Magical Girl Sapphire.
Called the perfect, flawless magical girl, she was a guardian of the world who stood as one of its two great pillars alongside Magical Girl Ruby.
Recently, several media outlets had held the Magical Girl Association responsible for the mass monster outbreak that had occurred in Jewel City, but that was only for a moment.
The popularity of magical girls still pierced the heavens, and one of the people who had become everyone’s idol was now—
“……”
Lost in thought as she gazed at her childhood friend listening to class in the seat ahead of her.
‘Rabi is cute again today.’
A person who, despite being abandoned by her parents from the moment she was born, had grown up splendidly and become a world-renowned magical girl.
To Sophia, Rabi was almost like a benefactor. After all, she had taken Sophia’s hand when she had been hesitating in the darkness and led her to a place bathed in light.
If it was for her precious childhood friend, she would surely be able to accept any sacrifice with joy. She truly believed that.
And so, as Sophia watched Rabi’s back while barely listening to class, time passed…
“Hurry up and sit down. Do you not want to go home?”
Before she knew it, after-school had arrived, and the homeroom teacher came into the classroom and began conveying the announcements.
“Next week, three-party conferences will be held, so don’t forget to show your parents the handout I’ll be giving you now.”
“Ehhh~”
A few students booed at the sudden bombshell, but the homeroom teacher continued without paying them any mind.
“I told you last time too. On that day, instead of class, each of you will have a counseling session in number order, and once everything is finished, you can eat lunch and go home. That’s all.”
At the mention that there would be no class, their irritation seemed to ease a little, but the atmosphere in the classroom remained low.
“You’re all at an important point now too. You’re already second-years, so take this opportunity to think seriously about what you want to do after graduation.”
What did she want to do? At those words, Sophia tried picturing the future she would walk toward several years from now.
Unless there was some major obstacle, she intended to continue being a magical girl, but someday, even that life would come to an end.
After all, in keeping with the title of magical girl, it had already been decided that she would retire the moment she became an adult.
‘What should I do after I retire? I already have more money than I know what to do with.’
Since she had been born into a wealthy family in the first place, if she combined those assets with the money she had earned through her magical girl activities, she would never have to worry about her old age for the rest of her life.
But she couldn’t exactly live unemployed forever, and in the end, she felt like she would get a job somewhere suitable and spend ordinary days.
‘…What do I want to do?’
Even when she imagined beyond that, she couldn’t picture herself happily immersed in anything. Most of all, even leaving this city was impossible for her.
“I’m going to call my dad. He said he’d take time off work and come.”
“I’m jealous. A butler is coming in my place.”
Even at Jade’s Café Eclipse, which she had stopped by for a change of mood, the topic of three-party conferences never ceased, and in the end, Sophia had to spend the entire day feeling unsettled.
“Welcome home, my lady.”
“Yes. I’d like to study right away, so I’ll go to my room. Please tell Mother that.”
“Understood.”
After returning home, she ignored her mother’s bedroom right beside her and headed straight to her own room.
There was no need for greetings. If they faced each other, it would only tire them both out.
[ Jewelry Academia Three-Party Conference Notice ]
“…Why does the school have to hold such a pointless conference?”
Crumpling the notice in her hand slightly and shoving it into the trash can. That much was the bare minimum Sophia could do to vent her anger.
In the end, Sophia showed the notice to no one.
After all, bringing her mother to school in that state would be utterly meaningless.
***
The day after spending a day with Executive Chris.
I was immediately testing out the coffee grinder she had given me at home.
“As expected, an expensive machine even sounds different when it grinds beans. Look at the color on this thing.”
“Haa.”
“Is it because the beans are crazy expensive too? The aroma is really—”
“Phew.”
“……”
Even though I was trying to raise my mood, Amber, who was rolling around on the bed, kept letting out heavy sighs and interrupting me.
“What’s been wrong with you since earlier? It’s annoying.”
“Wow~ This person just called his precious superior annoying!”
For some reason, that irritated me, so I threw a coffee bean nearby at her forehead.
“Ow! That hurts!”
“Yeah. I don’t feel sorry at all, but I’ll apologize anyway.”
But when she was sighing that openly, it made me worry instead.
I quietly served her a cup filled with cocoa and opened my mouth to hear her out.
“So what exactly is wrong? Just a few days ago, you were all excited because summer vacation was coming up.”
Jewelry Academia’s summer vacation was a whopping two months. Apparently, it was a long vacation almost on the level of a university’s.
Amber, in front of me, had also been giggling while wondering what she should do for fun during that time, so what the hell had happened for her to suddenly end up like this?
“No. Of course I’m happy about summer vacation, but before that, they said they’re doing something called three-party conferences…”
“Three-party conferences? Come to think of it, I feel like I heard that at the café too.”
It was probably an event where parents were invited in person to discuss the student’s career path. I was sure a few students who had dropped by Eclipse today had talked about something similar.
‘They weren’t exactly common in Korea, but if you think about a child’s future, it doesn’t seem like a bad event.’
If anything, our country was too distant when it came to children. It was nice that the enthusiasm for education was high, but they didn’t even have time to enjoy hobbies.
‘And yet, once it’s time to get a job, reality is that they badger you about whether there’s anything you want to do.’
Of course, interfering too much might be a problem too, but if it could be resolved through conversation somehow, I thought that would be ideal.
“Ah, I brought the printout for now.”
Amber rummaged through her bag and pulled out a nostalgic sheet of cheap paper I had seen countless times during my school days.
I took it and read the words written in the body of the notice.
“Let’s see… Jewelry Academia Three-Party Conference Notice.”
The contents were just as I had imagined. One parent or guardian would visit in person, and the student, guardian, and teacher would hold a conference about the student’s career path.
In addition, there was also wording about discussing the student’s life, including grades and friendships.
“The period is one week from now… Ah, come to think of it, your parents are still on a business trip, aren’t they?”
“That’s right. They’re probably on the other side of the Earth by now.”
She replied with a sullen expression.
‘So that’s why she was sighing, for once.’
Only now could I figure out what was troubling her. Everyone else would probably bring their capable parents with them, and if she was the only one without a guardian there, she would likely stand out.
‘She’s popular too, so I guess she’s sensitive about that kind of thing. She wouldn’t want to be looked down on for no reason.’
At first glance, it might seem like simple vanity. However, that thing called vanity was an extremely important element in social life.
Humans usually judge the first impression of another person by their outward appearance, and by putting on airs at that moment, it was possible to guide that perception in a positive direction.
In Amber’s case, she had become popular at school through her sociability, which let her actively talk to others, so she was a fitting example.
That was why she instinctively disliked this three-party conference, which could damage her image.
“Why don’t you talk to your older sister? She’s your guardian, at least.”
Normally, if the parents couldn’t make it, the standard move was to ask another blood relative to act as a proxy.
“If that were possible, I wouldn’t be like this… She’s super busy, so I feel bad asking her.”
It was a request from her precious little sister, so I felt like she would come if called, but it seemed Amber herself didn’t think so.
“Ah, how about you come, Senior? It’s not like you’re completely unrelated to me!”
She said it confidently, as if a good idea had occurred to her, so I wondered what she meant, only to find that it was an even dumber suggestion than I had imagined.
“You think that would work? The whole school already knows my face.”
“…Now that I think about it, you’re right.”
I was already a celebrity at Jewelry Academia. If I suddenly claimed to be Amber’s guardian or whatever, only strange rumors would spread.
“What about the other kids? Rabi, Sophia… kids like Dia.”
“I’m not sure. No one really talks about their family situation.”
I understood. Even between friends, it wasn’t something you could carelessly bring up about someone’s parents.
“Ah, but Dia-chan said her father is coming.”
“The chairman of Brilliant himself is making an appearance? I thought he’d just send some secretary and be done with it.”
Thinking about it again, it made sense. When I remembered Dia clinging to my pant leg and bawling her eyes out, she was probably the type to be quite spoiled at home.
‘He looks so solemn, but was he actually a doting father?’
In any case, it was an event that had nothing to do with me. As an outsider, it seemed difficult for me to do anything about Amber’s worries.
If she really had no other choice, I didn’t mind playing the role of her guardian, but for now, the priority was testing this expensive grinder.
***
And so, one week later.
“…I’m Jade, and I’ll be acting as Sophia’s guardian proxy. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
For some reason, I was bowing my head to a teacher at Jewelry Academia.