I Became a Magical Girl In a Harem Manga

Chapter 44 - H-honestly, I think monsters are people too

A dark aura began to emanate from the monster, Yoo Seo-Eun. It meant that she was drawing out all her power.

...She's awakening suddenly? This isn't good.

Yoo Seo-Eun, who desired to become human more than anyone, seemed to be awakening due to being repeatedly called a monster.

"W-what's happening?!"

Baek Shin-Hwa was startled by Yoo Seo-Eun's sudden change in demeanor.

"I think it's trying to attack us. Be careful!"

Shin Chul-Min swiftly assessed Yoo Seo-Eun's intent and prepared for battle. Baek Shin-Hwa and Jung Ha-Yeon also tensed up, ready to restrain Yoo Seo-Eun.

"Stop! Don't attack. I'll handle her alone."

I stopped the protagonists and approached Yoo Seo-Eun.

These three shouldn't be dealing with her. If they make a mistake, they might kill her while trying to subdue her.

My purpose isn't to kill her, so I, who have no intention of killing her, must stop her alone.

"You guys, if there's anyone nearby who tries to come this way, please stop them and send them back. I will subdue the monster myself."

"...Ms. Hye-Rim, will you be okay?"

Jung Ha-Yeon, who had already transformed into a magical girl to prepare to attack Yoo Seo-Eun, asked cautiously, her face full of concern for me.

It's been a long time since anyone showed concern for me when facing a monster.

"Absolutely. I won't lose to a monster. Trust me."

"No, Ms. Hye-Rim, I believe in your strength. What I'm worried about is whether the monster will die."

"......."

"I don't think that monster is evil. It seems... pitiful."

As it turns out, it wasn't me that Jung Ha-Yeon was worried about, but the monster. Jung Ha-Yeon was also hoping that Yoo Seo-Eun wouldn't die, which is a bit surprising.

By the way, even Ha-Yeon is worried about me getting into an accident. It seems like there's one more department head.

"Don't worry. I feel the same way."

I chuckled as I watched Jung Ha-Yeon look at the monster with a wistful look in its eyes.

"I'll just talk it down; trust me, calming down a child who won't listen is my specialty."

"Yes, I'll only trust you, Hye-Rim."

Receiving a warm smile from Jung Ha-Yeon, I approached Yoo Seo-Eun.

"Hey, calm down. You're not going to kill us, are you?"

"...Eek!"

Ignoring my words, Yoo Seo-Eun lunged at me, swinging her arm.

I quickly twist my body to avoid her attack.

Talking isn't working. Yoo Seo-Eun, who suddenly awakened her monster power, has lost control.

"This is so annoying."

In the original story, Yoo Seo-Eun recklessly attacked the protagonist. Even with her power amplified, Yoo Seo-Eun's position is still that of a villain.

Unable to defeat the protagonist, she was eventually defeated and lost her life.

At that time, she had absorbed the power of the academy students and gotten even stronger, but now that she hasn't recovered her strength, she's no match for me, even if she's awakened.

Even if she fought with full strength, she wouldn't be able to defeat me, and even if she fought with her body like this, it would only be bad for her.

That power is too much for her body, and even if I let her be, she'll die without me stopping her.

"Calm down. If you keep fighting, you'll be the only one to suffer."

"Die! Die! Die!!!"

I kept dodging Yoo Seo-Eun's attacks and trying to talk to her, but it was not working.

I can't help it. I tried not to be violent as much as possible, but now I have no choice.

"I must! I must survive and become a human..... guh?!"

I drove my fist into Yoo Seo-Eun's stomach as she charged at me. Her abs clenched, and she was sent flying, crashing to the ground.

"Ugh...!"

As she rolled on the floor, she clutched her stomach where I had struck her. Despite controlling my force, the impact was so intense that it momentarily immobilized her.

"Cough! Ugh...!"

"Are you awake now?"

As I approach the fallen Yoo Seo-Eun, her sharp eyes glare at me.

It's still a malicious look, but at least her eyes are clear now. A few blows to the head will bring her back to her senses.

Historically, that's the cure. One punch, and he's calm, right?

"If you attack me again, I'll hit you harder. And you know, if I couldn't control my power, I could accidentally kill you. You don't want to be killed by me, do you?"

"E-even if I don't die here, you're going to kill me anyway."

"What are you talking about? I told you from the beginning, I won't kill you if you surrender."

Apparently, Yoo Seo-Eun has misunderstood. She thought that because of what Shin Chul-Min and Baek Shin-Hwa said about killing her.

Of course, I thought that too. Yoo Seo-Eun was destined to die in the original story anyway. I don't mind letting her die.

But I'm human, too.

"I have no intention of killing you."

Even though I came to this world and lacked many emotions, I can still feel sadness and pity.

It was the same when I saw Yoo Seo-Eun's last words in a cartoon.

"I have no intention of letting her die."

Yoo Seo-Eun was turned into a monster against her will, and all she wanted was to return to her human form and live a peaceful life.

When she was forced to die at the hands of Shin Chul-Min, it was quite a bittersweet feeling.

In the manga, Yoo Seo-Eun had no choice but to die. If the protagonist hadn't intervened, the academy students would have been killed by her.

But what if we find Yoo Seo-Eun sooner than in the original, and her sins have not accumulated?

It's not too late. There's still a good reason to save her.

"You said you wanted to become a human, right?"

When I came to the academy because of the section chief, I made up my mind. I'm going to save Yoo Seo-Eun from this.

Let's give her a chance after all she's been through.

"That wish, I'll fulfill it."

"...Huh?"

"I can help you, so will you believe me?"

I held out my hand to Yoo Seo-Eun. She looked at my hand in confusion.

"You have two choices; trust me and ask for help, or you can continue to run wild and die by my hand."

"......"

If she doesn't trust me here and acts as she pleases, there's nothing I can do about it.

Now it's up to her to decide what she wants to do.

After being silent for a long time, Yoo Seo-Eun spoke with a trembling voice.

"Can... Can you really turn me back into a human?"

"Not completely, but I can guarantee you the human life you've always wanted."

"Is that......true? Really?"

"Yes."

I nodded without hesitation.

"You said it earlier, didn't you? You like to cook and watch dramas on the weekends."

"...Yeah."

"You can get back to that life. It's possible. I'll make it happen."

It's not a sin to want a simple, relaxing weekend to indulge in your hobbies. I can relate to this because I love to drink beer and watch YouTube on the weekends.

"What do you say? Will you entrust your life to me?"

Her eyes wavered, and Yoo Seo-Eun slowly raised her arm.

She brought her hand to mine but didn't take it right away. She still hesitated.

She must be having doubts. She must’ve wondered if I could really fulfill her dream so easily.

I didn't reach out and take her hand, but just waited and watched her until she took it of her own volition.

She didn't hesitate for long. Yoo Seo-Eun trusted me and took my hand.

"You chose well."

A smile tugged at my lips again.

Still holding her hand, I pulled her to her feet. Then, I turned to the main characters, who had been watching without speaking.

"Everyone, this monster, Yoo Seo-Eun, although she has the body of a monster, was once a human."

Yoo Seo-Eun, a human who became a monster. What should I call her?

If you call her a monster, she's a monster, and if you call her a human, she's a human. That means that Yoo Seo-Eun is either a hero or a criminal.

"Therefore, I decided to treat Yoo Seo-Eun as a villain, not a monster."

If we treat Yoo Seo-Eun as a human, she becomes a villain, not a monster.

"From now on, Yoo Seo-Eun's treatment will be managed by the Crime Division."

The three of them nodded silently, not saying a word.

Lee Beom-Soo, the chief of the Awakened Crime Division, has been happy lately. He didn't have to face Shin Hye-Rim when he went to work.

"It's so refreshing to be rid of that bastard who always kept causing me so much stress, haha!"

After finishing his work today with a relaxed mind, Lee Beom-Soo prepared to go home. After spending days like this, he felt like all the stress he had accumulated was gone.

"No matter how I think about it, sending Hye-Rim to the academy was a godsend."

With a good reason to send her on a business trip, Lee Beom-Soo decided to send her to the academy right away.

Part of his decision to send her to the academy was because he didn't want to see her for a while, but he also had his own reasons.

"I want her to mingle with the students and think about the old days."

Lee Beom-Soo had a vague idea of what Shin Hye-Rim's past had been like, and he wanted her to mingle with the students, even if it was only for a short time.

'I still remember the day I met her.'

Lee Beom-Soo recalled the moment he first saw her.

For someone who had just turned 20 years old, the aura she exuded was extraordinary.

Her face seemed devoid of human emotions. An attitude that seemed incapable of feeling happiness or sadness. Looking at her like a wounded stray cat, Lee Beom-Soo felt sorry for her.

'She's had such a hard life from a young age, she's bound to lack human emotions.'

‘These days, she's a little better, but she's still a long way off,’ Lee Beom-Soo thought.

"Heh, I'm not even her father, so why should I worry about this."

Lee Beom-Soo, who unknowingly considered Shin Hye-Rim as his own daughter, laughed bitterly.

"Forget it; she's good at taking care of herself, so she'll be fine. I'm getting off from work."

He shrugged his shoulders and turned to leave the office.

-Ring, ring, ring!

Lee Beom-Soo's smartphone rang. It was a call from Shin Hye-Rim, who was at the academy.

"What's going on?"

Shin Hye-Rim, the girl he'd sent to catch the monster, was calling him? Had she already caught the monster?

"Oh, Hye-Yung, how are you doing at the academy?"

Lee Beom-Soo picked up the phone and teased Shin Hye-Rim. Soon after, an irritated voice came over the receiver.

[Yes, thanks to someone, she is doing sooo well.]

"Huhaha! I'm glad to hear you're doing well. So, what's going on? Did you catch the monster already?"

[Yes, we have successfully captured the monster.]

"...Really?"

Lee Beom-Soo panicked as his thoughts became reality.

"Uh...... I see. Good job. But how did you catch the monster?"

[Before I tell you that, I want to say something to the chief.]

"What do you want to say?"

[Do you mind if I bring the monster I just caught with me?]

"......What does that mean, Hye-Rim?"

What's really going on?