Lavender's Secret Summon
Seoyeon had prepared exactly as Sea told her the day before to meet Pronesis, but she soon hit a brick wall of reality.
“There's no way to meet her…!”
That was right.
Even if monsters or kaijin showed up, meeting her for personal reasons was about as likely as plucking stars from the sky.
“She's never even met anyone privately before…!”
After clutching her head for a moment, she flopped onto her bed as if admitting defeat.
“I can't exactly pray for a magic beast or kaijin to show up just for this…”
With a sigh like that, she pulled up the site Pronesis had made.
“So cute…”
The site featured a cute UI along with privately taken photos of Pronesis.
Her furrowed expression softened unwittingly, and she was about to spend the next three hours just admiring it when—
“Huh…? What's this?”
A UI element she'd never seen before caught her eye.
[Summon Button]
Pronesis's service—now anytime, anywhere!? Meet her right now!
The clean UI contrasted sharply with the outdated promo text that looked like it belonged in another era.
“Why's the description so cheesy? Feels like some old guy wrote it.”
Thankfully, that comment—which might have quietly stung Sea—went unheard by anyone.
Anyway, she tapped the bright red Summon Button on the site, and soon a lengthy caution notice popped up.
This button was created to assist magical girls. To use it, first enable your phone's GPS function, then infuse mana into your finger and press Confirm. (The Confirm button won't activate without mana.)
Also, Pronesis will warp to your location within 1 minute of activation, so please use it in an open, accessible area whenever possible.
Reading through the long notice carefully, she spotted something odd.
“...Hold on, infuse mana and press it?”
Mana-based tech was still experimental and potentially risky, so worry crept in first.
“I can actually put mana into it…?”
As she touched the Confirm button, she felt a strange emptiness—it was her intuition telling her it needed mana.
Any association researcher seeing this would probably come running.
“So if I really press it, she'll come here and grant my wishes…?”
...Of course, being only 17, she didn't have room for any other thoughts.
Anyway, she started fantasizing wildly about a private meeting with Pronesis.
'Feel free to pet me as much as you want.'
'A hug if you want…'
“Ehehehe…”
Lying on her bed, drooling as she indulged in pleasant daydreams—
Knock knock knock.
“Eek!?”
The knock at her dorm door made her jolt upright.
Heart still pounding, she called out in a trembling voice.
“Wh-who is it…?”
“Magical Girl English Lavender. We need to discuss your recent B-rank promotion schedule. Do you have time?”
Realizing it was nothing major, she sighed in relief and postponed.
'Gonna test the summon button today… tomorrow it is…'
“...Tomorrow work?”
Luckily, they had plenty of flexibility, so the staffer agreed and left.
“Phew…”
After that, she imagined her fun meeting with Pronesis while quickly getting ready to head out.
.
.
.
Transformed, she arrived at a nearby park—her face utterly crumpled.
'Wait, if I'm transforming anyway, what was the point of changing clothes first…!'
She'd only realized after getting dressed that using mana required transforming into a magical girl.
“Haa…”
Thinking she'd botched the first puzzle piece, she took a deep breath and pulled out her phone.
[Summon Button]
Thump.
'Says she'll appear within a minute if I follow the instructions…?'
Squeeze.
Pressing Confirm drained mana from her fingertip.
“...Did it work?”
1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds.
A strange tension hung in the peaceful park.
“Hello.”
She appeared.
Her tomboy princess look aside, the sight of her expressionless face sent Seoyeon's mind into—
'Staycalmstaycalmstaycalmstaycalmstaycalmstaycalmstaycalmstaycalmstaycalmstaycalm.'
—a total frenzy of excitement.
'What did Sea say? Oh! Just do whatever? So 'wanna hang out' should work…? Yeah, just say it.'
Despite her racing thoughts, she spoke calmly.
“Wanna hang out with me?”
'I said it…!'
“...?”
But Pronesis looked puzzled, spinning Seoyeon's mind into overdrive again.
'Why? Did I mess up…? Should I apologize now…? Maybe it was too much to ask….'
Pronesis was actually just curious how she'd been summoned.
But Seoyeon's whirlwind thoughts boiled down to one conclusion.
'Ah…! She's wild, so maybe short on play funds! But since I asked something pushy this time, it's polite to cover it, right?'
That was how she ended up going full sugar mama.
Time passed, and after warping to a restaurant together, her mood was at an all-time high.
'What do I do…! Sea was right…!'
Fireworks exploding in her head, she ordered Pronesis's recommended dish and dove into cheerful chat.
Then, midway—
“By the way, you come here a lot? You seem super familiar with it.”
She hadn't meant anything by it.
Just curiosity—Pronesis looked so at home here, which felt oddly off.
A casual toss-out.
“I've been here a few times with other magical girls.”
But the moment Pronesis answered—
“What?”
A low voice escaped her lips, startling even herself.
“With other magical girls… you've been here?”
Why was that?
The fact that Pronesis had come here with other magical girls stirred a new emotion in her—close to anger, but stickier somehow.
'It's just… she came here with other magical girls….'
Late bloomers burn hottest.
Even a trivial fact like that hit her way too hard for some reason.
“Um…”
Then, a part-timer's voice broke the mood; both turned that way.
“Th-the food… is ready…”
Reading the vibe, the worker shakily set the plates down.
“Thanks for your order!”
And bolted back to the counter.
Thankfully, her emotions cooled during that.
***
Phew.
What was that sudden chill?
Thought maybe something pierced me—like an invisible spear. Was she tired from yesterday or something?
'That wasn't simple anger. It was directed at someone….'
'Quiet, Sofia.'
'Idiot….'
What's her deal all of a sudden?
Anyway, I tied on the apron the staff gave me and twirled pasta onto a fork for Lavender.
“Ahh~”
Nothing beats food for mood swings.
She hesitated at my gesture but accepted the pasta without protest this time.
“Good, right?”
“Y-yeah…”
Good.
Last time in the Back World had me worried, but she's improved.
I gave her a small smile.
For some reason, she blushed and turned away.
“...?”
What's up with her, same as before?
'Sigh….'
This one's always been off, so whatever, but I've never seen Lavender make that face.
“English Lavender doesn't make faces like that.”
“Eek!?”
My words didn't help; she just blushed harder. At this point, I wondered if I did something wrong.
'Say sorry to me.'
'Sorry to me.'
'Ah, fuck.'