Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Fake Neph (1)
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Ha Sol-ah had a lot on her mind these days.
Her precious Ha-rin unnie vanished every afternoon like she was off handling some top-secret national mission, completely ignoring her.
Of course, it was a national security matter. She already knew Ha-rin was Neph, the magical girl protecting South Korea.
Monster extermination? Important stuff.
She knew Ha-rin was putting in real effort.
But according to Ha Sol-ah's own analysis of news data, Neph took down an average of just two monsters a day. Each one clocked in at around ten minutes.
So what about the rest of the time? Shouldn't she be playing with me during the downtime?
"That's not fair."
Even when she'd wheedled her last weekend, Ha-rin wouldn't budge. Something about being tired.
Of course, Ha Sol-ah had no idea that Ha-rin had spent that time at home glued to the Magical Girl Gallery and YouTube.
Anyway, to reiterate: a jammin's heart is as fickle as a reed. Ignore her this much, leave her hanging, and... she'll find someone else to latch onto, you know?
I'm super popular at school? Got a whole truckload of boys lining up?
Sure, no one was as pretty as Ha-rin unnie, ate as well, or had that occasional adorable ditziness, but feeling neglected was feeling neglected.
"Heading out early again today?"
"Yeah... got something to do..."
Dismissal time. As usual, Ha-rin packed her bag the second the bell rang and bolted from the classroom.
Not even glancing back with that ruthless speed. Where was she rushing off to? Meeting another girl or something?
"Not letting her off today."
Ha Sol-ah resolved to tail her.
Backpack on, she shadowed Seol Ha-rin. Hiding behind utility poles, crouching in flower beds. Pretty sneaky, if she said so herself.
But.
"...Huh?"
In the blink of an eye—while she was distracted—Seol Ha-rin vanished.
The culprit? A tempting new takoyaki food truck in the alley. She'd lost three seconds staring.
"Hng."
Nothing to be done. An eight-year-old jammin's focus was just like that.
Pouting as she scanned the alley, she spotted a familiar silhouette emerging from the far end.
Silver-white hair and a dress. Magical Girl Neph.
"Ah!"
Ha Sol-ah slapped her knee.
She'd transformed and that's why she hadn't recognized her! No wonder she'd vanished so cleanly—she'd ducked into the alley to transform.
Grinning, Ha Sol-ah charged toward Neph.
Of course, she wasn't planning to call out "Ha-rin unnie!" Pretend it was her first time, beg for an autograph. Hehe.
But.
'Huh?'
The closer she got, the weirder it felt.
It was definitely her Ha-rin unnie—no, Neph unnie. But the vibe was off.
Normally, Neph had that airheaded, bumbling klutziness. This one, though...
Head cocked arrogantly, eyes narrowed, lips curled in a sly smirk as she walked...
To borrow a pro term from TikTok, she was radiating total "brat" energy.
Ha Sol-ah didn't know it, but this wasn't the real Neph.
She was Seika's eagerly dispatched D-rank monster: Doppelganger. Fake Neph, in other words.
The only data the Doppelganger had to work from was that pathetic~♥ video from the octopus monster's POV, so her personality had formed into a total delinquent mess.
But Ha Sol-ah had no way of knowing that.
She just figured unnie was in a different mood today and shouted brightly.
"Neph unnie!"
At the voice, the Doppelganger halted. Then slowly turned her head to look down at Ha Sol-ah.
The Doppelganger—no, Fake Neph's—lips curled upward like a snake's.
After that day, I snuck(?) into the broadcasting station for three straight days.
Okay, not really sneaking. Sylph footage captured me flying in on Luppy.
The culprit was definitely that guy I'd fanned service for. Magical Girl Gallery flashbang. Got your face now.
Still, Luppy had some conscience—at least from the next day, he stopped treating me like luggage in his jaws and let me ride properly on his back.
The ride was decent. Like sinking into a plush, warm genuine leather seat. Success: rode Luppy!
Anyway, every day I met Shining and learned how to inject mana into the egg under her guidance.
'Yeah. If you keep this up, it'll hatch tomorrow at latest, day after for sure.'
That's what Shining said yesterday while stroking the egg. Meaning today or tomorrow. Finally, time to meet my baby.
'Wonder what'll hatch.'
This level of excitement had been a while. Random magical beast egg? As a gacha enthusiast, my heart was pounding.
Ideally, something mammalian like a cat or dog. Oh, but shedding fur? My current studio apartment bans pets.
'If it's some reptile...'
That'd be rough too. Scales and slime? Hard pass.
Still, whatever hatched, I was confident I'd raise it with all a mom's love.
I'd even gotten child-rearing tips from Shining. Premium magical beast feed was in my cart at the Magic Castle mall.
Mulling over her lessons, I sensed someone nearby.
It was Seo Jun.
"Um... Ha-rin ah."
"Yeah?"
Seo Jun fidgeting like a dog desperate for the bathroom. Potty emergency?
"Uh... y'know, Sol-ah..."
Nope.
"Sol-ah?"
"She's been kinda weird today..."
? Wasn't she always weird?
But Seo Jun's face was dead serious.
"No, really. Her vibe's totally different from usual. Kinda cold, I guess..."
Come to think of it, that hit a nerve.
Lately, after school it'd been me sandwiched between Left: Seo Jun, Right: Sol-ah.
They took turns buying me food, and even with 150 million in the bank, who can resist free meals?
The kids who'd growled at each other like rival dogs must've been original couple material (lol). They actually clicked pretty well.
But these past few days, I'd ditched them right after dismissal to bolt to the station.
Can't be helped. My kid was about to hatch—where's the time to mind someone else's?
Still, neglecting kids that age who crave attention? For three days? Especially a prime attention-seeker like redhead buggy-eyes? No wonder she was sulking.
"How weird?"
"She looked at me like I was a bug."
Didn't she always?
"If I had to compare... before it was like looking at a rock, but today it was food waste eyes?"
Sadly, I had no clue what affectionate gaze Seo Jun used for garbage, so it didn't click. Kinda hard to get...
"Did you do something wrong maybe?"
"Nah. You said you've been busy, so we barely met these days."
Oh, this vibe. Friends' friends not getting along.
Still, if he's this serious, maybe there is an issue.
Maybe got chewed out by mom at home, or lost followers.
Sigh. I inwardly sighed deep, cursing my karma. Shouldn't have transformed back then. Or maybe I should've fought transformed?
Couldn't cut ties with Seo Jun or Ha Sol-ah. If I ditched and they spilled my secret? Gotta own it to the end.
"Wanna go check on her?"
Seo Jun nodded, and next break we headed straight to Class 2.
Lucky or unlucky? Door opens, and boom—Ha Sol-ah's right there.
Understood Seo Jun's point in three seconds flat.
Definitely off. Usual Ha Sol-ah was a noisy buggy-eyed whiner. This one...
No, animal comparison didn't fit.
What was it? Her whole presence felt faded, erased. How could a kid with such a strong personality look this blurry?
Worst: those dazed, droopy eyes and emotionless smile. This screamed major meltdown, so I spoke carefully.
"Sol-ah?"
At my call, Ha Sol-ah tilted her head slightly.
"Yees, Mistress."
"?"
Seo Jun, Yoo Jung-woo, Jung Soo-ah, Ha Yeon-ho—all stared at me. Last two were just Class 2 kids I knew by name.
Suddenly I'm the weirdo? Well, yeah—if your classmate calls a peer "Mistress," you'd stare.
"H-Ha-rin ah... did you...?"
"N-No, I didn't do anything."
"She always calls you unnie anyway. Isn't it similar?"
The kids were finally getting used to her tacking "unnie" onto everything for me.
Just girls playing big sis-little sis dress-up.
But "Mistress" crossed the line? When did I ever slave-contract this kid?
Yet those hazy eyes stared at me with a weird glint.
Was "lewd" right for an eight-year-old? Nothing else fit, though.
As I racked my brain, Ha Sol-ah toddled over and flung herself into my arms.
"Heung."
She clung sometimes, so I caught her reflexively. But the force felt... off? Nah, imagination.
"Mistress. Play with me today too."
'Too?'
Ha Sol-ah wasn't clueless, far from dumb. Top of her class academically.
So she knew exactly how to use "too." Like yesterday and today.
But I hadn't played with her in three days? Timeline didn't add up. Something's wrong.
Then, from the embraced Ha Sol-ah, a familiar scent wafted.
Sniff sniff.
'Mana wavelength?'
Normals don't emit mana. They can't use magic. So why from her?
More importantly...
'My mana?'
Again, mana dissipates.
Even the full recharge Pluto gave me for the octopus? Gone from my body now.
Saved Ha Sol-ah about three weeks ago. Haven't used mana around her since. We'd been WWE-ing anyway.
Yet...
'Why's my mana here?'
But was it 100% mine? Not quite. It especially resembled that dark, sticky mana from Pluto.
More crucially, Ha Sol-ah's expression bugged me.
Not the lewd stare. What was it? Soul-drained vibe overall?
Like a puppet with cut strings—zero tension in her body. Her whiny shtick totally erased. Made my skin crawl.
This symptom... rang a bell. Where'd I hear it?
'Some monsters steal humans' entire imagination. Victims end up soulless and dazed.'
Yeah. Overheard from Bella at dinner way back.
Manjo pasta was so good I'd half-ignored it—now it clicked.
"Oh."