episode_0046

I enjoyed the meal. It looks like the kimchi stew was brought from a proper restaurant. After all, it tastes better when someone else cooks the food.

Do Yu-geon also enjoyed the meal, but his mood was down. It seemed sad that he was kicked out right before the business started in earnest because he was a minor.

Thanks to this, I felt like I was sitting on a thorn cushion while eating, but the food was still delicious. I am very worried about my own conscience.

I had to say some words of consolation to him, so I tried it. I couldn’t say anything sensible until I got home. Because I had no idea how to comfort him. That’s because he was a minor and had to come to the law. What consolation can he give in that situation? You’ll get older soon, don’t worry. Something like this? What is that, a curse?

I walked around the room, sighed, and stopped worrying. I’d rather do something else.

“log in.”

I’m worried about Do Yoo-geon, but that’s just it. Since he didn’t log in, I have time to look around and get permission to log in first, so let’s log in. How different would it have been with an open beta?

I had the unpleasant feeling of being moved in space and my vision changed. I looked around and, as always, it was a preparation room. There are various weapons in the corners, a hunting gate in the front, and a gacha machine on one side.

The gacha machine has flashy decorations saying it’s an opening discount event, but if you ignore it, not much has changed. Several doors have been reduced to one, and the overall design has been refined in some small ways, but there does not seem to be any significant changes since the transition from closed beta to open beta.

I looked back just in case, and there was a door whose purpose I didn’t know. What is this again?

“Schrödinger, come out.”

I called Schrödinger and waited for a while, but the white cat wasn’t even visible. Lately, even when I call, he doesn’t come out. What’s the deal? Thanks to this, I was planning to ask Yumina why she became a magical girl, but I still haven’t been able to put it into practice. It’s there when you don’t need it, but it’s not there when you need it. It’s useless.

If you try to imagine what’s beyond the door, things like lava popping out, or being sucked in because it’s outer space, etc. come to mind. But that’s just imagination, and as Do Yoo-geon said, something like that hasn’t happened so far, so there’s no need to be wary of such trivial things. Productivity off. To be honest, if you open this door, wouldn’t it be like an auction house, training center, or something like that? That sounds plausible.

This door is very different in design from the door leading to the hunting ground. Should I say that it shows that a little more attention was paid to it? Hmm… … .

I threw away my unnecessary worries, opened the door, and went in.

The first thing I saw was a dragon curled up and sleeping. Although it was large, it was not large enough to overwhelm the entire huge cavity. I had a strong feeling that it wouldn’t be good if I woke up.

There was also a small lake in front of the dragon, but it was subtle to call it a lake because it was a red puddle.

A change appeared on the ceiling, and when I shifted my gaze, I saw letters.

[Check the connection of auditor number 109. Please proceed with the audit.]

uh… … . What is here? I think I came to the wrong place. I feel like the cat in the proverb that curiosity kills the cat.

―Hello, master! Can you explain?

When I looked down, there was Schrödinger. I don’t know how long it’s been around. When I called you earlier, it didn’t come out.

“no.”

-I knew you would!

It was a bright voice.

I don’t know what I’m doing here, but I have to go back. When I looked back to go back, there was no door or passageway at all. What is this, I am very embarrassed.

“How come here-”

A magic circle formed over a red puddle or a lake, and a person jumped out of it. It was a scene that gave me a feeling of déjà vu, so I thought it was a magical girl, but the person who was transported into space fell into the lake and fell into it. Bubbles rose to the surface of the lake and then disappeared.

I really came here wrong.

―Can you explain?

“no.”

-How to get out?

“You need to explain that.”

―It’s simple. log out!

What is that? It’s easy. You knew you had to escape the room.

“I have a lot to ask, so follow me.”

-That one?

Schrödinger pointed to the lake with his paw. Just then, a magic circle appeared and this time, a bloodied person fell into the lake. uh… … , hmm.

“No. Why did Yumina become a magical girl and why am I the only one who comes in here?”

―Then I will explain it here. I’m busy right now.

“Is it because you’re busy that you didn’t show up even when I called you?”

-of course. Unlike the owner, I am busy. It’s troublesome if you keep calling me out for trivial things.

“Yumina becoming a magical girl is not a trivial thing. Last time I asked her if she was harming people around her, she said she wasn’t.”

-That part was inevitable. Yumina walks around at night, and there are limits to protecting her every time. I’m really busy.

“So, as a magical girl, it was safer to make her use magic?”

-yes!

What does this mean?

“Magical girl work is more dangerous.”

-I have dealt with that part separately. Yumina’s fellow magical girl uses space-time magic. Through a deal, I secretly asked you to be an escort!

I waited for further explanation, but Schrödinger just looked at me without saying anything. In the silence, there was the sound of a person falling into the lake.

“And again?”

-yes? ah! The explanation was insufficient. That magical girl can turn back time by paying a price. Even if Yumina dies, we can pretend it never happened.

What is that? It’s a scam.

“sincerely?”

-yes!

If he had that kind of magic, he would be the god of capitalism.

“No joke?”

-Am I that unreliable?

I nodded.

-Do it too much.

*

The writing sound was crunchy. Today, I am studying at the library with Do Yoo-geon. Strictly speaking, only Do Yoo-geon is studying, and I’m just idly picking up any book.

Do Yu-geon had been solving the problem without any playfulness since earlier. I keep looking at him to see how long he can concentrate, but he still manages to solve problems. It’s a good situation.

But why is he studying all this? It seems like the evaluation was too harsh, but I passed it on, and Do Yu-geon usually starts studying when the exam approaches. It’s not that I don’t study at all, but I only study properly when I’m in a hurry.

But now the vacation is just around the corner, and from what I heard, there won’t be any academy exams for a while, so today he first brought up the idea of studying at the library. Why is this happening? Was it a big shock?

Do Yu-geon must have finally felt the gaze, and raised his head.

“what’s the matter?”

“What are you going to do this vacation?”

“This is vacation….”

The guy tapped his pen and continued speaking.

“Overdue study?”

why not?

“why?”

“Why?”

“Why are you studying? It’s vacation.”

“Studying is good.”

“It’s good, but I still need to rest during vacation. What if I get burned out?”

Do Yu-geon giggled.

“It’s no reason to worry.”

It’s not. This is a legitimate concern.

The kid got sick of it.

I guess I need to change my mood.

*

Yumina crumpled down on the desk and took a picture of the coffee cup. He looked at the picture he had taken and smiled happily.

“That’s it! This is new and fantastic!”

“I’m having a hard time buying it.”

What reward would it be to post something like that on social media?

I picked up the espresso, took a sip, and then took a careful sip.

“What do you think? Doesn’t the coffee taste good?”

Yumina asked with eyes full of anticipation. Even if you look at me like that, I have nothing to say. I took another sip of coffee and savored the taste. Umm.

“Not really…?”

“What’s not right?”

“If I had to pick one thing, it would be that there isn’t enough milk in the coffee.”

“Of course! It’s espresso!”

“That’s right. Why espresso?”

“Tell me about the taste of the coffee, not the type of coffee. The beans here are the latest trendy brand these days!”

Yumina pointed around the store. There were common character stickers and products wherever I pointed, but Yumi and Malo said that they were not the characters of this cafe, but the characters of a brand that sells coffee beans.

“It’s interesting. It’s not even a chain store, but it’s occupying the space as a brand.”

“That’s not it!”

“Still, I don’t know what coffee tastes like, so what kind of evaluation are you expecting?”

“Is it possible to drink coffee all the time and not know what it tastes like? That’s a lie. I know it all.”

I sighed.

“I got caught. Okay, I’ll evaluate it properly.”

“What was that really a lie?”

After smelling the coffee, I took a sip with a serious expression.

“Hmm. This coffee tastes good, but it lacks one thing to survive in the upwardly standardized coffee bean market.”

“What?”

“There’s not enough milk. Why is this espresso? Where’s the cappuccino?”

Yumina drank her coffee with a cold expression.

“My lady needs to enjoy her coffee.”

“I’m already addicted to caffeine.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about….”

We chatted for a while.

Then, at some point, Yumina said something.

“So why did we meet today?”

“If anyone hears it, they’ll think we only meet when we have business to do?”

“I’m not, but you are.”

“What kind of person am I in your mind so you can evaluate me like this?”

“To put it nicely, she’s a strange girl.”

“Is that because you put it in a good way? Yes, that’s right. That’s possible. That’s a good evaluation. I’ve been worrying about it lately.”

“Look. That’s right.”

“Yes, that’s right. Anyway, I’m worried, but Do Yu-geon seems to be lacking energy.”

Yumina thought for a moment.

“It didn’t really seem like that, did it?”

“It looks like that. But because it looks fine, it looks listless.”

“What are you talking about?”

“So, it looks okay, but it’s not okay. You’re studying all of a sudden.”

“Then it’s good, right?”

“Suddenly, that’s right. Good actions should be done with good motivation, so what if you’re desperate?”

“Our young lady is really stubborn in a strange way.”

“So, I would like to change my mind, but is there any room?”

Yumina clapped her hands.

“It’s simple! Let’s go play together!”

“I don’t like going out to play.”

Walking around makes you tired, and if you go somewhere to have fun, it will be crowded with people, so you will be doubly tired.

“Suggest something fresh instead of something common.”

“Then, declare in front of Do Yoo-geon that you want to try dating. It will definitely change your mood.”

“It’s too much.”

Yumina drank coffee and puffed out her cheeks.

“Miss. I am not a magic lamp. What answer do you want?”

Actually, I have something in mind.

“I don’t want to go out to have fun, but I think it would be okay if it goes to a place I often go to.”

“Where do you often go?”

“I have a villa that my parents take to us during vacation. It’s quiet and there are no people around, so it’s good for resting. It’s better at home, but it’s not a bad place if you can.”

“Oh, there? That’s nice. Why did you worry about leaving it in a place like that?”

“That’s right, it’s an island.”

“What’s wrong with that? Is it possible?”

Yumina came closer and laughed under her breath.

“Not that. It’s an island I own. How can I bring this up?”

“Wow… that’s a reason I couldn’t have imagined. Uh… wouldn’t it be okay if I just asked her to go with me? I think she would easily adapt to this situation? She has several years of experience as a childhood friend.”

“No, that’s not right.”

“Why are you hesitating in a place like this?”

“I need an excuse to speak classily.”

“An excuse? Rather than an excuse, what about a situation where there is no need for an excuse at all?”

“In what way?”

“If you want to invite someone to join without a plan, you need a reason, but if you’re inviting them to a trip that’s already been planned, you don’t need a reason. I was preparing to go with a friend, but now Do Yoo-geon wants to go with me. So what do I need a reason for?”

Wow, is this advice from someone who has a lot of friends and hangs out a lot?

“I don’t have any friends.”

That doesn’t help.

“What are you talking about, my lady? She’s here. It would be nice to take a look around the island.”

“okay.”

Yumina was embarrassed.

“Wait a minute, you’re answering too quickly. It feels like I’m being guided for some reason.”

“If you notice, wouldn’t it be better to just quietly move on?”

“It only looks good, but it’s not elegant at all on the inside.”

“Wasn’t it like that before? Bring someone with you when you come.”

“anyone?

“Someone who won’t hurt my feelings.”

“The conditions are too strict….”