You call this a love game?

"Wait...wait!" Madoka Kaname quickly jogged to catch up. "Where are we going...?"

Clearly, Madoka Kaname was too embarrassed to think straight. Despite being a new transfer student, she was even more familiar with the school than Madoka was, a fact that Madoka hadn't even noticed.

Homura Akemi finally stopped in front of the infirmary door, raised her hand and knocked on the door. Without waiting for a response from inside, she pushed the door open and went in.

Bai Yu was dozing off at his desk when he heard the noise and suddenly looked up, with a suspicious water stain on the corner of his mouth.

"Huh? Class has started?"

His black hair was sticking up in a messy, unruly manner, and his white coat was a bit wrinkled on the chest, making him look like a large dog that had just woken up.

Homura Akemi grabbed Madoka Kaname, who was hiding behind her, and said, "She said she likes you."

"Pfft—!" Bai Yu spat out all the water he had just drunk. "Wh-what?!"

Although he had been prepared, and had even deliberately made physical contact with Madoka Kaname to get closer to her, he was still very surprised to hear this.

Not only did Madoka Kaname like his words, but Homura Akemi also helped Madoka Kaname confess her feelings.

Kaname Madoka's face instantly turned bright red, her whole body curling up like a boiled shrimp. She opened her mouth, instinctively about to retort, "N-no... I..."

But she couldn't ignore her true feelings, fearing that her firm rejection would lead Bai Yu to mistakenly believe that she didn't like him.

Seeing Kaname Madoka's dilemma, Shiraha knew that it wasn't the right time yet. He needed more time to slowly open the girl's heart and gradually take over her entire life.

"Xiao Yan!" Bai Yu gently tapped the table, giving her a warning, "You can't make jokes like this."

“It’s not a joke.” Homura Akemi’s gaze swept back and forth between the two of them. “She admitted it herself.”

Kaname Madoka finally broke down, covering her face and saying in a tearful voice, "I...I'm leaving now!"

After saying that, he darted out of the infirmary like a startled rabbit and disappeared in no time.

Bai Yu's outstretched hand, intended to offer comfort, froze in mid-air. "..."

Homura Akemi calmly closed the door. "You have two choices now."

"Wait a minute..." Bai Yu rubbed his temples, "What are you doing all of a sudden?"

"One, go after her now." Homura Akemi held up one finger. "Two..."

She suddenly leaned closer, her icy fingers stroking Bai Yu's neck, "Continue what we didn't finish last night."

Bai Yu's Adam's apple bobbed. "Little Flame, you..."

The bell rang at the right time, and students ran back to their classrooms down the corridor.

Homura Akemi took a step back and straightened her skirt. "Time's up."

Bai Yu opened his mouth, but finally sighed, "I'll go talk to Xiao Yuan."

Homura Akemi's lips curled up almost imperceptibly for a moment. "Whatever you say."

She turned and walked towards the door, heading towards the teaching building.

"Xiao Yan," Bai Yu called out to her, "Why did you do this?"

Homura Akemi's hand rested on the doorknob; she didn't turn around. "You'll find out soon enough."

You'll find out soon enough. When Witch's Night arrives, everything will end. It's all part of the plan.

She needs to lower Bai Yu's guard, or rather, increase his trust in them, so that more people with strong connections can be linked to him, thus relaxing his vigilance. This way, when she steals the divine position and creates a wonderful dream world for him, when these familiar people reappear by his side, he will no longer doubt that he is in a false world, and the power of his other half of divinity will not be activated.

That's why she had to be so direct in exposing Madoka Kaname's thoughts. If she waited for him to take his time, who knew how long he would drag things out? She didn't have that much time.

Let her do a little favor to speed up their process; they won't lose anything anyway.

It's more accurate to say that she herself suffered the most. She could have had it all to herself, but instead, she had to actively send the person she liked into someone else's arms, and could only watch helplessly as it happened, unable to stop it.

But as long as the plan succeeds, this little thing is nothing; she will recoup all the interest in that fantasy world.

After Homura Akemi left, Shiraha scratched his messy hair and looked out the window. He could vaguely see a pink figure squatting next to the bushes, not getting up even when the school bell rang.

He straightened his white coat, grabbed a can of juice, and headed towards the playground.

The once bustling school playground has fallen silent again, with only the sound of reading coming from the teaching buildings, making the pink figure beside the playground appear particularly lonely.

"Here you go." He pressed the cool juice against the little round face.

"Whoa~!" Kaname Madoka jumped in fright, and her face turned red instantly when she looked up and saw who it was. "Haku... Dr. Haku!"

"It wouldn't be good if she suddenly ran away." Bai Yu sat down beside her and easily opened the can. "Xiao Yan... didn't scare you, did she?"

Madoka Kaname lowered her head again, staring intently at the tips of her shoes, her voice barely a whisper, "N-nothing..."

Cherry blossom petals drifted down between the two of them, creating a moment of silence.

Bai Yu scratched his face. "Um... about what she said..."

"I'm sorry!" Kaname Madoka suddenly stood up and bowed, her voice trembling slightly, "I've caused you trouble!"

Bai Yu was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled, "Why should I apologize?"

"Because... because..."

Kaname Madoka gripped her skirt tightly, hesitatingly saying, "I didn't want you to hear such strange things..."

"Is it strange?" Bai Yu stood up and gently patted her head. "I actually think it's quite nice."

Kaname Madoka suddenly raised her head, her pink eyes wide open, "Eh?"

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the cherry blossom trees, casting dappled patterns of light on the girl's head, instantly brightening her mood as if the clouds had parted to reveal the sun.

Seeing her stunned expression, Bai Yu couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Although it's a bit of self-praise, I personally think I'm quite handsome, so it's normal for Xiao Yuan to like me, right?"

"Ugh..." Madoka Kaname covered her burning cheeks, steam practically rising from her head.

Bai Yu suddenly became serious and said, "However..."

Madoka Kaname's heart jumped.

"I think this kind of thing needs a more formal setting to confess in order to achieve the best effect. What do you think?"

Madoka Kaname nodded in agreement. "Yeah, me too."

She liked Bai Yu, but she wasn't in a hurry to be with him right away. Just like when she saw delicious food, she didn't want to eat it immediately, but rather wanted to enjoy the process of savoring the food.

Besides... she also wanted a little bit of a sense of ceremony, otherwise she always felt that something was missing, and it would feel unreal.

A formal invitation, a formal love letter, and then a formal confession—receiving a serious and sincere response—this is the beginning of her dream romance.

Young girls in love always pursue more beautiful things, and she was no exception.

But at this moment, Madoka Kaname felt her heart was about to jump out of her chest. Shiraha's words, "I'm quite happy," kept echoing in her ears, like a candy melting on her tongue, so sweet that she was at a loss for words.

She secretly glanced at Bai Yu beside her. The boy was tilting his head back and drinking juice, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down with each swallow.

“Um…” she mustered her courage to speak, but her voice was softer than she had imagined, “This weekend… Mom said she’s inviting Dr. Bai over for dinner.”

Bai Yu lowered his head, a little juice still on the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away casually and smiled, "I know, Mami told me."

“Mom…she might ask a lot of questions.” Kaname Madoka racked her brains to find a less awkward topic. “She’s been worried lately that I’m making bad friends.”

Bai Yu suddenly leaned closer, close enough for her to smell the faint scent of disinfectant mixed with citrus on him. He deliberately lowered his voice and asked, "So, am I a good friend or a bad friend?"

Madoka Kaname's ear tips instantly turned bright red. She hurriedly took a half step back, but accidentally tripped on the steps behind her and fell backward.

"Be careful."

A strong arm wrapped around her waist just in time. Through the thin fabric of her uniform, she could clearly feel the warmth of the other person's palm, which made her face burn even more.

“Thank…thank you…”

She scrambled to her feet, then bent down to straighten her perfectly straight skirt to hide her panic.

Bai Yu withdrew his hand and casually changed the subject, "Speaking of which, Sayaka has made great progress in her recent special training."

“Hmm!” Kaname Madoka finally regained some composure when her friend was mentioned. “She said yesterday that she wanted to challenge Kyoko-san.”

"And what about you?" Bai Yu tilted his head to look at her. "Have you been practicing diligently?"

Kaname Madoka shook her head sheepishly.

She goes back home very late every day, and has no reason to go out alone at night. She's afraid of accidentally losing control and making a big commotion that would alert her parents when she practices magic in her room, which would be terrible. So, apart from special training time, she basically has no chance to practice magic.

"Would you like me to give you extra training after Saturday?"

Madoka Kaname suddenly looked up, her pink pupils widening slightly.

Individual...extra training?

"Can...I...may I?"

"Of course." Bai Yu smiled and ruffled her hair. "In exchange, you have to tell me what kind of souvenir your aunt likes."

Kaname Madoka felt something gently burst open inside her, like bubbles in soda. She nodded vigorously, her hair swaying slightly with the movement.

"Okay, welcome Dr. Bai to my home!"

The girl's smile was like a gentle breeze in early summer, lightly brushing against the heart, carrying a hint of shyness and playfulness.

----

On Sunday, Shiraha led Mami Tomoe and Kyoko Sakura to Madoka Kaname's house as promised.

The weather is nice today. The sky is a pale blue, as if it has been lightly painted with watercolors. A few white clouds drift leisurely by, and the sunlight shines through the thin clouds, scattering across the earth with a touch of gentleness and warmth.

Standing in front of the wooden door, Shiraha took a deep breath, looked back at the somewhat nervous Sakura Kyoko and the gentle-smiling Tomoe Mami, and gently rang the doorbell.

"Ding-dong-"

Soon, the sound of slippers dragging on the floor came from inside, along with Xiaoyuan's familiar voice responding to them.

"Wait a minute! I'll be right there!"

The door was quickly opened, and Madoka Kaname's face peeked out from the crack. Her pink twin tails swayed gently with her movements, making her look full of energy.

Her eyes lit up the moment she saw Bai Yu, and a faint blush rose to her cheeks.

"Dr. Shiro! Mami-senpai! Kyoko-san!" She quickly opened the door, her voice brimming with undisguised excitement, "Please come in!"

Bai Yu noticed that she had changed into a light pink dress today, with a small bow at the neckline, making her look even cuter than usual.

He smiled and handed over the gift, saying, "Sorry to bother you, this is just a small token of my appreciation for your aunt."

When Kaname Madoka took the bag, her fingers accidentally touched the back of his hand. She immediately flinched as if she had been electrocuted, and her ears burned slightly. She looked down at the beautifully packaged gift box.

"This is......"

"These are sweets made by Mami herself, along with some black tea that she picked out and thought tasted good," Shiraha said gently.

Mami Tomoe smiled and nodded at the right moment. Her long golden hair shone softly in the sunlight. Today, she was wearing a beige cardigan and a light brown long skirt, looking elegant and proper.

Sakura Kyoko stood at the very back, unusually reserved.

She wore a dress today, which was unusual for her, although Mami Tomoe forced her to wear it. Her long red hair was also styled, no longer sticking out wildly as usual.

She tugged uncomfortably at her skirt, muttering under her breath, "This skirt is such a hassle...it's so restrictive..."

"Kyoko looks great in a skirt!" Madoka Kaname praised sincerely.

"R-really?" Sakura Kyoko was taken aback, then awkwardly turned her face away. "Hmph, I'll only wear it once..."

"Xiao Yuan, have the guests arrived?"

A gentle female voice came from inside the house, followed by a woman with neat short hair.

Her eyebrows and eyes were somewhat similar to Madoka Kaname's, but her temperament was more mature and composed. Her gaze lingered on Shiraha for a moment before she gave a polite smile.

“Mom,” Kaname Madoka quickly introduced, “this is Dr. Haku, whom I told you about, and also Mami-senpai and Kyoko-kun.”

"Nice to meet you all, I'm Kaname Junko." She nodded slightly. "Madoka has been well taken care of by everyone lately."

Bai Yu could feel her gaze lingering on him for a couple more seconds, carrying a hint of scrutiny.

He maintained his smile without showing any emotion. "Hello, I'm Shiraha, and these two are Mami Tomoe and Kyoko Sakura."

"Please come in." Kaname Junko stepped aside to make way for her. "Don't be shy, make yourself at home."

Seeing that everything was proceeding normally, Kaname Madoka secretly breathed a sigh of relief and secretly glanced at Shiraha. Seeing that his expression was normal, she felt a little relieved.

She jogged to the kitchen to prepare tea, her back view as light and graceful as a cheerful little bird.

After changing into the slippers handed to them by Kaname Junko, the three of them followed her into the living room.

While Kaname Shunko went to get tea and snacks, Sakura Kyoko leaned close to Shiraha's ear and whispered, "Hey, why do I feel like her mother is looking at you strangely?"

Bai Yu smiled helplessly, "They're probably worried that their daughter will be kidnapped by some strange adult."