“How could it possibly be okay?”
Of course, just after that, the monster led me across the rainbow bridge, but I could not escape the criticism from the animal protection organization that had fled in a panic.
The brief pleasure felt refreshing, but it was an event that would inevitably result in a lot of curses.
It seemed there were reporters intending to write favorable articles for the cat-loving animal organization, as within just a few hours, articles with grand titles like “Revenge of the Magical Girl” or “Isn’t This Retaliation?” started popping up.
Naturally, it was when I returned home after a fulfilling day that my smartphone began ringing like crazy.
It was, of course, the Minister’s call asking what in the world I did instead of tackling the monster.
I was told that at the very least, I had to do an interview, not that it was to the extent of a press conference.
“Yes, yes, then I’ll go up this weekend. Yes, yes.”
In truth, that was what I wanted, so I ended the call on a satisfying note.
As it happened, Saturday was an odd day, so I could leave the minor monster exterminations to Siyeon.
“Are you okay…? Did you get scolded a lot?”
As soon as the call ended, Siyeon asked with a worried expression.
Her reaction was such that you wouldn’t expect from Siyeon, who was playing string games in the waiting room led by the suit-clad men.
Did elementary school memories fade quickly?
She showed me a circle sign with her thumb and index fingers while holding her smartphone with the other hand, then remarked with an expression that said there was no problem at all.
“No, it’s all good. I’ll be going to Seoul on Saturday, so I’m counting on you for the monster extermination.”
“Yeah, that’s fine, but…”
Siyeon kept mumbling, unable to find the words.
She was bowing her head and fidgeting, looking just like a pet with separation anxiety.
I playfully rubbed my palms against my cheeks, saying it was just unnecessary worry.
“Oh come on, why worry so much?”
“Ugbubub, don’t say that.”
Only then did Siyeon manage to add to the end of her sentence.
I couldn’t help but feel like I had a daughter, chuckling softly as I awaited Saturday.
Dressed in casual clothes, I trudged to the downtown area, getting into the car of the suit-clad men, heading to Seoul.
Inside the car, where the sound of the engine and the tapping of smartphones filled the air, a conversation suddenly began.
“I saw the video from the animal protection group yesterday, and wow… it felt so refreshing.”
“Honestly, it’s true that it shouldn’t be done, but personally, I support it.”
“Oh, yes… um, thank you.”
For the moment, everyone here seemed to be on the side of the Magical Girl.
I couldn’t possibly respond to every incident, but there were still people working hard, consciously or unconsciously.
I found out that the last time Tiara posted a photo on social media, it was taken down shortly after due to their formal request.
It’s a problem that some people already know me as Tiara’s acquaintance.
As we got close to our destination, the car stopped and the engine turned off.
“You’ll have to get out from here; the tint is dark enough, so you can transform and go out.”
“Yes, Sun.”
A white flash illuminated the interior of the car as my body shrank.
I politely opened the car door and headed toward a building that felt more like a vacation home than my own.
First, I was to visit the Minister’s building.
It seemed that after a chat or a lecture, they would hand me a script and make me do the interview.
Naturally, upon facing the Minister, I was greeted with an endless stream of scolding.
“Mari! You are really! Even if it was something you didn’t want to see, that’s too much!”
“Oh, this time, I really thought it through before doing it.”
“Muuh…?”
The Minister’s expression reached beyond simple anger into astonishment.
Of course, they would be baffled.
If I were in their position, I would think the same way.
What in the world was I thinking to appear in the middle of an animal protection group protest with a six-legged giant dog monster?
Especially if a middle-school first-year was a person who typically had shallow thoughts, I’d have that same expression.
“Oh, just hear me out. It’s true I meant to provoke the animal protection group; I did it with thought…”
“Haah, then finish what you’re saying…”
It seemed like a headache was coming as the Minister rubbed their forehead, slumping back into their chair.
After all, I was probably the only Magical Girl who caused problems like this.
There must have been a Magical Girl back in university about 7 or 8 years ago who got drunk during an MT and transformed in the lodge?
But any controversy aside, they wouldn’t dare challenge me.
If I could just get this issue to trend in the media, there wouldn’t be any more animal protection groups stepping up regarding monster extermination, naturally reducing my workload, I desperately reasoned.
And once I dressed it up with claims about acting for public ‘awareness’ towards monsters, it turned into convincing content even without a proper script.
“Alright… then can I just leave it to you? Can I clock out?”
“Um, probably?”
“…Could you confirm that for me?”
The Minister’s gaze was filled with anxiety.
Leaving behind an ambiguous answer, I didn’t revert my transformation and slipped out of the building, heading towards the interview location in the car.
During that brief ride to the interview location, the suit-clad men explained the general interview process, as if they had received some prior information.
“Since you’ve done this before, you’re somewhat familiar, right?”
“Yes, I guess.”
“This time, the end will be a bit different; instead of getting into our car after the interview, you’ll have to fly directly back home.”
“Why?”
As the question slipped out before I could think, I realized a legitimate reason for it shortly after.
“Because there are reporters dead set on figuring out the appearance of magical girls before they transform.”
“Ah-ha.”
Giving magical girls the right to handle their situations so they don’t become victims of reporters’ monstrous behaviors.
If they were to take me home by car, there would be cars following closely enough to reveal my identity.
Understanding the situation, I took a great step onto the battlefield of language where reporters were clustered.
Click-click… As soon as I stepped out of the car, the flashing cameras erupted like grenades, blinding me.
“Please turn off the flash…”
“Ms. Sun! Is it true you raided the animal protection group’s protest with the monster?”
Click-click.
The reporters wasted no time throwing their questions without even considering letting me speak.
“Can you turn off the flash, please….”
“They say your actions were retaliation against criticism of magical girls. Is that true?”
Click-click.
“Turn off the flash…”
Click-click.
“Pl…”
Without a thought for what I would have to say, the camera clicks kept coming.
Reluctantly, I raised my wand high.
Were they trying to get something controversial? As the gaze of the cameras turned to the decorations at the end of my wand…
The red heart ornament shone brightly.
‘I want to use a big flash too.’
“Let there be light.”
With a flash, a fierce burst of light erupted.
Naturally, the reporters shrieked as they turned their gaze towards the end of my wand.
“Ugh!”
“Eek!”
“Alright, now I’ll take questions.”
With that, the camera clicks and flashes could only stop, and the atmosphere quietened, allowing me to continue.
Finally, the reporters seemed to switch to ‘Let’s not provoke this crazy lady’ mode.
Hiding the flashes that had been going off so carelessly, they offered me a decent question.
“What was the reason for raiding the animal protection group’s protest with a giant dog monster?”
“Yes, that’s because of awareness.”
“Awareness?”
“Yes, I feel like people have become too complacent towards monsters recently. They see them as similar to their pets, projecting their own pets onto them or calling for their protection purely out of pity or protesting against their extermination.”
Click-click, click-click.
The sound of shutters went off multiple times without flashes.
Taking a deep breath, I continued speaking.
“No matter how weak one sees them, monsters resemble bears, lions, or tigers that have come out onto the street. Just think about it; if that were to happen in a city, it would be a big problem. Our main duty as magical girls is to address such issues before anyone else.”
Still rubbing their eyes was one female reporter.
Didn’t this person previously ask if it was retaliation against the criticism of magical girls?
“I want to ask the reporter over there. Earlier you mentioned it was retaliation against the criticism of magical girls, and I’d like to ask the animal protection groups if this six-legged giant dog-like monster is really the animal they need to protect.”
And everyone knew the outcome of that.
The animal they once peddled to protect was left barking and running in fear, not having a precious animal friend.
“What I want to say is this: while they make baseless claims for protection, don’t interfere with our work. Are they going to kill someone in the name of protection? Is it okay to let them attack students wandering the streets? Could any of the proud members of the animal protection groups give me their address? I’d just toss the next animal-type monster at their house.”
Before I realized it, my emotions had flared, and I ended up saying things I shouldn’t have.
No further questions came, and the reporters were engulfed in silence.
Just when I thought this might have been too much…
A single sound of clapping began to ring out softly.
That sound gradually multiplied until it became two, three, four…
Before I knew it, the area where the reporters had gathered was filled with applause like an audience.
Caught off guard by the unexpected response, I scratched the back of my head, my expression slipping as a silly smile emerged.
I had expected a headline like “Citizens Demand Awareness: Magical Girl Sun Strikes Back” when I blurted those words…
“Oh, well, I will take my leave now.”
And so, until the sound of applause faded away, I awkwardly scratched my cheeks and flew home.
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