An Exorcist Magical Girl! – Chapter 144

Author: Dakku-san

“She has a childlike side.” Seo Jun muttered.

When it came to magical girls, Baek Iri was still just a kid in front of the TV.

A kid in front of the TV who believes that the cartoon heroine she root for is good, cool, righteous, and strong, so she’ll never lose.

Even though the life of an exorcist that she grew up to choose is not one that prioritizes saving people.

Exterminating evil to save people and saving people in the process of exterminating evil seem similar, but they’re not.

It’s the latter that Baek Iri chooses in the end.

Nevertheless, she still looks up to her childhood hero.

“Please don’t think she’s selfish.”

“Iri?”

Narea is completely confused.

“She changed, but you’re asking her to never change.”

“…Ahaha, I’m the one who wanted the same thing for Baek Iri.”

Narea grins.

There was a time when she desperately wanted the magical girl she was to stay that way forever.

Someone cool, someone who tried everything, whether it worked or not.

Narea wanted her to stay that way, not change.

So when Baek Iri told her that she was quitting Magical Girl, it felt like a slap in the face.

The Baek Iri in Narea was the one who could fall down a thousand times and get back up a thousand times, and now she was suddenly giving up being a Magical Girl.

In the end, she had to admit it.

That Baek Iri who never gave up after falling down a thousand times, who kept trying until she was about to die, was not the whole Baek Iri.

That’s why Narea can understand Baek Iri.

She’s seen how terrifying it is to have your idealized existence crumble.

“You have to wait until she comes to terms with it.”

In fact, she had already realized it at the gate of City Hall Station.

Narea, who looks like the embodiment of a manga hero, is just a “real-life magical girl”.

She knew it in her head, but she missed the opportunity to accept it in her heart.

“That’s it, throw the paper away and try to stand up.”

“Ugh…”

Narea rubbed her neck with one hand and slowly pushed herself upright.

“I’m dizzy.”

“That’s understandable. How’s your neck?”

“It’s fine.”

The pain from the thorny necklace was completely gone, and strength slowly returned to her limbs, which felt limp as if all the blood had been drained from her body.

“You are a strong woman, so your recovery will be quicker than most. Just rest for a day or two.”

“Thank you.”

“Do you need a walkie-talkie?”

“No, I have one.”

Narea was too weak to lift a finger to use it, even though she still had it.

After a couple of fumbles, Narea pulled the radio out of her pocket.

“Coming.”

Seo Jun left the classroom, making sure that Narea was in a condition to call for help from her peers.

“Oh, right. Your name—”

A bang.

“─I didn’t even get to ask…”

By the time Narea finally realized that she didn’t know this exorcist friend’s name, the girl with the neatly tied black hair had already disappeared into the hallway.

She didn’t have the energy to run after her and catch up.

Chizik─

“This is Narea. I’m on the second floor of the annex, in a classroom right next to the restrooms.”

Now that she’s reported, they’ll send someone.

Mental exhaustion washed over her at the same time as the tension eased. Without pausing to listen to the reply over the comm, Narea leaned back against the table and half-asleep.

* * *

The time it took to exorcise the monster’s soul was much shorter than I had expected.

This was due to the peculiarity of the location, the kitchen garden.

The garden was surrounded on two sides by the school building and on the other by the fence that separated the inside from the outside.

I deliberately lured the monster’s spirit to the fence by pretending to be pushed, and then used the force of its attack against me to throw it out of the school.

Just like the Head Collector, the soul hit an invisible barrier and was instantly extinguished.

The mysterious barrier that prevents the spirit from leaving doesn’t help my defense.

When I turned to leave after the exorcism, I ran into Seo Jun who was watching from inside the building.

“How long have you been here?”

“Just now.”

Seo Jun stares at the spot in the air where the demon was just exorcised, then adds with her usual nonchalance.

“Nothing much happened.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“All right, let’s go.”

Seo Jun leads the way through the central garden to the front door.

When I look behind me, I realize that it’s over.

“Hey, guys!”

My friends who were huddled on the playground saw us and ran over to us.

“Ah, Baek Iri. How could you think of luring a monster here? Look at us, the lowly…”

“Baek Iri, don’t do that again, I don’t want you to be in danger instead of us!”

“Thanks to you, we are alive, thank you, thank you!”

“I’m sorry, if only I hadn’t fallen… I feel like I dragged you into this, and I’m sorry, and I’m so grateful.”

“I swear, I thought I was in a movie, you’re like, “This way, dude!” and then you start running, and wow, the brakes go on automatically.”

“Uh, uh, guys, wait a minute.”

“One, two, three! Come here! Thanks for saving my life!”

“Oh, okay, stop. Please stop, guys.”

Wow, somebody’s trying to sound like an acting team… I’m dying of embarrassment.

After barely dodging the noisy thank-yous from the drama club, another group of students rushed over.

“Hey, what’s all this?”

“Senior, you’re safe!”

“I thought you were already out! Where were you, and now you’re outside?”

Among them, it was Yang Ji-won who greeted us the most.

Oh, I forgot to mention that the monster was actually a ghost when I asked Yang Ji-won to tell me where the students were.

She thought that Seo Jun and I had already escaped and joined the Magic Girls, and that I was just trying to give them information about the school so that they could rescue the remaining students quickly. But when we came out of the school building, the news that we were back inside was waiting for us.

For someone who didn’t know the situation, it was understandable.

“I apologize. I was in a hurry and didn’t explain myself properly.”

“No, you don’t have to apologize… You’re both safe, so it’s okay.”

Yang Ji-won sighed and continued.

“You said it wasn’t a monster, but I don’t know what else you mean. Ha… today Mr. Jang has to go on a business trip for the afternoon, so… Do you know anything?”

Yang Ji-won looked at the teachers who were in the middle of a serious conversation with the commander of the Magical Girl side.

Then she saw the name on her phone screen and let out another earth-shattering sigh.

“I’m so sorry, Iri, can you tell Hanbyul that I’m alive and well? She won’t believe me if I tell her.”

“Why doesn’t she believe in the one who is alive and well?”

“I’m just saying. This is the third time I’ve gotten the same call.”

“No. Is that what I’m supposed to say?”

I handed Yang Ji-won’s cell phone.

I didn’t see how answering Hanbyul’s call would make a difference.

“Hello, Hanbyul?”

—Yang Ji-won! I’m almost there, just wait for me.

“Hanbyul, it’s me.”

*Ding*

“Ooff, she hung up.”

“She’s crazy.”

“And she said she was almost there.”

“Ack, she’s crazy, really!”

Yang Ji-won pinched her cheeks.

“Hanbyul must have been worried about you.”

I didn’t understand why Hanbyul was so upset, so I blurted out.

“Ji-won, I know you wanted to assure her that everything was fine, that it was nothing, but… your voice had the weariness of someone who was close to death.”

Yeah, honestly, if it were me, I’d probably take it as “I’m fine, I’m fine.” If my friend said “I’m fine, I’m fine” in that old, tired voice, I would take it as “I’m not fine, I’m not fine.”

“Hey, Yang Ji-won!”

Hanbyul’s voice rang out from the school gate as if she was really coming.

Who among them could calm her down?

Yang Ji-won, Hanbyul’s target, has a face twice as deadly as her voice, Kwon Yuri’s eyes are red from crying, and Seo Jun can’t..,

“Why are you looking at me?” Seo Jun asked.

“Uh, sorry.”

She is too calm to deal with Hanbyul. Damn, it’s just me.

“Yang Ji-won, you’re really not hurt, right…”

“Hanbyul!”

“…?”

“The monster was taken care of by the exorcist, don’t worry!”

“……?”

“Ah, don’t worry…!”

“Hey, hey, hey, what’s the matter? Why are you being scared?”

“Don’t worry! Don’t worry! Everyone is safe!”

“Uh, uh, yeah.”

Hanbyul stood frozen as she approached.

After all, the only way to calm someone who’s about to roll her eyes is to risk embarrassment and double down.

“Everyone’s just a little shaken up, no one’s really hurt.”

Seo Jun, who had been watching, interjected quietly. Her usual calm voice broke through.

Hanbyul’s face, clouded with worry, slowly lifted.

“Thank God! I was so worried that I ran out of the house as soon as I read your text. Please tell me that you’re happy to see me. Are you happy to see me? Are you happy to see me? It’s like peace just came over you when you saw my face, isn’t it?”

“Ah… yes. It’s so nice to see you again after an hour and a half.”

Even though Yang Ji-won said that, her face was full of gratitude.

I couldn’t help but be grateful for a friend who came to me without asking.

“So what exactly happened, please tell me.”

“Be honest, did you come here to ask me to untie the disks?”

“Oh, it’s a shame for you to say that. What do you think I really think?”

Yang Ji-won and Cha Hanbyul soon began to argue as usual.

There was no doubt in their minds that something like today would happen again.

“Where’s the other one?”

Seo Jun whispered so only I could hear her.

“Where the hell have these monsters been hiding for two months?”

“Tinker, frogs, and monsters…”