Chapter 6: The Next Day at School

*Thump, thump.*

The sound of a wobbly plastic desk, pretending to be a wooden one, trembles noisily as someone bounces their leg. If someone were to ask whose leg was shaking so anxiously, as if faced with a life-altering decision…

Naturally, it’s mine.

“They must have snitched to their mom, no doubt about it.”

A basic and obvious thought of a lower-grade elementary school student:

1. Reason: They did something wrong, like teasing a classmate or picking a fight.
2. Process: And then got punched.
3. Result: No matter who’s really at fault, the first instinct is to tell their parents.

Out of a hundred elementary school kids, I bet ninety-nine would react the same way. The anxiety that comes from such results is the reason why my leg is trembling right now.

I wonder when the mom of that kid I hit yesterday will show up. When will she storm into the classroom and ask who the hell hit her son? Just thinking about it makes my chest feel tight, like my lungs are filled with storm clouds.

First period passed.

Second period passed.

Third period… fourth period…

Lunch break — curry and kimchi always make for a perfect combination.

Fifth period, and then school ended.

“…What the hell?”

The endless worrying that weighed so heavily on my mind was suddenly rendered pointless. Nothing happened. I had prepared five different contingency plans in my head, but surprisingly, there was no need to use any of them. It was time to head home.

Relieved, I walked along the road back to my apartment. While walking, I scrolled through random news articles on my smartphone. It didn’t matter which site — any mention of “magical girls” would have these journalists scrambling over one another to get the news out first. You could generally get the fastest scoop here.

**[This City’s Significantly Lower Monster Incidence Rate — What’s the Secret?]**

**[The True Identity of Magical Girls: Invaders from Outer Space?]**

**[Representative Kim Announces Prioritizing Magical Girl Support Policy, Citizens Group Criticizes Move as ‘Pandering to Pedophiles’]**

**[Magical Girls Should Also Be Responsible for Damage During Battles and Offer Solutions…]**

“Maybe I should just quit.”

As I skimmed through the headlines, I saw an article blaming magical girls, and a surge of frustration bubbled up inside me, briefly spinning that thought through my mind. How dare they act as if it’s our fault! If they want a world without monsters, they should create it themselves. It’s like saving someone from drowning only for them to demand compensation for hospital fees.

It was barely past 1 PM.

After tossing my bag onto the floor, I collapsed on the floor of my room. A bear keychain that had been disguised as a bag accessory detached itself and flopped down beside me.

“We’ve been quite idle lately.”

“What did you just say, you little punk?”

That tone, as if implying there should’ve been more work. What kind of nonsense is this? I raised my head slightly from where I was lying down and shot him a glance.

“Just yesterday, I was beating the crap out of some bird-brained monster late at night… What, are you slacking off?”

This guy, seriously.

“No, no, no! I mean, compared to a few years ago!”

The creature flailed its little cottony hands, which looked like balls of fluff without fingers, in a desperate attempt to explain itself.

“Oh, compared to a few years ago?”

Now that I think about it, it definitely had decreased compared to back then.

I responded casually, returning to my original position, voicing exactly what was on my mind.

“I thought you were asking for a harder beating than usual.”

There’s not much to do in an apartment without a computer, except maybe messing around on a smartphone.

With fingers this small, even typing on a keyboard is a struggle.

At least once I’m out of elementary school, I’ll be able to play games or whatever.

With nothing better to do, I was browsing through the Magical Girl Gallery when the fluffy bear poked me gently with its soft fist.

“Oh, did you hear?”

“Hear what.”

I figured if it was some useless comment, I’d separate its head from its body.

I shot it a sharp glare while lying down and looked up at it.

“They’re having a regular meeting of the magical girls soon.”

Well, it wasn’t entirely useless information.

I hadn’t heard of that.

It’s not something you just hear by chance—they have to actually tell you about it.

It was so ridiculous that I turned off my smartphone and sat up.

“…Hey, how was I supposed to know if you didn’t tell me, you idiot.”

“Oh, right, right. I forgot.”

Looking at its face, making an expression like it had just remembered, I felt an overwhelming urge to rip its head off.

Is it asking for a beating?

“Hoo…”

As I let out a long sigh, the bear flinched, momentarily showing a frightened expression.

It seemed to think I was about to punch it.

But no, at least not until I found out the time and place.

“When and where?”

“Uh, this Saturday at 1 PM, at that usual Star Café…”

“Alright, got it.”

Now that I got what I needed, it was time to twist its neck.

“Kyaaah…?!”

Before it could even finish its scream, I swiftly separated its head from its body.

Who on earth tells you about a meeting the day before it happens?

And then it says, “Oh, right, I forgot”?

I’m practically a saint for not tearing it limb from limb and burning the remains.

While the monster-radar bear slowly put its head back on, I wondered if any monsters would show up today.

But, as it said, the frequency of monster appearances had definitely decreased compared to a few years ago.

For once, there were no monsters at all—a peaceful day.

That peace continued through the night, and I was able to happily reach the weekend in a good mood.

“Leave it to me today!”

Being a magical girl is a job of sorts, so whenever one of us has to leave town, we need someone to fill in.

So, sometimes magical girls from other regions come to help when we’re short-staffed.

Her transformed appearance is that of an ageless elementary school student, but in reality, she’s closer to a middle schooler.

“Then, we’ll be in your care.”

“Please take care of us.”

“Yup! Have a good trip!”

We bowed our heads politely and momentarily entrusted our absence to them.

Together with Siyeon, we boarded a bus, needing to ride more than ten stops to reach our destination.

If you’re wondering why we don’t just fly there after transforming, it’s because the café is in the middle of a bustling city center. Flying there would obviously get us caught.

No matter how lenient this world may be where everyone seems to have facial recognition blindness, there are still limits to what’s allowed.

As we board the bus, I hold out my transit card.

“Two children, please.”

Beep, beep, beep.

The sound of the driver adjusting the fare machine.

As I tap the card, there’s a familiar voice with the usual beeping.

“Multiple passengers.”

“Hurry up and sit down.”

Siyeon, who followed behind me, quickly sits down so she doesn’t fall as the bus starts to move.

The small privilege of being a child.

No one says a word when we rush to sit in the unnaturally empty, pink-covered seats reserved for children.

As the bus approaches the tenth stop, I stretch out my arm towards the unreachable bell…

One of the indifferent-looking men presses the button for me.

“Thank you.”

I don’t forget to express my gratitude.

However, no reply comes.

It’s as if he feels that what he did was obvious, and he just slightly smiles and glances over at me, acknowledging my thanks.

We arrive at the “Star Café,” located right in the heart of the city.

It’s just past lunchtime, and neither Siyeon nor I have eaten yet.

As for why we hold the regular magical girl meetings in a café right in the middle of the busiest area…

“Welcome, you two must be… Sun and Moon, right?”

“Yes.”

“Yes!”

The person who greets us is Seo Hyuna, a former magical girl who looks great with long, straight hair.

The reason we have our meetings here is because this café is run by her — someone who retired from being a magical girl.

It’s a place where we can gather without worrying about our identities being exposed or accidentally calling each other by our magical girl names.

Knowing how tough our situation is, this grown-up graciously lets us use the entire café for our regular meetings.

Anyway, at Siyeon’s sharp and bold reply, the other magical girls who had already arrived turned their heads towards us.

Although they all look like elementary school students in their transformed forms, in reality, we have members ranging from actual elementary schoolers to high schoolers, and even full-grown adults.

The purpose of these regular meetings is to prepare for monsters, share strategies, and exchange various bits of knowledge. But…

“I mean, we can’t even date freely.”

“Oh, I feel that. Just when the mood is right, a monster alert goes off and ruins everything.”

“And don’t get me started on holidays. No one’s around, and the empty spots are so noticeable…”

This place is more of a space where we can complain to each other, knowing that we all understand each other’s situations.

A real elementary school kid wouldn’t have much to say in this kind of conversation.

Just eat and leave when you’re full. That’s all.

“I’ll add honey bread and hot chocolate~”

These are the kinds of foods I hesitate to buy with my own money. They’re the best when adults offer to pay, and you can order without hesitation.

As I greedily shove sweet desserts into my mouth like someone who hasn’t eaten in days, the magical girl sitting across from me, named Stella, asked:

“Moon, isn’t it tough being a magical girl?”

“It’s fine! After all, it’s a job that brings smiles to people!”

It was a line straight out of an anime, recited by Siyeon, who really seemed like she’d just stepped out of one.

“Sigh— I used to be like that too… How’s Sun doing?”

The question directed at Moon was passed right over to me.

Is being a magical girl tough? Of course, it is. I don’t have the loyalty to say everything’s fine like Siyeon does.

“I’m only sticking around for the money.”

At my abrupt return to reality, the other senior magical girls fell silent.

They probably all understood.

“Sometimes, it doesn’t feel like you’re an elementary schooler, right?”

“Capitalism is this dangerous.”