The next day, elementary school.
Clatter, clatter.
Someone is shaking their leg, making the unstable plastic desk wobble as if it were a tree.
If someone were to ask whose nervous leg movement is this, as if standing before a life-altering decision…
Of course, it’s mine.
“I’m sure she snitched to her mom.”
A basic and obvious thought for a lower-grade elementary school student.
1. Trigger: She did something wrong, like teasing a classmate or calling for a fight.
2. Process: So she got hit.
3. Result: What she did wrong doesn’t matter; whatever happens, she’ll tell her parents first.
If you were to line up 100 elementary school students and have them go through this process, undoubtedly about 99 of them would reach that conclusion.
The anxiety that follows that result was also why my leg was trembling.
When would the mother of the kid I hit yesterday arrive?
When would she storm into the classroom and demand to know who hit her son?
Just the thought was stifling, like clouds of despair filling my lungs.
First period passed.
Second period passed.
Third period. Fourth period…
Lunchtime, the combination of curry and kimchi was always right.
Fifth period, then school was over.
“…What the?”
So deep had my worries been that it was almost a letdown—nothing happened at all.
I had conjured up about five response plans in my head, but unexpectedly it was time to go home without having to use any of them.
With a sigh of relief, I made my way home.
As I walked while staring at the random news articles cluttering my smartphone screen.
No matter the site, as long as it was related to Magical Girls, people were scrambling to publish articles.
You could see the fastest news here, as long as…
[What is the secret to this city’s remarkably low monster incidence compared to other regions?]
[Is the identity of the Magical Girl an invader from a distant universe?]
[Governor Kim declares prioritization of Magical Girl support policies, while the citizen group ‘Child Molesters’ voices criticism…]
[Magical Girls must personally arrange support and alternative measures for city destruction during battles…]
“Maybe I should just quit.”
My eyes skimmed rapidly over the articles.
As soon as I saw the article blaming the Magical Girls, I felt a surge of anger rise up in me.
There’s a saying about the pot calling the kettle black, why not create a world where monsters don’t appear?
People would demand hospital bills after being saved from drowning, wouldn’t they?
It was only around 1 PM.
I got home, tossed my bag haphazardly, and sprawled out on the floor of my room.
The bearcub that had disguised itself among the accessories hanging from my bag also lay down next to me, pulling at the keychain part itself.
“Looks like you’re quite free these days.”
“What are you talking about?”
With a tone that seemed to imply that there should have been more work to do.
Is this a crazy thing to say? I tilted my head slightly to peek up while still lying down.
Just yesterday, I had been beating a dummy monster late at night… and now, free?
This kid is really something.
“No, no, no, I mean compared to a few years ago!”
It vigorously waved its arms, like a cotton ball with no fingers.
Ah, compared to a few years ago? Certainly, things have reduced since then.
Returning to my original position with a shrug, I spat out my true feelings.
“I thought you wanted to get hit more than usual.”
“…”
In an apartment with no computer, the only thing I could do was sit with my smartphone.
With these tiny fingers, even typing on a keyboard is a challenge.
I needed to at least get out of the lower grades to be able to play some games or whatever.
With nothing to do, I was wandering around the Magical Girl gallery when the bearcub poked me from the side with its fluffy little paw.
“Hey, did you hear?”
“What?”
If this is about some useless topic, I’ll separate its neck from its body.
I bluntly looked up at it while lying down.
“There’s going to be a regular meeting of the Magical Girls soon.”
That wasn’t just a useless topic.
I hadn’t heard this before.
From the get-go, it wouldn’t be something I’d hear unless someone told me.
I found it absurd, so I turned off the screen of the smartphone I was holding and sat up.
“…Hey, you have to tell me to hear it, you know?”
“Oh, right.”
Seeing its face showing that it forgot made me feel an impulse to yank its neck off right then and there.
Is it trying to get hit?
“Ugh…”
When I let out a long sigh, it became slightly startled, glancing at me in fear.
It seemed to have mistaken my intention to hit it.
At the very least, I needed to know the time and place, so I wouldn’t do it right away.
“When? What time? Where?”
“Um… This Saturday at 1 PM, the usual Star Cafe…”
“Okay, got it.”
Now that the business was over, it was my turn to twist its neck.
“Gah…?!”
With the sudden ambush, the bearcub didn’t even get to scream fully as its neck and body separated.
Where in the world do you find someone who tells you about a promise the day before?
And then, what? Oh, right?
It’s a miracle I don’t tear it to pieces.
As the neck-less bear radar returned to normal, I wondered if a monster would show up, but…
As it said, the frequency of monster appearances here had indeed reduced noticeably compared to a few years ago.
A peaceful day with not a single monster around after a long time.
That comfort lasted into the night, allowing me to arrive at the holiday with a good mood.
“Leave it to me today!”
Being a Magical Girl is a job in its own right, so when going to another region, someone is needed to fill in.
So, the other Magical Girls from regions with free time often come to fill in when there are vacancies.
Though they appear as elementary school students after transformation, the Magical Girl right in front of me is actually around middle school level.
“Well then, I’ll be counting on you.”
“Thank you.”
“Yeah! Have a good time!”
They bow respectfully, momentarily shifting our vacancy onto them.
Together with Shiyeon, we had to take a bus for quite a distance, over ten stops.
If asked why we didn’t fly after transforming, it’s because it’s a cafe right in the bustling downtown, and of course, we’d get caught if we flew there.
Even in this careless world where everyone seems to suffer from facial recognition issues, there are limits.
When we climbed onto the bus, I held out my transportation card.
“Two children, please.”
Beep, beep, beep.
The sound of the bus driver operating the fare machine.
As I brought the card to the machine with the beeping noise, I heard a familiar female voice.
“It’s a multi-passenger fare.”
“Sit down quickly.”
Shiyeon hurriedly sat down to avoid falling as the bus started moving.
The advantages of being tiny.
Even if I dashed to occupy a pink seat that was strangely vacant, no one would say anything.
As the bus continued running toward the tenth stop, I raised my arm to reach the bell…
One of the seemingly indifferent men with no change in expression pressed the button for me.
“Thank you.”
I made sure to express my gratitude.
However, no reply returned.
As if he was merely doing something expected, he smiled slightly while looking over, answering without words.
Star Cafe, right in the middle of the bustling area.
At this time, slightly past lunch time.
Shiyeon and I arrived here without filling our stomachs.
Why would we hold the regular Magical Girls meeting in this cafe located in the bustling district…
“Welcome! You two are… Sun and Mun, right?”
“Yes.”
“Yeah!”
The long-haired former Magical Girl, Seo Hyun-Ah.
This is the cafe opened by someone who retired from being a Magical Girl.
The environment we work in where we must keep our identities hidden and can’t comfortably call each other is dire.
An adult who knows this well has generously offered the entire cafe for us during the meetings.
Anyway, responding daringly, Shiyeon’s shout caught the attention of the other Magical Girls who were already here.
Though they all transformed to look like elementary students, there are actually a mix of elementary to high school students, and even fully grown adults.
The purpose of this regular meeting is to share knowledge regarding monster preparedness, response, and various other tips…
“So, we can’t even date freely.”
“Ah, I can relate to that. Just when the mood is good, a monster alarm goes off and ruins it.”
“During festivals, it’s even more awkward. There are no people playing, but many vacancies…”
It’s simply a place where we can vent to each other, understanding one another’s situations.
In a gathering like this, a real elementary student wouldn’t have much to say.
You simply eat in peace and leave when done.
“I’ll add honey bread and hot chocolate-”
Things like this are usually too precious to buy with my own money.
When adults offer, those are the best things to order.
Like someone starving for days, I stuffed my face with the sweet dessert, and the Magical Girl sitting across from me, Stella, asked.
“Mun, isn’t living the Magical Girl life tough?”
“It’s okay! Because it’s a job that brings smiles to people!”
Shiyeon recited lines that sounded like they jumped right out of an animation.
“Ahh, I had times like that too… How about you, Sun?”
The question aimed at Mun was relayed directly to me.
Is living the Magical Girl life tough?
Of course, it is tough; I have no loyalty to say it’s okay like Shiyeon.
“I endure it for the money.”
The sudden return to reality from an animated line caused the other senior Magical Girls to fall silent.
They likely all can relate.
“Sometimes it doesn’t even feel like you’re an elementary student, huh?”
“Capitalism is this dangerous.”
