Transformation or Death

Chapter 88

Get on Board (5)

A few hours before the countdown to the new year, Joo Ah-yoon and I were quietly exhaling our breaths in front of the bus stop. 

While the last sun of this year had not yet set, our breaths that bloomed like snow melted away like the remaining time we had left.

Joo Ah-yoon clung to my arm and kept grumbling for a few minutes at the bus stop.

“Brother… Do I really have to go?”

“It’s part of adult life. You have to.”

Joo Ah-yoon had to go for a new year’s interview today. Her name was listed for the annual Magic Girl Award selected by the Magic Girl Association.  

To be precise, she was chosen as the most honorable magic girl of the year.

“You could have gotten Magic Girl of the Year, MOTY too.”

“What nonsense. That should go to people like Ah-hee or the senior. They both showed signs of divinity, right? Compared to them, I barely evacuated people using the Moth Technique… Ugh, I don’t want to go.”

She leaned her head against my arm in a bored manner and grumbled.

“But you should accept it since they’re giving it to you. It’s a good thing, not an insult.”

“What use is it for someone who’s not even a magic girl anymore? Brother, can’t we just hang out until sunset today and then part ways?”

“It’s already too late for that.”

I pulled my arm away from her grip and laughed wryly. Unfortunately, quite a bit of time had already passed. If we took public transportation, we would arrive just in time.

Conveniently timed, the distinct lights of an approaching bus pierced through the chill from afar.

“Ah-yoon, the bus is here. We have to go now.”

“Ah, I really don’t want to go…”

“Ah-yoon.”

“Aahh~! Why the f*** do I have to do this even on the last day of the year… Oh, brother, I’m so cold… lonely…”

“The heater will be nice and warm, and there will be lots of friends so you won’t be lonely inside.”

“Geez, can’t you just hold me for a bit.”

“Why would I hold you back when you’re trying to skip out on work.”

The bus arrived in front, and Joo Ah-yoon got on. Right before the door closed, I waved at her with a smile.

“Thanks for this year. I’m counting on you again next year.”

There was no response. Joo Ah-yoon  just waved back with a meaningful smile.

Soon, the bus door closed and she temporarily left my side to recount her past glory. She wasn’t a little child in need of care, all I felt was admiration and pride.

“Not even a new year’s greeting…Is she really mad at me?”

Maybe I should have held her back, even just for formality’s sake. I exhaled another breath with a dejected laugh.

“…I should get going too.”

In the end, I ended up spending another year alone. It wasn’t too sad or unjust since there was an element of self-infliction.

Now that Joo Ah-yoon has the power to make memories and look out for herself, there was no need for me to stay at her house.

From that day on, I started staying again at the crappy studio apartment I originally contracted.

Of course, Joo Ah-yoon complained about why I had to go back there when I had her place, but in the end I went back since it’s a bit much to just keep relying on others.  

I felt self-conscious and it was a burden. I had already received a lot of care, so receiving more felt burdensome.

Just as Joo Ah-yoon could find her own way as an adult, despite my slight mental issues, I was physically able-bodied and capable of conversation, so I could live properly on my own.

‘Besides, that place was where I spent the most money, so I need to cut my losses.’

I had already spent too much money there to just discard it.

You have to save money when you can. I already have debts. They may not be recorded on paper, but they are certainly recorded psychologically.

Before I knew it, the sun began to set. I really felt that a year was ending. This is how this year concluded, but my journey was still incomplete. 

Rather, it was closer to the beginning.

‘The region that villains are wary of… What’s the reason? What’s there that they desire…’

Although the process has already deviated significantly from the original, the constituents of this world remain the same. Thinking that way, it’s possible to predict what might happen going forward.

The problem is the warlords from America brought by the contradictions. Along with the Aquila villain, Argo Navis, Puppis, and Pyxis have appeared.

Unlike Aquila who was quite active in the ‘Magic Girl Glory Period’, I know nothing about the other three. Where they were from, what goals they had, what abilities they possessed – I didn’t know any of that.

‘Those three constellations all originated from the Argo Navis constellation… They could be related to that bastard Pyxis who was also from Argo Navis.’

I should interrogate Jason again next time. Having a warlord or two that I can communicate with as an informant wouldn’t be too bad, I thought.

The sun gradually dipped below the horizon. The sunset. As always, but today was the last time the setting sun disappeared from view this year. The reddening sky cast a similarly reddish, bittersweet loneliness on the tip of my tongue.

“What did I do for the sun to set?”

There was a sense of longing in the sunset. The same went for the end of the year. This last sunset, which combined those two sensations, contained an indescribable longing.

Sundown. As the sun slipped below the horizon, I too slipped into longing, recalling someone I could not complete this concluded year without.

As I entered, I made a call. It was only after the phone started ringing that I realized she too was someone attending the Magic Girl Awards.

Yoon Seol-hwa. 

The strongest candidate to be selected as Magic Girl of the Year. I didn’t even need to check TV or public opinion – the casual conversations I overheard on the street were enough to make that judgment.

The thought that I might be disturbing her at a busy time was brief, as the call connected before the ring tone could play three full times.

“Oh, Jae-jung! Why?”

A loud voice of Seol-hwa came through the small handset held in one hand. She sounded quite happy, to the point where it was hard to tell whether it would be more considerate to hang up the phone now or keep it going.

“Ah… Is it okay if I’m on the phone now? If you’re busy, you can just hang up…”

“No, I’m not busy at all! Should I come over right now?”

“Control yourself. There’s work soon, you know.”

“Oh right… But how did you know?!” 

Maybe not just me, but most people would probably know about it.

“Still, it’s okay. You can come over if you want. Where are you now?”

“Oh no, I didn’t mean to meet up…”

She was still flustered as ever.

She was like this even when she called to apologize for our unfinished date before. She sobbed like she had committed a grave crime and apologized over and over.

“I just wanted to hear your voice after so long.”

“…I see. I’m glad. If you want to hear my voice, Jae-jung, I can record it and send it to you. Just hearing my voice isn’t enough, right? Don’t you want to see my face too? I can run over right now…”

“Why are you so fixated on running over here?”

“I don’t like being on TV. I still haven’t gotten used to smiling at the camera. No, that’s just an excuse. I just missed you when I heard your voice.”

A chuckle escaped.

“It makes me happy to hear you say that.”

It was sincere. Even though she must be tired from her busy work lately, she didn’t show any signs of it at all. I was truly grateful and happy that she was giving her all like this for me, even while tired.

“Let’s definitely meet up in person when we have some free time. We can eat the lunch we missed before and… Talk about things we need to discuss.”

“Yes! Let’s do that! But wait… Do we really need to? Why don’t you just come over today, or even right now…”

“Seol-hwa, work hard.”

“Okay~!”

Hearing her bright and energetic voice made me feel energized too. Continuing the phone call any longer might be rude now. I said goodbye.

“Have a happy new year.”

“You too Jae-jung, have a very very very happy new year!”

Her consistently lively demeanor put me at ease for the most part. At least the feeling of melancholy I had before was gone for the most part.

She has been consistently like this since we were young…

No, when we were young, the stronger impression was that she was cold rather than energetic.

‘…Come to think of it, how did Seol-hwa and I meet in the first place?’

Before I knew it, my house came into view.

***

Ippotranslation

***

The room I got cheaply naturally had little furniture. A TV was one of the missing pieces of furniture.

Normally, I wouldn’t bother watching such media, but today was a bit different. Since I knew the names of many people would be mentioned, I felt like watching the awards show.

It’s not like I was involved with the media directly, it was just a matter of watching it.

“I can do it!”

With confidence, I opened my smartphone screen to enjoy the awards show. As soon as I clicked on the live broadcast, a data usage warning popped up and the screen froze.

“Ah, no Wi-Fi.”

Ah, I really should have set that up in advance.

“I really am a broke bum.”

Shamelessly, I pressed myself against the wall adjoining the neighbor’s place. An unsecured Wi-Fi welcomed me.

“Since I put up with all the noise from your side, please let me use this.”

Since I’m constantly tormented by the sounds of keyboard battles piercing through the wall, I could absolve myself of this petty theft.

Accepting the decrease in morals that comes with poverty, I watched the Magic Girl Awards. The same broadcast sound came through from beyond the neighbor’s wall.

Well, it is the end of the year, so there are probably quite a few people watching this.

It seems my neighbors are alone at the end of the year too, just like me. I felt a sense of kinship. Don’t you have plans to go back home? Based on their tone and writing style, they seemed like foreigners.

‘Well, everyone has their own circumstances.’

Without much thought, I focused my gaze on the small screen.

Aside from nausea, dizziness, sweating, and heavy breathing, I was able to watch fairly normally.

Within the small screen were many people I had loved, currently loved, and would need to protect going forward.

Magic Girls.

The most honorable Magic Girl was Joo Ah-yoon, Pink Deneb.

The rising Magic Girl was Baek Ah-hee, Red Vega.

As expected, the Magic Girl of the Year was Yoon Seol-hwa, Blue Sirius.

Three others also received awards.

It was such an odd feeling that half the Magic Girls awarded had deep connections to me. These were people I could only see on screen, yet I could talk to them anytime if I wanted. Could others even imagine that?

I was reminded that even those receiving so much attention were just ordinary people in the end. The other Magic Girls I heard about today must be the same. Even if they are called heroes, they’re really just ordinary people.

The awards ended, and the sky had already turned pitch black. Another year is really over.

As I felt a mix of emptiness and anticipation, the doorbell rang: ding dong.

“…Who is it?”

I didn’t order any food delivery. Oh, could it be the neighbor coming to confront me about stealing their Wi-Fi?

“The people living around here are generally not normal…”

If they came with a kitchen knife or something, what would I do? Preparing to get on my knees if needed, I got up, and my poor smartphone that had been overworked until then received a call.

On the screen, the four letters ‘Red Vega’ were clearly displayed.

“…No way.”

Feeling an ominous premonition, I answered the call, and a voice came through both the phone and from behind the door.

“I pretty much figured it out, right? Open up quickly.”

But it’s only been a little while since the awards ended.

When I opened the door, Baek Ah-hee was there as expected.

“Vega…”

“I told you to call me Ah-hee?”

“Well, that’s a bit sudden…”

“You don’t have anyone to hang out with on New Year’s, right? Deneb is probably hanging out with Sirius right about now and has a lot of other people to meet… I felt bad for you, so I came to see you!”  

“Geez, that’s just… Well, come on in at least. It’ll be cold out there.”

“Aw, how disappointing. A cute Magic Girl came over to hang out and everything. Ta-dah, I even brought chicken!”

“Please come in, young lady.”

“How uncouth.”

After greeting politely, Baek Ah-hee came inside. She started to take off her coat but quickly put it back on.

“Brrr, it’s cold.”

“The heating won’t work, so it’s probably about the same as outside. Oh wait… Vega, did you come straight from the awards in that dress?!”

“Yes! Isn’t it pretty? Did you see it on TV? Ah, you probably couldn’t. Want me to show you?”

Baek Ah-hee grinned mischievously and tried to take off her coat again.

“It’s fine, just keep it on since it’s cold.”

“Aww, but the sisters didn’t give me the reaction I wanted, so I came to get your reaction, Jae-jung. This is pretty…”

“The people online didn’t compliment you?”

“But it’s different hearing it directly!”

“Alright, just give me the chicken.”

“Okeydokey~”

As I was setting the table and arranging the chicken, the doorbell rang again.

“…What is it now?” 

“I don’t know either.”

Ding dong. Ding dong. Ding dong. Ding dong. Ding dong.

The sound of the doorbell being rung repeatedly. The person seemed quite impatient.

Who could it be this time? Really the neighbor? When I went to the door again, another acquaintance was there to greet me.

“Ah-yoon… Seol-hwa?!”

“Why didn’t you answer your phone? We’re late because of you.”

“Ta-dah~ Jae, Jae-jung~ I’m here! Heh, heheh…”

Inside, a flustered Baek Ah-hee’s voice came through.

“Eh?!”

“…What the hell.”

“…?”

Outside the door, Joo Ah-yoon exclaimed in apparent bewilderment, while Yoon Seol-hwa still seemed confused about what was happening, tilting her head slightly.

“Yah! Why are you here?!”

“Hey! Aren’t you being too loud?! Do you live alone in this building?!”

As the voices grew louder, someone even came out from the neighboring place.

“Ehhh?!!!”

Again, it was someone I knew.

“What the hell.”

It was White Davi, my most beloved character.

And so, I ended up spending the New Year’s holiday with the Magic Girls.

T/N: Hi @everyone, sorry to say this but this novel will be dropped due to lack of support, It has been through a lot of mess wherein the subscription platform refunded the supporters their funds and closed the support page and that is why the Illustration page is no longer working. Basically that means there is literally a big loss of funds for this novel and I can not carry on like this as the cost for this novel is too much. Some chapters are still left but that will end in time. Just to note, I am not dropping this novel voluntarily as I prefer completing a translation, but this situation has forced my hands, anyways have a day.

/ippostranslations