Noah went over to the cup ramen display and began muttering.
“Huh… Does a thousand won even make sense anymore…? It used to be so much cheaper… inflation is really out of control…”
Apparently, Noah was dissatisfied with the rise in cup ramen prices.
“…Should I raid a big corporation instead of fighting demons…?”
…Hey, if you do that, you’ll become a terrorist, you know.
A beautiful magical girl defeating demons committing terror because of cup ramen prices—
To someone who doesn’t know the situation, it might just sound like a joke or they might think Noah’s slightly off mentally.
But for me, who knows Noah’s circumstances somewhat, this wasn’t an issue I could easily overlook.
‘Iris isn’t the only one with bad endings.’
When Iris meets a bad ending at the hands of the enemy, Noah often suffers from primarily mental issues, leading to bad endings.
Problems such as selling their body for money and losing their magical girl status, or in severe cases, even committing suicide.
Noah’s mental strength wasn’t very robust, and the world had given a harsh reality check to a girl who merely pretended to be strong.
“…Sigh… There’s nothing I can do about it.”
Noah sighed deeply and picked up the cup ramen.
“Can I pay for this?”
The cup ramen was placed on the counter.
“It’s a thousand won.”
To some, it’s an insignificantly small amount of money. Some people wouldn’t even bother picking up a thousand won coin they dropped on the street.
But Noah was different. This thousand won must be incredibly precious to her.
With trembling hands, the bill was handed over, and change was returned.
“…Sigh.”
Noah sighed again. It made me feel sorry for her.
Here she is, doing dangerous work to save others, yet in reality, she has to worry about buying a single cup of ramen.
As Noah trudged towards the dining table, I thought for a moment.
‘QQQ, maybe I should take care of Noah’s mental health a bit.’
I don’t want to see her end up hanging by a rope. Even now, before the main story has started, Noah seems unstable.
Once the main story begins, her condition will undoubtedly worsen.
‘What Noah needs right now is…’
Tapping my fingers on the desk, I was reminiscing. Not as the magical girl Iris but as plain old Noah.
What did the lonely and pitiful girl Noah desire most?
A word suddenly came to mind. …Right, what Noah probably desires most is…
‘Relationships.’
Isn’t it about relationships between people?
In my view, Noah was a lonely girl.
Though the game didn’t delve into details, it was clearly stated: difficult family protection and being bullied at school.
Then how many people does this girl have that she can rely on, or at least talk to?
“…None.”
She did interact with some other magical girls, but that’s in the future. For now, all she has is the mascot QQQ lounging comfortably in her pocket.
Moreover, a line from the game’s dialogue came to mind.
“[I’m working so hard to save the world… but no one acknowledges it. Yeah, I know it’s unavoidable. Still… it feels kind of bitter.]”
The desire for recognition.
Even as plain old Noah, she wants praise.
‘I’ve even heard whispers about affection deficits.’
The threads of what I need to do next are starting to come together.
I got up from my seat and bought a triangle rice cake. Might as well get some candy and band-aids too.
I’m not exactly wealthy either, but if this brings us closer, it’s worth it.
“Excuse me.”
“…Yes?”
“I apologize for interrupting your meal—”
“I’m underage.”
“…”
“Ever since you started acting like this… Do you really want to go to jail?”
Noah’s eyes sharpened. She must have thought I was some creep hitting on a minor.
I quickly denied it.
“No, it’s not like that.”
“Then what is it?”
At that, Noah tilted her head and raised her phone, as if to say, “If you say anything weird, I’ll report you.”
Feeling the crisis of life, I decided not to drag it out and cut straight to the chase.
Slouching a little—
“Thank you for helping me earlier.”
And with a proper bow.
+++++
A man suddenly bowing.
It was confusing.
‘What is he doing?’
Noah, having worked part-time and seen all kinds of people, had never encountered someone bowing like this before.
Caught off guard by this unfamiliar situation, even QQQ in her pocket seemed flustered.
“A… um… excuse me…”
What should she do in situations like this?
Noah, lost in thought, failed to realize that control of the situation had already shifted to the other person.
“I’m Shin Hyun.”
“Oh… yes.”
“I’d like to return the favor for your help earlier.”
“Favor?”
“You’re Magical Girl Iris, right?”
“N-no, I’m not.”
Noah tried to lie, but Shin Hyun smiled.
“You’re not very good at lying.”
“What?”
“Your lips were moving strangely.”
Realizing she’d been caught, Noah touched her mouth.
And realized she’d effectively admitted to lying.
‘How…?’
While it was puzzling how he figured out her identity, that wasn’t the important thing anymore.
What mattered was what this man would do now that he knew.
Fear crept in.
Could he be planning to blackmail her using this knowledge?
Shin Hyun, sensing Noah’s thoughts, gave a bright smile.
“Don’t worry. I don’t have any bad intentions.”
“But I don’t trust people easily.”
“True. The world is quite messed up these days.”
Still, there are good people somewhere in the world.”
“…”
“Really, thank you. Please accept this.”
From his pocket, Shin Hyn pulled out a triangle rice cake and several medicines, offering them to Noah.
His serious expression suggested this wasn’t a joke.
“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I know everything.”
“About what?”
“Magical Girl Iris, right?”
“I… I’m not.”
Noah tried hard to deny it, but Shin Hyun just smiled.
“You’re not a good liar.”
“Huh?”
“Your lips were moving funny.”
Noah touched her lips, realizing she’d been caught.
And now she was effectively admitting she’d lied.
‘How…?’
While it was mysterious how he figured out her identity, that wasn’t the important thing anymore.
What mattered was what this man would do now that he knew.
Fear crept in.
Could he be planning to blackmail her using this knowledge?
Shin Hyun, sensing Noah’s thoughts, gave a bright smile.
“Don’t worry. I don’t have any bad intentions.”
“But I don’t trust people easily.”
“True. The world is quite messed up these days.”
Still, there are good people somewhere in the world.”
“…”
“Really, thank you. Please accept this.”
Quietly, QQQ whispered to Noah from inside her pocket.
“Noah-sama, it doesn’t seem like there’s any poison or anything.”
“Then what about this guy? Is there something strange about him?”
“Not at all. He’s not a demon, and I barely sense any magic power.”
“So he’s just an ordinary person?”
“It’s hard to be sure, but that seems likely.”
Although his actions and tone were unusual, QQQ was a fairly advanced mascot creature.
Detecting poison would be easy, and even if someone tried to hide their magic power, it would be immediately noticed.
Unless they were a high-ranking officer of the Demon King’s army, there was no way it would go unnoticed.
In other words, if QQQ says this, it means the man’s words are likely true.
Despite still not knowing how he figured out her identity.
“Alright, I’ll take it.”
“Yes, please use it to treat your injuries.”
For a moment, silence reigned as Noah struggled to figure out how to respond.
If she were Iris, she might have handled it casually.
But now, as plain old Noah, she’d never met someone like this before.
Noah hastily grabbed her half-eaten ramen and stood up.
She couldn’t bear sitting there any longer.
“Then I’ll be going. About my identity…”
“Yes, I understand. It’s a secret. Don’t worry, I’ll keep it.”
“…If my identity gets revealed, I’ll come here immediately.”
“Yes.”
“If anyone around me gets hurt because of this, I’ll come back to get revenge!”
“Our convenience store always welcomes customers.”
Where does he get this calm from?
Is he perhaps a god who suddenly fell into this world?
He’s so relaxed that the warning almost exhausts me.
If I stay with this guy any longer, my lifespan will definitely shorten.
Noah quickly tried to leave the store.
And at that moment, the man’s voice rang out.
“I’ll always be cheering for you.”
“…”
“Eat well and feel free to visit anytime.”
“…”
“It’s tough being a magical girl, isn’t it? If there’s anything I can help with, let me know. Venting or consulting about worries—I can’t fight directly, but I’ll help however I can.”
Noah turned to look at Shin Hyun.
Worry was evident on his face.
Having met various types of people and living a life constantly mindful of others, Noah could sense it.
Ah, his concern is genuine.
How long has it been since she last heard such caring words?
Perhaps she should express her gratitude.
Suspicious though it may be, hearing encouragement was also true.
“Th…”
“Yes?”
“Th… Th…”
“Th?”
Blocking
It was surprisingly hard to say thank you.
“Uh… Ah… Goodbye!”
“Yes, we hope to see you again-”
“AAAAAAHHHHH!!!”
Unable to finish her sentence, Noah chose to flee.
Fleeing might be embarrassing, but it was practical.
+++++
I watched Noah’s retreating figure for a moment.
Not bad for a first meeting.
Her defensive attitude hadn’t completely disappeared, but that was to be expected.
Anyone would be surprised if a stranger suddenly revealed their secret.
“Hmm.”
I sat back down and organized my thoughts.
First, Noah.
Whether Noah will visit again is uncertain, but she’ll definitely keep an eye on me for a while.
Just to ensure I keep her secret.
Every time she checks up on me, I’ll make sure to take good care of her.
Maybe one day she’ll open up. Friends aren’t complicated things.
You just hang out and eventually become friends.
The second issue is Iris.
“…Guess I’ll have to step in directly.”
It wasn’t something I particularly wanted to do.
Sometimes in novels, you see characters who willingly play the villain to help the protagonist grow stronger.
Never thought I’d be the one doing that.
But if she doesn’t get used to combat and strengthen her abilities early on, she’ll be in trouble later.
After all, she’s destined to play a key role in the battle against the Demon King.
I’ll have to become the villain.
And personally train the magical girl.
“There’s no other choice.”
It’s absurd, but fortunately, I have a method.
I know the lore of the game, and I happen to know a suitable individual.
“Bad Ending #18.”
The horrifying ending where Iris is caught by a creepy tentacle and becomes an egg sack.
Before that happens, I need to steal the culprit’s powers.
