Regarding the fact that my best friend is a magical girl

"Huh? Where to?"

Mom answered matter-of-factly, "Go meet the girl Ayao likes!"

"...What's it to you?"

I couldn't help but complain, but my dad explained, "Rinki and I were going there anyway, it was just on our way, since the research institute is located above the treatment facility."

I do know that.

However, as a white leaf, I shouldn't know.

Chapter Five Visiting the Sick

(Sun Yao)

Ye Zi frowned.

"So the association is using magical girls undergoing treatment as guinea pigs?"

Whether it's just my imagination or not, he also seems to have some dissatisfaction with the association.

This distrustful attitude reminds me of Miluno.

Auntie replied, "Well, we do collect data for research, but it doesn't count as lab rats. This research is essentially protective research, all to better assist magical girls in fighting and healing."

Ye Zi then asked, "But who can guarantee that these research institutes won't overstep their boundaries?"

At this point, the uncle and aunt exchanged a knowing glance and smiled.

"Little Yezi, do you know what your mom and dad do?"

"……researcher."

"Then why do you think we, as researchers, should travel all over the world to different research institutes?"

"do not know."

Ye Zi answered very decisively.

"It's alright to tell you. We do belong to the association's research department, but our position is closer to that of prosecutors. Our responsibility is to ensure that the various institutions under the association do not conduct the 'overstepping' research you mentioned... Of course, we will also intervene in research institutions that are not under the association, but it requires cooperation with external forces."

It's clear that the aunt is proud of her work; in a sense, they are the unsung guardians of magical girls.

Although that sounds a bit like secret police.

------

The next day, the two of them actually went to the medical facility with me, and my uncle was driving.

"Can't Ye Zi come along?"

He was left alone at home.

"Of course not, ordinary people can't get in there, you should know that, right? By the way, you have to keep our positions a secret, okay? Our public identity is that of dispatched research personnel. Once our identities are exposed, we won't be able to conduct any investigations. Our work is top secret!"

"If it's top secret, then don't tell us!"

With such a casual personality, can Aunt Rinki really be a good "prosecutor"?

I have my doubts.

The car drove into the underground parking garage, and we took the elevator. My aunt and I arrived at the ward floor, while my uncle continued to go upstairs to hand over the research work.

"Auntie, do you really want to come in with us?"

I hesitated for a moment at the door of the ward.

"Of course, I'll definitely have to carefully vet any girls that Ayao likes!"

Yezi wanted to use Yangyan to stop her aunt from pressuring us to get married, but I didn't want to be misunderstood by Yangyan, so I was afraid that her aunt would say something unfounded in front of Yangyan. It would be best if I could go in first and explain the situation clearly.

knock --

"Kagerou-chan, we're here!"

However, while I was thinking, my aunt had already pushed open the door and entered Miss Yangyan's ward.

"Huh? Wait! Who are you?!"

The sudden intrusion of the stranger startled Yang Yan, and I hurriedly followed her in, pulling Rinki's aunt along with me.

"How dare you just barge in like that... I'm sorry, Miss Yangyan, she, she is..."

Oh no, how should I introduce this?

"Lu Linxi is a senior scholar who studies magical girls!"

Auntie introduced herself quite naturally, but Yang Yan looked very unhappy.

"Enough! What kind of researcher is this? Your association is clearly trying to use me as a lab rat!"

"……Um?"

I had heard about this from Ms. Spica before.

The treatment facility seems to have arranged many unnecessary tests for Yangyan, which seems to be Dad's idea.

I should have asked him yesterday, but I couldn't bring myself to speak in front of him, or even organize my thoughts properly.

"No, no, no, I'm not here to examine you. For some reason, I personally want to see you. You don't need to be nervous."

As she spoke, her aunt picked up the medical records from the bedside and looked through them again.

"But something is definitely not right. Logically speaking, as long as you take your medicine on time, rest and recuperate, and wait for recovery, you shouldn't need any more major tests... How about this, I'll go and find out what's going on for you."

Under Yang Yan's suspicious gaze, she took the medical record card and left.

Oh, this is a good opportunity.

"Serno, who exactly is she?"

"How should I put it... she's my friend's mother."

As expected, my answer only increased Yang Yan's dissatisfaction.

"Huh? Your boyfriend's mother? Then why did she come to see me?"

"Wait a minute, I didn't say it was my boyfriend!"

A hint of contempt and disdain appeared on Yang Yan's face.

"Please, besides that boyfriend, who else do you have?"

Ugh, that really hurts.

"Actually, it's like this..."

Before my aunt returned, I told Yang Yan about Ye Zi's idea.

"...Huh? You're using me as a shield to avoid being pressured to get married?"

"Shh!"

Her reaction was so strong that I quickly made a shushing gesture.

"I also really like Miss Kagerou! So this is half true and half false!"

Unexpectedly, her anger subsided by more than half.

She even countered with, "Oh? You like me?"

"Ah."

How much do you like it?

"You are my second favorite magical girl."

Then, anger flashed across her face again.

"Huh? So this is the 'like' that magical girl otaku was talking about? And it's second only!"

"First place goes to Miss Miluno!"

"I knew it! I could have guessed it even if you hadn't said anything!"

She squirmed excitedly on the bed; if she could move, she probably would have stood up and beaten me.

"Oh, right, I also prepared a Hawaiian souvenir for you."

Looking around, I took out the gift.

"...When did you go to Hawaii?"

"These past few days."

I took a small wooden totem out of my backpack and placed it on the bedside table.

"And this is...?"

"Algaloa, the sky god, is a native Hawaiian deity. However, this wooden carving isn't handmade; it's a mass-produced item, and..."

She flipped the wood carving over with one hand and felt for a line of small characters underneath.

【madeinch〇na】

Gila is a real bastard.

"..."

"Are you wondering how I knew?"

I nodded, and Yang Yan replied with a poker face, "I grew up in Hawaii, so I wouldn't be happy at all if you gave me these things."

"what?!"

Her turkey-like battle outfit really did have a Hawaiian style.

"Ugh……"

Her dissatisfied expression turned into helplessness, and then she sighed while holding her forehead.

"It's not your fault, after all, you don't know my true identity... I'm a Japanese who grew up in Hawaii, but I don't have a good relationship with my family. After obtaining the Star Crystal, I came to Changkong City to make a living. This is the largest city in the wormhole-prone region, so it's easy to make money here."

Although there was no specific information to trace the origins of her story, Ms. Kagerou told me about her general experiences.

I exclaimed in surprise, "So you're a foreigner?"