The contract was simpler than I thought.
All we had to do was hook pinkies and say, “We swear to be friends for life!” and that was it.
I glanced at the Spirit Master uncle, wondering if all spirit contracts were this casual.
Uncle was smiling that so-called “dad smile” and looking at us with immense warmth, which made me realize this wasn’t exactly normal.
“Embarrassing, but what can you do?”
While pondering if Chae-a’s happiness was enough, Uncle patted both our heads and continued talking.
“So, we’ll get along from now on, right?”
“Yeah!”
“…Yes.”
Listening to Chae-a’s cheerful response, I nodded alongside her.
*
After contracting with a spirit, nothing really changed.
It was just that I now had a lifelong friend who was so cute I wanted to take care of them. Other than that, everything was the same as before.
“Here, take this! Ah!”
I watched as Chae-a, seemingly delighted about something, shared chocolate she had found earlier. With a big grin, she shoved a huge piece into my mouth.
“Is it yummy?”
“Mhmm.”
“Then I’ll give you more! Just wait a sec…!”
Chae-a seemed to enjoy giving me food, as she enthusiastically kept cutting up the chocolate.
As I watched her, I asked the Spirit Master a few questions.
“Teacher, I have a question.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“What exactly does a Spirit Master do?”
Simple as it sounded, it was a fundamental question—what was the purpose of being a Spirit Master, and why were they necessary?
After pondering for a moment, the Spirit Master smiled and replied.
“Most become hunters, or get jobs related to their contracted spirit. For example, I contracted with a water spirit, so I provide water to areas in need and occasionally purify water.”
It seemed there were many things one could do.
As I gazed at Chae-a rubbing against me like a cat, I smiled faintly and thanked the Spirit Master.
“Thank you for telling me.”
“Sure thing. If you have more questions, feel free to ask anytime.”
“Okay…!”
Deciding to think carefully about what I could do with Chae-a, I gently tucked her hair behind her ear as she had fallen asleep.
*
With the Spirit Master’s help, I carefully laid the sleeping Chae-a on the bed. After bowing in gratitude…
I approached my phone to thank the viewers who had helped me, only to notice an unusually high number of viewers.
[Viewers: 839]
Was the error not fixed yet?
Confused, I stared intently at the screen, causing the chat to suddenly flood with messages.
[SeorinSeorin – Why is Hae-un glaring? So cute it hurts!]
[CandySyrup – Watching Hae-un has become my daily joy.]
[EarthWormClub – Worm worm]
[MintChicken – Is Hae-un mad? No way, even when angry, she’s adorable.]
Wait, I’m not mad!
To clear up the misunderstanding, I quickly shook my head and explained.
“I’m not mad…! I was just surprised to see so many people watching.”
[MintChicken – Oh, I see? Maybe everyone just finds Hae-un too cute to resist.]
[BabyDernDern – If I ever have kids, I hope for a daughter like her.]
[SpineDoctor500 – She’s viral material just by breathing. Time for a blind date?]
Too cute? That can’t be right…
As an adult, I couldn’t let such evaluations slide, so I quickly shook my head to deny it.
“I… am not cute.”
[SeorinSeorin – Not just cute, but the cutest person in the world.]
[ChickenADay – If Hae-un isn’t cute, does cuteness even exist?]
[OmGiggles – They say the truly cute ones don’t think they’re cute, just like how good people don’t think they’re good.]
The viewers teased me relentlessly.
Not knowing how to respond, I fidgeted awkwardly before retreating from my seat. To calm down, I sat on the floor and nervously wagged my tail.
“…This feels calming for some reason.”
I don’t know why, but it felt instinctual.
Just as I was happily wagging my tail, my phone vibrated with a new message.
[Seorin – Hae-un, after training, let’s go shopping for clothes. Of course, Chae-a can come too!]
Looking down at my worn-out, slightly torn blue clothes—which were practically rags—I realized I definitely needed new ones.
But the problem was, I didn’t have any money.
“…What should I do?”
Ideally, I’d like to work part-time, but I doubted anyone would hire someone who looked like they were only 3 or 4 years old.
“…Maybe I should contact Hunter Han Arin?”
For a moment, I considered asking her if she could find me a job, but quickly dismissed the idea. It wouldn’t be right to bother someone I’d just met.
“If that doesn’t work, I’ll just have to search myself.”
Though the chances were slim, adults always said there’s always a way out.
Resolving to look around diligently, I steeled my resolve.
“Of course, I could use the stream to make money…”
But I didn’t want to accept money from the kind viewers who already gave so much.
“Because I can’t take money from people who’ve been so helpful.”
So, as an adult, I decided to solve this on my own and planned to apologize to Seorin beforehand.
*
About two hours later, Seorin entered the room.
Seeing her, I eagerly ran up and brought up the topic I’d been holding back.
“Seorin, listen… Sorry, but I don’t have money yet, so I can’t buy clothes right now. Can we go later?”
Though my pronunciation was messy due to my short tongue, I tried to clearly explain my situation and requested a delay.
Thinking she might understand, I hoped for the best. But instead…
“Yes? I was going to buy them for you.”
Stunned by her reply, I immediately shook my head.
“No, no, it wouldn’t be proper. I’ll buy my own clothes…!”
Believing she understood, I looked ahead, only to see Seorin looking confused as she asked,
“Huh…? Why?”
Buying your own stuff with your own money seemed obvious to me, but her “why” left me speechless. As I stared at the ground, unsure how to respond…
Seorin calmly explained.
“Can’t I just buy you clothes? I really want to give you something, Hae-un.”
“…You shouldn’t.”
“Why not? It’s natural for an older sister to give gifts to her younger sibling.”
Her explanation made it seem so natural, yet I still wanted to protest.
“Right! Older sisters giving gifts to younger siblings is totally normal!”
Suddenly, Chae-a chimed in with a cough, supporting Seorin’s argument.
“So, I’ll bring a present later! Got it?”
“Y-yes.”
As Chae-a patted my head affectionately, I hesitated. Meanwhile, Seorin playfully greeted her.
“Hi there, Chae-a. I’m Seorin.”
At the greeting, Chae-a froze like a deer in headlights, then quickly hid behind me, just like she did with the counselor earlier.
Trying to reassure her, I gently patted her back when Seorin pulled out an elegant-looking candy and waved it teasingly.
“If you befriend me too, I’ll give you this. And of course, Hae-un will get some too.”
At the mention of candy for me too, Chae-a peeked out cautiously before finally stepping forward.
“Really…?”
“Yes, really.”
“Then okay…!”
Watching Chae-a cheerfully nod, I silently resolved to teach her later not to follow strangers offering treats.
“Let’s eat the contract candy!”
“Thank you.”
As I bowed gratefully to both Seorin and Chae-a, Seorin seemed to have an idea and made a proposal.
“Do you still prefer buying your own clothes rather than having me pay?”
“Yes.”
“Then how about this—I’ll give you an allowance if you help me out?”
“Help…?”
Curious, I tilted my head as Seorin smiled and explained.
“When I train, you can bring me towels or water. Or maybe read fairy tales while snuggling with me.”
While fetching towels and water seemed practical, reading fairy tales didn’t seem like it required my help. Still…
With no other way to earn money besides helping Seorin, I agreed.
“Alright, thank you very much!”
“And from now on, can you call me ‘sister’?”
At the suggestion, my face turned bright red with embarrassment, leaving me speechless.
Seeing my struggle, Chae-a stepped in and called Seorin “sister” on my behalf.
“Sister!”
“Yes, yes, I’m your sister.”
Does hearing the word “sister” make people happy?
I didn’t know, but I played with my fingers awkwardly as Seorin noticed and began petting my head vigorously.
“You don’t have to call me sister if it’s hard. I’ll do whatever makes Hae-un happy.”
“Sorry…”
“Aww, don’t apologize. I’m already happy just being with Hae-un.”
Touched by her words, I unknowingly smiled softly before regaining composure and thanking her again.
“Then, shall we go shopping for clothes first? We can deduct the cost from your allowance later, how’s that sound?”
That seemed reasonable, so I shyly nodded in agreement.
Pleased with my consent, Seorin grinned and led Chae-a and me toward a nearby clothing store near the association.
On the way, I noticed something peculiar:
A pile of cola PET bottles carelessly thrown into a trash can.
*
![[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come](https://i3.wp.com/darkmtl.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/1737407792-8993-TS-The-end-of-magical-girls-has-come.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come")
