I Became a New Magical Girl Priest

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Recently, it seems Ha-yoon had a fight with her parents.

“Why?”

I was surprised and asked her back after hearing such a story.

We weren’t in the lounge where we usually spend time together.

No matter how simple my wand looked, it wasn’t made entirely of magic; it had delicate mechanisms inside.

Devices that primarily help with controlling magic.

I had to occasionally take it apart to check the contents, and I felt a bit guilty always leaving it to Jua, so I learned a bit about how to inspect the equipment.

I could tell where and how it broke as long as it wasn’t completely wrecked or fatal.

While I was quietly inspecting the equipment in the room, Ha-yoon came to me looking serious, and that was the story she brought up, which made me forget about checking my wand as I sat facing her.

“Didn’t your parents say they were happy since you became a magical girl?”

That was the most positive aspect of Ha-yoon becoming a magical girl.

“Well, that’s true, but…”

Ha-yoon fidgeted with her toes as if she was trying to decide whether to share this story or not.

“… They said they don’t think I’m the best.”

“…”

I was left momentarily stunned.

Ah, right.

That was definitely the type of people Ha-yoon’s parents were.

Before becoming a magical girl, Ha-yoon attended quite a few cram schools. Not all of them were related to studying, either.

Honestly, what was the point of going to piano competitions if she wasn’t going to dedicate herself to playing the piano? Yet, Ha-yoon had to challenge such things. No matter how well she placed, it seemed her parents were not satisfied.

“So, did they tell you to quit?”

“No, not exactly…!”

Ha-yoon exclaimed, surprised.

“They just said I should take the initiative, um, that’s all.”

“Huh.”

There was no such thing as initiative between us.

Well, sure, other kids did like me quite a bit. So I had a decent say in things.

But even that was only because I listen to the opinions of other kids and speak up; those prideful kids wouldn’t just accept it if I did whatever I wanted.

Ha-yoon got along well with the other magical girls in the original story, and thus she could become the effective leader.

She fought well enough to gain fame.

Even now, Ha-yoon is famous for fighting well. While she might not be as popular as the top-ranked characters from the original, if there were a line-up, she’d likely have a slight edge over me in popularity.

Yet, Ha-yoon’s parents, oblivious to that, expect her to be ‘overwhelming.’

“You don’t need to worry about it too much.”

I replied like that.

Ha-yoon wouldn’t have fought with her parents over such comments. There must be something else…

Could it be about the previous story concerning her parents?

After all, the other kids were already from fairly well-off families, but I lacked that kind of background.

Could Ha-yoon’s parents have investigated me and said something?

But there was no such expression on Ha-yoon’s face.

So…

It was a look of sympathy directed at me.

I didn’t mind such expressions from others. After all, they had nothing to do with me.

But I didn’t want Ha-yoon to look at me like that. That’s why it was a secret.

“You are…”

I felt the need to add something, but I couldn’t figure out what.

After a brief contemplation, I nodded and placed my hand over Ha-yoon’s.

“You’re doing well. No matter what your parents say, really well.”

As I said this with a smile, Ha-yoon looked at me in surprise.

Then she brightly smiled and nodded.

“Yeah!”

*

When working as a magical girl, there are times when you have to go out alone.

Of course, Cherry isn’t that cruel of a boss. Still, as a magical girl mascot, she was actively managing our mental state.

But sometimes, being human can’t be helped.

Seo-hee, Yeon-woo, and Chae-yeon all had family matters to attend to. They claimed it wasn’t a big deal. So it’s probably more like a gathering of family members than something of great importance.

But when you’re a teenager, stepping away from such family matters to act separately can feel a bit burdensome.

And Jua mentioned she had an exam or something. Her family was excessively enthusiastic, so Jua occasionally had days she missed out.

Normally, Ha-yoon would be by my side, but today she was missing too.

…Could it be because of the previous story about her parents?

To be honest, in these situations, me going out solo feels a bit odd. I just happened to be alone at the magical girl headquarters.

“I’m really sorry, Ji-eun.”

Cherry, who was perched on my shoulder, said. Seeing her manage to hold on while flying in the sky is really impressive.

“If it were normal—”

“No, it’s fine.”

I thought I’d check it out, and if I couldn’t handle it alone, I’d just call the others to come along.

I didn’t want to hinder anyone else’s time. If the conversation accidentally broke in the middle…

…No, maybe it’d be better to call them?

I might have just needed some time to think by myself. So I might have intentionally chosen to go solo without calling anyone.

Cherry was by my side, but it wasn’t an everyday occurrence to have a personal conversation with her.

In the distance, I spotted some villains.

As usual, there was an officer and some combatants—

I recognized one of the combatants I frequently saw.

“Ha!”

The officer laughed loudly as if to make sure I heard.

“It seems the magical girls’ cohesion has shattered! It’s all thanks to people like you—”

Hmm, “cohesion,” huh.

What a ridiculous statement.

In fact, I was just being considerate.

I thought that while raising my hammer above my head with all my might.

Alright.

I had a lot on my mind and things were frustrating, so I might as well give it my all.

Realizing that I was quite angry, the guy made a sound of “Eek!” and immediately ran away. The combatants nearby followed suit—

—except for one.

Oh?

It seems this guy’s not planning to run, even in this situation?

Alright, let’s have a go at it.

That was what I thought as I swung my hammer with all my strength.

*

And just like that, the battle came to a rather anticlimactic end.

Of course, it was a bit less anticlimactic since I was alone, but the disparity was still significant.

What remained was just one combatant.

I was being cautious wielding my hammer, unsure if they’d be seriously injured, but they were impressive enough to hold on this long.

Aliens can’t even spin a circuit.

“…”

“Ji-eun?”

“Cherry, is this enough for today?”

I said this as I transformed back.

“After all, the officer has gone home, and the combatants retreated.”

“Ah, yeah, that’s right.”

Cherry looked back and forth between me and the combatant but didn’t press it further. It seemed she understood that I was a bit tired today.

“Then, I’ll head home.”

“It’s not quite the last train yet, so I’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, be careful.”

One combatant was staring our way, but Cherry didn’t seem worried.

I’m a magical girl, after all.

Cherry pressed a button on something like a remote and flew away on a small UFO that had just arrived.

I watched Cherry for a while before turning around.

“…”

When I gazed at the remaining combatant, they looked a bit flustered.

Did they not have a mouth? I wasn’t trying to mock them; some aliens don’t have mouths and communicate in different ways.

It’s funny, but I can’t recall the other combatants at all, yet this one stands out to me. I’d seen this one for quite a while.

From the very first time I engaged in actual combat.

So there’s a bit of an intimate bond there. Not that I’d completely trust them or anything, though.

But, how should I put it?

This one feels a bit more taciturn than the others. The other ones may have been swapped out, but not this combatant.

I shuffled over to a vending machine nearby and got a coffee.

Then I found a suitable spot to sit down. Luckily, there was a bench.

As I sipped the coffee, the combatant approached hesitantly.

And sat down a bit away from me.

“What’s up? Are you secretly a magical girl who likes being a combatant or something?”

I asked, but the combatant didn’t respond.

I’ve heard that to see magical girls up close, one either has to go to the same school or become a combatant.

…Ironically, that’s not entirely wrong.

The familiarity I feel is due to that reason after all.

Well, I couldn’t dive into anything too serious, but still, I wished for at least one friend who didn’t say anything.

If we hadn’t ever exchanged proper conversations, maybe that would be fine?

I just drank my coffee in silence.

They just sat there silently as well.

We remained like that for a while.

 

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