Chapter 60

Eventually, the Magical Girls, sacrificed to meaningless discussions, returned to their original duties.

Along with that, the relevant policy.

Without even asking, they supported the Magical Girls, leading to an unnecessary investment of manpower for citizen control.

Citizens, of course, and even the police present at the scene, spread the infection…

A pandemic crisis, which should never have occurred, became a laughingstock of a foolish policy that resonated throughout the international community.

“Ah, the national dignity is melting away.”

In stark contrast to the melting national dignity, the world began to freeze to the point that a white breath appeared when exhaling on the street.

Given the number of December, both Shiyeon and I needed thicker clothes.

I took out some crumpled cash from my wallet, which I hardly ever used, and headed to the market with a small handbag.

You wouldn’t believe it was in a small handbag, but it was over 100,000 won in cash alone.

The typical scene of tax evasion, where cash payments dominated the market.

Anyway, trying on clothes before buying is the best way.

Since the choices for kids’ clothes were already limited in size, I had to buy clothes that would last until the next year.

In a deep alley of the market, there was a small clothing store run by a hunched-over grandmother.

The grandmother showed no interest in whether customers had arrived or not, her gaze locked onto the bulging back of an old TV screen.

“Pick whatever you like.”

“Okay!”

As Shiyeon enthusiastically responded and wandered through the adult clothes, her steps naturally directed her inward.

Amid the haphazardly hanging clothes, I skillfully picked out kids’ clothes.

What I generally chose were bright-colored clothes with patterns that were neither too big nor too small.

When it came to practicality and laundry, dark colors were more convenient…

“Mary! I want this one!”

“Okay, hold it well.”

Seeing Shiyeon come back with a light pink dress, those thoughts quickly slipped away.

After all, Shiyeon and I were still around the same size.

If it was a bright-colored outfit that could be worn interchangeably until next year, I grabbed a mix of short-sleeve, long-sleeve, thin, and thick clothes and placed them beside the grandmother.

When Shiyeon selected her desired clothes, I picked up the clothes I had placed next to the grandmother and eyeballed them to see if they would fit Shiyeon or me.

Then, the grandmother blinked her wrinkled eyes and stared at me blankly, muttering.

“That kid is smart.”

A elementary school student picking out clothes to last for a whole year.

Showing an overly sisterly appearance.

Her relaxed demeanor, just brushing off with a simple remark of “smart,” was also a reason I became fond of that market clothing store.

Thus, the grandmother looked at the neatly piled clothes beside her and said…

“Just give me 50,000 won, 50,000.”

The grandmother from the clothing store stated the amount simply and clearly without asking or questioning.

Even though these were kids’ clothes, the estimated value was definitely around 80,000 won.

Whether she genuinely discounted that much or if it was just a grandma’s casual price reduction, I didn’t know.

When I handed over the money, the grandmother reached into a corner where some paper bags were stacked and pulled one out.

Clothes without price tags were stuffed into a paper bag that looked like it would hold clothing from a department store.

I wondered where she got those paper bags from.

It didn’t seem like she’d bought them separately.

With that reasonable question in mind, right after exiting the clothing store, I opened my eyes wide at the market scenery, trying to capture a bit of the approaching Christmas atmosphere fitting for December.

Even though there wasn’t particularly any monster-related work, my days were busy with heaps of laundry and cleaning.

As a result, I had become dull about various holidays and only realized it was Christmas after observing the market atmosphere just now.

It wasn’t the time to be happy thinking the consumption of masks would decrease as winter break approached.

Tightening the string of the rope-like paper bag against my shoulder, I subtly asked Shiyeon.

A subtle question to protect her innocence.

“Shiyeon, what are you going to ask Santa Claus for Christmas?”

“A secret!”

“Great…”

I was hoping she would tell me, Shiyeon’s desired Christmas gift.

With her two-word response thrown out as a question, a big concern emerged.

In this uncomfortable position, I couldn’t tell a first grader, “Santa doesn’t exist.”

Even while returning home and putting seasonal clothes into the drawer, I found myself deep in thought about how to get her to reveal her desired gift.

Damn it, what could it be?

Even when I thought from the perspective of the deceived, I recalled myself straightforwardly stating what I wanted.

When I dug into my childhood memories, I found nothing that would help.

I never expected the honesty of childhood would come back as karma in this way.

“Ha…”

“Why are you like that?”

As I sighed heavily, the Gomtaengi, who had already settled on my bed on the second floor, crawled closer to my face and asked.

Somehow, it had climbed all the way from the cushion over to my bed where I slept.

With no one to share my troubles with, I expressed my short dilemma to this creature in frustration.

Upon hearing my serious concerns, the Gomtaengi tilted its head and uttered the first line.

“What’s Santa?”

“Oh, starting from there…”

The Gomtaengi, a former monster lacking common sense about Earth, clearly didn’t understand that Santa is just a myth.

Instead of an origin story or other old tales, I explained that he was a jolly old man in a red suit with a fluffy white beard, who rides a flying reindeer on Christmas Day delivering gifts to children around the world.

Naturally, I explained in a low voice that he was a fictitious character.

“So, does that mean I have to give the gift without Shiyeon knowing…?”

The quick-witted creature noticed the intention behind my quiet voice and lowered its volume as well.

Nodding at the Gomtaengi’s question about how to keep it a secret from Shiyeon, the understanding of both Santa and innocence dawned upon it.

It, for once, was in the same position as I, groaning with the chin rested in its hands, lying on the bed as if contemplating.

“Hmm…”

“Maybe I should just give something they would like?”

Muttering to itself about the groaning thoughts and the undefined answer…

“Shh… Just wait a moment.”

The Gomtaengi urged for silence, looking somewhat distressed.

It seemed like it was on the verge of coming up with something, still pondering deeply with its eyebrows narrowed.

But how significant an idea could it possibly yield?

With that mindset, I didn’t expect much, simply lying in bed waiting for the laundry to finish.

“Mary! Mary!”

Finally, the Gomtaengi seemed to finish its trivial thoughts and pressed my temples with its soft hands, attempting to say something.

“What?”

“Give me your smart phone, I’ve come up with a brilliant idea.”

Looking at it like a person with a sly expression who would snap their fingers, the Gomtaengi demanded my smart phone right away.

Approaching with basic distrust, I decided to first ask what this brilliant idea was in a low voice.

“Tell me first, what is it?”

“Why didn’t you two set up a chat app?”

“Oh, right.”

“Why not create a fake account under Santa’s name and subtly ask her?”

“Oh!”

It was a fitting method that matched Shiyeon, who had just recently begun using a chat app.

A one-on-one conversation from Santa Claus.

If there is innocence and childlike spirit, it might just be a method that would work.

Of course, logically, it doesn’t make sense.

I recalled some story of Santa needing to fly at 26,000 kilometers per second to deliver gifts to every child around the world in a day.

With that kind of movement, there’s no time for casual chatting.

Although I said it was a good idea, legitimate doubts kept rising in my mind.

“Does Santa chat in Korean?”

“Eh, what does that matter?”

“True.”

The Gomtaengi shoved aside the reasonable skepticism with this situation.

Well, from the very moment I started doubting these things, presenting it as a deception was doomed.

Seeing the family placing toys into Santa stockings at the head of the bed, it was better for the fantasy to be broken than come to realize it later with proper doubt.

Right away, I created a fake account on a chatting app as suggested by the Gomtaengi, captured an appropriate Santa image from the internet, and set it as the profile picture.

No matter how I thought about it, this seemed wrong, but I set the nickname to ‘Santa Claus’.

What grandfather in the world would put ‘grandfather’ into his nickname?

However, even this awkwardness belonged to the realm of childlike wonder.

What should I say for the first message?

How should I express my words in a way rich with the warm kindness resembling chubby Santa Claus to effectively deceive her?

I discreetly deleted the first message that said, “Hello,” feeling that such rigidity didn’t suit Santa!

Repeating the process of writing and erasing, I finally sent off my first sentence.

[Shiyeon, it’s Santa Claus.]