YM778.TV Chapter 8 - Is this right? (2)
"If this isn\'t considered stalking, then what is?"
Her intention was simple: she wanted to meet Shin Hye-Rim. So, she found herself at the cafe where Shin Hye-Rim was known to frequent. There was no certainty that Shin Hye-Rim would show up today, but Jung Ha-Yeon decided to wait, nursing her coffee in the meantime.
In Jung Ha-Yeon\'s mind, her behavior bordered on clear-cut stalking.
"Am I becoming too impatient these days? Do I really need to rush things?"
Though she felt the urge to grow stronger, she knew she was capable of fending off monsters even in her current state—it just required a bit more effort than usual. She couldn\'t help but draw parallels between herself and the obsessive fans she\'d read about in Baek Shin-Hwa\'s fan cafe.
"...Maybe I should just head back."
An hour passed as Jung Ha-Yeon sat in the cafe, still waiting for Shin Hye-Rim. Just as she was about to give up and leave, a chime from the cafe\'s entrance caught her attention.
Ding!
"Eh?" she gasped, her eyes fixing on the woman who had just entered.
It was her—the person she had been waiting for. Shin Hye-Rim stood there, with her waist-length blonde hair and strikingly beautiful face—a sight Jung Ha-Yeon had only seen in pictures and videos.
\'What do I even say to her?\'
As Shin Hye-Rim approached, Jung Ha-Yeon felt her body stiffen. She didn\'t know how to talk with her naturally, nor could she find a valid reason to do so.
Before she could make up her mind, Shin Hye-Rim\'s coffee arrived, and she made a move to leave the cafe.
Acting on impulse, Jung Ha-Yeon called out to her.
"E-excuse me...!"
"...?"
Shin Hye-Rim turned to look at her, her expression suddenly stiffening.
"...!"
Unaware of the tension, Jung Ha-Yeon\'s mind raced.
\'I actually called out to her! What should I even say?\'
Summoning her courage, Jung Ha-Yeon took a deep breath and spoke again.
"Are you Ms. Shin Hye-Rim by any chance?"
"Yes, I am, but... What can I do for you?"
"My name is Jung Ha-Yeon, an A-ranked hero. I have a matter I\'d like to discuss with you, Ms. Shin Hye-Rim."
"Me?" Shin Hye-Rim\'s expression showed a hint of bewilderment, prompting Jung Ha-Yeon to hastily continue.
"I know this might seem sudden, but I believe you\'re the only one who can help me with my problem. I understand if it\'s inconvenient, but could you spare a moment for me?"
"......"
Shin Hye-Rim looked at Jung Ha-Yeon without speaking, and under her gaze, Jung Ha-Yeon felt as nervous as when facing a monster.
\'She must think I\'m a strange woman. Who else in the world would ask for counseling right away?\'
Expecting a refusal, Jung Ha-Yeon was relieved when Shin Hye-Rim nodded after a moment\'s consideration.
"Well, sure. Let\'s hear your problem."
Only then could Jung Ha-Yeon breathe a sigh of relief.
At first, I couldn\'t shake the feeling that the person before me wasn\'t quite the same as the one I knew. She typically exuded a reserved and mature aura, so seeing her visibly nervous and rambling like this was rather disconcerting, given the contrast with the image I had of her.
What surprised me most was her immediate recognition of me and her direct request for advice. I had vowed to avoid involvement with the main characters if possible. However, when she approached me directly and asked for a favor, I found it hard to refuse.
The main event hadn\'t even begun yet, so I needed to understand why she was acting this way.
"So you felt the need to get stronger?"
"Yes. I thought the only person who could sympathize with my problems and help solve them would be Shin Hye-Rim, a fellow magical girl."
After hearing her words, I could understand. In the manga, Jung Ha-Yeon was also struggling with the need to become stronger at this point. The monsters were growing stronger, but her strength remained stagnant.
In the original story, it was Shin Chul-Min who helped her overcome this challenge. Spending time with him as a fellow hero, Jung Ha-Yeon naturally found ways to enhance her strength.
I didn\'t necessarily have to intervene, but...
"Hmm..."
Looking at Jung Ha-Yeon\'s serious expression. It was difficult not to offer her advice.
Of all the heroines in this manga, Jung Ha-Yeon is my favorite. When everyone was referring to the sub-heroine as their waifu, I proudly shouted, "Jung Ha-Yeon, the main heroine, is obviously the waifu!" and supported her.
This time, I decided to do her a favor and provide a little extra help. It wouldn\'t hurt for her to grow a little faster. It would make it easier for her to handle both monsters and villains, meaning I could indulge in leisure and meals sooner.
Although I was nervous about interfering too much with the original story\'s flow, I doubt this would have much of an impact.
"I can help you with your problems to some extent."
"R-really?"
"Yes, but I must stress that I can only offer advice. Ultimately, it\'s up to your efforts to become strong."
"Of course. I also understand that I can\'t become stronger without putting in the effort."
"That\'s a good mindset."
I smiled at the straightforward answer, like the Jung Ha-Yeon I knew. Yes, this was our main heroine.
Anyway, I knew all the ways she could become stronger from the manga. I just needed to subtly impart some of them to her, and she would learn the rest on her own.
"Then let me share what I know. First, you need to familiarize yourself with the flow of mana when using magic."
Unlike ordinary Awakened, Magical Girls utilized mana to wield magic, much like the characters in a game. The reason her power wasn\'t growing stronger was because she hadn\'t mastered the flow of mana within her body.
This mastery formed the foundation of magic, and only by harnessing it properly could she reach greater heights. It was a cliché often employed in manga like this.
I provided her with advice through words alone, but being a magical girl myself, I knew there was a better way to impart knowledge—I needed to ensure she understood what I was saying.
"Ms. Ha-Yeon, would you please sit next to me?"
"Ah, yes."
Jung Ha-Yeon got up from her chair across from me and moved to sit beside me.
"Now, please turn around so that your back is facing me."
"Yes."
"Good. Now... I\'m going to put my hand on your bare skin, which might make you feel a little embarrassed. I\'ll be putting my hand through your clothes and onto your back. Is that okay?"
"It\'s okay. Don\'t feel pressured; do what you feel is necessary."
With her permission, I slipped my hand under her clothes and placed it on her back. I could still feel the soft touch of her bare skin. I felt guilty about touching my favorite heroine in this manner, but it was necessary for her understanding.
"Circulate your mana through your body, just as you normally would."
"Yes."
Jung Ha-Yeon closed her eyes and concentrated. I could feel the flow of mana in her body, because I was a magical girl myself. Just like in the manga, she was using a mana circulation method that didn\'t suit her body.
"You\'re circulating mana through your heart to your entire body, right?"
"Ah, yes. Isn\'t that how you normally do it?"
"Hmm, that\'s true, but mana isn\'t blood, is it? You don\'t have to center your mana around your heart. Different people have different ways of circulating mana that suit their bodies. In your case... try centering your mana here."
I moved my hand and poked my index finger into her stomach.
"Hee...!"
"Oops, sorry, did I tickle you?"
I quickly withdrew my hand as Jung Ha-Yeon flinched.
"N-no! It\'s fine; I\'m just a little startled."
To be clear, there was nothing selfless about what I just did. Her reaction was a little cute, but I didn\'t have a black heart anyway.
"I\'ll gather my mana around the place you pointed out, Ms. Hye-Rim."
"Okay. And spread it out slowly, all over your body."
"Okay... Huh?" Jung Ha-Yeon looked surprised as she realized that the flow of mana in her body had become much easier.
"It\'s different, isn\'t it?"
"I-it is! I feel much more comfortable using mana."
"Well, if you cast magic like that, it\'s going to go a lot better than usual."
That\'s as much as I can tell her right now about how magical girls use mana. It\'s basic knowledge, but she won\'t fully realize it until later.
"I guess so. Just changing the flow of mana can make such a difference, huh?"
"Yes. In my case, I collect and spread the mana in both arms because that\'s what suits my body."
"...I never realized something as simple as that until now."
"Magical girls are few in number, so it\'s hard to know things like this unless another magical girl tells you."
That\'s why Jung Ha-Yeon is so amazing. Normally, she would realize these things on her own.
"Ms. Hye-Rim, thank you so much. I knew it was a good idea to ask you. How can I compensate you for this?"
"There is no need for anything. I didn\'t do anything great, so you don\'t have to. I\'m just happy to see you happy."
"I-is that so?"
"Of course," I answered immediately.
The main heroine\'s happiness is my happiness, and the growth of the main character\'s party is the rise of my Awakened Crime Division\'s stock.
It\'ll definitely go to the moon~!
"I see... I\'m a little happy to hear you say that."
"Anyway, have you solved your problem now?"
"Yes, of course. I feel like I\'ve realized something new, and it\'s all thanks to your advice," Jung Ha-Yeon said with a sincere smile.
Seeing her so happy, I couldn\'t say that this was just the basics.
Either way, I only need to teach her this much, since she will realize the rest on her own, deriving ten things from just one lesson.
"Thank you again. I\'m so glad to have met you, Ms. Hye-Rim. It\'s good to know that there\'s a magical girl besides me that I can rely on."
"Haha... Thank you."
I was surprised at the effect I had on Jung Ha-Yeon just because I was a magical girl. This was honestly unexpected.
I never thought that she would come to me for advice just because we were both magical girls. After all, in the manga, she had so few magical girls to rely on that she was in trouble.
...Hmm? Wait. She came looking for me?
I remembered something that had been bothering me since earlier.
"By the way, Ms. Ha-Yeon. I was wondering about something."
"Sure."
"Did you know that I would be coming to this cafe?"
"...What?"
"No, it\'s like you were expecting me to come here and were waiting for me."
"...."
She didn\'t answer my question; she just kept her mouth shut and hung her head down.
No, what?
Seriously, what\'s going on?