Pure Summer's Desperate Promise: "You Really Mean It, Right?"

"You really, really promise? Got it?"

"Got it, I promise. I'll come every day after work."

She demanded confirmation once more, gripping my hand tightly.

...Her grip strength is insane.

So freaking scary...!

Pure Summer took my hand and rubbed her cheek against it like I was some kind of cat.

In front of my bewildered eyes, utterly confused by the situation, the system status window flickered to life.

■■■ was dependency, huh. At least it wasn't hostility or anything. But her mental state that followed was a sight to behold.

The insomnia and anxiety I'd seen before. The now-revealed affection deprivation, and the newly added grandiose delusions... Just reading the descriptions made it clear she'd lived a tough life.

...Looks like the ability I used that day broke down her mental barriers.

'Worst-case scenario.'

I'd only been easing the magical girls' fatigue bit by bit to keep my power secret, but now my daily routine was crumbling like this.

"Um, Investigator?"

Pure Summer called out to me cautiously. Her cute, sparkling eyes contrasted sharply with her heavy dark circles, giving off an unfamiliar, decadent allure.

"Th-then... use your power. Like last time, make me sleep peacefully."

But no matter how beautiful she might seem, dark circles were still just a symbol of exhaustion. Proof of an inner self gnawed away by insomnia. I sighed and pulled up the system window.

The system was recommending something narcotic. I'd told it over and over not to suggest stuff like this.

I was briefly flustered, but the oddly phrased message vanished, replaced by an answer to my dilemma.

Yeah. Medicine or poison depends on the person's will. Just this once, and I could bring her back from the brink to something close to normal.

"Got it. Turn around for me."

"Okaay~..."

Grab. With my decision made, I seized Pure Summer's nape.

The irregular pulse of blood vessels throbbed vividly under ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my palm. Along with scorching heat, the firm texture of her neck vertebrae pressed against my fingertips.

"Uh...?"

Pure Summer's shoulders twitched and stiffened. She turned her head slightly to look up at me.

"L-last time... you touched my side. That spot feels more... "

"Your ribs were broken then. This is a sleep aid now, so this spot's better."

In truth, as long as instant effect wasn't needed, contact point didn't matter. But since she was already showing dependency on me, better to minimize unnecessary physical contact.

"Now, please consent to the ability use."

"......You're so mean. Hurry up and use it."

Mana pulsed through my palm into her. On top of zolpidem, I added a few stabilizing effects.

"Hnnng... So warmmm..."

"Feeling calmer now?"

"Yesss..."

"Then head home."

"Yesss, Daddy..."

Daddy?

"Huh? What was that?"

"I miss Daddy... Sorry, Daddy..."

Her eyes must have hallucinated her father's image. "See ya. Tomorrow toooo~."

With that, Pure Summer kicked off into the air, floating away. I stared blankly into the sky until her blue afterimage soaring into the night completely vanished from view.

That word she uttered. 'Daddy'.

Thinking back to the system info, she'd failed to protect her father from the monster attack, and her mother blamed her, staying coldly indifferent. There was even mention of gaslighting.

'What kind of past does she carry?'

And what other pains? Do magical girls hide inner turmoil like this while protecting the world with love and peace?

It left me feeling heavy-hearted.

Unlike Pure Summer, who would sleep soundly tonight, my own night looked long.

The next day.

I dragged myself into the office, a bit hollow-eyed. The air inside was the usual mix of musty paperwork and cheap instant coffee.

Exhausted, and everything's getting on my nerves. The text on my monitor kept blurring.

"Hey, Investigator Lee Sang-woo."

The team leader approached and spoke up. He clicked his tongue at my tired face.

"Pure Summer's scene yesterday was solo, right? Heard she was on another level lately? They say she smashed like she was gonna rebuild the whole city."

"...Yeah, a bit over the top compared to usual. She said she'd hold back now."

"That's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a relief. Good work out there."

"No, you've had it rougher, sir."

I brushed it off vaguely and checked the recovery cost estimate at the bottom of the report. So many zeros... Too many to even count. But what really grated on me wasn't the city's repair bill.

That frail figure searching for her daddy yesterday. And those cruel lines in the system window.

'Did she sleep well?'

Zolpidem 97% fit. Per the system's bold claim, she should be in deep sleep by now—or just barely waking up.

Yeah, this job started because I like magical girls. Gotta keep at it till she's okay.

'Man, being a magical girl sounds like a raw deal.'

Heroes saving the world, but insides a total mess. To soothe my bitter mood, I habitually pulled out my smartphone. Only Ha-rin's posts heal me at times like this.

I could almost hear Ha-rin's bright laugh through the screen.

'Good, at least our Ha-rin slept well.'

One smashes skyscrapers hunting sleep aids, another sleeps like a baby and posts early. The world rolls on unfairly yet somehow perfectly. If Pure Summer could sleep worry-free like Ha-rin, city damage would halve.

"Sang-woo, staring at kid posts again?"

I flipped my phone face-down on reflex. It thudded dully against the desk. A 0.1-second concealment op, but Senior Joo Seo-ha's eyes had already caught Ha-rin.

"...Kids? Like I said last time, Ha-rin is a full adult, Senior."

"Whoa. Don't remember Sang-woo saying anything like that?"

"Why bring it up again? I bought you drinks so you'd drop it."

"Nawww~ I really don't remember! Hehe."

"Ha... Do whatever."

I gave up, shaking my head and turning back to my monitor. Her sly chuckle from behind mixed into the office's muggy air and faded.

I picked up the phone I'd slammed down.

"The screen's cracked!"

My indignant shout got only a shrug from Senior.

"Eh? Why's that my fault? You freaked and chucked it yourself."

"You snuck up behind me!"

"Pfft. Am I a ghost? Blaming me for your own jitters is slander! No slacking—work hard. Got it?"

She winked obnoxiously and sauntered back to her desk. I glared at my trembling hands and the phone. Repair bill loomed dark in my mind.

I swiped the cracked screen once more, then placed my hand on the cold mouse. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Gotta work to pay for repairs.

Tap, tap.

The office filled again with dry keyboard clacks. Oh right, even after clocking out, gotta meet Pure Summer.

A job started for love of magical girls... Quitting should get me a pension, right?