5

I also wanted to become a magical girl.

No, I mean… It sounds strange to suddenly say this, but let me clarify to avoid misunderstandings—I never thought about it in my previous life when I was a man.

Of course, I didn't.

But after coming to this world, things changed.

I mean, weren't they the same characters I saw in the webtoons?

And since those magical girls were depicted as beautiful in the webtoons, they'd obviously be beautiful in this world too.

I've never thought my appearance was lacking either, even from a young age.

Besides, Blossom, who has been going to the same school as me since childhood, is close enough to be called a childhood friend.

So naturally, I thought I might be able to fit in among them.

On top of that, I have a backstory.

Unlike the magical girls, who were mostly born into decent, middle-class families, I don't have parents in this world.

To be precise, the me in this world is a 'baby box' child.

You know, those boxes connected to churches where an infant could fit inside.

They're made to encourage people to leave unwanted babies there rather than abandoning them on the street.

Apparently, at some point, I was placed in one of those boxes.

That doesn't mean the orphanage I live in now is run by a church or anything.

It's just that the church's orphanage was at full capacity, so I was transferred to another orphanage that had space.

I've never told anyone this story.

Even Blossom—well, Ha-yoon—doesn't know I grew up in an orphanage without parents.

Maybe she's guessed it on her own, but if she hasn't said anything so far, it's either because she hasn't realized it or she's pretending not to know.

She used to ask to come over to my house a lot until about two years ago, but maybe she's given up now.

Anyway, the orphanage I live in is fairly well-run.

We receive government support and donations from a large corporation.

By 'large corporation,' I mean one from Earth, not Noir Corporation, which started sponsoring us after I began working there.

Even with the government funding and donations, though, there's barely anything left after covering expenses for the kids, paying staff salaries, taxes, utility bills, and building maintenance.

It's nearly impossible to save money, so if something breaks down suddenly or facilities age faster than expected, it's hard to fix them.

That's why I started working.

I don't receive a salary, but all the money I would earn gets donated to the orphanage.

Thanks to that, the orphanage now has an 'emergency fund,' and the kids get better meals.

Since the donations come from a corporation, no one knows it's because of me.

I wonder how Blossom—no, Ha-yoon—would react if she found out.

She'd probably call it corporate exploitation.

She's a righteous magical girl, after all.

Well, it's just a mutually beneficial arrangement.

"Here's the new equipment," said James, one of the executives.

Despite his Earth-like name and appearance, James is actually an alien.

He called me into his office separately.

The office was luxurious.

The auditorium earlier wasn't bad, but this place had the atmosphere of a 'corporate executive's office.'

A spacious room with large windows and a desk positioned in front of them.

In front of the desk, there was a table and a sofa for guests.

Graciously (and sarcastically), I was seated on the guest sofa.

Special treatment, huh.

If they didn't see potential in me, they wouldn't have bothered to bring me here.

After that embarrassing presentation earlier, they'd have just sent me home.

James opened a large case that had been sitting on the table.

Inside the sturdy case, equipment was neatly arranged.

At first glance, it looked almost identical to what I'd been using.

However, the design had some upgrades, and most notably, the equipment was brand new.

Seeing my slightly surprised expression, James seemed to take it as a positive reaction.

With a triumphant look, he began introducing the equipment piece by piece.

"First, we have the high-capacity circuit. Miss Ji-eun, during your last battle, you adjusted your emotions to control output."

He spoke as if testing me.

"…Courage comes from overcoming fear," I replied.

The fact that I draw energy from despair is a secret.

It's also a secret that we're attempting 'eco-friendly energy' generation using that energy.

To put it bluntly, the idea is to keep humanity in a state where their basic needs are barely met, so they can survive without truly living.

By harnessing the despair experienced during their struggles, we generate enormous amounts of energy.

To put it even more simply and honestly:

"Well, people are going to feel despair anyway, right? Might as well put it to good use."

Of course, if this idea were revealed to the public, the backlash would be overwhelming.

Additionally, Noir Corporation plans to siphon off this energy for its own use.

In short, they're the 'evil organization.'

On the other hand, the Galactic Federation's Hope Circuit was created for a similar reason.

The sacrifice of a few for the many, or fair sacrifices for the greater good.

Regardless of the contrasting images of hope and despair, it's a matter of deciding which is more practical… or so the author explained, claiming it was the theme.

Honestly, I think the author just came up with the setting and retrofitted a theme onto it.

"Excellent."

James, who had been watching me closely, nodded and pushed the case toward me.

"Take a look."

It was as if he thought I wanted the equipment.

Didn't he see my expression back in the auditorium?

No, it's more likely that he simply doesn't care about other people's feelings.

Or maybe that Earth-like appearance is just a mask hiding his true form.

Well, regardless, I couldn't exactly say, 'No need to show me this,' so I slowly reached out and picked up the circuit.

It was heavy.

That was my first impression.

The circuit, which looked like a slightly oversized wristwatch, seemed even bulkier upon closer inspection. It really lived up to its 'high-capacity' label.

"We've also added a charging function," James said.

That genuinely surprised me.

"…Is that even possible?"

Emotions are volatile. No matter how intense they are, they flare up momentarily and fade away.

There's probably no one in the galaxy capable of sustaining a single emotion for years.

That's why it's called 'despair' or 'hope.'

These aren't just emotions; they're concepts created by the aggregation of certain feelings.

"Of course, we're not storing 'courage.' Emotions can only be stored here—" he pointed to his head, "—and here," he added, gesturing to his chest.

"What we're storing is the converted energy.

It allows for a large amount of energy to be stored momentarily and used all at once."

Makes sense.

For magical girls, rationing energy would be meaningless.

"Try pressing the crown," he instructed.

Following his words, I pressed the button, which was in the position of a watch's crown.

Click.

The circuit opened with a metallic sound, like a half-compass.

Inside was a battery about the size of a 9V rectangular cell.

Of course, it wasn't just any ordinary battery.

This was probably advanced tech that would make an MIT professor drool.

"After use, remove the battery and replace it with a new one," James explained.

A jacket-like component in the neatly folded uniform seemed to be meant for carrying spares.

At this point, I started to get suspicious.

After all, I'm just a combatant.

Sure, I'm an Earthling scouted by Noir Corporation's unusual scouts.

But that's all.

If I had the qualities of a magical girl, the Galactic Federation would've approached me first.

Two possibilities immediately came to mind.

Either they plan to train me to be Noir Corporation's version of a magical girl.

Or I'm a sacrificial pawn.

Neither option sat well with me.

Just as my friends don't know I live in an orphanage, they also don't know I work as a combatant for this company.

I have no intention of dedicating my life to a company that's destined to fall apart by the end of the story. Why stick around until the end?

I'll only work here until I graduate from the orphanage and secure a stable job that lets me continue donating to them.

As for the first option, I doubt it'll happen.

That's just me being overly self-conscious.

The real concern is the second option.

The company knows that I've caught Iris's attention.

They've seen all the helmet footage.

In that case, wouldn't it be more beneficial to let Iris take me out, leaving me gravely injured or dead?

The company's image may take a hit, but ultimately, they're still a legal corporation dealing with gray-area alien invaders who hover between legality and illegality.

The best way to tip the scale in their favor is for the other side's image to completely shatter.

…And I'm conveniently pitiful enough, with a justifiable cause to boot.

Maybe they're just trying to instill me with 'courage.'

'Impressive,' I thought.

But I wasn't foolish enough to reveal such thoughts in front of this person.

The executive didn't look entirely pleased.

Hmm.

"Uh… Amazing! Really!"

I forced a somewhat exaggerated smile and shouted.

Only then did James nod with a satisfied look.

Man, how annoying.

*

"Hey, friend!"

As I walked out of the building, feeling oddly drained, my Earth-fanatic friend waved at me enthusiastically.

Since the first floor is a shopping mall, it wasn't particularly cold.

Besides, the conversation I'd just had wasn't even that long.

"What did they tell you?"

"Go away, traitor."

When I grumbled and pushed her aside, the Earth fanatic actually looked hurt.

Well, if she'd tried to follow me to the stage, she'd probably have been stopped.

I let out a long sigh.

"I got promoted."

"I already heard that."

"Oh?"

"And I got new equipment, too."

The Earth fanatic slapped my back.

Ouch.

"That's amazing! So, your salary must've gone up too, right?"

"Well, a little."

Not that it mattered—it all went straight to the orphanage.

When I glanced at her, she was grinning mischievously at me.

What?

"On a day like this, we should celebrate! My treat!"

"Do you even have money?"

"Uh, well…"

She fished through his pocket, pulling out a crumpled 10,000-won bill.

"See? I have it!"

"Let's split the bill," I said, sighing softly.

*

"I believe in humanity's potential," she declared.

How many times have I heard that line?

Do you know?

Humans don't get drunk on caffeine.

In fact, caffeine is toxic to many animals.

Humans are one of the few species that guzzle it as a stimulant.

And this applies to aliens as well.

In simpler terms, this earth fanatic can't fully metabolize caffeine.

It's one of the joys of traveling to Earth—getting to drink caffeine freely, something considered off-limits for minors back on their planet.

It does make me wonder, though, if it's even right for minors to live alone in a foreign country.

"When the Galactic Federation first discovered Voyager, do you know how excited they were?"

"I think I've heard that story at least seven times now."

I sighed deeply.

"People from a planet with zero magical capabilities managed to launch something beyond space without magic! And they did it in such an incredibly primitive way!"

NASA folks would weep blood if they heard that.

Sure, you guys can just use magic to lift off, but humans need immense technological expertise to even launch a single rocket.

It's not just brute force—they calculate optimal trajectories and planetary positions to go as far as possible, even using gravitational assists from other planets.

To aliens, this whole process probably feels like watching a Rube Goldberg machine.

After all, they can just warp through space.

"And that Golden Record! Humans recorded greetings and songs on it, not knowing who, when, or even if someone might find it!

They did it out of sheer curiosity about what might be out there.

With nothing but passion, countless people came together!"

"Could you keep your voice down?"

I sighed heavily.

This is why 'earth fanatics' exist.

Humans have their own stereotypes about other countries and their people.

While countries with large populations obviously have a mix of timid and bold individuals, such stereotypes are hard to shake off.

Similarly, when some aliens stumbled upon Voyager during a pre-contact planetary scan, the universal image of 'humans' became 'those who overcame all odds to reach space.'

In a way, we're the 'Odysseus of the universe.'

Nowadays, that reputation is even further reinforced by promotional magical girl videos spread across the Galactic Federation.

We're seen as beings who never lose hope and always forge ahead no matter the challenges.

How grandiose.

"Cheers to humanity! To its potential!"

The earth fanatic raised a steaming mug high, shouting enthusiastically, while I held my forehead in exasperation.

*

"Hehehe. Coffee is definitely the best way to consume caffeine!"

"…"

Who knew just one cup would have this effect?

Come to think of it, adding extra shots increases caffeine levels.

Did she sneak in some extra shots while I wasn't looking?

Although the snow had stopped, the ground was still slick and thickly covered, just as expected.

Despite his flaws, I couldn't just let her roll around in the snow, now blackened from people's footsteps.

Leaving her here would make me look like a horrible person, right?

Fine, I'll dump her in the company dormitory.

There are plenty of empty rooms, and since it's a corporate benefit, they don't charge extra. Big companies sure are convenient.

I slung his arm around my neck and stumbled forward, barely able to see ahead.

Thankfully, I knew this path well, so it wasn't a big deal—

"…Ji-eun?"

Huh?

I froze at the sound of a familiar voice and lifted my head.

The first thing you notice about Ha-yoon is, inevitably, her striking hair color.

And then, her eyes—the same vivid shade.

They're beautiful eyes, but they always remind me that this world isn't where I originally belonged.

"Ji-eun."

I stiffened completely.

The cold wasn't unbearable today, but my mood made it feel otherwise.

Ha-yoon wouldn't think less of me for looking like this—she's not that kind of person.

But what about her friends?

"Ha-yoon, who's this…?"

Ha-yoon is my childhood friend.

But childhood friends don't always live in the same world.

We just happened to end up in the same class by coincidence.

It's a strange coincidence, too.

My neighborhood is split down the middle by a road: one side poorer, the other side wealthier.

If you don't attend a private school, students from both sides often mix.

Usually, there's no need to interact, since people naturally form their own groups.

Sometimes, though, outliers like Ha-yoon and me end up becoming friends.

Which is why we don't have any 'mutual friends' except for each other.

"Ah, this is…"

Wait, aren't you in the same class?

I instinctively glared at the girl pestering Ha-yoon to introduce me.

She's doing it on purpose.

Ha-yoon is already galaxy-famous.

Of course, she'd hate seeing someone like me—a nobody—befriending her.

What's her problem?

"…My childhood friend, Ji-eun."

Ha-yoon reflexively introduced me, but her face paled as if she realized the girl's intentions mid-sentence.

"Oh, really? Hi, Ji-yoon."

She probably mispronounced my name on purpose.

"We're in the same class."

I stared her down deliberately and said, "I guess your memory's not great. Or maybe you have face blindness?"

Ah, crap.

The already cold atmosphere grew frostier.

I winced internally.

I'm usually quiet in class, so she probably didn't expect me to respond so aggressively.

Or maybe she thought I wouldn't even notice her veiled insults.

But I was in a bad mood, and she just happened to be unlucky… or lucky, depending on how you see it.

"Uh…"

Even Ha-yoon, who knows me well, let out a troubled groan.

"Should you talk like that to a classmate?"

The girl narrowed her eyes slightly, almost as if she were smiling.

Caught in the middle, Ha-yoon looked flustered as we glared at each other.