Ji-eun, my older sister, wiped the drool threatening to spill from the baby’s mouth with a scarf and gently patted his back, rocking him up and down a little.
She’s practically a mother now.
Before long, the tiny fingers that had been tightly gripping loosened, and in that moment, they grazed lightly against his chubby cheeks.
They felt like jelly, melted and flabby, yet still possessing that adorable elasticity.
The heavenly sensation I experienced for just a few seconds faded as the baby, sleepy, pulled away, and we found ourselves sitting in the spacious living room, exchanging various stories.
During our conversation, Uncle excused himself, saying he had to meet a friend, so aside from the baby’s presence, it was the usual gathering of our regular members.
“So, when are you planning on going back to work?”
“At least until Juwon starts elementary school, I need to stay home.”
She glanced briefly at the room with the baby before speaking.
Elementary school, huh? That means you won’t be visiting our home once you go back to work.
I wondered if her tone hinted at her impatience to get back, as she sat on the floor, leaning against the sofa, subtly hoping her absence would be felt more acutely.
“What’s the new person like?”
“…Meh.”
Before I could respond, Siyeon chimed in, and the word “meh” slipped out first.
The aunty, who was filling in for Ji-eun, was a complete stranger, but unlike Ji-eun, she didn’t know our situation; we couldn’t even talk about mascots or magical girls when she was around.
Even at home, it felt like there was no way to rest, you know?
Anyway, it seemed I wasn’t the only one feeling that way.
Siyeon was the first to respond to Ji-eun’s question.
“Why?”
She tilted her head in confusion at Siyeon’s “meh” reply.
Like any working person, once work is on break, the happenings at the workplace are of no concern.
I might have an inkling of what’s going on, but compared to those experiencing the changes directly, it was only natural to be insensitive.
I began listing out the uncomfortable points regarding having someone else in place of Ji-eun, things I had tidied up in my mind.
“First of all, we can’t even talk about magical girls, and since I have to keep paying attention to that stuff, I wouldn’t say I feel like I’m resting at home…”
“Right….”
In various ways, Siyeon seemed to empathize, nodding sadly from the side.
As I listed out the uncomfortable points, Ji-eun finally started recalling things she had forgotten and added some explanations.
“Oh, right… they mentioned they’d be bringing in someone from the company, didn’t they?”
“Yeah, so I hardly talk at home these days.”
“Oh really? That’s surprising.”
Starting off the conversation was a familiar comfort that wrapped around us like a warm blanket.
This place, though I had only visited before, felt more like home than our actual house, which I had entered hundreds of times.
Anyway, Ji-eun’s house, with only comfortable people left.
After our conversation came to a standstill, Ji-eun started fiddling with her smartphone and then turned her gaze toward us, showing us the familiar screen of a delivery app.
Then she asked, eager for today’s lunch.
“Neither of you has eaten lunch yet, right? Anything you want?”
“I’m fine with anything, but what about Siyeon?”
As always, Ji-eun asked for our thoughts first, and we, as per usual, asked Siyeon for hers.
The characteristics of people who adapt to their surroundings—they’re simply more comfortable living passively.
An adult in heart and a real adult, both captured in this ordinary life, with the options left to the youngest in this situation.
“I want… sushi?”
“Sushi, sushi, huh? Sure! Let’s eat some before it gets too hot, right, Mari?”
“Of course.”
Thus, the two passive beings handed the decision-making power to the elementary schooler and complied.
After placing the order, maybe about 30 minutes passed?
The intercom didn’t ring even once, but Ji-eun got up from her seat, saying the food had arrived, heading to the front door.
Did she hear telepathy or something? She really opened the front door and brought in a large bag.
“It didn’t ring even once, did it?”
“I put in the request to note the building’s entrance password and not to ring the bell.”
“Ah, that’s how it is.”
As someone who only uses such requests for store review events, I scratched my cheek at hearing the proper way to use requests.
“Alright, let’s eat—”
With Ji-eun’s permission, the clear lid of the take-out container was removed.
It was delivery sushi that felt distinctly different from the types you’d get at a supermarket or buffet.
Slim fish fillets generously covering the rice, sushi that looked delightful just by being.
I clumsily pulled apart the disposable chopsticks with a satisfying ‘tick’ and headed towards the sushi without any hesitation.
Although we ordered it because Siyeon wanted it, she still struggled to eat wasabi, just like at Ji-eun’s wedding.
Maybe because she’s still in elementary school, she likes sushi, but prefers them without wasabi.
But the fact that she could now eat raw fish is already a huge improvement.
Just as I was about to dip my chopsticks into the soy sauce dish, I felt something wriggling in my pocket.
“Mari, Mari?”
The wriggling thing in my pocket was predictably the cub.
“Whoa! You scared me!”
Siyeon’s mascot seemed to react similarly, letting out a sudden yelp.
Without saying a word, the instant I picked up my chopsticks, his untimely appearance felt a bit annoying, and I muttered grumpily to him.
“What, you want some? You guys don’t get a portion.”
“Of course, I’d be tempted, but that’s not what I meant…”
Just then, an unexpected sound rang out, abruptly cutting off the cub’s words.
The familiar alarm of incoming monsters, the kind we hadn’t heard in a while.
My chopsticks froze, and my eyes widened, flooded with adrenaline.
“The monster has appeared.”
“Damn it….”
With a clatter, the wooden chopsticks I hadn’t even put in my mouth rolled across the plastic table.
Ji-eun, who understood this feeling better than anyone, leaned back against the sofa, placing her chopsticks down even though she didn’t have to.
She was willing to finish the food when she returned.
“Go quickly; the building entrance password is 5327.”
It’s in these little things that we find comfort.
Leaving the living room, exiting through the front door, and taking the elevator outside.
Even though the area was unfamiliar, if we wandered around enough, we’d surely find CCTV and alleys without pedestrians.
Though we hadn’t talked much lately, we had been doing magical girl work steadily since old times.
Following what my body was urging me to do without any complaints, Siyeon stepped out and prepared to cast the transformation spell without feeling shy yet.
“Moon Power, Transform!”
“Sun.”
As much as possible, I took to the skies from a wall without windows.
Using the mascots as our compass, Siyeon and I began to accelerate.
The first monster to appear since that shaky ceasefire.
How should we defeat it this time?
Should we set its whole body on fire and savor the scent of roasting meat?
Though that sounds mundane, should we bake it slowly from the inside until it’s writhing?
Well, the wand has also grown monotonous lately.
The principle of maximizing suffering, only applicable to monsters.
“Here it comes!”
With Siyeon’s shout, the moment we got close enough to look down on the monster.
‘Huh?’
It wasn’t the monster that had mentioned any agreements, but a creature holding some strange metal plate instead.
Was it time for yet another negotiation of sorts? Just when I thought that…
“Ice Pierce!”
“Uh.”
I heard Siyeon’s familiar chant, and simultaneously let out a short groan.
Maybe it had been a while since Siyeon had needed to muster that kind of power; the spear-like object she conjured was quite thick and sharp and plummeted straight down.
The giant ice chunk fading from view seemed to harmonize ominously with the monster as it drifted away.
Dropping from this height, even a normal brick wouldn’t be a problem for smashing someone’s head.
And calling it a big chunk of cement, the size of a pack of cement, goes without saying.
The dull impact and the sound reminiscent of breaking glass faintly resonated in the air.
The monster, truth be told, had been turned into a disgusting mush of flesh and metal, but that sight was obscured by the ice.
Was it a good thing we didn’t see such a grotesque sight before meal?
Siyeon, with a sense of accomplishment akin to hitting a target, clenched her fist triumphantly.
“Yeah! I hit it!”
Was it possible that the monster from before had some room for negotiations, too?
Though I couldn’t know the answer to that question, I felt proud that Siyeon had defeated the monster alone as we returned near Ji-eun’s apartment.
“Ugh….”
No matter how fierce the magical girl Sun is, she understands things upon conversation.
The valuable data obtained thanks to Medic Tentacle’s brave appearance.
The monster from the recovery room came to its senses in the recovery device.
The monster from this ‘black zone’ had been taken out by the direct impact of a block of ice.
As if the pain from that moment lingered, the monster gently touched its head, barely managing to let out a voice in the tense atmosphere filled with Medic Tentacle and the other recovery room monsters.
“Seems like they’re pretty pissed off? Honestly, talking it out won’t help; just kill it….”
The feelings of magical girl Sun were a critical matter for them.
Even if it was a misunderstanding caused by Evil Croaker’s arbitrary actions, the fact remains that the monster side broke the truce first.
We couldn’t just tell her to understand everything, and if they didn’t even offer a minimal chance for dialogue, there was nothing to do.
“Looks like we’re screwed…”
Staring at the crushed metal plate, distorted by overwhelming mass, Medic Tentacle placed a hand on their forehead and let out a deep sigh that sounded like ink was flowing out.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.