Gym classes began with a series of quick stretches, followed by a lecture on swimming, and then came a break that the students considered to be tradition. They remained in their swimsuits, swimming or playing in the water as they wished.Among them was the nightmare of the swimming pool, who managed to both swim and create chaos simultaneously. Kim Ruru had already made it her mission to splash water in every direction, so she had long been the class's common enemy.
“Catch her alive! She’ll pay for the murder of my sunscreen!”
“Pour the water! Drench her!”
"────Slow."
Kim Ruru darted through the water like a dolphin, and mercilessly flung water bombs on the assassins who were chasing her.
Chyaaaat-!!
That barrage struck Ms.Choi (Gym Class Special Student), who had skipped swim class because it hadn’t been long since they got her hair done. This undid the seal on the tyrant of the swimming pool, who then joined the battle.
Thus, the Net of Heaven and Earth to capture the pool’s troublemaker was completed .
“Ahahahahat-!! Sorry! I’m sorry!!”
“Until! You! Cry! The tickling won’t stop!!”Ultimately, Kim Ruru, ensnared in the Net of Heaven and Earth, was condemned to the depths of tickle hell, and thus, her rebellion came to an end.
And as if turning his back on the commotion.
Float.
There was a single sea otter floating about the swimming pool, and his name was Roderus.
“............Haaah.”
Ms. Oh Dae-Soo sighed as if the world was ending. In the end, he couldn’t reveal the truth—that he was a man—to Kim Ruru.
How can he possibly say that to a kid who said it was going to be extremely hard.
There won’t be anymore drinking Doenjang-Guk1 at Oh Hey-in’s house. It didn’t make sense to live with a completely random stranger. He’d have to leave.
But the preparations for living alone were finished. If he took up part-time jobs and slept in saunas, he would manage to live and eat comfortably.
Yeah, that’s life.. He would return to his original self, disappearing as if the person called Oh Dae-Soo had never existed…. He would just have to disappear from Kim Ruru’s and Oh Hye-in’s lives.
They won’t be able to share crepes or queue ranked together, but he could at least be able to watch from a far away place while working part-time at a convenience store…..
That would be enough. It would.
The sea otter was floating along with the gentle current, eventually drifting to the corner of the pool. A shadow of a person fell above her face.
Looking up, he saw it was Oh Hye-in.
“......Is something up today? Dae-Soo, you usually love the water. You swam like you had motors for legs last time.”
“.....Don’t ask. It’s just that something happened.”
“Sigh, you know if you bottle everything up, you'll end up getting sick later, right?”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
The sickness had already come. Last night, he had only slept about 3 hours.
Even in his sleep, the harsh rebuke of “Huh? Oh Dae-Soo you’re a guy? Ew, gross. Why did a guy pretend to be a girl!” had jolted him awake at the crack of dawn with his eyes wide open.
A wound in the heart never truly heals, so all you could do was endure the pain. A whipping would be preferable. Even a hit from Stygian Arrow of Mind Destructi…. Okay, maybe not that far.
That was how Roderus ended up in sea otter mode, trying to make up for lost sleep and soothe his heart.
Peace and harmony. Completely surrendering your body to the gentle sway of the water, maintaining mental peace while just floating. Imagining the sounds of nature that could often be heard in documentaries…..
Oh Hye-in let out a sigh while making a tired smile and threw a surprise hook.
“Dae-soo Oppa.”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
“Are you really that bummed about going back? Because if you return, you won’t be able to change in the same room or stare at girls’ swimsuits? If it is…… Do you just like living in a girl’s body?”
“......Cut the bullshit!!”
The peace of mind was shattered, and Oh Dae-soo fell into the water.
===============================================================
Roderus had simply gotten used to life as a woman; he didn't want to remain as one.
Even sitting modestly with closed legs wasn’t because he thought, ‘I should act modestly since I’m a girl,’ but rather, ‘It’s uncomfortable when those guys try to peek’.
Wearing a skirt was because there was no reason for a man to avoid wearing one. It was a traditional outfit in Scotland.
That Munggae guy had said, “It’s common knowledge that men wear skirts in Scotland.” He said that it was actually weird not to. Of course, it was Kim Ruru constantly asking “Why are you wearing pants?” that actually made him wear it.
So, he absolutely did not like being in a woman’s body──
“If you’re embarrassed, you don’t have to admit it.”
“If someone hits your head in the middle of the night, know that it was me, Oh Hye-in.”
As Roderus planned his midnight revenge, Oh Hye-in laughed softly and waved her hand in apology. Then, she spoke more seriously.
“You can keep living there, in my house.”
“.....What?”
“It’s alright. Just say you’re my cousin. Keep the name Oh Dae-soo….”
“......I am a guy.”
“I know. But before anything, I understand it’s Dae-soo oppa. I know you won’t do anything weird…… If you were going to, you would have done it by now. Like sneaking into a women’s bath or something?”
Oh Hye-in continued.
“Of course, you’ll need to tell Ruru. If a friend suddenly disappears, Ruru would also be sad. Also, would Ruru even care that Oh Dae-soo oppa is a guy? I don’t think she would. Try telling her sometime.”
“.....She said she would.”
“Ah, is that why you were so down?”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
Roderus cast his gaze downward. There’s no way that was the reason….. Oh Hye-in tilted her head in question but then moved on to the next topic.
“The outer shell isn’t what matters, Dae-soo oppa.”
“The outer shell?”
“Yeah. Not everyone acts thoughtlessly because they are a student, and not everyone likes fighting because they are a magical girl. In the end…. It’s about what’s in their heart.”
Roderus crouched by the pool and looked at the water’s surface. Oh Dae-soo’s depressed face was reflected on the calm water,
“......I carry repulsive things in my heart. I’m sure you’d hate them too.”
“Not that you were forced to carry them?”
“There is no difference. I have done too many wrongs.”
“I think that’s a bit different from this, but…. at least you’re relieved that you have permission to stay, right?”
Plop.
Oh Hye-in sat beside Oh Dae-soo as she asked him this. Roderus gave a small nod, just a small one.
Thinking about how this everyday life could continue, unconsciously eased his heart. Of course, it would still look slightly different.
But as long as they could talk, eat, and sleep under the same roof…
A friend.
Yes, if he could be with a friend…..
“Ah, now that we talked about this, there’s something important I need to tell you.”
“.....What is it?”
“I investigated why your transformation device was broken. Dae-soo oppa, you keep calling Pure Energy 『Mana』 right? I thought they were the same, but there’s a bit of a difference.
Oh Hye-in clenched her fists.
“It’s a clash between the power from this world and the other. As Mana and Pure Energy collide, the transformation device goes rip-! and cracks.
“.....I suspected as much.”
“The main point is this. Dae-soo oppa, you have diligently fought as a magical girl until now. That’s why…. Oppa’s body right now, it has almost been assimilated to the other world’s environment. It’s getting used to Pure Energy rather than Mana.”
“That means……?”
Although Roderus asked this, he had already understood what Oh Hye-in was saying. Shemeant that he couldn’t use 『Metamorphosis』 here. On top of that….
“If you try to use the 『Power From Another World』, you will be in danger.”
Oh Hye-in clapped her fists together, creating a sound like an explosion.
“From now on, it won’t be the transformation device that is at risk, but rather your own body. In the final battle, if you thought we would be in danger you were going to join the fight right?”
“.....No. I wasn’t thinking about doing that.”
“Eung, I can tell that’s a lie. It’s dangerous so…. Just quietly leave the duty of a 『Magical Girl』 to me….. Go back to the audience. Just cheer for me wholeheartedly. Okay?”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
You worked hard, Magical Girl 『Pure Knight』.
As Oh Hye-in said that, the bell rang, signaling the end of swim class. Roderus, grabbing his head throbbing from confusion, barely managed to change clothes.
Then, another problem blindsided him.
“Oh Dae-soo! Our field trip is to the Eastern Sea!”
“......So what.”
“Let’s go buy swimsuits!!”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯?!"
It was time to shop for swimsuits he would never wear.
===============================================================
“Yaay!!”
As Kim Ruru sprinted ahead with her arms raised in excitement, Roderus sighed as though the world was ending. Oh Hye-in, walking beside him, jabbed him in the side with her elbow.
“Dae-soo oppa, why are you looking so down again?”
“.....Wouldn't you do the same if you were me?!”
“You only have a few days left, right? If it weren’t for something like this, when else could you see girls in swimsuits to your heart’s content? Enjoy it!”
“What are you talking about…..!!”
Before Roderus could snap, Oh Hye-in ran away at just the right moment. He massaged his throbbing temples and hurried to catch up with the girls.
He then prepared himself to navigate the minefield he knew he was about to enter, and focused especially on Kim Ruru.
“Listen up, I’m not buying anything, I’m not wearing anything, and I’m not checking how anything looks over my clothes or picking anything out.”
“Eung~ I never planned to ask you to choose for me, Oh Dae-soo~! I’m saying I already decided which one I wanted at home!”
“Ruru, which one are you going to buy?”
“Don’t be surprised! I’m getting ── this!!”
Kim Ruru grabbed a clothes hanger and lifted it up high. Roderus gasped in horror, while Oh Hye-in averted her eyes, unable to look directly.
It was closer to a red string than a swimsuit.
Roderus realized this wasn’t the time for him to be in a daze. What he found was…. Some kind of sense of duty. Among everyone here, only he could stop Kim Ruru.
He had to overpower this reckless girl and make her buy a normal swimsuit.
“Put it back.”
"?"
“Put away that crazy swimsuit, Kim Ruru!!”
“Ah fuck, I said I’m the one wearing it, so why do you care?!”
How could he explain the dangers of a skimpy swimsuit to a kid who hasn’t had any sex education? Roderus didn’t have the words for that. So he used his strength instead. Because if you are strong, you can avoid using your head.
The tug-of-war over the swimsuit between "give it back" and "I don’t wanna" ended tragically when it was ultimately torn in half.
As compensation for Oh Hye-in paying for that swimsuit, Oh Dae-soo was forced to wear a regular bikini, and had to submit in the end.
Then, another argument erupted when Kim Ruru pulled out and displayed a cow-print swimsuit with a spotted pattern.
Apparently, things like this happened.
===============================================================
Beep beep beep beep. Beep beep beep beep.
As the alarm rang, Roderus woke with disheveled hair, facing yet another morning.
A lot had happened. He had defended against a swimsuit attack, defeated a crazy tentacle monster, prevented a tanned blonde ruffian from getting a phone number, and stopped Kim Ruru when she said she also wanted to burn her skin.
After navigating one incident after another, he looked at the calendar… It was his last day as Oh Dae-soo.
He still hadn’t made any decisions for certain yet.
Of course, Oh Hye-in had offered him a place to stay, but he still needed to figure out how to explain this to Kim Ruru and whether or not he would re-enroll in school.
How he would approach her and what he would do on the day of the final battle were all uncertainties.
Above all, his heart wasn’t ready.
Time had flown by far too quickly. Far too quickly.
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
However, there was still time to get all of it back in control. Roderus had a full day left. As he did his final tasks as a magical girl, he needed to either come up with an excuse or fully explain everything to Kim Ruru…..
He also had to fix Kim Ruru’s tendency to kick with her right foot when she throws a right-hand punch.
If he exerted all he had and defeated two of the Four Heavenly Kings, Oh Hye-in would be able to win the final battle easily. If he could set aside his pride and try to look cute to the citizens to receive Pure Energy…..
Yeah, let’s do that. To put on a decisive finale today.
Steeling himself, Roderus approached the mirror by the sink.
Hisssss──!!
With a static noise, Oh Dae-soo’s appearance began to fade away.
Then, Roderus’ true appearance was revealed. A cold looking man. He worried that he woke from the dream and was brought back to prison, so he frantically looked around.
It wasn’t the prison. There were no damp bricks, nor scurrying cockroaches.
That meant something had happened.
“Munggae, Oh Hye-in! What happened…..?”
Roderus burst through the door, calling out the names of the two people. He then found Munggae and Oh Hye-in who were getting ready to fly.
And beyond them, the giant dark vortex swirled in the sky.
They spoke as though they were caught in an inconvenient situation.
“We were going to give you a bit more time….. It’s a surprise attack, mong. It’s an all out attack, mong. We were fools to believe in the time frame given at the declaration of war, mong.”
“Dae-soo….. Oppa. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you like this, but you still look cool! However, I’m busy right now, so I need to go. You remember what I told you, right?”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
“Cheer for me. When I get back, let’s order some sushi for dinner.”
With that, Oh Hye-in, Magical Girl 『Pure Light』, took flight with her mascot.
Sigh, I can’t with her.
One morning, as Oh Dae-soo looked on in disbelief at the disappearing figure of the magical girl….
It dawned on him that he had transformed back into Roderus.
1. korean soy bean soup