‘Oh right.’
As I ate the sweet and salty grilled pork over rice, it came to mind.
The precious tablet PC that I went through the hassle of checking the CCTV and calling the police to retrieve from that lady on the seventh floor.
As soon as I remembered, I sprang up from my chair, grabbed the neat box I had left on the bed, and returned to the dining table.
I placed the box on the wide, empty table and subtly nudged it towards Siyeon.
It felt like a gift from a dad who was awkward at communicating with his daughter.
“Uh? What’s this….”
“I told you it’s fun! You should try drawing at home too.”
I absentmindedly exclaimed as I shoved a spoonful of the rice into my mouth.
Seeing Siyeon tearing open the thin box while pausing her meal made me feel unexpectedly excited and happy.
I widely opened my mouth, taking in her delighted expression.
“Think of it as an early birthday present. It’s better than worrying about what to get later… is that enough?”
“Yeah! Mari is the best!”
Even though it was a selfish early birthday gift given half a year in advance, it seemed like Siyeon was incredibly satisfied.
After finishing the light washing up with just two big bowls and one pan, I went to Siyeon’s room to set up the tablet PC.
I figured out how to connect the tablet PC to the computer while searching online.
After downloading a drawing app on the tablet, I dashed the pen across the blank screen.
“Ah, done.”
Lines appeared wherever the pen touched.
I had done everything I could, so the rest was up to Siyeon.
Since it was something she loved, she’d do well on her own.
Since that day, packages addressed to Siyeon started increasing.
‘They’re all things to use with the tablet.’
Tablets stands would arrive, and bags that looked suitable for holding the tablet.
Additionally, there were extra pens, wrist guards, and books about human proportions and muscle representation.
Items that serious artists would likely use were piling up.
I still hadn’t seen any of Siyeon’s drawings, but I hoped they were coming along nicely.
As time passed, April 18th arrived, the regular magical girl meeting day.
The hellish transportation that required switching the subway twice before taking an intercity bus.
At least the express bus would drop you off at your destination if you just sat still, but this one was….
“This station is Sindorim, Sindorim station. The exit doors are on the left. This stop is Sindorim, Sindorim. The exit doors for this stop are on your left.”
“I need to transfer here.”
I signaled to Siyeon that she needed to get up before the door opened and got ready to stand.
As soon as the door opened and I stood up, the people who were standing near the door rushed out first.
It was Saturday, so maybe it was less crowded than weekdays, but the flow of people at a transfer station was still not to be overlooked.
I carefully passed through the crowd and made my way to the second subway train.
I motioned for Siyeon to sit in a corner seat.
Afterward, I leaned against the wall near the door, fiddling with my phone to check which station we needed to get off at.
The time was currently 9:01.
If we didn’t catch the bus by 10, we wouldn’t make it to Cheorwon by lunchtime….
‘It might be cutting it a bit close….’
After 40 minutes, I finally arrived at the station and rushed to get off.
As I felt pressed for time to meet my appointment, someone behind me casually tugged at my sleeve.
At this point, the only one who would tug at my sleeve would be Siyeon.
What could be the matter? I turned back to see Siyeon staring at something.
Following her gaze, I found a cafe that sold DelX pastries, smack in the middle of the subway station’s shops.
Seeing that even sparrows wouldn’t just pass by a mill, it wasn’t hard to stop at the intoxicating aroma.
“Ten thousand won worth, please.”
Of course, eating on the bus was forbidden.
I tucked a bag of DelX pastries into the bag Siyeon had brought and pretended as if nothing was happening, boarding the intercity bus and finding my seat.
As usual, the intercity bus wasn’t as crowded as a typical city bus.
Especially from Incheon to Cheorwon, who would ride this unless they were a soldier returning to base or on business?
The bus was pretty empty, with only a handful of passengers.
I found a spot in the back, a hidden corner where I wouldn’t be easily seen.
Carefully, I moved my hand so as not to crinkle the bag.
I cautiously devoured the DelX pastries and spent a pleasant two hours.
Though the taste left something to be desired compared to the aroma, the thrill of eating them secretly made up for it a little.
“Thank you for your hard work-”
“Yes-”
I heard the hearty response from the driver as I got off the bus, arriving at the soldiers’ mandatory hot spot, Gangwon-do Cheorwon.
Before getting a taxi, I took out my smartphone and searched for any local specialties I could buy.
[The representative specialties of Cheorwon include Cheorwon clean kimchi, eggs, cheonggukjang, gochujang, apples, tomatoes, paprika, cucumbers, and water cress.]
Most were items you could easily find near supermarkets.
‘Huh…?’
At first, I doubted my eyes.
Is this really it? In a place where people live, are these all the specialties worth mentioning? Seriously?
Eventually, I let go of the hope of picking something up and hopped into a taxi headed to the appointment location.
The city had few tall buildings in sight.
Instead of well-known franchises, there were some lesser-known ones, and I could instantly tell, ‘Ah, this is Gangwon-do.’
Among the old, odd-smelling buildings, there stood the dignified Byeolnim Cafe, taking its proud place.
The comfort felt like finding a Korean signboard right in the middle of a foreign street.
I knocked on the closed cafe door, and it opened a crack.
Inside, about ten people gathered, a smaller number compared to previous meetings.
“Sun.”
“Moon Power, Transform.”
After entering the shop, I returned the lowered gazes as everyone said their transformation phrases.
“Welcome-”
“Sun, Moon hi-”
“Hello, not many came this time.”
As I stepped into the cafe, I casually threw out a greeting, considering the usual attendance of about thirty.
“Since it’s this place, no flying in after transforming seems reasonable.”
“The transport was seriously hellish.”
We chatted casually as I sat down closer.
The person in charge of Gangwon-do Cheorwon was a magical girl known as Jupiter.
If I recall correctly, she retired about a year ago, right?
Since junior meetings usually take place around the youngest members, that means….
They finally appointed a successor, and someone has taken the spot.
Not every magical girl could attend the meetings routinely, so I wouldn’t be able to distinguish familiar faces from the unfamiliar ones.
“Introduce yourselves, both of you; this is Jupiter’s successor. She’s in middle school, 2nd year.”
A magical girl who arrived before us extended her palm towards that side in a mediator-like manner as she lightly introduced.
Middle school 2nd year, so another older sister.
Either way, I bowed my head and said, “Nice to meet you.”
“Hello!”
After a while, when there was no return greeting.
Feeling something was off, I lifted my head from the bow and….
Instead of returning the greeting, New Jupiter was fidgeting with her fingers, covering her lips in a fit of anxiety.
What’s going on, why’s she acting like that? Is she in a hurry?
“Wow, oh wow…! It’s really Sun!”
“By the way, she was a fan of Sun even before becoming a magical girl.”
“Eww.”
Thus began the chaotic meeting of fandom in the cafe, which had about ten people.
As the years passed and we had been on the receiving end until now, it was time for us to pay our share too.
After receiving the account info, we all settled our shares, then sat together with those we wanted to converse with.
At that moment, while Siyeon was engaged in a lively conversation with some senior magical girls, I was cornered by a superfan of the magical girl Sun, suffering through a bizarre meeting time I had never experienced before.
“So you started when you were in 1st grade?! Wow, that’s really cool!”
“Well, that’s true, but… you’re older, we should use honorifics…”
“My forever older sister in my heart!”
Her demeanor was bursting with joy and friendliness; despite having just met, she was already hugging me.
I was used to negative reactions like being called a monster or being too immature for my age, but this overwhelming positivity was something I wasn’t accustomed to.
A pained groan escaped me involuntarily.
“Ugh…”
“Ehe, you’ve met Sun’s natural enemy today.”
Seeing it from a distance, it seemed like the other magical girls seated with Siyeon were having fun discussing it, casting glances toward us.
Escaping the burden of the embrace, I sat down New Jupiter…? No, after placing her back in her seat, I turned my gaze toward the mascots’ table.
They too seemed to be lively, as if their masters weren’t just casual.
“Welcome, new recruit!”
“Guh.”
“What’s wrong with her? Has she lost it?”
It seemed they were having fun trading jabs with one another, but then the atmosphere shifted a bit strange.
“Wait, is this how it’s supposed to go?”
“Yo, for real? This is a disaster, get the seniors out here.”
…It seemed like the ruckus was of a somewhat different variety, but I let it slide.
Whether they were fooling around or playing a fun game, it was none of my business.
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