It wouldn’t be okay, would it?
Of course, right after that, the monster let me cross the rainbow bridge, but I couldn’t escape criticism, led by the animal protection organization that had fled in panic.
The momentary pleasure cleared my mind, but it was an event that naturally earned me a lot of scolding.
It seemed that there was even a reporter who intended to write a favorable article for the cat-loving animal organization, as articles with grand titles like “Revenge” or “Magical Girl’s Revenge” popped up within a few hours.
Naturally, when I returned home after a fulfilling day’s work, my smartphone began to ring off the hook.
It was the Minister’s call, asking what I was doing if it wasn’t monster hunting.
It was said that I needed to at least accept an interview, not a press conference.
“Yes, yes, then I’ll come up once this weekend, yes, yes.”
In fact, it was what I had hoped for, so I ended the call with satisfaction.
As it happened, Saturday was an odd day, and I could leave the minor monster extermination to Shiyeon.
“Are you okay…? Did you get scolded a lot?”
As soon as the call ended, Shiyeon asked with a worried expression.
I couldn’t imagine that this was the same Shiyeon who had been playing string games in the waiting room, led by the suited uncles.
Is it easy to forget primary school memories?
After showing a circle with my thumb and index finger on the hand holding the smartphone, I spoke in a completely indifferent manner as if there were no issues at all.
“No, I’m fine. I’m going to Seoul on Saturday, so please take care of the monster extermination.”
“Yeah, I get that, but…”
Shiyeon continued to mumble, struggling to find words.
Her posture of lowering her head and fidgeting looked just like a pet with separation anxiety.
I rubbed her cheeks playfully, as if to say it was unnecessary worry.
“Oh come on, why so much concern?”
“Ubuubub, don’t say that.”
Only then did Shiyeon manage to find something to say at the end of her sentence.
I felt like I really had a daughter and smiled as I welcomed Saturday.
I walked in casual clothes and took a car with the suited uncles to the bustling city center, heading to Seoul.
Inside the car, where the sound of the engine and the tapping of the smartphone echoed, the conversation suddenly began.
“I saw the video from the animal organization yesterday, and wow… it cleared my mind just watching it.”
“Honestly, it was wrong, but personally, I support it.”
“Oh, yes… well, thank you.”
For the people here, it’s safe to say they are all on the Magical Girl’s side.
Although not all incidents can be addressed one by one, these folks are working hard in their own ways, whether they know it or not.
As it turned out, the photo that Tiara posted on social media was deleted shortly afterward at their formal request.
The problem is that some people already know me as a friend of Tiara.
When we arrived near our destination, the car stopped, and the engine was turned off.
“We have to get out from here. The tint is dark, so you can transform and go out after.”
“Yes, Sun.”
A white flash lit up the car interior as my body shrank.
I quietly opened the car door and headed towards a building that felt like a villa, even if it wasn’t really home.
First, I needed to visit the building where the Minister was.
It seemed I would have a chat and be given a script for an interview afterward.
Naturally, the first thing I heard upon meeting the Minister was a tedious lecture.
“Mary! You really! No matter how annoyed I was, still!”
“Oh, this time I thought a lot before doing it.”
“Huh…?”
The Minister’s expression reached a level of astonishment beyond simple anger.
It would certainly be baffling.
I’d think the same if I were in their shoes.
What on earth was I thinking that led me to show up in the middle of an animal protection organization protest with a six-legged large dog monster?
If the person talking was really a thoughtless middle school first-year student, I would have made that face too.
“Ah, just hear me out to the end. It’s true I intended to bother the animal organization, but I did it after thinking thoroughly…”
“Haa, go ahead and finish…”
The Minister leaned back in the chair with a sound, seemingly feeling a headache coming on, pressing their forehead.
Well, no one else but me has caused such a problem in the magical girl scene.
Before that, there was supposedly a magical girl who transformed after getting drunk on a university MT seven or eight years ago?
If it were on that level, they wouldn’t dare compare to me in terms of controversy.
If this article makes it into the media properly, the animal organization won’t dare to interfere with magical girl activities in the future, and naturally, my workload will decrease as well—this was my desperate persuasion.
And putting on the facade that I acted for the public’s ‘awareness’ regarding monsters, I managed to craft something that at least sounded plausible without needing a full script.
“Alright… then I can just leave it to you this time, right? Can I go home after work?”
“Um, probably?”
“…Can you say that with certainty?”
The Minister looked uneasy.
Leaving behind a vague response, I transformed back to my usual appearance and slipped out of the building, heading to the interview location in the car.
On the way to the interview location, it seems the suited uncles had some advance notice, as they explained the general interview process.
“You’ve done it once at the press conference, so you’re a bit familiar, right?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“This time, the end will be a bit different, though—after the interview, instead of getting into our car, you’ll have to fly home directly.”
“Why?”
My mouth moved first with the sudden question.
Of course, flying would be faster…
Were they saving on gas? When that conspiracy theory crossed my mind, I realized there was a legitimate reason.
“It’s because reporters are hell-bent on finding out what magical girls look like before they transform.”
“Ah.”
The right given to magical girls to deal with it directly to avoid becoming victims of the monstrous actions brought on by the reporters’ obsession.
If they drove me home, cars would follow closely enough to be noticeably suspicious.
Understanding the situation, I took a grand step into the battle zone filled with reporters, waiting to unleash their verbal attacks.
Click click… as I stepped out of the car, the flashbulbs started exploding like flashbangs, blinding me with light.
“Please turn off the flash….”
“Sun! Is it true that you stormed the animal protection organization protest with a monster?”
Click click.
The reporters, seemingly uninterested in what I had to say, fired off questions immediately.
“Can you please turn off the flash….”
“They’re saying it’s a revenge act against criticism of magical girls, is that correct?”
Click click.
“Please turn off the flash….”
Click click.
“Pl….”
Without any intention of listening, the relentless barrage of shutter sounds and flashes continued.
I had no choice but to raise my cane high into the sky.
Were they looking for something controversial? When the cameras’ eyes shifted toward the cane’s decoration…
The red heart decoration shone pure white.
‘I want to use a big flash just once.’
“Let there be light.”
A blinding flash erupted.
Naturally, the reporters who had their eyes turned to the cane screamed.
“AAAH!”
“KYAAA!”
“Well, now I’ll take questions.”
Of course, the clicking of camera shutters and flashes had to stop, and in the now quieter atmosphere, I continued.
Finally, the reporters seemed to reach a state of “let’s not provoke this crazy girl.”
They hid the flashes they had been carelessly triggering, asking more reasonable questions.
“What was the reason for storming the animal protection organization’s protest with a large dog monster this time?”
“Well, that’s because of awareness.”
“Awareness?”
“Yes, I feel like people these days see monsters too lightly. They project their own pets onto them because they resemble the animals they know or protest just out of pity to protect monsters or ban their extermination.”
Click, click.
The shutter sounds rang out several times without any flashes.
Taking a breath, I continued.
“Even if you see them as weak, monsters are just like bears, lions, or tigers on the streets. Imagine if they were wandering around. It would be a big deal, right? Our main task as magical girls is to deal with that as quickly as possible.”
One female reporter, still rubbing her eyes.
Didn’t she ask earlier if it was revenge against criticism of magical girls for my actions at the protest?
“I want to ask the reporter who asked that question earlier; do you think this six-legged large dog-like monster is an animal you should protect?”
And everyone knew the outcome of that.
Instead of protecting the monster that they urged to stop being slaughtered, the animal protection organization’s true colors were revealed as they panicked and fled when the creature barked a few times.
“What I want to say is, please don’t hinder our activities while talking about worthless protection. Are they going to kill people while pretending to protect those creatures? Does it make sense to let them attack the students walking down the street? Can any of the respected members of the animal organization give me their address? Next time a monster appears, I’ll just throw it at their house.”
Unknowingly, I had heatedly added words I didn’t need to say.
There weren’t any further questions, and the reporters fell silent.
Just when I thought this was too much…
A small clapping sound rang out.
That sound gradually increased until it turned into two, three, four claps…
Before I knew it, the place where the reporters had gathered was filled with loud applause, like a stage audience.
Caught off guard by the unexpected reaction, I couldn’t maintain my expression and scratched the back of my head with a clumsy smile.
I had prepared myself for an article titled, “[Citizens Call for ‘Awareness’ Magical Girl Sun, Controversy Over Criticism]”…
“Oh, well then… I’ll take my leave now.”
As the applause continued for a while, I sheepishly scratched my cheek and flew back home.
