Chapter 12
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: I'm Fine
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A Magical Girl had injured a civilian.
Even worse, it wasn't an accident... it was deliberate.
"...This time, there's nothing we can do to stop it."
Choi Gyu-cheol, one of the assistant managers in the Magical Girl Activity Support Division's media relations department, added in a regretful tone to the Magical Girl standing silently before him with her head bowed.
"Yeah, if only you'd held back just a little..."
There was no sarcasm intended. In fact, witnesses had seen the two men whose arms were broken filming with impure intentions, so it was questionable whether they even deserved to be called victims.
However.
The impact of a Magical Girl directly harming a civilian was far too great and intense.
She had simply grabbed them lightly, yet the arms of two sturdy adult men snapped completely. And the one wielding such power was a young Magical Girl who had just turned barely legal, not even twenty-one yet.
—Magical Girls are dangerous.
—Immense power, unstable minds.
—Put a leash on Magical Girls.
No matter how much the Magical Girl Activity Support Division tried, they were ultimately just a government agency. They could cover up minor incidents, but something like this—now blowing up publicly—was impossible to bury.
"We have no choice. Just lay low until things quiet down... I'm truly sorry we couldn't be of more help."
Choi Gyu-cheol was one of the few who knew how hard Seriel—the Magical Girl standing before him in Cheonha City—had worked all this time. He stood, bowing deeply with genuine sincerity.
'Everyone's being too harsh. We can sleep soundly because of girls like her.'
Of course, as a civil servant, he couldn't say it outright. Still, hoping his feelings got through, Gyu-cheol bowed.
"It's fine. It was my fault anyway."
Seriel finally lifted her head, scratching her cheek awkwardly.
"Thank you for your help. I'll be going now."
"W-Wait... hold on, Seriel!"
Was something wrong? He reached out hurriedly as she turned to leave, but...
Creeeak... thud.
Unfortunately, all his hand caught was the faint lingering warmth of Seriel, who had already departed.
"...Tch. She's fast, alright."
Her expression hadn't looked okay at all. Gyu-cheol set out to find her late, only to hear from a colleague that Seriel would already be leaping across rooftops far away.
"Sigh... Still, she's been doing this tough Magical Girl job for over eight years. It's probably just needless worry."
In the end, she was a Magical Girl. She'd endure something like this somehow. With that faith, he returned to his regular duties.
Walking slowly down the street revealed a different world than before.
"......"
The girl stood in the middle of the avenue as cold wind blew, quietly watching people pass by without a glance her way.
Unlike before, when most people had been at or below her eye level, now everyone seemed bigger and faster. She hadn't realized it. Just changing bodies made the world feel so utterly different.
Every time passersby failed to notice the small girl and bumped past, they turned back with startled faces, apologizing. Each time, she staggered as if about to collapse, slowly moving to the edge of the sidewalk.
Vrrr...!
Finally leaning against a fence at the end of the quiet street, she struggled with both hands to pull out her intensely vibrating phone.
Senior! How'd the meeting go?
Sorry! I should've gone with you. I didn't think Mom would stop me!
(crying cat emoticon)
You’re not mad, right?
How long had she been glued to her phone? As soon as she read the messages, a flood poured in from her junior—Yu-na. The girl made a troubled face and slowly tapped the screen.
—I'm fine
—I'm not a kid
—Don't worry about it
—(cool cat thumbs-up emoticon)
—Cold. I'll text when I get home
Just as she sniffled in the blowing cold wind and tried to move again...
Vrrr...!
This time, the vibration was different from Yu-na's messages. A familiar name lit the screen as it rang.
"......"
Answer or not? She gazed at the sky with a sigh, then gave in, tilting her head to hold the phone to her ear.
"What, did everyone secretly gather for a surprise? The calls are all timing up perfectly."
Before the voice on the other end—her company's Boss, Kim Ji-seong—could speak, she grumbled.
"Meeting's over, heading home. Freezing my butt off and you keep making me pull out my phone."
As expected. "Is the meeting done?" "Sorry I couldn't go." "Didn't expect a tax audit out of nowhere." He kept asking if she was okay. She chuckled dryly.
"I'm fine. Not my first rodeo. Hanging up. Gonna rest at home today."
She brushed off his fussing—where was she, he'd pick her up if cold—with practiced ease. Tired of the nagging, she stuck out her tongue, hit end call, shook her head, and shoved the phone deep into her coat pocket.
"......"
What a joke. Her body had just shrunk to that of a little girl. Yet everyone treated her like she was one inside too. Thinking of their worry made her laugh hollowly.
Isn't this Seriel again?
She wrecked a plaza last time, lost dog park recently? Next up, whole city?
Her face is so gacha-rare I'm tired of seeing it everywhere.
Dunno? She butts in even without alarms. Cops and military in her area are living the dream lol
Yeah. I'm fine. The girl sniffled again in the cold wind.
Sniffle.
The wind felt unusually biting today. Her nose kept running—probably a cold. She should have hot tea and sleep when she got home.
Wait, doesn't Seriel use magic? Last time she sliced a mid-size Demonic Beast on the highway like sashimi. Traffic jammed, got chewed out by clients bad.
Our thick-headed Florida can use magic, no way another Magical Girl can't. No badmouthing pls
Every time she's smashing something. At this point, it's on purpose, right?
With her hat pulled low, head down, hurrying her steps—the recent buzz made these reactions pop up everywhere online. Her chest tightened with frustration, breath coming in gasps.
"Hey, you okay? Your face is..."
Some passersby approached, looking concerned at her pitiful state.
"I'm fine. Just a bit short of breath."
She smiled casually.
"Really, truly fine."
Yeah. Fine. I'm fine. Happens all the time. Went viral online before too. Yeah. Fine. Dodging a worried pedestrian, she staggered on with a pale face, thinking it over.
"......Hoo."
The walk home felt endlessly far today. Being short made even this inconvenient.
"Little one. You okay?"
She felt like puking. Just a body change, yet people fussed unusually. If—no, if she were in her original body, would they worry like this?
"I'm fine. I'm fine."
Yeah. Just tired. Body hadn't fully recovered yet. She thought that, steadying her breath in front of her slightly rundown single home.
Beep. Click.
Familiar fingers punched the door lock code, slipped inside as it opened—heard it lock behind, passed the empty hallway to the lone sofa in the living room.
Thud.
No energy to change. Just wanted rest, filling her head.
"......"
Lifting her head, surveying—the room had no furniture, no appliances. Starkly barren.
"......"
The girl had no family. Before becoming a Magical Girl, they'd all died in an accident.
"......"
If not for her current Boss—Kim Ji-seong, who took her in on her parents' behalf—she'd have lost even this house.
"......"
Slowly sliding off the sofa, she stood before the full-length mirror in the TV-less living room, murmuring quietly.
"I'm... fine."
The reflection wasn't the small, frail black-haired girl—it was the ever-proud, white-haired Magical Girl Seriel. The self who'd given her all as a Magical Girl over the years. All she'd built in eight years.
"It's still here."
Ryu Ha-yul the man was gone. But Magical Girl Seriel remained. So, it was fine. She could endure. Staring in the mirror, brainwashing herself.
"Fine. Definitely fine."
Her unfocused eyes met Seriel's in the glass as she whispered.