Looking around, it was already evening. The twilight had long since faded completely, and the moon had fully revealed itself.
Nohah, who had carelessly wrapped a bandage around her hand, yawned widely.
It had been a tiring day.
Normally, she should have been home by now. She had originally gone out to do part-time flyer distribution work, and the incident happened while she was on her way back.
Who would have thought that a Demon would suddenly appear there?
Nohah picked up the windmill with her left hand, which wasn’t bandaged. It was from the Demon Kid she fought just moments ago.
Its power had diminished, and it had somehow shrunk this much.
“Absorb.”
As Nohah spoke, the windmill shattered into particles of light.
Magic flowed through her arm. Though it wasn’t a great amount of magic, if accumulated, it would surely become a large mountain someday.
There’s a saying, “Many a mickle makes a muckle,” isn’t there?
Thinking about it made her feel bittersweet again.
“But why is my money still just a speck?”
Nohah stared blankly at the few ten-thousand won bills she pulled out of her pocket.
It was too little.
If it were allowance from her parents, she might feel grateful, but…
“Eh, don’t think about it.”
After a brief silence, Nohah shook her head and stood up. The frail body of the girl swayed slightly.
Still, today’s earnings weren’t bad. She gained some magic power, and for the first time in a while, she did a well-paid part-time job.
Most importantly, she saved people and improved her reputation.
At this rate, getting a job at a Hero company wouldn’t be just a dream story.
“QQQ! As expected of Master Noah, I’m moved!”
A single crying magpie flew over nearby.
What was unusual was its QQQ-like cry and its ability to speak human language.
It was a Mascot, something every Magical Girl supposedly has.
Nohah scolded the Mascot.
“Where have you been all this time?”
“QQQ…! Mascots are supposed to stay out of the fight and act as supporting characters!”
“If you couldn’t talk.”
Nohah tapped the magpie’s forehead with her finger.
Then the magpie started crying, saying, “QQQ-! That’s too much! How could you hit such an adorable magpie!?”
“Because you’re annoying.”
“Isn’t it true that humans go crazy for cute things!? That’s why I deliberately transformed into this appearance…”
“Hey, QQQ.”
“QQQ?”
“I’m not eating you because you’re cute.”
“QQQuuuuut…!”
Perched on top of Nohah’s white head, the magpie curled up and wriggled like soft rice cake.
Seeing this, Nohah smirked.
She had only teased him once, yet he was so scared.
Anyway, how could she make such a small creature fight? Because it was so cute, she kept it as a pet.
…And also because there wasn’t much food anyway.
“Phew… let’s go home. Come inside my pocket. Be careful not to get noticed outside.”
“Yes, Master Noah!”
The QQQ quickly hid inside her pocket.
Seeing this, Nohah continued walking.
Let’s hurry home, eat, and then rest properly.
Having decided that, Nohah’s steps, however, felt unusually slow.
“Ow, it hurts. Why did that kid struggle so much?”
It was due to the injuries sustained during the battle with the windmill Demon. Although she had wounds all over, the worst ones were on her right hand and ankle.
Her skin on the right hand was torn badly, and her ankle was slightly swollen.
Walking wasn’t impossible, but she couldn’t walk fast.
Nohah didn’t like the current situation. She couldn’t help it.
Ordinarily, she walked quickly, ignoring everything around her. “Do your own thing; I’ll go my way,” was her usual mindset.
That’s how she used to walk.
It was inevitable. Especially on the streets at night, more so in densely populated areas.
“Ugh… smells good…”
There were far too many tempting things on the street.
“When was the last time I ate chicken…?”
The last time she ate chicken was during the cafeteria’s mass-cooked frozen chicken. And even that was almost forgotten during the spring break.
Chicken.
Lost in the aroma of greasy oil, Nohah shook her head.
She could eat cheaply when she got home.
“And it’s expensive enough as it is.”
The price of a single chicken exceeded 20,000 won. Wasn’t that excessive, no matter how crazy prices were these days?
“Frying…frying birds…! QQQ! What a cruel act…!”
“Why? Should I fry you too?”
“QQQ!!”
“Just kidding.”
Smirking, Nohah took another step forward.
But the crisis wasn’t over yet.
“Master Noah, are you alright? Your expression looks off…”
“Really…! I know this road so well!”
Still, the temptations continued.
The scent of fried food wafting through the air. The dexterous hands of an Uncle selling Takoyaki on the street. The mouthwatering breads freshly baked from the bakery.
She even felt envious seeing a girl her age enjoying some kind of Mapo Tofu.
What is that, and why does it taste so good? Is it really that delicious?
However,
“Why am I eating Mapo Tofu? With that money, I could buy a hearty Cup Ramen.”
It was the price issue.
She unconsciously pulled out the cash in her pocket. Her income was decent, but it wasn’t easy to splurge.
And then there were rent, electricity, water, and communication fees. Plus, the most significant expense yet to come.
Those things were far too luxurious for a girl living alone without parental support.
“Tch, I’ll go home and eat something nice anyway.”
Shaking off the temptation, Nohah took another step. Her ankle throbbed. Considering the cost of medicine, she couldn’t afford to be distracted by such things.
She resisted the temptation.
How long had she walked like this?
“…Ah.”
For the first time, Nohah voiced out loud. It was the sound of something falling weakly onto the ground.
Nohah’s violet eyes were drawn to a restaurant. A large sign read [Hanwoo Village].
Surrounded by large glass windows near the entrance, the interior structure and dining scenes were visible.
“…What am I doing here, Noah?”
Even though she wasn’t a pitiful beggar child, what was she doing here?
Move, move!
Hurry and leave. You need to go home. Why are you standing here awkwardly? People are staring.
“Master Noah, are you alright?”
“…”
“Master Noah?”
But Nohah simply stared blankly into the restaurant, her legs refusing to move.
The end of her gaze wasn’t directed at the lavish interior or the red meat being grilled.
There was a family.
A father wearing glasses with a gentle smile.
A mother who briefly worried after checking the price list but soon smiled.
And a daughter happily enjoying her meal with no worries alongside her parents.
Though it wasn’t something particularly enviable—
“—I want to…”
No, she was envious.
Desperately envious.
She wanted it. People naturally desire and wish to possess what they don’t have, right?
Then, what she wanted now was…
Squeezing tightly, the banknote in her hand crumpled.
“…Tch.”
“Master Noah…”
“I’ll indulge myself. QQQ.”
“QQQ?”
“Let’s go to the convenience store!”
“QQQ!!”
To shake off her gloomy mood, Nohah headed toward the convenience store. This was quite a luxury as well.
She was looking forward to a new stimulus after eating just soy sauce and rice for a while.
Finally reaching the convenience store after struggling to walk.
Upon entering and opening the door,
“—Hello.”
“Welcome—”
“…?”
“…”
She encountered a strangely familiar man.
Black hair with sharp eyes. Quite tall, his height mostly obscured the cigarette display behind him.
He was fairly handsome, but probably couldn’t survive on his looks alone.
‘Aha.’
She clearly remembered.
It was the strange man she met while fighting the windmill Demon.
His oddly familiar tone upon their first meeting had left a strong impression.
‘He said he was going to work.’
So, he worked here.
That was the end of her thoughts. Simply, the person she saved was living his normal life. That’s all.
This man didn’t know that she was a Magical Girl, so they were merely part-time worker and customer.
Anything beyond that shouldn’t exist.
Just then.
“Why? Is there something on my face?”
“A, no. Nothing. Welcome, customer.”
She gave a slight warning because the man kept staring.
Even after the warning, the man continued to stare.
‘Is it because of this?’
Raising her right hand, Nohah showed it.
“…Is it because of the bandage?”
“Huh? No, no. Just—”
“Hmph. I stylishly wrapped it, so stop making a fuss.”
“…”
“Why? Do you pity me?”
“…Excuse me.”
With a deep bow, the man apologized, and Nohah deliberately made a “Hmph!” sound.
This should prevent the man from showing unnecessary interest.
“QQQhehehehehe…”
In her pocket, QQQ let out a mischievous laugh and whispered softly.
“QQQhehehehe… Look at that man’s gaze, Master Noah.”
“Why?”
“Clearly, he’s smitten with Master Noah’s beauty… Could this be a green light…!”
“QQQ, I’ll fry you?”
“QQQuuut…”
Apparently, she needed to cut down on YouTube viewing time.
Ever since QQQ started watching YouTube, he learned all sorts of strange things.
Thinking that, Nohah headed toward the Cup Ramen display.
She could already feel her mouth watering.
Yukgaejang Cup Ramen.
The salty and savory broth combined with thin, chewy noodles.
Not to mention, one of the few affordable cup ramens.
In a world where some cup ramens cost over 3,000 won, wasn’t this a reliable supporter for commoners’ wallets?
Nohah also loved Yukgaejang.
Delicious and cheap.
Perhaps because she was thinking that way—
“…Eh?”
“What’s wrong, Master Noah?”
“The price of Yukgaejang went up by 1,000 won…?”
The betrayal she felt from a single cup ramen might be immeasurably large.
“…Maybe I should attack the big corporations instead of fighting Demons…?”
