Can't Swim, Magical Girl: "I'm an Ajussi"
Even though I had to endure the humiliation of walking through the water park in this cute white frilly bikini right now...
...I'm an ajussi!
I kept repeating it to myself over and over, so I wouldn't forget.
Maybe that would make it a little less embarrassing.
"Man, I must be crazy."
It didn't help at all.
I'm so embarrassed. I'm dying of shame here.
At home, I'd tried it on a few times and thought, Eh, it's just a swimsuit, it'll be fine. But now that I was actually wearing it outside, I was losing my mind.
I had to spend the whole day like this. I needed to get used to it. But could I really?
"My stomach feels empty." The parts that should be covered weren't, giving me this weird, exposed feeling.
"Isn't that the girl from before..."
"Rumor has it she's the guild master's favorite doll."
"She's so cute. Is she trying to look mature in that?"
"Be careful... nah, forget it."
Whispers.
They think I can't hear them, but I can.
Gwangwon guild members were starting to trickle into the water park one by one.
According to Seoyeon, this place was pretty famous. They'd shelled out a ton to rent it out for the entire day.
No matter how loaded you are, who'd ever heard of renting a whole water park?
"Where's Seoyeon?"
I glanced around.
"Ah, there she is."
Seoyeon had a bag slung over her shoulder, rocking a bold black bikini that showed off her cleavage.
If that were regular clothes, I'd have said something, but it was a swimsuit, so I'd let it slide.
I hurried over to her.
There were way too many strangers around.
"Seoyeon."
"Huh? O... oppa?"
Seoyeon gave me a once-over and froze solid.
"Don't look so shocked. It hurts my feelings."
"Whoa... oppa, you finally ditched the guy act, huh? I knew it— you've been sneaking into girls' clothes lately. Good for you. From now on, call me unnie. Or 'unnie-ya' works too."
"Slow down. And this... it's an accident."
"An accident?"
"There's a story behind it. I didn't want to wear this."
If it weren't for that store clerk, I'd be in a normal swimsuit.
Probably.
"But you did end up wearing it, oppa. No one forced you."
Seoyeon tilted her head, looking confused.
I had nothing to say.
"Just... go with it."
She burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.
"It's fine. It suits you perfectly. Who picked it out?"
"...Department store clerk. Got swept up in the moment. I didn't want something like this."
"Figures. You've always been weak to strangers."
Seoyeon smirked and nodded.
"Anyway, where's Keter?"
"Management Bureau. More investigating to do on that impersonator case."
He'd been running around solo, and now he'd gone all the way to the Bureau.
Dress me in this embarrassing swimsuit and then bail? Even for Keter, that was unforgivable.
"Yuri... good to see you."
At the mention of Keter, Gebura popped out from Seoyeon's bag.
How scared of him was she, anyway?
I thought she wasn't coming today.
Gebura slinked up onto Seoyeon's shoulder.
She let out a big yawn and flopped against Seoyeon's neck. Totally cat-like. Well, she was a cat doll.
But didn't cats hate water?
"You okay getting wet?"
"Pardon?"
Gebura, kneading Seoyeon's shoulder, turned to look at me.
"You're a cat doll. Don't cats hate water?"
"Yuri. I'm just in the form of a cat doll—I'm not a real cat."
Oh. Right.
"Oppa, don't say weird stuff."
"No... you act just like one. Whatever, if not, fine."
Gebura flicked her tail in annoyance. Seoyeon petted her.
Still looks like a cat to me.
"Anyway, let's have a blast today!"
Seoyeon pumped her fist.
She'd been up all night chasing dolls yesterday—how was she so full of energy? Youth was wasted on the young.
"Sure? Have fun."
This had nothing to do with me.
I'd spotted some lounge chairs over there earlier.
Time for a nice long nap.
"Huh? What're you talking about? You're playing too, oppa."
"Pass?"
I started backing away stealthily.
"Gebura."
"Yes."
Suddenly, my feet felt glued to the ground.
Gebura's binding ability.
"Wha—hey! That's cheating!"
I got dragged straight to Seoyeon.
Who uses their mascot powers to dunk someone?
Splash splash.
"Pwah!"
I barely managed to poke my head above water.
I flailed my limbs like I remembered, but kept sinking.
"Oppa, you can't swim at all?"
Seoyeon grabbed my flailing arm. Finally, I could steady myself in the water.
"I did as a kid."
"When was that?"
Last time I'd been to a pool was middle school.
One... two...
Yeah, it's been a while.
"Like 20 years? Not sure exactly."
"Aigoo, go to the pool sometime. Stop staring at your phone at home all day."
"Nah. Too much hassle."
What's fun about swimming anyway?
Kid me thought everything was fun and went sometimes.
Now it's just a chore.
"Nope. Let's start with floating today."
"What? No... just let me wear a life jacket. Let me out."
"You're not a kid—floating around in that?"
"My body's a kid's."
What can I do about this body?
"Fine, want me to treat you like a kid?"
Seoyeon yanked my arm and pulled me into a hug.
Then she patted my head.
Ugh...
"I like this better anyway. We could stay like this forever. I've always wanted a little sister just like you, oppa."
"Cut it out."
"Then behave and let me teach you to swim."
She squeezed tighter.
"Fine. I'll learn."
I sighed.
What's with the age gap—why am I putting up with this?
"Ooh, master! And isn't that the guild master?"
Hong Jia waved at us, bobbing along in a life jacket.
"See? She can't swim either."
Seoyeon let me go and swam over to Hong Jia.
"Hey, Hong Jia. Get over here."
"Why's that da?"
Hong Jia looked puzzled as Seoyeon grabbed her.
"You can't swim."
"Obviously not da. First time at a pool imda."
Seoyeon snagged the drifting Hong Jia.
"If you two don't master the basics by end of day, no leaving the water."
Hong Jia glanced at me.
I gave her a thumbs-up.
Seoyeon's brutal swimming boot camp finally ended. Hong Jia and I dragged ourselves out of the water.
We crawled straight to the snack bar.
"Om nom nom."
I took a big bite of the fish cake skewer.
"Did you do something to piss off the guild master da? She was harsher than training."
Hong Jia slumped in a snack bar chair and chugged water.
"...I just can't swim."
"Is that so... Haven't been this beat in ages da."
Thanks to her, I could sorta swim now—but no way was I hitting the pool again.
Just wanted some peaceful rest now.
Then someone started yelling.
"You took her, so why not me?!"
Hong Jia and I turned toward the noise.
It was that newbie Seoyeon had introduced last time.
"Guess she didn't bring him?"
I said flatly.
"Obviously da—no way you'd bring a total rookie with zero field experience to a doll hunt. Too risky da."
Hong Jia waved it off.
"Yeah, makes sense."
Dead weight means lost manpower. Even as a shadow, it'd just add enemies.
No reason to take the risk.
"But why's he so pissed?"
"Newbies to Gwangwon all act like that da."
"Think they can do anything?"
"Exactly da."
I pondered.
"You were like that too."
Acted all high and mighty with me, got smacked down.
"I've never lost a PvP except to master da."
True. Hong Jia wasn't S-rank for nothing. Heard you need exams to go A to S.
"Why'd a mere B-rank get to go? Explain, quick."
The newbie's tone was getting rougher.
"Big age gap, and he's talking like that? Rude kid."
Skill-first guild or not, basic manners.
"I'll go shut him up da."
"Yeah."
Hong Jia headed over. The newbie shut up at the sight of her.
"Hey. Loud much?"
"......"
"Still don't get why you got left behind?"
Didn't expect her to talk so normally.
That "da" thing was just her shtick?
Ridiculous.
"You're weak. You'd just be dead weight on a hunt."
Hong Jia turned to the guy in front of the newbie.
"And Kim Seonghyeon, stop indulging his tantrums. This a playground?"
Well, it is a water park.
Each word from Hong Jia soured the newbie's face more.
Harsh, though.
"I'm A-rank. Why take a B over an A..."
Before he finished, a puddle of blood formed around Hong Jia. Tendrils shot up, wrapping the newbie's neck and arms.
"What?!"
"S-sorry!"
"No next time."
Hong Jia shook her hand. The blood dissolved away.
The newbie hit the ground hard.
Gwangwon's scary.
I thought that as I popped the last rice cake in my mouth.
"Churros next?"
Whatever. I was still hungry.