episode_0013

Here, there is a magical girl squadron.

“Well, um, since we’ve met like this, let’s work hard! To protect Neodongtan! Let’s go, let’s go, fighting!”

The typical Red-type magical girl, Seiya.

“…We’ll be with you until Himari arrives. Until then, even if I don’t like it, please take care of it.”

Speaking nicely, she’s a grumbling type; speaking badly, she’s an unyielding Blue-type magical girl, Karin.

“Well… should we all have a meal together for now? Hehehe. Since the misunderstanding is cleared up.”

Appearing to be broad-minded but also seeming to have a screw loose somewhere, the Green-type magical girl, Shiori.

“Lunch has already been ordered. It’s gyudon.”

The team leader, black through and through – Misaki Murata.

“Eh, Team Leader! Why did you order gyudon without asking or discussing!!”

“The nutritional balance is perfect, it doesn’t get burnt like noodles, there’s a lot of it, and it’s close by.”

“But what about pasta! Or hamburgers!!”

“We can’t get those delivered here.”

Who would suggest “Let’s eat gyudon” to three 17-year-old high school girls?

If Misaki were a man, he would be the type to say “Let’s go eat rice soup” to a woman on a blind date.

Of course.

“If it’s meant to be, even mixing soju in rice soup will lead to success.”

If an ugly person said that, they would curse at the matchmaker, but if a handsome person said it, women would think he’s manly and charming, planning to get carried home drunk on soju.

What about Team Leader Misaki?

“Team Leader, does it have to be gyudon…?”

“Do you dislike gyudon, Shiori?”

“I prefer oyakodon.”

“Understood.”

She is a civil servant and a working professional.

She seems indifferent to unnecessary issues and only focused on efficiency, appearing as someone who lacks consideration in this regard.

“It can’t be helped.”

I reached out my hand over Misaki’s smartphone as he was about to order at the gyudon chain store.

“Miss Mumei…?”

“Team Leader.”

I shook my head decisively.

“Let’s go for tteokbokki here.”

“….!”

Misaki flinched, and at the same time, the three magical girls pricked up their ears.

“Tteokbokki…?”

“I heard that a Korean snack franchise opened around here recently. I saw ‘delivery specialist’ written on it, so they must be registered on MuberEats by now. If not, I can go pick it up for takeout.”

“But…”

“While gyudon is just each person eating from their own bowl, tteokbokki involves sharing various dishes together.”

This is perhaps the most suitable choice to break the ice in a potentially awkward first meeting.

“If hygiene is a concern, we can use separate plates. If spiciness is an issue, we can adjust the level.”

“Um….”

“Above all, this time is when salarymen crowd in. If we order now, it will be delayed.”

“…Let’s go with that.”

Misaki handed me his smartphone.

“Will you find it for us?”

“…Yes.”

Could she be completely inexperienced in this area?

It’s possible.

Given that she’s a civil servant, she might have tried to call the restaurant directly instead of using MuberEats.

No.

“Oh. Do you happen to keep tabs here?”

If we need to pay with a corporate card but ordered through MuberEats, do we have to use a personal card?

That would be my mistake.

“That’s not the case, surprisingly. You know about that too.”

“I heard from the owner of a restaurant where I used to work part-time. They said that government workers put things on credit and settle payments once a month.”

“That does happen, but not this time. I’ll pay now, and later, I can claim reimbursement.”

“In that case, let’s order right away.”

Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to be my mistake.

“Since it’s going to be delivered, I’ll go down and receive it.”

“…One thing, I’d like to ask.”

After Masaki Team Leader scanned the team members who were staring at me, he faced me.

“Why specifically tteokbokki?”

“……”

Various expressions filled with questions.

From what I could gather from their expressions, it seemed like they were asking, ‘Why Korean food?’

“Well, it’s traditional, isn’t it?”

All logically prepared for a counterargument.

“The ancient tradition of Dongtan City.”

“……”

“Sephira’s Top 10 Angels gathered together and the first food they ate was tteokbokki. Hahaha….”

Just like back then, that action became a tradition and ritual akin to Halloween for magical girls around the world, including Neodongtan.

“And there’s tteokbokki.”

For men, it’s like pork belly – tonkatsu – rice soup.

* * *

Selecting a meal menu is always a difficult task, but fortunately, the first choice was a success.

Click, click, click.

The three magical girls take turns taking pictures.

Once with the food out.

Once beautifully plated.

Once by food type, and once as a set.

“Wow! I’ll enjoy this!!”

“…It would have been nice if Himari had joined us too.”

“Hey, hey. How about sending her a picture?”

Although there are still some rough edges, the RGB team managed to come together at one table successfully, picking up chopsticks.

‘The crack is clearly visible.’

When anyone becomes part of the same team during their first meeting, they don’t blush at the dining table.

But I can see it.

The crack in this team that has been forcibly put together.

Red, a leader by nature but new to this.

Blue, who keeps thinking about the previous team members and dampening the mood.

Green, considerate in words but creating shadows where unseen.

And Black, the team leader who is simply ten years older than the rest.

Assuming that they will all go through various trials and tribulations and cooperate and unite in the final showdown together –

‘It’s unrealistic to expect it to be resolved in one season; it should at least be a two-season anime.’

Episode 24.

Even if a new member joins intermittently who could be called a “warrior monk,” it wouldn’t be 24 episodes but a long-term race of 48 episodes over a year.

And that conflict would likely continue for about 45 episodes.

After that, they would unite against a formidable opponent, saying, ‘Unite our powers as one!’

Well.

This is all just wishful thinking.

‘Becoming friends just by eating tteokbokki, is that how women are?’

The sensibilities of magical girls are delicate.

Even with four team members, they split in half and divide, and with five members, one person becomes a loner, excluded and divided.

That’s always the case with magical girl teams.

A balanced composition of two reasonably compatible pairs and one who self-identifies as a moderately lonely wolf among five members is the most balanced, but currently, there are only three magical girls.

‘It’s rare for a magical girl team to remain intact.’

3%.

The probability that initial team members will still be part of the team three years later.

It’s an official statistic.

Whether due to injury retirement, voluntary retirement, personal issues, or various reasons, the issue of ‘discord among team members’ is a problem that falls within the realm of magical girl team dissolution statistics every year, fitting within the fingers of one hand.

Discord.

Conflict.

And explosion.

Magical girl teams are often like esports teams; while the team name remains, the members associated with it can change abruptly.

In that sense.

‘May we continue to get by as weekly Lupin, without any major incidents, and may it continue without any big mishaps.’

I can only hope that this team runs smoothly without any need for my special intervention and that any incidents that occur are manageable.

The best scenario is when they come together naturally for something worth rallying around from the start.

If I were to think about my own case…

“Having experience winning against a very strong enemy together.”

Metatron and Cleoporth had become closer, having once fought together against the demon of Cleoporth. Unless they were enemies of the Bokgu Daecheon, girls would usually become familiar with each other in a somewhat awkward state.

However, that doesn’t mean they wanted a strong opponent to appear—

Eeeeeeeek!!

“…….”

But it did.

“He’s appeared.”

Team leader Misaki turned on the TV hanging on the wall.

[Hujakeruna!!]

“…….”

As soon as the TV channel was turned on, it was probably the default to confirm the seriousness of the situation.

“When they interrupt an animation on a channel and start an emergency broadcast, it’s called a national disaster.”

Fortunately, it wasn’t the appearance of Cleoporth’s Great Demon.

Beep.

Flipping through the channels, the announcer opened their mouth with a stern expression.

[…We urgently announce during the broadcast. A complete monster has appeared in Neo Dongtan City, Zone 11. Those in the area, please evacuate. I repeat. Neo Dongtan City, Zone 11….]

“Team leader!!”

Seiya stood up abruptly, setting down the fried seaweed rolls he had just grabbed.

“We need to move out!”

“…Move out. Right.”

Team leader Misaki stared at the TV with a stern expression.

“Seiya, once something enters the RGB, you need to understand this.”

“What…? Is this really the time for that now….”

“We can’t leave without a ‘request for support.’”

“……!!”

This place.

“…Let’s wait while watching the scene for now.”

Is Japan.

“Until the Monster Response Team requests our support.”

Zone 11, Ogeri.

“Team leader!! We can’t do this!!”

“Argh, somehow break through! You guys are mature!!”

“It seems like the opponent is in complete form!!”

Thump, thump.

In the center of Ogeri, between the crosswalks, a huge monstrosity stood its ground against the attacks of numerous magical girls.

“It’s a Gagoil type! It’s in defense mode right now! Break through until you break it!”

“Ugh, team leader!!”

“We have to take that down! Damn it…!”

A woman in her 30s with wounds on her face clenched her head and gritted her teeth.

“Should I just hand over the achievements to that bastard team leader…! To the team of that guy who took away our ace…!”

On her left wrist, a red screen displaying ‘CALL’ had already appeared, but the head of the Monster Response Department ignored it, gritting her teeth.

“Full attack!! If it was in complete form, it would have risen and swept us away long ago! Before evolving into a complete form, shatter it first!”

Thump, thump.

The monster wrapped in bat wings resembling the petrified wings of a Gagoil remained motionless, only emitting the sound of a heartbeat, occupying the square without even a twitch.

As if.

Thump, thump.

Waiting for something to come, as if waiting.