Hypnosis App 2: The GPS Miracle
Our team leader hates it when people break the law. She was dispatched here for legal consultation, after all. Thanks to her—sharing a name with that famous magical girl—our development team had been working pretty comfortably lately.
Once, when she asked if there was anything inconvenient about the work, I said programming is solitary anyway and I'd like to listen to some music. She went straight to the department head and sorted it out for us. Programming doesn't require interacting with others while you're coding. It's not a big deal at other companies to code with music on, but our bald department head insisted on constant communication, chit-chat, and listening to him drone on whether you were working or not. That's why we couldn't listen to music here—until the team leader fixed it. Now my ears were finally free from his nagging, and the stress vanished whenever I'd hear his voice while working.
Since she arrived, the company folks—who'd been terrified of her law firm—started properly paying overtime and accruing vacation days. The whole system improved dramatically. Sure, having a trash superior is a major downside, but it's tolerable enough. And on top of that, she's a stunning beauty who could turn heads regardless of gender.
Her employee welfare efforts didn't stop there.
"Evacuate everyone immediately!"
"B-but to meet the deadline..."
"What's the point if we meet the deadline but everyone dies? And even without me saying it—is this common sense to you?"
While the team leader snapped, smoke rose outside the window. One of the Negative executives must've smashed something again. Seeing it, her hands trembled as she glared at the department head.
"Ahem... Team leader, you might not know since you're young... Work is all about passion..."
"Hah... Everyone to the shelter. I'll take responsibility if anything happens."
"What authority does a dispatched team leader have?!"
"Call me the team leader in charge of this project, Department Head?"
At her words, the employees shot up like they'd been waiting for this moment. Even without real danger, shelter evacuation meant getting paid to chill. Docking pay for shelter time is illegal. She stood at the entrance, watching everyone leave, then locked eyes with me as I was the last one out.
It's weird to say, but every time I see the team leader, I get a little excited. Her killer figure and looks play a part, but it's something else. Her scent? Aura? Vibe...? For some reason, even though I adore Rapid, my body reacts to her. Those innocent eyes sharpened in focus, her neat ponytail, the tight office attire hugging her curves—it's all subtly erotic. Being this gorgeous and seeing her often, it's natural to get worked up... but yeah, just looking at her stirs me strangely.
I met her gaze, gave a slight bow, and stepped out. Heading down the stairs to the basement shelter, the door swung open as the bald department head descended. He'd stubbornly held out but got thoroughly dressed down, his puffy, squid-like round face wrinkling in fury.
"Damn that bitch...! Thinks knowing the law makes her all that? Back in my day, I'd have gotten her drunk and—"
Here we go again. Am I the only one who finds her subtly hot and gets excited? Nope—the squid head always leers at her with dirty intentions. Everyone knows, but no one tells her. She's handled tough talks and fixed the system for us, but that's because her firm is paying big as the client, and she's the project lead. The company gets funding from them during development, so they listen. He's tried siphoning it off, but she shuts that down. Still, it's a luxury while she's here. She's temporary. Once the dispatch ends, she leaves—and everyone knows it. That's why they stay quiet about his sexual comments when she's gone.
"That bitch—if it were the old days, I'd smack that ass with my palm and she'd be all 'Sorry, sir' right away..."
Right now, thanks to her, it's bearable, but once this project ends, I might quit.
Executive spotted, Twinkle Twins! Fenrir fleeing! Repeat: Twinkle Twins!
Two executives? Rare. Twinkle Twins are kaiju-type heavies specializing in long-range bombardment. Good call evacuating.
I glanced around the shelter—no team leader. Company shelters are legally for employees only, to prevent outsiders flooding in and harming staff. A special law for that. Law-abiding as she is, she's probably in the public one next door.
"Oh."
Same name as the team leader. Rapid and Grape are top-tier veterans who've teamed up forever... Situation should wrap soon.
Sure enough, the all-clear came quick.
People at the scene are probably getting checked like I did recently. How long did it last? I pulled out my Vision Phone to check the time—and froze at the screen.
The Hypnosis App was installing.
"See? All good, no issues! This is why young, inexperienced girls can't cut it! Everyone, back up!"
"Yessir, yessir."
"Answer properly!"
Employees grumbled up the stairs, but I couldn't let go of my Vision Phone. Did I tap it accidentally during the alarm? Why "optimization" not "install"? Is it safe? If it's just a troll's elaborate fake, no harm—but if real, that's a problem. What if it actually hypnotizes? Won't the Defense Force nab me? The guy in the video died to Ash. Will I too...?
Fast. Barely back at work, and it's done. The thing tormenting my mind for days now lived in my Vision Phone. No clue what it is, but seeing it installed ignited unstoppable curiosity. Real hypnosis app? Can I control magical girls? My heart races imagining it. That video I watch nightly flashes up: Rapid sex tape. Her as guardian, saint, idol—toyed with, bred like a beast...
Gulp...
Head spins. If real, maybe I can fuck Rapid. Impulse surges. Without thinking, I launched the garbled-name app.
"...Hah."
Noise-filled screen hits instantly. A deflated sigh escapes. White, black, red lights swirling—no mystery, just static. No magic vibe, no dizziness... nothing. Figures—a real hypnosis app? Ridiculous. The eerie screen felt cheap even staring. Video hooked me, but this is lazy. As a programmer, I could whip up basic noise in five minutes. Must be a prank with fancy video. Someone hoping to see fools try hypnotizing magical girls and suffer?
Relieved yet disappointed, I went to delete—then paused at the odd mark in the corner. A white GPS icon, nearly lost in the noise. Amateur hour. Whoever made it shows sloppiness. White lines on white-mixed noise? Design fail. Eh, might as well poke for fun.
"...Huh?"
Tap GPS, screen shifts professional. Familiar—True Vision's temp app for civilian monster infection watch during first kaiju outbreak. Real-time tracking, location pins... GPS map. Oddly, only two pins: Rapid and Ash. They snag the eye.
Watching, pins move. Ash's stays in Zone 0. Rapid's jumps from Zone 12 to Zone 4 shopping district. Sudden shift tenses me, heart pounding. To a stranger, neat prank. But to me—obsessed since moving to A City for Rapid, scouring traces, chatting on secret Magical Girl Fan Site 마진사—it screams real.
Rapid was in Zone 12 moments ago—an old interview spot she denied later due to fans. That interview's ancient, barely remembered. Sudden change? Fans' guessed space-transfer magic. Frequent spot + her magic... Too spot-on for a joke. Knows Rapid too well.
"D-department head."
"What, Aenger? Didn't hear me say work? Programmers with earbuds... Socialize, damn it!"
"Sorry, stomach's killing me... Taking a paid day off."
"What? When'll you work?!"
"Felt off lately, prepped some at home. Today's done."
Programming perk: hard to track progress. Redo finished code, no one notices slacking. I'd faked work all day, plus extras. With vacation stocked thanks to team leader, early out's easy.
"Tch! In my day, programmers had beds nearby—nap, code, finish today then tomorrow's...!"
"Heading out early. Have a good one."
"Hey! I wasn't done!"
I bolted, Vision Phone map glowing, out the door. Street out, arm for taxi—plenty from nearby raid detour. Caught one quick.
"To Zone 4."
"Where in Zone 4?"
"Hold on... In front of Cake Tang!"
Rapid's spot right now.