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

"Uh……"

Herrika was momentarily stunned by Yuuki Yuki's sudden mention of a topic unrelated to the current situation, as well as by Minato Nana's outstretched hand.

When Heracles heard Yuuki Yuki address her as "Miss Minato," she immediately realized who she was.

Yuki Tamaki once said to Helica, "The lead singer is the face of a band." Minato Nana is definitely more recognizable than Yuki Tamaki, the guitarist.

After entering the store, Herica's attention was focused on Yuuki Yuki and her group of corrupted magical girls working there, as well as her companions; the situation of everyone else was not within her notice.

Otherwise, she would have recognized Minato Nana much sooner.

"Is this Miss Minato Nana from the Rose Garden?" Herica asked with a hint of doubt, her hand trembling slightly as she grasped Minato Nana's hand and gently shook it.

“That’s right, it’s me. Oh my god, someone actually remembers me.” Minato Nana gently grasped Helica’s hand and shook it a few times.

Herlica's hands were still trembling. Even though she held Nana's hand, Nana held hers tightly, and Herlica's hands still didn't stop trembling.

Excitement at meeting her idol? Of course, there was some, but Herlica's trembling hands had nothing to do with that.

Clues began to gather in Helica's mind, weaving together a possibility that shook her otherwise stable heart to a great extent, a possibility that neither Mizuno Yu nor Sakura Hanako could cause.

These intense feelings of unease suppressed Helica's excitement when facing her past idols, preventing her from feeling even the slightest excitement or happiness from holding their hands.

These physical signs of trembling manifest as Helica's uncontrollably shaking hands.

"I'm a fan of yours, and I certainly won't forget Ms. Minato Nana. I just didn't dare to recognize her just now. By the way, it's an honor to meet you."

"Oh, not at all. I'm honored to still be able to meet my fans. Ah, it's so nice. It feels like I'm back in the days when I was in a band."

"That's right, Ms. Minato Nana is really great, I like her very much too."

Although Herika was praising Minato Nana, every word she uttered was thoughtless and uninformed.

The possibility that was on her mind left her no time to think.

Yuuki Yuuki, whom she likes; the other members of Nijisanji, who are also magical girls; Inuyama Tomoe, a fallen magical girl; Nishio Reki, who confessed her transmigrated identity; and Minato Nana, the lead singer of her favorite band.

Everyone who appears here has some intricate connection to me.

Is this a coincidence?

impossible!

Everything that is happening now must be within Yuuki Yukino's expectations. Yuuki Yukino set up this stage, waiting for her, the perfectly fitting gear, to fit into it and make the whole stage start to operate.

No, it's not just a perfect fit for my own gear; this stage was tailor-made for me.

Otherwise, how could such a coincidence happen?

What exactly is Yuuki Yukino trying to do?

Herlica held Minato Nana's hand tightly, but her heart drifted to Yuuki Yuki standing behind Minato Nana.

"I understand that it's exciting to meet your idol, but, miss, could you let go of my hand? It's hurting a little."

An even greater force than before was transferred to Helica's hand, causing her to suddenly release her grip as if waking from a dream.

Even greater force than before?

When did Minato Nana start trying to break free from the hand that was always being held by her when she was daydreaming?

Why are you holding your own hands so tightly?

There's no point in figuring it out; Helica already knows what she did impolitely.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

Helica belatedly realized that the restless and impolite hand had hidden behind her, straightened her back, and sat back on the sofa.

"I was a little too excited. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

Helica offered an explanation for her earlier rudeness, though no excitement was visible on her face as she spoke or shook hands with her.

"It's alright, it's alright. I was the same way when I was your age. I won't bother you any longer. If you need anything, please let me know. You're welcome to come again anytime!"

As the store manager, Minato Nana's every word was both respectful to the customers and polite, which allowed the minor incident to pass by.

That "Welcome to come again often" was, without saying a word, a dismissal.

"Finish this coffee and leave as soon as possible," anyone could read the unspoken meaning in Minato Nana's words.

"Ah, okay! Okay!" Herica nodded repeatedly, watching as Minato Nana withdrew her hand and turned back to the bar.

The same goes for Yuuki Yukino.

However, after returning to the bar, Yuuki Yukino came back with a rag used for wiping tables, amidst the puzzled looks of the others, and carefully wiped away the coffee that had spilled on the table.

"As me."

As Yuuki Yuen wiped the table, she spoke slowly and deliberately in a voice that everyone could hear.

"Whether it's my opinion of Helica Tenrai or everyone else, I cherish the time I spend with you all and I don't want to see Nijisanji become incomplete because of me, so I'm very sorry that this happened."

This is Yuuki Yukino's answer to the last question.

That's an answer nobody wants to hear.

This is like someone casually asking you what you think about a singer lip-syncing, and then the person gives a very official analysis of the harms of lip-syncing from the perspectives of the singer, the public, and the audience, and finally tells you that this behavior should be resisted.

Is there anything wrong with this answer? Of course not, but it shouldn't be here.

Yuuki Yui, who could have easily avoided answering, cleverly evaded Mizuno Yui's death question by subtly shifting the focus. This seemingly unnecessary action was actually like adding fuel to a fire that had just been extinguished.

The polite phrase "I'm sorry" is meaningless except for making people feel insincere.

Mizuno Yu thought so.

Sakura Hanako also felt that Yuki-senpai's words were superfluous and would have been harmless even if they hadn't been said.

However, several tens of minutes later, when they saw the girls under the red moon of Halloween, they understood the true meaning of Yuuki Yukino's words.

I cherish the time I have spent with you all, so I am very sorry that this has happened—that my identity has become known to you, that my position is opposed to yours, and that I have become your enemy.

Chapter Forty-Eight: Pumpkin Under the Moon

"Senior Tianlei, that one?"

Sakura Hanako waited until Helica finished drinking the half-spilled cup of coffee on the table before cautiously asking Helica about her next plan.

"What?" Herika raised her eyes, but instead of seeing Hanako, her pupils were empty and devoid of anything.

"Now that we've finished drinking, can we leave?" Witnessing this reaction, Sakura Hanako asked even more cautiously, afraid that something she said might reignite Helica's displeasure.

There's a reason why Sakura Hanako would do this.

Yuki Yukino's last words were both abrupt and clever.

"I cherish the time I spend with everyone, and I don't want to see Nijisanji become incomplete because of me, so I'm very sorry that this happened." That's what she said.

Yuuki Yukino's words were like a lock, locking away their thoughts and inevitably confining them whenever they were in that place.

The statement itself is not particularly profound, but with a little deeper thought, it leads to an endless cycle of doubt, making it difficult for them to take further steps today due to their fear of making a move against them.

Besides, Minato Nana had already given them the order to leave, practically telling them to just leave, so it wouldn't be very polite for them to stay any longer.

The current atmosphere is just like what Mizuno Yu said: no one's emotions can remain calm here, and no matter what is discussed, it will only leave a result that is hot-headed and easy to regret.

Given Helica's personality, which is very concerned about her reputation, even if she regrets it, she would not be able to say it directly, let alone sincerely reconcile with everyone. She would most likely just stubbornly continue down the wrong path.

Staying here for even a second longer is unwise; there's always the possibility of some unexpected accident happening.

Seeing that Helica didn't react, Sakura Hanako urged again, "Tenrai-senpai? It's getting late, we have class tomorrow, shouldn't we be leaving?"

But Helica seemed to have no intention of cooperating at all, and was still making pointless delays.

"No rush, let's wait a bit before we go."

Not only Helica, but even Mizuno Yu was not in a hurry to leave.

“Since Tianlei has said so, Sakura, don’t be too anxious. Just sit for a while as she said.”

"Okay, then." Sakura Hanako reluctantly sat down fully, having been half-sitting in the chair when she was about to leave.

There was no particular reason why Mizuno Yu didn't suggest leaving in a hurry. The changes in Helica's attitude and expression after seeing Yuuki Yuki told Mizuno Yu that Helica was not going to leave easily.

She couldn't go against Helica's wishes, so she decided to go along with Helica's idea for the time being. Even if something unexpected happened, all three of them, the magical girls, would be there, so nothing too dangerous would happen.

Herlica didn't let the reporter leave because she wanted to know the truth.

Although that's what she thought, she also knew that what she was waiting for might not be the truth, but just satisfying her curiosity.

She wanted to know what secret purpose Yuuki Yukino had set up on this stage, and what she planned to do to her.

The fact that everyone in the coffee shop happened to be someone she knew was just a low-probability coincidence, and Helica never even considered such a thing.

She was convinced from the bottom of her heart that this was all orchestrated by Yuuki Yukino.

All she had to do was wait and wait until Yuuki Eri finished her work.

Simply cutting ties with Yuuki Yuki or Nijisanji won't change the situation. Sakura Hanako will pester him to return to the club, and Yuuki Yuki will lay unpredictable traps for him to fall into.

Therefore, silence does not bring stability; some things still need to be resolved personally.

So now she has to wait, until Yuuki Yuki's work is finished, until Yuuki Yuki's scheme is exposed.

Yuki Enishi, however, showed no reaction whatsoever, simply going about her work as if she truly had no plans whatsoever.

The waiting was agonizing, like being on a bonfire; every minute and every second here tormented Helica's heart.

The desire to know the truth, coupled with the fear that the truth might not be what one desires, fermented silently.

In the end, whether it will be a mellow wine or a sour vinegar, no one knows.

Only the foam produced during fermentation engulfed the girl completely.

The number of customers gradually decreased, and the half-cup of coffee on the table had gone cold. The girls sat around the table, waiting silently and guessing what was going on.

The sound of a guitar began, followed by soft humming.

Singing Halloween tunes, melodious folk songs, and familiar tunes.

It was the shop manager, sitting in a corner of the room, holding her guitar, adding a touch of accompaniment to the tranquil café.

Having her idol sing for her should have been exciting, but even those songs sounded irritating to Helica.

"Mizuno-senpai, how long are we supposed to wait? We can't really wait until Yuuki-senpai gets off work, can we?"

Sakura Hanako moved her shoulder closer to Mizuno Yu, standing shoulder to shoulder with her, and covered her mouth with her hand, asking softly.