The Wedding Hall
As I watched Yuna let out a cute, amazed "Whoa!" while staring out the window, the taxi arrived in front of the venue before I knew it.
"It-it's huge."
"Impressive, isn't it?"
"Uh-huh."
The venue was a massive wedding hall building in the middle of the city.
It looked like they had spent a pretty penny.
Well, it was a once-in-a-lifetime wedding, so they might as well go all out.
Holding Yuna's hand tightly, I stepped into the lobby, and a grand interior unfolded before us.
Wreaths of flowers lined the walls, and guests in suits gathered in small groups to greet one another.
People stood in line in front of the reception desk to hand over their congratulatory money.
"Hieee..."
I felt the tiny hand holding mine squeeze tighter.
I wondered if this place felt like a European royal palace to Yuna.
From the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling to the marble floors, she seemed completely overwhelmed trying to take it all in.
"Don't let go of my hand. Stay close."
"O-okay."
I exchanged a brief nod with the groom's side of the reception desk.
Thanks to contacting them beforehand, I could naturally play the part of a guest without needing any awkward explanations.
In my own way, I wanted to look like a reliable father to Yuna.
The wedding hall was packed with people.
I took a seat side-by-side with Yuna in a decent spot.
Yuna was still looking around in wonder, her head turning left and right as if she couldn't believe her eyes.
"You have to be quiet, okay?"
"Uh-huh."
Sunk deep into the luxurious chair, Yuna looked at me and nodded.
She seemed a bit nervous deep down.
Was it because I had warned her so many times?
Ding-dong.
Soon, the lights dimmed.
The groom entered to soft music, looking dashing in his well-tailored suit.
And then...
"...!"
The bride, wearing a white dress, walked in slowly, holding the hand of a man who appeared to be her father.
In her pure white gown, she looked absolutely breathtaking.
They were a match made in heaven.
At the officiant's words, the crowd erupted into applause.
I clapped along politely, continuing my role as a guest.
"Wow..."
I wondered if Yuna was taking all of this in.
While clapping, I turned my head to look at her.
"..."
She was staring.
At the bride in her white dress, or the groom in his black suit. Or perhaps both of them at the same time.
I wondered if a prisoner who had spent his entire life in a cave, only to finally step outside and see the world, would have that exact same look in his eyes.
"...Yuna?"
I tapped her arm and called her name, but she didn't say a word.
She didn't clap, nor did she smile.
But she didn't look bored, either.
"..."
Her eyes were just filled with a deep, melancholic longing.
"...I now pronounce these two husband and wife..."
After a long moment, without even looking, she wrapped her arms around my arm and pulled it close to her chest.
And just like that, a new married couple was born.
The ceremony was over, meaning the event had concluded.
When I led Yuna back out to the lobby, a representative from the groom's side handed me an envelope.
It was the agency fee we had agreed upon beforehand.
"I think you can head out now. Thank you for your hard work."
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
Yuna still had a somewhat dazed look on her face.
"Yuna."
"Huh? Oh."
When I nudged her, she finally seemed to snap out of it.
Was it incredibly boring for her?
Come to think of it, that was highly likely.
For me, it was a job to make money, and I could appreciate the details, but to Yuna, it was probably just a boring, formal wedding.
"It was boring, wasn't it?"
"..."
Yuna fell silent at my question, then turned to look back at the entrance of the hall.
People were heading toward the buffet. They were probably the bride's guests.
"...No."
"Really?"
"It was fun."
Fun, my foot. You were spaced out the whole time.
When I chuckled, Yuna finally let out a bright smile and hugged me tightly.
Well, it was more like she clung to my side.
"Are you hungry?"
"Yeah, a little."
I had originally thought about getting meal tickets, but looking at the menu, it seemed like it was all suited for adult palates, so I decided we should eat outside.
As we stepped out of the building, the midday sun was surprisingly bright.
Of course, the early winter chill was still very much present.
"Brrr, it's freezing."
When I exaggerated a bit, Yuna giggled, finding it funny.
"Yuna, what do you want to eat?"
"Me? Um..."
Yuna held my hand, swinging it back and forth as she pondered.
The solemn look she had in the wedding hall was completely gone, and she was back to being a normal child.
"Mmm, uuuuum..."
Making strange humming noises, Yuna began to look around.
She glanced at a run-down snack bar, then at an all-you-can-eat meat restaurant, and then at an expensive raw fish place.
After scanning the countless shops lining the busy city street, she finally pointed.
"That."
"...I want a hamburger."
It was a common fast-food chain found all over the country.
Yuna asked if she could order a combo meal.
"Of course, kiddo. Who eats just a hamburger by itself?"
"M-my mom always ate it like that..."
"She'd order one combo, and she'd only eat the burger..." Yuna added.
Dammit.
I had walked right into a family landmine.
"Your dad has plenty of money, so it's fine."
Screw her mom. I had more than enough money to buy Yuna her own combo meal.
Come to think of it, she said her mom's entire life savings were in the closet.
I should check that when I get home today.
"...Hehe."
Yuna fell silent for a moment at my words, then let out a giggle.
When the hamburgers came out shortly after, she began to scarf hers down.
"..."
I figured telling her to eat slowly wouldn't change anything, so I didn't bother.
I had already demolished my burger and crumpled up the wrapper.
"We could have gone somewhere more expensive. Why did you choose this place?"
"...Mmh, I dreamed of eating a hamburger."
What is she even saying?
I just nodded and made an understanding "Ah" sound, pretending to get it.
Aside from choking slightly once, Yuna succeeded in completely devouring the hamburger.
I was amazed she could fit all that into such a tiny body.
Even after ordering two combo meals, the money I received from the gig was still more than enough.
I walked out of the restaurant, looking at Yuna's now-plump belly.
"Full?"
"I feel like my tummy's gonna burst."
Yuna patted her stomach with a satisfied expression.
She was adorable.
"Daddy, where are we going now?"
"Huh? Well..."
Since my only plan for today was "take Yuna to the gig," I couldn't easily answer her question.
What should we do?
"Is there anything you want to do, Yuna?"
"Me... that."
After thinking for a moment, Yuna pointed somewhere.
There was an ice cream parlor.
"Do you want ice cream?"
"Uh-huh."
Seeing her sneakily gauge my reaction, she must have assumed I wouldn't buy it for her.
Do I look like your mother?
I didn't know if her mom bought her things like this, but...
"Let's go. Pick whatever you want."
"...I-I want...!"
Isn't a mother who rarely buys things and a father who buys everything the typical family dynamic?
At the very least, a kid should be allowed to eat as much ice cream as they want.
After ordering a strawberry ice cream, Yuna pressed her cheek against my hand.
Her cheek was as soft and cold as the ice cream.
I got chocolate, and Yuna got strawberry.
Of course, Yuna looked like she wanted to try mine too, so I let her have a few bites, which meant I didn't get to eat much of it.
"Good, right?"
"Mmhmm."
Why would I mind?
I was just grateful that Yuna had behaved herself at the wedding hall.
As I watched Yuna eat her ice cream with a warm smile, suddenly...
"...?"
The surroundings grew noisy.
Pedestrians stopped in their tracks one by one, looking down at their smartphones and whispering.
Some of them turned pale, urgently talking to the person next to them.
What the hell?
"Did an accident happen?"
Did North Korea finally succeed in mass-producing magical girls in secret and launch an invasion?
I patted Yuna's head as she looked a bit frightened by the sudden shift in the atmosphere.
Bzzzz!
I pulled my vibrating phone out of my pocket and turned it on.
An emergency alert had arrived.
Monster sighting alert in the district. Please refrain from going outside and evacuate according to instructions.
Ah, it was just a monster.
It seemed another monster had appeared nearby.
"...Yuna, shall we go home now?"
"Y-yeah. Let's go."
Perhaps because her mouth was cold from the ice cream, Yuna spoke with a slight lisp.
She also seemed to realize that something was off.
But I didn't explicitly tell her a monster was nearby.
Especially after what happened yesterday...
"It's nothing. Don't be scared."
Yuna squeezed my hand tightly.
Seriously, why have there been so many monster sightings lately?
I hope nothing bad is brewing...
With that silly thought, Yuna and I quickly left the area.
Around the same time.
To be precise, a little while before this.
Seoul's rising star, Pink Rose, was...
"...Uh, excuse me...?"
She encountered a magical girl who had arrived at the monster sighting scene first.
She wore an outfit she had never seen before, with unfamiliar hair color and accessories.
Seeing her slumped in a secluded alleyway, out of public view...
"Are you okay, by any chance...?"
Pink Rose approached cautiously.
The surrounding area was sticky with the corpse and blood of a monster.
"..."
The back of the magical girl was pale.
Beyond pale, her skin had a slight purplish tint, with spots of a similar color occasionally flaring up.
Of course, since some magical girls had unusual skin tones, she didn't pay it too much mind.
"...Ah, yes."
As Pink Rose approached out of concern, the magical girl spoke weakly.
"There's something on your skin... like spots..."
"...No, I'm fine. Just a little tired..."
Was it Blackberry?
No. This magical girl had faintly light-colored hair.
"...Um, please rest here, and then make sure to go to the Magical Association to see a magical girl with healing abilities."
"..."
The magical girl, who had been sitting slumped while staring at the far end of the dark alley, slowly turned her head toward Pink Rose and gave a faint smile.
"...Thank you. So, please..."
She coughed heavily a few times.
"...Please go on ahead. I'm fine..."
Saying that, she turned her gaze back forward.
Driven by an instinctive fear and an inexplicable sense of revulsion, Pink Rose had no choice but to leave.