I’ll Live as a Villain Obsessed Over by a Magical Girl

I felt embarrassed.
What on earth did I just do? Calling him “oppa,” and with that sticky voice.

“…”
“Mister…?”
“…”
“He… hehe, it was just a joke.”

Noah caught her breath and looked at Shin Hyun, who was gently pushing her away.

He had an expressionless face. Even though he would normally laugh it off, he didn’t say anything.

Noah was restless.

‘Could he be angry?’

She felt slightly anxious at his unusual behavior.
Shin Hyun slowly backed away in that state and covered his mouth with his hand. It was impossible to read his expression.

“…Haah.”

A sigh escaped from Shin Hyun’s mouth. Rather than a sigh of frustration or negativity, it was more like a slightly excited, flustered sigh.

“Where did you learn that?”
“Huh? From the internet and Taehwa…”
“You shouldn’t tease the mister like that.”

Even while saying that, Shin Hyun slightly turned his head. It was probably because it was too difficult to look at Noah’s face.

“Haah… why are you doing this?”

It was clearly a reproachful question, but Noah sensed something different. Because the face he turned away was slightly reddened.

With a sense of possibility, Noah uttered that word once more.

“Um… are you okay?”
“Do I look okay to y-”
“…Oppa.”

Whoosh!

Once again, Shin Hyun’s face turned sideways.

He seemed to be trying to avoid eye contact as much as possible, not wanting his expression to be seen.

Taehwa, who had approached without notice, poked Noah’s side.

“See. It’s working.”
“It’s working?”
“Of course. Watch.”

Taehwa, chuckling, spoke to Shin Hyun who had turned his head.

“Mister.”
“…What?”
“Take your hand away.”
“…No.”
“But you’ll have to lower your hand to eat, won’t you?”
“Eat?”

With those words, the door opened and the owner entered with a smile.

Not as luxurious as last time, but three bowls of glossy jajangmyeon. Crispy sweet and sour pork came out together.

“Well, eat up.”

After leaving those words, the owner disappeared, leaving the three standing awkwardly.
Taehwa urged Shin Hyun in a playful voice.

“Hurry up. The adult should eat first so we can eat too.”
“…That’s not necessary.”
“Come on, hurry. Right, Noah?”
“Huh? Uh… yeah. Please eat first, mister.”

Noah grabbed one of Shin Hyun’s hands and sat down beside him. It was a kind of strategy.
To prevent him from covering his mouth with one hand. Since he would have to hold chopsticks with the other hand.

“Phew.”
Shin Hyun sighed and lowered his hand.
The corners of his mouth twitched, but he seemed to be barely enduring.

As he picked up his chopsticks, Taehwa gave Noah a signal.

“Noah, now’s the time.”

Noah nodded in response.

She dipped sweet and sour pork in sauce and held it out to him. It was something she often did normally, but somehow it felt embarrassing now.

But she had to do it. If this could have even a little effect.

“Here…”
“…”
“Oppa, ah~”

Noah could clearly see it.
The mister’s completely reddened face.

I looked at Noah with wavering eyes.

I was moved by the sight of her clinging to me with an embarrassed expression, calling me “oppa.”

She had been clingy before, but this time was clearly different from usual. Men are such simple creatures by nature.

Doesn’t your heart race when a cute girl acts like this?

But I regained my composure.
It was because I thought this was a line that shouldn’t be crossed yet.

“Thank you.”
“Yef?”
“I’ll enjoy it.”

While eating the crispy sweet and sour pork, I also picked up a piece.

It was to feed Noah. After hesitating for a moment, she opened her mouth wide and ate the sweet and sour pork.

Noah’s eyes sparkled.

“It’s delicious! This is the first time I’ve had such delicious sweet and sour pork!”

The moisture and stickiness disappeared from her voice. Instead, the usual vivaciousness she had when dealing with me returned.

I mixed the jajangmyeon and handed the bowl to her. She began to eat it deliciously as well.

“…So it ends up like this after all.”

Lee Taehwa, licking her lips.
I quietly said to her.

“Taehwa. Don’t do this again.”
“Yes. And you shouldn’t make things hard for Noah either, mister.”
“Unlike someone I know, I’m honest.”
“Mister, you have a bad personality. I guess I should just take Noah away.”
“That’s not up to you.”
“Then do you want to take Noah with you, mister?”
“…Just eat your food.”
“Yes.”

She said that and began to eat.
Only then did I inwardly breathe a sigh of relief.

I had escaped. Finally, I was freed from the trap set by the two high school girls.

‘…That was draining.’

That Taehwa. Making things difficult by putting ideas into Noah’s head.
I’ll forgive her since I was able to see a different side of Noah, though.

Noah too. What wind suddenly blew her way? Noah is getting increasingly clingy…

‘Will I be able to endure?’

No. It’s not a question of whether I can endure.

‘I must endure.’

I’m not a saint. I’m not noble enough to put up an iron wall against a girl who comes running to me saying she likes me.

A cute girlfriend who follows me around because she likes me. That’s the dream of many men.

If Noah were an adult, and if it weren’t that kind of situation, my attitude might have changed a bit.

But one thing is certain.
At least not now.

I continued eating, pushing sweet and sour pork into Noah’s mouth to prevent her from doing anything silly.

In the midst of that, Lee Taehwa opened her mouth.

“Ah, Noah. Did you hear about that?”
“About what?”
“Our team is meeting this weekend.”
“Athena?”
“Yes.”

I heard a familiar name in their conversation.

‘Athena.’

The magical girl party that Noah belongs to.
A 4-person party consisting of Iris, Stella, and two other magical girls.

I heard valuable information during the meal. That Athena is the place that gives Noah the greatest help when facing the Demon King later.

By buying time against all sorts of monsters.

Their intimacy was important for that reason, and that’s why I reconciled Noah and Taehwa.

‘I didn’t expect everything to come out like this.’

If intimacy isn’t managed properly, an unfortunate incident occurs where one has to fight alone in the final battle. When all team members either run away or refuse to fight.

The scene of guardian girls who had resolved to protect, running away, was quite a masterpiece.

Actually, for one of them, I thought, “well, that figures.”

“I wonder what kind of people the others are?”
“…That black little kid seemed to have a bad personality.”
“Taehwa. You don’t know until you meet them in person.”
“Phew… I hope so.”

Unfortunately, they will struggle quite a bit.
Because of the black little kid, the magical girl ‘Black Heart’ that was just mentioned.

But there won’t be any major problems. As always, I’ve already made some plans.

This weekend, when Noah brings information.

‘That’s when the real education begins.’

So for now, just.

“Noah.”
“Yes?”
“Is it delicious?”
“Yes!”
“Eat a lot.”

Let’s just watch Noah eating deliciously.
She really eats happily, this kid.
“Noah.”
“Yes?”
“There’s sauce on your mouth.”
When I wiped the sauce off her mouth, her cheeks flushed intensely.
Seeing her eyes waver, she seems to be thinking something strange again.
“…Haah… seducing me again… really…”
…I wonder what she likes about this kind of mister.
“…Hehe… but I like it.”
“…”
Is it just my feeling, or has Noah’s gaze become a bit scary?
“Should I do it properly later…?”
Please don’t.
+++++
“That was a good meal.”

Noah nodded at the voice and replied to his words.

“It really was. I knew you were good at cooking, but your skills seem to have improved.”

Noah looked at Shin Hyun who was escorting her home. He looked tired, but he couldn’t refuse in the end.

‘I could go alone. The mister must still see me as a kid.’

The surroundings had already grown dark, and the path to Noah’s goshiwon was shrouded in darkness.

Sure, she’s a high school student even if she’s alone. And on top of that, she’s a magical girl.
But he insisted. Saying it’s dangerous to walk alone at night.

A magical girl and an ordinary person.
She was about to discuss which one would be more in danger, but she held back.

For Noah, this time walking back together wasn’t something she disliked.

But today, she felt somewhat anxious. Usually, on days like this when they walked back together, they would talk about what happened that day.

However.
Because of what she had done today, she was quite anxious, and as expected, it came up as a topic.

“Noah surprised the mister today, didn’t she?”
“Th-that…”
“I was really surprised. I didn’t expect you to come looking so pretty suddenly.”

Her words faltered. It was nice that he said she was pretty, but because of the question that followed.

“But why did you suddenly do that?”

A gradually rising embarrassment. As Noah hesitated, Shin Hyun, seeing her like that, chuckled.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
“…”
“Well, if you don’t tell me, I’ll never know why for the rest of my life.”

Never know for the rest of his life.
If that happens, wouldn’t all the fuss she made today be for nothing?

With that thought, words flowed from Noah’s mouth.

“…I wanted to get closer to you, mister.”
“To me?”
“Yes…”

Of course, there are other reasons, but this isn’t wrong either.

Making a “hmm” sound, Shin Hyun asked again.

“Then what should I do for you?”
“Pardon?”
“We’ve become closer, so I should show proof. That would make you feel better, right?”

It was a sudden proposal.
To show proof. With what? Ah, is he telling me to think about it now?

Hmm.
After contemplating, Noah came up with an answer when they reached near the goshiwon.

“Um… then…”

Noah placed Shin Hyun’s hand on top of her head.

“Please do what you always do…”
“Alright.”

The response came immediately. At the same time, Noah felt the hand stroking her head.
It was a warmth that never got tiresome, no matter how many times it happened.

She recalled the worries she had about whether that mister would abandon her or betray her.
She felt foolish for trying to shake off those worries.
That’s how much warmth and reassurance she felt.
Her head continues to be stroked. The thumping heartbeat and the heat in her head numbs her thoughts.
Perhaps that’s why, Noah decided to be a little more honest with herself.
‘Maybe it didn’t matter from the beginning.’

It was the conclusion Noah reached as she felt the gentle hand.

A thorn.
Even Taehwa, who was so close, had become a thorn, hurting her heart.

Is there any guarantee that this person won’t become such a thorn?

‘…Probably not.’

Isn’t that why she said such things today?
Even going so far as to say that embarrassing word… “oppa.”

Someday, this person might also become a thorn. A thorn that hurts her heart and gets stuck in a corner of her mind.

But.

“…Hehehe…”

It doesn’t matter.

“Mister…”
As long as she can continue to feel this warmth.
As long as she can make this warmth hers alone.
“I like it…”

If she gets pricked by a thorn, she hopes it hurts enough to kill her.

As if her heart is being torn, as if she’s shedding tears of blood. Such terrible suffering.

“Noah…?”

Surely, it would be proof that he had entered deep into her heart.

“Hehehe…”

Noah wished.

That the thorn would hurt enough to tear her apart. Enough to pierce the deepest part of her heart.
That he would come deep into her heart.

“See you tomorrow.”
“…Oh, take care, Noah.”

“Op.pa.”

Noah sincerely wished for that.