The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

Whether the gryphon counted or not, even after the sky had turned completely dark, none of us felt sleepy.

Maybe it was just because we were outdoors.

So, we decided to watch one more movie.

None of us—including Alice, who had picked the first one—felt like crying any more, so this time we opted for a light action film.

I made the recommendation.

If you want something family-friendly and easy to enjoy, nothing beats a classic from the 1980s or 90s.

As long as we could access the OTT service, we could watch pretty much anything.

The one I suggested was that movie—you know, the one where a supercar is turned into a time machine. Kind of ridiculous in hindsight, but I always liked it. It was a genuinely fun film, with plenty of fans.

Since it had three parts, we set up the projector and started watching from the beginning.

We opened some snacks we’d bought beforehand, casually nibbling as we watched—

“...Are you really planning to eat that?”

“Huh? Of course. It’s just leftovers from earlier. It hasn’t even been that long, so it’s not like it’s spoiled.”

Claire said that proudly.

I mean, come on. Holding a pot of bulgogi during a movie? Not popcorn, not chips—bulgogi.

“They’re eating galbijjim over there.”

Sure enough, Mia had taken possession of the pot of galbijjim and was sitting with it on her lap.

She still had room? After everything she’d eaten?

At this point, I was convinced she had some kind of pocket dimension inside her stomach.

Alice and Charlotte gave them both amused, bewildered looks.

Then again, Claire had a point.

Movie theaters nowadays sell all kinds of weird food. Give it a few more years, and bulgogi might be on the menu too.

...Though I still doubt they’ll ever serve galbijjim.

*

In the end, none of us really watched the movies—we were too busy chatting through all three.

Aside from me, who already knew the films start to finish, I don’t think anyone else could’ve explained the plot. Honestly, we hadn’t put them on to really watch them. They were just there, in case anyone wanted to.

It wasn’t until the credits rolled on the third movie that we realized we’d been up talking past midnight.

Not that it was unusual. I often stayed up late thanks to my usual schedule—streaming at night and resting in the morning.

Sure, there’s that whole idea that sleeping late stunts your growth, but aside from Mia, I think the rest of us had already grown about as tall as we were going to. Maybe it was because they were from another world and developed differently—or maybe it was just that they were Westerners. Either way, their height and figures were nothing to be ashamed of.

And Mia... well, she was cute the way she was.

...If some guy shows up in the future saying he’s into her, I’ll seriously question his preferences.

Still, even though it was well past midnight, none of us went to bed.

Maybe we all felt that this kind of magical moment was too precious to waste.

We lay down side by side, adjusting our folding chairs to lie flat.

Five girls, lying in a row, facing the sea.

And these weren’t just any girls—they were all pretty enough to model. We probably looked like something straight out of a magazine. Or maybe a movie. No—more like a slice-of-life drama.

“You can really see the stars out here.”

That was Alice’s voice.

A crisp autumn sky, no moon, and far from the city—of course the stars were clear.

And before us, the vast, open sea stretched endlessly into the distance.

It had been a long time since I last stargazed like this. Back when I used to return to my university dorm on weekends, I’d look up at the sky and sometimes see stars... though it wasn’t like I wanted to go back to those days.

“Maybe I should’ve learned the constellations.”

Charlotte’s voice had a playful note.

“Yeah. I guess I only ever learned the boring academic stuff. Astronomy’s definitely a field that belongs to this world. The star maps must be totally different from the other side.”

Honestly, if those two studied astronomy here, they’d probably end up talking about intercontinental ballistic missile trajectories before long—but I didn’t bother pointing that out.

“Hehe.”

Claire chuckled at their conversation.

“I know one. That over there is the Big Dipper. Right, unni?”

...Honestly, I had no idea.

Back in college, I only ever looked up when I was too tired to think straight. I stared at the sky just to have something to look at.

Besides—

“Claire, I can see your phone.”

Claire was holding up her smartphone.

I wasn’t sure what app she was using, but as she moved the phone across the sky, illustrations followed along. It was obviously some kind of constellation viewer.

“...You’re supposed to just act impressed at times like this, unni.”

She said, looking slightly embarrassed.

You’re one to talk.

“What app is that?”

Mia, lying beside Claire, asked curiously.

“Oh, want me to install it for you?”

“Thank you. Constellations are quite important to mages.”

“I’ve heard that stars can influence magic.”

“There are even types of magic that rely only on celestial patterns... though most of that belongs to ancient magic, which barely survives today. As constellations shift over time, modern magic evolved to work without relying on them.”

“Wasn’t there a theory that some stars are made entirely of Maramaros?”

“They say Earth is affected by starlight due to the Maramaros content of those distant stars... but it’s all still hypothetical.”

Something about how the sea is affected by the moon, that kind of theory. At the Academy, I mostly learned combat-oriented magic, so we never went too deep into this stuff.

“So... could magic actually be reproduced in this world?”

Claire asked as she returned Mia’s phone with the app installed.

Mia shook her head.

“Without Maramaros itself, I doubt it. The fundamental rules seem different...”

So it really wouldn’t work here.

“There’s no need to think too hard about it.”

I told Mia gently.

“Just like you all crossed over to this world, we’ll be able to go back too. Until then, enjoy yourselves. Relax.”

Everyone nodded at that.

And for a long time after, we all just stared up at the stars.

Eventually, as Mia began to nod off beneath the stars, we finally made our way into the tent.

I had wondered whether we’d need a heater, but our sleeping bags turned out to be top-of-the-line—warm enough on their own. The ground mats were good too.

Still, just in case, I opened some disposable heat packs and passed them around. I wrapped one in a blanket and tucked it into Mia’s sleeping bag as well.

After we took a photo together, all bundled up in our sleeping bags like a row of little larvae, we finally fell asleep.

*

The next morning.

“Ughhh...”

The mat was decent, but sleeping outdoors was still rough.

I sat up inside my sleeping bag, and my spine immediately cried out in protest.

I blinked blearily for a while, then slowly peeled myself out of the bag.

Felt like I was shedding my skin.

That thought made me chuckle as I started tidying things up.

Mia, Alice, and Charlotte were still fast asleep.

Claire was nowhere to be seen.

Not surprising—she was always the earliest riser among us.

When I stepped outside the tent, the world was bathed in soft sky-blue light. It was still dawn.

I made sure the tent flap was securely shut to keep out the cold and wrapped a blanket around my shoulders as I headed toward the shore.

Claire was sitting right in the middle of the beach, arms around her knees, seated on a mat.

“You like the sea that much?”

“Yeah.”

She didn’t even flinch when I approached—clearly, she’d noticed me coming from the start.

I sat down next to her.

“There’s no end to it. I like places like this—open, wide.”

“Maybe it’s because you spent so long in a maze of bureaucracy. Grew up between tight alleyways and closed walls.”

“Maybe.”

Personally, I thought Claire’s hair color really matched the ocean. That deep blue.

“Let’s ride a boat sometime. Whether here, or when we get back.”

“Huh, really? We can?”

“We’re still young. We’ve got the money.”

“...Why does that last part make it sound kind of depressing?”

Claire gave a wry smile.

“I kinda don’t want to leave.”

“I woke up this morning thinking I definitely want to go back.”

My back was still aching. I hate hard floors.

Even though I sometimes sleep on the floor at home despite having a nice bed.

“Not too long ago, I thought going back would mean returning to the same old routine. But these days, I’ve started thinking differently.”

“Yeah?”

“Sometimes, it might not be so bad to just toss out responsibilities and run away.”

“Really? Then how about we kidnap Charlotte after she becomes queen?”

“I wouldn’t mind that.”

We laughed, talking about things that would probably make her faint if she heard.

Then again... would she really?

Maybe the current Charlotte wouldn’t be all that shocked.

“Claire? Sylvia?”

We heard someone calling us from far away.

Turning to look, we saw Alice stepping out of the tent, a blanket over her shoulders just like me.

There wasn’t even a hint of royal majesty in her appearance—just a girl our age.

“Shall we go back?”

“Let’s go.”

We said it together—and smiled.