Regarding the fact that my best friend is a magical girl

Summer days are long and nights are short, but I find the early morning sun repulsive.

I haven't felt this tired in a long time. All I want to do now is get a good night's sleep.

I took a quick shower, drew the curtains, changed into my pajamas, turned on the air conditioner, and collapsed onto the bed.

No one was home. Mom and Dad were both frantically busy dealing with what happened last night, and Serino was with Yang Yan. Only...

"Woof! Woof!"

The Golden Bell barked excitedly at me from beside my bed, as if it wanted to play with me, but I didn't have the energy for that right now.

With his eyes closed, he reached out and touched the dog's head.

"Stop making noise, Ah Huang, let me catch up on some sleep, okay?"

Although he had countless tiny wounds on his body, they did not require treatment.

Even now, in my male state, I heal very quickly; I'd probably be almost completely healed after a good night's sleep.

The star crystal that merged into my body completely transformed me, but I am still Bai Ziye. Is this the difference between a "witch" and a "magical girl"?

My muscles ached slightly, and my sense of drowsiness gradually faded away.

In my hazy state, it seemed someone covered me with a blanket...

…………

……

The telephone is ringing.

My eyes were too heavy to open, so I reached for my phone on the bedside table, picked it up, and squinted at it.

16:03

Four o'clock in the afternoon.

Did I sleep for ten hours?

The person who called and disturbed my sleep was Yin Wei.

Is there some kind of problem with the association?

"crooked……"

I answered the phone.

"Rice... Oh, is it a white cotyledon now?"

Turning over in bed, I replied, "What else? I have no interest in maintaining my transformation outside of activity time."

He was still half asleep and his speech was slurred.

My groggy head hasn't fully recovered yet.

"are you sleeping?"

"I risked my life last night, but I didn't get a single penny, I couldn't get back the Yangyan crystal, and I didn't even catch Old Man Seruno... It was all for nothing!"

As I was saying this, the room door was pushed open.

My mom was eavesdropping behind the door while holding the dog and cat, and accidentally pushed the door open while winking at me.

My face turned ashen.

"Alcoholic leaves?"

Yin Wei on the phone was unaware of what had happened.

"...I'll call you back later."

"Huh? Wait, I have something to tell you. Come to the association for a meeting at 8 pm tonight. Miss Spica specifically asked you to come, of course she meant Miluno... I will keep your secret for you, just like we agreed!"

We'll talk about it later.

She's quite conservative on her end.

But here...

"Hey hey hey."

Seeing that I had hung up the phone, my mom chuckled and came in, sitting down beside my bed.

"Little Leaf~"

That call was so sweet it sent chills down my spine.

"...Mom, Mom, why are you back?"

"I came back to get something, and since you were still sleeping, I watched you a little longer... Hey, Mommy's asking you, are you Miluno?"

Why are you watching me sleep?!

As for this question, I certainly cannot admit it.

"Hahaha, how could that be? Your son doesn't even have a Star Crystal on him. Don't believe me? Go look for it!"

"Really? Then let Mom examine it!"

"Huh? No!"

"What's there to be shy about, you're a grown man!"

As it turned out, she actually pounced on me and searched me from head to toe like she was searching a criminal. Her search techniques were very professional, and she had no self-respect as a mother whatsoever.

"Really not? Where did you hide it?"

"He didn't hide it!"

But she clearly wasn't going to give up. She tapped her temples again, and suddenly her eyes emitted that eerie red light.

"Record of longing, search!"

Oh no, she's checking what happened at home, and I only deactivated my transformation after I got home today...

"Huh?!"

Suddenly she looked at the Golden Ship, and the dog guiltily turned its head away.

"Ah Huang?"

"Woof—"

The man and the dog stared at each other for a few seconds, as if they had reached some kind of tacit understanding. Mom squinted and smiled, "Really? I understand!"

What did she know?

Although I was in a real crisis, I was still very curious... Did the Golden Ship secretly demolish my base?

I asked, "Um, what's wrong with Ah Huang?"

"This child is fine, but you... 'Moonlight Gale' Milno! You'd better just transform properly!"

"W-What are you saying?"

"Don't you know what I'm saying? Mom! I saw it all!"

"I don't know anything! Don't be unreasonable!"

Mom blinked, her eyes filled with even more mockery.

"That……"

She suddenly pulled open my wardrobe.

"...What are these?!"

"Waaaaaah!!"

It's women's clothing.

Although the Star Crystal's capacity has increased, I still haven't put all these women's clothes in it, because Seruno will borrow them to wear, and their sudden disappearance would arouse her curiosity. Most importantly... these clothes have already been stretched out by Seruno!

If I, as Miluno, were to wear this out, not only would it not fit, but it might also expose me.

"...These belong to Seruno!"

"Even now you're still trying to argue? Does Little Leaf not believe in her mother's magic?"

My mother sighed, rubbing her forehead in disappointment, and said, "Since that's the case, I'll tell Ayao about it! Let her be my judge..."

"No! No way!"

In desperation, I chose to transform.

There was no way to hide it anymore, after all, the "Record of Longing" was genuine magic... even though only she herself could see it.

But at least we can't let her tell anyone else about this, especially Serino.

"Mom! I swore that if Ayao found out my identity, I would never become a magical girl again!"

Seeing that I had finally relented, my mother's face lit up with joy.

"Oh dear? Why is that?"

Chapter 43 The Despair of Kagerou

(Sun Yao)

An unfamiliar ceiling, and why are there beams?

"Well--"

The moment my thoughts came back online, my mind cleared up instantly.

Right now, I'm in a hospital room at Ji Zhenhao's family's pharmacy. Her elderly father, a traditional Chinese medicine doctor with a very scholarly air, examined Yang Yan and said there was nothing seriously wrong. He had just been given anesthesia and would wake up naturally once the effects of the medication wore off.

How long have I been asleep?

The effects of the eye-raising drug should have worn off by now, right?

"Hey, little Seruno, catch!"

Seeing me get up, Miss Jizhen Haoyin tossed me a bag of instant eight-treasure porridge, neither cold nor hot, at room temperature.

"Sorry, this will have to do for now. Nobody in my family knows how to cook. My dad can only prepare medicine for the sick, not make porridge."