Toyokawa Shoko doesn't want to become a witch

When asked what was going on, she seemed reluctant to say, but Su Shi seemed to understand, making Aine feel like she was being excluded.

I've clearly resolved to study hard and become a proper magical girl, so why do I seem to be becoming more marginalized...?

Ai Yin pouted and tossed her hair.

Forget it, I love that you're so magnanimous, I won't hold it against you.

"I think I just saw Xiangzi..." Deng said weakly.

"Huh? My benefactor?!" Aine's mouth dropped open, revealing her fangs. "You just saw her?"

The lamp nodded.

Ever since she learned that Xiangzi was also studying at Yuqiu, she had been keeping an eye on her surroundings, but each time she returned empty-handed, just like yesterday.

Just now too.

She felt she saw him in the crowd, but in the blink of an eye, a group of girls in high school walked past her, and Xiangzi's figure disappeared without a trace.

The lamp hung its head dejectedly.

Ai Yin glanced at her expression, which resembled that of a small, neglected dog, and her eyes darted around.

"Hmm... Since the lantern said it saw her, it means she really is in Haneoka." Aine shrugged.

She didn't tell Deng about the few times she had seen Xiangzi at school.

After all, there's no point in talking about it; it might even reignite Deng's passion for searching for Xiangzi.

Then you can forget about having lunch.

So Aine continued:

"But she probably has her own things to do, so it's best if we don't bother her."

“…return to zero) Liu Si? Lu Qi~?I; Your ‘Dad.’”

"Let's go eat first, or the cafeteria won't have anything good to eat if we go any later." Ai Yin gently put her arm around Deng's shoulder and patted her back, comforting her like she was coaxing a child.

At the same time, he caught a glimpse of Xiangzi squatting in the corner out of the corner of his eye.

She seemed to be hiding from something, shrinking herself down as much as possible, and slowly moving downstairs with the flow of people from the classroom. But coincidentally, just as the previous group of students had left, there was a brief gap in the corridor, and Xiangzi inevitably met Aiyin's gaze.

Eyes facing each other.

Xiangzi looked embarrassed, his eyes darting around.

Aine's eyes shrank smaller and smaller, while her mouth grew bigger and bigger.

Just before she was about to make a sound, Xiangzi had a sudden inspiration and put his index finger to his lips, making a "shh" gesture.

It's like the reaction of a child hiding in a game of hide-and-seek when the child who's supposed to be "it" gets caught and forced to be "it."

Don't tell her I'm here.

Xiangzi was conveying this meaning.

She didn't actually care about Chihaya Aine, as long as Akari didn't know.

So, hopefully this will work.

Aine's expression changed from surprise to understanding, and then to something intriguing.

She suddenly seemed to understand why Su Shi had come yesterday. It turned out that she wasn't waiting for them to go to the abandoned amusement park together, but rather to block Xiangzi's door. However, she happened to run into her and was too embarrassed to refuse... No wonder she felt that Su Shi's expression was strange at the time.

The benefactor's expression clearly showed that she also didn't want to see the light, or anyone related to the light. That's why when she tentatively mentioned Nagasaki Motoyo's name that day, the benefactor immediately turned into a sour face as if she owed her millions of yen.

They might have been secretly watching when they left with Su Shi yesterday.

What's going on...?

Are these people really that bad off?

A bead of sweat the size of a soybean slid down his cheek.

Ain suddenly realized that she seemed to have been caught in a whirlpool, a bottomless whirlpool.

She's jumped into a pit herself.

Aiyin swallowed hard and patted the lamp's back.

"Let's take the stairs in front; it'll be faster going down that way."

Aiyin was pointing in the opposite direction from where Xiangzi was, and she took the initiative to lead the light away for Xiangzi.

Even if the lantern had doubts and was about to turn back, Aine would use other topics to draw the lantern's attention back, ensuring that Shoko could always stay out of the lantern's sight.

The lamp helped her open her heart, giving her the confidence to face the unknown future of being a magical girl. But her benefactor had truly saved her life, so if she had to choose who to help, she would probably... consider (emphasis) standing on her benefactor's side first.

Before leaving, Ai-yin secretly gave Xiangzi a thumbs-up where the light couldn't reach.

Leave it to me.jpg

Although it seems that my benefactor doesn't like me very much.

And so, Xiangzi's biggest worry finally began to disappear at the end of another staircase.

"Luckily, the pink-haired girl was willing to help me, otherwise it would have been troublesome." She leaned against the wall, rubbed her forehead, and let out a long sigh of relief.

Xiangzi deliberately waited a while before going down the stairs.

but......

This can't go on forever.

We're all in the same school, so it's only a matter of time before we meet.

She bought a fried noodle bread roll at the cafeteria and ate the carb-on-carb combination, which seemed strange to her but tasted surprisingly good. She took out her phone and just then saw that Miaomeng had sent a message in the group chat.

【MeowDream】: Hey hey hey.

【MeowDream】: Hey hey hey.

[Meow Dream]: Xiangzi, did you secretly work with Muzi to get Mortis?

【Meow Dream】: Muko said that Mortis's territory is a place to store memories.

[MeowDream]: Why didn't you invite us?

【MeowDream】: I still want to see some fun.

(Miaomeng retracted a message)

[Meow Dream]: What if something happens to you? Hai Zi, Chu Zi, and I are so worried about you.

【MeowDream】: @Hailing, @Chuhua, don't you agree?

[Hailin]: What did you withdraw?

[MeowDream]: Huh?

Xiangzi raised an eyebrow and tapped the screen a few times with his thumb.

[Xiangzi]: I saw what you withdrew.

[Meow Dream]: ......

[Meow Dream]: Xiangzi, the picture you posted is cracked, meow~

[Xiangzi]: I didn't post any pictures. You're the oldest one among us, aren't you ashamed?

【MeowDream】: Don't mention the age of beautiful girls. If asked, I will always be seventeen.

[Xiangzi]: That's still older than me.

[MeowDream]: How come you're only in your first year of high school?! Tell me you're a senior and preparing for college entrance exams.

[Xiangzi]: Enough with the nonsense.

[Meow Dream]: So what about our plan? Since you and Mutsuko both ran away, that means there's only one familiar left, right? Once we take care of that, everything will be fine.

[Meow Dream]: You promised to make a lot of money together.

[Hailin]: What makes big money?

[Meow Dream]: It's a secret~

[Xiangzi]: We met in the pine forest this afternoon. @All members, the plan is entering its final stage.

After sending the message, Xiangzi put his phone away and peacefully finished his lunch with some yogurt.

===============

In the afternoon, before the agreed time, Xiangzi looked out of the window of the teaching building and saw Su Shi's figure at the school gate once again.

This time she was much more experienced, so she waited until Ai-yin and Deng went out and met Su-shi before going downstairs.

After putting on my shoes, I turned and walked in the opposite direction from the tram stop.

Shopping Street.

Mu was waiting for him at Yuze Cafe.

.....

The long-awaited black tea from Yuzawa Cafe.

Xiangzi put down his cup with satisfaction, but when he thought about how he had been cornered, his face turned sour again.

"What does she mean by this? It's been two days in a row now."

"Su Shi's new team is already..." Mu said calmly, holding a glass of orange juice.

“I know she has a new band.” Xiangzi interrupted Mu with a frown. “Since she already has new teammates, why is she still bothering me? Is she trying to mock me? To show off in front of me, saying, ‘See? I can still put together a band without you.’ Is that what she’s trying to say?”

"Su Shi knows about the Xiang family's affairs..."

"So what if she knows about me? Such trivial matters have long been swept into the news garbage dump of Reed Plain. Today's news will be forgotten tomorrow. Who would care about such trivial matters?"

Perhaps because he thought of the lamp, and then mentioned the family annihilation case from last year that was known to the whole world, Xiangzi's tone became particularly sharp.

Mu bit the straw, and the water level in the cup dropped by about one centimeter.

“That’s no small matter,” she said. “It’s not a small matter for us.”

"If I hadn't started to understand your logic, that last sentence would have made me furious," Xiangzi said, taking a sip of his red tea. "Is it true that the more you try to avoid someone, the more shamelessly they come crawling towards you...?"

She thought about it for a while, and finally sighed helplessly.

"So what does she want to do?" Xiangzi put down his teacup and asked.

Mu's eyes shone with unmistakable joy.

There has always been a misunderstanding between Su Shi and Xiang Zi. It would be best if the misunderstanding could be cleared up.

"......Saturday."

Mu looked at the ice cubes in the glass and said softly.

If we can clarify things and part ways amicably, that would be best.

"Saturday?" Xiangzi tilted his head.

“They’re going to have a live show at RiNG on Saturday afternoon,” Mu said. “She said it would be a celebration party.”

"She invited me?" Xiangzi asked again.

Mu shook his head and said:

“Su Shi invited me, and I invited Xiang Qu.”

"...That day was the last day Yuki gave me." Shoko's face darkened, and she said in a low voice, "Just like that, I went to their territory..."

"As long as it's resolved before that day, it'll be fine, right?"

Mu's drink was almost empty, and the ice cubes in the glass made a crisp clinking sound.

"Xiang is fine."

Is it really possible?

Xiangzi suddenly realized that what she had just blurted out seemed to imply that she couldn't solve the problem before the deadline, but Mu believed in her. Not only Mu, but Miaomeng also believed that she would definitely be able to solve the Nirvana problem before the deadline arrived.

But the truth is, Xiangzi doesn't even have the slightest clue.

Her heart was pounding.

"I understand. I'll go to the live show with you on Saturday."