An Exorcist Magical Girl!

 

“He just targeted high school students?”

 

Twice now he has blatantly targeted would-be exorcists and now it’s just high school students?

 

“Fruits of Growth Scholastic Academy on Banho Mall was originally placed at the bus stop in front of the local high school. I checked the list of training centers, and there are no aspiring exorcists from that school. That’s the hot news I got from the Association today.” “Ah, so that is why you went to see the director today?” “That’s right.”

 

Senior Shin explained with a smile.

 

“He left just in time for the students to get out of school. I guess it was a sign that any high school student would do, so it only took one, and judging by what happened to you and your friend Seo Jun, it didn’t seem to matter whether the kidnapped student existed in spirit or body.” “So who left him behind?” “Do you remember the guy who died in the Banho mall? His name was Koo Young-chun, and his soul accidentally got into the hands of some elementary school kids and ended up in the mall.”

 

Kidnapping a random high school student.

 

It probably seemed easy when you were planning it.

 

But that initial plan was thwarted by an unexpected variable:

“elementary school kids”

picking up a gourdwood over a number of nearby targets.

 

The perpetrator inside the association may have decided to find a target within his or her control.

 

As it turned out, the targets were Yeo Seon-yeo, Hwang Hanju, Seo Jun and me.

 

“So, is there anything else?” “No, that’s it.” “Oh, you sounded like you had something, like you’d caught the culprit.” “Dude, that’s a lot of information, right?” “Yeah, it is.” 

Senior Shin’s smugness returned as he admitted it.

 

“I just wanted to let you know that we’re making progress with the investigation. You’ll get frustrated if we don’t tell you anything.” “That’s right, I was actually going crazy wondering what was going on, so thank you.” “Haha, don’t worry too much, the Exorcist Association is working on it. Exorcist Shin Ji-woon is really tearing himself apart.”

 

Thank you for your hard work, Exorcist Shin Ji-woon!

 

Since it was the last class, Senior Shin was more talkative than usual.

 

“And one last little favor, is there any really good candy in the desk drawer in the director’s office?” “Are you trying to get me to steal it?” “Oh, I just wanted you to know. I didn’t say anything.” “If I get caught eating it, I’ll just say I learned it from you.” “Haha, you little bastard. Anyway, it’s the last class of the day, so I made sure to cover all the important things. Make good use of it. Okay?” “Yes!” “Now let’s get you downstairs!” “Thanks for everything, Senior, no, Master!”

 

I ended the lesson on such a high note.

 

“You’re still coming to the training center tomorrow, right? I’m leaving.” “Ah!” 

***

 

The next day, Saturday, was a morning-only class, and the day I attended my sophomore class for the first time, but…

 

“The teacher called in sick.” “He hasn’t looked well since yesterday.” “Then why are we here?” 

Due to the illness of the sophomore teacher, we were given personal training.

 

Of course, no one wanted to do it.

 

Five or six of us took over an empty classroom in the name of

“group study,”

ordered takeout food and started a party, and some of us who were late and still on the subway turned around and went home as soon as they were called.

 

Three or four who were already in the classroom were finally convinced and escaped from the other teachers in less than 20 minutes.

 

In the end, only five of us were left in the classroom: myself, Seo Jun, Yin Charang, Yeo Seon-yeo, and Hwang Hanju.

 

All but two of us were playing individually.

 

“Hwang Hanju, The director wants me to hold you until the end.”

Seon-yeo said.

 “Who?” “Who do you think it is? You.”

Seon-yeo answered. 

 “Just shut up for once and let it go, okay? it’s good for you, it’s good for me, how good is it?”

Hanju replied.

 “Let it go Hwang Hanju. Will you let me catch up with your skill total?” “But I want to go home!”

Hanju yelled.

 “You’re going to be an A student who got caught by a B student? Aren’t you embarrassed?” 

Come to think of it, I haven’t checked it in a while.

 

 

【

Skill: Exorcist (Aspiring)]

【

Name: Baek Iri

】

【

Rank: S⁺

】

【

Skill total: 98

】

【

Title: ─

】

【

Skills: A Craftsman Wears No Tools.

】

【

Additional Skill: Master of Mirrors, Creator of something from nothing.

】

 

 

Thanks to the many real battles I’ve had, my skill total has increased to 98.

 

Seriously, wasn’t transferring to Mukgyeong Girls’ High School part of the big picture in the status bar to improve me?

 

Less than two months after I started the exorcism, I was about to break the 100 point mark.

 

The corners of my mouth twitched with joy.

 

Meanwhile, Hwang Hanju and Yeo Seon-yeo were still arguing.

 

“The director said that he’ll be watching you anyway. Give up.” “Wow, just me! I’m the only one being discriminated against! It’s so unfair…” “I don’t feel sorry for you.” “Then can’t we have some kind of group study? I’m not efficient if I try to study alone.” “Aww, whiney whiney—” “Group study? Count me in!”

Just as Seon-yeo was about to scold him, Yin Charang interrupted.

 

Now that he had an ally, Hwang Hanju was instantly confident.

“Okay, okay, I’m looking for study partners, at least three of you.” “Huh? Why three?”

Seon-yeo asked.

 “You’re automatically included, Seon-yeo.” “You bastard.”

 

Yeo Seon-yeo was arguing,

“Why are you including me?”

but then Yin Charang poured another cup and started asking everyone to join in.

 

“Hey, this is fun, let’s do it with all five of us!” “The more people, the merrier! Hey! Hanju, are you in?” “Sure. It’s always better to have more accomplices.”

 

“Hey, you said you were studying. What do you do now? Dancing?”

 

“Excuse me, my dear and esteemed Ms. Baek Iri, would you like to join us?” “Uh-huh. Hey, Seo Jun. Are you in?”

 

As if Hwang Hanju wasn’t enough, even Yeo Seon-yeo, who couldn’t defeat Yin Charang’s holy fire, asked us to join the study.

 

How long is Hwang Hanju going to use that condescending tone? If it was okay for Yin Charang, why is he still doing it to me?

 

“I don’t care.”

Seo Jun replied and looked at me.

 

It wasn’t a nudge to say no, but a real curiosity about my opinion.

 

Yes, Seo Jun says you’re fine.

 “Okay. Let’s do it.”

 

So I accepted the offer to study.

 

I nodded happily, but a thousand question marks formed in my head.

 

What is she really doing with Yin Charang?

 

I don’t even know what he thinks about Seo Jun anymore.

 

He’s the worst person I’ve ever seen at hiding his feelings.

 

I don’t think I’ll ever meet another person who wears his emotions on his face like he does.

 

Anyway, for a man with such honest facial muscles, he just looked at me with obvious pride, but when he looked at Seo Jun, he looked like a puppy waiting for its master.

 

Ah, it’s the same old, same old: an elementary school kid trying to find another excuse to hook up with his crush.

 

There’s a good chance that the Mirror of Truth got lost on the bus last time.

 

Just as I’m about to revive the

“Yin Charang has a crush on Seo Jun”

theory, the dry voice I hear every day from the seat next to me smacks me on the side of my head.

 

“Do you have any idea what kind of study you’re talking about?”

 

Oh, right. I don’t know anything.

 

“So what kind of study is it?” “It’s a study that involves watching and analyzing video footage, lifesavers. Interpretation and discussion are the main activities. This time we’ll also evaluate each other on the qualities of a natural exorcist.”

 

In response to my question, Hwang Hanju smiled like a fool.

 

I could smell the strong stench of deception in the way he chose and stretched his words.

 

“Yeo Seon-yeo, what are you talking about?” “Hwang Hanju, this is bullshit again. she…” “Uh huh, I’ll know it when I see it.”

 

He glared at the woman next to him and demanded an explanation, but thanks to Yin Charang’s silence, he didn’t even hear the kernel.

 

He told us to pull down the blinds and everything and left us alone.

 

Eh, I don’t know.

 

Before we knew it, a white screen had been pulled down at the front of the training room, and in front of it Yin Charang and Hwang Hanju were furiously operating the beam projector.

 

With all the windows covered and the lights turned off, it was like a dark movie theater.

 

“Oh, that’s it. It’s on.”

 

Meanwhile, Seon-yeo turned on her computer,

 “Hanju. Give me your account.”

 

The Netflix login screen appeared.

 

A moment later, the identity of the

“study to watch and analyze video materials”

was revealed,

 

“Ack!” “Diameter of the sound of one hundred years. Five points deducted.” “Oh, Seon-yeo, you flinched too.” “Shut up, Hanju, it’s you I’m freaking out about, not the movie.”

 

It was only a group horror movie.

 

“Huh? I think you just closed your eyes while pretending to frown.” “Hey, Seon-yeo, don’t you think that’s too much? He just blinked!” “Yeah, no, it was more than two seconds, four points off.” “What if it was because your eyes were tired?” “What do you want me to do? Add an extra point for squinting.” “Hey!”

 

I love it when you try to take points off your friends’ scores.

 

By the way, we’re making a bet.

 

Five points off for looking surprised, four points off for closing your eyes or turning your head away for a certain amount of time, three points off for opening your eyes for a certain amount of time, and two points off for flinching.

 

The person with the lowest score then gets to buy a drink at the convenience store, and the person with the highest score gets to treat everyone with extreme respect for the next week.

 

In retrospect, Hanju wasn’t lying.

 

She just overdid it.

 

The wager was a time to evaluate each other on their natural exorcist qualities.

 

Of course, in a group of friends who’ve chosen the path of exorcism, none of them would have the nerve of a normal person.

 

It was to determine the weakest and the strongest among them.

 

Oh, and what about

“interpretation and discussion of the material”

?

 

“Uh, I just saw a death flag!” “Death flags-ah! F*ck you.” “It’s Hanju, write it down. If he dies later, it’s five points for me.”

 

This is what it looks like.

 

It’s picking up on death flags or clues that can be used later as double entries, or predicting surprises like,

“Is he going to come out from underneath this time?”, “The guy with the glasses is going to pull off the greatest troll move ever in 10 seconds,”

or

“He’ll survive this time and die next time,”

and all these nanoscale predictions of what’s going to happen.

 “Five points for a death flag is a bit much.”

 

Seo Jun’s protest was echoed by Hanju Hwang.

 “You’re right! Honestly, I should only give him one point.”

 

Now, Hwanju doesn’t seem to mind Seo Jun too much; he treats her like any other friend. He only looks at her occasionally.

 

“Yes. That’s a five. Take care of your salt tea and your conscience.”

 

Seon-yeo listens and then interrupts.

 

It still bothers her that she grabbed Seo Jun’s throat the last time they were in the park, even though she hadn’t done anything wrong, but lately she’s been a little more lenient with her.

 

Feeling peaceful for the first time in a long time, I set my horse on the five-pointed ball that Yin Charang had shot.

 “Let’s take a majority vote then. Five points or half a point?”