Another notification popped up on her phone: “Mysterious Magical Girl Lightweaver makes first public appearance; exclusive interview video to be released soon.”
She stared at the text for a moment before expressionlessly tapping the "X" in the top-right corner.
That was enough social media for today. If she kept reading, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to resist hacking into the servers to delete the posts.
The door to the nurse's office creaked open, and Rei poked half her body through the gap, holding a plastic bag from the convenience store.
“Tian Gong, I'm back! I brought you some pudding, a rice ball, and a bottle of strawberry milk.”
Qiluo flipped her phone face-down beside her pillow and tucked Star-trail a bit deeper under the blanket.
Rei set the bag on the nightstand, leaned in to study Qiluo's face for a moment, and then reached out to press the back of her hand against Qiluo's forehead before checking her own for comparison.
“Why is your face so red? Do you have a fever? It wasn't this red when I left. Should I go get the school nurse?”
“The blanket is too thick. I'm just hot.” Qiluo turned her head to dodge Rei's hand and kicked the blanket down a bit.
Rei withdrew her hand skeptically, rubbing the back of it behind her back, and asked with concern, “Are you sure it's not a fever?”
“I'm sure.” Qiluo took the rice ball from her, tore open the wrapper, took a bite, and gave a muffled reply.
Seeing that Qiluo had a decent appetite, Rei finally let her guard down. She pulled up a chair to sit by the bed and took out her phone. Restored to her usual energetic self, she mentioned that Yuki had been picked up by her sister for dinner, and Shizuru had also left early for some business, leaving only her to stay and keep Qiluo company.
As Rei scrolled through her phone, she suddenly let out a weird squeal, leaped up from her chair, and thrust the screen in front of Qiluo's face.
“Tian Gong, look! Today's performance is already trending! Meruru, Seina, Wings of Freedom—and Lightweaver! Lightweaver alone has three spots on the trending list!”
Qiluo raised a hand to block her eyes. “I know. I already saw it.”
Rei shoved the phone even closer to Qiluo's face. In the photo, the tip of Lightweaver's ear was tinged with a faint pink, partially obscured by the fingers pinching the brim of her hat, but the high-definition lens had still captured it with perfect clarity.
“Look at this one! Her ears are totally red!”
Rei zoomed in on the photo, tapping the screen. “Tian Gong, do you think she was blushing? She's usually so cool and aloof, but her ears turned red when Meruru pulled her in to dance!”
“...I don't know,” Qiluo muttered, chewing her rice ball with extra force.
Rei's excitement gradually waned as she continued to refresh the trending topics on her phone.
“Magical Girls are so amazing.”
Yano Rei gazed at the glowing figures on her screen, a faint smile playing on her lips. “No matter what danger they face, they can always solve it themselves. They can help others, and they can protect the people they want to protect. They shine so brightly on stage, and they shine just as brightly on the battlefield. It feels like as long as they're standing there, they bring hope to everyone.”
She looked up at the darkening sky outside the window, her eyes sparkling under the fluorescent lights of the nurse's office, filled with a deep yearning.
“Night Sakura from Wings of Freedom said that they get scared too, and they secretly cry after battles. But once they transform and stand before everyone, they have to make themselves look invincible. At that moment, I realized just how incredible they are. If only I could shine like them too—”
She cut herself off, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, and turned to smile at Qiluo. “Sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm obviously really happy to see so many Magical Girls, but I just can't help but feel... if I'm just an ordinary person in a world like this... Tian Gong, am I being childish?”
There was no resentment in Rei's voice, only pure longing and a tiny, unavoidable hint of melancholy.
“So, do you want to be a Magical Girl?”
Rei interlaced her fingers over her knees, as if weighing a momentous decision.
“Of course I do! Ever since I was really little, when I first saw a transformation on TV, I wondered how anyone could shine so brightly. Later, when I saw Magical Girls in battle, I realized they don't just shine on stage—they also use their power to protect others. Either way, they're amazing.”
She pulled her knees up, resting her heels on the edge of the chair and burying her chin in her knees, curling herself into a small ball.
“Maybe that's the charm of a Magical Girl. When they stand on stage, they bring joy to others, and when they're on the battlefield, they can protect those who need protecting. But I know it takes talent, and a Contract Spirit would never choose someone like me.”
At this point, Rei's lips curved into a smile of quiet resignation. “So, I'm fine just being an ordinary person. I can cheer for them from the crowd, send chat messages in their livestreams, and line up to buy limited-edition merch.”
She turned her phone back on, displaying her lock screen wallpaper—a screenshot she had taken on the day of the Wings of Freedom trio's debut livestream.
Rei looked down at the screenshot, gently tracing Kohinata on the screen with her finger. “Still, just living in the same world as them, and being able to watch them fight and perform with my own eyes... I'm already very satisfied.”
Qiluo swallowed the last bite of her rice ball and wiped her mouth with a tissue.
Looking at Rei, she felt like she had to say something.
But she didn't really believe in empty words of comfort, and as for real magic, she still needed some time to figure out how to put it into words.
“I'm going to get some water.”
She climbed out of bed and walked over to the water dispenser by the window. As the water level in her glass slowly rose, her mind drifted elsewhere.
She recalled how Rei always brought her bento, showing up at her desk right on time every single afternoon, showing her unconditional kindness from the very first day they met.
Holding the glass of water, she walked back to the bed, set it down within Rei's reach, and leaned back against the headboard once more.
Star-trail peeked its eyes out from under the blanket, offering a silent form of encouragement.
Qiluo gently stroked Star-trail's back as she spoke. “Rei, do you really think you don't have any magic?”
Rate on N.U.
