Even if you're a corrupted magical girl, you still have to try to redeem yourself.

In fact, Yuuki Yukino didn't misunderstand; Helica did indeed have that kind of tendency.

Otherwise, Helica wouldn't have said those things in such a misleading way.

But it's just a tendency to intentionally mislead others.

Helica isn't entirely reckless; she can't learn Bachi's indecisive, straightforward approach. She's already happy if others misunderstand her.

If I could spread some more rumors about myself and Yuuki Eri... even if they are just rumors, that would be even better.

The atmosphere had now reached a fever pitch, and listening to the discussions around her, Helica's little vanity was satisfied.

"Isn't the school trip coming up in a few days? I've already asked our homeroom teacher, and if you agree, we can form a group and go together."

Herlica deliberately lowered her usually noisy voice, keeping it at a level that would be audible to Yuuki Yuki but not to the surrounding onlookers who were discussing the conversation.

"Because we're all members of the same club, right? Yuan's side can't even form a complete group, so this is quite convenient, isn't it?"

Helica offered another explanation, still not entirely reassured.

Although she regretted it after explaining, as if she had deliberately sabotaged her earlier remarks that had caused misunderstanding.

Doesn't that greatly diminish the effectiveness of my words?

Doing something I'm not used to does feel a little uncomfortable.

Hearing Helica's explanation, Yuuki Yukino breathed a sigh of relief.

It turns out it was just a plan to go on a school trip together.

Wait, wait, you're going to form a group and go on a school trip? And you even got the teachers' permission?

During a school trip, members of each group stay together almost the entire time.

Departure, check-in, and action: Even if team members may split up during the day, they will always sleep in the same room at night.

When people are in the same room, they usually don't hide things like changing clothes from other people.

In that case, once the Black Magic Pattern is discovered, (details omitted).

Changing clothes is not a problem. With Baqi's cover, I can do it secretly behind Helica's back. Helica probably won't take off my clothes. As long as I dress carefully, I won't be exposed.

But the city they were going to was Nijiha City, a city famous for its hot springs, and they were going to stay at a hot spring hotel that included hot spring services.

With so many students at Yuehai Middle School, it's impossible for them all to squeeze into the hot spring at once. Therefore, the hot spring must be open in different time slots, making it inevitable that students in the same group would soak in the hot spring together.

Soaking in a hot spring requires complete honesty, and in that case, the Black Demon Pattern... (omitted).

You can always find an excuse to refuse when you go to the hot springs, such as having a stomachache or being in a weak state.

Wait a minute? It's not that complicated at all.

From the very beginning, I had been making it clear that I had already agreed to join Helica's team, even though I could have easily refused outright.

If he could simply use Baqi as an excuse to refuse Helica's request, wouldn't everything be fine?

As Yuuki Yuki was thinking, she inadvertently caught a glimpse of Helica's expression out of the corner of her eye.

That was an expression of someone thinking about something and anticipating something.

Herika's thoughts, which had always been difficult to understand, were suddenly grasped by Yuuki Yuuki in a flash of inspiration.

Why did Herlica come over now to ask me to join her group?

Isn't it okay to say this online, in the Nijisanji activity room, or in private?

And of all things, he had to bring it up when so many people were surrounding him.

Could it be that Helica did this on purpose?

There's no such thing as "no way," there must be such an environment. Helica is creating this kind of environment.

Helica wanted to put herself in the public eye and force herself to give a clear answer.

This could very well be Helica testing herself.

The recent unusual behavior of Nijisanji and Helica can now be explained.

Recently, others have made some progress in their observations of her, and Helica's self-doubt has also increased to a certain extent.

That's why I wanted to take advantage of the school trip to stay by Helica's side and get a thorough, 360-degree observation of myself.

And then there's what Helica added later, that line about how we're all members of the same club, which means she doesn't allow herself to refuse, right?

To be precise, it's not that you're not allowed to refuse; refusing is entirely your freedom. However, you have to bear the consequences of refusing in public.

The price is not just Helica throwing a tantrum; it's the risk of her identity being exposed.

Refusing Helica's request now would sow the seeds of suspicion, while agreeing to Helica's request now would mean facing a crisis in the near future.

The whispering classmates around him further eliminated any possibility of him getting away with it; every pair of eyes seemed to be innocent accomplices whom Helica had prepared to drive him into a corner.

For Yuuki Eri, this place was no longer just a school corridor, but a crossroads that could change her destiny.

In the "yes or no" selection, there is no "or" option.

They don't even have the right to say no.

No, even Baqi didn't have the right to choose to refuse for herself.

From the moment she said she was going to join Baqi on the school trip, and from the moment Herlica first mentioned forming a cross-class team, had she already been quietly making plans?

So this deadlock isn't just targeting him; Inuyama Tomoe is also likely being targeted.

If both she and Baqi are being targeted, then their identities as corrupted magical girls become obvious.

Magic that distorts cognition after transformation cannot distort correct reasoning.

The biggest threat is someone who unconditionally likes you, someone who hides things from you, someone who is suspicious of you, and someone you can't see through.

If you agree to Helica's conditions, hell awaits you.

"I understand. I'm fine with it as long as the rest of our group doesn't mind."

Yuuki Yukino's answer was still ambiguous. In principle, she couldn't make a decision for Tomoe or Nishio Reki, who hadn't yet decided whether to join. From her own perspective, she didn't know how to give a perfect answer.

Since the attitude has already been expressed, there shouldn't be any problem in dispelling the initial doubts, right?

Yuuki noticed that Helica's expression was becoming increasingly cheerful, and raised her hand to wave it twice.

"Okay, it's a deal then!"

After saying this, Helica strode forward, and the crowd that had been blocking her way made way for the girl and gradually dispersed.

Those on the inside who heard the speech were disappointed, while those on the outside who were unaware of what was going on were asking each other questions and making guesses. It seemed that a new crisis was bound to escalate.

"Xiao Yuan, Xiao Yuan, what did that short, blond guy say to you? Why are there so many people surrounding him?"

Baqi poked her head out from behind Yuuki Emi and asked with concern.

"So you weren't listening?" Yuuki Yuen pouted and followed Baqi out of the classroom.

Ba Qi fluttered her long eyelashes and tapped her face with her index finger: "Anyway, Xiao Yuan will tell me. I'd better stay away when that short, blond guy is around, otherwise I might cause trouble for Xiao Yuan, right?"

Yuuki Yui looked around to make sure no one could hear her.

“Indeed, it was right that you didn’t come along. Helica just invited me to join her on the school trip. Oh right, I should say she was inviting our group.”

"Isn't it forbidden to team up with students from other classes?" Baqi casually mentioned what she already knew, but when she saw Yuuki Yui's cautious attitude, she couldn't help but become serious as well.

Tomoe always understood Yuuki Eri's thoughts perfectly.

"Xiao Yuan invited our group, which means 'Yellow-haired Shorty,' but it's not just that. It's that the club Xiao Yuan belongs to... Could it be that someone heard us shouting our names during our fight that night?"

"Don't worry so much. They might just have some suspicions. If they really had that much information, they wouldn't have used a school trip as a test." Yuuki Yui cautiously looked around again and gave a thumbs up.

"Has Xiaoyuan already agreed?"

"Correct."

“That makes sense. If we didn’t agree, we would have been suspected right then and there, right?” Baqi scratched her head in exasperation. “But wouldn’t that still be a slow death? When we get to Nijiha, we’ll still be discovered eventually.”

“That’s right.” Yuuki Yui said calmly, speaking of what she felt was unreliable but the only possible way out: “The only possible turning point now is Nishio Reki, who hasn’t agreed to our request yet.”

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to everyone, Helica posted her first update on her newly created private account.

"I'm going on a school trip with someone I like. I'm so excited."

Chapter Forty-Five: Following

The definition of "everyday" is different for everyone.

Therefore, everyone has a different attitude towards daily life.

Some people are tired of the monotony of daily life and always want to create more excitement through alternative methods, thereby breaking away from the boring life of the past.

Some people yearn for ordinary daily life and hope that peaceful days will continue forever, ideally without any further changes.

Nishio Reki was one of the latter among these people.

"Yuki, I'm going back." Nishio Reki slung his shoulder bag over his shoulder first and loudly said goodbye to Yuki Yuki as he passed the podium.

"Thank you for your hard work, see you tomorrow." Yuuki Yuu waved to her while packing her schoolbag, then lowered her head to continue tidying up the books on the table.

Such a daily routine, the daily life she experiences now, was a luxury that Nishio Reki in the past could never have imagined.

For the past few days, her life consisted of getting up, checking the current situation, doing what she had to do according to the prompts in her memory, returning to her little house to curl up until she fell asleep—this was the entirety of Nishio Reki's life.

It's not unbearable, but I definitely won't like it either.

Not daring to stroll on the street or show his face on social media, Nishio Reki sometimes feels like a snail, only able to hide in dark and damp corners, quietly peeking out after the rain, and quickly dehydrating and dying once exposed to the sun.

But that person forcibly pulled her back into the sunlight, allowing her life to emerge from that cramped room.

Yuki Yukino, that girl shattered everything she stubbornly believed to be inevitable, and then forcefully reversed her past life.

Going to school and coming home, because of that girl, Nishio Reki returned to the most ordinary and monotonous daily routine for a girl of that age.

But Nishio Reki didn't find this kind of life boring.

On the contrary, Yuuki Yuki thoroughly enjoyed this boring life.

Seeing that girl's smiling face every day is enough.

Although Nishio Reki had done some unusual things that bothered Yuuki Yuuki, this was enough for now.

Although Nishio Reki greedily wanted more, this was enough.

The damage caused by the previous conflict with Yuuki Enishi has already been repaired.