Physiological Repulsion
Sunset light filtered softly through the park's outskirts. Sitting on a bench, I swung my legs that didn't quite reach the ground, staring blankly at the sky.
"We're totally screwed..."
Popo had been groaning nonstop from inside my coat. Whatever was eating at it, the constant wriggling was making my skin crawl.
"Yeah."
I hugged it tighter with my outer layer and gave a short reply. What rotten luck. Of all the timings, another monster had to show up right then.
Well, that was on me for not knowing Popo couldn't warn me about monsters while tucked away inside. Still, it let me test out all that telekinesis practice, so silver lining?
"Hmm..."
I replayed my encounter with Tier Red from moments ago. Why were kids these days so sharp? Nothing but aggressive questions to throw people off balance.
The girl was swearing like a sailor, so I'd approached kindly, like a gentle scolding. But all I got back was a nasty temper. Was teaching her not to say bad words really that offensive?
No deep talk, not even proper introductions. The only thing I managed was asking if she'd quit being a magical girl. And she shot it down flat.
If things had gone smoothly, I could've talked her into retiring peacefully. What a shame.
"Popo, what now?"
I asked, and Popo poked its head out from under my clothes to scold me.
"What do you mean, what? The hunt's a bust today. Tch, we should've just flattened her from the start like I said! With your skills, Mir, it'd be a piece of cake!"
"Don't like taking by force."
"Why not?"
"'Cause it's wrong."
I might look like this, but I couldn't think like a real kid. My morals were a full-grown adult's, even if my shell wasn't. Besides, bullying kids was the worst sin of all.
With them risking their lives as magical girls, forcing her out with power? Urgh, inhuman.
"Hmm, if you're set on it, Mir, no helping that..."
Popo sighed softly from my chest at my firm stance. I turned my head—wait, was that tickling coming from one side?
Hmm.
I yanked it out and chucked it away.
"What the—! Why'd you throw me all of a sudden?!"
Popo flailed in midair, screeching.
"...Physiological repulsion?"
I grimaced slightly and brushed off my chest where it'd been. For a second there, I'd felt something I really shouldn't have.
"What?! You saying I gave you cooties or something?!"
"No."
"Then what?!"
"Dunno."
I shrugged and strolled slowly under the dimly lit streetlamp.
"Ugh! You're so mean!"
Come to think of it, Popo said magical girls feel instinctive disgust around me. Was that why Tier Red was so prickly?
Hmm. Next time, I'd go softer—polished lines, no old-man vibe. Maybe pick up some tanghulu, the stuff kids love? That might loosen her up.
"Uwaaaaaah! So meeeean—!"
Even as I pondered, Popo spun circles around my head, still wailing. Guess it hated me ignoring it and just walking.
It swooped down to my eye level and puffed out its cheeks huge.
...Like a balloon.
I wanted to keep inflating those cheeks, but it'd sulk for three days straight. Pass.
"Popo, what do you want for dinner?"
"Gasp, dinner?!"
Its puffed cheeks deflated with a hiss at the word. Tail wagging like nothing happened, circling me again. Easy.
"...Burger? One loaded with cheese!"
We'd had burgers for lunch, and it wanted more? So transparent.
"You just want the fries, right?"
"Gasp, how'd you know?!"
Burger twice in a row sounded boring, even for me.
"Too much junk like that is bad for you. Hmm, I'll cook tonight. Sound good?"
"Eh?! You can cook, Mir?!"
It scanned me up and down like I'd grown a second head.
That big a deal?
"I figured you for the pampered lady type—no water on those delicate hands."
What?
"Who lives alone like that?"
"Gasp... yeah, true. Gotta eat somehow solo."
Popo nodded, convinced, but still skeptical. It grabbed my hand with its paw.
"Hands are all soft..."
Yeah, these weren't my old callused paws. Delicate, squishy kid hands that'd crumple under a squeeze.
But.
"Small hands don't mean small skills. Don't judge by looks, Popo."
Body shrank, brain didn't. I could whip up decent anything. Had hobby certs in Korean, Chinese, Japanese cuisine, even.
"Hmmm, fine! Get ready—I'm ordering whatever I want!"
"Got it, got it."
Expect big things. I'd train its palate so nothing else satisfies. Heh heh.
*
"Alright, we're here."
Magical girl Tier Red—Yeoreum Han—stopped in front of an ordinary-looking building smack in downtown.
Her sidekick, rookie Snow, was with her.
"Whoa... this is the place?"
"Yep."
They nodded at each other and headed inside.
The lobby buzzed with girls Harang or Yeoreum's age. Casual clothes, but faint mana leaks marked them all as magical girls.
"This is the Magical Girl Association. Come for monster intel, or just crash when you're beat."
Harang's eyes sparkled at Tier Red's rundown, taking it all in. First time in a spot like this—thrilling. But soon her face clouded, voice dropping.
"But Tier Red, isn't it risky having it out in the open? What if normals spot it...?"
"No worries. Barrier keeps non-mana users out. Looks like a rundown empty building to them."
Tier Red reassured her casually, guiding Snow—Harang—along.
Harang nodded, but eyed the grand ceiling and marble floors, voicing another doubt.
"By the way... all the girls here look our age. How'd they afford a huge place like this?"
She didn't know econ deep, but big buildings cost big bucks.
"Dunno the details. Just know the first magical girl laid the foundation way back."
Tier Red hit the elevator button, adding,
"C'mon, let's go up. Gotta report on that white-haired girl from today."
The elevator was zippy. Barely waited before a crisp ding and it halted.
Click.
Doors opened to a heavy silence, worlds apart from downstairs.
"..."
Deep in the room, by the full-wall window, a woman sank into a sofa. A council elder propping up the Association for real.
"You're here, Tier Red."
She spoke without looking up from her papers.
Tier Red, all her usual pep gone, tensed.
"Got a report..."
She swallowed and recapped the park incident step by step. The mystery white-haired girl, how she'd dismissed a giant monster with a flick.
"...That's everything?"
As Tier Red finished, the woman slowly looked up, staring.
"You must've seen wrong."
"Huh? What do you—"
"Impossible for that level of power to act without a mana trace. Combat aftereffects—hallucinations."
She dismissed it like it wasn't worth hearing, eyes back on papers.
"But not just me—Snow here saw it clear as day..."
"Enough. Report received. No thanks to baseless ghost stories souring the mood."
"But why...?"
"Go rest."
Tier Red bit her lip at the icy dismissal and turned.
Ding-dong.
That old hag...
Tier Red scowled in the elevator. Condescending attitude, like age gave her the right to look down. Why hadn't she retired? No field hunts, just papers in AC heaven— that fun?
"Um, senior? What do we do now?"
Snow tugged her sleeve timidly.
"What else? If she won't buy it, we get proof ourselves."
"Proof?"
"Yeah. Next time that white-hair shows, I won't just stand there. Grab her by the collar and drag her here if I have to."
Tier Red's pride was sky-high; twice burned in a day? Scratches inevitable.
"First... back to mana training."
She gritted her teeth, picturing the unknown girl.
Get ready. Next time, I won't go down easy.