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

Nishio Reki raised his eyes to look at Yuuki Yuki sitting next to him, then quickly looked away.

The airtight room's temperature rose rapidly due to the two people's body heat, and it was so quiet that even their breathing could be easily heard.

The atmosphere felt somewhat ambiguous no matter how you looked at it.

If I make a special request to Xiaoyuan at this time, like a request in that sense, Xiaoyuan probably won't refuse, right?

Several months have passed, and Yuuki Eri's mindset must be completely different now than it was back then, right?

If you speak it out, you might get what you've always dreamed of.

However, Nishio Reki was unwilling, or rather, did not want to do so.

This always gave her the feeling that she was being taken advantage of.

I would be content as long as I could see Yuuki Yukino safe and sound.

Having done so many excessive things to Xiaoyuan and the important people around her, I shouldn't continue to push my luck.

But why do I still hold onto those unrealistic fantasies?

You need to quickly find a topic to talk about and get yourself thinking about other things, instead of dwelling on the feeling of wanting something but not daring to reach for it.

"Aside from the two times when Inuyama Tomoe was there, the last time the two of them were alone at Koyo's house was probably a few months ago, right?"

Nishio Reki awkwardly started a conversation.

"That day I misunderstood Xiaoyuan and lost my temper with her, throwing a bath towel in her face."

"Yes, that's been a long time."

Yuuki Yukino certainly knew which day the Nishio calendar referred to.

The day it all began—the time travel, the corruption, the first encounter with Inuyama Tomoe—everything started to fall apart from that day.

Yes, and there was also Nishio Reki who inexplicably collapsed in a pool of blood that day. Then Nishio Reki himself disappeared, and I searched for him in this Moon Sea City for a very long time until the day Nishio Reki bought me a yukata, which finally gave me a clue.

Wait a minute, is something wrong?

If I remember correctly, the last time we were alone was when Nishio Reki told me that I had to choose between Koumori and Hyakki Senyu to save, and he also revealed her identity as a transmigrator.

Setting aside his previous identity as the "mysterious person" from the Nishio Reki era, and living alone as the "Nishio Reki," it was indeed the day he inexplicably traveled to this world.

If Nishio Reki was just going along with his own timeline of only a few months, then there would be no problem with what he said. But it seems that Nishio Reki just said it casually and didn't take his own situation into consideration.

It's like he simply let something slip.

Yuuki Yukino felt that this was very incongruous.

Yuuki Yui originally had her own guess: Nishio Reki must have taken action against Nishio Reki, who was on the same timeline as her, after she traveled through time, in order to avoid time paradoxes or to prevent two versions of herself from existing at the same time.

This kind of plot appeared in a certain anime where the female lead was a pink-haired yandere.

It was because of this incident that Yuuki Yukina harbored a vague sense of unease towards Nishio Reki.

However, there are many doubts. According to Baqi's narration, the Nishio Calendar that came to her was one day before she fell into darkness. During this period, the calendar that traveled back had enough time to quietly deal with the existing calendar and complete the replacement.

Judging from the pile of mustard seeds in Nishio Reki's house, Nishio Reki is definitely capable of doing all that.

Moreover, the loud noise was out of place with Reki's fighting style. Reki's attack method relied on that halberd, not a warhammer like Helica's, so he shouldn't have been able to make such a loud noise.

More importantly, this shouldn't be the first time Nishio Reki has traveled back in time, so there's absolutely no need for her to let him witness the fall of another Reki right in front of him.

Yuuki Yukino then had a completely new question.

Who exactly was the Nishio Reki who fell back then?

Is Nishio Reki really a time traveler, just as she claims?

If so, why would you feel like only a few months have passed and subconsciously say such a thing?

If not, then where did she get this information from?

"Xiao Yuan?"

While Yuuki Yukino was lost in thought, Nishio Reki kept talking until he realized he was daydreaming and suddenly called out to her.

"Huh? Hmm." Yuuki Yukina was stunned for a moment before coming back to her senses.

"What is Suzuki Koen thinking about? Did you hear me just now?" Nishio Reki asked softly.

If it were Baki or Helica, they would probably be shaking their shoulders to forcibly wake themselves up.

“Sorry, I’m thinking about something,” Yuuki Yuuki replied.

"What are you thinking about?" Nishio Reki asked, following up on Yuuki Yukino's words.

However, Yuuki Yukino couldn't ask about her own thoughts. She maintained a special kind of trust in Nishio Reki, but it wasn't complete trust.

Before figuring out what's going on with the Nishio Calendar, it's best to keep some harmless speculation in mind and keep the Nishio Calendar in mind.

"It's nothing, just something I was thinking about casually."

"Ah... I see..."

The conversation was completely pointless, and both of them felt that the atmosphere had shifted from ambiguous to somewhat awkward.

To be honest, she agreed to visit Nishio Reki's home, not without considering whether Reki might misbehave towards her.

Even if Rei really did something, Yuuki Yuuki might not refuse, might not, and wouldn't necessarily agree!

But now it seems that Nishio Reki has no interest in that aspect at all, leaving Yuuki Yuuki unsure whether to be happy or distressed about her lack of charm.

But if she did nothing, she didn't know what to talk to Li about.

Talking about magical girls is a bit too heavy. Talking about catching Pokémon? Although Li knows his own preferences and how to cater to them, he still feels a little uncomfortable having others cooperate with him.

"Speaking of which, did you say something just now, Reki?" Yuuki Yuki was also trying to find a topic to make up for her mistake of making the atmosphere tense.

"I didn't say anything." Nishio Reki shook his head. "I was just asking if we wanted to go out and have fun for Halloween at the end of the month?"

"What?" Yuuki Yui seemed to suddenly realize something.

"I said, do you want to go out and have some fun together?" Li repeated.

"The previous sentence, the previous sentence."

"Halloween at the end of the month..."

"Yes!" Yuuki suddenly shouted, slamming her fist into her hand. The loud noise startled Nishio Reki, making his shoulders tremble. "That's it!"

"Huh?" Before Nishio Reki could react, he felt Yuuki Yuuki lunge at him, her hands on his shoulders shaking him for a while: "W-What's wrong? Yuuki?"

"I've got it! I've got a solution! Li! You're a genius!"

Chapter Twenty: Seasonal Activities?

"Huh? You're not planning on having a coffee shop event about the first snow anymore? You're going to change it to a special Halloween event?"

Upon hearing Yuuki Yukino's request, Minato Nana was immediately disappointed.

"Yuki, what made you suddenly think of this?"

"Because someone suddenly reminded me that Halloween is coming soon, so I thought of it," Yuuki Yui said without looking up as she poured coffee grounds from the coffee machine into a special container for storing coffee grounds.

Halloween events in the original world of Yuuki Yuugi barely make a ripple. Apart from some games launching limited-time events that give away limited characters, or simply selling a few sets of Halloween limited costumes, there is absolutely no festive atmosphere.

It's only when an update announcement pops up just before a holiday, saying that a Halloween limited-time event is about to begin, that Yuuki Yuuki realizes, "Oh, so it's Halloween."

If Nishio Reki hadn't suddenly mentioned it, Yuuki Yukino would have unsurprisingly forgotten about it this year as well.

Minato Nana pouted and pondered for a moment, her words filled with her obsession with the events at the café under the snow:

"But the first snow sounds romantic, doesn't it, Yuuki? Just imagine, snow falling outside the window, walking into the shop on the soft snow, and having a cup of coffee. Wouldn't that be amazing? I even thought about using milk foam on top of the coffee to simulate snow, right?"

Minato Nana's obsession wasn't passed on to Yuuki Yuuki at all, and changing Yuuki Yuuki's mind about organizing the event wasn't going to be easy.

Yuuki Yukina made ample preparations before bringing this up with Minato Nana.

As for when and what preparations were made, that's the result of my boredom and daydreaming in class after the midterm exams.

During today's class, Yuuki Yui reviewed all the Halloween-related materials she had seen, from the Halloween limited edition dragon girl to the Halloween episode of Rabbit Cafe.

Now, Yuuki Yukino will use her excellent eloquence and a day's preparation to persuade Minato Nana.

“Well, first of all, compared to events where it’s uncertain when it will snow, Halloween has a more definite timing, which is easier for us to manage, and customers will also have a sense of anticipation.” Yuuki Yuen cleared her throat first.

“There are weather forecasts for when it will snow, you can know a week in advance which day it will snow, how can it be inaccurate?” Minato Nana retorted softly.

As soon as Minato Nana's tone softened, Yuuki Yukina immediately went a step further, advising her with her superb, impassioned tone.

"Secondly, Halloween has a higher profile, and many shops hold events around this time. More customers also choose to go out on Halloween, so you need to seize the business opportunities accurately, Miss Minato!"

“Uh…that’s true, but, uh.” Minato Nana’s momentum was immediately overshadowed by Yuuki Yuki.

"Finally, Halloween activities are also very easy to come up with. Buy some suitable decorations to put in the store, launch some Halloween-limited dishes, it's effortless and appealing, and everyone will like it, right?"

Under Yuki Yuki's relentless pursuit, Minato Nana could only repeat her own thoughts, even though doing so did nothing to persuade Yuki Yuki.

"That does seem to be the case, but if it snows..."

"Miss Minato! Stop thinking about your snow! From any perspective, a Halloween event is definitely more suitable!"

Yuuki Yukino launched a decisive attack.

"Okay, okay, I'll think about it. You go to work first!" Minato Nana completely gave in.

Why is Yuuki Yuuki so invested in Halloween activities?

There's really no particular reason. Whether it's working or being obsessed with Halloween activities, it all boils down to one thing—enjoying life.

A Halloween-themed event held in a café in a world teeming with beautiful girls is an experience that any otaku girl would find unmissable.

Just like Minato Nana's obsession with a café under the snow, Yuuki Yukino simply wanted to see the Halloween event.

Moreover, from a business perspective, the Halloween event isn't much better than the one that Minato Nana came up with on a whim.

The evening rush hour had just passed, and Minato Nana and Yuuki Yuki finally had a moment to catch their breath. Then, Minato Nana slammed her hand on the table, startling all the guests.

"No! I still can't accept it!"

"What's wrong? Why is the boss so agitated today?" A short-haired woman sitting alone near the bar, playing on her phone and drinking iced coffee, looked over and asked curiously.

When someone noticed her, Minato Nana grasped at a straw and immediately asked that person for help.

"Miss Kujo! You be the judge, is a snow-related event better or a Halloween event?"

"An event? Is the coffee shop going to have an event soon? I've never heard of it." The young woman called Kujo's eyes lit up: "What kind of event are you planning?"