Magical Girls Are Awesome Awesome Awesome!
"Line up single file and grab your textbooks one by one from the front!"
Self-introductions wrapped up quickly, and before long, we headed to the library for our textbooks.
The library inside was cleaner than I'd expected.
"Hehe! Hurry up and wait!!"
"No cutting in line!!!!"
It was packed right now, so the place felt a bit chaotic, but it probably had a nice vibe when empty.
Korean
Following the librarian's guidance, I started scooping up the textbooks from the shelves and tucking them into my arms.
...Heavy.
My arms were already shaking after just five books. There were at least twice as many left, and the thought of hauling them all filled me with dread.
"Heavy?"
Seoyeon, grabbing her share next to me, noticed my trembling arms and asked if it was too much.
If I said yes, she'd probably carry mine for me.
"I'm good."
But that would bruise my pride. Back in the day, textbooks like these would've been a breeze, and begging for help over something this minor would make the man in my heart weep.
So no way was I asking her for help. A man has his pride—I wasn't about to rely on a high school girl.
.
.
.
"...Wanna help?"
"Pfft."
By the ninth book, my arms were noodles. With three more to go, I cleanly gave up.
Seoyeon scooped up the ones I'd set down, then effortlessly lifted her own stack too.
...How?
The other students stared in awe, but she only had eyes for me.
"What're you doing? Let's go!"
At her urging, I hurriedly grabbed the rest.
"Want me to take those too?"
"Nah, I'm good."
Those last few were my final shred of pride.
***
On the walk back to class, we chatted lightly.
"What was your old middle school like?"
"I lived overseas."
"No way, really?"
That was the cover story. Sofia had suggested it when sorting out my identity issues, and it seemed solid enough to adopt on the spot.
"How'd you learn Korean?"
"From books."
"Your parents didn't teach you?"
"I wanted to do it myself if I could."
I almost said I didn't have any, but that'd kill the mood, so I brushed it off. No point dredging up bad memories anyway—I switched topics and asked her something instead.
"What do you do for fun?"
"Uh, y-yeah? I like shopping and stuff."
Shopping, huh. I never really got girls' vibes, but it must be fun if so many of the magical girls I managed back then begged me to go with them. Must be worth recommending.
Of course, I turned them down because work was crazy.
Anyway, chatting idly with her as we walked the hall, we soon reached the classroom.
Scraaaape.
I thought we'd been quick, but over half the class was already seated. Kids these days were speedy.
"Thanks for the help."
"No biggie."
Once we got back, she said she was heading to the bathroom and left. As I waved her off and returned to my seat, I found a bag of cookies on my desk.
Homemade meringue cookies?
I set my textbooks down and glanced around—every desk had the same bag.
Then one girl approached with a greeting.
"Hi!"
It was the one with the super loud self-intro earlier. Kim Yena, I think?
"Hey."
"You really like magical girls like you said????"
Oh.
Right, she'd said she loved them too during intros. She must've remembered mine.
"Yeah."
No reason to hide it, so I owned up. Her face lit up.
"For real??? Which one's your fave???"
My ultimate fave? Obviously.
"All of them."
"Huh?"
"I like every single magical girl."
Not a one left out.
She paused, baffled, then spoke up again.
"You just like magical girls in general?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
I looked up, meeting her eyes. Those amber orbs, sparkling like polished gems with tiny stars inside, stared straight at me without a flicker.
Rustle.
I tore open the cookie bag on my desk while pondering her question.
Why did I like them? The question felt a bit off, so I replied with a hint of puzzlement.
"You don't need a reason to like something, right?"
Thankfully, she seemed to buy it.
"Yeah, true!"
Oh, these cookies are good.
"Oh! How are they?"
"Delicious."
"Right? They turned out extra good today!"
She made them herself? These things are a pain to bake.
We chatted casually until most of the class filtered back in. Yena noticed and headed to her seat.
"Oh! Homeroom teacher's probably coming soon! Talk later!"
"Sure."
Seoyeon still wasn't back. Taking a while—
────────!!!!!!
Suddenly, a sinister siren wailed through the entire school, like space itself ripping apart.
The classroom erupted into chaos.
"A kaijin already!?"
"On orientation day...?"
A siren like this inside the school meant at least a C-rank kaijin or magic beast.
Bzzz...
My pocket phone vibrated. Half-dreading it, I checked—Sofia stared back from the screen, dead serious.
And sure enough, my hunch was spot on.
I slapped my palm to my forehead at her message through the wallpaper.
C-rank. The rank where danger and mortality spiked hard compared to lower ones.
For magic beasts, overall physical specs or one ability hypertrophied—bad matchups could stump even C-rank magical girls. That turtle from before was a prime example.
Luckily, their weaknesses were clear-cut, making them easier to handle than you'd think.
Kaijin were different.
They had slightly higher intelligence. Most possessed unique abilities like a magical girl's unique magic, so smarter ones exploited them better.
But that wasn't the real issue.
***
"Come out, magical girl!!!!! If you want to save this student, you'd better show yourself now!"
The kaijin in the bizarre mask was holding a girl hostage on the sports field.
"H-Help... me...."
She pleaded with the remaining parents on the field, but
"Kyaaah!!!"
"When's the magical girl coming!!!?"
They just fled inside in panic.
"Ah...."
The girl felt her luck had run out today. She was just a normal student.
Unable to make friends in middle school, she'd vowed to change this time—and overslept, landing her as the kaijin's hostage.
"I'll crush you all myself!!!!"
Clashing his gauntlets sparked fierce flames.
No magical girl after all this time? His patience snapped—he started choking the girl.
"If you don't come out... this student's fate is..."
"Guhk...."
Her airway tightened, face turning blue. Despair hit as she realized she'd die like this.
'Please... anyone... help...'
That instant, the kaijin sensed killing intent behind him. No time to turn—he leaped away.
Slash!
A chilling whoosh cut the air.
"Ugh... so close...."
A slightly dejected voice followed from behind.
"Ha! Finally here!"
Pink hair fluttering like cherry blossoms in the wind. Amber eyes gleaming with inner stars. Frills everywhere screaming "I'm a magical girl."
"Magical Girl Lumina Betaris. Here in the name of justice!"
Introducing herself as Lumina Betaris, she charged with her glowing shortsword.
Distance closed in a blink, but
"Hold it!"
"Eek...."
"Want to save this girl? Stop right now."
The kaijin calmly threatened the hostage. Her plan—rescue via surprise, then fight—went sideways.
Stalemate. She called out to reassure the student.
"That citizen...! Don't worry! I'll save you somehow!"
But the girl showed no sign of calming.
"Ugh!!!!! Mmph!!!!!"
"Ha! Drop that staff already!"
The kaijin yelled "staff" at her glowing shortsword.
"Ugh... that's why I wanted to end it quick...."
Clang!
She dropped it as ordered. It hit the dirt, caking in mud, light fading.
"Heh heh... good, stay put.... Now this hostage..."
As the kaijin closed in, he realized his arms felt oddly empty.
"Hostage...?"
Sensing wrongness, he looked down—the girl had vanished without a trace.
"What the fuck, where's my hostage?"
"That's me."