episode_0289

***

He came out into the yard and watched the setting sun.

As the days passed, the sun set faster.

The sight of the setting sun, coloring the clouds red, was very beautiful.

It was a spectacular view created by nature, one of the few that can be seen in the city.

Although it was the same sun, the sight of it waking up and disappearing at night touched my heart more than the sight of it rising and brightening the morning.

Maybe it was because it felt like burning away the bad memories of the day into the setting sunset.

“Phew….”

But today I couldn’t let my complicated heart go into the sunset.

It was stuck in his heart, like a chewing gum stuck to asphalt, tormenting him.

He looked at the sky. The sky is getting darker.

And then I opened my phone.

[Disaster text message: Unidentified strange creature appears, evacuate quickly to a nearby shelter]

It was a disaster notification that came at 6:32.

As a result, the assumption that there may have been a raid on the way to school or between classes is also destroyed.

He walked slowly around the yard and then stopped.

I accidentally hit the nose of my shoe on the ground.

I remembered a conversation I once had with a senior at my company.

[How many cigarettes do you smoke a day?]

[I think it blooms about 5 times?]

[What changes if you smoke?]

[I just smoke it when I feel like shit and it makes me feel better.]

[It’s amazing, smoking makes you feel better.]

[If it didn’t have that effect, who would pay a lot of money and ruin their body to smoke this?]

[That’s also true.]

“Should I at least smoke a cigarette.”

He muttered inadvertently and then burst out laughing.

[You shouldn’t do this.]

The senior’s voice came right after.

***

Seongah Kim opened the front door. When the front door opened with a clanging sound, Kang In-ho, who should have been inside the house, was greeting her.

“Oh, man.”

Suddenly, he raised his voice to express his happiness, but lowered his tone.

Along with the joy, awkwardness and unexplained discomfort suddenly reared their heads.

“Good job.”

He welcomed her with his arms crossed.

“Yes, thank you.”

Seongah Kim passed him and entered the house.

He followed her into the house.

“What about dinner?”

This was the first thing she said after taking off her shoes and leaving a mess in the hallway.

“That’s it. All you have to do is place the spoon.”

“It smells good.”

She was mentally and physically exhausted from the battle with the forces of evil she encountered on her way home from school.

My mouth started watering at the delicious smell, and my empty stomach churned even more.

She walked quickly to the table, quickly pulled out a chair, sat down, and waited for him.

As if he was used to it, he took out a spoon and chopsticks from the spoon container and placed them in front of her.

Dinner was a very simple side dish of grilled Spam coated in egg wash.

“Delicious.”

The method of making and the appearance were simple, but since it was a proven side dish, it was bound to receive a positive response.

Seeing her appreciating the taste more than before, he pursed his lips.

Should I talk while eating? Should I say something before eating?

“Are you not eating?”

she asked, putting the second piece of Spam in her mouth and munching on it.

He smiled bitterly, scooped up a spoonful of rice and put it in his mouth.

He ponders the taste of the bland rice and swallows it.

“I received a disaster text message. I guess they invaded?”

“It wasn’t as difficult as I thought because I was a bit more clumsy.”

She said, picking up some of the vegetable side dishes and putting them on top of the rice.

“Going to school, doing magical girl activities… must have been busy today.”

“That’s right. But the good thing was that the kids came during dismissal time. Fortunately, I attended all the classes.”

“Do you want to lie?”

Kang In-ho cut off her words as she lied without blinking.

“…Yes?”

Kim Seong-ah blinked, unable to understand the situation as his tone became heavier.

“You didn’t go to school from Monday to Thursday.”

***

“…….”

Seongah exercised her right to remain silent.

Well, there wouldn’t have been anything to say.

“My thoughts are short. The teacher and I already exchanged numbers. Did you think this would be hidden?”

I throw my hardened words at her.

Downcast voice, cold tone. It was definitely going to hurt.

However, it was thrown because it hurt.

“I told you not to say it.”

Her voice sounds very small.

At that moment, a very small feeling of irritation rose up the back of my neck.

What teacher in the world wouldn’t tell their guardians that their students were absent?

If a student asked his/her guardian not to talk, did you think he/she would listen?

Aside from his short thinking, he was also stupid.

Pressing my head against the pounding migraine, I asked her.

It may have been a question with an obvious answer, but it still had to proceed due to procedural reasons.

“Are you sick enough to be absent?”

“No.”

“Were there any enemy raids on your way to school?”

Even if people’s memories are created through the magic of the stars, they are only for the next day.

I can view disaster texts and news sent on the same day.

And, from Monday to today, there was only one piece of news related to the forces of evil.

One thing happened around 6 o’clock today.

“…No.”

Contrary to people who thought she would avoid the situation with an obvious lie, Seong-ah answered honestly.

“Then why didn’t you go?”

Now let’s get to the point.

“…….”

She closed her mouth again.

“I have to go to school, take the college entrance exam and go to college.”

“…Can’t you just not graduate?”

“What?”

It’s not that they won’t take the CSAT, but they say they won’t graduate.

She gritted her teeth and looked straight at me.

Is it anger? Or is it annoying? A talismanic feeling that is difficult to explain comes straight to me.

“You’re a magical girl anyway. What will change if you go to college? Can’t we just live like this?”

“…….”

This time there is nothing left for me to say.

Kim Seong-ah seemed to be gaining momentum as she continued to pour out words.

It was a sophistry, combining words sloppily, but I could easily understand the meaning of what Seong-ah was trying to convey to me.

“If you think about it, the life of a magical girl who protects people’s dreams and hopes is more…”

“Seong-ah, you.”

Cut her off.

I felt like I had found the final piece of a puzzle that had been vaguely scattered around.

A magical girl who started from a young age.

Last year, right before graduation, I suddenly had a series of absences.

I study, but I have no intention of going on to higher education.

Absenteeism this week for no particular reason.

“Seong-ah, you.”

look at her

Her mysterious eyes are focused on my lips.

Open your mouth slowly and convey the sentence you made in your head to your vocal cords.

The words formed in the vocal cords escaped the lips through the uvula and tongue.

“Do you still want to be a high school student?”

“……”

There is a magical girl in front of me who doesn’t want to grow up.