Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Neighbor
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"Oppa! It's time for lunch!"
"Yaaawn..."
Ji-yeon's voice woke me up, and I immediately stretched and sat up in bed.
I'd stayed up until dawn reading posts about magical girls and ended up sleeping in.
I opened my bedroom door and stepped into the living room.
There she was in my line of sight—Ji-yeon holding a frying pan in the kitchen.
"Looks delicious. Thanks, Ji-yeon."
"!! Okay!"
This was more than enough already.
I pulled out a chair and sat down, just as Ji-hoon came rubbing his eyes from his room.
"Good morning... Hyung, Noona."
"Come eat lunch!"
"Did you sleep well, Ji-hoon?"
Ji-hoon plopped down right away.
Soon, Ji-yeon set bowls of food in front of us and took her seat.
'Looks great.'
It had been a few days since the Lee siblings moved into our place.
At first, they saw me as some big shot and kept their distance, but thanks to me actively closing the gap these past few days, we were on casual terms now.
"Lunch today is American-style—bacon and fried eggs! ...Though that's pretty much all I can make."
"I love this. Thanks, Ji-yeon."
"Heh, hehet... Really?"
"I like Noona's cooking too! Meat every day! I love meat!"
No empty compliments—this was genuinely plenty.
'I know how hard she worked for it.'
Cooking with gun barrels the size of her torso couldn't be easy.
I'd even told her to just order delivery since she didn't have to bother, but Ji-yeon insisted on doing something, so I reluctantly agreed.
Of course, on the first day she couldn't even hold a frying pan without dropping everything around her, but she'd adapted quick—now she could handle simple dishes like this.
"Death by deliciousness!"
"Yeah? There's more, so eat up."
"Great!"
They might look like monsters on the outside, but right now they were just loving siblings.
With that, we finished our warm, cheerful lunch.
'Let's see. It's about time for...'
I glanced at the calendar, thinking of another big event.
Time had flown—it was already February.
'Fewer things to do!'
The day Comet entered university in March, she'd gain a partner.
Just one more month of hustling.
This novel treated Comet so poorly it could've won an award for it—unlike the other magical girls who grew properly and dodged what they could, Comet always ended up damaged somehow after every fight.
She should avoid fights she couldn't win... but nah, it was Comet's sacrificial mindset that was the real problem.
'The new mascot should be showing up around now, right?'
Opposite of Comet's mascot, the blue cat Aste who wielded falling star power, this newcomer was a flame-red wolf pup... no, wolf named Solia.
As the name and looks suggested, it governed the sun's power... and was pretty much the strongest in raw firepower among the mascots.
Aste, Comet's comet mascot, burned itself out like a berserker just to cast spells, while Solia just hit hard, period.
Sure, its other stats were a bit lower, but it hardly felt like a penalty.
The others were fine too—it was just Comet who got wrecked...
'I'll meet her soon enough.'
Already looking forward to it.
"Thanks for the meal, Ji-yeon."
"Ah, sure! I'll do the dishes—"
"I'll handle it. Gotta step out for a bit, so just leave 'em."
"...Sorry I can't help, Oppa."
"Nah, it's fine."
I reached out and patted Ji-yeon's head.
"Eek...?"
"Your feelings are thanks enough—no need to apologize. You've been living for your little brother all this time, right?"
"Oppa..."
"So relax."
"...Oppa, thank y—"
Just as the warm moment with Ji-yeon stretched on...
-Ding-dong!
"Hii?!"
"Huh? Who's that?"
Someone rang the doorbell.
I hadn't ordered anything.
I got up and headed to the door.
Peeking through the intercom...
"Huh? That lady..."
It was the red-haired woman I'd seen once before.
Hadn't spotted her since—what was this about?
I asked through the intercom mic.
"What is it?"
-I just moved in nearby, so I thought I'd come say hi to my neighbor.
"Ah... I see."
What was with her? We'd bumped into each other in the elevator last time, right?
'Whatever. I'm the Time Stop Monster anyway.'
If things went south, I'd just stop time.
I told Ji-yeon and Ji-hoon to stay in their rooms, then opened the door to face her.
'Whoa, check out that outfit.'
The redhead stood there in a leather jacket, hot pants, and fishnet stockings—a bold look.
I hadn't noticed before since it was just a glance, but she was stunning.
Sharp and intimidating—she might even beat me in human form.
"Hello. I'm Sori."
"Ah... Hi. Han Si-woo."
"I see. Si-woo-ssi, like I said, I just moved next door."
"Yeah, let's get along as neighbors."
"I was gonna say that... Sure, looking forward to it."
Sori extended her hand, so I shook it.
'Her grip...!'
But damn, she was strong.
Almost crushed my hand.
I subtly hid it, wondering if it'd cracked, when she peered inside and asked,
"Do you have any roommates?"
"Huh? Oh... well..."
"If so, I'd like to greet them too—"
"No! Just me. I live alone."
"I... see?"
Like I'd done something suspicious, she eyed me meaningfully.
I just smiled innocently until she smirked faintly and backed off.
"Got it. Nice chatting."
"Yeah, same. Take care, Sori-ssi?"
"Sure, let's be friends."
-Click.
The door shut.
"...Phew!"
I sighed in relief and leaned against the door.
"She's no ordinary person..."
No clue why, but I'd be seeing a lot of her.
...Oh, right—next door.
Still, Ji-yeon and Ji-hoon wouldn't go out, so no worries there.
With that in mind, I got ready for my usual patrol around the neighborhood.
"Everything okay, really?"
"Yeah, told you. She just... looked sharp, but no harm done."
I reassured the worried Ji-yeon, slipped on my shoes, and opened the door.
Hit the elevator button and closed the door.
-Ding!
"Hm?"
The neighbor's door swung open.
"...?"
"Oh, heading out? What a coincidence."
Sori grinned fiercely and hooked her arm in mine.
"Hey, personal spa—"
"I was just heading out too. What brings you out, Si-woo-ssi?"
"...A walk."
"Really? I'm going for a walk too. Shall we?"
"...A walk?"
In that outfit?
This violent-looking woman in that getup, arm-in-arm with me.
'Dangerous...'
Perilous in every way.
"Sure. I like walking with handsome Si-woo-ssi, and you get to walk with pretty me—fair trade?"
"Ha, haha..."
Guess I picked the wrong neighbor.
"Sir, we can't remake anything you dropped while carrying it yourself..."
"No! I dropped it climbing just two stairs? It's been less than two minutes since I got it!"
"...So we can't offer delivery service either—"
"No! Even your staff would've dropped it! You'd comp it then!"
"If it was staff error, yes, but here you took it and dropped—"
"Argh, whatever! Get the manager! I'm getting my chicken burger!"
"Sir, if you keep this up—"
"No!! Y'know, those stairs felt slippery somehow. Poor cleaning? If I'd fallen and gotten hurt, you'd pay big—and I'm letting it slide!"
"... "
Yoo Hwa-yeon, the college girl working her usual shift at McDoria.
New to the job, this was her first real Karen.
A middle-aged guy who'd dropped his burger on the stairs and demanded a remake.
She tried being as polite as possible, but he kept throwing tantrums for the manager—and only left after getting a freebie.
"...Hwa-yeon, back room for a sec."
"...Okay."
The manager awkwardly called her back with a sheepish smile, and they slipped out the back door.
He sighed and pulled smokes and a lighter from his pocket.
"...Hwa-yeon."
"Yeah."
"...Here."
He offered her a cig, and she snatched it, jamming it in her mouth.
"Light."
"Uh, yeah..."
She wiggled the cig in her lips; he fumbled and lit it.
Hwa-yeon inhaled deep, exhaled...
"Fuck! That was such bullshit?!"
She couldn't hold back and yelled.
"H-Hwa-yeon..."
"That fucking retarded asshole! Can't you do something about pricks like that?! If I weren't on the clock, I'd smash his face with a middle-finger jab till it caved!"
"But I handled it—"
"That's the problem, Oppa! You're too soft and eat the loss! Should've let me beat his ass even if it cost the job?"
The manager was Hwa-yeon's brother.
She was frustrated seeing her bro resolve things by taking the hit again.
"Sigh... Can't quit smoking with assholes like that."
"...You started right at twenty—"
"Shut up!"
"Okay..."
"Sigh... Hey, how much time we got?"
"Like five minutes?"
"Sigh... Then hear me vent more."
"Sure."
Hwa-yeon and her brother chatted out back for about fifteen minutes.
He headed inside first, telling her to hang out since he'd cover for her to clock out early.
"...Tch, fine. Day off today."
She followed soon after, changed, and left early.
Stepping out the back door.
"Fuck... Monsters a big deal? Karens are the real monsters."
She grumbled curses as she walked.
"Ah?"
"Sori-ssi?..."
"Nothing. Keep going."
The red-haired woman watched her intently.