Chapter 9: The Ever-Positive Angel Is in Charge of the Magical Girl's Mental Care

How an Angel Comforts Her

“Don’t go anywhere. Live with me.”

The next morning.

After sleeping soundly all night without waking once, Yoo Seo-ah suddenly suggested we live together.

You’re thinking we were already living together? Well… that rainy day, she’s the one who brought me in, remember?

I even told Myoa that. It wasn’t a lie.

“If you're not planning to sleep on the streets, you’ll need money for a place to stay and food. So just live here.”

Maybe she was too embarrassed to say it straight, so she brought up rent and meal costs as the reason.

“I have plenty of money, so it's fine.”

I held out my palm and conjured up a nugget of gold to show her.

You’re wondering if there’s a limit? As long as it’s used for the sake of magical girls, the system basically has none. I could tank the global gold market if I really wanted to.

“Haaah… and that’s the problem. What if you get kidnapped by someone bad?”

“Kidnapped?”

Even if that happened, I’m pretty confident I could escape without so much as a scratch.

After all, I could just phase through the walls and fly away.

But I had a feeling that even if I explained that, she wouldn’t just nod and say “oh, okay”...

“Even if I get kidnapped, you'll come to rescue me, right, Seo-ah?”

I smiled sweetly as I said it. Yoo Seo-ah’s eyes widened before she quickly turned her head away.

“…Not being kidnapped at all would be best.”

“Hehe, you didn’t deny it.”

“Ugh… whatever. I’m going out for a smoke.”

“Okay, see you soon~”

Yoo Seo-ah paused in her step and looked back toward me slightly.

“…Yeah. I’ll be right back.”

The way she shyly returned my greeting…! So cute…!

I lightly tapped my glowing halo to turn it off and flipped on the TV.

[My dad’s sick. He coughs all the time… and he can’t run anymore.]

And of course, right as I turned it on, there was an anti-smoking PSA playing.

“Quitting smoking… huh.”

Honestly, the fact that Yoo Seo-ah smokes isn’t a problem in itself.

It’s not that I don’t care about her health.

I mean that, for a magical girl, smoking isn’t all that harmful.

The incredible healing abilities developed to fight monsters completely neutralize tobacco toxins.

Thanks to that absurd recovery rate, cigarettes are pretty much a flavor item for her.

That’s why I can’t just tell her to quit out of nowhere.

If her health were affected, I’d have a reason to push for it, but it’s not.

Money’s not a problem either. The only real downside is… the image.

‘Is it right to tell someone to quit when smoking is their stress relief?’

Wouldn’t it be worse if she bottled it up and broke in some worse way later? At least with cigarettes, she has a release.

Still… I do want her to take better care of herself…

“Hmm…”

I crossed my arms and pondered deeply.

Would it really be right to advise Yoo Seo-ah to quit smoking?

“…Yes! It is!”

“What is?”

“Pipyaah!!”

Startled, I hurriedly switched the TV to another channel.

“Y-You’re back already?”

“It’s just a smoke. Doesn’t take long. But what’s with the reaction? You look like someone who just got caught doing something bad.”

“No, not really? Totally normal over here!”

I subtly avoided eye contact and pretended not to know.

Ugh… I really suck at lying.

No, this isn’t my fault. Angels aren’t supposed to lie!

“I mean, your expression doesn’t exactly scream ‘nothing.’ What were you watching?”

I tried to say “nothing” again, but the angel inside me started banging on my halo like a drum.

—Be honest! Be honest! Don’t lie! Lying is bad! Bad! Be honest!

I’m not even kidding. It was pounding in my head so hard I had to press my thumb against my temple.

“…A no-smoking ad.”

“A no-smoking ad? That’s not anything weird, so why are you being like that—ah.”

She let out a small sigh, as if realizing something. I quickly averted my eyes.

“You’ve been using cigarettes to relieve stress, right? It’s not like you’ve had any health issues or trouble affording them… And since it’s basically just a preference thing now, I wasn’t sure if it was my place to suggest quitting…”

Yoo Seo-ah blinked a few times at my words.

She seemed to think for a moment, then scratched her head and sat down next to me.

“…Well, I have been thinking about quitting smoking too.”

“You don’t have to force yourself to quit just because of me.”

“It’s not because of you. It’s just… seeing my room getting more and more trashed every day, I started realizing this isn’t right. So I actually tried to quit once, a while ago.”

“Did it not go well?”

When I asked, Yoo Seo-ah gave a bitter smile and nodded.

“Without cigarettes, I couldn’t sleep. And since sleeping pills don’t work on magical girls, I ended up staying up all night. Then the thoughts started coming—bad ones, dark ones. Old memories. It all spiraled. So I gave up. And… well, you can guess where that led.”

“If you’re okay with it… I’d like to help you quit.”

Yoo Seo-ah looked at me for a moment in silence, then chuckled and gently patted my head.

The moment her hand touched my hair, I shuddered from the strange sensation.

“Ugh…”

“Don’t like getting your head patted?”

“N-Not exactly… It’s not that I hate it, just… it’s kind of weird? Gives me goosebumps? I can endure it if I have to, but it’s not exactly pleasant…”

“I see. Sorry, then. I’ll stop.”

She withdrew her hand from my head… and pulled me into a hug instead.

It felt a little better than before, so I quietly let myself relax in her arms. Then she spoke softly, holding me close.

“You said you’d help me quit, right?”

“Y-Yes. I did…”

“Then just stay by my side. That’s all I need.”

I smiled faintly in her warm embrace.

…Though, if she could maybe loosen it just a little, that’d be nice. I can’t breathe.

Still, she looked so content and happy that I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. I stayed there, held in her arms, until—

Wee-ooo wee-ooo—!!

The emergency sirens started blaring.

“Ugh, again… haah…”

Yoo Seo-ah frowned and sighed. Her entire posture said she really didn’t want to go.

Last time, she moved as soon as the alarm went off.

Myoa’s words… Is this what she meant, when she said I was making her weaker the more I indulge her?

…No. I started this. So I’ll see it through.

“Come on, Seo-ah! The alarm’s sounding! Let’s go! To protect the people!”

“…Yeah.”

She clearly didn’t want to, but still got up.

Should I be happy that she’s moving despite her reluctance… or sad that it feels like she has become like this because of me?

Either way, it doesn’t matter.

No matter what comes of it, I’ll take responsibility.

While Yoo Seo-ah was transforming, I was just about to take off and fly to the scene myself—

But just like before, she grabbed my wing.

"Ugh!?"

A sharp jolt shot through my shoulder, like a cramp from stretching too hard, and my whole body instantly lost strength.

Fortunately, wings weren’t tied to my flying ability, so I didn’t fall to the ground.

But the pain made it impossible to move properly.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm just… heading to the scene too…!"

"It's dangerous out there. I’ll go alone. You just stay here and wait quietly, okay?"

Her determined grip told me she wasn’t going to let go until I agreed.

No… this wasn’t just determination.

The eyes of a magical girl, which should’ve been shining brightly with hope and love like the night sky, had been stained pitch-black with murky emotions—obsession and fear.

Yes. Obsession.

A warped form of affection, born from the fear of losing the warmth she had only just regained.

It was tangled together with her desperate need to never again lose someone precious.

But I didn’t feel fear.

All I felt was pity.

The same child who had once refused warmth, battered and torn in wounds, was now struggling and doing everything she could to hold onto it—

Because she was terrified of being left alone again.

How pitiful and hearbreaking…

And once that thought reached my heart, even the pain faded away.

"Seo-ah."

I slowly reached out my hand with a faint smile.

Yoo Seo-ah flinched and looked at me.

"A-ah… sorry. Did it hurt?"

"It’s okay."

I'm okay.

And you’ll be okay too.

I gently stroked her cheek with my hand, hoping my emotions were clearly conveyed and my warmth would reach her.

Praying that my love would also wrap around her heart.

"Don’t be afraid. I’ll be by your side. And even if one day I disappear, don’t be alarmed. I promise I’ll come back to you."

“Ah...”

The grip on my wing loosened.

I spread my wings, which were larger than my own body, and wrapped them around Seo-ah.

"I’ll help you. So that your heart won’t waver. So that your will stays strong like steel."

A small world just for the two of us, with the walls and sky covered in pure white feathers.

With a bright smile, I washed away the fear that had clouded her eyes.

"Don’t be afraid. Now I’m your angel, after all."

I hugged her tight, sharing all the warmth I could.

And slowly, the trembling stopped.

When we finally separated, Seo-ah’s eyes were clear again, unlike before.

"S-sorry. I think I kinda lost my mind for a bit."

"It’s alright. More importantly, please go and save the people quickly. Everyone’s waiting for you, right?"

"Yeah. You’re right."

Yoo Seo-ah nodded, stepped up onto the windowsill, and turned to me.

"I’ll be back."

"Okay. Come back safe."

Knowing time was short, Seo-ah launched into the air with a loud boom, tearing through the sky.

…I said I’d go with her, but somehow I ended up staying home.

Was that on purpose? Or just coincidence?

“…Well, might as well clean the room.”

I sighed, glancing at the chaos left behind by the sonic boom.

I have to make sure she doesn't get late next time...

Next Chapter