Magiclad Girls and a Mob who will save them, or else the world is doomed!

Chapter 24: Persistent mob

[Karen PoV]

I did it. I said too much… I pushed away Izayoi, who was genuinely concerned about me, with coldness.

But there is a territory I don’t want to be touched. It’s the absolute core of myself. The moment someone enters that territory, intense panic and anxiety engulf me.

I tried not to think about it too much. The fear of thinking about it made me pretend not to notice it, but suddenly I couldn’t suppress my emotions anymore.

As I rode the evening train swaying under the setting sun, I reflected on everything alone and returned home. Even when I got home, everything was as usual. Dad came home a little later, and then Mom came home.

While Mom and Dad were together in the living room, I said,

“Today, I went to a café with my junior…”

“Oh, did you properly thank them?”

“Ah, yeah…”

I couldn’t say that I pushed him away. It is not fair of me to use it as a topic of conversation here and be so cold about it.

“I want to thank him properly, but when are you going to invite him over?”

“Well, um, maybe around next week?”

“Should we buy him a thank-you gift or something?”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea… But hey, Mom and Dad, did you ever go out together in the past?”

Both of them had complicated expressions. They were unsure of who should start the conversation.

“…I wonder. I remember going out together, but I don’t remember the specific places.”

“Me neither.”

“Well, it was a long time ago, so it can’t be helped…”

I couldn’t do anything. I tried to initiate a conversation and create a small bond, but even that didn’t work well. A true family should be able to express their true feelings more and laugh together.

It’s not just me. Even the two of them… None of us can speak our true feelings. Because of that, the distance between us keeps growing. I think I need to change something, but even with that thought, I remain stuck.

What should I do…?

◆◆◆

[Izayoi PoV]

I lay on the bed in my bedroom, thinking. She made it clear. Our relationship must have become awkward after what I said.

But why did I go this far? The bad end has been avoided, so it should be fine now. I was mostly driven by a sense of duty to prevent the world from being destroyed. Therefore, there’s no need for me to take any further action.

And yet, I can’t suppress the feeling of wanting to do something, to figure out what to do.

Maybe I need to reevaluate myself as well. No, perhaps deep down, I already knew. I just pretended not to see it.