At least it’s a cheerful gathering in Cheorwon.
It seemed smoother than any previous gatherings, perhaps because there were fewer people.
With only about ten of us anyway, it felt fitting to find a place to eat together instead of just talking in a cafe.
Surely, there must be some restaurants capable of accommodating around ten people even at the front line of Gangwon-do.
“Alright, then don’t forget to bring your mascots, everyone! To the restaurant…”
Just as we were about to transform back and gather our mascots, the suggestion from the senior Magical Girl made it clear—
“Eh.”
“Uh.”
From each of our mascots, unique little sounds of surprise emerged simultaneously.
There was only one situation in which these guys would all let out such flustered noises at the same time.
It was a sign of a monster’s appearance.
Why now, of all times, is there a monster?
‘It’s still a long way from 6 PM, right?’
Even looking at my smartphone, it was obviously not yet 6 PM.
Just as I started to think the monsters had lost their minds…
‘Ah, right.’
Naturally, what came to mind right after that was the regional difference.
‘Right, this isn’t Incheon, is it?’
I almost fell into a needless misunderstanding.
Anyway, with the sudden appearance of a monster, the atmosphere turned tense with silence.
The sister who’d taken the lead in heading to the restaurant turned around quickly, trying to lighten the mood.
“I was going to say that, but! Let’s split up and meet where the monster appears!”
We left the cafe, blending into the crowd of people evacuating, moving in groups of one to three, scattering efficiently.
Although the alarm sounded faintly from a distance, it was still audible.
This meant the monster wasn’t far at all, and people were quickly fleeing in the opposite direction of its appearance.
Though it looked like we were strolling leisurely, for the citizens, we were actually doing a proper evacuation.
It could be worse—at least no one was lingering around pretending to take pictures.
New Jupiter, that is…
Somehow, we ended up searching for an empty alley with the youngest Magical Girl.
Finding a secluded alleyway, confirming that no one was watching, we muttered the transformation incantation.
“Sun.”
“Moon Power, Transform!”
“Jupiter, Transform!”
‘Hers is a bit short, huh.’
Just before taking off into the sky, I caught a glimpse of her moderately short transformation phrase, one I’d be fine shouting even as an adult, and gave it a sideways glance.
Is it because she’s not in elementary school anymore? Has she learned the concept of embarrassment?
Feeling curious about the simplicity of her incantation, I casually inquired while flying in the sky.
“Your incantation is pretty short, huh?”
With a slight hint of Confucian honorifics sneaking in, as if automatically triggered by even a year of age difference.
Upon hearing my question, New Jupiter puffed her cheeks adorably, looking a bit pouty.
“Ah… well, I actually wanted to make it a little longer, but Jupiter Onee-san insisted that I absolutely shouldn’t…”
Listening to her, I understood that she intended to add some dramatic lines like ‘I won’t forgive you!’ typical of an anime.
Seems like she received some sage advice from an adult.
After all, transformations aren’t said in front of monsters.
If she added any unnecessary lines, she might have found herself shouting them into thin air for years to come.
I could only imagine how humiliating it would be to be an adult still talking to blank space…
The previous Jupiter knew that.
“You know you have to defeat the monster alone, right?”
“Yes! Please watch me closely!”
Just like years ago in Incheon, the monster that showed up at the gathering was destined to be fought alone, as a rite of passage.
Mentioning that made New Jupiter excited, asking everyone to watch her as she triumphantly faced off against the monster.
And so, today I got to witness another Magical Girl battling right before my eyes for the first time.
At 1:07 PM, the monster that appeared in Cheorwon resembled a room-sized turtle-like creature with a tough shell.
Even if New Jupiter fails, she still has nearly ten Magical Girls standing behind her with their arms crossed.
For the monster, it was as if its fighting spirit had evaporated completely.
But what could it do? It had to fight when told.
Knowing even a little about the monster’s plight made it seem pretty pathetic.
Click, click, a sound from a lighter being ignited reached my ears.
“A few years ago, Sun and Moon were just like that; time flies.”
It turned out it was Saturn, who crossed his arms, took a puff from a single cigarette, and was lighting it with his palm covering the end.
This guy also had a decade’s worth of experience as a Magical Girl.
It seemed he was reminiscing while looking at us, quietly muttering.
Moreover, how did he even bring a cigarette with him? He was casually smoking while having some leisure time.
“It’s a bit weird to smoke in that form, though.”
“I actually prefer to smoke like this. My body’s fit on a health check, you know? I even hold back during solo drinks at home.”
With some strange pride, Saturn shared his tips.
But, uh, we’re still middle schoolers…
“Wow, that’s incredibly helpful information…”
I responded in a tone reminiscent of reading a language textbook, then turned my attention back to the ongoing battle.
“Let go!”
“Grrr!”
The battle seemed to continue for about eight more minutes.
When I checked the time after the fight wrapped up, it was just slipping past 1:15 PM, nearing 1:16.
Personally, it was a showcase of the monster’s tenacity, as it wouldn’t let go once it sunk its teeth in.
A typical battle of magic beam sticks and simple punches.
In many ways, the bodies of these Magical Girls seemed to bear pain resistance, as they got scratched and bitten, sustaining wounds without much physical complaint.
Battered and torn, New Jupiter rushed over, a bright smile plastered on her face.
“How did I do?!”
“You did great! Now, let’s spread out and regroup in front of the cafe!”
Though the question was directed at me, Saturn jumped in to answer, wrapping up the situation.
A swift and succinct praise led to a quick dispersal.
Transforming back in a reasonably distant alley, we reassembled in front of the cafe.
Thanks to the sudden monster appearance disrupting our flow, we decided to choose what type of restaurant to go to.
Leading the discussion was, of course, the veteran Magical Girl.
Surprisingly, amidst the seemingly void of soldiers’ graves, there were actually three dining options available.
“We’ll decide by majority vote! Who prefers Korean, Chinese, or Western cuisine? Korean hands?”
Only one hand went up for Korean cuisine—it was mine.
What’s this? We’ve come all this way, only to eat something we can have anywhere?
Wait, actually, can I eat Korean food anywhere?
It seems the chance of Korean cuisine winning is zero.
With a nod signaling my hand to lower, we moved to the next option.
“Next, Chinese cuisine?”
This time, about two hands went up.
In the middle school line, the hands belonged to Siyeon and New Jupiter.
I mean, at this age, I’m all about Jajangmyeon, Sweet and Sour Pork, and Jjamppong.
Still, it seems the opinions of the high schoolers and adults were already set.
“Next, Western cuisine hands?”
At the mention of Western cuisine, a swarm of seven to eight hands shot up in a wave.
Looks like lunch will be pizza and pasta today.
Well, it’s optimal food for Instagram uploads, after all.
Unavoidably bowing to the cold democracy of majority rule, I followed along like an elementary school student trailing after a teacher on a field trip.
[Umtristar Math Academy]
“?”
The location we arrived at was unexpectedly on the first floor of a math academy building.
I found myself wondering why a Western restaurant would be in a place like this.
[Beautiful House Pizza & Pasta]
Setting the location aside, it’s exactly what I expected—a pasta and pizza place.
The interior was adorned in white and light sky blue.
It was even a child-friendly restaurant with a pink children’s play area.
It’s not easy to find places like this with play areas nowadays.
Siyeon was intently examining the play area inside.
It seemed spacious enough for kindergarteners to play, with me casually elbowing her side while saying.
“…Aren’t we middle schoolers now?”
“Ugh, I know! I just looked at it…”
Was she secretly not completely oblivious to it? Siyeon pouted a bit in embarrassment.
When someone thinks of rural Gangwon-do, they often consider traditional marketplaces with dog meat shops, Sundae Soup, and Yukgaejang, but surprisingly enough, such places do exist.
“Okay, go ahead and order whatever you’d like!”
From classic Western pasta options like Seafood Tomato Pasta and Carbonara to slightly unfamiliar varieties like Pane Cream Pasta and Chicken Arrabbiata Pasta.
There were even special menu items for kids, like Pork Cutlets and Snow Cheese Pork Cutlets.
They had every conceivable type of pizza, so much so it would take forever to list them all.
Along with coffee, sodas, and even alcohol, there was virtually nothing missing from the menu.
Since we were already here, I boldly decided to try a lot more new things than usual when I placed my order.
“I’ll have the Pane Cream Pasta.”
Pane Cream Pasta.
I’ve only seen it in videos, but it’s a unique spaghetti dish where they dig out the bread and stuff the pasta inside.
I mean, I still wonder why they eat it like that…
“I’ll have Seafood Tomato Pasta.”
“Shall we get a few assorted large pizzas?”
While each of us ordered one pasta, we hadn’t even ordered too many pizzas, but the total quickly exceeded 200,000 won.
For the part-timer taking the orders, this must have felt like a personal hell, but the owner, presumably, wore a big grin.
He looked so pleased that he even brought one bottle of soda for every table before we even placed our orders.
Instead of coming out one by one, the food arrived almost all at once.
Without a second thought, I twirled my fork into the Pane Cream Pasta in front of me and prepared to take a bite.
“Wait! Let’s take a picture first!”
…
In the moment I said “Wait,” the pasta was already heading straight into my mouth.
Stuck with a fork in my mouth, time seemed to pause while the photo was being taken.
A single piece, deeply dug out, left my Pane Cream Pasta looking a little empty on the table, which became the sacrificial lamb for likes on Instagram.
It’s ridiculous to leave food just sitting there like that!
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