Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: I'm Embarrassed...
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"Ugh... Ah!"
"Are you awake, Junior?"
"A-Alice... S-Senpaiiii!!!"
*Whoosh*
"Kek."
Hm. Just as expected.
With this kind of character, right after waking up—the relief of being alive, combined with the adrenaline still pumping from moments ago, and spotting Alice right in front of her—it was one of the eight possible reactions I'd anticipated in my head, lunging straight at me.
"Ow ow..."
"I'm always grateful when you show love for Alice, but Alice can't be monopolized by anyone."
"Ugh... That was my golden chance."
Chance? Even if she'd been twice as fast, I could've reacted.
It was an emergency, so I had no choice but to hug her—that doesn't mean it was permission.
Maybe because they're all girls, Magical Girls don't resist skinship much between each other. Once they think they've gotten a little close, they hold hands, hug, all that. But I've never given permission for that.
"Well then, now that you're awake too, Junior, Alice will take her leave... Eut."
The pain in my ankle worsened.
Looks like forcing that jump earlier aggravated it.
It was just a brief hesitation, but Alice couldn't ignore the desperate eyes of the Junior in front of her, the one who'd die without her.
"S-Senpai? Are you hurt somewhere? Come to think of it, your voice is a bit lower than usual, and your walk was off... Did you get injured fighting? Your leg? Your foot? From the way you're standing, it's your left ankle. Here, let me see? I'll fix it right up."
...She figured all that out from just a glance?
Is it because she's a support-type who doubles as a healer, skilled at assessing people's conditions? Or because all her attention is fixed on Alice? Or both? She nailed everything so accurately it was a little scary, leaving me momentarily speechless and hesitating.
I'm already under geobulgi.
To keep my crossdressing hidden, I should keep my distance from others and ignore her, walk away. But that would break Alice's concept.
Maintaining the concept while escaping only works if she hadn't heard or if I pretend not to notice. But now that she's heard it outright, 'Alice' wouldn't refuse this offer.
*Hesitate*
'...This is why I should've just run away fast.'
"No matter how sturdy a Magical Girl's body is or how quick our recovery, you can't ignore injuries. Even minor wounds can accumulate inside and become poison in a critical moment."
"Hmm."
"Got it. You're busy, right? Just stick it out here, and I'll heal it in a flash. I don't know how bad it is, but it'll be way faster than going to the hospital. Magical Girls who can do B-Rank or higher healing are hard to find, you know?"
...Fair enough.
No need to drag myself to the hospital for something this minor... but it'd be a hassle for the next few days.
'Since I'm already under geobulgi...'
As long as I hide the important parts well, it won't be exposed.
The foot... it's a risky spot position-wise, but Alice's skirt is long enough. As long as the skirt doesn't flip up, no worries.
Alice's skirt already had a magical effect preventing glimpses inside, so the risk was minimal.
Still, couldn't help feeling nervous.
"Alright."
And with my reaction speed, even if this self-proclaimed Junior suddenly went crazy and tried to lift my skirt, I could handle it.
It might be a bit nerve-wracking, but not that dangerous... Refusing her goodwill like this wouldn't be like Alice, either.
Couldn't think of a good excuse to turn away a Junior approaching to offer treatment.
"Here."
*Slide.*
For the record, I'm trying my best not to show it to keep Alice's concept, but inside, I'm feeling a ton of shame.
Walking around in Alice mode is familiar now, not that embarrassing, but baring bare skin first to a Junior in this state? That's a hit.
Not like I drastically reduced exposure in Alice's outfit for no reason.
Acting as natural as possible without seeming embarrassed, Alice-style, I slipped off my shoe and stocking, handing the injured spot to the self-proclaimed Junior.
Not pressing down hard on the skirt just in case it flipped, or anything.
"...Your foot is so pretty too."
"Alice is perfect, after all."
*Smile*
'Don't say stuff like that, you crazy girl.'
Who compliments a person's foot when praising them?
Women are impossible to understand sometimes.
Is this Junior weird, or are women just like this? I thought I had a handle on it, but outliers keep popping up.
I've even seen Magical Girls playing around, groping each other's chests sometimes.
"Oof... It's badly bruised, all purple. I'll heal it as much as I can, but be careful for at least a day tomorrow. Try not to strain it too much."
"Alice will rush to anyone who needs her anytime..."
"Hey!"
*Press*
"Eek?!"
"See? No matter how amazing a Magical Girl Senpai is, we're still human. It hurts when we get hurt. So please don't overdo it."
...Don't overdo it...
I've been overdoing it for 8 years... no, over 10.
Of course it's best not to overdo it, but it's not good to speak carelessly without knowing someone's circumstances.
Some people have reasons to overdo it just to survive.
"Thanks for the support. But Alice doesn't overdo it."
"Haha... Did I overstep? In the end, to Senpai, I'm just some Junior Magical Girl you barely met."
*Fidget fidget*
Whether it was necessary for healing or laced with ulterior motives, her kneading hands on my foot tickled, and I desperately held back a grimace.
"Alice loves everyone equally, always."
"...Doesn't that mean, flipped around, no matter how close we get, you treat us all the same as everyone else?!"
Ah. Busted.
"...Some people might be a little more equal than others?"
"What's that supposed to mean?! Equality means everyone the same, right?!"
Hah, this Magical Girl still doesn't know how the world works.
That's how the world is.
People go around saying all humans are equal, but in reality, some humans are more equal than others.
Just admit it's not equal—why do they cling so stubbornly?
"Anyway, thanks for the healing. Alice has many places calling for her, so..."
"Wait, hold on!"
"Yes? What is it?"
"I-I'm Mia! If we meet again, call me Mia then!"
...What are the odds our patrol zones overlap anyway.
"Sure, Junior. Next time we meet, I'll call you by name."
*Poof!*
After a suitable farewell, confirming I'd teleported to an abandoned building with no one around and no CCTV, my legs gave out, and I collapsed with a thud.
*Shiver*
"Tokkang... I was freaking scared shitless..."
[I was on pins and needles too...]
I'd acted casual, but actually, from unseen angles, I'd gripped my skirt tight with my hand to prevent any accidental glimpses inside—I'd used every nerve I had.
Those secrets I mentioned earlier that absolutely couldn't be discovered.
That Alice is just a concept act, and that I'm actually a guy. Those were small secrets necessary to hide the biggest one.
The real big one... the absolute no-go, the one where discovery means no turning back—the biggest secret is that I'm a fake Alice.
The real Alice is already gone from this world, and I'm impersonating her. That's the secret I ultimately have to hide.
The first two... I might be able to salvage somehow if exposed, but this big one? No way to fix it.
The moment it's out, my life is over.
It's a scam using a loophole in the mascot contract, fooling both Earth and the mascots—no surprise if both sides come hunting me. The contract would be forcibly terminated by the mascots' queen, leaving me a powerless ordinary person.
"Why the hell does this damn Alice have so many people who adore her...?"
Pretty and cute? Sure, I'll grant that. But are there only one or two like that among Magical Girls? They're all gorgeous by default. No way they're fans just for looks.
Because of this weird concept?
...How do I even drop it?
When I became fake Alice, Alice's words and actions became a concept, but the real Alice meant it all sincerely.
But now, as the fake, can I just stop?
I've already done everything I could.
I pulled all of old Alice's albums and merch, recalled as much as possible of what's out there, and minimized external activities as Alice to just enough for a livelihood.
Yet why are there still so many people who'd die for Alice?
*Grip*
Scary.
People who'd die for Alice, who know everything about her, comparing current me to old Alice and realizing I'm fake.
Getting the contract forcibly canceled, punished for deceiving people and mascots.
...Before contracting with Tokkang. Going back to that wretched state.
Right now, these Alice fanatics would burn me at the stake with that same passion if they knew I'm fake.
"It's still... still okay."
I've hidden it well for 8 years.
How many crises have there been? More than one or two.
I've weathered many crises, which is why I'm still here.
For now, release transformation, go home, and rest.
*Grrrowl.*
...And fill the stomach a bit.
After such an exhausting day, feeling lingering discomfort in my foot that still felt foreign, I returned home to—
*Drip drip*
*Whoooosh*
"...Fucking hell, seriously."
The house itself hadn't flown away, but part of the wall had collapsed, and the terrace was gone without a trace.
In the old days, repair costs for natural disaster-like building damage would've been on the landlord, but in this era where Abyss Being attacks are daily life, tenants and landlords split it half-half. That's how my contract is too, so quite a bit of money down the drain.
Plus, with repair company prices about to skyrocket from this incident...
[Hello, Emerald-yang. It's Alice. After pondering the proposal you made last time...]
...Sometimes, the world feels scarier than monsters.