Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Alice, I'll Teach Class!
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[Title: Wow, but the cast lineup is insanely stacked]
[Author: Anonymous]
S-Rank #4 Alice
A-Rank #6 Sapphire
B-Rank #3 Mia (support type)
Plus last tournament's winner and runner-up Black Rose and Berta, and a bunch of pretty famous rookies—20 of them total. Isn't this cast lineup on another level? Even the head PD is a pretty well-known Magical Girl in the industry.
Anonymous: Yeah, looking at it like this, it is stacked. But who's Mia? I follow hundreds of Magical Girl accounts with subs and followers, and I've never heard of her.
└Anonymous: 'Cause she doesn't do XTube or XStar.
[Title: What was that with Alice snapping her fingers and everyone going quiet?]
[Author: Anonymous]
There was this "pop" sound, and suddenly everyone shut up. What did she do? Just snapped her fingers to get their attention?
Anonymous: Isn't it canceling sound waves with mana?
└Anonymous: That works?
└└Anonymous: Why wouldn't it?
Anonymous: Yeah, it's canceling sound waves with mana. Sound travels through air as a medium, so if you use mana to create interfering wavelengths, you can wipe out sound instantly. Saw it in a Magical Girl magic explanation video once.
└Anonymous: Isn't that video only for Magical Girls?
└└Anonymous: Ah (banned for 30 days)
[Title: Rookie Magical Girls, you gotta watch Rookie Magical Class. No regrets, for real.]
[Author: Anonymous]
Even though it was just the first episode and they didn't cover much actual lesson material, all the Q&A bits in between were pure gold. Way more substantial than paid magic lectures, and the explanations are solid too. Plus, the credibility is off the charts—it's all from Alice. Who'd doubt that? It's gotta be right.
Rookie Magical Girls who wanna tweak their magic, watch the live broadcast and catch the reruns too. And it's free.
Anonymous: Isn't Magical Girl Gal for fans of Magical Girls...? Why would there be rookie Magical Girls here?
└Anonymous: You've awakened
└Anonymous: Didn't know?
└Anonymous: You've awakened
Anonymous: (I'm not the only Magical Girl! Kon)
[Title: What the hell do you guys see in a flat-chested bitch like Alice?]
[Author: RedCity]
Fucking flat-chest lovers.
Anonymous: Why the fuck is Alice flat, you bastard?
└RedCity: Small tits = flat?
└└Anonymous: No!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anonymous: Repeat after me: slender
└RedCity: small flat
Anonymous: Name your favorite Magical Girl quick
└RedCity: Ako
└└Anonymous: Holy shit, A-ping lol
└└Anonymous: Fuck off lololol
RabbitLove: Small is good tho?
└Anonymous: Gal log says this guy's for real...
└Anonymous: Comment section's a shitshow
* * *
"Fuck, life is such bullshit."
I'd finally wrapped up filming, gotten some rest, and now the next shoot was creeping up again.
With shoots twice a week, you'd get 2-3 days off before the next one hit.
"Totori. There's a bug in the calendar. Fix it quick. There's no way tomorrow's a shoot day."
[How the hell does a paper calendar get a bug?!]
"Don't know. But it's definitely bugged. Just say it's a bug. You can see the clock fine."
[I'm telling you, I didn't pick this thing out because I wanted to wear it!]
The first episode had already aired.
I'm not the type to watch my own broadcasts, so I didn't check it out myself, but Sapphire said the ratings were pretty good.
Compared to the previous super popular show, Rookie Magical Match, it pulled 20% higher viewership...
...That's a massive hit, right?!
Why?!
No, seriously, why?!
If it had actual proper lessons or flashy magic flying everywhere, that'd be one thing, but episode 1 was basically just playing around. Aside from answering the trainees' questions, that's it. What the hell was there to watch that drew so many viewers?
Were there any popular Magical Girls among the participants?
Even that wouldn't fully explain it.
Sure, most were rookies, but with 23 Magical Girls total, their fans...
'...Ah!'
The previous program was Rookie Magical Match...? Something like that tournament.
Fans from rookies who gained fame there carried over, and even more Magical Girls who weren't in it joined this one, so the overall fanbase had to swell.
'...But wait, didn't a new drama premiere? What happened there?'
I figured a popular director's new show would compete and tank our ratings, but if we're crushing it, what's their situation?
I didn't watch it, but I knew the director had wrapped up their last project successfully and had a solid fanbase. How'd it flop...
["Rainy Days," Sentiment and Story Diluted... Ratings Shock in the 0% Range]
[Well-Made Emotional Drama Promised, But Results Are Dismal... Viewer Response 'Cold']
"...Hah, for real."
-Throb throb
The headache I'd thought was settling down came roaring back.
No idea why all these headaches keep piling up lately without a break.
They say misfortune comes in waves, but this is too sudden. Give a person some time to brace themselves.
'...Guess karma's finally catching up.'
If it's punishment for fooling people the past 8 years, I got nothing to say.
To others, Alice was always a shining star, the light protecting the world.
No words if they're punishing me now for faking it so well.
Never thought this ridiculous farce would last forever anyway.
"Achoo."
Mood plummeting fast, I pulled out a cigarette, clipped it between my fingers, and grabbed my lighter for some air.
One of the few perks of being a Magical Girl: even untransformed, your body is immune to most diseases.
Otherwise, my lungs would've been Swiss cheese by now.
-Flick...
As I lit the lighter to fire up the cig, my eyes landed on the one-person tent and sleeping bag spread out where the bed used to be.
"...Hah."
-Clack
Terrace is busted, can't use it. Smoking inside? Everything in here is mine except the borrowed stuff sitting right there.
If I wanna smoke, I gotta go outside. But nah.
I hate the feel of outside air on my skin that much. Rather tough it out than trek out for a smoke.
I'll wash 'em before returning anyway, but stinking up a non-smoker's borrowed gear ain't cool.
Not quitting. I'll smoke when I go out.
-Ding
[Alice-nim. It's Sapphire. Sent you the items to review before next shoot via email from the PD-nim.]
[Thanks, Sapphire-yang.]
[See you tomorrow.]
-Click
Computer's right here, so let's check Sapphire's email...
"...Next episode's gonna be boring as hell."
Last one was games and chit-chat, fine. But this one? Guaranteed snoozefest.
* * *
"Alright, everyone. I checked the questions you left last time. Love seeing all that enthusiasm for class. Alice will work hard to lead you all, so promise me: by the end of our time together, you'll all be even cooler Magical Girls."
"""Yes!!!!!!"""
"Okay, then... Let's start with the question tons of you asked: 'The weapon I got doesn't fit my fighting style. Is there a way to change it?' Totally valid concern for a lot of you."
And so, Senior Alice's class began today too.
Despite her strangely low name recognition among civilians given her fame, tons of Magical Girls admire her.
Reasons vary. She's been active so long, writing living history—plenty to respect.
Her fantastical skills in the Leviathan incident, vanishing after swiftly handling Abyss Beings without chasing fame or wealth despite 10 years on the job, keeping her unique speech and personality intact all that time...
All role model material for Magical Girls.
Ah, but I have seen her concept crack once.
During the Leviathan incident, when she chewed out us junior Magical Girls. I was there.
Magical Girls can't blab others' secrets, but no one leaked her "slip-up" either.
We just keep her words in our hearts.
[Are you insane?! Standing there blocking that attack? You'll die, and so will the civilians! Did you become Magical Girls to die?!]
[Survive. No matter how strong the Abyss Being, survive. If you can't win, run. Your contract with your Mascot doesn't say dive into doomed fights and die. You're not Magical Girls to die. Don't die saving civilians, don't go kamikaze on Abyss Beings. Use that damn life valuably. It's one-use, but not meant to be used up and tossed.]
[I don't know or care why you became Magical Girls. But it wasn't to die. Can't save civilians 'cause your skills suck? Can't forgive yourself for ditching them and running? Cut that crap. Listen up: Magical Girls reduce Abyss Being damage, not erase it. You turn 100 deaths into 5. Those 5 die 'cause of you? Bullshit. Instead of regretting, train more—save 100 next time. Let those 5 haunt you, and next it'll be 10, 20, 30.]
[Remember: Getting strong powers via contract doesn't make you hot shit. You're human. Hurt hurts, hate sucks, regret rips your heart. Don't throw yourself away to save others, you idiots.]
Far from ideal Magical Girl lines, miles from her usual image...
But we knew her intent, why she broke character.
No Magical Girl ever surfaced it.