You call this a love game?

“You are indeed quite strange.” Sakura Kyoko pouted.

Mami gently patted the two of them on the shoulder, indicating that Kaname Yuuko had come out, and the two then stopped whispering.

In the living room, exquisite tea snacks and fruits were already laid out on the coffee table, and Bai Yu and his two companions sat facing the three members of the Kaname family.

Madoka Kaname's younger brother, Tatsuya, curiously leaned against the back of the sofa, blinking as he sized up the unfamiliar guest.

"Tatsuya, be polite." Kaname Junko rubbed her son's head.

At that moment, Tatsuya suddenly climbed off the sofa, ran to Shiraha's face, and looked up at him with his little face, "Big brother, can you do magic tricks?"

"Tatsuya!" Madoka Kaname hurriedly tried to pull her younger brother back.

Bai Yu had already squatted down, looking the little boy straight in the eye. "I know a little. Want to see?"

Tatsuya nodded vigorously, his eyes sparkling.

Shiraha pulled a 500-yen coin from his pocket, nimbly flipped it a few times between his fingers, and suddenly grabbed it behind Tatsuya's ear, producing a beautifully packaged candy.

"Wow!" Tatsuya took the candy with delight and turned to his mother for permission.

Looking at her son's expectant and surprised eyes, Kaname finally showed her first genuine smile of the day, "You should say thank you."

"Thank you, big brother!" Tatsuya Kaname said loudly, carefully putting the candy into his pocket before returning to his mother's side.

This little incident lightened the atmosphere in the living room considerably. Kaname Madoka glanced gratefully at Shiraha, only to find him winking at her, and immediately blushed again.

"I heard Dr. Shiro works in the school clinic?" Kaname Shunko asked casually, picking up her teacup.

“Yes.” Bai Yu took the tea from Kaname Madoka, rubbing his fingers on the cup. “He is mainly responsible for the students’ daily health management.”

Mami Tomoe added at the opportune moment, "Dr. Shiro is very popular with students, especially those in the sports club."

"Oh? What do you mean?" Kaname Shunko raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Because Dr. Haku’s medical skills are excellent,” Sakura Kyoko interjected, then realized she was being too lively and quickly lowered her voice, “and she’s also very gentle. Many people praise Dr. Haku’s work attitude.”

Kaname Junko showed a surprised expression and couldn't help but exclaim, "That's really dedicated and conscientious. Dr. Shiro truly deserves the title of 'angel in white'!"

Bai Yu waved his hand, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said, "You flatter me. My parents taught me from a young age to be a kind person, and I also want to protect their last wish and not leave any regrets for myself."

"Last wish..."

Kaname Shunko's expression softened visibly. She put down her teacup, a hint of apology flashing in her eyes. "I see. Dr. Shiro is so young..."

"It's alright." Bai Yu shook her head gently, a warm smile still on her lips. "Being able to help others makes me feel fulfilled."

Mami Tomoe chimed in at the opportune moment, "Dr. Haku not only takes care of the students at school, but he also helped Kyoko and me a lot. We both lost family members..."

Sakura Kyoko lowered her head, a rare occurrence for her, her red bangs obscuring her eyes, her shoulders trembling slightly, as if she were recalling something painful and couldn't help but cry.

Mami quickly patted the girl's shoulder, pulled her into her arms, and gently comforted her.

"I see..." Kaname Shunko's voice softened considerably, and her gaze towards Mami Tomoe and Kyoko Sakura held a touch of pity. "It's truly admirable that you three children have persevered for so long..."

“We’re doing very well now,” Bai Yu said with a smile, breaking the slightly heavy atmosphere. “Mami is very caring, and Kyoko is very sensible.”

Upon hearing this, Sakura Kyoko raised her head and nodded vigorously, as if pounding garlic.

Tatsuya suddenly climbed off the sofa, ran to Sakura Kyoko, and handed her the candy that Shiraha had just given him, saying, "Sister, have some candy."

Sakura Kyoko paused for a moment, glanced at Shiraha's expression, and seeing that he didn't react, hesitated for a second, took the candy, and gently ruffled Tatsuya's hair.

"Thank you, Tatsuya."

This small interaction completely softened Kaname's gaze. She got up and went to the kitchen. "I'll go see how lunch is going. Madoka, make sure everyone is well taken care of."

Kaname Madoka nodded quickly, and after her mother left, she asked softly, "You... have never said these things before."

Mami Tomoe smiled gently. "It's nothing special that needs to be mentioned."

"Exactly!" Without the pressure from her elders, Sakura Kyoko regained her energy. "We're so happy now!"

Although her parents are still alive, it's not impossible to pretend they don't exist for now. It's definitely not Mami-senpai threatening her with the next week's worth of snacks.

At lunchtime, Kaname Shunko enthusiastically served everyone more food, especially taking special care of Tomoe Mami and Sakura Kyoko.

Seeing the change in her mother's attitude, Madoka Kaname finally felt relieved.

She still remembered that a few days ago, when her mother suddenly came to her and asked about those things, her serious expression almost scared her to death.

"Dr. Shiro." Kaname Shunko handed him a cup of tea after the meal, her tone much warmer than when they first met. "You can come visit often when you have time."

Bai Yu accepted the teacup with both hands and nodded slightly. "Of course, thank you for your hospitality."

Kaname Shinobu gave her daughter a meaningful look. Kaname Madoka noticed her mother's gaze, blushed immediately, and turned her head away, pretending to focus on wiping Tatsuya's mouth.

As evening approached and she was about to leave, Kaname called out to Shiraha.

"Xiao Yuan is sometimes too naive. In the future... I hope you will take good care of her."

Bai Yu was slightly taken aback, then nodded knowingly, "I will."

Kaname Madoka stood at the door to see her off, her pink skirt fluttering in the wind. Kaname Junko stood behind her daughter, watching her reluctant movements, gently patted her shoulder, and teased, "Your soul is almost leaving with you, are you that attractive?"

"mom!"

Madoka Kaname let out a coquettish cry, her face flushed crimson, whether from the glow of the setting sun or from the overflowing affection of a young girl, it was hard to tell.

P.S.: It's the beginning of the month, could you please send me some free razor blades? Please!

Chapter 113 The Boundary Between Despair and Hope

"So Akemi is also a magical girl?"

In the infirmary, Sayaka stared at Shiraha in surprise, her mouth slightly agape, and even stopped eating with her chopsticks.

Bai Yu, who was sitting opposite her, nodded. "Yes, she hadn't enrolled yet, so I forgot to tell you. She's also a very powerful magical girl, but she prefers to act alone, so it's best not to bother her unless necessary."

Since Bai Yu met her mother last weekend, the two have been getting closer at a rapid pace. Only now has she remembered Xiao Meiyan and asked Bai Yu about the new transfer student.

Unexpectedly, Dr. Bai and she knew each other. No wonder she was able to find the infirmary so easily that day.

"So this is ah......"

Kaname Madoka suddenly realized, but then a new question arose in her mind.

Even though Homura is a magical girl, how did she know that she likes Dr. Haku? And why did she help her confess to Dr. Haku?

That's so strange, I just can't figure it out.

The girl frowned, pouted, and thought for a long time but couldn't figure out why. She simply gave up thinking and chose to continue eating.

That being said, let’s eat first.

Anyway, she and Dr. Bai were almost at the point of confronting each other, so the reason didn't matter anymore. What mattered was that she had the opportunity to be with Dr. Bai!

My dream is about to come true!

I remember a few days ago Bai Yu said he would give her extra practice sessions in private. Bai Yu did help her practice in private, but the effect was not very obvious.

Because physical contact is inevitable during practice, she is unable to concentrate on training.

Especially when practicing some combined techniques that require coordination, when Bai Yu's warm, large hand was placed on her waist and his strong, powerful arm lifted her up, she felt so ashamed that she almost exploded.

She felt a ticklish sensation in her waist, and although she didn't deliberately move her hands around, she still felt very shy.

In particular, the little bit of fat that had accumulated on her lower abdomen from a lack of exercise made Bai Yu almost want to crawl into a hole when she noticed it.

Ugh... I'm so ashamed to face anyone...

Recalling the practice sessions, Madoka Kaname couldn't help but blush again.

"Xiaoyuan, is the bento very spicy?"

Sayaka, who noticed her friend's face suddenly turn red, asked with concern.

"Ah! No...no!" Pulling herself out of her reverie, Madoka Kaname shook her head repeatedly and hurriedly explained, "I was just...just thinking about something."

Sayaka leaned closer suspiciously, her eyes narrowing into slits. "You're not thinking about something strange again, are you? You've been spacing out a lot lately, it's suspicious. What's going on?"

"It's nothing..."

As she said this, Madoka Kaname glanced guiltily at Shiraha, afraid that Sayaka would notice, before quickly looking away and turning to laugh with her friend.

"Sayaka, you should eat more. You've been training so hard lately."

Then, ignoring the blue-haired girl's advice, she put all the green peppers that the girl didn't want on her plate and gave them to her.

"Madoka."

"what?"

"I don't think I've done anything to you lately, have I?"

"No...no."

"Then why did you poison me!"

Looking at the bowl full of green peppers in her mouth, Sayaka frowned, her face contorted in pain, but she still forced herself to swallow them down despite the discomfort in her mouth.

Mami Tomoe coughed lightly at the right moment, interrupting Sayaka's continued suffering.

She gently wiped her lips, her golden eyes turning to Bai Yu. "Speaking of which, the Witch's Night is almost here."

The atmosphere on the desk instantly became heavy.

Sayaka put down her chopsticks, and Madoka Kaname also looked up, the blush on her face fading slightly.

"What exactly was that day?" Sayaka scratched her head. "I remember Dr. Shiro mentioning..."

“Three days later.” Bai Yu’s voice was lower than usual as he said in a deep voice, “Near the harbor district, a super-sized witch capable of easily destroying a city.”

Mami Tomoe nodded slightly, her fingertips unconsciously drawing circles on the table.

"We need to prepare in advance. Although the training has been tough during this period, we absolutely cannot let our guard down."

She had also learned about Witch Night through her own channels, and that other cities had been attacked by Witch Night before.

Without a doubt, that city was reduced to ruins.

Based on some remaining footage, she finally understood what Bai Yu meant when he said that even with all her strength, she couldn't win.

Its terrifying defensive strength and destructive power are awe-inspiring just to look at.

No matter the intensity of the attack, it could not cause any effective damage, and it did not even flinch.

If Shiraha hadn't said he had absolute confidence, after watching those videos, Mami Tomoe wouldn't have felt capable of defeating such a being.

Sakura Kyoko rarely showed a serious expression, a sharp glint flashing in her red pupils. "I've prepared a new ultimate move. I'll show you all what I'm capable of, and I'll definitely give that despicable guy a good beating!"

She had certainly seen the footage of Witch Night destroying the city and knew how great the threat was, but she still wouldn't back down. Facing difficulties head-on and defeating powerful enemies was her consistent style.

With her emotions stirred, even Kaname Madoka clenched her fists, her eyes shining with determination. "I will work hard too! I won't let everyone down after all this time!"

Bai Yu looked at their energetic appearance and couldn't help but smile.

But soon, that smile faded.

Time flies... I wish it could slow down...

Being with these girls made him feel very relaxed and happy, so he was naturally very reluctant to part with them.

But fate forced them apart. After the Witch's Night ends, he will 'end the story' and leave the game world, ending this simulation.

Even if there is another chance to start the next simulation, none of them will recognize him. The only one who might be familiar with him is Homura Akemi, who has been reincarnating repeatedly.

That's why he indulged Homura Akemi so much; he knew her loneliness and her solitude.

People you've spent so much time and effort getting to know, who were laughing and enjoying tea and desserts together one moment, become complete strangers the next when you start simulating again. It's heartbreaking to see someone you don't recognize.

The thought of having to part ways with everyone again for a while before they could meet again made him wish that Witch Night would come a little later, even though he was fully capable of defeating Witch Night this time.

Looking around at the girls in the room, a trace of sadness flashed in Bai Yu's eyes.

Mami Tomoe, who was standing nearby, keenly noticed the fleeting sadness in Shiraha's eyes. She put down her teacup and asked softly:

"Bai Yu-jun, what are you worried about?"

Bai Yu snapped out of his reverie and shook his head. "I just feel a bit emotional thinking about fighting alongside everyone."

Sakura Kyoko suddenly slammed her hand on the table and stood up, her red hair flying with the movement. "Hey! What's with that expression?! We're the strongest team!"

She grabbed Bai Yu by the collar, forcing him to look her in the eye; his crimson eyes burned with an indomitable flame.

"Or do you think we'll hold us back?"