If it were a usual situation, the meetup would have been extended by another two hours… but due to Ms. Venus’s retirement issue, it ended a bit earlier.
The next day, various news outlets on TV and the internet announced her retirement in a big way.
It was a story I had just heard the day before, but it still didn’t feel real.
For now, I just like this cool room and this break time.
The retirement of a magical girl felt like a problem too far away.
It reminded me of when I was in elementary school.
Thinking, “By the time I go to the military, there will be unification, so I won’t have to go!”—like that fleeting and meaningless happy thought.
“Huh.”
Thinking back on those times, a hollow laugh inadvertently escaped me.
It was absurd.
The little kids who thought that way grew up to become soldiers during that time.
People’s thoughts are pretty similar, after all.
Anyway, someone who has retired is simply retired.
They wouldn’t have uttered the word ‘retirement’ thoughtlessly, and they probably found a new magical girl to take their place.
A magical girl who would receive the name Venus and fill that role.
For her, let’s join our hands for a moment and wish her luck.
“Welcome to hell, still a pure girl.”
After lowering my hands, I fiddled with my smartphone.
The magical girl gallery would be the most sensitive to her retirement news.
When I visited the page, most of the posts in the gallery, without distinction of all or conceptual posts, were filled with her retirement news.
[What the hell, my magical girl!!!!!! (67)]
[Thank you, BeMoney… -From All of Magical Girl Gallery- (217)]
[I feel like I’ve been NTR’d right now (86)]
[My world crumbled today (101)]
[Ugh…I don’t want to live, damn (55)]
Among the posts that seemed related to magical girls, I clicked on a sensibility-laden conceptual post.
[I turned on my smartphone and saw the retirement news]
[I suddenly didn’t want to go to work]
[It’s so hard; my phone is ringing from work]
[I regret not having submitted my resignation yet]
[I really want to take your lives away]
[Please cancel the retirement.]
I tilted my head at the context-less beginning and end of the post while looking at the comments.
[You should answer the work phone, you crazy bastard, lol]
[Crazy woman, lol]
[Why are you taking our lives, you bastard]
[Let’s submit our resignations, go go]
[This damn thing, lol]
[What was the original for this?]
[Search “My world crumbled yesterday”]
[There’s an original for this kind of thing?]
[I’m also taking a day off and drinking alone, ugh, damn…]
It turned out to be a parody of something with an original text.
Not knowing the original, I couldn’t laugh and quickly moved on to the next post.
A warm title that seemed to have the most comments among recent conceptual posts.
The orange label attached to the nickname.
In other words, it was a post made by someone managing the gallery.
It summarized a generation of the magical girl Venus, detailing her achievements.
Where she handled which monster at what time and minute.
Over the span of more than ten years, the monsters she had stopped were all organized, and at the end of those achievements…
[Thank you. Magical Girl Venus.]
[Now put down your cane and rest in peace.]
[-From All of Magical Girl Gallery-]
If the retiring person had seen this, it would likely bring tears to her eyes—words that are rare in the gallery, but nonetheless impactful and serious in expressing hard work.
I had some regrets wishing she could have seen this post before her memories faded…
But there was nothing an elementary school student with no contact information could do.
More than that, I was admiring the scroll that listed her achievements.
Of course, there were some overlapping monster names.
‘How many hundreds is this…?’
Nevertheless, the countless records accumulated during that time were undoubtedly remaining in this gallery.
From now on, her achievements would turn into a blank white page, to be filled by another magical girl who inherits the name Venus.
Whether she would become a magical girl worthy of that name and achievements remains to be seen.
‘Anyway, that’s amazing….’
I purely felt that Ms. Venus was remarkable and scrolled down to the comments section.
The comments, usually filled with curses, criticism, and slander in the gallery, had turned into gentle lambs.
Thank you for your hard work. I will not forget you.
Thanks to you, I was able to sleep comfortably.
And so on, a flood of encouraging and comforting comments.
Feeling like I might have stumbled into the wrong community due to the unexpected warmth, I pressed the back button while receiving a rare moment of healing from the gallery.
Just as I was about to click on the next conceptual post.
[Caller ID Restricted]
‘Huh?’
A call window suddenly appeared in the center of my smartphone screen.
Calls don’t usually ring on this smartphone.
With all kinds of verifications and no places to input any information, it’s reasonable that there’s no information to sell.
Moreover, even the usual voice phishing scams wouldn’t call with ‘Caller ID Restricted.’
It clearly smells fishy—caller ID restriction.
As I eliminated possibilities one by one, the conclusion that emerged was clear.
Someone who knows about the existence of magical girls and can contact individuals.
Without any particular suspicion, I pulled the green button and answered the call immediately.
“Hello?”
“Hello? Is this Sun? It’s an aunt.”
A formal greeting exchanged, I casually replied with an ‘ah’ as if I didn’t know the person.
“Ah, yes.”
The voice coming through the smartphone sounded like someone high up in the government.
A high-ranking public official, as they say.
The financial source for the magical girls, and essentially the person in charge of them.
Without a proper title, something like the Minister of Public Safety…national safety dude.
It seems there’s a title spun from that since they can’t openly use a title like ‘Minister of Magical Girls.’
In any case, to put it simply, they could be described as the common helper and boss of the magical girls.
When this person contacts me first, it’s usually not for good things, but if I don’t answer, it causes trouble for me too.
“It’s not a big deal, but did you hear about Venus’s retirement?”
“Yes, well… of course.”
The sudden mention of Ms. Venus’s retirement by the minister.
I wasn’t sure why they were telling me, but I gave a positive answer regardless.
Then began a long, snake-like tongue of lengthy explanations.
“Venus isn’t retiring right away; she’s going to transition to a new Venus… that is, while they both hand over the position… uh… what does hand over mean…”
“I know what it means.”
“Oh, really? You’re smart… you don’t know how much I rely on you.”
This wasn’t the usual straightforward minister speaking.
There was an intention somewhere to flatter and cloud judgment.
I’ve heard that government positions are hell, but she seems to have survived that battlefield.
I mustn’t get caught up in her flow of conversation.
Responding with ‘uh, ah, yes…’ can lead to scenarios where I end up at a disadvantage.
She seems to have something she wants.
Judging by previous clues in the conversation, she likely wants me to fill in the temporary gap created by the retirement.
This lady also knows that I don’t come off like other young girls of the same age.
“Oh, so what’s the main point?”
“2 weeks, dispatch to Sokcho. While you’re staying in Sokcho, your daily pay will be 1.5 times.”
“Do you think I’m an idiot? 3 times.”
I immediately called out 3 times upon hearing the ridiculous compensation through the phone.
There’s no retirement pay in this idiotic job.
Therefore, there aren’t significant losses due to Ms. Venus just leaving her position.
Plus, the salary that’s regularly paid to Ms. Venus.
That should come to me, who will fill the gap.
At this point, I rightfully deserved to claim two times.
Honestly, there wasn’t a justified reason for demanding three times, but if I started with two, I wouldn’t be able to get less than that.
Considering they contacted me instead of some other magical girl, it indicates that the others are too occupied with protecting their own territories.
“That won’t do, 1.75 times.”
Even though obviously I had the upper hand, the minister started to gradually increase the offer from the original 1.5 times.
Of course, I had no intention of cutting it down to 2 times immediately.
Negotiation is something that requires shamelessness.
“2.7 times.”
“1.8 times.”
A tense standoff ensued.
Gradually, the gap between the numbers was closing.
That signified that a compromise that both sides could accept was beginning to form.
“2.4 times.”
“1.9 times.”
As expected, it looked like we would meet around the 2 times point, but I decided to push for a tougher stance this time.
Mentioning that I had already finished my vacation homework and dramatically pretending to collapse from exhaustion.
“2.3 times, anything less, I’ll hang up. Ah! Vacation homework is so hard!”
“Tch.”
A short tongue-clicking sound from the minister.
Of course, the vacation homework talk was a complete lie.
While Shiyeon may not know, I had actually finished it all.
I may look like a little kid, but it’s dangerous to underestimate an on-site worker.
Even if I’m just a kid, I’m determined to make sure I get the proper compensation for my labor.
“Alright! 2.3 times!”
‘Nice!’
Celebrating what turned out to be a surprisingly successful negotiation, I clenched my fist with the hand holding the smartphone.
“You’re sending a person, right? You’ve also prepared accommodation for us?”
Next, I spoke with a sly tone through the smartphone.
The people who would take us to Sokcho and the place we would stay there.
Since this was a rapid fix, there had to be at least that level of arrangement.
“Well! Goodness, where did this….”
An audible complaint, almost like a mumble, could be heard from the minister before the call abruptly cut off.
It seemed the minister was quite dissatisfied with this negotiation.
On the other hand, I was extremely satisfied.
More importantly, Sokcho. Sokcho…
Peeking my head out from the bunk bed, I saw Shiyeon working on her vacation homework at the low desk in the living room.
“Shiyeon!”
“Hmm?”
Calling her out with enthusiasm, Shiyeon looked up in my direction.
On her puzzled face, I was about to deliver the blooming news that would bring flowers to her.
“We’re going to the beach tomorrow?!”
“Really?!”
Without straying a bit from my expectations, a blooming smile erupted on Shiyeon’s face.
