The Strongest, but the Genre Is Magical Girl

“Oh, you didn’t have to bring this.”

“Eh, it’s fine.”

The Korean sentiment of politely refusing once under the name of courtesy.

In the tiring culture of playing hard to get at least once, the energy drink that forces its way into Aunty’s fridge after opening the box.

Even though I got a free dinner, if I just wipe my mouth and stay still, it actually makes me feel uneasy.

The piping hot and chewy chunks of bulgogi that made for a delicious meal.

Maybe I should buy about two pounds of beef for bulgogi next time I go to the butcher and try making it at home?

It was so good that I couldn’t help but think that.

Somehow, the side dishes made by others taste different from the ones made at home.

“There are apples, want me to peel one for you?”

“I’m… full…”

Right after eating, Aunty asks if I want a peeled apple.

Emphasizing that I’m full, I desperately pleaded that there’s no more room, but…

“Then don’t eat it all at once, take your time and eat slowly.”

It seems there was no choice for me, as Aunty leisurely told me to eat slowly and headed back to the kitchen.

If she was going to give it to me regardless of my will, why did she ask?

Was the option of not eating never there from the start?

“Burp.”

As if proving my bloated stomach, a burp automatically escapes as I jolt my body.

To get away from the food even a little, I retreat to Tae Hyun’s room.

Tae Hyun, who finished eating about five minutes before us, was already in his room, turning on his computer and playing a game.

Unable to lie down due to my full stomach, I sit on the bed.

While watching the screen of the guy engrossed in the game, I look for any weak spots.

Noticing an opponent in the same position aggressively approaching.

“Someone’s coming for you from the side, you should dodge.”

Unable to hold back, I give advice, startling Tae Hyun who quickly retreats.

Once the distance is safe, the opponent’s character pops out from an unseen spot, driven by regret.

“Wow, how did you know?”

Tae Hyun, amazed, asks how I knew, smiling slyly as he safely continues farming.

How did I know? It’s obvious just by watching the play.

Anyway, that’s why these bronze-tier players…

Thinking he wouldn’t understand even if I explained in detail, I hinted at the rank difference with a dismissive tone.

“Big sis sees everything, you know.”

“Hee, as expected, the red star is different.”

Regardless, Tae Hyun is good at the game individually, but the result is a loss.

No matter how well you do alone, if four people throw the game, there’s nothing you can do.

With the sound of footsteps, Aunty enters Tae Hyun’s room.

Handing us a small bowl of fruit slices, unable to lie down.

“Here, eat some apples!”

“Thank you.”

Rolling my pronunciation, I accept the fruit bowl.

Taking a fork stuck in the middle of an apple slice, I take a small bite.

The cold chill felt from the fork digging into the fruit.

It must have been in the fridge until just now.

With one cheek full of apple, my gaze fixed on the computer, Siyeon and I.

Aunty, seeing us, opens her mouth, seemingly dissatisfied with Tae Hyun.

“Tae Hyun, Siyeon and Mari are here, and you’re just playing games?”

Whether friends come or not, the perception of a kid who only plays games seems similar across generations.

At least there’s a way to play like this.

Maybe feeling guilty for having two girls in his room and only playing games, he turns off the game client as soon as the match ends.

“Start thinking about getting ready to go out.”

“Uh-huh.”

Seeing Tae Hyun turn off the game, Aunty tells him to start preparing to go out.

Tae Hyun lazily replies and hurriedly packs a bag different from his school bag.

The time is 6:21 PM, where is a student suddenly going at this hour?

Tilting my head, I ask with a mouthful of apple, my pronunciation muffled.

“Prep? What prep?”

“I have to go to the academy.”

Only after hearing the answer did I realize why he wasn’t doing night self-study and why he casually played a game and turned it off.

Even without night self-study, there was the academy, right.

Swallowing the finely crushed apple like slushie ice in my mouth, I said.

“Oh right, you go to the academy, huh.”

“Siyeon? Didn’t you say you go to art academy?”

The guy picking up his jacket from the bed.

Even if it’s not a study academy, he seems to remember Siyeon going to an academy, looking at us both at home at this hour, he asks curiously.

I don’t know why he’s asking about Siyeon without directly asking her, but since our eyes met, I explain on her behalf.

“Ah, Siyeon’s academy? Didn’t she say she quit?”

“I’m free now!”

As I explain that she quit that academy too, Siyeon suddenly raises both arms, proudly declaring her freedom to Tae Hyun.

Perhaps that was a big mental blow, as he visibly deflates, openly showing his reluctance to go to the academy.

“Ah, I’m so jealous…”

Unable to hide his envy, the sullen Tae Hyun makes me curious, so I open my mouth.

“What time do you get back if you go to the academy now?”

“High school students around 8:30?”

The guy says he’ll be back around 8:30.

Unable to hold back, a bit of the ‘back in my day’ spirit peeks out as I reminisce about the old days.

“Wow, that’s still better than night self-study back then.”

Even though it’s a girl from the same generation who doesn’t go to the academy, it probably won’t even reach her ears.

Thinking about the old high school schedule, going to school by 8 AM, classes until 5:30 PM.

After dinner time, forced confinement under the name of self-study until 10 PM.

Under the surveillance of teachers wandering the hallways, repeatedly staring at the same part of the textbook while snacking.

And if you were a student who also went to the academy? You’d easily pass midnight.

Thinking about it, for those who don’t study, it’s a more useless time than wasting time on a game tutorial they already know.

As the guy leaves the house, I finish the fruit bowl and get up.

“Leaving already?”

“Yes, thank you for the dinner.”

“Thank you for the dinner-”

After expressing gratitude to Aunty for the dinner, I bow slightly.

Walking to the kitchen with Siyeon, we place the bowl in the sink and follow Tae Hyun to the front door, crowding around to put on our sneakers.

Two empty energy drink boxes near the front door.

The comfort of knowing that the two empty boxes weren’t just for free meals covers my heart.

“It’s hard to see your face these days, come over comfortably, okay?”

“Yes, goodbye-”

“Goodbye-”

As we bow and exchange greetings, a brief family farewell occurs.

“I’m off-”

“Yeah, be careful-”

Tae Hyun to the academy, us home.

The short time descending from the 17th to the 4th floor in the elevator.

Suddenly curious about the whereabouts of the two friends who used to hang out with Tae Hyun, I casually ask.

In the third year of middle school, since we hung out with girls a lot, we rarely heard about where those two went to school.

“Sunhyuk and Dongha? Same school?”

“Only Sunhyuk is in the same school, Dongha went to a high school far away in Bupyeong for wrestling.”

Sunhyuk is in the same all-boys high school as Tae Hyun, Dongha went to a high school a bit far away to utilize the physique he showed during sports festivals.

Anyway, Dongha has a clear goal.

It’s good to have something to focus on besides studying.

Just as Siyeon has her art, Dongha has wrestling.

“Oh… did he decide on that as his career path?”

“Seems like it.”

A high school student with a clear career path.

This is good because while others are struggling with career or college issues, he can focus on his set goal without much worry.

Even though Siyeon and I have the path to becoming civil servants open…

But if you ask if that’s similar to Siyeon’s art or Dongha’s wrestling, it’s not.

Talking about the two, we’ve already arrived at the 4th floor.

“Take care-”

“Yeah, bye.”

After saying goodbye late at night, footsteps head home under the dimly lit sky.

The hamburger bag that should have been at the front door is nowhere to be seen.

Probably Gomteng and Sea Snake took it inside.

Entering the house after inputting the front door password, the savory smell of potato fries wafts from the kitchen.

Hit by the strong frying smell, Siyeon exclaims a few words of admiration as soon as we enter.

“Wow, smells good!”

It did smell good, but the overly strong scent suddenly reminds me of the exhaust fan.

Kicking off my sneakers roughly, I head to the kitchen with a displeased expression, muttering a few words.

“Hey, didn’t you turn on the exhaust fan?”

“Ah, right.”

“Ah right my ass, open the window quick.”

At my command, the two beasts munching on hamburgers head to the living room balcony and kitchen window.

Three of the round-wrapped hamburgers are already gone, and instead of the square potato fry bag, a round bowl is filled to the brim with fries.

Even though we just had dinner, while the two mascots head to the window, I dip a fry into a bowl full of ketchup and bring it to my mouth.

Crunchy, basically seasoned salty fries with the tangy ketchup.

‘As expected, stealing food tastes the best.’