There is a saying that one word can settle a thousand debts, but for the monster, a few words resulted in a lifetime of beatings.
Indeed, nothing was more apt than the phrase “beaten like a dog on a scorching day.”
Of course, if one were to scrutinize from beginning to end, it could be said that all the monsters, who used the Magical Girl, specifically Sun, as a reaction speed test, were at fault…
However, with the appearance of a being eager to shift blame, all responsibility was solely placed on him.
The monster, battered and bruised, with a body covered in blue and purple marks, headed towards the recovery room.
The reason he was going to the treatment room was not to heal the wounds inflicted on him.
Before being nearly beaten to death by his fellow monsters, he was forcibly pushed to resolve the problem.
“Uh, is Medik Tenkl here?”
“Yes…?!”
Medik Tenkl, startled at the sight of the swollen face of the monster oozing green liquid, responded with an astonished voice.
“What happened to your face?”
In the ship, the light-hearted violence among the combatants was often tacitly accepted as a norm among the spirited monsters.
But seeing the extent of the injuries on a fellow combatant was shocking.
“Uh, it was just a little roughhousing…”
However, as the combatant awkwardly brushed off the question, he forced a smile, trying to convey that it was nothing to be concerned about.
After all, in front of the officers who were furrowing their brows waiting for the retrieval of the teleportation devices…
“I think I accidentally made the situation worse by playing the reaction speed game with the Magical Girl, so I ended up getting a beating from my fellow monsters and now I’m here to resolve it. Hehe.”
…he couldn’t possibly tell the truth.
Thus, the monster hesitantly conveyed only the essentials.
“Um… can I get the metal plate that you used to communicate before, Tenkl?”
“Huh? Why the sudden request?”
Medik Tenkl replied, somewhat surprised at the monster’s request.
The metal plate, inscribed with “I want to communicate,” sat in the corner of the recovery room.
A symbol of hope, it had become an indispensable means of peace with Medik Tenkl.
What could he possibly want it for?
Such questions filled his mind.
“Regarding the devices, I wanted to request a retrieval in order to try and initiate a conversation…”
“Oh.”
Medik Tenkl found the monster’s earnest suggestion interesting.
In fact, for Medik Tenkl, asking why was not an unwelcome inquiry.
Recently, Sun had engaged in bizarre actions, stealing the reverse teleportation devices that had been sent to the monsters.
Though Sun was not using the stolen equipment, he repetitively engaged in this inexplicable mockery, leaving Medik Tenkl perplexed.
Yet, asking Sun directly was not something he was eager to do.
With Gossip Muns stating that communication is impossible in the Black Zone, going down without a proper strategy felt a bit daunting.
At that moment, an unfamiliar combatant made the suggestion, leaving Medik Tenkl intrigued.
“It worked out better than expected,” he thought, quickly handing the metal plate to the combatant.
What he handed over was a cold token of negotiation rather than a pass or approval.
“Well then, you’ll be in charge of the next engagement in the Black Zone… I’m counting on you.”
“Huh?”
The combatant, unexpectedly handed the symbol of peace, was quite taken aback.
At that moment, in a park in Incheon…
Two figures were running together in the relatively warm afternoon.
“Left foot, left foot, left foot, left foot.”
“Ugh, hack!”
In mid-January, two middle school girls, Kim Mari and Lee Siyeon, ran through the park, matching their steps to the chant.
While Mari appeared relatively comfortable enough to keep up even while reciting the chant, Siyeon struggled to follow, gasping for breath.
Why were these two students, with their precious vacation days slipping by, running in the park on a winter afternoon?
“Left foot, left foot! What good will that do for losing weight?”
The reason for exercising was the same for students not yet adults.
Like animals that pre-store food for winter hibernation, their once-structured lives had shifted into lazy indoor routines as school became a distant memory.
Their weights had remained stagnant without any changes.
…If only it had been that simple, but the reality was that their once-lazy lifestyle had solidified that weight onto their bodies.
“Ugh…”
“If you keep this up, you won’t be able to eat a thing this New Year?!”
While mentioning the upcoming New Year, Mari chided Siyeon, who was struggling to keep up.
Yes, the New Year.
It was the final blow for the holiday bulge that emerged from the winter break.
Delicious, rich foods accumulated, and that day would seal the fate of their weights.
Though it seemed harsh, they needed to exercise rigorously by this point to break free from the burden.
Moreover, Siyeon’s routine, now in vacation mode… a cycle of home, academy, home, and academy.
For someone who spent most of her time sitting and drawing, enforcing exercise was necessary.
They completed a full lap around the outer edge of the park.
They weren’t aiming for an ambitious goal like losing 5 kg solely through exercise.
Simply maintaining a steady and reasonable level of exertion would suffice.
For kids who were not used to exercising, doing this much was certainly better than not moving at all.
During his military service, he had witnessed comrades who were once obese quickly lose over 10 kg simply by being forced to join morning runs, albeit slowly.
“Whew, good job.”
Exhaling with a refreshing breath, he declared the end of their workout for the day.
“I can’t do any more…it’s too hard…”
Siyeon, gasping and sluggish, wandered over to a nearby bench and slumped down onto it.
Though it was a familiar route, it had been quite a while since they ran this park together since elementary school.
It seemed that after a break, her legs had adjusted to a completely indoor style, apparently exhausted as she sprawled on the empty long bench wearing her coat.
At 3 PM during the peak of vacation season, the park had a set crowd.
People dragged out by pets longing for walks or older individuals who regularly made sitting in the park part of their daily routine.
Additionally, there were middle-aged women waving their arms for health, and young people jogging as if it were part of their routines.
The park was a surprisingly diverse place, populated by various individuals.
Beside Siyeon, who had sprawled on the bench, there was a similarly small space left.
To rest her tired legs, she sat there too.
“Let’s take a little break and then head back.”
Just having their feet off the ground felt like a step up in comfort for both legs.
Although it was light exercise, they had still run for about ten minutes.
She slightly unzipped her jacket, which had been drawn all the way up.
Within the padded jacket, which had become a small sauna due to sweat and body heat, the moment she unzipped, the chilly winter breeze swept through, refreshing her.
After taking a moment to breathe, she began to consider her upcoming big schedule.
After winter break comes the New Year.
After the New Year comes the new semester, and after that, spring break.
A few steps stand between her and becoming a second-year middle school student.
If she could somehow endure until third year, the shackles of compulsory education would be lifted.
Still, she wished to shed the label of being a middle school graduate.
While high school graduates could generally brush off missing college for their personal reasons, the atmosphere in Korea, steeped in elitism, often treated someone with a middle school diploma as a “problematic child.”
It’s preferable to have at least a high school diploma, right? Sure.
Leaning on the metal armrest, with her chin resting on her knuckles, Siyeon let her thoughts wander.
“Ugh!”
With a cheerful grunt, Siyeon shot up from the reclined bench.
“Did you rest enough?”
“It’s cold.”
When asked if she had sufficient rest, Siyeon stood up and remarked about the cold before starting to walk in the direction of home.
Having sweated profusely, it seemed that the weather had rapidly chilled her.
Similarly, just unzipping her jacket for a moment removed the warmth, and she now felt a shiver compelling her to zip it back up.
Following Siyeon as she moved ahead, they began their walk home.
“Oh, snow.”
White snowflakes descended from the gray, dark sky, heralding the full onset of winter.
Thinking of the white snow, Siyeon’s long toy, buried in the corner of the balcony, came to mind.
She remembered how Siyeon would always rush out with snowman-making tools when it snowed.
She wondered if she would do the same this year and ventured to ask.
“Shall we make a snowman when it piles up?”
“Puh, I’ve outgrown that age, you know?”
Siyeon, appearing somewhat put off as if miffed by the suggestion suitable for children, declined it with an aloof tone.
She still seemed quite the child, though.
