[Everyone gather at Mr. Shin Hyun’s house. Bringing snacks and drinks is optional.]
“…What in the world does this mean?”
Yoo Yul, holding the message, wore a look of confusion.
A sudden gathering? What could this be about? Moreover, why was someone who should be in the hospital there?
“Snacks and drinks… what for…”
Had she been worried that he might be down, but he seemed okay? Perhaps he had come to terms with whatever it was.
‘Slightly disappointing.’
Still, the two of them looked quite good together. Though, it was probably unavoidable.
Heroes and villains. There’s always an unbridgeable gap between those two words.
She decided she should go over and offer some comfort.
With that thought, Yoo Yul grabbed a bag of snacks and headed toward his place. His semi-basement home was located down a winding alleyway.
It was somewhere she had visited a few times thanks to Noah’s invitations.
Yoo Yul opened the door and took a look inside. It seemed she was the last one to arrive.
“Yul, you’re here?”
“Yes, I’ve arrived.”
“You’re late, aren’t you?”
“I made dinner for my siblings before coming.”
Noah greeted her with a smile. Lee Tae-hwa and Seo Jin-a, who had arrived earlier, also exchanged puzzled glances.
What could have him so cheerful?
Yoo Yul cautiously observed Noah.
For someone who had just left a hospital bed and received sad news, he looked far too relaxed.
“Sister, is something the matter?”
That was the obvious question to ask.
Upon receiving Yoo Yul’s inquiry, Noah headed towards the freezer and calmly began speaking.
“Let’s eat cake together.”
“Cake…?”
“Yeah. Uncle bought an ice cream cake for me because it was my birthday. Since it would be a waste to leave it untouched, let’s all eat it now.”
Ice cream cake?
Yoo Yul stared intently at the large box in Noah’s hands. As he grinned and opened the lid, colorful ice cream spilled out.
“It must taste good.”
“Sister… it’s…”
“I know what you want to say. Let’s just eat it. It’d be such a waste to throw it away.”
Yoo Yul felt flustered. The other magical girls present shared similar feelings, yet they found it difficult to refuse Noah’s invitation. One by one, they began eating the ice cream with spoons.
Nom nom, Noah enjoyed the cake enthusiastically.
Watching him, Tae-hwa twirled her spoon.
“Noah.”
“Hmm?”
“Why do you look so happy? You looked awful when I saw you at the hospital earlier.”
“Did I?”
“You did. Tell us. What happened?”
Noah chuckled and nodded.
“Well, I’ve trusted Uncle from the start.”
“Uncle… Noah, even if you trust him, the fact remains that he’s the villain—”
“Exactly. Turns out, he had his reasons.”
Reasons?
What kind of reasons?
Tae-hwa asked, raising an eyebrow.
“What happened?”
“Hmm… listen closely.”
Noah held up a letter, and his lips curled into a smirk.
“I’m about to tell you an incredible story.”
+++++
“Do you understand?”
“So… according to you, Noah, Uncle chose to play the role of the villain for your sake and ours?”
“Yeah. He had a tough time himself.”
“Is that really true…?”
Tae-hwa’s gaze shifted toward QQQ.
Given how devoted Noah was to that person, there was a chance she might fall for a simple trick.
But even QQQ…
“Yes. It’s true. To add, I personally spoke with him. Everything was done for Noah-sama’s sake.”
“Is that really true?”
“Yes. If he had any ill intentions, he wouldn’t have left us alone for an entire month.”
Rather, he almost fell prey to Noah.
QQQ refrained from saying that and instead added:
“He’s trustworthy. Although his methods were somewhat rough and illegal, his heart was sincere.”
“If QQ agrees…”
Seo Jin-a interjected.
“So, what are you planning to do now? You mentioned being cursed, right?”
That was a question fitting for someone skilled in healing.
In response to Seo Jin-a’s question, Noah pulled out another letter.
It read: [We’re about to begin the strategy.]
“That, Noah? What is it?”
“It’s supposed to contain methods for dealing with future enemies and ways to lift the curse.”
“What?! That sounds like a cheat!”
“Uncle himself said so. Apparently, we’re already so strong it’s practically cheating.”
Under normal circumstances, they should have been much weaker.
However, due to the Kraken’s involvement, they grew significantly stronger than in the original story.
In a way, the Kraken was their benefactor.
“—Hmm… It would be nice if there was a method to deal with the Demon King as well.”
“That doesn’t exist. It was the only thing Uncle couldn’t foresee.”
“What does that mean?”
“The happiest ending for everyone.”
In other words.
“A happy ending.”
At Noah’s words, everyone swallowed hard.
A human who had witnessed so much of the world’s events, and yet the one thing he couldn’t predict was a happy ending.
“Uncle is doing everything he can to see a happy ending. That’s why he’s gone to great lengths for our sake.”
Noah clenched her fists tightly.
“So now it’s our turn to help him.”
“—Hmm, alright. So what’s the plan?”
“There will be many demons appearing in the future. I’ll post their types and countermeasures on KakaoTalk, so please take note. And from certain demons, you need to collect essence compulsorily.”
On the paper were various details listed.
For example, suitable essences for each individual, the demons possessing those essences, methods for defeating those demons, and abilities derived from the essences.
“And about lifting the curse.”
“Use the gray cauldron, burn branches of the Giant Ent as firewood, and boil the collected essences using Ragnarok the Fire Elemental’s flames.”
“Then, a candy-like essence will remain. Feeding that will instantly remove the curse.”
“—Sounds tough.”
“But we have to do it. For Uncle.”
“—Of course. Hey, Noah.”
“Hmm?”
“When this is all over, you should definitely propose marriage to Uncle.”
At Tae-hwa’s joke, Noah’s cheeks turned red.
“H-Hmph! Don’t worry about it! I’ll handle it properly!”
“Alright, alright. Anyway, if Uncle’s words are true, we’ll be pretty busy from now on.”
“Let’s all get stronger. We need to defeat the Demon King.”
The magical girls nodded.
Flames flickered in each of their eyes. Their thoughts may differ slightly, but their goal was one.
To save that man, seal the Demon King, and save the world.
“Let’s do it!!”
Their united voices rang out as they raised their joined hands high.
Just then.
Thunk.
Another piece of paper fell from the envelope.
“Huh? Noah, a paper fell.”
“Three pages? Guess I missed one.”
Noah picked up the fallen sheet. It seemed to be another page from the strategy guide.
“We need to thoroughly check everything.”
Noah began carefully reading the remaining page.
Soon after,
“Eh… Eeeek…”
I-Is this real…?
Noah’s face turned as red as a ripe strawberry. She hadn’t expected to have to resort to such a method.
“Noah? What’s wrong?”
“T-Tae-hwa… It’s…”
“What exactly is it?”
“I-I absolutely can’t show it! Or… Do we have to follow the plan and show it? Ugh… Ugh…”
“What is it?”
A small moan escaped Noah’s lips into the room.
“Ugh…”
As Noah continued to groan, her lips moved hesitantly.
Then, with a resigned sigh, she handed over the paper.
“Read it…”
Tae-hwa took the paper and began reading.
Her first impression was that it was long.
Something about the first two pages being shorter made her think this longer content might be important.
“[By the way, this isn’t some dirty scheme or lewd intention. It’s merely an explanation from someone who has glimpsed the stories of the world.]”
…Or maybe it’s just an excuse.
His words went on and on, unlike the previous two pages.
“So where’s the main point?”
Lost in the dense text, Tae-hwa soon discovered the crucial part.
Indeed, this method was enough to make Noah break down.
“Uh… How… to do this…”
“Well, it’s actually quite romantic.”
No, thinking about it now feels strange.
“You were the one suggesting marriage earlier! Why are you hesitating like this!?”
“That’s different! This is different!”
Interrupting their bickering, Yoo Yul stepped in.
Yoo Yul took the paper from Tae-hwa and slowly began reading.
Until…
“Sister… Can you really do this?”
“I don’t know! I don’t know either! Ugh… Aaaaah!!!”
Her eyes stopped at one particular spot.
[Perhaps this curse was placed on Noah. To resolve this curse… G-Girls, the member with the highest intimacy with Noah… In other words, one of you needs to transfer the essence mouth-to-mouth, in a kissing ritual. Like… a candy kiss. Yes, unbelievable, but…]
Yoo Yul’s face turned red as she clutched the letter.
And simultaneously, she understood why her sister had reacted so strongly.
It must have been the sentence written at the bottom of the paper that drove her mad.
[PS. Sorry, Noah. And please take care. My favorite Magical Girl.]
“What should we do now… Me…”
“There’s nothing else to do. We have to obediently accept the kiss.”
“Ugh… Ugh… Ugh… Aaaahhhhhh!!!”
Noah’s cheeks turned as red as a ripe apple.
