Since my Useless Working Sister and Other Troublemakers Became Magical Girls, I have no Choice but to Support Them. - Chapter 1-8: Magical Girls as Symbols of Hope

Chapter 1-8: Magical Girls as Symbols of Hope

“What do you mean by ‘light of hope’?”

I asked about the title that didn’t quite suit Aina.

“Fear Eaters generate fear. They cause fear of death or injury by direct attacks, and fear of losing one’s possessions. If they keep appearing, people will fear the Fear Eaters themselves, unsure when they might emerge.”

Fear spreads. The mere fact that they might appear instills fear in people. The world becomes dominated by a fear greater than the actual rampage of monsters. (T/N: Danganronpa reference?)

That’s the enemy’s aim. When Fear Eaters actually appear, the gathered fear will be immense.

So, a symbol to overcome fear is necessary. That’s the role of magical girls. If people believe they’re safe because of them, fear is less likely to arise.

“It might be fortunate that only women can transform. Girls in dazzling outfits attract attention. In today’s fast-spreading information world, if everyone knows about Fear Eaters, news of magical girls will spread quickly too. That’s what’s happening right now.”

I picked up the remote control on the table and turned on the TV.

I switched to a channel airing the evening news.

“It was shocking. The monster appeared out of nowhere!”

The broadcast showed an interview with a stranger.

The background was the station where we had been at earlier. The media quickly arrived upon hearing the commotion.

The footage switched to another interviewee. This time, it was a familiar face.

“It was amazing! A really beautiful lady came and defeated the monster!”

The girl I had saved earlier was excitedly talking about the magical girl’s exploits.

She seemed to follow Rafio’s advice well. She spoke about the magical girl but said she didn’t know who she really was. She mentioned that the magical girl appeared out of nowhere and didn’t mention me or Rafio at all.

Naturally, the media wanted more details, especially about the magical girl’s appearance.

“Huh? Umm, she wore pink clothes, a frilly skirt, and her belly was exposed, umm…”

“How old do you think she was?”

“Her age? Umm, I think she was older than me?”

“So, she was an adult?”

“Y-yes. I don’t remember well, but she was an adult!”

“Well, she’s doing a good job.”

Rafio seemed pleased that the information was spreading as he had intended.

Meanwhile, Aina was trembling, realizing that her identity had become public knowledge. She pulled out her phone and searched for “magical girl” on social media.

A slew of anonymous comments appeared, with people freely expressing their opinions.

“Are magical girls real?”

“I want to meet her. She must be cute.”

“I’m a fan already.”

“I want her to protect me too.”

“I want to marry her.”

“But she’s an adult.”

“An adult magical ‘girl’ is weird.”

“That’s kinda cringe.”

“What do you mean, cringe! But I think so too!”

Aina’s scream echoed throughout the house.

“It’s not like I want to dress like that! It just happened!”

“I understand how you feel.”

“And there are cosplayers older than me in weirder outfits! Tell them they’re cringe too!”

“I can’t say.”

She’s concerned about that?

Trying to make herself look better by lowering others—how petty.

Aina, having shouted, looked around the room.

A room not properly cleaned, cluttered with clothes and miscellaneous items, and dusty corners. Then, my prized shirataki rice bowl.

“Hey, Rafio. Why did you choose me? There were plenty of other women at the station.”

“You had the highest aptitude. You becoming a magical girl was the right choice at that moment.”

“Really? Can you cook?”

“Sorry, I’ve never tried.”

“But you could learn if you started now. You can clean and do laundry, right? Yuuma, teach him.”

“Oh? Oh.”

“Fine. I’ll be a magical girl. But Rafio has to do the housework in Yuuma’s place. That’s the deal.”

“Will you really? Thank you, I’ll do my best.”

“And one more thing. My identity as a magical girl must never be revealed to the public.”

“Of course.”

“Then it’s settled.”

“Are you sure? Taking this on?”

“Yes. I’m tired today, so I’m taking a shower and going to bed. Good night.”

“Oh, okay. Good night…”

I watched in a daze as my sister, still in her tired-looking suit, headed to her room.

“Hey, Yuuma. Just curious, are you in charge of the housework here?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“I see. Family dynamics vary, but it’s rare for a young boy to handle household chores.”

“Yeah.”

It’s not normal, and maybe it’s a prejudice, but in most families, the mother typically does the housework, including cooking.

My family used to be the same.

“It was a car accident. I don’t know what caused it, but a car fleeing from a police car collided with ours at high speed, crushing it. Three people inside died, leaving our five-member family reduced to two.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Your parents and?”

“My older brother. He was preparing to move to Tokyo for college with my parents.”