Qiluo Tian Gong had no idea how that segment ended.
On stage, Night Sakura had given a vague, polite response that neither confirmed nor denied anything.
The interactive segment passed just like that, but Qiluo hadn't been listening at all.
Her mind was entirely filled with the smile Night Sakura had directed at her after answering Rei's question.
Qiluo couldn't help but feel that Night Sakura was up to no good. Fortunately, she hadn't ended up saying that if the audience's cheers were just a bit louder, Lightweaver would make an appearance.
If she had actually said that, Qiluo would have run away right then and there.
And once today was over, she would have given those girls a sound thrashing.
Night Sakura drew the last mana bubble back into her umbrella, took half a step back, and once again formed a triangular formation with Kohinata and Amamiya.
The stage lights shifted from warm tones to a cold white. Three spotlights illuminated each of them, casting sharp-edged circular pools of light on the floor.
“Up next is our second song of the day, and also our last,” Night Sakura said, raising her long-handled umbrella with one hand. The canopy was half-unfurled, the patterns on its surface flowing slowly as if they had come to life.
“We dedicated the first song to the companions who fight by our side. This one, we want to dedicate to ourselves. The song is called—Wings of Freedom.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the entire venue was plunged into darkness, leaving only the three spotlights and the glow of the glow sticks.
The glow sticks in the audience merged into a vast expanse, flickering in unison, as if the entire starry sky had been moved inside the gymnasium.
...
The Wings of Freedom trio struck their final pose as the chorus came to an end. The lights lingered on them for a long moment before slowly dimming.
The instant the performance concluded, a wave of cheers erupted from the crowd, loud enough to nearly tear the roof off the gymnasium.
Amidst the tidal wave of applause, the Wings of Freedom trio made their exit. The tip of Night Sakura's umbrella trailed a string of mana bubbles behind them, hanging in the air like an ellipsis.
The gymnasium lights turned back on, and the host on stage began announcing the details of the next performance.
Rei rested her glow stick on her lap, her hands still trembling slightly.
She turned her head to look at Yuki, her face still flushed with the unique excitement that followed a live show.
“I don't think I'll ever forget today. The live version of their first song was more than ten times better than in the livestream! And Amamiya—she spoke so much more than usual today...”
As she spoke, she fanned her flushed cheeks with her hand, tucked the glow stick into her bag by her feet, and looked up at Shizuru.
“Do you really like them that much?” Shizuru asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
“It's not just ‘that much.’ It's way more than that.”
Rei counted on her fingers. “I've watched every single livestream since they posted their very first video. Hearing them live today made it so worth it.”
“Yano-san,” Shizuru suddenly spoke up. Her voice wasn't loud, but Rei immediately turned to look at her. “It seems like the Magical Girls you like are all idol-types. If you had to choose, would you say you prefer idol Magical Girls, or do you lean more toward the combat-oriented ones?”
Rei hadn't expected Shizuru to ask such a question. She clutched her bag to her chest and thought seriously for a moment.
“I like both,” she said seriously. “Whether they're idol-types or combat-types, as long as they're Magical Girls, I love them. Meruru, Wings of Freedom—and also the Magical Girl who often patrols our district. I really like her too.”
Rei turned to look at her. “Kirishima-senpai, why the sudden question? Do you have a favorite Magical Girl too?”
Nuomi yawned on Shizuru's lap.
Yuki seemed to be recalling something, while Shizuru covered her mouth with her hand, coughing lightly as the tips of her ears turned slightly red.
“I do...” Shizuru admitted, lowering her hand from her mouth. Saying out loud that she had a favorite Magical Girl was something she simply couldn't bring herself to do—especially in front of someone who could read people's emotions at a single glance.
She was afraid that the moment she spoke, Rei would eagerly ask, “Who is it? Who is it?” then she would stammer and blush, her words becoming a jumbled mess. The more she tried to explain, the more suspicious she would look, and then everyone would find out.
That was absolutely out of the question.
“Ahem! It's just that I feel Tian Gong-san is rather unique. She doesn't seem to care much about Magical Girls.”
When you don't want to answer a question, the best strategy is to pull out another prominent element of the conversation and expand on it to redirect everyone's attention.
Rei didn't notice Shizuru's hesitation. Her train of thought had already been successfully derailed, and she followed Shizuru's lead. “Tian Gong-san really is an exception. She seems completely uninterested in Magical Girls... She looked so beautiful wearing Lightweaver's cosplay costume, yet she herself doesn't seem to care at all about how cool Lightweaver is.”
“Though come to think of it, her expression that day wasn't completely indifferent... How should I put it? When she looked in the mirror, I saw the corner of her mouth twitch slightly, as if she was thinking about something. But the moment I called her name, she went back to normal.”
“She's not uninterested,” Yuki suddenly spoke up. “She just has a different way of showing her appreciation. Rather than Magical Girls, she cares more about the people around her. She treats those who are good to her with kindness, regardless of whether they are a Magical Girl or not.”
Shizuru glanced sideways at Yuki and noticed that her expression was much more relaxed than usual.
Only when discussing Qiluo Tian Gong would Yuki show this kind of expression, as if she had let her guard down.
Rei nodded thoughtfully. Before she could respond, Yuki added, “She said if she feels a bit better, she might come over to join us after it's finished.”
The show on stage continued. The performers for the next act had already made their appearance—a third-year band. The lead vocalist was tuning their guitar strings, causing a brief burst of static to blare from the speakers. The vocalist bowed apologetically to the audience.
Yano Rei looked left and right, then gestured for the two of them to lean in closer. Cupping her hand around her mouth, she lowered her voice to a whisper that only the three of them could hear.
“I have some news to tell you, but you must keep it a secret.”
Keeping her voice incredibly low, she cupped her hands around her mouth and glanced around to make sure no one nearby was paying attention to them.
“The final act isn't just a regular grand finale. Yesterday, I overheard my mom and dad talking in the living room—Meruru herself is coming. The real Meruru!”
Shizuru turned her head, and Yuki also shifted her gaze away from the stage.
Seeing their reactions match her expectations, Rei nodded with satisfaction.
She then lowered her voice even further. “And she won't be alone. Word is that the rookie, Seina, will also be performing on stage with her. No one else knows about this yet. I'm only telling you because you're my friends.”
She pressed an index finger to her lips, winked at them, and leaned back against her seat with an unmistakable look of pride. “So we really hit the jackpot today! Wings of Freedom's debut, Meruru's finale, and Seina too... If only Tian Gong-san were here as well.”
As she reached the end, a trace of regret crept into her voice, feeling sorry for Qiluo Tian Gong.
She looked down at the empty seat next to her. It had been vacant since the beginning of the event, with only the backpack she had used to save the spot resting on it.
She picked up her backpack and placed it on her own lap, then patted the dust off the empty seat, as if keeping a clean spot reserved for an absent friend.
Rate on N.U.
