Chapter 4: It just can't be Helped

Supporter.

The gig came with a surprisingly hefty annual salary, easily clearing the twenty-million-yen mark, with considerable wiggle room depending on the region and, more importantly, the… eccentricities… of the assigned Esper. Rumor had it that top-tier Supporters, the real miracle workers of the industry, raked in incomes that could make even some high-ranking Espers green with envy. This was also, aside from accidentally stumbling into a fiend rampage, the profession that offered ordinary folks the most direct, if often perilous, contact with the world of Espers. 

The job, however, demanded an exceptionally, almost ridiculously, high set of qualifications. Passing the infamous Supporter examination wasn't just a matter of slogging through textbooks and acing written tests; one also needed an almost supernatural talent for navigating complex human (and inhuman) emotions, especially in high-stress, life-or-death situations. Being well-read enough to quote obscure philosophy while dodging stray energy blasts was merely considered a basic, entry-level requirement.

And now, Ren Akiyama, all of sixteen years old, stood ramrod straight before a mature, impeccably dressed woman who looked to be in her early thirties. Even though he had mentally prepared himself for this crucial interview, reciting calming mantras and practicing his most confident smile in the mirror, he still felt waves of intense nervousness wash over him. His palms were definitely sweating.

“Ren Akiyama, age sixteen,” the woman began, her voice smooth and professional as she scanned the file in front of her. “Achieved near-perfect scores on all sections of the qualification examinations. Impressive. Wishes to begin active duties as a Supporter ahead of the standard schedule. The submitted application states the desired primary support target is Hana Tanaka, an unregistered Esper currently possessing the 'Mage' ability… Please review this summary file, Mr. Akiyama, and confirm if there are any discrepancies.”

Ren took the offered file, his fingers slightly trembling. He quickly, meticulously, confirmed the information typed neatly on the page, then handed it back to the woman with a polite bow. “Ma’am, there are no problems or inaccuracies with this file. Everything is correct.”

“You are, of course, still a minor,” the woman continued, a faint, unreadable smile playing on her lips. “Therefore, even if you participate in active field duties starting now, it can only be in an official ‘intern’ capacity. This means we cannot offer you a regular, salaried remuneration package. After all,” she added, a hint of dry amusement in her tone, “signing a formal employment contract with a minor would unfortunately broach the rather sticky subject of child labor laws, wouldn’t it? As such, your compensation will be disbursed in the form of performance-based bonuses. This means, practically speaking, your income will be somewhat lower than that of fully contracted Supporters. A formal, salaried contract can only be officially signed after you reach the age of legal adulthood. Is this arrangement acceptable to you, Mr. Akiyama?”

Ren nodded firmly, his expression earnest. “Yes, Ma’am. Thank you for granting me this incredible opportunity. I understand and accept the terms.” Any chance to get started is a chance I’ll take!

The woman’s smile widened, a flicker of genuine satisfaction in her eyes. “Excellent. The individual you wish to primarily support is Hana Tanaka, who, as we’ve established, possesses the Mage ability. As a related, and I believe, highly beneficial initial training assignment, there happens to be a rather… unique… Superhero currently operating in this city who is, shall we say, conspicuously lacking a Supporter. It would be an excellent opportunity for you two to… ah… acclimate to each other and see how well you synergize.”

Ren’s heart gave a hopeful leap. “You mean…?”

“Magical Girl Black, of course!”

A cold wave of guilt, sharp and immediate, washed over Ren. He vividly recalled how, just that very morning, he had been rather animatedly discussing Magical Girl Black’s… challenging… personality with his childhood friend, Hana. He’d said she wasn’t like a proper magical girl at all, and had even gone so far as to rather bluntly criticize her abrasive character. Oh, this is bad. This is really, really bad.

Is this some kind of instant, cosmic karma for badmouthing someone behind their back? The universe works in terrifyingly swift ways!

“Um…” Ren began, his voice suddenly a few octaves higher than usual, “It might sound terribly ungrateful of me to say this, Ma’am, especially after you’ve been so generous, but… are there, by any chance, any other heroes available for an internship assignment? Perhaps someone a little less… intense?”

The woman’s expression shifted subtly, her gaze flicking almost imperceptibly to the side for a microsecond. “Ahem! Mr. Akiyama, you might harbor some… slight… misconceptions about Magical Girl Black. Although she certainly appears that way on the surface… here, perhaps you should take a look at this restricted internal performance report.”

Ren took the proffered document, a sleek, official-looking file. A flicker of genuine surprise widened his eyes as he scanned the contents, his brow furrowing in concentration.

“You see?” the woman said, leaning forward slightly, her voice dropping to a more confidential tone. “Although Magical Girl Black undeniably appears that way on the surface—all doom and gloom and barely suppressed rage—her actual combat style, despite its apparent ferocity and violence, consistently results in the absolute lowest collateral damage to civilians and property among a great many active heroes. She clearly exercises considerable strategic thought and restraint during her battles, even if it doesn’t look like it. She is, believe it or not, a very rule-abiding and surprisingly meticulous individual when it comes to mission parameters.”

Indeed, after thoroughly reading the detailed report, Ren found himself significantly revising his initial, rather harsh, perception of Magical Girl Black. Perhaps this was someone who deliberately projected a frenzied and wild demeanor as a way to avoid certain social complexities or unwanted attention—a kind of defensive, avoidant personality, maybe? Fascinating… and complicated.

The woman before him, sensing his wavering, pressed her advantage. “Besides, Mr. Akiyama, even though you already have a specific individual you wish to assist and support in the long term, gaining practical, hands-on experience in dealing with… shall we say… particularly challenging personalities should make handling other, more mundane matters even smoother and more efficient in the future, don’t you think? After all, the one you ultimately wish to support… well, she has her own unique quirks, as I’m sure you’re intimately aware, right?”

Her gaze held a slightly suggestive, almost teasing, flirtatious quality that made Ren feel a sudden, unexpected flush creep up his neck. However, his close relationship with Hana was hardly a state secret; a little bit of routine background checking would reveal their childhood-friends-to-something-more status quite easily. So, her words, however pointed, did indeed strike a chord and sway him. She’s right. If I can handle Magical Girl Black, handling Hana’s occasional tsundere outbursts should be a piece of cake!

“In that case, Ma’am,” Ren said, his voice now firm with newfound resolve, “I am willing, no, eager, to act as Magical Girl Black’s Supporter.”

“Excellent! A wise decision, Mr. Akiyama.” The woman’s smile was positively beaming now. “Then, there’s no time like the present, is there? You can officially start your duties… right now!”

Ren: “…Huh? Wait, now now?”

Honestly, if this weren’t an officially sanctioned, government-affiliated organization, Ren would have already suspected he’d unwittingly walked into some kind of shady, black-hearted, exploitative company that preyed on naive teenagers. Starting work immediately after the interview is over?! But… but it’s practically nighttime! This is insane! He had naturally assumed he’d at least have until tomorrow, or perhaps the day after, to mentally prepare himself and maybe buy a new tie before officially starting. He’d never, in his wildest dreams, imagined it would be this… instantaneous.

But, alas, there was nothing he could do about it now. He’d already committed. With a sigh of resignation, he put on the crisp, slightly-too-large suit the organization had prepared for him, feeling like he’d suddenly, and rather unwillingly, transformed into a downtrodden corporate drone. Then, steeling his nerves, he knocked on the door of a certain designated room.

“Hello, Miss Magical Girl Black? My name is Ren Akiyama. I am the Supporter who has been officially assigned to you by the organization.” He tried to sound professional and confident, but his voice cracked slightly on the last word.

A muffled, dismissive voice came from the door. “Hmph, I’ve always thought Supporters were a completely unnecessary, coddling extravagance, but if the organization has officially assigned one…”

Ren watched, his eyes widening in disbelief, as Magical Girl Black, who had initially kept her eyes closed with an air of bored disdain, suddenly snapped them open mid-sentence. Her expression instantly shifted from haughty indifference to one of utter, unadulterated shock, then morphed into something akin to raw panic or some other equally intense, unreadable emotion. Then, before Ren could utter another word, she immediately, violently, slammed the door shut in his face.

A furious, slightly hysterical shriek echoed from behind the closed door. “CHANGE HIM! CHANGE HIM RIGHT NOW! I WANT A DIFFERENT ONE!! THIS KID ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY WON’T DO, DAMMIT!!! NO WAY IN HELL!!!”

What… what in the ever-loving world is going on?! Did I say something wrong? Is my tie crooked?!

Do I… know her from somewhere? Clearly not! That’s impossible! Ren spent a full, agonizing ten seconds frantically racking his brain, meticulously reviewing his entire past life for any forgotten encounters with terrifying, black-clad magical girls. He confirmed, with a sinking heart, that his entire knowledge of the infamous Magical Girl Black was strictly limited to sensationalized news reports and the rather dry, impersonal official file he’d just been shown. They were, for all intents and purposes, complete strangers.

Then… has she seen me before, somehow? Did I accidentally cut her off in traffic? Spill coffee on her favorite trench coat in a past life?

Have I, in some unknown way, done something to make her despise me on sight?

After several more rounds of intense, soul-searching self-reflection, utilizing the ancient wisdom of "three times a day, I reflect upon myself," Ren reluctantly concluded that he had neither committed any egregious social faux pas nor intentionally offended her in any conceivable way. He didn't even know her, for crying out loud! So, her extreme, almost violent, reluctance to even be in the same room as him was… perplexing.

Ah, I see. Lightbulb moment! Does she perhaps assume that a Supporter assigned to a female magical girl should also be a girl? Is this a gender preference thing?

In fact, it was true that most Supporters were of the same gender as their assigned hero, for reasons of comfort and practicality. There were heterosexual pairings, of course—though those, more often than not, tended to blur professional lines and blossom into romantic relationships. Or, as in the case of himself and Hana, they were already an established couple intending to navigate the chaotic world of Superheroes and Supporters as a dedicated team. After all, professional interactions between different genders, especially in high-stress, emotionally charged situations, could sometimes be… complicated. And awkward. Very awkward.

And based on his earlier, revised assessment from the internal report, Magical Girl Black, despite being a surprisingly rule-abiding and meticulous magical girl beneath the surface, projected an overwhelming impression of being volatile, unpredictable, and terrifyingly wild. This person, he theorized, likely had a deeply ingrained avoidant personality. Perhaps delicate and surprisingly gentle on the inside, a fragile flower even, but utterly inept at interacting with outsiders, let alone those of the opposite sex, especially a young, earnest, and possibly intimidatingly competent one like himself. Yes, that must be it! My psychological profiling skills are top-notch!

Ren had only been standing outside the slammed door for a mere thirty seconds, a veritable eternity in awkward-silence-time, but in that short, tension-filled span, he had already formulated a comprehensive psychological profile of the enigmatic magical girl cowering within. He was supremely confident in his assessment, a confidence born from his recent string of academic successes. He had, after all, passed what was widely touted as the world’s most difficult and mind-bogglingly comprehensive examination with near-perfect, almost unbelievable scores—a grueling test that included extensive, in-depth knowledge of advanced psychological theory and practical application. He was absolutely, positively certain that his judgment in this matter was correct. She’s just shy! And probably a tsundere!

He absolutely, categorically could not afford to lose this job. This was his first step, his crucial entry point into the world he so desperately wanted to be a part of, for Hana’s sake.

For a workplace novice, a fresh-faced rookie like himself, failing spectacularly at the very first assignment would be a terrible, career-damaging setback. Ren worried, with a knot of anxiety tightening in his stomach, that if he couldn’t even establish basic professional contact with Magical Girl Black, his evaluation within the organization would plummet disastrously. If they later deemed him incapable, unreliable, or simply not cut out for the job, and therefore unqualified to support Hana in the future… that was an outcome too devastating for Ren to even contemplate. It was, simply put, unacceptable.

I have to find a way to make her accept me! I need to show her I’m trustworthy, capable, and not at all scary! My future, and Hana’s, depends on this!

While Ren stood outside the door, his brain working at overclocked speed, wracking his neurons for the perfect diplomatic solution, the Magical Girl Black trapped on the other side was truly, genuinely, catastrophically panicking! She was completely, utterly dumbfounded! Her mind had gone entirely blank, replaced by a screeching internal alarm.

Who else… WHO ELSE COULD THAT PERSON OUTSIDE POSSIBLY BE!

It’s… it’s my precious daughter’s childhood friend slash current boyfriend slash MY FUTURE SON-IN-LAW! What in the seven circles of hell is that little brat doing here?! Didn’t I specifically, explicitly ask him to look after my daughter while I was away? Is this how he ‘looks after’ her?! By abandoning her to become a glorified gofer for a middle-aged magical girl?!

Running off here to be a Supporter, is he! Of all the nerve! The audacity! The sheer, unmitigated gall!

Her hands, which had faced down city-destroying fiends without a tremor, now trembled uncontrollably as she fumbled with her phone and dialed a certain woman’s number with furious, stabbing motions.

“WHAT THE HELL IS THE MEANING OF THIS, YOU CONNIVING OLD HAG!” she shrieked into the phone the moment the call connected, her voice raw with fury. “WHY THE UTTER, BLOODY FUCK DID YOU LET HIM BECOME MY SUPPORTER!! DO YOU HAVE ANY GODDAMN IDEA WHO HE IS, DAMMIT!!! ARE YOU TRYING TO RUIN MY LIFE?!”

The woman on the other end of the line calmly held the phone a safe distance away from her ear, wincing slightly. She wasn’t entirely surprised that Black would blow a gasket of this magnitude upon finding out. It was, after all, a rather… delicate… situation. But still—

“Of course, I know he’s your daughter’s devoted sweetheart, Black, my dear,” the handler purred, her voice infuriatingly calm. “But what tangible difference does that make to our current professional arrangement? This young man, Ren Akiyama, is an unmitigated genius. A prodigy. He passed the Supporter qualification exam with practically full marks, a feat few achieve even after years of study. If you want me to be brutally, refreshingly honest with you, Black—you don’t seriously, seriously think that playing glorified sidekick and emotional support animal to your admittedly charming but ultimately limited-potential daughter is the optimal career path this exceptionally talented boy should be taking, do you? Think of his future, Black. His wasted potential.”

At these carefully chosen, surgically precise words, Black’s towering inferno of fury instantly, almost magically, subsided, doused by a cold wave of dawning horror. “What… what exactly are you implying?” she asked, her voice dangerously quiet.

“I’m implying, my dear Black, that your daughter’s Esper ability, ‘Mage,’ while certainly unique, has been assessed by the organization’s top analysts. Their potential projection indicates that she would require intensive training until her late thirties, possibly even her early forties, just to consistently reach the baseline combat power that Strawberry Sweetheart possesses in her regular, non-powered-up state. While it’s undoubtedly a wondrous, fascinating ability, capable of incredible, unpredictable things on rare occasions, in terms of her long-term viability and effectiveness as a frontline hero… well, let’s just say we are not overly optimistic about her prospects. For a rare talent like Ren Akiyama, a boy with his intellect and dedication, even if he himself passionately wishes to support only your daughter, we would, as per standard protocol for maximizing asset potential… counsel… your daughter. Gently, of course. Persuasively. You understand how these delicate organizational matters work, don't you, Black?”

As an adult, a seasoned, cynical veteran of the brutal corporate world, Kenji Tanaka understood this kind of subtle, bureaucratic strong-arming perfectly. It was depressingly familiar. For example, if you were a long-serving government official, when you reached a certain age, or if your performance was deemed… suboptimal… various influential people would discreetly come to "have a friendly word," to gently, persuasively, encourage you to vacate your position for someone younger, someone more… promising. They wouldn’t use overt force, oh no. They would appeal to your sense of duty, your loyalty, your emotions, your reason, repeatedly, patiently, sometimes over a period of years, until you finally, wearily, relented. It was hard for anyone to resist that kind of relentless, systematic pressure. Moreover, Hana genuinely, deeply liked Ren. If it were framed as being "for Ren’s bright future," for his career, for his happiness, Hana herself, bless her naive, selfless heart, might even be the one to persuade Ren to become someone else’s Supporter, sacrificing her own desires for his sake. Damn these manipulative corporate vultures!

“Besides,” the woman on the phone continued, her voice softening slightly, adopting a tone of sympathetic concern that Black knew was entirely feigned, “you must understand, Black, that Supporters, despite their training, actually face a significant, often underestimated, risk of severe injury or even death. They are, after all, fundamentally ordinary humans operating in the closest possible proximity to Espers during incredibly dangerous, life-threatening situations. Are you truly, honestly comfortable entrusting your precious future son-in-law’s safety and well-being to anyone else? Anyone less… capable… than yourself?”

That sentence, that single, perfectly aimed emotional arrow, was what truly, deeply made Magical Girl Black waver. Her resolve crumbled.

“You know, Black,” the handler pressed on, her voice now a silken caress of manipulative logic, “in the entire Sector S, your raw combat power is undeniably among the strongest, if not the strongest. If young Ren were assigned to someone else, some lesser hero, I sincerely doubt they would possess the strength or the situational awareness to adequately protect your beloved daughter’s future husband when true danger inevitably strikes. Do you honestly, truly want to witness your daughter heartbroken, inconsolable, and weeping over his hospital bed… or worse?” The woman let out a soft, theatrical sigh. “Of course, my dear, we won’t force you into anything you’re not comfortable with. If you adamantly insist, we will, naturally, assign you a different Supporter. We certainly understand your… complex… feelings in this matter. As you know, the organization always prioritizes the expressed wishes and emotional well-being of its most valuable Espers. We are always very willing to accommodate your needs.” Lies! All lies!

Magical Girl Black’s expression had twisted into a ferocious, almost demonic snarl. “You calculating, manipulative old hag! No wonder you’re still single at thirty! You’re worse than a goddamn animal! I swear to all that is unholy, one of these days, I’m going to personally, gleefully, beat the ever-living crap out of you until you beg for mercy!”

The woman on the other end of the line felt an involuntary twitch at the corner of her lips. She knew Black had a notoriously foul mouth, a veritable sewer of creative profanity, but she hadn’t quite expected it to reach this particular level of eloquent vulgarity. Comparatively speaking, wasn’t her un-transformed, salaryman self almost painfully, unnaturally polite? The duality was truly fascinating. And slightly terrifying.

“So, my dear Black?” the handler cooed, her voice once again smooth as silk. “Are you in, or are you out? The choice, as always, is yours.”

Magical Girl Black, warrior of darkness, champion of reluctant heroism, ultimately, inevitably, thought of the precious daughter she had painstakingly, sacrificially raised all these years. Gritting her teeth so hard she thought they might crack, she spat out the words like poison, “I’ll do it! Damn it all to hell and back, I’ll fucking do it, alright?! Are you happy now, you soulless succubus?!”

A middle-aged man, for the sake of his beloved daughter’s future happiness (and the continued well-being of her oblivious boyfriend), was thus, once again, forced into an incredibly awkward, deeply uncomfortable, and potentially life-altering corner. My life is a joke.

At that very moment, back at the Tanaka family home, Hana Tanaka felt a strange, inexplicable sense of unease wash over her, for reasons she couldn’t quite pinpoint. A sudden, unexpected chill ran down her spine.

She even, surprisingly, found herself thinking of her boring, perpetually stressed-out old man. Wonder what Dad’s up to on his super important business trip? Probably complaining about the hotel Wi-Fi.

Shaking her head with a dismissive scoff, she forcibly ejected the uncharacteristically sentimental image of that uninteresting, middle-aged salaryman from her mind. Focus, Hana! Ren is out there, studying hard, working towards his dreams! I can’t fall behind!

With that determined thought, she decisively turned off the blaring television, settled into a cross-legged position on her bedroom floor, closed her eyes, and began to diligently, earnestly, meditate.

“I have to train hard too! I won’t let Ren leave me in the dust!”