My body still faintly remembered last night’s disturbance in the harbor district.

The recoil from driving my knuckles, lingered as a dull ache deep in my shoulder.

But regardless of such personal afterglow, morning arrived as it always did.

The magnetic levitation school bus glided several centimeters above the ground, carrying me to school without so much as a vibration.

Outside the window, the scenery streamed by in colors more vivid than reality itself, illuminated by giant hologram advertisements.

Once I passed through the school gates, there was only ‘normal life’.

Classrooms lined with orderly white desks made of nanomaterials.

In this era where paper textbooks exist only in museums, students prepared for class by tracing floating holographic screens with their fingertips.

“Morning, Shizuku. Nice work in the warehouse district yesterday.”

The boy in the seat next to me called out, potato chips in hand.

In this world, magical girls aren’t anything special.

They’ve completely blended in as just another profession, like athletes, idols, or civil servants.

The fact that I’m ranked 158th in the Magical Girl Ranking is common knowledge among everyone in the class.

“…Morning.”

When I replied shortly, he didn’t press further and returned to talking about games with his friends.

That feeling of being left alone was comfortable to me.

“—Shizuku.”

Suddenly, a cool sensation brushed the back of my neck.

Before I could respond, a soft weight pressed against my back.

Slender arms wrapped around my shoulders, and in the corner of my vision I saw half-lidded, sleepy eyes.

“…Rin. We’re at school.”

“I know.”

Tsukishiro Rin murmured softly, her face buried in my back.

She’s my classmate and one of my few friends.

Always downcast, always looking indifferent to everything—yet when it comes to me, her sense of distance is completely broken.

Rin’s fingers began carefully rubbing from my upper arm to my shoulder over my uniform.

Her touch carried a strange warmth, as if she were checking each individual muscle fiber.

“That boar yesterday was big, right? You’re not hurt?”

“I’m fine. The knuckles’ shock absorption worked.”

“…But here. It’s a little tight.”

Her fingertips pressed precisely into the sore spot in my shoulder.

Then she leaned closer, inhaling softly near my neck.

“Shizuku, you still smell like monster… You need proper care when you get home. I can do it for you.”

“I’m fine. I can do it myself. And that tickles.”

Even when I shifted away, Rin didn’t let go.

If anything, she tightened her hold, resting her chin on my shoulder as if to stake her claim.

The other students didn’t even laugh.

This was our perfectly ordinary routine.

“Gooood morning! You two are intense first thing in the morning!”

A voice as bright as an exploding bomb rang out as Hyuga Aoi burst into the classroom.

She planted herself in front of my desk and immediately activated her hologram tablet.

“I saw it, Shizuku! Last night’s subjugation log! I checked every upload!”

“…It was manual mode. There shouldn’t have been much footage.”

“That’s exactly the problem!”

Aoi snapped her fingers, projecting several clipped videos in prime position before me.

One showed my ‘single-strike pulverization’ scene.

Another showed battle footage of top-ranked—A-rank and above—magical girls.

“Look at Rank 12, ‘Momozono Runa’! That wink after defeating the monster! That camera angle! And the buildup before shouting her finisher! That alone changes the donation amount by three months of my part-time job salary!”

In the hologram, a girl in a frill-heavy costume flashed a perfect idol smile at the drone.

“Your action is amazing, Shizuku. No wasted movement, insane power. But your entertainment value is extinct! You punch with your knuckles and it’s just ‘done’! That doesn’t give viewers catharsis! You need something like ‘Shatter into pieces!’ before you punch, or shout a technique name!”

“…Embarrassing. And inefficient.”

At my response, Aoi dramatically slumped her shoulders.

“Shizuku, magical girl is a job—but you’re also an idol! If you get popular, companies sponsor you and your salary skyrockets! At this D rank, you’ll never eat that reservation-three-months-wait ‘Luxury Jewel Sweets Tower’!”

“Sweets…”

That word made my heart waver slightly.

Desserts crafted with the latest culinary magic are undeniably tempting.

With the low pay of an unpopular magical girl, they aren’t easy to afford.

“And besides, you don’t have to be a magical girl forever, right? Once you’re over twenty-five, you can retire anytime you want. Wouldn’t it be smarter to earn quickly while you’re young and live comfortably after retirement?”

Aoi’s words were realistic.

There’s no mandatory retirement age for magical girls, but considering physical peak and public demand, the mid-twenties often become a turning point.

What comes after depends entirely on you.

“…Earning money is good. But I’m not good at fawning.”

“Should I become your manager and produce you? We could name your knuckles ‘Explosion’ or something!”

“Absolutely not.”

The moment I answered, Rin—who had been silently holding me—interjected with visible displeasure.

“Aoi, don’t put weird ideas in Shizuku’s head. I like her the way she is. Her clumsy fighting style that she doesn’t show anyone else. She doesn’t need to go viral. If Shizuku’s in danger, I’ll support her for life.”

“Rin-chan, that’s way too heavy! I want Shizuku to see a more sparkling world!”

“I care more about Shizuku’s body temperature than sparkle.”

“Feeding Shizuku delicious food is true happiness!”

The debate over what to do with me began heating up between them.

Meanwhile, I looked out the window, listening to their lively exchange.

The unpopular number of 158th place.

My pride as a magical girl and my daily life.

And this time spent surrounded by close friends as just ‘me,’ not a magical girl.

All of it mixed together to shape my everyday life.

Popularity really can stay in moderation.

As long as I can maintain my license and earn enough to laugh with my friends tomorrow, that’s enough.

“…Oh, by the way. After school, there’s a new sweets shop opening in the station-front commercial building. Apparently they have a limited-time parfait.”

At my casual remark, both Aoi and Rin froze.

“I’m going! If Shizuku goes, I’m absolutely going!”

“…If Shizuku wants to eat it, I’ll eat it too. Aoi, line up.”

“Why am I the advance scout!? Rin-chan, you’re coming too!”

Until the bell rang to start class, our classroom echoed not with magical girl strategy, but with an earnest and passionate discussion about after-school plans.

Magical Girl Ranking 158th, Himuro Shizuku.

My battles aren’t only at night.

The time spent here, in this bright classroom with noisy friends, is also a precious battlefield worth protecting.