Chapter 23 : Shooting

I ended up doing a photoshoot for merchandise.

A photoshoot after more than ten years.

Even though I’ve been in this job for ages, I’m still nervous for no reason.

“Haven’t you done this kind of thing before?”

Reaper Morse, who was resting in the waiting room, spoke to me.

“Just once. Back then, our basic policy was to stay out of the public eye.”

The reason we exceptionally allowed this shoot was because we believed it would have a positive effect.

People were looking to us for dreams and hope.

And aside from that, Stella and Spica kept saying they wanted to try it and even sang about it.

“Pfft, so even the great Scarlett has things she’s scared of.”

An evil grin, like she’d found my weakness.

For reference, the reason Reaper Morse is here is because she gave up the name Angelic Luna.

She always says she was reborn, but really it’s because her previous data became unusable.

“It’s not that bad, okay?”

“Hehe, I can totally see how tense you are. You don’t need to put on a brave face.”

At the after-party the day before, Reaper Morse found out who I really am.

It’s more comfortable not having to hide my identity, but ever since she found out I’m older, she’s gotten cheekier.

But huh?

Isn’t there a perfect scapegoat nearby for venting some of this nervous energy?

“Hey, if you skim off any profits, you’re going to follow the fate of the previous mascot. Don’t forget.”

The mascot that looked like a cat.

Armo had a look of utter injustice on his face.

“I’m an honest mascot-mo. All the profits from the merchandise sales will be donated to a charity as requested-mo.”

Other magical girls receive their money via bank transfers, but I refused.

Money is good to have, but as long as I can make a living, that’s enough for me.

Thanks to Frozen Princess, I’ll be financially comfortable for a while.

Once I retire, the value of the merchandise will probably crash, so I decided to go ahead and be generous.

“But aren’t you becoming too much of a materialist? Since when did mascots become salesmen?”

“I don’t need money-mo. It’s all for the magical girls-mo.”

“And what exactly is for the magical girls?”

“Stuff like taxi fares for long-distance travel and compensation for property damage during battles-mo.”

Wait, transportation costs were out of pocket?

Asking for damage compensation feels like a bit much.

But the world is wide, and there are a lot of shameless people out there.

Knock knock knock.

A knocking sound.

A woman in staff uniform peeked in through the door.

“Miss Scarlet Lily, Miss Reaper Morse—if you’re ready, we’ll begin the shoot now. Is that okay?”

She was the person introduced as our assigned staff member.

She led us into the hallway with a bright smile.

So it’s finally starting.

The studio was spacious.

The walls were lined with lights and backdrop fabrics.

There were machines I recognized but didn’t know the names of, and on one side was an area filled with various costumes.

“We’ll start with the photo shoot. I’ll give you the outfits in order, so please change over here.”

As we headed toward the dressing area, the staff handed me a hanger.

A bold outfit with completely exposed shoulders.

Something you’d probably see in a fashion magazine—I’ve never read one though.

“You want me to wear this?”

“Yes, a lot of fans are tired of the magical girl outfits and want to see something different. Let me know if the size doesn’t fit.”

“Ah, okay…”

Maybe I shouldn’t have agreed to this.

If it were right after I signed the contract, I probably would’ve freaked out.

Meanwhile, Reaper Morse was like a fish in water.

“This one’s cute. Is there a black version, by any chance?”

She stood in front of a full-length mirror, consulting with the staff.

“Since you usually wear black, we’re thinking of going with a lighter tone today.”

“I’m trying to avoid anything too Angelic Luna-ish to change up my image—can we work something out?”

“I see. Then I’ll prepare a black outfit for you too.”

“Thank you.”

For a girl with a case of chuunibyou, she was surprisingly reasonable and polite.

The staff began picking out a new outfit according to her request.

Who even are you.

“Alright, eyes this way! Okay, let’s try changing up the pose a bit!”

The photographer was a young man.

He gave off a very professional vibe, snapping the shutter nonstop.

He constantly adjusted the lights and swapped out props.

Sit down, stand up, lean against the wall and stare off into the distance—various poses.

The shoot continued as we changed outfits multiple times.

“Next is the 3D scan. Please move to the room over there.”

The staff guided us to a different space.

At the center was a unique machine.

A cylindrical frame setup filled with tightly packed sensors and cameras.

Stand on the platform, and it scans your whole body to create 3D data.

“Ehehe, my figure is finally going to be released to the world…!”

Reaper Morse’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

We haven’t even started scanning yet, let alone producing merchandise.

“As long as you don’t move, it’ll be over quickly. It’s way easier than earlier.”

Listening to the staff’s explanation, I stepped in first.

As I stood in the designated spot, a humming sound began.

A sensation like my whole body was being scanned.

I felt like eyes were piercing me from all directions, analyzing every inch of me with cameras and sensors.

“Is this kind of pose okay?”

“Perfect! Just relax your body a bit more!”

The first pose was just standing.

But it wasn’t just standing.

If you want to win the hearts of fans, the details are everything.

Each shape of my fingertips was given specific instructions, and I broke out in a sweat trying to match them.

After striking a few poses, it was finally time for the long-awaited Scarlet Beam.

Once the scan was complete, the machine automatically stopped.

“You did great. That’s the end of all the work.”

I returned to the waiting room and collapsed into a chair.

It had been a mentally exhausting day.

“So, a new figure is being released?”

It was a strange feeling—neither happy nor unhappy.

Maybe I’d reached a state of enlightenment, so I decided to empty my mind.

“Lily, I don’t think you’re cut out to be an idol!”

Reaper Morse was looking smug.

After finishing her shoot right after mine, she had changed into her landmine-type outfit and returned.

“Yeah. Stella and Spica were always more suited for that kind of thing than me.”

Both of them were exceptional magical girls and had a natural ability to captivate people.

Maybe that’s why they had such large fan bases.

I guess I was more specialized in combat.

The word ‘idol’ didn’t really suit me.

“You know you’re ranked pretty high in popularity, right?”

Reaper Morse narrowed her eyes.

“Really?”

“Haven’t you checked?”

“I’ve done ego-searching, but I haven’t looked at the rankings.”

All I knew was that secondhand Scarlet figures were going for about 20,000 won.

Since it hadn’t been long since I debuted as Scarlet Lily, I never really thought to check.

“Look at this.”

Reaper Morse held out her smartphone, and the latest popularity ranking results were on the screen.

My name appeared in roughly the upper-middle range.

Pretty high for someone who came out of nowhere.

“Even if I got merch, it probably wouldn’t sell. But Scarlet Lily, who’s blowing up in popularity, is a different story.”

Scrolling down revealed Reaper Morse in the lower ranks.

“Isn’t that because you disappeared for a while? You even changed your name.”

“I’ve always been like this since I was a rookie. That’s just how I am. I’m not the type who stands out.”

Her tone was self-deprecating.

Maybe she became a landmine-type because she wanted to be noticed.

Girls are sensitive to things like this.

She’s still young, only about 20, so it makes sense.

“I was lacking in decorations at home. If your figure comes out, I’ll buy one.”

I couldn’t raise her ranking, but I could at least do that.

“You don’t have to pity me…!?”

Reaper Morse pouted.

She’s hard to deal with.

“Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, you’re a popular magical girl, so you should hold your head up high.”

“Did I look that depressed?”

“I’m someone at rock bottom desperately trying to climb up the ranks, and seeing you like this just feels stifling.”

Did I end up being unintentionally condescending?

Just as I was about to get ready to leave the studio, a call came in.

It was Yucia.

“Miss Lily, are you busy right now?”

As I tapped the call button, an urgent voice came through.

“I’m free. What’s up?”

“I’ll send you a link. Please watch it.”

A few seconds later, a message arrived.

I tapped the link, and a video started playing.

[There appears to be a magical girl resembling Spica at Hangang Park. She appeared about 30 minutes ago as soon as the gate opened. It seems she was passing by and responded immediately.]

It was a freshly uploaded news video.

The camera was focused from a distance on a magical girl.

Blonde hair and a yellow outfit.

Just like the reporter said, she looked exactly like Spica.

[What is she doing right now?]

[That is still unclear. After defeating a monster, she’s been standing in a secluded area without moving for several minutes.]

[Is it true she refused to be interviewed?]

[Yes, although the press approached her multiple times, she firmly shook her head and kept her mouth shut.]

A legendary first-generation who had disappeared for nearly ten years.

If approached recklessly, she might get annoyed and vanish again.

Perhaps that’s why both the reporters and onlookers were keeping their distance.

“Could it really be her…?”

Reaper Morse couldn’t take her eyes off the screen.

“She looks real from the outside.”

I had imitated Scarlet as Scarlet Lily.

I knew I was the real one, but others sometimes thought it was just cosplay.

There’s no guarantee that no other magical girls would mimic other first-gens, but the moment I saw the video, I knew.

This person really is Spica.

“What is she thinking…?”

To appear so suddenly like this.

A mix of joy and confusion swirled inside me.