The Rat Monster and the Pink Savior
I once saw a story on the internet that everyone could relate to. It said that if you wake up feeling unusually refreshed, with birds chirping in your ears, it definitely means you overslept.
"Ah."
Fuck, I feel way too refreshed.
After eating lunch, I lay down in bed and somehow drifted off without realizing it.
"What time is it now?"
It was almost one thirty. Yoona's mom had told me her school let out at one thirty, so...
"Ah."
Goddammit.
I shot up in a panic. I'd only meant to close my eyes for a second, but it turned into this. Well, it's not like anything serious could've happened... She probably just went home by herself or waited quietly in front of the school. She might be disappointed in me, though...
Comforting myself with those thoughts, I bolted out the door.
The path from the bus stop to Yoona's school was a full-on sprint. A strangely chilly energy kept tickling my skin, so I tugged my clothes tighter around me a few times. Was winter already coming? I was lost in those pointless thoughts when I rounded the corner and saw the familiar school gate.
"What the...?"
Why is no one here?
It made sense that the kids would be gone since dismissal had ended a while ago... but Yoona wasn't there either.
"Did she go home alone?"
She must be pretty upset. That's how I was when I was little. Anyway.
I stood in front of the gate and looked around. This school doesn't even have any security. Even if monsters haven't been showing up lately, this is ridiculous. It looked like Yoona had already headed home.
"Must be a nice school."
I decided to head back. I was worrying about what to do if she was really angry with me when I turned around.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaah—!"
A clear scream rang out from inside the school.
Today was a shortened schedule, so every grade had gotten out at the same time. That meant the only things left in the school right now were...
"Where is it...?"
Yoona, who was still searching for her pencil case, and—
—the thing slowly creeping toward her, reading her every move.
Completely unaware, Yoona remained focused on finding her pencil case.
"Did she take it...?"
She had no idea something was after her life. Instead, she was busy suspecting an innocent friend she didn't even like.
—Rattle.
She opened and closed the drawer several times, but the Pink Rose pencil case was nowhere to be seen. She was sure she'd put it here.
"Ugh, seriously..."
Yoona pouted, her lips pushed out. She remembered how her desk mate had kept touching it, saying she was jealous. Maybe she really had taken it. She'd have to confront her tomorrow.
Just as she stood up, still unfairly suspecting her friend—
—Drip.
Something fell at her feet. Yoona tilted her head and looked down. It was a yellow, sticky liquid. It smelled awful and looked filthy.
—Drip. Drip.
"...?"
A damp, hot breath brushed against her back. Yoona turned around.
Only then did she see it.
"Krrrrrrrrk..."
A monster with a rat's head, staring straight at her.
She had only ever seen them in magical girl documentaries or comics. She'd caught glimpses on the news now and then, but she'd never encountered one in real life. For an eight-year-old girl like Yoona, her mind could only process...
"E-eek..."
She stumbled backward, staring at its head, until—
"Kyaaaaaaaaaah—!"
She let out a scream that felt like it would tear her throat apart. That was all she could do.
"Kieeeeeeeeeeek!"
The monster shrieked back with an equally horrifying cry.
Monsters were generally divided into two types: non-intelligent monsters and intelligent ones. Fortunately, this one was a non-intelligent monster. Not that Yoona had any way of knowing that.
"G-go away! Hic...!"
Forcing her trembling legs to move, Yoona squeezed herself under a desk.
—Crunch!
The desk that had been shielding her was torn apart like a sheet of paper by the monster. Even a weak, mindless monster had enough strength to easily take on ten adult men.
"Hic... ugh...!"
To this creature, dealing with a frail little girl was as easy as eating pie.
"Don't come near me... ugh, hic..."
Her knees were scraped and her arms were cut, but Yoona, consumed by terror, didn't even notice. She curled up, hugging her knees tightly.
The monsters she'd seen in comics and documentaries hadn't looked this scary or disgusting. If she'd known this would happen, she would've just stayed by the school gate.
The monster loomed over her, staring down.
"Hic... H-hey! If the magical girl sister comes, she'll... she'll get rid of a rat like you in the blink of an eye...!"
Yoona shouted at the monster looking down at her.
"Just like that..."
But she couldn't finish her sentence, overwhelmed by its appearance. Tears poured from her tightly shut eyes.
I'm so scared. I want my mom... When is the magical girl sister coming...?
She heard the sound of a mouth opening wide. Instinctively, she realized she was about to be eaten.
Just like that, helpless, about to meet the same fate as the people in those documentaries—
—Crash!
There was the sound of something shattering.
"Krrk...?"
When she opened her eyes in confusion, she saw a man holding a freshly broken chair, staring the monster right in the face.
I'd thought smashing a chair over its head would at least make it stagger, but the chair I'd swung with all my might smashed against the monster's skull and shattered into pieces. The monster didn't look hurt at all.
"...?"
Still, I'd at least succeeded in drawing its attention to me.
How the hell does something like this happen? A monster showing up at an elementary school where a kid was alone. I'd come running after hearing a child's scream, and now there was actually a damn monster here.
"Hic... M-Mister...?"
Yoona looked up at me, her face drenched in tears. If I'd ignored it and gone home, this rat bastard would've eaten her.
Of course, it was still unclear whether I could get Yoona out of here alive.
The rat-headed monster stared at me and began grinding its yellow teeth with a loud crunch. It didn't seem particularly smart.
"Crazy...!"
This was my chance while it was distracted. Without thinking, I moved. I rushed to Yoona, scooped her small, curled-up body into one arm. She was surprisingly light.
"Ah... aah...?"
Yoona still seemed confused about what was happening right in front of her.
"Kieeeeeeeeeeeek—!"
The monster, its prey stolen right from under its nose, let out a furious roar and charged at me. I didn't even look back as I sprinted toward the classroom door.
Just days ago I'd been lamenting the fact that I'd suddenly been saddled with childcare, and now—
—Boom!
Crash!
As I ran down the hallway, a horrifying sound of pursuit echoed behind me. It was probably incredibly fast. Could I really make it to the gate with Yoona?
"Hold on tight, Yoona."
No way. I'd glanced back just now and seen it chasing us on all fours right on our heels. If this kept up, I'd be torn apart in five seconds.
So I—
"Kiiik—?"
—Shatter!
Threw myself straight through the window. Yoona's scream rang beautifully from within my arms.
—Thud.
Back when I was still in school, I'd jump from the second floor all the time just to get to the snack shop faster.
"Whew..."
Thankfully I'd landed in a flowerbed full of soft grass. Otherwise, my spine would've been shattered. I'd held Yoona tightly during the fall and landed on my back.
"H-hic... sob..."
Yoona just kept sobbing from the earlier terror, burying her face in my chest. At least she wasn't hurt.
The monster was sticking its head out the window, staring down at us.
—Crunch.
It gripped the windowsill. Looked like it was going to follow us down. To something like that, a second-floor drop was probably just a single step.
I quickly got to my feet and started running toward the gate, but—
"Kieeeeeeeeeeek—!"
Before I could even turn my head, the monster dove straight down like a bird plunging into water to catch a fish.
—Whoosh.
Just as I thought we were done for—
"Magical Rosebloom—!"
I don't know if she was early or late, but a magical girl had appeared. She obliterated the monster's upper body with a single pink beam.
—Thump.
Thanks to her, I managed to protect Yoona.
The magical girl with pink hair completely erased the monster's corpse, then hurried over to me. I was sitting on the ground, still holding Yoona in my arms.
"Are you okay?! Are you hurt anywhere...?"
"Ah, no. Thankfully..."
I gave her an awkward smile to show I was fine. When I looked down at Yoona, she was still clinging tightly to my chest with her face buried in it.
"I'm so sorry... Monsters haven't been appearing much lately, so we let our guard down..."
"Hey, who could've predicted this?"
The magical girl offered me her hand. I took it and stood up, finally getting a proper look at her.
She's pretty. Really pretty.
I knew it was rude to judge someone's appearance, but... no wonder she had so many fans.
"Oh."
Come to think of it, Yoona was a huge fan of magical girls. I called out to the little girl, who was still sniffling with her face pressed against my chest.
"Yoona, the magical girl sister you like so much just saved us."
I asked the magical girl for her name.
"Ah! Ahem. The language of pink roses is a vow of love!"
"I am the magical girl Pink Rose!"
Pink Rose. Wasn't that the one Yoona had told me about on the first day? The one she liked the most...? Honestly, I'd been too busy panicking and wondering what the hell was going on to remember clearly, but...
"Yoona, it's the magical girl sister you like the most!"
Anyway, everything had worked out. I said it to help soothe Yoona in case she was still upset with me.
"..."
But Yoona just clutched my collar tightly, looking up at my face and nothing else.