Medetashi Medetashi File 027: [Devastation] "Cute Girl Train" MSNT-Mayuri (Conquest Complete)

In the dead of night, I was dozing off in Sua's arms.

More precisely, it was dozing, yeah. It wasn't easy to sleep properly in a car, after all.

Why were we in a car? Because we were heading back to Incheon again.

'Looks like the Foundation handled the cleanup nicely.'

I'd had a slight mental breakdown over the fact that I'd ended up with way too many cute girls, but for now, I decided to think about the train later and tackle the immediate tasks one by one.

The first thing I did was file a survival report. I'd called to let them know we were safe, but I figured I should show my face in person, so we headed straight to Incheon.

Plus, we'd left the work vehicle there...

So we took the car I'd parked at the apartment and went back. At this point, I was glad I'd gotten three cars.

The problem was that these weren't six-seaters.

Baesena—who didn't need sleep—was in the driver's seat. Ari was openly passed out in the passenger seat. The back seat had Sua, Nao, and Lisa in that order, and I was sitting on Sua's lap.

Since I was the smallest of the office staff, this was how it always ended up.

"...Sua, if you're tired, you can sleep too."

"Yeah, I know, Detective."

Every time I cracked my eyes open, Sua would look down at me.

I felt like a doll. She was holding me so tight, like she had no intention of letting go.

Was it because I was the cutest girl in the universe? Everyone at the office liked me, but Sua seemed especially attached, so when it came time for me to sit on someone's lap, she eagerly offered hers.

Being loved like the cutest girl in the universe was nice, but it also made me worry about Sua.

She was number one on the list of office girls least likely to become independent.

'Am I gonna have to live with Sua for a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠thousand years...?'

I was a bit freaked out at the idea of supporting cute girls forever, but lately, the thought of 'maybe it wouldn't be so bad' had started creeping in more and more.

That meant I was getting attached—and that I'd half-given up on them becoming independent.

I had no idea what would happen after I cleared the true ending conditions.

Lost in those kinds of thoughts, I dozed off hard.

And just like that, we arrived in Incheon.

"You've arrived, Solution Master. You didn't have to push yourself to come."

"No... I was curious about the scene myself."

I chatted with Deputy Park Jong-cheol as we headed to the site where we'd last seen the wanted criminal.

Baesena was a pretty good driver, huh? We'd have to split into two cars on the way back, and I figured it was fine to let her handle one.

"This is it. The wanted criminal is confirmed dead."

Park Jong-cheol showed us the preserved scene.

A man in a black coat lay collapsed, blood pouring from his neck. Exactly as we'd left him.

For a commando from the cult's special forces, it was a pretty pathetic end.

"What the hell was he even?"

"Well, this is just speculation. But based on your explanation, Solution Master, he was probably scouting passengers to board the train. And then he ran into you."

Park Jong-cheol said.

"Honestly, turning the 'Hell Train' into a 'Monster Train' doesn't even sound feasible. Redefining an urban legend isn't easy, but the cult pulled it off."

"Y-yeah..."

I couldn't meet his eyes.

That train... I turned it into the Cute Girl Train...

Maybe I'd been able to hijack it into a cute girl train because the cult had already shaken up the concept by turning the 'Hell Train' into a 'Monster Train' first. It was already destabilized, and I just snatched it midway.

"Anyway, thanks to you, Solution Master, the 'Hell Train' was safely extinguished. If the cult's plan had gone through, a city-scale number of people might've turned into monsters."

Park Jong-cheol finished his speculation and thanks.

"We'll transfer the wanted criminal's bounty to the Liriri Solution Office."

"Uh, you don't have to give us the money... Could you just log this as us resolving it for the Foundation?"

The cult had been up to something huge again, and I'd thrown a massive wrench in their plans. I was basically their arch-nemesis now.

Our office was stronger than before, but it wasn't about fearing shit—you avoid it because it's filthy. Getting on the cult's radar was like that. Not scary so much as annoyingly persistent; I just didn't wanna deal with them.

"Of course, if that's what you want. But we'll still send the bounty properly."

"Thanks, that'd be great..."

With Incheon's cleanup more or less done, we picked up the work vehicle and headed back to Seoul.

In other words, my reality-escape time was over. No more dodging it.

Time to face the reality I'd built.

"Do I really have to?"

Can't I just pretend I didn't see it? What if the cute girl train was all a dream or illusion?

More than any urban legend, confronting what I'd done terrified me.

So I didn't go to the office for a while. Just vegged in the living room watching TV with Sua.

I let her use my lap as a pillow, stroking her hair.

"Detective, not going to the office again today?"

"It's the Solution Office, but yeah..."

And so, Universe's Cutest Girl Mayuri escaped reality with her cute girl menthal assistant Sua.

Forever and ever. Eternally.

Medetashi medetashi.

"Harsh as it is, we have to live in reality, unnie."

Nao hit ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me with that after ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠days of me skipping work.

Getting life advice from a menthal girl? Kinda scratched at me. Enough that I finally went to the office.

The long-overdue visit revealed the door still labeled 'Train Station.'

I pretended not to notice and sat at the manager's desk.

A day passed. Two days. Three. Four.

"Nothing's happening...?"

I watched ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for days, but really, nothing.

Weird. Shouldn't be possible?

These cute girls were all menthals who needed me to take care of them, right? They'd come begging, demand support, lack social skills so I'd end up handling everything?

"Unnie, your common sense about cute girls is kinda off."

You guys made it that way, Nao, I thought.

Anyway, it was bizarre. Except for Yeoul, they'd all been unable to stay put before.

I debated leaving it alone but couldn't shake the unease, so I decided to check it out.

The plaque reading 'Train Station.'

I opened the door, and boom—a real train station.

'...What the hell is happening to our office?'

One of the office doors connected to a train station now. This wasn't some Harry Potter shit.

And there was a majestic train in the station.

Come to think of it, this was the first time I'd properly seen it. I'd expected a steam locomotive, but it was surprisingly modern. A pretty cute design, even.

"Ah, Station Master!"

A few dog-eared attendants cleaning the station spotted me, ran over, and bowed.

Ugh.

"Station Master, you've arrived! Greetings!"

"N-no, don't... It's embarrassing..."

They all bent at 90 degrees in unison. Like I was some yakuza boss. What the hell?

They looked ready to call me big sis.

"What brings you here today?"

"J-just checking if everyone's doing okay..."

"Of course, thanks to your care, Station Master! Thank you for worrying!"

"You're doing okay?"

I blinked. Weird... They shouldn't be.

I glanced around at my office staff without thinking.

"Ari, can you manage without me?"

"Nope."

"Lisa?"

"That's too harsh."

"Nao?"

"I'd cry every day?"

That's what they say. (I didn't ask Sua, who was with me—she was too scary to hear from.)

"We cute girl train attendants are always ready to launch the train at a moment's notice!"

"Ready? How?"

"We maintain the train, train individually as crew! We build stamina and mental fortitude to go anywhere, and use spare time for self-improvement!"

"?? Aren't cute girls supposed to need me to take care of them?"

The attendant replied energetically.

"No way! You're busy, Station Master— no need to babysit us lowly attendants! To borrow the hands of our god-like Station Master? Unthinkable! We've always been self-sufficient, and through steady training, we just want to be a big help to you someday!"

I felt like I'd been smashed with a hammer.

God-like? Want to help me? Sure, some parts grated, but...

What the hell was this mindset?! Too damn normal!

"You guys were good girls all along!"

Most shocked day since coming to this world.