Yumina leaned against the main library entrance, sitting crouched over with her head buried. Cha Haneul is really over the top. When a friend calls and suddenly starts talking, shouldn’t you kindly ask for the reason instead? How did it come to pass that every word feels so cold and harsh? It’s really over the top. Sure, if she suddenly calls and complains about being annoyed or having bad luck, it might be awkward for both sides, but even so, how could she speak without a single kind word? It’s really too much.
She doubts if Cha Haneul even considers her a friend. The one who visits with invitations is always her, and any contact or arrangement is always initiated by her. Cha Haneul has never started a conversation first. Reflecting further, she realized that even in class, it’s always her who initiates conversations. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that Cha Haneul has never come to her first in their entire relationship. The only exception might have been when Cha Haneul subtly approached her to copy homework – but that offered no comfort whatsoever.
Still, she doesn’t think Cha Haneul intentionally disregards her as a friend. Whenever other classmates invite Cha Haneul somewhere, she outright refuses, but she often accepts Yumina’s invitations. So, they are friends. The question is whether she should feel happy about it. Why does Doyugeon get treated so kindly, but not her? She feels like asking Cha Haneul but is intimidated by the likely trivial answer.
“Just because…?”
She was brooding in her melancholy when a stray cat approached her and rubbed against her leg.
“Cat, are you comforting me?”
She lifted the cat and held it in her arms. Burying her face in the cat’s fur, she noticed a refreshing scent.
“You’re such a clean cat. Cha Haneul would be a better person if she had a clean personality too.”
Taking a deep breath, the refreshing scent remained. This smell isn’t from the stray. Looking closely, the fluffy white fur seemed just like a pet cat. Suddenly realizing something, she looked around, but no owner was in sight.
Looking back at the cat in her arms, the cat was also gazing at her. It was a familiar white cat.
“Cat, you don’t really talk, do you?”
The cat tilted its head.
—Cats can’t normally talk, can they?
The cat spoke clearly.
She felt a chill, and shaking her arms, the cat naturally jumped to the ground.
—I came back because I didn’t properly communicate in the previous urgent situation.
“…What?”
—I’m a magical girl.
She flinched slightly, sensing herself calming down.
“What did you say?”
—I’m a magical girl.
A talking cat mentioning a magical girl seemed suspicious. Still crouching, she moved away from the cat.
—Why are you avoiding me?
“Well, it’s suspicious, right?”
—Where are you going?
“Because a white cat approaches, saying they want to form a magic contract—it sounds like some scam.”
—That’s true. Still, don’t worry. I’m not a scammer.
“Hmm…”
It’s hard to believe.
Yet, curiosity urged her to move to a nearby bench.
—If you become a magical girl, you can actually wield magic.
“Like the Fire Mage launching Fireballs?”
—It works differently. A magical girl realizes imagination into reality. Not constrained by formalities like Fireballs. Of course, the kind of imagination that can manifest depends on the magical girl individually.
“Sounds interesting. Like generating cash or something like that?”
—It’s possible, but no magical girl can do that yet.
“Gee, too bad. Is there a cost for using magic?”
—Surely there must be. Magic without cost doesn’t exist.
“And what cost does a magical girl pay?”
The cat smiled.
—Your soul!
It was such a casual answer, so casual that it made soul seem like an insignificant thing.
“Hmm… Soul?”
—That’s right.
At this nonchalant answer, she responded casually as well.
“Could you by any chance be a devil?”
—I’m Schrödinger.
For a moment, she didn’t understand, but then realized this was the cat Cha Haneul mentioned. Cha Haneul said she could no longer see Schrödinger because her skill had disappeared. This Schrödinger was likely trying to convert Cha Haneul but gave up because of Cha Haneul’s personality. Understandable, really.
“Anyway, are you a devil?”
—No. There seems to be a misunderstanding about the soul thing. Becoming a magical girl doesn’t mean I’ll steal your soul as part of a contract.
“Well?”
—When you become a magical girl, you’ll get a magic tool. Magic is not wielded by the magical girl, but by the tool. A machine needs fuel to run, right? Similarly, imagining and manifesting reality requires a soul.
“So, you’re right.”
—A little soul consumed won’t cause any major issues.
“A minor problem?”
—Don’t you feel tired and listless when you stay up late? That kind of fatigue and listlessness might occur.
She wondered whether this was truly a small issue or not, given how staying up late for phone usage can cause similar tiredness and listlessness.
“…If a lot is consumed, what happens?”
Schrödinger smiled.
—Your lifespan gets shortened. If you keep using it, you might die, right?
Even Schrödinger’s expression seemed awkward as she said it.
—Don’t worry. No matter how many Fireballs you throw, it’s hard for it to shave off even a month of your life.
She felt the whole conversation reeked of trickery. As she contemplated his words, Schrödinger paused and started licking his fur.
Footsteps approached, and she turned her head. A girl was walking towards the library. Although it was a closed day, the girl’s approach gave off a strange sense of kinship.
Then, it suddenly dawned on her.
“If the cost for using magic is soul, what do you get out of making a magical girl contract?”
—There’s no cost for the contract. Are you questioning the principle of good faith?
“Well, that’s not what I meant, but if you’re giving out magic tools, there must be some cost involved.”
Normally, magical contracts have such scam-like methods.
—It’s a lease. We charge a monthly rental fee. Not free. If you don’t pay, we take it back.
“Renting out souls…”
—Money.
She felt suddenly jolted back to reality, momentarily speechless.
—If you become a magical girl, you can take quests. You’ll get paid for completing them. That’s how you’ll cover the rental fee.
“Ah, okay.”
She sat there vacantly for a moment. She imagined the dramatic and tragic life of a magical girl, but once money talk came up, expectations shattered.
“So, instead of this Q&A, can I just read the contract? Is it ready…?”
—Of course.
In the air, a few sheets of paper contracts appeared. The standard contractual relationship between Party A and Party B was clearly stated in this contract. Looking closely, there was nothing magical about it, just a carefully drawn-up contract.
“Really just a contract… Hmm… So, by the way, do I have to sign with blood or something?”
—What strange imagination! Blood spreads. Want a ballpoint pen?
She shook her head.
“If you sign this with a ballpoint pen, does it carry magical binding power?”
—You’re expecting too much from this contract.
“Well, yes, but…”
—If I answer and you don’t believe me anyway, you should just stop asking.
“Ah! Is performing quests mandatory?”
—There’s no such clause in the contract.
“No, I didn’t mean that.”
—Really, why do you ask?
She didn’t know why she was questioning either. She paused the conversation and carefully scanned the contract. There must be some hidden toxic clauses.
“Now I understand why no one’s in the library today; it’s the off day.”
A nearby voice broke her thoughts, and she looked up. The girl who had been walking towards the library entrance stood there. She was around Cha Haneul’s height, likely a first-year middle school student.
The girl sat casually next to her on the bench.
“Don’t ask the cat; ask me. That guy just doesn’t look trustworthy.”
—I am a cat.
“Being a cat… Can you change your form? Maybe the color of your fur?”
—I like it just like this.
Their conversation was so natural.
“Are you a magical girl?”
“Yes, I am.”
They had a small side chat before diving into the main topic.
“There are various types of quests: system maintenance, magical girl-related tasks, and crime monitoring, including drug trading and others, for maintaining peace.”
“Wait, why do magical girls need to maintain peace?”
“Magical girls originally maintain peace, don’t they? Haven’t you heard of vigilante groups?”
“In a centralized country like ours, specifically in the heart of Seoul, why should magical girls maintain peace?”
The girl tilted her head.
“Because it’s necessary?”
“That’s the police’s job.”
The girl opened her mouth wide.
“You’re smart! This is the first magical girl I’ve met saying such things. Yes, it’s the police’s job. But we help because it’s necessary.”
“But even if it’s necessary, if there’s a problem, reporting it to the police is the right thing to do.”
“Really smart!”
Something about it felt sarcastic, but upon looking, the girl was just smiling.
“If you don’t trust the local police department, you can report to a higher authority. If you don’t trust them either, go higher up.”
“Exactly! Really, really smart!”
The praise didn’t feel like it came from a good place, but she continued anyway.
“If you don’t trust the police, you can report to the prosecution.”
“Amazing!”
The girl clapped her hands.
“But even so, magical girls still help maintain peace. We don’t know why, but there are probably issues with manpower, budget, priorities, or responsibility. There must be some reason, although we don’t understand.”
“There’s no way… peacekeeping is one of the top priorities.”
“That’s what you say, but right now in the heart of Seoul, drug trading is going unchecked, and we’re the ones monitoring it?”
“…Have you tried reporting this to the media?”
“Wow, really smart! Having our existence denied is actually kind of fun.”
The magical girl stood up from the bench.
“If you become a magical girl, you’ll work alongside me. If that’s the case, I hope we can get along well in the future.”
She extended her hand, so she shook it.
“I’d like to talk more, but I have work, so I should leave first!”
The magical girl left. It felt like a moment.
—Shall I finish explaining everything? I didn’t explain much about the reward yet, did I?
“Ah… Yes.”
…
Cha Haneul finished drinking her Cappuccino. Part of the cake was left. Should I make another cup? Without coffee, I feel eating the cake would be too much.
As she took out a coffee capsule, a call from Yumina came on. Why is she calling when she just left?
She picked up the call.
“What?”
She pressed the coffee machine button. An espresso was being made. So convenient.
“You’re really annoying.”
She didn’t know why Yumina randomly said that.
“It’s all of a sudden. What?”
“You’re rude and bothersome, and you’re really annoying.”
She had no clue what to do.
“I know.”
“Do you know, and you’re not going to change? That’s more annoying.”
“So what?”
“…”
She thought Yumina was about to say something profound, so she stopped her hand and paid attention. After a moment, the call disconnected. What is that about?
She poured milk into the finished espresso. Why did she call? Puberty? She finished making her Cappuchino and returned to her seat. Did I do something wrong? Hmm. There’s too much, but nothing really fits.
A bite of cake reminded her of something. Could it be due to Grandpa’s machinations? Though the last time she caught him trying with Doyugeon and got him to apologize, this time it might be Yumina, so who knows.
She called.
“Oh, Sky. Did you miss this old man?”
“No.”
“Hmm…”
She took a sip of coffee. Oops, it’s hot. She blew on it to cool down.
“Grandpa, what did you do to Yumina?”
“Perceptive as always, Director Rim.”
“You’re so shameless.”
“I just gave a pre-warning because a classmate of yours was wandering around at night without permission.”
“You didn’t even ask for my consent?”
“Ei! Sorry! I couldn’t consult you because this old man is forgetful.”
Yes, he is.
“Next time, be careful. Don’t upset Doyugeon unnecessarily like that.”
“Sky, you’re not letting that kid lead you too much, are you?”
“It’s not like that.”
“I worry about you getting hurt. Unilateral relationships aren’t good.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“Constantly being led around isn’t good for the kid either.”
Such sound reasoning leaves her speechless.
“I’ll deal with it myself. Don’t worry, Grandpa.”
“That’s right. You’ll handle it well, Sky.”
Ugh. She took a bite of strawberry cake. Unnecessarily sweet.
After exchanging a few mundane words, she ended the call. I feel drained, tired.
She finished her coffee, got up, and stretched. Yawn. I want to sleep, but I should hang around or go out. She stretched despite her stiffness.
She boxed cookies of a few types and went upstairs to get ready to leave after washing her face and changing clothes.
Afterward, she was concerned about Doyugeon receiving a shock, so she decided to let him be with his family for a while. However, he hasn’t contacted her for a few days. Though skipping calls for a few days can happen, without even a hello in such times, it made her uneasy, so she decided to visit his home. She should contact him before reaching the house.
She took out her phone and contacted him. The call connected but was busy. Hmm. I should have called earlier. She put the phone away.
The car kept moving. In the meantime, spotting Doyugeon walking on the street was a coincidence. He’s not at home, almost a wasted trip.
She stopped the car and got out. She walked behind Doyugeon and poked his waist.
“Hi.”
“Eh? Cha Haneul?”
“What a coincidence meeting here. Where were you headed?”
Doyugeon seemed a little flustered. He doesn’t seem happy to see her, making her feel oddly hurt.
“Ah, a café nearby. Someone invited me.”
“Oh? Then I’ll have a cup of coffee too.”
“Don’t, don’t! It’ll be awkward since you don’t know the person.”
“Then, I guess there’s nothing I can do.”
If he’s going to a café, she can’t give him cookies. She bid her regards, then parted ways. Doyugeon disappeared around the corner.
It’s strange. Only a few days have passed since that day, so who could he be meeting? Sure, it’s possible he has such friends… but…
Hmm.
She followed him discreetly.
![[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered](https://i3.wp.com/novelhitam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/1743806812-5548-TS-The-Protagonist-is-Conquered.png?resize=151,215 "[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered")
