Spring, summer, autumn, winter.
In the slowly changing seasons, with noticeable growth, Shiyeon and I were approaching the higher grades of elementary school.
Fourth grade.
As Koreans, we were gradually getting accustomed to using chopsticks and correcting our awkward pronunciations, often described as an extraordinary period of growth.
Although Shiyeon and I were fully enjoying the benefits of this growth, the side effects of rapid development were also gradually and unceremoniously catching up to us.
First, it was the clear difference in height and minor sizes.
At this point, the clothes we used to wear comfortably were now becoming unusable.
“It’s so tight…”
“It doesn’t fit anymore.”
Shiyeon complained about the clothes she had worn well just last year.
This truly was a stormy period of growth; the boys’ clothes that once fit were no longer usable at all.
The second side effect of growth, which was significant for me as well.
No matter how much I tried to deny it internally, the physical characteristics of a girl were slowly becoming apparent.
As I dropped my head towards my chest, someone’s voice conscious of my gaze came into ears.
“Shouldn’t we start buying new clothes? It’s about time for underwear, too.”
A new change emerged in our once cozy space, just Shiyeon and I.
The last I had seen of the former magical girl, Ms. Venus, was in Sokcho.
Now, she had come as Seol Jiun, her real name, becoming a government official supporting us in our daily lives.
She had been out of contact for a while after retiring, but it seemed she had been working in this industry all along.
Among the issues related to magical girls, it accidentally turned out that our case had come up…
Unlike other parents who would assign some kind of legal guardian’s information to help magical girls behave like adults, our case was different.
For those with no parents to care for them at all, there was a need for at least minimal support.
It was surprising that common sense discussions were being held, but even that seemed to have been proposed by some officials who had connections with us.
“Uh, well…”
Anyway, that was that; when it came to buying underwear, I hesitated in my response.
Just like my head, which I had dropped to my chest, I scratched my head and mumbled, unable to give a clear answer to the question that came.
Though I rationally accepted that I had become a woman, a sliver of my nature remained.
That faint nature showed a deep and firm rejection, saying I wasn’t ready yet.
“It’s better to get used to it sooner rather than later, right?”
“Ugh…”
However, that advice from her, who had much more experience as a woman, led me to eventually head to the department store.
There was no way to avoid it indefinitely.
Eventually, it was time to recognize and give up on the fact that I had become a woman.
In the department store fitting room, I was there, stripped of everything except the top, struggling to put it on.
Even though it was no different from a swimsuit, I couldn’t shake the feeling of resistance.
“Goodbye, my last shred of dignity…”
The thought of ‘the first is the hardest, the second is nothing’ flooded my mind as I squeezed my eyes shut.
The soft fabric covering my body took away the last traces of my masculinity.
Though it had felt so repulsive before wrapping around me, once I wore it, it simply felt like a snug tank top.
How could I express the whirlpool of emotions of disappointment, emptiness, and confusion?
“Ha…”
The complex feelings that filled me could not be described; they simply flowed out as a sigh.
As if indifferent to such complicated emotions, Jiun’s voice began to come from just outside the fitting room.
“Haven’t you put it on yet?”
“No… I’ve put it on.”
As I replied with a muffled tone, the fitting room door creaked open.
Before I could muddle over what to call her—Ms. Venus or Seol Jiun—she was already fiddling with the shoulder straps.
“Yeah, this should be enough.”
Nodding in satisfaction, Jiun began to ring up clothes that would fit us well.
As those items filled the paper bag, skirts and other things, which I hadn’t even asked for, spilled out.
It was a moment when my wavering mindset, caught ambiguously between man and woman, was forcibly tilted to one side along with the growth and circumstances.
After returning home from the department store, where we had a special assorted katsu that now felt less substantial, the house seemed to feel more filled, even if it wasn’t cramped, since now there was an adult among us, alongside the two children and two stuffed animals.
Jiun, who was putting away the clothes we bought from the department store, suddenly murmured while looking up at the ceiling.
“Come to think of it, it will be next year, right?”
It didn’t seem like a monologue; I scanned my mind for a shared topic we could understand.
We had just finished December and entered the fourth grade. Next year, we’d be in fifth grade.
The only thing that seemed to be a milestone during that time was one thing.
“The monsters, right?”
“Yeah, both of you have been resting for a long time; will you be okay?”
Nodding, Jiun’s response hit right on the mark, echoing my question.
In response to her worried expression, I scratched my cheek as I casually replied.
“Well, it’s not like I’m going to wear out just by not using it…”
Just as I said, there were no side effects like the power of a magical girl weakening just because it hadn’t been used for a long time, similar to a fire extinguisher that hadn’t been used in a while.
In fact, if a monster appeared right now, I could fly over and turn it into a barbecue.
Yet the reason I didn’t was the promise with the monsters that was still being upheld.
Whether it was Medik Tentacle or a tentacle monster, the shocking promise with that humiliated monster still continued.
Unlike the human society covered in various corruptions, including recent noisy rental scams, the monsters kept their promises.
Sometimes it even felt like they had human virtues more than humans themselves.
Anyway, after hearing such a nonchalant reply, Jiun neatly folded the scattered clothes in the paper bag and placed them in the closet, murmuring.
“Indeed, promising magical girls are different.”
“What promising?…”
While I had many things to add to my trailing reply, I swallowed my words and looked at my smart phone.
Anyway, having one adult at home created a sense of stability.
Minor chores, preparing breakfast and dinner, and handling the small troubles that arose while we were in school all became unexpectedly convenient.
Questions that had previously felt ambiguous to ask Shiyeon could now be brought up comfortably at home.
“When is our move supposed to be?”
“We have to move out by April.”
Her response came in a dull tone.
Due to circumstances unknown to us children, the redevelopment discussions were moving forward quickly.
At the point where stories related to that had already started coming up, as a resident occupying merely one corner of the apartment, there was nothing much we could do.
If about 80% of the households included in the redevelopment agreed, the remaining 20% had nearly no choice.
Rather than holding out stubbornly, I decided to go with the presented option.
There were two remaining choices.
Wait for the never-ending redevelopment, while living in a rented room or studio with minimal relocation payments.
Or sell the existing apartment cleanly and live comfortably with a fresh start elsewhere, without worrying about this place.
With at least one adult around, things were progressing in some manner.
Truly, it was tough for just the two children to be involved in such matters.
“So, have you decided what to do?”
“We should just sell it and look for another place; the neighbors upstairs and downstairs are all a bunch of dogs…”
Rather than holding out and trying to find a new house with a studio or monthly rent, I thought this was a cleaner option and answered accordingly.
Moving into a redeveloped apartment isn’t a simple process; there are complications like extra costs and whatnot. So, I opted for the less troublesome route.
I wasn’t fond of either the upstairs or downstairs neighbors, and I considered it a good chance that things were worked out this way.
“Should we be careful about new villas or officetels?”
“Will you help us with this?”
I called out to Jiun, who was a little bit more than an arm’s length away, playfully requesting assistance. Nevertheless, since it involved amounts as huge as tens of millions of won, she nodded.
“Of course, but to be honest, I’m not well-versed in the law either.”
“It should be fine. We have two magical girls here, right? If there’s a problem, can’t we just go and flip over the landlord?”
Knowing what she might have been thinking, I smiled and made a joke.
