I Became a New Magical Girl Priest

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I have a few hobbies.

First up, listening to music. Honestly, it’s not so much a hobby I genuinely pursued; rather, it was a means to entertain myself while pondering what playful activities I could engage in at the orphanage.

Sure, getting into this can cost a ridiculous amount of money, but since I usually just listened to music with some gear I found outside and a bunch of CDs I bought, it wasn’t a big deal.

I wouldn’t say it’s a serious hobby, but over time, I’ve found myself liking it a bit more.

I don’t remember every artist or performer, but I’ve started to enjoy the music itself.

As for other hobbies, I occasionally watch movies or dramas. Although, I wouldn’t call it much of a hobby since I don’t really dive into it like I do with music.

I do read, mostly novels.

Or should I say, I used to read novels quite a bit before coming here, especially webcomics and web novels from my past life.

“Can I play some music?”

“… Sure.”

Maybe that’s why I enjoy watching movies with calm music playing in the background.

There was a time when Ji-hye and I were listening to music together, and I thought it felt like a scene from a coming-of-age drama. Sitting in the warm sunlight streaming through the window, playing classical music while leisurely reading a book feels cinematic in some way.

Though warm, it’s actually the ‘hot’ sun, but I can endure it thanks to the air conditioning, but who cares?

“Umm.”

I picked up my phone to read, but somehow felt the atmosphere was dull.

Yeah, as much as I try to avoid it, I tend to be a bit of a pain in the neck. I instinctively evaluate the vibe and everything when I do various things.

For this moment, it feels like I should read a physical book instead of an e-book.

With that thought, I got up from my seat and quietly moved toward Chae-yeon.

Was her arm not hurting, or what? Sitting in the corner of the three-seater sofa, Chae-yeon was holding a thick book in front of her face.

For some reason, today it seems like we are the only ones in the lounge. It couldn’t have been too long, and someone would likely come in shortly? At least Ha-yoon or Ji-hye keep a schedule similar to mine unless they’re in their rooms.

“Is it okay if I read this?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Chae-yeon replied to my question in her usual tone.

Not wanting to take too long, I grabbed a reasonably thin book. It was a Japanese mystery novel. It may be thin, but it’s still one of the thinner books here, so it would likely be impossible to read it all in this time. I just flipped through it lazily.

As I skimmed a rather tedious part, unfamiliar characters kept popping up, and the tricks were all over the place, so I put the book down for a moment.

Hmm.

Chae-yeon still held the book up in the same position. Was she reading something other than a book from Earth? The language on the cover was one I’d never seen before.

And interpreting that language while reading was a bit tricky for Chae-yeon too, as she hadn’t turned a single page.

“…”

Hmm?

When I stared at her, Chae-yeon slightly turned her body. The book cover rotated toward me and completely obscured her face.

Hmm.

Hiding her face, huh?

I shouldn’t think like this about Chae-yeon, but she’s not entirely emotionless; she just speaks less and keeps a calm voice.

She has things she likes and things she dislikes.

One thing I can assert is that among the things Chae-yeon likes, I’m certainly one of them. In fact, I’m one of her ‘most favorite things.’ She would even kiss me first sometimes.

However, Chae-yeon isn’t as proactive as the other kids. Occasionally, she would spontaneously climb on me like a cat and cuddle, but aside from that, it’s rare for her to take the initiative.

Being quiet also means she is the most introverted among us. Those rare moments of boldness probably take a significant amount of courage.

I kept staring at Chae-yeon.

She slowly turned her body toward me, covering her face completely with the book, and then gradually retreated back.

“Oh.”

She got caught on the armrest of the sofa. Somehow, her legs dangled while her upper body ended up lying down.

Over the last few years, I’ve grown accustomed to being on the receiving end of attacks. Nowadays, I’ve learned to counterattack a little too. The method is simple. I just mimic the actions the other kids do to me.

For example, I slowly crawled across the sofa. Well, since my legs are down below, it only looks like my arms are moving.

I trapped Chae-yeon’s upper body between my arms.

“What book is that?”

Then, I casually asked.

Honestly, I felt a bit shy. My face was slightly flushed. The jazz music that was playing had shifted from a mellow tempo to a slowly quickening rhythm.

With my arms outstretched like this, my chest naturally leaned down as if following the law of gravity. I was wearing underwear, but it still felt like something else altogether.

My torso hovered precariously over Chae-yeon’s petite chest. Almost touching, but not quite. No, in fact, we were very lightly touching. Chae-yeon seemed to notice it too.

Just then, the book she was holding, which had been held up by her arms, completely fell over her face.

The pages were going to be a mess.

“Umm.”

I pretended to read the cover as I leaned in closer. Now, it wasn’t just a near miss; I was really resting on top. It was petite but soft and warm. Probably because we were in an air-conditioned room during summer.

From the other side of the book, I couldn’t hear any breathing. Only her quivering hand holding the book was visibly trembling. Seeing her fingertips turn pale, I wondered if she was giving it too much effort.

“So, what’s the book about? Huh?”

“Mu-multicultural…”

Chae-yeon replied.

“The cultures of other planets…”

So it really wasn’t written in the language of this planet, huh? Well, I didn’t really care about that.

At this point, I was practically laying on top of Chae-yeon’s upper body.

If it were other kids, they’d think twice about going this far. They’d probably fire back in some way.

But Chae-yeon, being so gentle, couldn’t do anything at all. Instead, she seemed even more tense than when she was on top.

“…”

Ah, this feels a bit dangerous.

Even so, I slowly lifted my finger and propped up the book a little.

Chae-yeon was holding on, but considering raw strength, I was still stronger. Trembling, the book gradually lifted up.

Below it were Chae-yeon’s soft pink lips peeking out.

Her mouth was slightly parted, and I could see her white teeth underneath.

“Eep.”

I made a sound and pressed my lips against hers.

Warm, soft, and slightly moist.

Chae-yeon’s body went completely stiff. With the book between us, we stayed there kissing for quite some time.

“Ugh.”

As my lips fell away, Chae-yeon made that sound and dropped the book.

The book that had been a little raised over Chae-yeon’s face tumbled back behind her. It made a loud noise, but she seemed completely unfazed.

Normally, Chae-yeon doesn’t show much change in expression, but now her face was completely red as she glared at me.

Oh, maybe I got a little carried away?

“Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

As I said that and started to pull back slightly,

“Aah!?”

Chae-yeon’s arm swung around my neck.

And she pressed her lips tightly against mine.

Somewhat awkward, this was the sort of action you’d expect from a person who studied a lot but never actually experienced it before.

Surprised by Chae-yeon’s forceful embrace, I ended up leaning back against the sofa.

Before I knew it, Chae-yeon had climbed on top of me. She sat her butt on my thighs, with her knees on both sides.

A kiss that was all lips, done clumsily, and with all her strength, she wrapped her arms around my neck. Caught off guard by her behavior, which was so different from the usual Chae-yeon, I was frozen, unable to respond, and just lost my lips.

Since I initiated the attack, I couldn’t really complain too much.

“Phew.”

Chae-yeon finally let go of my lips.

Her face was still red, but her expression returned to a neutral one.

“… Were you aiming for this?”

“… Sort of.”

So, was this all part of a plan?

I chuckled in disbelief.

Chae-yeon proceeded to kiss my lips two more times.

Different from the first time she just pressed her lips against mine, this one was a bit softer.

The second kiss, which was a bit gentler, lasted longer.

Seeing her face still flushed after pulling away, it seemed this was more impulsive than anything.

Well, I decided to just let it slide.

As long as we both enjoyed it, wasn’t that a good thing?

The jazz music entered a slow segment again, and we spent the next while feeling each other’s warmth and lazily enjoying the moment.

It felt a bit like a movie.

Or perhaps a novel, should I say?

That sounds about right.

 

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