“I’m going to school!”
With a bright voice, Noah stepped out the door. A radiant smile graced the lips of the girl in her neat school uniform.
“It’s been a while since I’ve slept so well, and there’s no pain in my body.”
It was a refreshing feeling after a long time.
I wondered what had happened in the past to make me feel this way, but then decided it would be fine to just let bygones be bygones.
“Uncle, I’ll be back.”
An early morning departure from home for school.
Noah bowed her head slightly and suddenly felt awkward at the words that came out of her mouth.
Looking up, she saw a man who should have been her father.
Perhaps hurt by being called “uncle,” he gave a bitter smile.
She couldn’t understand why she had called the man who should have been her father “uncle.”
For a moment, his appearance seemed younger, like a black-haired, pale-eyed man—but then again, she didn’t know anyone like that.
Feeling confused and stammering, she heard a voice.
“Noah, did I do something wrong?”
“A-ah, no…”
“Then why do you call me ‘uncle’? It hurts.”
“I’m sorry…”
“It’s okay…anyone can make a mistake.”
Noah smiled faintly at the sound of concern in his voice.
Realizing her mistake while also sensing something strange, Noah understood that there was an unsettling feeling about this situation.
Even though she had spent hours living this kind of daily life…
“Hmm?”
Hours?
“It’s strange…”
Certainly, it should have taken years for her to grow this much.
And yet, only hours?
“No matter how I think about it, it’s strange…”
Trying to clear her increasingly complicated mind, Noah stepped outside.
“I need to pull myself together…now that I’m a high school student.”
Already a high school student, it was time to take responsibility for her own life.
With that, Noah clenched her fists and resolved:
To complete the music she was making for that person, no matter what.
“…Again…”
Noah’s heart pounded.
Who could that person be? Why does just the thought of them make her heart race?
This person had troubled her all morning. Eventually, she reached a conclusion.
“I must have forgotten something important.”
Something very precious that she shouldn’t have forgotten.
“…Ah.”
While thinking this, her phone rang.
A text message from her mother appeared on the screen. Always encouraging and sending warm messages, Noah knew without even looking that this was one expressing love.
“Thank you, Mom.”
Her lips curled into a smile at the message from her mother.
Expressing gratitude and trying to gather energy, she attempted to read all the texts she’d received so far.
“There’s nothing else?”
Apart from the recent message, there was nothing else.
Sighing softly, Noah put her phone away and ran to the bus stop.
“…It’s scary. What is this?”
The feeling that everything in this world might be a lie.
Her body began to tremble. Although she tried to console herself, thinking it was probably just some weird misunderstanding, she boarded the bus and arrived at school.
The entrance ceremony passed without incident, and the first day of high school flowed smoothly.
The only unusual event was the good news that she had been selected as a scholar, allowing her to attend school without financial worries.
“But wasn’t I bad at studying…?”
It was strange, nonetheless.
“Let’s go home…”
Step by step, Noah walked through the evening streets as the sunset painted the sky.
Then, at some point, she entered an alley.
It felt oddly familiar. Where had she seen this place before?
“Oh, it’s where I first met that strange villain.”
The guy with black tentacles—she first encountered him here—
“…a villain?”
Not exactly a hero comic, but things have definitely gotten strange lately.
Thinking that, Noah continued walking.
“…QQQ!?”
She couldn’t help but be shocked.
Black tentacles.
They covered the narrow alley entirely—black tentacles—
“Why…why is this happening?”
Her heart raced.
Those unpleasant and repulsive black tentacles felt strangely familiar.
Why?
“…It’s strange…”
Her feet moved.
The sound of footsteps echoed in her ears. As she reached out to touch the tentacle—
“Are you happy?”
“QQQ!?”
The tentacles disappeared instantly, revealing a man with black hair.
Just looking at him made her heart constrict.
I’ve seen this man somewhere…
“Excuse me, have we met somewhere?”
“…”
“It feels like I’ve seen you before.”
“…Has your memory not completely disappeared? Or have you instinctively realized something?”
Muttering seriously, the man sighed and relaxed his expression.
“So, what have you been doing recently that makes you look so happy?”
“Uh…well…”
“Don’t think too much about it; just speak freely.”
How could she feel relaxed around someone she just met?
“…Living with Mom and Dad makes me really happy.”
Huh?
“Hmm, and anything else?”
“…Mom waking me up in the morning, eating meals together as a family. It’s wonderful.”
Why are these words coming out so easily? This is strange.
The dark-haired man remained silent, staring intently at her.
“If you’re happy, you can stay here.”
“Here?”
“Maybe this is the happiness you truly desired. Waking up in the morning, going to school, eating meals. Greeting your parents…”
Noah found it difficult to understand what the man was saying. One thing was certain: the more he spoke, the sadder his expression became.
The man closed his mouth and approached slowly.
“But, you see, Uncle might feel a little hurt.”
“Huh?”
“While trusting you, I’ve kept holding on. My main body has.”
“Main body…?”
“Well, anyway, this is just a dream, and I’m probably just some residual magic from you, so it doesn’t really matter.”
“Hold on, what are you trying to—”
There was no reply.
Instead, the man showed her through action.
BOOM.
Noah’s small body was pushed back and lightly hit the wall. The man approached with a cold expression, trapping Noah between himself and the wall.
Like a vegetable sandwiched in a sandwich, she was squeezed, unable to move.
“Um…excuse me…”
“Stay still.”
“Ah…”
The man raised his hand. Unable to resist, Noah accepted his touch.
He gently cupped her cheeks and slowly moved his face closer.
When his breath could be felt, Noah held her breath.
Tightly shut eyes. However, the sensation was felt elsewhere.
His hot breath brushed against her ear.
“Everyone’s waiting for you. Magical Girl.”
“Eh…? What…!? Where did you go!?”
When Noah opened her eyes, there was no one in sight.
Neither the black-haired man nor the black tentacles existed. Just an ordinary alleyway stretched before her.
“This is strange…definitely strange!”
Felt endless oddness, Noah ran home.
But even at home, she couldn’t find peace.
“Come on, let’s eat dinner.”
“…Eh?”
“Why are you surprised? Isn’t this your favorite meat?”
“Meat…?”
Chunks of what looked like black tentacles were grilled and placed on the dining table.
“Why is the house…”
What she thought was a cozy and comfortable home had suddenly turned into ruins.
“…”
“Why are you like this, Noah?”
“You’re fake.”
The image of her mother, who used to warmly embrace her, now crackled with noise…
“What a fool. Me too.”
For falling into such a trap, for clinging to unattainable happiness.
“…”
CLANG!
Noah smashed the window with her fist.
The beautiful garden view she once admired turned out to be nothing but endless dark shadows.
“You’re not my real mom or dad. My mom is dead, or rather, it’s hard to even call her ‘mom’… Anyway, my dad is a jerk.”
“Hold on, Noah.”
“Why, Aunt?”
The woman grabbing her as she tried to leap over the window.
Noah glared at her.
She was an obstacle.
“Are you really going? There will be a lot of hardships there.”
“I know.”
“Really? Painful and sorrowful experiences that you might wish you never saw…they await you.”
“It doesn’t matter. Instead…”
The image of a man flashed in her mind.
Though he looked somewhat tired and carried a desolate aura, he was always gentle and kind to her.
“Uncle will be waiting there.”
Because that person would be there.
PLOP. Noah leaped over the window.
+++++
“…Ah.”
She woke up.
It felt like she had slept for a long time. It was a fairly pleasant dream too.
A dream where her mom appeared and she lived with everyone.
Immersed in the lingering feelings of the dream…
“Ugh…this isn’t right…”
She dusted off her skirt and stood up.
If she were caught like this, she would surely get scolded.
“How can you sleep when I’m working so hard!?”
That person could be unexpectedly persistent.
Although they could be swayed with a bit of charm and some tasty food.
Anyway, it was clear that she couldn’t waste any more time.
“Noah-sama…”
“Sorry, I won’t make a mistake again.”
“I was worried…”
While stroking QQQ’s teary head, Noah stood up.
“…It’s time to finish this nonsense. Setting traps like this is ridiculous.”
GRRR. Noah gritted her teeth.
“Still, meeting him in reality would be better than seeing him in dreams.”
WHOOSH…
Starlight enveloped Noah’s body, and a pink-haired magical girl appeared.
Magical Girl Iris.
She clenched her fists tightly.
“Alright, shall we crush it?”
