Taking on the Guardian Role
Magical Girl Sapphire.
The flawless magical girl, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Magical Girl Ruby as one of the world's twin pillars of protection.
Some media outlets had pointed fingers at the Magical Girl Association over the recent mass monster outbreak in Jewel City, but that backlash faded quickly.
The magical girls' popularity still soared to the heavens, and one of the idols at the center of it all was now—
“……”
—staring blankly at her childhood friend in the seat ahead, lost in thought.
Ravi, you're cute today too.
Abandoned by her parents at birth, yet she'd grown into a world-renowned magical girl. To Sophia, Ravi was like a benefactor. She'd taken Sophia's hand when she was wavering in the darkness and led her into the light.
For her precious childhood friend, Sophia could gladly accept any sacrifice. She truly believed that.
And so, Sophia half-listened to the lesson, her eyes fixed on Ravi's back as time slipped by…
“Hurry up and take your seats. Don't you want to go home?”
As the after-school bell rang, the homeroom teacher stepped into the classroom to relay announcements.
“Next week, we'll have parent-teacher conferences, so don't forget to show your parents the handouts I'm passing out now.”
“Ehhh~”
A few students groaned at the sudden bombshell, but the teacher pressed on undeterred.
“I told you last time too. That day, we'll skip classes and do consultations one by one in order of your numbers. Once they're done, lunch and go home. That's it.”
The promise of no classes lightened the mood a bit, but the classroom atmosphere remained subdued.
“You're at a crucial age now. You're second-years already, so use this chance to seriously think about what you want to do after graduation.”
What do I want to do? The words made Sophia envision her future a few years down the line.
She planned to keep being a magical girl as long as there were no major issues, but that life would end someday.
Retirement came the moment you grew into an adult worthy of the title—that was already set in stone.
What then? I've got more money than I could ever spend.
Born into wealth, her family assets plus her magical girl earnings meant she'd never worry about retirement.
But she couldn't just lounge around jobless forever. In the end, she'd probably find some desk job and live out ordinary days.
What do I even want to do?
She couldn't picture herself happily immersed in anything beyond that. Leaving the city was impossible for her anyway.
“I'm calling my dad. He said he'd clear his schedule.”
“Lucky. My butler’s coming instead.”
Even at Jade's Cafe Eclipse for a mood boost, talk of parent-teacher conferences dominated, leaving Sophia in a funk all day.
“Welcome home, miss.”
“Yes. Tell Mother I want to study right away, so I'll head to my room.”
“Understood.”
Back home, she ignored her mother's bedroom next door and went straight to her own.
No need for greetings. Facing each other just built up exhaustion.
[Jewelry Academia Parent-Teacher Conference Notice]
“...Why does school bother with this pointless conference?”
She crumpled the notice in her hand and tossed it in the trash—that was the extent of her venting.
In the end, Sophia showed the notice to no one.
Dragging her mother in that state to school would be meaningless anyway.
The day after spending time with executive Crystal.
I was at home, immediately testing the coffee grinder she'd given me.
“Fancy machines really do sound different grinding beans. Look at this color.”
“Haaah.”
“Is it the premium beans? The aroma is—”
“Sigh.”
“……”
No matter how much I tried to hype things up, Amber rolling around on the bed kept sighing heavily, killing the vibe.
“What's with you? You're annoying.”
“Whoa~ Did this guy just call his precious boss annoying?!”
Irritated, I chucked a handful of beans at her forehead.
“Ow! That hurts!”
“Yeah. Not sorry at all, but I'll apologize anyway.”
But her nonstop sighing was starting to worry me instead.
I offered her a mug of cocoa and broached the subject gently.
“So, what's the deal? A few days ago, you were all hyped about summer break.”
Jewelry Academia's summer vacation was a whopping two months—practically college-level.
Amber had been giggling about vacation plans, so what had soured her mood so fast?
“No, summer break's great, obviously. But they've got this parent-teacher conference before it starts, so…”
“Parent-teacher conference? Oh yeah, I think I heard some kids at the cafe mention it.”
It was an event where parents came in to discuss students' futures with teachers, right? A few customers had brought it up today.
It's not super common in Korea, but thinking about kids' futures isn't a bad idea.
Korea was too distant with kids—high academic pressure left no room for hobbies.
Then they nag about dreams when it's time to job hunt. Reality.
Overbearing was one thing, but open dialogue seemed ideal.
“Oh, here's the handout anyway.”
Amber rummaged in her bag and pulled out a nostalgic printout from her school days.
I took it and scanned the text.
“Let's see… Jewelry Academia Parent-Teacher Conference Notice.”
It matched what I'd imagined: One parent visits, meets with the student and teacher to discuss career paths, grades, friendships, and daily life.
“A week from now… Oh, right, your parents are still on that business trip?”
“Yup. Probably on the other side of the planet by now.”
She pouted in response.
That's why the sighs? Makes sense.
Everyone else would bring powerhouse parents; standing alone without a guardian would draw eyes.
She's popular, so she's sensitive about that. Doesn't want to look lame.
It might seem like bravado, but that mindset was key in society.
People judged first impressions on looks; a bit of swagger could sway it positively.
Amber's friendliness made her the school star—a perfect example.
So she instinctively dreaded anything that could dent her image, like this conference.
“Talk to your sister, then. She's family, right?”
If parents couldn't make it, relatives were the usual proxy.
“If that worked, I wouldn't be like this… She's super busy; feels bad asking.”
She'd come for her precious little sister, but Amber didn't see it that way.
“What if you come, senpai? You're not totally unrelated!”
She said it confidently, like a genius idea, but it was dumber than I expected.
“You think that'd fly? The whole school knows my face.”
“...Yeah, good point.”
I was already famous at Jewelry Academia. Posing as her guardian would spark weird rumors.
“What about the others? Ravi, Sophia… Diamond.”
“Dunno. They don't talk family stuff much.”
Fair enough. Even friends didn't pry into parents.
“Oh, but Diamond said her dad's coming.”
“The Brilliant chairman himself? Thought he'd send a secretary.”
Made sense on second thought. Diamond, who clung to my leg sobbing, was probably a daddy's girl at home.
Stern-looking guy turns out to be a total pushover for his daughter?
Anyway, none of my business. As an outsider, consoling Amber was tricky.
I'd step in as guardian if she begged, but testing this pricey grinder took priority now.
A week later.
“...I'm Jade, standing in as Sophia's guardian. Nice to meet you.”
For some reason, I was bowing to a Jewelry Academia teacher.