Sponsoring the Chick
There was a minor hiccup, but thanks to this sudden arrival, I made it safely inside the school. We walked side by side all the way to the exam hall.
"…S-sorry, okay?"
"……"
"Uh, um… Want some candy?"
"…Haa. Forget it. Do you think I'm still a kid? I'm not mad, so stop looking so guilty."
Swoosh. Ignoring her words, I pulled a candy from my pocket and handed it over.
She glanced at it briefly, then quietly took it and popped it in her mouth.
Hasn't changed a bit since the old days.
Pretending otherwise, but she still loved sweets. Back then, I'd shove candy at her every time we met. Guess I trained her taste buds?
"In my eyes, you're all still kids."
"…What’s that supposed to mean? I've been a magical girl for 30 years and retired after all that grind. Hardly anyone outlasted me."
A 30-year veteran magical girl.
Typically, a magical girl's prime lasts about a decade after adulthood. Those who keep shining longer are definitely a cut above the rest.
But.
"I'm over a hundred. Compared to me, you're all kids, right?"
"……"
No room for argument, so she clamped her mouth shut. Cute reaction.
Her name… Shin Nari, was it?
One of the magical girls I'd saved back in the day. Once I recalled her name, memories of this junior came flooding back fresh and vivid.
Her intense first impression from 50 years ago was still crystal clear.
…Though it seemed like she wanted to erase that past.
To me, she was just an adorable rookie magical girl.
She used to follow me around like a lost puppy after that, too.
Our busy schedules gradually thinned out our meetings until contact fizzled out completely. I'd vaguely heard she'd retired, but running into her like this was a nice surprise.
Who'd have thought she'd end up as the director of this famous school?
"Anyway, what brings you here? I heard you tell the guards it was for observation…"
"The Association folks are all here already, but I didn't get word you'd be coming personally, Senior."
"Oh. You haven't heard yet? I retired. I'm a civilian now."
"What?!"
Shin Nari froze mid-step, staring at me in shock.
Is it that surprising?
Her jaw's gonna drop off at this rate.
Mouth agape, she stared blankly before suddenly thrusting her face right up to mine. So fast it whipped up a gust around us.
"Wh-why…? Are you sick or something?!"
"…Nari junior? Calm down a bit—"
"How can I calm down?! You, Seol-hyun Senior, retired out of nowhere…!"
She grabbed my shoulders, fidgeting anxiously.
…Doesn't she care about the stares? She's the director, for crying out loud.
"It's not whatever you're thinking. I'm not sick."
"Really? Then why…?"
"You don't have to have a reason to retire, right? Time for me to take a break."
"……"
Over a century on the job—I've done more than enough. Honestly, a lifetime pension wouldn't cut it.
"Seol-hyun Senior retired…"
"That hard to believe?"
"Of course! You seemed like the type who'd be a magical girl forever…"
"…Is that a compliment?"
Telling me to work till I drop. The more I thought about it, the more irritating.
"And you retired first without ever visiting once?"
"That's… I didn't have the face to see you, Senior…"
"Huh? Why?"
The junior averted her eyes, mumbling evasively.
Did she do something wrong to me? I racked my brain, but nothing came up.
"…Anyway. So, why the observation?"
Awkward subject change. No reason to dig, so I played along.
"Just? Unlike an old relic like me, I wanted to see the juniors moving forward."
"…You're no relic."
"I am."
"Where do you get that from?!"
Chatting away with my long-lost junior like this, we soon reached the entrance exam hall.
……
We headed up to the upper floors of the building. Opening the door revealed a pretty luxurious room. VIP lounge?
"You can watch from here."
"…No one else around?"
"You're just here to observe, right, Senior? No need to squeeze in with the others."
With that, she waved lightly. Transparent screens popped up in midair like CCTV feeds.
"Have a seat."
"Thanks, junior."
Plop.
We settled side by side on the sofa.
"Something to drink?"
"Nah, I'm good."
I wanted to focus on the screens right now.
Beyond them, the entrance exams were in full swing.
Magical girls taking written tests.
Magical girls demonstrating basic and unique magic.
And finally, magical girls battling monsters.
Seemed like three parts total.
To me—who'd never even finished elementary school in this lifetime—it was fascinating.
In the original story, the prologue kicks off right after the entrance exam, so I never got the details.
I got so absorbed I forgot my goal for a moment.
Seeing my reaction, Shin Nari smiled and spoke up.
"What do you think, Senior? Impressions of these far-off juniors?"
"…Impressions."
Lousy.
The word nearly slipped out. Good thing it stayed inside.
…Well, yeah. Most haven't even seen real action yet.
Not like me, charging the front lines from age eight.
Things weren't that dire anymore anyway.
Thanks to countless magical girls' efforts, it was a relatively peaceful world.
Judging by my standards was unfair—the world had changed too much.
Even if magical girls' overall level had declined since my era, it wasn't their fault.
If anything, it was a good sign.
So calling these juniors lousy would be rude.
Instead—
"…I'm jealous. Their effort looks cool."
Enjoying their youth.
Fighting monsters hard to become magical girls.
Everyone carried a star in their hearts.
Maybe what I'd always wanted.
…Even if I couldn't do it myself now.
Projecting myself onto those kids gave some vicarious satisfaction.
"Nice watching them all hustle."
"…Heh. Right? Makes me proud every year."
"So, how'd you end up director here?"
"Oh, well—"
……
…Long story short.
Her childhood dream was to be a teacher.
Post-retirement, she aimed for that but somehow got roped into director.
Apparently her magical girl creds and family background sealed it.
"—It was a hassle at first. But watching the school grow? Not so bad."
"Pays well, huh?"
"Heh heh~ Obviously!"
That smug look—she was probably thriving more than retired me.
Seeing her puffed-up face stirred old urges to smack her one.
While holding back that impulse, I remembered something I'd forgotten.
Right. Gotta check on the original protagonist.
Things were veering way off track.
I turned back to the screens.
…Hmm. Not here.
I knew her looks by heart, but no one matching among the students.
"Nari junior."
"Yes?"
"Can you pull up other students' exams? Looking for someone."
"…Someone you're looking for? Who?"
"Name's… Jeong Hanbyeol. White hair, super petite."
"Hmm… Let me check. One sec."
Shin Nari closed her eyes, focusing. Other screens faded, leaving one.
"This her?"
"…Yeah. Looks like it."
I peered closely at the girl on screen.
Cute kid with sparkling white hair. Freshly adult but still baby-faced.
Exact match for the manga.
The protagonist… no, magical girl Jeong Hanbyeol.
She was mid-battle with a monster.
…Looks rough.
Mock battle or not, the monster moved like the real deal.
A golem-like beast slowly cornering her.
"Hmm?"
Shin Nari, watching with me, frowned like something was off.
Anyone would react the same.
"…Why's that kid fighting untransformed? Bare-handed, no weapon…"
"……"
It was bizarre.
Jeong Hanbyeol wasn't using any magic mid-fight.
No transformation, no weapon.
…'Cause she has no mascot yet.
Not like me, unable to contract at all.
Magical girls awaken with their mascot naturally crossing over.
Just special protagonist treatment.
…The bad kind.
True to the manga's grim plot.
Protagonist Jeong Hanbyeol gets beaten down a lot.
Grows through endless ass-kickings.
This was part of it.
…Kinda pitiful to watch.
No mascot meant no transformation, no signature weapon.
Purely raw body, basic and unique magic against that tanky brute.
…Not very magical girl-like.
She'll barely scrape in, probably.
For a kid dreaming of scholarships? She'd scrape by poor as dirt.
Just like the manga.
…Author was harsh. No grudge against the protag or anything.
Rolling protagonist.
Rolling in the manga, rolling live on screen dodging the golem.
…No need to roll anymore, right?
I already killed all the masterminds behind the first arc.
Decision made.
Just came to check her face, but seeing her tugged at me—I wanted to help.
"Nari junior."
"…?"
"Any sponsorship programs linked to the school?"
At least money would keep her from starving.