I marveled inwardly at the Owner’s skill and took a sip of milk.
In a world where milk costs 7,000 to 8,000 won for 2.3 liters, buying it feels like a burden. Sometimes, while munching on bread, I wondered if I should just buy some.
As I waited for the other Magical Girls to arrive, I spent an hour stuffing my mouth with bread and milk.
“What do Sun and Moon want to drink?”
When the promised meeting time finally came, I was already stuffed with the snacks the Owner had provided early on.
Perhaps because the bread was fresh and warm, I had carelessly stuffed too much in, losing control.
I gently rubbed my round belly, muttering a brief thought.
“I’m full…”
Having devoured quite a bit of the sweet bread, I felt that even ordering hot chocolate served in a large cup might make me feel bloated, so I turned my head to order a fruit aide instead.
“I’ll have grape aide.”
“I want hot chocolate!”
Though I referred to her as a senior, we were only in fourth grade.
There were also older high school students and adults around.
Siyeon and I were still very far away from paying our own way.
Being young is the best, after all.
Meanwhile, I turned to the table where the cause of our gathering, the new Magical Girl, was sitting.
Sure enough, a few seasoned Magical Girls with plenty of experience were there, asking various questions with curiosity.
“How did Mercury decide on her transformation phrase?”
Mercury, who stood at the center of attention, was the youngest among us in actual age.
This was the question every Magical Girl got when attending their first meet-up, out of ten girls, all ten would be asked.
Even if she was in sixth grade, she was still at an age where she couldn’t quite let go of her elementary school mindset.
With a bright smile, she spoke her transformation phrase.
“I will not forgive in the name of love and justice! Magical Girl Mercury, make her entrance!”
“Uh…”
The long transformation phrase that unexpectedly burst forth froze the expressions of the older Magical Girls at the same table.
“Wow, that’s rough…”
Even I, sitting relatively far away, couldn’t help but stiffen at the intense impression that her transformation phrase left.
Inside, I let out a sigh of pity for the future Mercury.
By the way, once this transformation phrase is set, it cannot be changed.
So one of the common reasons for the retirement of many senior Magical Girls is, “I was too embarrassed to memorize my transformation phrase at that age.”
Those who started being Magical Girls in middle school or high school had it a bit easier, but the problem lies with those who began as Magical Girls in elementary school or even at that tender age in middle school.
These girls feel embarrassed about their transformation phrases eight out of ten times.
“In that regard, Siyeon and I are pretty safe.”
It’s a phrase made of just one character, ‘Sun,’ which must be carefully managed in casual conversations.
I glanced at Siyeon, who also had a concise transformation phrase, resting my chin in my hand.
“What’s wrong?”
Noticing my intense gaze, Siyeon paused her hot chocolate to ask what was up.
“Nothing, it’s fine.”
After responding that it was nothing, I turned my gaze into the air.
Siyeon had also tried to mimic transformation phrases she saw in Magical Girl anime, but I managed to stop her from those long-winded phrases during that time.
She insisted that ‘Moon Power’ must be attached to her transformation phrase, but we somehow compromised on that part.
I don’t know if she’ll remember this later, but when she becomes aware of her embarrassment and shame, she’ll probably be thankful to me.
Today’s snacks for the meet-up were famous baked goods from Daejeon.
Perhaps that’s why the Owner of the Galaxy Cafe served only a pile of bread and was busy pouring coffee and drinks.
“Since you don’t have to make anything separately, it must be less busy for you.”
Thinking that, I took a sip of tart and sweet grape aide through a straw and gulped it down without swallowing.
In a situation where my belly was suitably full, a drink that went down easily was preferable to sweet hot chocolate.
“I really envy the girls with short transformation phrases.”
Just when I was only sipping aide without thinking about touching the bread, the seniors’ conversation began.
“Isn’t it true? I shouldn’t have watched that Japanese animation…”
“What was your transformation phrase again?”
“It was short, but… I don’t want to say.”
“Wasn’t it ‘Pluto, transform! Prepare yourself!’?”
“Ughhh…”
Hearing her transformation phrase come out from someone else’s mouth, Pluto, a Magical Girl, tangled her perfectly styled hair in distress.
She might be used to transforming every day, but as she ages, the discomfort and resistance will increase.
If they were adults, they could resign themselves for the sake of money, but for those who experience the shame during their middle and high school years, the mental damage is severe.
Perhaps most people here aren’t resenting their childhood selves.
“Come to think of it, Sun and Moon have extremely short transformation phrases, right?”
“Sun’s is just one character representing her name…”
“Gotta be careful not to say it.”
While sharing their respective challenges, the two seemed to think there were only positives, and I took another sip of aide.
Thinking simply, I set my transformation phrase to ‘short is good’.
If I’m not careful during English class and shout out that ‘sun’ is what they call it in English, that would be the same as revealing myself as a Magical Girl to everyone around.
The government doesn’t exactly say “Don’t let anyone find out that you’re a Magical Girl,” but…
“There’s nothing good in being revealed…”
Not getting caught is a given, and even before becoming an adult, being a Magical Girl is considered a shameful sight for middle and high school students.
What if everyone around found out I was a Magical Girl?
Maybe in elementary school, I could receive gazes of admiration.
After all, there are innocent girls who genuinely dream of being Magical Girls.
However, if in middle school someone started shouting, “Hey, you’re a Magical Girl!” during break and began reciting transformation phrases around me?
I’d feel justified in demolishing both the teasing student and the classroom, ready to make the front page of the news.
This is definitely not just a joke.
“Ah, that’s true… being short isn’t always good.”
“I realized that after deciding on mine.”
Upon hearing the explanation that being too short isn’t all that great, my senior let out a sound of understanding, empathizing with my concerns.
Feeling the comfort of newfound empathy, I took another sip of aide, recalling my epiphany after setting mine.
The Magical Girls’ grievances about transformation phrases ended there, and the flow of conversation naturally shifted toward the older students and adults.
“So, you’ll be taking the college entrance exam this year and turning twenty? Do you have any ideas about which university to go to?”
“Hmmm, well, even if I just go for a year, I’ll still check it out.”
“If you go, be really careful about drinking at the MT, it can get serious…”
The topics flowed seamlessly from entrance exams to university, then to MTs, and finally to drinking.
“Do they really force you to drink and stuff?”
“It depends, you know about that incident…”
The two talked about university life.
‘That incident’ that the Magical Girls often refer to.
What that means is an incident that drew attention about two years ago.
During a university MT, a drunken Magical Girl proclaimed she was a Magical Girl, then she sobered up right after transforming and quickly vanished from the MT location.
Though I felt it before when I was sick, the body after transformation shares only memories with the body before;
it really wouldn’t be strange to think of it as completely different flesh.
Ultimately, as the girl completely sobered up right after transforming, she fled from the building where the university MT was taking place, and it has since remained a legendary tale within that university…
Well, that’s the story.
Anyway, perhaps due to the occasional occurrence of such incidents…
Among the women who are Magical Girls, some lead difficult lives; while they may smoke, they don’t often touch alcohol.
I even overheard a conversation about how one alcohol enthusiast, who drinks alone at home, makes sure to keep their smartphone out of reach to avoid any drunken texting.
“Thanks for the hard work at this meet-up, everyone. Let’s meet again next time.”
After just eating and drinking, someone’s voice vaguely signaled the end of the meeting.
Checking my smartphone for the time, it was three in the afternoon.
That’s pretty early for a meet-up.
Those whose homes were nearby might continue socializing, while those needing to head to different areas wrapped up quickly, saying their goodbyes.
I booked a seat for the high-speed train, blending in with other passengers on the subway on my way back.
“Yawn…”
“Sleepy? You can’t sleep now.”
In a secluded spot, Siyeon, who had been seated beside me, yawned widely.
That hour spent napping on the high-speed train was insufficient, leaving me dozing off in and out again.
The issue was that I had been comfortably sitting in that secluded seat, causing my eyes to keep getting heavier.
“I can’t fall asleep…”
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