we disperse as you said?”

Han Jae-jung suddenly deflated.

‘I thought she would at least threaten me while showing her stomach like usual….’

Why was she being so docile for once?

‘It’s a good thing from my perspective.’

It’s good that he can get away from this place before even his minimal consideration disappears.

Thinking today’s commotion was due to Red Vega’s characteristic overreaction, Han Jae-jung left the place.

She must have been worried seeing him standing by the river.

He declined Red Vega’s offer to fly him back.

***

Ippotranslation 

***

“What should I do….”

Baek Ah-hee was lost in thought looking at the muddy footprints left on the veranda.

The words of the villain she heard today wouldn’t leave her mind.

The villain, Red Archer who was at the scene she responded to.

‘Did you know Han Jae-jung is terminally ill?!’

He left after shouting that with laughter that could pierce the sky. Red Vega didn’t have time to catch him. She had to spend a lot of time processing the language that came in.

Why did Han Jae-jung’s name suddenly come up here? Terminal illness? Who? That person?

Come to think of it, Han Jae-jung’s name was mentioned from his mouth before. At that time, she thought his intention was to reveal Han Jae-jung’s identity, but was he actually trying to say those words?

Unfortunately, there are quite a few magical girls who are connected to Han Jae-jung. Both Blue Sirius and Red Vega, the current strongest magical girls, are connected to him.

If his goal was to shake up the mental state of the magical girls, it was very effective.

Even Red Vega’s head went blank.

Red Vega, who was staring at where the villain had left, decided to look for Han Jae-jung instead of returning to headquarters. Although there was a convenient means of contact, she couldn’t think of it then.

She just scanned the city from the sky like hunting for mice.

While flying, Red Vega thought about various things. From verifying whether the terminal illness was true to imagining what she should do if it was true.

Of course, no answers came. There was no evidence to verify, and imagination couldn’t replace reality.

She hadn’t done anything yet.

She hadn’t properly become strong yet. He was still too far to reach.

There was still more effort to make, more sparkle to show.

Is he leaving already?

These worries amplified immediately upon meeting Han Jae-jung.

His back figure endlessly staring at the river looked pitiful and lonely, just like when she first met him. That figure swaying back and forth. His large back looked endlessly small.

Was it because she saw that lifeless appearance? Red Vega thought of suicide and rushed to him without thinking.

His reaction was different from usual. Usually, he would laugh awkwardly or be bewildered and his eyes would tremble.

The eyes Han Jae-jung directed at Red Vega showed irritation and pessimism. The eyes of someone who had given up and no longer prayed for salvation from magical girls. The kind of eyes you often see at rescue sites.

At the same time, it triggered her fear. The helplessness and self-loathing she felt when stepped on by Watcher crept up through those eyes.

Originally his eyes burned with romance. Even when bewildered or suffering, he was always warm towards her.

Looking at his eyes, Red Vega froze. Far from questioning him about the truth, she couldn’t even properly make an excuse. In the end, she couldn’t find out anything.

But, from that moment, Red Vega had a feeling.

The words the villain left were true.

“…Ribbon, what should I do?”

She asked her only mascot. The cat-like mascot kept silent without carelessly opening its mouth. Just like she had done moments ago.

It just patted her shoulder. To let her feel at ease.

[It’s not your fault.]

Not my fault? I couldn’t even give such a simple comfort? I just wasted time meaninglessly?

‘I couldn’t even do that….’

She couldn’t say anything to someone facing death. She was unable to speak.

Nothing came to mind about what to do.

What words would be comforting to someone who already knows their ending? No, are there even words that could be comforting?

The magic in her hands felt like nothing now.

“What should I do….”

After contemplating for a long time, Baek Ah-hee got up from her seat.

“…Right.”

When you don’t know what to do, it suits her to at least do something.

“Because I’m a star.”

Because I’m the star he acknowledged.

I should make sure not to disappoint him.

***

Ippotranslation 

***

Han Jae-jung returned home after half-heartedly finishing today’s café work. He ignored Joo Ah-yoon’s threatening suggestion that Yoon Seol-hwa would worry if he didn’t stay overnight again.

“Belt.”

[….]

“How long are you going to keep quiet. Say something now.”

[….]

“Hey!”

Han Jae-jung grabbed the metal ball and slammed it to the floor. Bang! The building with thin walls and floor shook. Complaints from neighbors might come, but he wasn’t in the state of mind to consider that.

“How long do I have to live like this! You damn piece of metal!”

Ding dong.

At that moment, the doorbell rang.

“How can I….”

Ding dong. Ding dong. Ding dong. The doorbell kept ringing endlessly as if someone was pressing it repeatedly.

“…Shit, who is it.”

He got up from his seat while letting out a rough curse.

“Who is it.”

He opened the door while putting his sharpened nerves into his words without trying to smooth them out.

“Like a comet to your heart.”

Bang. As soon as he saw Baek Ah-hee, he closed the door.

“Red Vega… Ouch! Why did you close without listening!”

“Ha shit….”

What else is there to say.

“At least open it first!”

Baek Ah-hee frantically knocked on the door. Han Jae-jung opened the door again with irritation.

“What is it.”

“As a counselor, I’ve determined that the patient currently needs special surveillance.”

Baek Ah-hee moved her mouth skillfully as if she had prepared.

“Therefore, I recommend that I stay by the patient’s side for 24-hour surveillance!”

Han Jae-jung looked at the large trunk placed beside Baek Ah-hee. After letting out a small sigh.

“No quacks allowed.”

He closed the door again.

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