Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: I'm a Magical Girl, Though
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[Shining]: ?
[Shining]: Already? No way.
[Shining]: That thing takes at least a year to hatch.
[Shining]: Did you seriously keep sitting on it with your butt or what?
[Neph]: (angry penguin emoticon)
[Neph]: (sends video)
[Shining]: For real lol
This person is seriously hopeless.
I'm not into idols at all, but I have a huge interest in magical girls.
I already had a rough idea of what Shining was like. Wasn't she supposed to have some kind of charisma or whatever?
Every time we text, it's like peeling back layers of an onion. Far from charismatic, she comes off more like the neighborhood big sis teasing some pitiful kid.
[Shining]: Anyway, whatever.
[Shining]: Guess I have no choice. I'll help you out.
[Shining]: But I'm in the middle of recording Music Bank today, so I can't come to you. Can you make it to Yeouido ABS station? Might be tough since you're young.
[Neph]: I can get there! (angry penguin emoticon)
What does she take me for? Of course I can go.
'Huh?'
Wait, Shining's asking me to come to her? To the broadcasting station? For real? No way I'm missing this!
The magical girl Shining. She's the leader and main vocalist of Korea's top-tier girl group LUMINA.
According to the Magical Girl Appraiser's intel, she signed her magical girl contract around 16 or 17, while juggling idol trainee life at the same time (speculated).
Practicing choreography by day, smashing monster skulls by night.
Anyway, after all those years of grinding, it's been a solid 12 years now.
Estimated current age: 27 or 28. Even just as an idol, she's got 9 years under her belt. Calling her a veteran wouldn't be off at all.
But her physical age is eternally 16. Like Frost, she's one of the rare magical girls who pushes the transformation body's perks to the absolute limit.
As a veteran in both the magical girl world and the idol scene, she's naturally super popular—but her fame is on another level.
Because her idol popularity eclipses her magical girl fame.
The other members are starting to show their age a bit, but she's holding down eternal center with her preserved-beauty looks. Fans love her for it.
'Anyway, this is perfect.'
I needed to thank her for the 500k IP anyway, and more importantly, Shining wasn't on my list of magical girls I'd scheduled to meet.
She didn't seem too keen on meeting up, so I'd put her on hold. But now she's calling me over herself. Can't pass this up.
I'll sort out the egg issue, snag some of her mana, and grab an autograph while I'm at it.
'Just in case, I should transform first.'
I finished transforming, threw on some casual clothes, stuffed the egg incubator into a shopping bag, and headed out.
Yeouido ABS broadcasting station entrance.
"Whoa."
The moment I stepped out of the taxi, I could barely breathe.
Today's Music Bank filming day, right? Makes sense—the entrance was swarming with fans waiting to greet their faves.
Security uncles had barricades up, defending the entrance like a fortress.
'Hmm.'
I didn't have the confidence to just march through that, so I hesitated for a sec.
Would they let me in if I said I'm the magical girl Neph? But pulling the "don't you know Neph?" card right off the bat felt a bit much.
'Gotta go through the back door.'
Too many people at the front.
I scurried along, dodging eyes, toward the back entrance.
But the back was packed too. Sasaeng fans staking out the place. Figures.
No choice—I shot Shining a private message.
[Neph]: I'm here! Where should I go?
Tch. The 1 still hasn't disappeared? She's busy, I guess.
Makes sense—rehearsals and makeup probably mean no time to check her phone.
Still, better to head in and wait, so I made for the staff entrance.
"Hold it."
A burly security guard blocked my path.
"Kiddo, this is staff only. Got a ticket?"
"No."
"Then you can't come in. Go get your parents."
Isn't this when you pull the "don't you know Neph" card? I fished out my ID and showed him.
"I'm a magical girl."
Me, Neph.
The guard took the ID, glancing between the photo and my face.
"Uh... for real? It's Neph?"
"Hehe."
The guard's eyes went wide.
But that was it.
"Still, what's the visit for? Monster inside or something?"
"Uh... not exactly. Here to see Shining sunbae."
"That's a problem."
The guard shook his head firmly.
"Even magical girls have to follow procedure unless it's official duty or an emergency. Security rules. Sorry."
Thinking about it, he's right. No arguing that.
Magical girls get perks, sure, but that doesn't mean free pass to lord over the law.
No monsters around, and waltzing into a station like it's my house? That's privilege abuse, not magical girl stuff.
"...So I wait out here?"
"Yeah. Wait outside or have your contact escort you in."
Ugh. Got bounced from the entrance after all.
I hunkered down on a bench out front, shopping bag in lap. The egg inside was still thrashing away.
"Quit squirming. You're making me nauseous."
I patted the bag to kill time. When would Shining check her phone?
That's when.
"Hey there."
Kim Jin-woo wasn't really an idol fan.
Magallery folks each had their fave magical girl—that was the rule. In that sense, Kim Jin-woo's top pick was Shining.
That's why he'd taken half a day off to come to Yeouido: to snag some straight-cam footage of Shining's arrival.
But the fans here were all diehards camping out since dawn just for a glimpse. No good shots from the front gate anyway, so he figured the back might offer a chance and headed over.
Then he spotted her—a girl on the bench by the back entrance, squatting and patting a shopping bag. White hair.
'...Neph?'
It was an attention-grabbing look normally, but with Music Bank filming, she was blending into the background noise.
As a true magaller, he instantly recognized her as Neph, the newbie magical girl who'd risen to gallery lord status.
He snapped a pic and posted to the gallery right away.
ㅇㄷ? I'll go pick her up
As expected, explosive reaction.
Of course, Neph's activity had ramped up lately, so the gallery was getting steady pics of her.
But those were always in magical girl outfit. Never in casual clothes like this.
Comments poured in with every refresh, and Kim Jin-woo's grin stretched ear to ear.
Gallers always crave attention and updoots.
But human greed knows no bounds. Too good an opportunity to just snipe from afar.
'Should I talk to her?'
Word was Neph was decent with fan service.
Even during the octopus monster attack that put her on the map, she'd dropped her signature line without missing a beat. Maybe she's got a bit of an exhibitionist streak?
Steel himself, Kim Jin-woo approached Neph.
"Hey there."
Neph looked up.
"...Yes?"
"Are you the magical girl Neph? I'm a fan—mind a quick pic?"
Neph blinked, looking flustered for a moment, then gave a small nod.
Expecting a no, the cool response had Kim Jin-woo pumping his fist inside.
"Thank you! Here we go! One, two, three!"
Click.
Neph shyly flashed a V-sign.
Checking the shot, Kim Jin-woo's grin hit his ears. Stop here? Or push his luck?
'Push, obviously.'
Gallers don't get to meet magical girls IRL often. Once or twice in a lifetime is a lot.
No way this chance comes again—time to fish for the gallery's hot gossip directly.
"Hey, Neph. If it's not too rude, mind a few questions?"
"S-sure?"
Neph looked visibly thrown. Seizing the moment, Kim Jin-woo unleashed.
"Gallery rumors say you're really Prima's granddaughter? Or maybe a secret daughter..."
"...Huh?"
"And what's your power exactly? Not the clothes-changing—your actual unique ability."
"Th-that's..."
"Oh, could you show the black dress from last time just once..."
Just as Neph started looking troubled.
Grrrrowl!
A beast's low roar echoed from somewhere, and a massive shadow rose over the station wall.
"Huh?"
The second Kim Jin-woo looked up.
BOOM!
A house-sized tiger dropped from the sky.
Not just any tiger—a magical beast spewing blue spiritual energy from every pore.
Shining's summon: Ruffy.
"Eek?!"
Before Neph could scream, Ruffy chomped her skirt hem like a mother cat grabbing a kitten.
"Kyaa?!"
Neph dangled like luggage.
The tiger bounded toward the wall, her in its jaws.
Leap.
The whole kidnapping went down in a flash. Kim Jin-woo could only gape.
His finger instinctively hit the shutter anyway.
Rat-tat-tat!
Burst mode fired off.
Neph's shaking pupils were crystal clear as she got dragged off, skirt in tiger teeth.
"...Whoa."
Kim Jin-woo shivered checking the screen.
Ruffy and Neph. What day is it? Trembling, he posted to the gallery again.
The post shot straight to the realtime best board.