Chapter 4: The Ever-Positive Angel Is in Charge of the Magical Girl's Mental Care

Magical Girl Black (Midnight)

Yoo Seo-ah is bawling her eyes out while eating.

It’s probably a sight she wouldn’t want anyone else to see, so I quietly left the groceries I bought by the door and decided to wait until she calmed down.

There’s a small chance she might just fall asleep after eating and never come out, but honestly, I think that’s unlikely.

I never thought I’d be saying this, but…

The Yoo Seo-ah I know is a hardcore smoker.

…No, that sounds a bit harsh. Let’s say she’s a dedicated smoker.

Anyway, the point is, once she finishes eating, she’s definitely going to want a cigarette.

There’s a reason people call it “after-meal smoke,” after all.

And no matter how much she loves smoking, there’s no way she’d light up in a house that was just freshly cleaned.

So once she’s done eating, and the craving starts to kick in…

Click—

Yep. Just like that.

“You…”

Yoo Seo-ah opened the door and locked eyes with me, still crouched beside it.

She frowned, but maybe because she’d just eaten and gotten some nicotine back into her system, the atmosphere felt much softer than before.

“Hello! How was the meal?”

I already knew exactly what she was going to say.

Still, I put on my brightest smile and asked.

She stared at me silently, sighed, and closed the door.

“…Salty. Way too salty.”

“Right? I figured~”

Even I thought it was salty, so of course it was.

I scratched my head with a sheepish smile.

“You didn’t mix up the salt and sugar, so how’d it end up that salty?”

“Ahaha… I guess because my body’s so small, I couldn’t really see how much salt I was using…”

“…Are your wings just for decoration?”

“Ah.”

Right. I can float, can’t I.

“I’m still not used to this body. It slipped my mind.”

“You’re one dumb angel.”

Yoo Seo-ah let out a small laugh, then walked past me and sat on the stairs, cigarette in her mouth.

Flick.

She lit it and took a deep drag.

No wonder her room ended up like that, the way she smokes.

Half the cigarette burned away with a single inhale.

‘And yet her body’s still fine… yeah, she really is a magical girl.’

As I was thinking that, Yoo Seo-ah glanced back at me and spoke.

“…Still, it was good.”

…That was good?

She was gagging and sobbing while eating—

And that was good?

Ah.

She’s trying to be considerate of me.

Even with her mental state completely shattered, she still thinks of others.

Even while she’s suffering in pain, she still tries to smile for someone else.

‘A hundred points. Perfect score….’

I nearly teared up, but instead of crying, I smiled brightly.

If someone cried just because they were told the food was good, it’d definitely catch the other person off guard.

“Thank you!”

As I felt a little joy, the halo floating above my head began to shimmer and sparkle.

…Wait? It’s sparkling?

“Hey, that thing’s really bright.”

“Ah, uh, this, uh… how do I turn it off…”

I tried pressing down on the halo with both hands, but instead of shutting off, the light just changed modes every time I touched it.

One press and it glowed steadily.

Press again and it started blinking.

Press a third time and a point of light spun in circles along the rim of the halo like a neon sign.

“…What are you doing?”

“Awawa, wawawah! I-it’s just… this is my first time in this body too, okay?! I don’t know how it works either!”

“Haaaah…”

Seriously, why the hell won’t this thing turn off?!

It’s not even a flashlight, so why does it change light modes every time I poke it?!

After mashing it nonstop—press, press, press, press—I finally got it to dim down.

“Pfft… you’re such a mess.”

“Eheheh… sorry. I’m still not used to this, so I’m kind of fumbling around.”

“Yeah, it shows. Anyway… can that halo thing on your head actually be touched?”

“Uh… I think so? Wanna try?”

It was the first time she’d shown genuine interest in me, so I immediately leaned my head toward her.

She flinched a little, probably startled, but didn’t pull away.

As she hesitated, unsure whether to reach out or not, I gently brought my head closer—

And finally, she reached out cautiously.

But instead of touching the halo, her hand passed through it and landed right on my head.

Poof—

The moment her hand touched my head, a wave of goosebumps rippled through my whole body.

I jumped and recoiled instantly, shivering.

Yoo Seo-ah looked at me with a blank stare and sighed.

“Ah.”

“S-sorry! I wasn’t expecting you to actually pet me like that…”

As I apologized, Yoo Seo-ah, who had been clenching and unclenching her hand, made a sullen expression.

“You’re the one who shoved your head at me.”

“I thought the halo would block it…”

“…Seriously.”

She let out another heavy sigh and silently lit up another cigarette.

For a while, we sat there without speaking.

Only after she put a second cigarette between her lips did she speak again.

“…By the way. You. Where are you sleeping?”

I was still fixing my hair where she’d patted me when I froze at her question.

Now that she mentioned it…

I really had just shown up without giving it a single thought.

“Yeah, I figured from that look. You don’t have anywhere to stay, do you?”

“Ahaha… yeah. I kinda didn’t really think about that part.”

I’d been so excited and focused on getting to meet a real magical girl that I threw all practical planning out the window.

As I gave an awkward laugh, Yoo Seo-ah sighed again.

“…Haah.”

“But, but it’s fine! I mean, I can fly through the sky, after all!”

“That’s just another way of saying you’re gonna sleep outside.”

It’s not like I can sleep in the same bed as her.

I tried to brush it off with a laugh, and she let out a sigh.

“…Just stay for tonight. There’s a spare room anyway.”

“R-really? Is that okay?”

“You cleaned the house and even cooked for me. Think of it as repayment.”

“Hehe, thank you!”

“But just for today.”

The way she said that while looking away, embarrassed—it felt noble.

Letting a stranger in, just because they seemed troubled…

That kindness, that’s noble…!

‘A hundred points again!’

Sparkle sparkle—…

“Hey, I said that thing’s blinding.”

At least I’d been through it once before, so this time I managed to shut the halo off quickly.

“So, what’s with all that stuff by the door?”

“Oh, right!”

I’d totally forgotten.

I got up and showed her the things I brought from the store.

“Tofu, doenjang (miso)… mushrooms, onions… you bought a lot. No, more than that, why are you buying this?”

“Ah, well… I kind of used what was left in the fridge without asking, so I figured I should restock it! Then I went out and bought a bunch of other things too!”

“…Where’d you get the money?”

“Ah… uh… th-that’s…”

Can I even say this…?

As I hesitated, Yoo Seo-ah—glancing at me while puffing on a cigarette—began to harden her expession.

By the time the cigarette had burned halfway down, her expression was already twisted.

“Don’t tell me… you stole it? Are you seriously telling me an angel just shoplifted?!”

“N-no!! Absolutely not!! I may look like this, but I'm an actual angel, you know! I’d never do such a bad thing!”

“Then why were you hesitating!?”

“Th-that’s because…!”

I still couldn’t spit it out, and the suspicion on her face only deepened.

No choice now… I just have to tell her everything honestly…

“…I paid with this.”

I carefully extended my hand, and a small gold piece appeared on my palm.

It was only about the size of a pinky nail, but since it was pure gold, the value was… substantial.

“Wait, is that…”

“It’s the only thing I had on me… It was too late to go to a gold exchange, so I just paid with this…”

Not like I had real gold on me—I created it using my abilities.

B-but don’t get the wrong idea!

It’s not fake! I didn’t scam anyone!

It doesn’t vanish when the power’s canceled, and it’s not an illusion or anything!

“…This is real gold.”

“Yes. It’s real.”

Seo-ah stared at the ‘gold’ in silence, examining it from different angles.

Then she sighed for how many times and handed it back.

“…Don’t go flashing stuff like this around. Not all humans are good people. You could end up getting kidnapped if not careful.”

A mindset completely free of greed.

A heart that cares about others more than material things…

‘A hundred points…!!’

“…Can’t you do something about that? It’s bothering the neighbors.”

I smiled awkwardly and turned off the glowing halo.

***

Night had come.

A night in a room just a little different from usual.

A room cleaned until spotless.

The smell of food lingering faintly, barely overpowering the ingrained scent of cigarettes.

It’s hard to describe exactly, but it didn’t feel bad.

Just… a little unfamiliar.

“Well then, good night!”

The self-proclaimed angel beamed at me and wished me sweet dreams.

I gave a small nod.

Actually, maybe she’s not just self-proclaimed anymore.

With a bitter smile, I turned off the lights and sat on the bed.

I instinctively reached for a cigarette and lit it, then paused.

“…”

If I smoke here, this room she worked so hard to clean… won’t it just go right back to being a mess?

…But still, that doesn’t mean I can quit.

Without a cigarette, I can’t sleep.

Even if it’s just to take the edge off for a moment, I have to smoke.

Fsshh――…

The lighter clicked in my right hand.

And I noticed… it was the same hand that had touched the angel’s head.

―Thank you!

The face of the angel smiling brightly flashed in my mind.

She had cleaned this room with a body that was much smaller than mine.

For me.

In my place.

“Haa…”

I stared at the flickering flame for a long time, then slowly lowered the lighter.

‘Just for today.’

Yeah.

Things will go back to normal tomorrow anyway.

It’s just one night. Just a dream.

So just for today…

I set the cigarette by the bedside and lay down.

How long had it been since I last lay down like this?

‘I’ve always just sat and closed my eyes…’

It felt… a little awkward.

Thinking that, I closed my eyes.

“Mmh…”

Maybe because I was sleeping in an unfamiliar posture, I tossed and turned for a while.

But at some point, I felt like I was hugging something soft in my arms.

‘Warm…’

For once…

It looks like I might’ve actually gotten a bit of sleep.

Next Chapter