I Will Live as a Villain the Magical Girl Is Obsessed With

10 – 4. I Will Live as a Villain – 2

After leaving the restaurant, I took Noah to a nearby park. The night park was dark and deserted.

“Hoooo…”

I laid down on the bench with Noah. Noah is now sleeping with my thigh as her pillow. Her eyes were swollen from crying so much.

Looking at her, my heart ached, because the smiling face turned into a miserable one remained in my mind.

“Uhm… Dad…”

Noah muttered in her sleep, searching for her father.

When I gently stroked her head, he wore the happiest expression.

As I watched her asleep, I organized my thoughts.

In fact, it was true that I had hesitations.

Isn’t it?

‘Being a villain.’

Despite the plenty of cool villains, it’s clear that a villain is an evil person. By living as a villain, one has to take inevitable risks.

Being caught, seriously injured, or even facing death.

For someone who’s never stolen, they’re terrifying things.

Of course, one may ask this question:

‘What about joining the association?’

I can answer that question clearly.

‘The guys at the association are too square and uncool.’

Though fancy in words, in truth, it’s no different from a black company. I want to dissuade Noah from joining…

‘Can’t argue when you hear about Dad.’

In the game, Noah received a large sum of money on the condition of joining the association, probably for her father’s medical expenses.

If she doesn’t prepare the money, Noah’s father dies. Therefore, dissuading Noah from joining the association also means killing her family.

“…I have”Let’s prepare thoroughly.

“A year. No, possibly a bit more.”

The main story will begin next spring. It will start not long after Noah enters high school.

‘The first boss…’

I remembered.

The tutorial boss, and also the demon king’s henchman, the Orc Lord.

It was a monster that kidnapped people.

If Noah got defeated by it, she too would get kidnapped, and the game would end in a bad ending.

The inexperienced Noah found the cunning Orc difficult to beat, it was the boss she always had to run away from.

This point exactly, had me worried.

‘Will Noah run away?’

…Probably not.

In the game, I controlled her to run away. But the Noah I’ve seen so far isn’t someone who would leave an enemy behind and run.

I asked Ghoul after some thought.

‘Ghoul, you can absorb magical power, right?’

‘Yes.’

‘Even from monsters?’

‘It doesn’t matter whether it’s a monster or a human.’

Great.

Choosing Ghoul as a partner was indeed the best decision.

For a while, let’s secretly hunt down monsters and villains. Also, emerge before Noah as soon as possible and become her rival.

“There’s a lot to do from now on.”

I gently patted Noah’s head who was going to struggle from now on.

It’s strange.

I was not originally the type to show this much affection to others.

Perhaps it’s because I met her in the game, or maybe it’s because I’m anxious that the world might be ruined.

‘It’s love.’

‘Shut up.’

I do like Noah, but that’s just ‘Like’, not ‘Love’.

I looked blankly at the night sky as I laughed off Ghoul’s words.

“…Phew. This is going to be tough.”

“Whats up?”

“Just wondering why life is so hard.”

“All lives are like that.”

“Ghoul, you speak wisely. You should talk more like this-“

“Who is Ghoul?”

Ghoul who? It’s you.

I swallowed the words I was about to say.

“…Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

There was a gaze fixed on me.

It was Noah.

“What time is it now?”

“Now?”Where… is it one in the morning?”

“How long was I asleep?”

“About three hours?”

Noah slowly got up.

She looked at me with a refreshed face, as if the crying she’d done until a moment ago was a lie.

“I really can’t handle alcohol.”

“That’s right. You should avoid drinking.”

“I think I should. Oh… so embarrassing.”

She got up twisting her waist and soon sat beside me.

“Did your legs not hurt?”

“Not really. You’re not very heavy.”

“Is it because I didn’t eat anything?”

“Count your meals properly. I’ll even prepare a lunchbox next time, so take it with you.”

Of course, convenience store lunchboxes aren’t good for you.

Salty… high in calories. Continually eating ramen and lunchboxes is the perfect way to ruin your body.

Next time I have a chance, I’ll teach her how to cook.

I’m pretty good at it since I’ve lived alone for a long time.

“…”

“…”

A single lightbulb shone on us.

We watched the faint spreading light for a while, keeping silent.

I didn’t know what to say.

Noah was probably being quiet because it was awkward.

Whenever this happens, it’s better to just stay quiet. No one to bother us.

Crossed interests led to this silence.

“Mister.”

That was when it happened. A voice breaking the silence.

“Thank you.”

My gaze turned towards Noah.

“For listening to my worries. Thank you.”

Noah, who had been looking at me suspiciously until dinner, was now looking at me with a smile.

“This is the first time I’ve opened up to someone like this.”

“Really? Do you feel relieved?”

“Yes. I really mean it.”

As she said, Noah was wearing a genuinely relieved expression.

I was about to say, “That’s a relief,” but my words were cut off.

“Then I will be going.”

“Hmm, then I’ll accompany you to your house-“

“That’s okay. I’m strong, you know.”

“That’s not the point.”

“What is it?”

“Do not bother. This is for my peace of mind.”

I got up from my spot and walked over to Noah.

“I’ll accompany you to your house.””Let’s go.”

“I’m fine here…”

“I told you. This is just to put my mind at ease.”

There was no other option but to go along with Noah, who was walking beside me. Just like that, I strolled through the night streets with Noah.

After approximately 20 minutes had passed.

“This is it.”

A worn-out boarding house stood before us.

“It’s old, isn’t it?”

“What about it. I also used to live in such a place in the past.”

“Where are you living now?”

“Basement. It’s not so bad.”

“I should check it out sometime.”

“It’s just that it’s a mess when the rainy season comes.”

“Ugh… I hate that.”

We continued our conversation for a little longer.

Noah wore an almost disappointed expression.

Her face becoming much more relaxed. I was grateful. I wasn’t sure if we could call ourselves friends, but at least she didn’t seem to regard me as an enemy.

When I happened to yawn, Noah began waving her hand.

“I’ll be going now.”

“Yeah, careful on your way home.”

“Safe travels.”

As I waved at the back of Noah leaving, I soon lowered my hand.

I should probably head home and rest as well.

It has been a day full of activities… or rather, it’s not even a day anymore.

“Yawn…”

A long yawning sound.

At the same time, a voice scolding me echoed in my ears.

‘Tch. It’s so suffocating.’

‘Hey, youngster. What are you dissatisfied about this time?’

‘Really, are you just going to end it like this?’

‘What?’

‘What a suffocating partner.’

I could feel the youngster, who had been quiet, entering my body.

I had no time to stop it. That guy took control of my body in an instant.

Staggering.

My footsteps changing.

Thump.

I held onto Noah’s arm.

“Mister?”

“..Ah… That’s…”

Noah’s confused expression.

I quickly asked the youngster.

‘What do you think you’re doing?’

‘Quiet. Prepare some cool lines.’

Prepare?

What exactly am I supposed to prepare?

Yet, my words vanished without a chance of coming out, only deeply etched into my two eyes.

Noah’s surprised face was approaching. Noah was getting closer to my body. I guess the better description would be being pulled in.

As for what happened next?”…”

“…”

I find myself embracing Noah.

Our bodies pressed tightly against each other.

I can hear Noah’s small heart pounding fiercely.

“Noah. This is…that…”

What can I possibly say to explain this situation?

That another side of me did it? I’ll be considered insane.

Because I’m in love? What am I doing with a minor?

Because she’s like a daughter to me? That would be utter atrocity. It’s like being a s*x offender.

My vision swirls. I had just gotten close to Noah. If she starts to become cautious again because of this, all my efforts will go to waste.

‘…Pull yourself together.’

I should apologize. Say it was a joke, or a mistake.

Maybe if I apologize, she will accept it.

Just as I was about to lower my head, I met Noah’s gaze.

“…”

It was an expression I’ve never seen before.

Her cheeks flushed like a ripe tomato, her breath sweet.

Noah’s small hand grabs my shirt.

Almost as if she does not want to let go.

“Noah?”

“…”

“Noah…?”

“…”

Noah simply stares at me without uttering a word.

Like this, time passes until our body temperatures match.

“…See you tomorrow. Sir.”

Noah quickly fled back into the hostel.

Leaving a deep warmth in my heart.

+++++

“Ah…Ah…”

Noah, under her flipped over blanket, clutched her chest.

‘Calm down…calm down…myself…!’

Thump.

However, her heart didn’t listen.

It was pumping regardless of its owner’s will.

I wonder why. It was a question that came from her head to toe, but she might already know the answer.

Perhaps because.

She shared her body heat with a man.

Thump.

The man’s embrace was warm. Was that why? She thought it would be nice if she could stay like this…

If she went a little further from here.

If it was not just a hug…Going further…if only he had gone to the next of the next.

“What’s there to regret…”

Thump. Thump.

Noah forcibly suppressed her pounding heart and lay on her bed.

Why was the bed, which usually would have been soft and warm, so cold and lonely today?

“Mister…well…it was warm…”

Thump. Thump. Thump.

It must have been because she’d gotten a taste of that warmth, that gentleness.

“…u…uhhh…! How can I face him now…!”

Every time she thought of this, her face would turn red.

“Ugh… ughhh…! Why am I like this…!”

If she closed her eyes, she’d start to remember.

The man’s face.

Those blue eyes, cherry-like lips, that warm smiling expression.

“…I must be going crazy…”

That night, Noah stayed up until dawn with her eyes wide open.

All because of that man’s face that kept surfacing in her mind.

Did Noah realize?

That far in the future, when she recalls this moment, she would decide to refer to this memory as the memory of her sweet first love.

“Ooh…oohh…”

Even though the girl, Noah, was not yet aware that this was her first love, she could only tramp her feet at the sight of the man’s face that kept appearing.

“…What do I do now…”

She absolutely didn’t have the courage to meet the man’s gaze.