Chapter 18: Contamination
After buying the picture book, I had about fifty thousand won left.
Of course, that was from the fifty thousand won I'd swiped from the client's entire savings this morning—not my whole fortune.
Still, burning through over two hundred thousand won in a single day.
"Like it?"
"Ung!"
But Yuna was happy, so that was all that mattered.
I gazed at Yuna, her arms stuffed full with the old jacket she'd been wearing and the new picture book.
"Daddy'll carry the picture book. Gimme."
She looked like it was a real struggle, so I reached out to help.
But Yuna let out a little ungh- of refusal and twisted away, clutching the book tight.
"I can carry it."
"Your arms look sore. Hand over the jacket, then."
"Nah, doesn't hurt. I'm fine."
The old jacket plus the picture book—it was half her size, but Yuna was firm.
Anyone seeing this would think I was some deadbeat dad making his daughter lug all the bags.
"..Daddy."
"Yeah?"
"I'm hungry."
After leaving the bookstore, we'd wandered the department store without much thought.
Yuna was starting to get peckish.
I took her down to the basement level one. I'd noticed earlier that all the restaurants were there.
The food court was packed, even though it wasn't dinnertime yet.
The savory smell of frying oil, spicy broth, sweet bread—all mixed together.
"..."
Yuna's eyes went wide at the sight.
Food stalls everywhere—she had no idea what to pick.
"Whatcha wanna eat?"
"Uh, umm.."
Yuna turned her head this way and that, still hugging her bundles.
No way she was gonna pick a franchise burger joint again like last time.
Scanning around, she finally pointed at one spot.
"There!"
She shouted it out, bundles nearly spilling from her arms.
It was a tonkatsu place.
Not super cheap, not fancy either—just your standard department store pork cutlet joint.
Yuna scurried right up to the glass display with the giant king-size tonkatsu model.
"Wanna eat tonkatsu?"
An elementary school girl craving pork cutlet.
Social media said girls her age only went for mala tang or weird trendy stuff these days. Huh.
"Ung. It's huge."
"It's a model. Real one's smaller."
So I said.
Thud.
But the one that came out a bit later was basically the same size as the model.
Department stores these days had some conscience.
"Whoaaa.."
Yuna gasped at the tonkatsu bigger than her face.
The picture book and old jacket sat neatly beside her.
The way she carefully placed them on the seat the second we sat down was adorable.
I cut up Yuna's tonkatsu into bite-sized pieces for her.
Snagged a piece while I was at it—nice and crispy, pretty tasty.
"Eat up nice and slow. If you're too full, leave some."
"..Ung."
Telling her to take it easy wouldn't do any good anyway.
Sure enough, Yuna was stuffing her cheeks like they might burst.
Where'd she pick up that habit of wolfing it down?
"Watching you eat makes me full, Yuna."
"..You're eating too, Daddy."
The tonkatsu was delicious—been a while.
I left the department store with Yuna patting her round belly.
The sky was already darkening—real early winter vibes.
I hailed another taxi out front.
"Have fun today?"
"Ung. The clothes are pretty too.."
And the tonkatsu was yummy..
Read me the picture book when we get home.
Yuna chattered away in the seat next to me, then slowly leaned against my arm.
We'd walked a ton in the store.
She looked tired.
Almost home, I pulled out my smartphone on autopilot.
"..."
About thirty minutes ago.
Right near the department store we'd just left.
"..Huh."
Thing popped up the second we walked out.
Monsters had been spiking lately anyway.
Quick news search turned up a few short breaking stories.
Monster near department store, Pink Rose deployed, wrapped up surprisingly fast.
Comments were full of praise for Pink Rose's recent hustle.
Of course, internet being internet, there was plenty of forced hate too.
'No words they won't say to kids.'
I pocketed my phone.
Glanced over—Yuna was dozing off, head bobbing against my arm.
No need to mention it.
The second the taxi stopped in front of the house, Yuna perked right up.
Like those kids who wake up the instant they feel the familiar curve into dad's driveway.
'Kinda different, maybe?'
Kids' stamina was unreal anyway.
Yuna hung the new fuzzy jacket and her old pink one carefully on the rack.
"Daddy!"
She came running with the new picture book.
I sat on the sofa, and Yuna climbed onto my lap like it was the most natural thing.
The book felt cold.
"Read it?"
"Ung."
Wonder what she'd think this time.
The picture book's first line: There was a magical girl who wandered around looking for someone who had left.
"And so, the magical girl cried no more."
That was the last line.
The magical girl, who cried herself to sleep at the grave every day.
Realized innocent people had lost loved ones because she hadn't fought the monsters.
She swallowed her grief and got back to work.
Final page: the magical girl placing a single flower at the beautifully drawn grave.
I closed the book.
"..."
Yuna.
Didn't cry this time.
Instead, she stared at the cover for a long while.
"Daddy."
She called softly.
"..Yeah?"
Was it a happy ending, in a way?
"This magical girl... she's not sad anymore?"
Vague question.
She'd really gotten into it.
"Uh.."
I pondered her question deeply for a moment.
Would this magical girl ever stop feeling sad?
A little girl overcoming the grief of losing someone she loved, doing her duty—could she not be sad?
"I think she'd still be sad, Daddy reckons."
"..."
Oh no. Wrong move with the serious answer?
Maybe Yuna just wanted the girl to be happy.
I hurried to add,
"But she keeps going anyway, even if she's sad."
"Why?"
"Gotta do what you can, right? Helps push the sad thoughts away a bit."
Dang, that sounded pretty cool.
This was top-of-the-class horticulture major energy, Yuna.
(Dropped out before graduating, but still..)
"..."
Yuna mulled it over, staying quiet a long time.
"..I see."
She nodded faintly.
Too tough for her to get, maybe.
Then she hugged the book and leaned fully into me.
Were these picture books really for kids?
No official association certification mark on the one in her arms as she looked up all innocent.
A few hours earlier, alley near the department store.
Whoosh.
The monster's remains scattered as particles of light.
"..Phew, that it?"
Pink Rose wiped sweat from her forehead and scanned around.
Weaker than expected.
Worried about crowds near the department store, but no casualties, luckily.
Monster fled to the alley—no mob scene.
"..."
Thought about saying hi to that unexpected face.
But a monster showed up, of all things.
...
Grumbling to herself as she turned to head back.
Pink Rose sensed something off.
Magic, to be precise.
The evil aura of monsters that magical girls instinctively felt.
Faint but definite—leaking from deeper in the alley.
"..Another one?"
Pink Rose gripped her magic wand tighter and stepped into the dim alley.
Between buildings, too narrow for streetlights to reach—pitch dark.
Unlike the path chasing the last one; this was tight.
A little ways in.
"...?"
Someone was standing there.
Human-shaped.
Monster? No, silhouette was fully human.
Eyes adjusting to dark, outlines sharpened.
First thing she noticed: skirt hem—or rather, a dress.
Familiar style—
'..Magical girl outfit?'
Yeah.
Colors all darkened, but definitely a magical girl's dress.
Ally?
Then what was that magic earlier?
"Um, hello..?"
Pink Rose called out cautiously, stepping closer.
"Are you a magical girl too? I felt magic and came over.."
The figure raised its head.
"...!"
Empty, staring eyes.
Pink Rose froze in place.
It was that magical girl from yesterday's downtown alley.
Or more precisely—
Pale skin, purple blotches swollen red.
Still smiling faintly, insisting she was fine—that creepy one.
"U-um, hey.."
Couldn't even ask if she was okay. She looked anything but.
The dress, stained monster-blood red, was torn in places.
Attacked by a monster?
And one new thing.
"..."
Flowers bloomed on her.
Magical girls were like radiant flowers, but these weren't fresh green—black flowers bloomed from her flesh.
Embarrassing, but it was creepy. Gross, even.
Step.
She started toward Pink Rose.
Step, step.
Black blood dripped steadily.
"D-don't come closer..!"
Terrified, Pink Rose backed up, aiming her wand.
"Hey, something's wrong with you—stay back and let's talk..!"
Strong magic induced nausea, fear.
Deadly to civilians; bad enough for magical girls too.
Thud.
Her pace quickened.
"If you don't stop, I'll, I'll have to subdue you..!"
Even after the warning, she didn't stop.
Instead.
Thud-thud-thud!
She charged.
What the hell was she?
Too human for a monster; talked yesterday.
But now—
Pure monster behavior.
"..Nngh!"
Tense, Pink Rose fired magic without thinking.
Dazzling pink flash filled the alley.
No intent to hurt, of course.
Magical girl attacks only damaged magic-bearers like monsters.
Just eye-sting for humans.
Should just halt her or blind her a sec.
But.
As the bright light faded.
"..Guh, hack."
A gruesome wound scarred the magical girl's chest—direct hit from Pink Rose's spell.
"....!"
Spitting black blood, she collapsed, then stared hard at Pink Rose before vanishing into the shadows.
Pink Rose stood there a long time.
The first contamination—what should have been second.