episode_0003

The internet is always flooded with the same familiar topics and posts.

Magical girls.

In this world, the hottest topic is undoubtedly magical girls.

After all, the government pushes them as symbols of hope—how could they not be popular?

No matter which community you visit or what news you read, everything revolves around magical girls.

Today’s heroic exploits.

Who’s prettier? Or who fights better? There are even internet popularity contests.

If you dig a little deeper, you can easily find photos of magical girls in compromising positions.

That’s just how much people idolize them.

And the place I’m browsing now is the distilled essence of that idolization.

A fan club site.

Shortened to “fan site,” it’s a place where people discuss specific magical girls, communicate, and share information.

Though it’s called a fan club site, since magical girls are managed by the government, this place is also under government control.

Conversely, I have administrator privileges here too.

I carefully skimmed through a few posts.

[Has Ai-chan been slacking on fan service lately?]

[Guess she’s too busy being popular to care about her fans now lol]

[I’m kinda worried about Ai’s recent behavior… Hmm.]

[Ai-chan isn’t a little girl anymore… She’s grown up… How disgusting…]

‘There’s definitely some dissatisfaction.’

It seems quite a few fans have noticed that Ai’s fan service has dwindled recently.

Even just watching old videos, she used to take photos and hold handshake events after dealing with monsters.

Fans who’ve been around since the beginning would definitely notice.

The problem isn’t the awareness—it’s the reaction.

More and more fans are disappointed or frustrated by the lack of fan service.

Public opinion could shift rapidly depending on how this is handled.

‘And then there’s the other issue…’

There was another problem.

[It’s not like she’s completely stopped. She’s probably just too busy this time.]

[Lol, she’s got a lot on her plate. Demanding fan service is just greedy, no?]

[But Ai-chan always takes care of her fans. Even now, she made time for at least one person.]

[She did?]

That was probably about me.

It seemed like someone was using me as a shield to defend her.

Once the defense starts, posts multiply like weeds.

[But that person was Fan Club Member No. 1. Ai-chan probably took care of them because they’re her first fan.]

[Taking care of your No. 1 fan is next-level.]

[How do you even become No. 1? Lol]

Her fans could somewhat shield her as a magical girl.

But there was still a problem.

‘If this goes wrong, it could be seen as favoritism.’

When celebrities—or magical girls—show special treatment to certain people, it can spark controversy.

Even if there’s no real connection, people will imagine one and stir up unnecessary drama.

This defense could backfire, making the situation even worse.

The only silver lining?

‘Since the drop in fan service is recent, it’s still manageable for now.’

But the longer this goes on, the more intense the backlash will become.

A witch hunt might start to find the cause, or fans might turn on her or leave altogether.

If fans lose interest, the magical girls’ mental state will deteriorate rapidly.

How should I counsel and manipulate this situation to resolve everything?

The weight of my thoughts presses down on me, pain seeping through.

Handling people’s emotions requires extreme caution.

And then—

‘Do I even need to fix this?’

I reached a conclusion.

It was a matter of perspective.

Instead of fixing it, another solution came to mind.

“Then, I’ll send the counseling schedule… and prepare.”

I stepped outside to pick out something for Ai-chan.

“Ahem. Ah. Aah. Okay.”

As the counseling session approached, I did a final check on my voice.

Soft, gentle, and dripping with ideal warmth—just like always.

I smiled, satisfied that my essential counselor’s toolkit was ready.

-Gulp.

I swallowed a pill.

The bitter taste swirling in my mouth reminded me this was reality, not a dream.

As my heart gradually calmed and drowsiness set in, courage began to rise.

-Click.

-Click.

-Creak.

-Ding.

The door opened, and the bell in the counseling room chimed.

“Counselor oppa! I’m here.”

“You’re early.”

The same warm smile and peaceful start as always.

We began with small talk—what happened since the last session, what’s been difficult.

The most frequent topic was simple.

The fan service I’d received.

Ai-chan’s explanation was straightforward.

“I was so surprised when you suddenly showed up.”

“I just happened to run into Ai-yang while evacuating. I was happy to see her.”

“Y-you could’ve just said you wanted to hold my hand. I… I would’ve let you anytime.”

Her voice trailed off as she hesitantly showed me her small, delicate hand.

I smiled, gazing at it, then decided to change the subject.

Since fan service had come up, and the mood was relaxed, it was time for a serious talk.

I cracked my neck, interlaced my fingers, and looked at Ai.

“Ai.”

“…Yes?”

“Ai. I have something to say, so could you stay quiet for a moment?”

My voice was kind but firm.

The atmosphere suddenly grew calm, and I could see Ai’s composure waver.

Her eyes flickered with unease.

Worried she’d done something wrong, she began nervously gauging my reaction.

‘I’ll give her a little more time.’

No need to rush.

They say the one who loves more suffers.

To make her suffer a little, I just stared silently.

Ai squirmed, shrinking under my gaze.

The confident girl who’d walked in with a bright smile was now barely recognizable.

And then—

“I… Oppa. Did I make a mistake? I really don’t know…”

She was adorable.

Even though she’d done nothing wrong, she bowed her head, looking up at me as if begging for forgiveness.

But my goal wasn’t just to watch her react.

As she grew more unsettled, easier to mold, I flashed her a radiant smile.

“A mistake? No, Ai, you didn’t make any mistakes. It’s my fault for not being enough.”

“Huh?”

“Ai-yang, have you checked your fan site lately?”

Magical girls have access to their fan sites and can read every post.

Some magical girls actively manage theirs, deleting posts or responding to praise.

But as far as I know, Ai rarely visits hers.

“N-no… Well, sometimes. I do check it.”

She fumbled, afraid to admit she never looked.

Her childish reaction was cute, but I played along, pulling out my phone.

It showed posts from last night—photos of me and Ai during fan service.

Most were either envious of me or disappointed by her recent lack of fan service.

As Ai read them, shadows crept over her face.

Her right hand clenched tightly to suppress trembling.

It was like watching anxiety bloom in real time.

‘Just… a little more.’

As her anxiety grew, so did her instability. The desk trembled slightly—likely her mana leaking unconsciously.

Knowing she was still safe, I pushed harder.

Do you know what girls in love fear most?

Disappointing someone they cherish.

“Tsk, hold on. There’s a weird post here—let me delete it.”

I pressed further. More. Harder.

I feigned slight annoyance as I scrolled, watching Ai’s heart burn with panic.

Because she’s terrified of losing affection, of me hating her.

“Because of me, oppa’s photo… no, oppa’s face is all over the internet. I’m sorry. Because of me… you’re getting hate too.”

And then—she broke.

When love is involved, people crumble easier than ever.

She bowed her head, apologizing, her eyes pleading—please don’t hate me.

‘Time to wrap this up.’

I quietly took her cold hand.

“Ai, I’m not scolding you.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“I’m sure you had your reasons.”

Kindness can be the sharpest blade when wielded right.

Perfect for shackling someone with guilt.

“I’m not saying you should force fan service or listen to me, Ai. You’re doing great. But I’m worried, so I brought this up.”

“Worried?”

“Yes. Magical girls live under public scrutiny. If this continues, it won’t be good for you.”

At the mention of concern for her, Ai began to steady herself.

Then, for the final blow, I pulled out what I’d brought.

A pair of white gloves.

Pristine, like her purity, they fit her hands perfectly.

This was a暗示 (hint).

These gloves were my gift—a simple tool to protect her cleanliness.

Even ordinary gloves gain meaning depending on who gives them and why.

As I slid them onto her slender hands, I met her gaze.

With the warmest, kindest expression and voice I could muster.

To dig deeper into her heart.

“I’m not saying you should blindly cater to fans. But I want you to get closer to them, just enough so they don’t resent you. For me, for you, and for your fans.”

After putting the gloves on, I clasped her hands and leaned in.

“These gloves are my gift—so you won’t feel too burdened. I know you have people you dislike and situations you hate, even as a magical girl. But when that happens, think of these gloves… no, think of me, and let’s get through it together.”

“Think of… counselor oppa?”

“Yes. You’re my special charge, so you’ll do your best, right?”

“Special? I’m… your special person?”

A simple phrase, but she twisted it to hear what she wanted.

I could see her fractured mind piecing itself back together.

‘This should do it.’

I never planned to force fan service on her.

Just make it so she has to do it herself.

But to prevent her from breaking—or feeling tainted—I gave her the gloves as a substitute.

Fans won’t care if she wears them or not.

But for a magical girl, the psychological comfort they provide is immense.

Like a flower given water, Ai gradually revived, hugging the gloves tightly with a bright smile.

“Next time, I’ll only bring you good news.”

“I’ll look forward to it, Ai.”

And with that, the session ended.

This time, I closed the distance just right, and the problem was perfectly resolved.

Yes. A truly stable counseling session.

After gifting Ai the gloves, her fan site recovered faster than expected.

With increased fan service and fan interactions, the atmosphere grew livelier, and previous complaints were dismissed as noise.

Positive reactions, more photos.

In every one, Ai wore the gloves.

Almost like she was showing them off.

As if the pristine gloves proved she was just as pure.

Or as if to show me she was using my gift well.

I smiled at the sight—but then clutched my head.

The headache wasn’t because of Ai, though.

-Shiver.

“Again….”

It’s good the issue was resolved, but ever since, I’ve had this… bad feeling.

Specifically, the sensation of being watched.

Every hour. Everywhere.

And then I realized one thing.

I’m being stalked.