Chapter 19
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Before Taking the Stage
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The next day.
"Why am I being dragged along, anyway?"
"Then, in this day and age, should I wander around alone advertising 'come catch me quick'?"
Unlike yesterday, I was dressed neatly in a suit, out on a rare trip to Seoul with Bell, who was grumbling.
"It's been a while since I've been here."
Gangnam. One of the busiest areas in Korea with the highest foot traffic. At the same time, always guarded by at least three veteran magical girls... in a way, the front lines for magical girls.
"Hm? Did Ha-yul ever have business coming to a place like this?"
Bell was grumbling but subtly positioning himself to shield me from the surrounding crowd without making it obvious.
"I thought you were too busy to even come out this far."
He eyed me curiously, figuring that based on Seriel's schedule as he knew it, there wouldn't have been any spare time to venture here.
"That's after I was permanently assigned to Cheongha City. Before that, my main gig was running around everywhere helping other magical girls."
Back then, I was basically a rookie myself. My fighting style wasn't fully set yet, so it was a time when I couldn't even properly back them up.
"I went intending to help, but I ended up getting tons of assistance instead. That was probably the most socially active period of my life."
"You really sell the 'no friends' sob story hard, huh."
"I'll kill you. For real."
I had to glare at the outwardly presentable deadbeat, who smirked like he'd caught another chance to poke fun at me the moment he heard my words.
"Anyway, yeah. Despite how I look, I'm more worldly than you give me credit for. Me."
"Ah, sure. If you say so."
Unfortunately, the response was just lukewarm.
"Sigh, whatever. Why'd I even bother saying that."
Crack...!
"Guh!?"
Irritated for no good reason, I jabbed my elbow hard into Bell's side while he yawned next to me.
"Such a drama queen."
It made a bit of a sound, but how bad could an elbow from a puny weakling like this hurt? With that thought, I glanced over.
"Gueeek."
Apparently, I'd hit a vital spot. Amid the murmuring crowd, there he was—face pale enough to make onlookers feel sorry for him—clutching his side and dry-heaving.
"......"
I figured associating with a guy like that would be a bit... no, a lot embarrassing. So I quietly slipped away from the spot.
"Kehk, kuh...! Ha, Ha-yul...! Wait, just a moment...!"
A little later.
"Who are you?"
"To stab a vital spot and ditch me so heartlessly—that's too much...!"
"The too-much part is your body that looks sturdy but is actually frail."
I'd wondered if contracting with him had restored my body to its old strength. Curiosity piqued, I'd set a plastic bottle upright nearby and smashed it with my elbow—only to lose to the bottle, my elbow now red and throbbing as I grumbled.
"Hurts like hell, seriously."
At first, I'd denied reality, thinking there was no way failing to dent a plastic bottle could hurt this bad... but even forcing myself to ignore it, the throbbing pain made me roll up my sleeve. The area around my elbow was bright red.
"Anyway, seems like we've hit a good spot... Let's move the second we sense any disturbance."
I'd settled into a suitable alley near Gangnam Station, seriously questioning if bringing this guy along had been the right call.
"Oh, for that... I have a good method."
"What?"
"Why bother waiting around for an incident to pop off? Let's just summon a demonic beast ourselves."
Bell started casually chatting about it like he was suggesting a convenience store run, all while catching his breath with a straight face.
"...Is that even possible?"
"What's impossible about it? In a place overflowing with resentment like this, pulling out a small-fry demonic beast is a cinch."
"But even a small fry won't..."
"Tsk, tsk. Hear me out to the end. If I infuse a bit of magic power into that small fry, it'll turn into a beast that doesn't cause real damage but blares the alert for no good reason."
To be honest, I'd known he wasn't a normal human. Not in the sense of extraordinary abilities, but literally—he wasn't human to begin with. I'd clocked that much. But what he just said... that went a bit beyond the pale.
"So, regretting it now?"
Dropping all playfulness in an instant, he stepped closer with a chilling voice, locking eyes as he asked.
Stab!
"Gaaaah! My eyes! My eyes!"
Instead of answering, I unhesitatingly jammed two fingers into his eyes.
"Don't read my mind without permission."
He was always subtly probing to see if I'd changed my mind.
"But who just jabs someone in the eyes!?"
"Who stands that close for that long?"
Of course, the old me wouldn't have reacted this aggressively. It was probably just that recent incident—the one with the thug who nearly assaulted me—stuck in my head. Honestly, I tense up whenever a guy gets too close now.
"Wasn't even that hard—quit faking."
"Guh... Not something the stabber should say."
Even while causing this ruckus, not a single person glanced our way... He must've pulled some trick again. That's what I figured.
"If you're gonna do it, hurry up. We'll get trampled at this rate."
Whatever it was, if he could pull it off, fine. I toed the side of the guy still groveling and whining in front of me.
"Sigh, how'd I end up a fan of a woman like this."
"Pissed? Quit now then."
"Fine. Don't turn me into a two-faced loser."
The pouty loser stood up grumbling, then raised his hand overhead, gathering vivid red magic power until it overflowed, spreading it around us.
"Done. The alert'll go off soon, and a bit after that, a perfect small-fry demonic beast will spawn."
With that, Bell swept his hand across the space in front of me like brushing away a transparent veil.
"Come on—lady. Shall we?"
He extended his hand with a voice so silky it made nearby women flinch and blush.
"What bullshit."
Goosebumps prickling all over despite grabbing his hand, I shot him a glare, sighed, and slowly headed toward the spot where the demonic beast would appear.
Before I knew it, night had fallen, the sky dyed black.
"Any more than this would be too risky."
Looking over at the voice, there was Bell standing on the rooftop of a tall building, wind whipping against him in the night air.
"So, what'd you think? Your impressions after witnessing demonic beast spawns three times as a regular civilian."
"...Who knows."
True to his words, over the course of the day, I'd used Bell's help to encounter three Amber-level demonic beast spawns where magical girls showed up—and each time, the outcome was identical.
"Guess it was pointless hope after all."
Still, I'd thought that Seoul, with its frequent demonic beast outbreaks—the so-called front lines—might show something different.
"All the same."
It wasn't. The crowds had the exact same complainers, the exact same cheerleaders for the magical girls. The scene was so familiar it made me feel like my steps had been wasted.
"My bad for getting my hopes up even for a second. Sorry, wasted your time."
"No worries."
With that, I thanked Bell—who'd gone along without complaint all day... well, with a few gripes, anyway—and moved on to the final task of the evening.
"Alright, let's go."
"Yes. Opening it up then."
"Yeah. Thanks."
Our destination was home. But no matter how late at night... reporters, police, and who-knows-what-else would be lurking around, hoping I might return.
Crackle...!
I slowly stepped forward, following the trail of black electricity sparking from Bell's swung hand, toward the familiar sight of our living room beyond the rift in space.
"......"
Only a single day had passed. No way dust could've accumulated... but somehow, I knew instinctively. Someone had been here.
"Light? Need it?"
"Nah. Wanna advertise that someone snuck in?"
"Eh, whatever. Government, cops, private eyes—they've all probably been through already."
He wasn't wrong. But the traces I'd sensed... the ones I was looking for... weren't from any intruders like that.
'Searching the place normally would just add "crossdressing hobby" to my profile anyway.'
Ignoring the minor downside of my past self being socially toast, I quietly approached the full-length mirror in the living room and carefully felt behind it.
Click.
Opening the small hidden drawer on the back of the full-length mirror.
"Ha-yul. What's that?"
Sure enough, a single letter. Tucked between it and an unfamiliar bankbook was a small card-like ID—with my current photo on it—emerging from the drawer.
"The reason I was able to hold out until yesterday."
Clutching the letter, bankbook, and ID that still held a faint warmth.
"Now it's fine. This house... we can let it go."
"For real?"
"Yeah."
I quietly nodded to Bell, who looked troubled even in the darkness, as if asking if I was sure.
"Jeez... even so, your own home..."
"Hurry up if you're doing it."
"Yes, yes. Just don't blame me later."
Whoosh...!
Watching the small flame flicker to life in Bell's grumbling hand.
"Thanks, everyone. For everything all this time."
I bowed one last time, pouring my gratitude toward all those who'd cared for and protected me... bidding farewell to the past.