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That makes it 7 chapters. We'll be pivoting to 3 chapters a week afterwards.
I hope you've been enjoying this novel as much as I have!
A-ranked Hero Jung Ha-Yeon's daily routine remained consistent. She would begin her day by heading to the Hero Association, waiting for news of any monster outbreaks where she would be dispatched. Then, in the late afternoon, she'd return home.
Unlike many other heroes, Jung Ha-Yeon wasn't involved in the entertainment industry. She had no interest in fame or public adoration. Her sole purpose as a hero was to safeguard people from monsters from the otherworld—a duty that consumed her thoughts.
And so, one question plagued her mind: "What can I do to become stronger?"
The mere thought of facing an unbeatable monster, one that endangered innocent lives, filled her with dread. The possibility of failing to protect those in need haunted her.
These anxieties have intensified recently. An otherworldly gate appeared in the city of Goyang—a gateway from which unprecedentedly strong monsters emerged. Today, she barely managed to seal the gate shut, pushing herself to her limits.
Encounters like these had become common. Each one left her grappling with the same question: What if she faced an unbeatable foe? What if she failed to protect those she cared about, as she once failed to save her friend?
Such thoughts overwhelmed her with despair. She knew she needed to become stronger.
"The methods other Awakeners used to grow stronger aren't suitable for me."
Indeed, the powers wielded by Awakeners and magical girls differed vastly. What worked for one might not work for the other. To put it into perspective, if Awakened are supernaturals, magical girls are literally magicians.
"It would be nice to consult with a magical girl, but…"
The Hero Association had only two known magical girls: Alice, the idol, and Mi Seo-Hyun, who is only registered as a hero in the association but has never been seen in action.
Alice, focused on her idol career, couldn't offer combat advice. Mi Seo-Hyun's reclusiveness made her unreachable.
"In the end, Shin Hye-Rim is the most suitable candidate."
However, Jung Ha-Yeon, a hero, rarely crossed paths with Shin Hye-Rim, who wasn't.
Suddenly, Jung Ha-Yeon recalled a fan cafe she found recently. She entered the fan cafe to learn more about Shin Hye-Rim.
She thought she might find something useful about her powers or fighting style, but she didn't find anything helpful.
"...I'll have another look."
As she entered Shin Hye-Rim's fan cafe, a glimmer of hope flickered within her, hoping to stumble upon something noteworthy today.
Yet, as usual, the fan cafe appeared unchanged.
The same old posts flooded the screen—people gushing over Shin Hye-Rim's beauty or praising her latest heroic feats.
Ha-Yeon scrolled through the familiar content, finding nothing significant.
Then something caught her eye.
"Hmm?"
A post from earlier in the day stood out among the rest.
[I met Shin Hye-Rim in Gangnam today! I think she was on patrol, but I asked her to take a picture with me, and she agreed! I even asked her to pose doing a Magical★Punch, and she agreed!]
A high school girl took a selfie with Shin Hye-Rim in a punching pose.
[A double Magical★Punch! Lolol I'm a little jealous.] [I'll have to try that pose next time I meet her!] [Both of you look so adorable!] [I wish I could meet Hye-Rim noona too...] [Go to the cafe in front of the Awakeners' Association. I bumped into Shin Hye-Rim while buying coffee there last time.] [For real? I might swing by there next time.]
Upon spotting a comment suggesting that Shin Hye-Rim frequented a nearby cafe, a spark of hope ignited within Jung Ha-Yeon. Perhaps if she visited that cafe, she might have a chance encounter with Shin Hye-Rim too.
"Could she be a regular at that cafe, grabbing coffee before or after work?"
She calculated the time when she usually buys coffee and realized that if she went to the cafe around one in the afternoon, she might meet Shin Hye-Rim.
'...But even if I do meet her, how would I initiate a conversation?'
This posed a dilemma. Without any prior interaction, striking up a conversation felt awkward.
"...I guess I'll just tell her I'm a fan, too."
It would be weird to suddenly ask a magical girl how to become stronger, but she couldn't think of a way to approach her.
While she was thinking about that, she scanned through other posts.
[Shin Hye-Rim seems to have caught a sex offender today? Apparently, a guy groped Baek Shin-Hwa's chest right in the middle of the street.]
A picture of Shin Hye-Rim in front of A-ranked hero Baek Shin-Hwa and another man caught her attention.
[Crazy! Is he some crazy fan of Baek Shin-Hwa?] [What an a**hole! Groping her in public!] [It's creepy...] [Shin Hye-Rim must have intervened immediately, right?] [She took them somewhere; I didn't see what happened next. I am still shocked by it all.]
An A-ranked hero like her was sexually harassed on the street. What a strange fan!
"The world is filled with all sorts of weird people."
She should be careful.
It's the day after meeting the main characters, and unless a villain suddenly appears, it's bound to be uneventful.
In the manga's plot, the main event is still about a month away, so there won't be any notable villains popping up. So I'll just spend my time in the office, building a tower of cards to pass the time.
"I've been feeling a bit restless lately."
"Why?"
Lee So-Young seems a tad worried, quite the opposite of my carefree attitude.
"I heard on the news that the number of gates that even heroes can't stop has increased recently. What if a really strong monster suddenly appears and makes its way to the center of Seoul?"
Unlike the leisurely Awakened Crime Division, heroes seem to be facing some challenges lately. Powerful monsters have started appearing out of the blue.
"I'm sure the heroes will handle it before it becomes a problem."
"What I mean is, what if there's a monster so strong that even the heroes can't stop it?"
Haha, So-Young, there's no need to fret. Heroes are heroes for a reason; they're supposed to handle situations like that. It's around this time that Shin Chul-Min is really starting to gain popularity and come into the public eye. Within less than a month after his debut, he's already tackling monsters that even veteran heroes struggle with and sealing gates.
He bonds with the heroines along the way, especially with the main heroine, Jung Ha-Yeon. Their relationship is quite intriguing.
At first, she completely ignores Shin Chul-Min, pretending he doesn't exist. But as they fight together, she starts to care about him more and more, eventually developing feelings for him without even realizing it.
The way she tries to deny her feelings, telling herself it's not a crush because she's not being honest with herself, is quite endearing and still brings a smile to my face.
Yesterday, Shin Chul-Min registered as a hero, so I'm sure we'll see him face-to-face with Jung Ha-Yeon sometime today or tomorrow. It'll be interesting to see how they interact.
Anyway, contrary to Lee So-Young's concerns, we don't have to worry about monsters invading Seoul and causing chaos—at least not for now.
For now...
"You seem to be worrying quite a bit, So-Young. I trust our heroes to handle it."
"...Alright, I'll trust them too. And even if things go south, we've got you."
"Me?"
"Yeah."
So-Young nodded.
"Well, I'm sure our team leader could handle a monster."
Shin Yu-Sung, who had been quietly playing on his phone, chuckled, and Park Oh-Jin nodded in agreement.
"With the team leader's skills, even the toughest monsters wouldn't stand a chance, right?"
"I'm not so sure about that."
I'm not entirely certain. The monsters in the latter part of the story are literal 'monsters,' so defeating them might require being part of the main party that's become incredibly strong.
Besides, my abilities don't work on some of them.
"I'll do my best to stop them if need be. If the heroes can't handle it, we'll step in."
If the heroes are unable to contain the monsters and they breach the city, it's considered an emergency, and all Awakened individuals are mobilized. That's when each crime division, which typically deals with villains, joins the fight against the monsters.
"Well, we can think about that later. Let's decide this first."
I know when something that big is going to happen. But that's a concern for later. Right now, we've got a more pressing decision to make.
I paused my card tower construction and looked at my team.
"What do you guys want for lunch?"
Food is important.
"I want ice cream!"
"That's not a meal; it's a dessert. You're eating it even now... I think I'll order Chinese. Make your choice."
"I'll go for a cold jellyfish salad..."
"So-Young, do you have some sort of condition that requires you to eat only cold food?"
In the end, I decided to order jajangmyeon for all of us.
After lunch, I decided to treat myself to an Americano to wash down my meal.
"Do you want me to grab it?"
"No, I'll handle it today."
On the way out, I planned to stop by a convenience store to buy more cards. My 50-story pyramid project required additional cards.
"Yu-Sung prefers hot, and the rest of us want iced, right? I'll be right back."
With my wallet in hand, I left the association and headed to my favorite café across the street.
"Three iced Americanos and one hot, please."
"Got it."
I stood still and waited while the cafe worker brewed my coffee. Since I only ordered Americanos, they should come out quickly.
A few minutes later, my coffee was ready. I grabbed it and was about to leave when...
"E-excuse me...!"
Someone approached me, causing me to turn around.
"...!"
I couldn't help but gulp. Why was she here?
With her distinctive silver hair and captivating blue eyes, her presence was unmistakable. How could I not recognize her?
She had been on my mind just a few moments ago.
The person addressing me was none other than Jung Ha-Yeon, the main heroine of this manga.