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Chapter 1
"Ah, I'm starving. I don't even have the strength to walk anymore."
Joohyun stared at his reflection in an abandoned mirror under the streetlight.
He wore grimy clothes, and his face looked like he hadn't washed in days.
In short, he looked like a total beggar.
"Sigh. How did my life end up like this?"
With a sigh, Joohyun leaned against the streetlight and gazed at the tower in the distance.
The Tower of Infinity.
It had already been five years since those towers appeared all over the world.
With the appearance of the towers came the Awakeners.
And those Awakeners began to climb the towers.
The towers meant money.
Not just for the Awakeners, but for everyone.
And, of course, for Joohyun as well.
Joohyun was the President of a Management company that took care of Awakeners.
Some people also called it a 'Guild'.
He had signed multiple contracts with Awakeners who were quite famous in the industry, and he made a pretty penny doing it.
Compared to kids his age, it was an absurd amount of income.
The problem was that his contracted Awakeners had left for another Management.
And after paying off all his debts, he was left completely broke.
"Those bastards! After everything I did for them, how dare they abandon me?!"
Still, there was one person who stayed with the Management until the bitter end.
'Accountant Lee Yuna.'
She was the one who worked tirelessly, running around trying to find a way out until Joohyun's company was right on the brink of ruin.
Pushed to the edge of a cliff, Joohyun found his feet subconsciously carrying him toward Yuna's house.
'She did tell me to come by anytime if things got tough, but am I really doing this?'
It was way too shameless of him.
So, even after arriving in front of her house, he couldn't help but hesitate.
Joohyun picked up a can rolling around on the ground and threw it toward the tower.
Though it could never possibly reach.
Clank!
As if hitting an invisible wall, the empty can rolled right back to where Joohyun was sitting.
"So you're treated like a leftover just like me now, huh."
Joohyun fiddled with the empty can before crushing it in his hand.
That was when it happened.
"Oh-ho?"
Suddenly, Joohyun's body began to glow.
"Is this...? Could it be!"
It was a well-known fact that a person's body glowed when they awakened.
And Joohyun knew this fact too.
"Yes, yes! Let me turn my life around too!!"
'Please be a good Ability! Please be a good Ability!'
The moment an 'S-Rank' or higher Ability popped up here, his life would completely turn around.
Every Management would be bowing at his feet trying to scout him.
He was letting his imagination run wild, entrusting his body to the light.
That was when he sensed something was wrong.
"Huh?"
His field of vision was lowering. On top of that, it felt like his hands and feet were shrinking.
"Huh? Why is this happening?!"
And he quickly realized it wasn't just his imagination.
Bathed in the light, Joohyun's body was definitely shrinking.
"Wait? Just a minute!"
Before he could even figure out what was going on, the light flashed so brightly it blinded him.
Reflexively, Joohyun squeezed his eyes shut against the glare.
As the enveloping light faded away, he slowly opened his eyes.
"What in the world happened?"
Something felt very, very different. And not in a good way.
Joohyun turned his gaze to the abandoned mirror.
Reflected there,
"W-What the heck is this!!!"
It was a reflection of Joohyun, looking drastically different from before.
On top of that, his voice was weird too; it sounded like a young boy who hadn't hit puberty yet.
"This is really me?"
He couldn't easily believe the reflection in the mirror.
A body covered in fluffy white fur.
A long tail stretching out behind him.
Four stubby little legs.
Long, drooping ears.
And a perfectly round face.
Neither a dog nor a cat, he looked like a stuffed animal that little kids would play with.
"I'm not even human..."
Exactly. The reflection in the mirror was completely inhuman to anyone's eyes.
A ridiculously trivial, cute, and harmless-looking creature was staring back at him from the mirror.
"Why did I turn into this?"
Joohyun twisted and turned his body. In the end, without knowing the reason, he had no choice but to accept it.
The fact that he had turned into a bizarre creature.
"I've never heard of anyone turning into an animal or something when they awaken."
No, first of all, you couldn't use any Awakening Ability outside of the tower.
Even if his body had changed because of an Awakening Ability, that should only happen inside the tower.
Although panicked by something he had never experienced before in his life, he quickly snapped back to reality.
"Right, I should check that first. Status Window. They definitely said you can see the Status Window when you awaken, right?"
As Joohyun frantically chanted Status Window in his mind, a single window popped up right before his eyes.
And in a very cute and charming format at that.
-The tower welcomes you, Mascot.
📜 Name : Kim Joohyun
Level : LV1
Trait : Mascot
Class : Contractor (Mascot)
Ability : Will you make a contract with me and become a magical girl? (EX)
Upon successful contract : Contractor Magical Girl Ability activated!
Tower entry: Entry allowed once a day.
The beginning of the Magical Girl contract!
Let us secure both cuteness and power, and establish ourselves as a powerful Mascot!
Make the contract and find a Magical Girl to conquer the tower with!
"Uh... oh... eh?"
Joohyun stared at the window floating before his eyes in dumbfounded silence.
What on earth was this?
Magical Girl?
By Magical Girl, did it mean the kind his nieces and nephews loved?
'...Hmm, wait a minute. This could make some real money, could it not?'
The moment he saw the word Magic, a calculator started ticking in his head.
Among Awakeners, Magicians were a minority. So much so that there were only ten of them in all of South Korea.
Physical attacks did not work very well against the monsters of the tower.
Even with Artifacts made from Mana Stones, there was a limit.
That was why places everywhere paid hundreds of millions to scout and recruit highly efficient Magicians.
If he could create such a Magical Girl through a contract, it would be the ultimate blue ocean. The smell of money was wafting heavily in the air.
It was while Joohyun was flashing a creepy smile at the thought of making money.
That a voice came from beside him.
"Huh, what is this?"
Joohyun raised his head at the familiar voice.
Standing there.
In a slightly worn suit and scuffed shoes.
Wearing black horn-rimmed glasses with neat facial features.
A woman who looked like the picture of diligence stood before Joohyun.
'Accountant Yuna!'
Joohyun looked at Yuna with sparkling eyes, overjoyed to see her.
Yuna was looking down at Joohyun with a face that was half-wary, half-curious.
"Hmm... It does look cute... Should I report it to an Animal Shelter or something?"
She reached for her phone.
Joohyun flinched at the word report.
No way. If he was dragged away looking like this, he would definitely be subjected to biological experiments.
"N-No! It is me! Accountant Yuna! It is me, Joohyun!"
Joohyun unknowingly screamed out loud.
"Huh? Eh? Did you just speak?"
Yuna stumbled backward in surprise. Her hands unconsciously gripped her bag strap tightly.
Joohyun realized he had made a mistake.
Just look at his current state. It was obviously weird for him to be talking.
"U-Um, Accountant Yuna, calm down first! There is a reason for all this! I will explain everything!"
"What exactly are you?! How can you talk when you are not even human?! And how do you know my name!"
"Accountant Yuna, it is me! CEO Kim Joohyun! There is a reason for all this!"
Why was this damn tail wagging on its own!
Swish, swish.
His tail wagged automatically as he thought he needed to prove he was not dangerous.
"The CEO? How am I supposed to believe that?"
Yuna carefully observed Joohyun with a suspicious glare.
Joohyun racked his brain hard.
To come up with a way to prove his identity.
Just one thing.
A past incident flashed through his mind.
"Do you remember? That time when you stayed late at night alone, giggling while watching something, and when I secretly peeked, you were watching that kids show Hachu Pangpang or whatever and repeating the lines?"
Yuna flushed beet red the moment she heard that.
"S-Stop. You promised never to bring that up again! ...Wait a minute. Only the CEO actually knows about that?"
Only then did her wariness subside a little.
"A-Are you really the CEO? How did you end up looking like that?"
"I am just as baffled here!"
With her guard down, Yuna scanned Joohyun up and down with a curious expression.
Feeling overwhelmed by her gaze, Joohyun lowered his head slightly.
That was when it happened.
"...Then, can I touch you?"
"What...?"
Sensing something strange, Joohyun raised his head, but it was already too late.
Yuna had already reached her hand just inches from his head.
"No!"
Joohyun quickly yelled and backed away, but perhaps because his body was so small, retreating was useless. He ultimately had to allow her touch.
"Wow, it is so soft! I cannot believe the fur is this fluffy!"
"Stop it! It is me! Joohyun! The CEO!!!"
"But what can I do when you are this cute?"
Her hands, which had been petting his head, suddenly grabbed Joohyun by the waist.
"Uweh?"
Being lifted up suddenly, Joohyun could not help but let out a weird sound.
Yuna picked Joohyun up and rubbed him against her face.
"Kyaa! This is amazing. I cannot believe something this soft and cute actually exists in the world!"
"Please put me down!"
Joohyun was flustered.
'How could she drop her guard so instantly and cling to me like this? Especially knowing it is me. Could this be one of my Awakening Abilities too?'
That was when it happened.
✨ I am a Mascot!
Mascot Effect: You are a cute Mascot! You are destined to be loved by girls!
'Wait, it was actually because of my Ability?'
And one more thing.
Ever since Joohyun first saw her, he had noticed a strange Heart Gauge next to her.
🎯 Contract Target Detection
Detection system activated: Detects targets with the potential to awaken as a Magical Girl!
[Contract possible at 60% or higher!]
[Name: Lee Yuna]
[Magical Girl Power: 60% - Meets contract conditions.]
'I had an Ability like this? Does that mean I can make a contract with Accountant Yuna?'
But a question remained. Yuna was already an adult woman, a far cry from being called a girl.
That aside.
"S-Stop it!"
Joohyun tried to push Yuna away with his feet using all his might, but it was not enough.
"Wow! So soft! How is this even possible? Huh?"
Yuna's eyes were already glazed over, as if she were possessed by something.
Joohyun got goosebumps all over his body the moment he saw her eyes.
'I have to get away!'
It was while he was struggling like that.
Growl-!
All the strength drained from his body as a loud noise echoed from his stomach.
There was no way Yuna would not notice it.
"Are you hungry?"
"......."
He was hungry.
Joohyun had not eaten anything for two days. So he felt like he would collapse at any moment.
"Let's go to my house and eat something!"
"......Is that okay?"
"Of course, you are none other than the CEO!"
With that, Yuna put Joohyun into the bag she was carrying.
And Joohyun thought that while food was important, this was an opportunity.
'Since I've awakened, I should try using my Ability.'
Joohyun intended to test his Ability on Yuna if he got the chance.
It wasn't long before they arrived at her house.
It was a very old villa that wouldn't look out of place if it collapsed at any moment.
'She was living in a place like this?'
Even though they had worked together, it was his first time seeing Yuna's house, so he couldn't help but be surprised.
The front door opened.
"Noona is home!"
At that sound, a rapid patter of footsteps began to echo.
"It's Noona!!"
"It's Unnie!!"
Two young kids ran out of the room and welcomed her.
In the distance, a kid who looked to be around middle or high school age merely peeked out before going back into their room.
She smiled brightly at the children and took Joohyun out of her bag, setting him down.
"I'm going to change my clothes, so stay put and be good, okay?"
Saying that, Yuna promptly disappeared into her room.
Joohyun ended up left there with the three kids.
He felt a chilling gaze from somewhere.
Only then did Joohyun raise his head and look at the kids.
"Woaaaah......."
The kids were staring at Joohyun with their eyes wide open.
The kids were slowly closing the distance between them and Joohyun.
Joohyun felt that things were gradually going wrong.
By the time she came out of her room after changing her clothes.
"Aaaack! Save me!!"
"Woah!! It's a talking animal!! Catch it!!"
Joohyun was in the middle of a high-speed chase with the kids.
"Somebody, please save me!"
"Oh, you kids!"
Yuna, who had come out of her room, stopped the kids and scooped up the running Joohyun.
"You shouldn't tease him!"
"But!"
"Aww......."
The kids immediately put on a tearful expression.
"No, no. You're bothering him."
With that, Yuna carried Joohyun into her room.
The room was equipped with only the bare necessities.
In a word, it was modest.
"CEO, please wait a moment. I'll bring something to eat."
Yuna went out to get food.
'She had younger siblings.'
It was a fact Joohyun had just learned. While working together, he had never once heard her mention having younger siblings.
Although he had heard that her parents passed away a few years ago.
Even though there was a time when he paid her a more than sufficient salary, he could finally understand why she always wore a suit with frayed sleeves.
It was because she had to provide for her younger siblings.
Yuna quickly returned with the food.
It was a few slices of bread and a can of tuna.
"It's just regular canned tuna for humans, but you can eat it, right?"
"Of course! Because I am a human too."
"You don't look like a human to anyone, though......."
Yuna opened the can and placed it in front of Joohyun.
After setting the can down, Yuna sat on the desk chair and munched on her bread.
"You have a lot of younger siblings, huh?"
At Joohyun's question, Yuna smiled bitterly.
"They are really cute....... But my worry is that I don't have enough time to spend with them."
Yuna let out a sigh.
"Are you busy because you found a new job?"
"Ah! That is...... I'm actually still looking for a job. It hasn't been easy. Ahaha."
Yuna looked like a soaking wet puppy, her face on the verge of tears as she munched on her bread.
"You need money, don't you?"
"Yes...... Well, yeah......."
"Do you want to try working with me again?"
"Huh?"
Yuna looked at Joohyun with a puzzled gaze.
She had every right to be.
Yuna knew Joohyun's financial situation better than anyone else.
He probably didn't even have the money to take care of himself.
Paying no mind to Yuna's reaction, Joohyun hopped up onto her desk.
Yuna absentmindedly thought he looked cute doing that.
"It's simple. You just have to make a contract with me."
"A contract? What kind of contract?"
Yuna looked at him with slightly suspicious eyes.
Looking at Yuna, Joohyun smirked.
"Won't you try becoming a Magical Girl?"
"Excuse me......?"