Magical girls also have intensity anxiety

Looking at the hair clip, Jin Yu gritted her teeth and couldn't help but ask, "Did you buy this this morning?"

"Hmm, what's wrong?"

If there is corrupted magic, then it means that Mu Ming has most likely really encountered a calamity beast.

In other words... he had actually wronged him.

How could this be...?

Why did you suddenly buy this kind of thing?

"I bought it because it looked suitable."

"I mean, why did you suddenly decide to buy me something? There's no reason for you to give me something... you."

Actually, there is one. After all, he is a guardian, and Mu Ming has been living off the food provided by Jin Yu's family all along.

Spending money to buy her gifts is like transferring money from one hand to the other, like taking coins from a wishing well and then throwing them in to make a wish.

Of course, for Mu Ming, the main purpose was to give Zhu Huan a heads-up and to give Mu Ming a possible chance to survive.

However, what one thinks in one's heart and what one says are two different things, he repeated again:

"If it feels right, then I'll buy it."

"Is...is that so..."

Jin Yu felt a tightness in her chest, which also made her stomach churn.

I don't know if it's from hunger or just from feeling embarrassed that my stomach hurts.

"Even so... you shouldn't skip class without permission."

She felt she was being stubborn, and her words were bordering on reckless. Mu Ming wasn't a magical girl; he should finish his studies regardless.

Mu Ming didn't understand why she insisted on dwelling on this matter; he had already given her reason for taking leave without permission.

Do we have to repeat it again?

Let's just find a reason she can't refuse.

"Where there are many people, there are more likely to be dangerous beasts."

"No...no, Seventeenth Middle School and the Bureau of Investigation are in the same district. Although it's on the outskirts, there are definitely fewer monsters there...and even if there are monsters, the Bureau has fourth-tier magical girls on standby at all times, so you don't need to worry about that..."

"What I mean is, the monsters can easily appear next to me. Even if other magical girls react quickly, they can't possibly teleport to my aid."

He paused, then added:

"If I can't defeat the spawning monsters, that would be a real problem. As a magical girl, how could I intentionally do something that would endanger the citizens?"

Jin Yu forced a smile and asked blankly:

"So you live in a place like this... also because there are few people?"

No, it's just that the rent is cheap.

Before becoming a magical girl, Mu Ming was already struggling to take care of himself. He would have preferred to stay in crowded places where monsters would appear less often.

Of course, the small number of people is indeed an advantage of this old neighborhood, both for Mu Ming before and after she became a magical girl.

I guess so.

"..."

Silence fell over the room. After a few seconds, Jin Yu spoke as if she could hardly bear it any longer:

"Excuse me, could I use the restroom?"

Without waiting for Mu Ming's reply, she hurriedly ran to the bathroom, the clattering of her heels on the floor quite noticeable.

slam-la-

The water flow was strong, turned up to the maximum, and Jin Yu didn't care about wasting Mu Ming's water bill. Although she used magic to seal the doorway so that the sound wouldn't get out.

But she still hoped that some sound could drown out her voice.

She originally thought that if a person possessed qualities such as enthusiasm, kindness, and positivity, then he must be a sunny and cheerful person.

After all, that's what her past experiences had taught her.

But today her opinion has changed.

She had originally come to confront Mu Ming in a fit of anger, but now that she had asked, she felt incredibly stupid for actually doubting Mu Ming's character.

Resentment and pity swirled in her mind, causing her eyes to twitch and well up with tears.

She held the hair clip carefully; it was so light it could be blown away in a breath, yet it felt heavy.

"I'm sorry..." she murmured to herself in the mirror.

At the same time, I'm glad that my current weak personality prevented me from tearing things apart right away—as I had planned.

How terrible it would be if we actually did that...

Her gaze was involuntarily drawn to the pretty hair clips; she had actually received quite a few gifts from the children at the orphanage.

Whether precious or heartfelt, everyone's gifts seemed more thoughtful and expensive than the hair clip Mu Ming had given them.

But... why does this hair clip evoke such real emotions in me?

Jin Yu dared not face Mu Ming now, but seeing the objects reminded her of him. Looking at the hair clip, she couldn't help but think of Mu Ming's cold face.

How could I possibly suspect him of having bad intentions?

He didn't even want to cause trouble for others by asking for leave or skipping class. Every time, he would explain to the homeroom teacher and even lie to the teacher to get permission, thus extricating the teacher from responsibility.

She chose to become a magical girl precisely because she wanted to protect kind people like this...

Although I still mind him skipping class a little.

However, skipping class is fine.

At worst, I can find him a private tutor later.

Even if he doesn't finish his studies, his family can easily support him even if he's idle.

......

Jin Yu was fiddling with something in the bathroom and didn't come out for quite a while.

To Mu Ming's surprise, she was wearing the hair clip he had just given her when she came out. It did suit her quite well, but it was still not as good as the original.

Unfortunately, the real "blessing" has a hidden flaw, so I can't send it to her.

"Can I take a picture of you?" Mu Ming asked.

Consider it an insurance policy; if Jin Yu stops wearing it afterward, there'll be no way to reason with Zhu Huan.

"Hey...want to take a picture?"

Jin Yu felt a tingling sensation on her cheeks. Even though she was usually in the spotlight, she felt a strange sense of shame.

However, she still said, "Then, please take the picture."

She clasped her hands together in front of her abdomen, a serene smile on her face. Her butterfly-shaped hair clip reflected the light and shadow, like a transparent wing. Even without revisions, she could grace the cover of a magazine favored by wealthy ladies.

As a lady of high society, Jin Yu is too young.

But as a young girl, her demeanor was somewhat mature.

click-

"Thanks."

"Don't be so polite about this."

She took a few steps closer, bent down and placed her hand on Mu Ming's shoulder, her golden hair hanging down in sparse strands.

Mu Ming became alert in an instant, not understanding why the usually reserved Jin Yu would suddenly make such an aggressive move.

He realized something: even though he gave the hair clip to Zhu Huan to appease her about her mission, it was still a gift.

It's probably because I increased my favorability.

The problem is that the AI's companion strategy guide requires that gifts be appropriate; gifts that are not appropriate will not only fail to increase favorability but may even decrease it.

The golden saying goes: "A person who has tasted the finest delicacies is not easily moved, let alone by something inferior."

Furthermore, Jin Yu is stronger than him, so they cannot form a [companion] relationship. There's no need to raise his affection level much for now.

While Mu Ming was pondering, Jin Yu uttered a seemingly random statement:

"Let's go eat. I'll treat you to something nice."

"But I just ate..."

"It's alright. Isn't there a saying that goes, 'A half-grown boy can eat his father out of house and home'? I saw you scratching the box; besides, what you just ate was all unhealthy stuff. At your age, you should be eating something more nutritious."

She narrowed her eyes slightly. "From now on, I'll take you out to eat once a week."

It didn't sound like a discussion; it sounded more like a demand.

"Can I not...?" he tried to refuse.

"I think we still need to."

Jin Yu didn't even leave any room for refusal.

"If possible, I'd like to know more about you..." She paused, as if remembering something, and said:

"Especially about you and your magical girl friend."

Mu Ming wasn't a slow learner, and upon hearing this, he fully understood Jin Yu's plan.

It wasn't that she had won him over enough and taken the relationship to the next level; rather, she was "bribing" him.

Someone from the Bureau of Statistics had intercepted him several times, wanting to talk to him and pull him into the Bureau, but he was ignored each time.

Given the Bureau's control over the city, they must know that Wu An and Yin Xi are always together.

My action of showing Jin Yu the photos just now... exposed Yin Xi.

Although being exposed isn't a big deal, "free magical girls" exist in the world.

The problem is... Yin Xi is a magical girl who awakened her spatial talent at the third rank, so it's no exaggeration to say she has extraordinary talent.

Besides, she's only been a magical girl for a little over a month.

It's quite normal for the Bureau of Control to want to actively recruit girls of this caliber—the Bureau of Control itself has a strong desire to recruit magical girls.

Li Huanhuan also said something like, "I was recruited by the Bureau of Statistics, but I refused. You still have to keep an eye on me, hehe~".

When asked why she refused, she simply said she wasn't interested and that's why she refused.

However, being rejected does not mean that the Bureau of Statistics will give up.

Jin Yu was in the bathroom for so long just now, he must have been thinking about this.

Seeing Mu Ming in a daze, Jin Yu pinched his shoulder and emphasized:

"If you have no objections, then it's settled."

I wanted to refuse, but Jin Yu wouldn't listen to me at all.

Mu Ming sighed inwardly, knowing that his guess was correct.

Jin Yuzhen plans to find a breakthrough in "recruiting Yin Xi" from her own side.

I'm already busy enough, and now I have to make time for her every week to keep up appearances...

"Fine, after all, I grew up eating their food. But it wouldn't be right to refuse a request like eating once a week outright."