Chapter 52: Love triangle.
Kisaragi Nemuri has decided to stay in Korea longer.
It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, one she couldn’t help but make.
Naturally, her teammates in Tokyo were dumbfounded.
Without Nemuri, a key member, their team’s strength takes a hit.
There are others to fill the gap, but it’s a situation where she’d have no excuse if called irresponsible.
Still, she had no choice.
Once she left, any plans to return would likely fizzle out, leaving only vague promises.
So, she chose to follow her heart.
Forget excuses like repaying Scarlet Lily or wanting to grow stronger.
She simply wanted to stay in Korea longer, driven by that single feeling.
[‘DonWarrior’ donated 1,000 won!]
[That chameleon takedown was no joke. Ever trained in martial arts?]
Nemuri’s watching an online stream.
Scarlet Lily responds to the donation question.
“Martial arts? Never trained. Just instinct.”
Scarlet Lily hasn’t formally studied fighting techniques.
Note taken.
Nemuri jots down info about her in a notebook, like she’s studying.
– Total prodigy.
– Martial arts are basic for magical girls, though.
– How’d she see an invisible enemy?
– That punch didn’t look like a first-timer’s. Delinquent vibes?
“What am I, a thug? Punching’s not that hard,” Scarlet Lily says, picking out chat messages to answer.
Interacting with viewers is a core part of magical girl streaming.
She occasionally does gaming streams, but this seems to be her main content.
[‘Frozen Princess’ donated 10,000 won!]
[Want to learn some martial arts from me?]
A unique trait of Scarlet Lily’s streams: fellow magical girls often pop in.
Frozen Princess is a regular.
“Oh, you know martial arts? Had no idea,” Lily replies.
Martial arts are quite useful for magical girls, not just for punches or kicks but for mental discipline and reading opponents.
It’s a big reason Nemuri excels.
[‘Frozen Princess’ donated 10,000 won!]
[Learned for two years to cover my weaknesses.]
Nemuri noticed during their spar that Frozen Princess’s movements were solid.
So, she trained to compensate for her magic-focused combat style. A real hard worker.
“Doesn’t seem like I’d use it much. I’ll think about it,” Lily says.
– Most enemies go down with Scarlet Beam, so no need lol.
– Should accept a senior’s kindness.
– Training with Frozen Princess every night in bed! The polar bears know!
Wrestling? Polar bears?
Nemuri’s mastered Korean in five years, but local memes and slang remain a challenge.
“No, really, I wouldn’t use it. Magical girls use magic. The punching was a one-time thing.”
– For Parfait Alpha’s revenge?
– Magical Punch☆
– I almost got trauma from the chameleon corpse.
“Why’d you look up the corpse pics? Who even took those?”
The chameleon fight was filmed by a few civilians.
Modern cameras are so good that even distant shots come out clear.
Despite police and support staff controlling access, such photos often end up online.
“It looked pretty skilled…”
Nemuri recalls the fight.
Lily’s light steps dodging the tongue, the grapple, and that final, lethal punch.
Far from martial arts, but her movements were crisp.
[‘Frozen Princess’ donated 10,000 won!]
[That punch for your teammate was cool.]
Nemuri thought Frozen Princess was busy with evacuations, but she must’ve seen the chameleon takedown—maybe live or in a video.
“Ten thousand won every time, huh.”
Nemuri props her chin, staring at the monitor.
She’d heard Frozen Princess once donated a million won three times in a row, making waves.
She still drops big sums occasionally, but not today.
“Max donation’s three million won.”
Nemuri checks a wiki.
Scarlet Lily has her own page, making research easy.
“To make an impact, I’ll need to up the scale.”
With her long-term stay confirmed, she opened a local account.
It won’t repay her debt, but it’s a small gesture.
Tap tap tap.
She enters an amount and hits enter.
[‘Kisaragi Nemuri’ donated 10,000,000 won!]
– Is Nemuri loaded?
– Another big spender on Lily’s stream.
– Knew she’d show up, but dropping 10 million out of nowhere?
– What’s her deal? Swimming in money?
– Actually, she’s the daughter of a yakuza boss, atoning through magical girl work.
– For real?
– Just my headcanon.
– Why 10 million?
– Probably for Scarlet Lily saving her life.
– She said it was minor injuries—that serious?
– She called them minor, but she had full-body bruises and broken ribs.
– Tough as hell.
Kisaragi Nemuri, a Japanese magical girl.
She came to Korea abruptly, faced death, and instead of returning home, declared a long-term stay.
Then, she donated 10 million won on Scarlet Lily’s stream.
– Frozen Princess must be fuming, wanting to donate but can’t lol.
– What happened?
– Scarlet Lily banned donation competitions.
– No paddle for this boat.
– Frozen Princess, Silent Eve, Kisaragi Nemuri—the new big three?
– Eve only donated 1,000 won.
– It’s about love, not money.
– Lmao.
– Including a traitor is a stretch.
– She stayed in Korea to woo Scarlet Lily.
– Lily strikes again…
– Love triangle incoming?
Nemuri donated a fortune without comment, leaving everything to speculation.
Perfect fodder for netizens craving drama.
– Staying in Korea for good?
– Just become a Korean magical girl.
– Frozen Princess must be stressed lol.
– Tourist visa’s 90 days max, right?
– Special visa came through, so it’s fine.
– If a foreign magical girl wants to stay, let her.
– Government doing work.
Quirky but hard to dislike, Nemuri’s warmly welcomed as she settles into Korean life.
“Wow… isn’t this place too big for one person?”
Haeun looks around the apartment.
A spacious living room, three bedrooms, and a sunny balcony.
It’s built for newlyweds or a family with kids, not a single person.
“Better big than cramped.”
“Bet the rent’s higher than Sia’s place.”
“Still under two million won.”
“Over 500,000 is a burden for most people.”
Nemuri moved out of the hotel to start living on her own.
The group’s here for a housewarming.
“Whoa, awesome! We could order all kinds of chicken and pizza for a party!”
“Don’t be a nuisance. Nemuri might feel awkward.”
Yena scolds Sonya’s childish excitement.
“No, it’s fine. That’s why I got a big place,” Nemuri says coolly.
The fifth-gens are already hyped, planning the party.
“Sonya, you okay? You didn’t have to push yourself to come.”
“All good. Full of energy!”
Sonya flexes her arm, showing a small bicep.
During the chameleon fight, she was the first hit, carried off on a stretcher.
But thanks to her sturdy Russian genes, she only passed out briefly, no major injuries.
“That 10 million won donation—what’s with all this money? Does Japan give magical girls stipends?”
“My dad’s a company CEO. I’ve saved up a lot of allowance.”
Nemuri beams at my question.
“Wow, a real rich girl.”
“Just a bit better off. I can last about two years with what I have.”
“That long?”
“Got a visa, so I want to stay as long as I can… unless you don’t want me to?”
Her eyes tremble with anxiety—a look that’s unfairly disarming.
“No, I just wondered if Japan’s okay without you.”
“No worries about Tokyo—it’s crawling with magical girls. One less won’t hurt.”
Relieved, Nemuri giggles.
Good to know there are plenty of replacements.
“…?”
It’s suddenly quiet. I glance over, and everyone’s staring at us.
“Sia, hold it together!”
“Lily, two-timing already?”
“Flirting in broad daylight?”
Just a bit of conversation, and they’re teasing me.
Now they’re messing with me too.
Late evening.
Hong Jihyun, done with her day, relaxes in the living room.
Her husband’s working late, her kid’s asleep.
While watching a drama, a message comes in.
[Ga-eul: Unnie, you’re in touch with Scarlet Lily, right? I want to meet her. Can you introduce us?]
Ga-eul is one of the few magical girls Jihyun still talks to, besides Scarlet Lily.
The request catches her off guard.
[Jihyun: Sure, what’s up?]
[Ga-eul: Got something to share about artifacts.]
[Jihyun: Something I don’t know?]
[Ga-eul: Yup. I could tell you, but it’s better to show her directly.]
Is she just eager to meet Scarlet Lily?
It feels like more than just passing on info.
[Jihyun: Okay, I’ll ask her tomorrow.]
[Ga-eul: Thanks! ♡]
Jihyun chuckles and turns back to the TV.
“She’s more popular now than in her prime.”
Ten years ago, Scarlet wasn’t as noticed as Stella, staying low-key since she couldn’t untransform.
Late bloomers are the most beautiful, they say.
It fits Scarlet Lily perfectly.