The Strongest, but the Genre Is Magical Girl

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Preparing for the school trip begins the evening before.

Wallet, water bottle, small snacks, charger, power bank, a folding umbrella for any unforeseen disasters, and a few medicines including bandages.

In addition, change of clothes, underwear, socks, toiletries, tissue, and wet wipes.

…Lastly, a few black garbage bags for trash.

After stuffing all the supplies into my bag, I stretched my back straight.

A sense of accomplishment washed over me, knowing I had managed to fit everything in.

“Is this enough?”

I pondered, almost speaking to myself, borrowing not only my thoughts but also Siyeon’s as I considered if I might have overlooked something.

At the same time, Siyeon, who was also putting items into her bag for the trip, peered toward her room and mine, her expression one of confusion as she asked back.

“What about Gomteng and Baemi?”

That puzzled look on Siyeon’s face—of course, I must have forgotten to pack them.

Surely they would just follow along since it was so obvious.

Realizing their existence, just like Siyeon, I leaned back and shouted into each room.

“Right, they were here… hey! Mischievous ones, assemble!”

My sharp, thin voice echoed throughout the house.

Here, the only sentient beings were two middle school girls and two mascots.

In a place where we didn’t even have pets, it was clear that the only beings worthy of being called mischievous were the two mascots.

One by one, they crawled out.

“Did you call for us?”

“What’s up?”

The first sentence escaped me while the two mascots stood at the same height.

“Alright, as you two know… we’re leaving for a school trip tomorrow.”

A statement so obvious that the mascots looked at each other.

It felt like they were asking, ‘So, what’s the point?’

Gathering time was by 7 AM.

This meant I had to wake up much earlier than usual, as I normally leave for school around 8:40 AM.

With the excitement of the school trip and the earlier wake-up time clashing, it seemed like I would need to hustle if I wanted to have breakfast as well.

I already knew well that I’d have to wake up at dawn, eat breakfast, and hurry to school before 7 AM.

I let out a slight portentous feeling.

“If we forget to take you two, we might leave without you…”

Saying this while glancing at my backpack, which was already swollen to bursting.

When I think of bags, the first thing that comes to mind is a distinct sense of pain for the two mascots.

The puzzled expression on their faces, which had been following my gaze, froze into a cold realization.

Understanding somewhat what I meant, I offered them a choice.

“Either you jump into the bag now or stay in your room and join us in the morning. Choose.”

They’d probably remember the pain from when we went to the amusement park, but if they didn’t want to become a keychain, they’d have to squeeze in there.

Since most of what’s in there are just clothes, squeezing in should create some space for a plush toy.

Either way, once we’re on the bus, they’d have to be inside the bag.

“Eh, I guess we’ll just get in the bag on our own.”

Gomteng was the first to speak in front of the two options presented.

Nonchalantly, he chose to join us in the morning, waving his arms before heading back to his room.

He seemed pretty confident.

Unlike Gomteng’s boldness, Sea Snake was more timid.

“Um, then… I’ll be in the bag.”

He cautiously said that, grabbing the zipper of Siyeon’s bag with his mouth and slowly inching in like a real snake.

As the day of the school trip dawned, the alarm rang earlier than usual.

Although it was dawn, it was barely 6 AM, and the blue night shadows still lingered in the sky.

In barely 30 minutes, I had to eat breakfast, clean up, and head out from home.

Breakfast was simply soy sauce scrambled eggs; I’d preheated a small frying pan with oil and turned on the induction stove before rushing to the bathroom.

My hair, unkempt from sleeping, needed a quick spritz of water from a spray bottle followed by some hurried patting down with my palm.

I pulled out a plastic rice bowl that had been left in the fridge for two days, popped it in the microwave, and set it for 3 minutes and 30 seconds for two servings.

“Siyeon, get up! We have to go on the school trip! We’ll be in big trouble if we’re late!”

I knocked on Siyeon’s door multiple times.

Trying to wake her up, I lightly banged on her shoulder.

“Ugh…”

Groaning briefly, but when she heard the words “school trip,” Siyeon jerked awake and struggled to get out of bed.

Interestingly enough, on special days like this, those who usually had trouble waking up seemed to pop up without a second thought.

In the meantime, I cracked an egg into the now heated frying pan, and the sound of it sizzling was refreshingly clear.

It was almost like a bird flapping its wings as the egg whites began to fry in the oil, making popping sounds.

I carefully sliced the joined egg whites with a spatula, turning off the induction stove to let the residual heat finish cooking them.

Beep, beep—

The microwave squealed, letting us know it was done.

I pulled the handle, and the spring popped open with a thud.

I extracted two plastic rice bowls, opened the lids, and placed one in each spot at the table.

I carefully placed a well-cooked egg on top of each steaming bowl of rice.

With a soy sauce bottle set on the table, Siyeon emerged right on cue.

Checking the clock, it was already 6:20 AM.

Knowing I usually leave at 8 AM and it takes 20 to 25 minutes to get to school, I figured I’d need to leave by at least 40 minutes to arrive on time.

“Hurry up and eat! It’s already been 20 minutes.”

“Okay…”

I urged Siyeon, who had just woken up, and acted faster alongside her.

I took two spoonfuls of soy sauce to pour generously over the eggs.

The moist yolk and the stiff whites mixed with the black soy sauce, turning the rice into a gooey yellow mess.

The familiar and comforting taste of soy sauce and egg.

Once I hurriedly finished my meal, I grabbed clothes I had hung up in my room the night before and took them to my body.

It was the same outfit I wore last year, a shirt and pants that slid on effortlessly.

Proving that I had hardly grown, it was almost like biological evidence.

Even when I tried not to think about it, just attempting to shove that thought out indicated some level of consciousness.

“Ugh.”

With a short sigh, I tapped my feet impatiently waiting for Siyeon for 30 minutes.

To arrive leisurely, I should’ve left by now.

“I’m all set!”

Siyeon burst out of her room through the closed door.

I was momentarily speechless at the absurdity of her appearance.

Dressed in her school uniform for a school trip.

Of course, if you’re going to school on a weekday, your hands would naturally grab your uniform…

How terrifyingly habitual this familiarity is.

“Siyeon? Not your uniform.”

“…Ah!”

Upon pointing out her outfit, she looked at my clothes and sheepishly retreated into her room.

Eventually, the leisurely time to leave at 30 minutes was gone, and we left at 35 minutes.

Though we weren’t leaving at a snail’s pace, we had plenty of time to arrive punctually.

Carrying the oversized, stuffed bag, I set off for school.

Among fellow students also dressed in casual wear heading in the same direction, there were some pulling along travel luggage in addition to backpacks.

Of course, since those bags fit a lot of stuff, it made sense they’d be convenient…

But it felt somewhat excessive for the scale of our trip.

Arriving at the school playground, filled with students from the same school, the scene was set for the trip.

At the promised time of 7 AM, the parking lot was lined with charter buses for the trip.

Finding my classmates once I spotted a familiar face, the teacher called roll, and our whole class began entering the bus, filling the seats one by one.

Seeing friends dressed in casual clothes instead of the usual uniforms felt refreshing.

Even after ten minutes passed with the bus not leaving, I peered outside at the schoolyard.

I let out a resigned huff as I watched a few students rushing through the entrance.

There are, without fail, always late students on days like this.

“Sit from the back, please—”

I heard the teacher’s instructions to fill in from the back, but…

Those sitting alone often chose a backpack as their companion, while friends who aligned together would squish in no matter how tight it was—such is the norm.

With the student population in a class hovering just below 30 nowadays, there seemed to be quite a bit of space on the bus.

Yet, oddly enough, it seemed like Siyeon had already picked out my seat next to her.

Placing her heavy backpack between her legs on the bus floor, she finally relaxed against the back of her seat.

Once she relaxed and felt comfortable, one thought bubbled up.

‘You said you’d just get in the bag…’

I grabbed the zipper of the bulging bag and pulled it open.

With a zipping sound that seemed to spell trouble, Gomteng was nowhere to be found.

‘What a foolish Gomteng…’