Kang Ihyeon arrived at a building that towered like a skyscraper in the heart of the city.
"Here?"
The place where Se-ah Sister had recommended him as a Care Supporter and told him to go show his face.
He'd been informed it was one of the branches managing retired Magical Girls.
But the spot he'd arrived at per her directions wasn't some secretive government base. It was a place famous to everyone.
A regular company called Colorful, known for producing all sorts of Magical Girl merchandise.
"I've bought a ton of their limited-edition figures..."
Among companies churning out Magical Girl merch, it was renowned for top-tier quality.
They flooded the market with high-end goods at prices so low it made you wonder if the CEO was just running it as a hobby.
"Unbelievable."
He realized they could afford those prices because they also handled management of retired Magical Girls in partnership with the government.
"Still, can you really just say you want to be a Care Supporter and make it happen?"
Sister had said the retired Magical Girl's own wishes mattered most, so there'd be no issue—just follow the formal procedures. But she'd given no further details.
She didn't know the finer points herself?
"Let's head in first."
Feeling uneasy about carrying his dad's pistol and ammo in his bag, he hurried into the building.
The whole structure was used by Colorful, with not a single outsider in sight.
As he stood awkwardly in the stark first-floor lobby, a smiling guide appeared, as if beckoning him over to talk.
"Welcome. What brings you here today?"
He clearly gave off suspicious vibes and didn't fit the building at all, so the guide asked with evident caution.
"I'm Kang Ihyeon. I notified in advance that I'd be visiting."
Of course, he hadn't made the call—Sister had—so he relayed it as is. Only then did the guide break into a bright smile and switch to formal mode.
"Ah, Mr. Kang Ihyeon. Could I see your ID, along with your visit's purpose and duration..."
The guide checked his identity more thoroughly than expected, had him fill out forms, and verified everything with meticulous care.
Even with his dad's pistol in the bag, the guards acted like they already knew and took no special measures.
"All confirmed. Please proceed through there for further guidance."
"Ah, thank you."
The security checkpoint was next, per the guide's directions.
He'd built a decent physique hitting the gym like his dad, but the guards standing in a row were absolute bodybuilders who looked like they could snap him in half.
"Mr. Kang Ihyeon? Please place all your belongings here..."
In a voice that was stiff but laced with courtesy, the guard began the search.
'What the hell? Why's a normal company's security this intense?'
Phone scan, full body search, metal detector—stricter than airport immigration. Only after all that was he finally cleared.
The guard escorted the already exhausted Kang Ihyeon all the way to the elevator.
Even the elevator required scanning an ID card to move—insanely secure.
"Head there for the rest of your guidance."
"Thank you."
Stepping out, he approached a woman who looked like a secretary. She rose immediately, greeting him warmly as if she'd been waiting.
"You're Kang Ihyeon, the new Care Supporter, right?"
The words "Care Supporter" hit out of nowhere, making him flinch involuntarily.
"Yes. But I haven't gotten any explanations at all."
"Actually, cases like yours—suddenly handpicked—are more common than those who go through the formal route."
"Really? That's kinda surprising."
"Magical Girls have to bare their weaknesses, so family, relatives, or familiar acquaintances feel less awkward to them. That's why we're always short-staffed."
The secretary shared various tidbits about Care Supporters as they walked somewhere.
"You'll need separate training for things like marksmanship, but you can build up to that step by step. As for the rest..."
Kang Ihyeon shrank at the mention of shooting.
All his belongings were stashed at the first-floor checkpoint, and his dad's pistol in the bag sprang to mind.
"Uncomfortable topic?"
"Kinda..."
He recalled how Se-ah Sister had once nearly lost control to her defect symptom—her heat—and almost pounced on his dad the Care Supporter, only stopped by a suppression bullet.
Far from bothered, the secretary smiled warmly, pleased by his reaction.
"You've got the makings of a fine Care Supporter, Mr. Kang. I hope that mindset sticks."
Kang Ihyeon could sense why she said that.
No filial piety lasts through long-term caregiving.
No matter how loving the family, or how devoted the son or daughter, long illness wears everyone down eventually. A harsh truth.
[Don't assume just from me. The defects of other Magical Girls are beyond imagination. It's rude.]
Sister's words flashed back, making the weight of "care" sink in heavily.
They arrived at their destination amid the chatter and his thoughts.
The secretary knocked on the firmly shut door and announced their arrival.
"President, Mr. Kang Ihyeon is here."
The word "President" from the secretary's mouth made Kang Ihyeon jump.
He'd thought it was a fancy, oversized door, but who'd imagine it led to the president's office?
A somewhat stiff, chilly voice came from inside: "Come in."
"Have a nice meeting with the president."
Was her bright smile and send-off laced with sarcasm, like "good luck"? Probably just his imagination.
Feeling cold sweat soak his back, Kang Ihyeon stepped inside.
The thud of the door closing barely registered amid the overwhelming vastness of the president's office.
'Does she use the whole floor?'
He hadn't seen anyone else on this level besides the escorting secretary, and the office sprawling before him felt like it claimed the entire thing.
It screamed extreme minimalism: a massive space with just a desk, a guest sofa, and a table starkly alone, creating an intense sense of disconnect.
"Please wait a moment."
A woman spoke in clipped tones without lifting her eyes from the documents she was signing, even with a guest present.
'Like a career woman straight out of a painting.'
Kang Ihyeon stared in fascination at Cha Ye-rin, Colorful's president, whom he'd only seen on screens before.
Cha Ye-rin.
The 29-year-old rookie CEO drawing eyes for making Magical Girl images relatable, her social contributions, and savvy IP merch business.
'And she's handling management for retired Magical Girls on top of that?'
Her public persona was already stellar, but collaborating with the government to oversee Care Supporters for them? Mind-blowing.
Leaning back into the plush sofa, he sneaked another glance.
'Huh? Two-tone hair?'
Her black bob cut down to her shoulders hid it well unless you looked close: the inner strands were a different color.
The cool blue tint matched her rigid, icy aura perfectly, sending cold sweat down his spine.
'No way, right?'
Just seeing two-tone hair was starting to trigger him now.
In a world overflowing with mysterious mana energy, subtle shifts in hair or eye color had become everyday.
But after watching Se-ah Sister transform right in front of him, with mana's afterglow lingering in her hair, he couldn't chalk it up to mere fashion or mana side effects anymore.
Scribble, scribble, scribble.
Oblivious or not to his burning gaze, Cha Ye-rin kept signing away.
Her cold, emotionless blue eyes and flawless, spotless skin drew the eye inescapably.
She evoked a haughty masterpiece crafted from sapphire and pearl.
'She screams celebrity more than CEO, but seeing her handle paperwork shifts the vibe.'
The biggest contrast to her usual on-screen image was her outfit.
A crisp white dress shirt hugging her perfectly curved bust, asserting itself boldly, tapering to a slender waist—his eyes traced it all.
Thud.
He flinched!
As if catching his stare, Cha Ye-rin slammed her pen down and rose from her desk.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. I've got mountains of work; time's always short."
Piles of paper loomed on her desk, enough to complain openly to a stranger. In this digital age, docs needing physical review and signatures like these had to be critical.
"Ah, no worries at all. I was pretty tense; actually helped me relax a bit."
"Glad to hear it."
As the one overseeing all Care Supporters, buttering her up couldn't hurt, so he stayed polite.
Click, clack—her high heels echoed as she crossed to the opposite sofa. A crisp, sophisticated perfume wafted over.
Her tight black H-line skirt strained against thighs that looked ready to burst, her posture dizzying. He had no clue where to look.
Especially her lower half.
Office job or not, her hips made an outrageous claim, dwarfing even her bust.
"I've heard the details from Yoon Se-ah."
Her name snapped him from melting lust to taut tension.
Forcing his wandering eyes upward, he met her piercing, heart-reading gaze. His pulse raced.
"Straight to it: Why do you want to be a Care Supporter?"
True to her no-BS image, Cha Ye-rin lobbed a fastball.
He'd braced for a grilling and rehearsed his lines, but she cut him off with a warning.
"I'm not here for rehearsed platitudes. Answer honestly. This won't disqualify you now; I just want to know what kind of person you are."
Like she'd seen right through him, Cha Ye-rin nailed the truth with firm, painful precision.