Magical Girl Non-Blood-Related Family (3)
I smacked my lips with a bitter taste.
Well, yeah. It's only been a few days since my awakening, and here I am trying to peer into the abyss of these top-tier pros who fly and soar. That's probably just greed on my part.
And those sisters of mine? They've been on the elite track since they were kids, so their defenses are on a whole other level compared to normals.
Clink.
That's when a sharp sound cut through from across the table—the clatter of chopsticks being set down.
"Thanks for the meal."
It was Jeong Yu-na. The eldest sister shot up from her seat, half her bowl of rice still untouched, and turned on her heel without a second glance.
"Oh, Yu-na dear. You're done already? At least have some fruit before you go."
"No thanks. My stomach's not feeling great."
She shot back coldly and headed straight up to the second floor, acting like my mere presence was the cause of her indigestion.
Jeong Yu-min, who'd been glancing around nervously, jumped up right after her.
"I'm done too."
"Yu-min, you love meat. Have some more."
"Nah, I'm good. Lost my appetite."
Jeong Yu-min shot me a glare, then clicked her tongue.
"Hey, you loser. Stay the hell away from my room. If I catch you, you're dead."
"……"
"Did you hear me?!"
"Got it. I won't go."
I mumbled offhandedly, and she huffed and puffed as she followed her sister upstairs.
"Haa, really, whose daughters are they, I wonder... Don't mind them, Ji-un. Your sisters are just sensitive like that. Occupational hazard, you know."
"It's fine. Not the first time or anything."
"Still, it upsets me. It's been so long since the family's all together—would it kill them to be a little nicer?"
Stepmom picked up the leftover ribs from my bowl with a smile and placed them in front of me.
"Here, eat more, my boy."
I silently tore into the ribs.
Meat's innocent, after all. With two fewer mouths to feed, it was actually a good thing. Jeong Su-young was next to me, chowing down happily with sauce smeared all over her mouth.
We wrapped up the meal trading light, everyday banter for the first time in ages. Su-young made it bearable, at least.
Time to get ready to head out.
As dessert, I grabbed a slice of apple and timed my exit perfectly.
Sticking around longer wouldn't do me any favors, and my belly was full—best to slip out now.
"Stepmom, I should get going."
"Already? It's not even lunchtime yet. Have more fruit at least..."
"No, I've got stuff to do."
As I started to stand, she wiped her hands in a hurry and got up too.
"Wait, Ji-un. Before you go, come to my room for a sec?"
"I really do have things to do."
"Just a minute! There's something I want to give you!"
She grabbed my arm and wouldn't let go. No choice, then... I nodded and followed her.
The master bedroom was at the far end of the first floor. I stepped in cautiously.
Whoosh—
The moment I entered, a thick fragrance enveloped me. Far denser and heavier than what I'd caught in the living room—a rich rose scent layered over that distinctive powdery smell unique to women.
Been a while since I've been in here.
The heavy wooden furniture was the same, but the ornate decorations scattered around had changed a bit here and there.
"Sit down, Ji-un."
"Sure."
She pointed to the vanity chair. I perched awkwardly on it. She went to the nightstand by the bed and opened a drawer.
Clink, click.
"Where'd I put it... Just a sec, Ji-un."
The sound of her rummaging. I had a clear view of her back as she dug through the drawers. When she bent over at the waist, the taut knit dress pulled tight, outlining her underwear line perfectly.
Whoa... not good.
Why did my eyes zero in on stuff like that?
"Found it! Here."
She held out an envelope.
"...What's this?"
"Pocket money. What I gave you earlier was for bus fare—this is for living expenses. Living alone, you've gotta have all sorts of costs piling up."
"No, really, I'm good. I've got money."
"What money? I saw your sneakers earlier—they're all worn out."
She forced my hand open and shoved the envelope into it.
"Take it. It's from Mom."
"……"
Stepmom squeezed my hand tight. The envelope's thickness pressed heavily into my palm. Just from the feel, I could guess the amount.
500,000 won? Nah, easily over a million. Add in what she'd given me before... oof.
"I know your sisters treat you badly. But what can you do? They're under a lot of stress too—fighting monsters out there, dealing with people..."
She stroked the back of my hand gently as she continued.
"So forgive them, Ji-un. Just ignore it. Whatever they say, live your own life."
"I know. I don't care anymore."
"That's my boy. Good job. Once your sisters see a counselor, they'll get better. So don't hate them too much, okay?"
It sounded almost like hush money.
I didn't have much to say. I'd heard the verbal abuse daily back then—what difference did it make now? But Mom always looked so guilty and fidgety about it.
No helping it. I took the envelope. My sister's words flashed in my mind, but hey, I did come for the money.
"It's fine. We're family. I don't mind."
"R-Really? That's a relief..."
She nodded, satisfied, then hesitated, glancing at me.
"Ahem, and another thing, Ji-un."
"Yeah?"
"If you need a job, let me know. I've got connections. People from the association I knew back when I was active."
Job placement this time, huh.
Tempting offer, honestly. Association-related gigs paid well, great benefits too.
But jumping into something like that in my current situation?
Tail would get stepped on for sure. If I was gonna accept favors like this, I never would've joined a villain group in the first place.
Besides, those damn magical girl sisters would've made my life hell if I'd gone legit.
"Nah, I'm good. What I'm doing now suits me."
"Your current gig? Freelancing, right...?"
"Yeah. Writing little programs, translations... perfect for an antisocial guy like me."
"But this job's got great conditions! Good starting salary, solid benefits."
"I've got my own plans. You know going in on someone's pull just leads to gossip later—you can't stick it out long."
Her eyes widened at that.
"...Oh my, how mature. When did my boy grow up like this?"
She clasped her hands, eyes sparkling with emotion.
"Still, don't push yourself too hard. Mom's here. Need money? Anytime, okay?"
"Got it."
"And eat properly. Your jawline's gotten too sharp. You used to have those cute chubby cheeks."
She reached out suddenly and cupped my cheek.
"……!"
My body stiffened at the abrupt touch. Her warm, soft palm pressed right against my skin. And that rush of heavy rose perfume.
"Stepmom, uh..."
"Hold still. You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"
She turned my face this way and that, inspecting me. Too close. Every breath she took tickled my nose with sweet warmth.
But the real problem was where to look.
She loomed over me in the chair, bending at the waist. Gravity pulled at the loose neckline of her knit dress, leaving it gaping open.
"……"
There it was. Not just visible—fully on display. The pale, voluptuous swell of her breasts rose like massive peaks, a deep valley between them drawing my eyes in.
I could even make out the lacy edge of her light pink bra cups.
Damn, those are huge.
A man's instincts are treacherous.
I knew she was my stepmom, told myself no in my head, but my gaze kept slipping into that cleavage.
"Your skin looks a bit rougher too..."
She seemed oblivious to where my eyes were glued.
Or maybe she knew and didn't care?
Mom's always been clueless like this. It was way worse when I was a kid.
She couldn't even imagine her son lusting after her.
"Stepmom, I'm fine. Really."
"Fine my foot. A guy living alone—how rough must it be."
She slid her hand down to knead my shoulder.
"Oh, feel these knots. So much stress. Wait here—Mom's got something good for you."
She turned back to the vanity drawer. Seizing the moment, I took deep breaths.
Hoo, hoo.
Dangerous. Way too dangerous.
Just her scent alone made my groin feel heavy.
Get a grip, Jeong Ji-un. This is the family home. Her bedroom, no less.
I tried distracting myself. That rude customer who puked on my clothes at the convenience store job. The neighbor lady's venomous scowl...
"Here, take this."
She turned back with a fancy-looking bottle of supplements.
"What's this?"
"Mana recovery vitamins. Great for fatigue even for normals. I bought it for myself— you have it."
Stepmom stuffed the bottle into my pocket. I stared at her blankly. She just beamed.
"I said I'm fine..."
"Seeing you do well makes Mom happy. No pressure, okay?"
She grinned and ruffled my hair.
Pure, unconditional kindness. Eyes free of any calculation or doubt.
"……."
Thinking about it again...
How the hell did a woman like this remarry Dad?
At least on this, my sisters and I agreed.
She was retired now, but a kind, pure, beautiful ex-magical girl like her could've easily snagged a great husband. Even for a second marriage.
She's giving me money, job leads... everything.
That's when a thought flashed through my mind.
Hold up.
This woman in front of me was a former magical girl. Retired, sure, but still connected to the association with wide networks.
Could I use this?
What if...
I could get her to quietly introduce me to 'clients' through her connections? With her as the middleman, I could leverage my talents, right?
Not official channels, but word-of-mouth referrals. Especially since Mom's so pure... she'd probably say yes to a request like that.
By the methods I'd used to 'treat' so far, what I had in mind was like spitting in her smiling face. But screw it now.
It was treatment. And the sex was mutual fun, wasn't it?
Naughty ideas bubbled up.
"Stepmom."
"Hm? What is it?"
"About the work I'm prepping... Actually, I've been looking into that industry too."
"That industry?"
"Magical girl stuff."
Stepmom blinked a few times, then burst into a bright smile.
"Oh my gosh! Really?!"
"Yeah. With my sisters and Su-young awakening soon... As her big brother, as family, I wanna do something helpful."
I played the reliable, thoughtful brother to the hilt.
Of course, inside, it was all how do I legally get close to magical girls and milk them dry?
"Oh my... Mom's so touched. To think you were thinking like that!"
She clasped her hands, face full of emotion.
"Yes, exactly. Magical girl work looks glamorous, but it's rotten inside. Having family who understands is huge."
"I-Is it?"
"Totally! Take Yu-na and Yu-min—they fight with their association managers all the time, swapping them out... Ugh, don't get me started."
Isn't that just their shitty personalities?
"Ahem, so anyway. I looked into it, and management or mental care seems promising..."
"Mental care?"
"Yeah. Any magical girls you know who might need that? I wanna get some hands-on experience."
I cast the bait. Retired or not, her connections were vast—she'd have hooks somewhere.
Maybe introduce me to girls tormented by corruption desire but avoiding hospitals.
But.
"Hmm..."
Her reaction was lukewarm, unexpectedly. I'd figured she'd grab her phone in joy, but she propped her chin, looking troubled.
"Ji-un, I appreciate the sentiment, really."
"Yeah?"
"But it's not that simple."
She looked at me with worried eyes.
"Mental care for magical girls is a highly specialized field. No association certification? You can't even get near it."
"Certification?"
"Yep. Counseling certs at minimum, plus a master's degree."
"Ah..."
"And two years unpaid internship. Too rough for you, Ji-un."
She ticked off fingers one by one.
Just hearing it made my head throb. What job needs that many papers?
I had something way more reliable than scraps of paper.
But no way to explain it.
"So Mom thinks logistics or PR at the association might be better. No certs needed—I could pull strings..."
She was already scheming to shove me into safe back-office work. This wouldn't fly.
Time for a gamble.
"Stepmom."
"Yes?"
"Actually, I've studied a lot."
"Studied? For certs?"
"Yeah, sorta..."
I fudged it.
"That's why I wanted to show you first."
I stood from the chair and took a step toward her.
Stepmom's corruption desire was mild—just gossiping to others.
I could definitely treat that right now.
What's so hard about listening to one story?