Date? (2)
I took a big bite of the pizza, and the cheese stretched out with a satisfying snap. I whipped my head around and tore it off.
Nom nom.
Pizza after so long just hits different—way tastier somehow.
Back in the day, I'd order it until I was sick of it, but these days Keter handles all the meals, so I hardly ever get pizza anymore.
She's strict about food, if nothing else.
If I even think about ordering delivery, the nagging is endless.
"What're you doing?"
While I'd scarfed down three slices on my own, Seoyeon hadn't touched the pizza at all, just fiddling with her phone.
Fine for snacks, but not during a meal, right?
"Esostory."
Esostory?
I know espresso—that's like coffee concentrate, yeah?
"What's that?"
"You seriously don't know?"
Well, duh, if I knew, I wouldn't ask. I just blinked at her and nodded.
Seoyeon covered her mouth and giggled.
"Why're you laughing? I might not know it."
"No, like... what do you even do on your phone? How do you not know Esostory? It's an SNS app."
"Like Cocoa Story?"
"Kinda. But Cocoa Story? Oppa, you're such an old-timer lol."
"I might not know it."
Back when I had a desk job, I'd mess around on my phone plenty. But after becoming a magical girl, I was too busy to even touch it. Even now, I mostly just lurk on the magical girl gallery or watch YouTube Shorts.
I thought I was pretty up on trends, but kids these days are on another level.
"Can't be helped—I'll show you. Look."
Seoyeon shoved her phone in my face.
So this was the source of those pics that kept popping up as memes on the magical girl gallery.
Seoyeon's a top-tier magical girl and Gwangwon Guild master, so the gallery lord gets all the praise. Honestly, though, it feels like an excuse to post her sexy shots.
"You post pics like this, and people react. It's seriously fun."
The comments she showed me were full of genuine cheers.
Surprisingly popular overseas too, where awakeners showed up late. "Korean magic girl holy shit body" and such.
Still better than the gallery creeps. Those guys were all sexual harassment. They need to reflect.
"That's it? What's the difference from Cocoa Story then?"
"Besides this, you can watch Shorts if you tap here, and chat too."
Whoa.
I thought Shorts were YouTube-exclusive. Mind blown.
But chat? Pointless.
"Why chat instead of texting?"
"Oppa, you're so out of touch. Everyone chats on here now."
"What."
"I barely text anyone but you."
Unbelievable. Seoyeon's almost thirty by real age—how's the gap this wide?
I was a total frog in a well.
Completely out of touch with the times.
At this rate, I'd be a magical girl who just happened to have a phone.
"Hmm, fine. Let's take a pic together."
"Suddenly?"
"We're hanging out after ages. Gotta snap one."
Feels like she's taking extra pics today. Pareidolia?
"C'mere."
Seoyeon patted her knee.
"...Isn't this a bit much?"
Age-wise, I'm still technically older bro. Feels like something I shouldn't do.
"This angle's best for pics. You show up in that outfit, now you're shy?"
No comeback to that.
"J-just once. No seconds."
Why does that sound familiar today?
I sat on Seoyeon's lap.
Maybe 'cause I'm tiny, or she's big—it fit perfectly.
As I fidgeted, she switched to selfie mode, arm extended.
Screen showed grinning Seoyeon and shrunken me. Looked pretty good, actually.
Click—
"Ugh... feels weird."
I bolted back to my seat the second it snapped.
"Look, it came out great."
Great pic? Irrelevant. Felt like another chunk of the guy in my heart got shaved off.
I sighed, sipping cola. Back when we fought together, no one acted like this. How'd it come to this?
"You posting that on Esostory?"
"Duh, obviously."
Ugh... my embarrassing face to the world.
Nooo.
"Might as well start Esostory yourself."
I shook my head hard.
I've got my magical girl fans. No time for pointless SNS.
Though the gallery's not much help either.
Anyway, no.
"Why not... let's do it together."
"Nothing to post, feels redundant."
Seoyeon snorted like that was ridiculous.
"Why nothing? Just snap you eating casually—you'd blow up quick."
That's more reason not to.
I'm cute, sure, but banking on demand for that? Nah.
"Don't wanna be popular."
Now awakeners are everywhere, no one's obsessed with magical girls. Back then, transforming meant endless hassle.
Popularity? Zero perks, just headaches.
Plus, my face plastered everywhere? No thanks.
Seoyeon's already the magical girl poster child.
Didn't expect her to go this hard, though.
No desire to join that circus.
"Nah. Think about it—your pre- and post-transform look's super different. Handy for causing trouble later, right?"
Why assume I'll cause trouble?
But... solid point.
Magical girls should separate battle from real life, yeah? Like she said.
Back then, we just transformed and brawled—no romance. Were we magical girls or war machines?
Now? Totally doable.
...Not bad.
"Could work."
"Right? Let's make your ID. I'll help."
I handed her my phone.
She whipped out hers too, tapping away on both like lightning.
Fast. This the gap between trendsetters and has-beens?
Minutes later, back to me.
"You followed me?"
"Yup. And I posted that pic on mine—tagged you, so followers incoming."
I checked my followers, tapped her profile.
There it was, our pic.
Seoyeon looked smug, satisfied.
"From now on, stay trendy on Esostory, post pics like crazy, got it?"
What. Why do I feel tricked? And.
"I eat tteokkochi these days too. I'm not that clueless."
Seoyeon slapped the table, cracking up.
"Tteokkochi? You're such a baby lol. It's ddukbokki, oppa."
"Whatever."
"And that's already out of fashion."
Whoa.
That day, my world crumbled.
"Tteokkochi—no, ddukbokki's already out of trend."
Shorts said it was hot now.
Does that mean everything I've been calling trendy to Keter was already dead?
If I hadn't met Seoyeon today, how behind would I have stayed?
"Enough ddukbokki talk—help me with clothes."
Anyway, tailing her into a luxury brand store.
I know zilch, so just following blindly.
"What do I know?"
"You can say if it suits."
"Yeah, suits great."
"Not like that! Be real."
"But... gotta know fashion to judge."
Even if I wanna judge right.
Unless it's wild, it's always GOOD. Effort gets VERY GOOD.
GREAT? Nah, not there yet.
"How do you usually buy clothes?"
"Just grab from CuX or whatever."
"With all that money?"
"Rice bends lowest when ripest."
"Sigh... Next time, I'll drag you and teach clothes 101."
Seoyeon crossed arms, nodding.
"Hard pass."
No more girl clothes in my life.
I'm an uncle. Uncle. Not a cute girl. Looks say otherwise.
"Fine, fine. One more try-on."
"Got it."
Seoyeon grabbed an outfit, ducked into the fitting room.
Moments later.
She emerged, strutting confidently.
"How's this?"
Oh my god.
Seoyeon usually rocks revealing stuff, but this? Too much.
No matter how open kids are, skin-tight, cleavage out, midriff bare—what is this?
"Absolutely not. Never."
"Thought so?"
No way I'd forgive this.
So freaking cute lol