Regarding the fact that my best friend is a magical girl

The embarrassment of calling the wrong person made my explanation sound incoherent, but Yang Yan didn't make a fuss about it this time. In the past, she would have used all sorts of teasing and taunting words to humiliate me.

"With Miss Gila here, does that mean Yang Yan can leave too?"

"Yes, we left her here for two reasons: one was to conduct a physical examination, and the other was to collect information from the crystal and compare it with her original examination report."

"The results of it?"

“Apart from the change in shape, the other data are basically the same. The sun gave her an exact same star crystal... However, after your mother fused the same crystal, a completely different magic was born.”

Gila mentioned her mother in her answer, and because of nervousness, I subconsciously scratched my forehead.

"...Where is my mom?"

I just asked the question.

An invisible pair of hands encircled my waist and slowly moved upwards...

"Yao'er~ Are you looking for me?"

My mother's gentle voice rang in my ears.

"Um, so you were here?"

A girl with short gray hair appeared close to me.

She said softly, "There are some things... including the apologies, that I need to make clear to Xiaoyangyan. I took advantage of the time you weren't here to chat with her a bit more... As expected of people with similar wavelengths, we hit it off very well."

Yang Yan nodded in agreement, perhaps they have something in common that I haven't noticed?

She's about the same height as me. The reason why I'm short regardless of gender, even though my dad is so tall, is definitely because I inherited my mother's height genes.

However, some parts should be inherited from my father... My mother was pressed against my back like a ghost, leaving almost no gap.

"Oh, right, Mom."

I turned around so that my mother could also see the leaves.

“He is the close friend I mentioned to you before. His name is Bai Ziye, but I usually call him Yezi.”

"Ye Zi? Are you two in a relationship now?"

Why is everyone asking this? Do Yezi and I look like a married couple?

Ye Zi denied it, saying, "No, that's not it. Seruno and I are just very good friends... at least not yet."

A supplementary sentence structure that implies something.

"Thank you for taking care of my Yao'er all these years."

"We're friends, it's not a one-sided relationship where one person takes care of the other. Ayao has also helped me a lot... right?"

Why is it a question?

Although I haven't been of much help to him...

"Serno".

While my mother and Ye Zi were exchanging pleasantries, Yang Yan waved to me.

"Gira has something to discuss with you."

She put her arm around my shoulder and turned me to face this dark-skinned, blonde foreign woman... She was so tall standing in front of me.

"What is it?"

She put her arm around my shoulder.

"Serno~ You see, I just arrived in Changkong City and haven't really fought a single monster. The few battles I've had have all been against the sidelines, so I haven't received much reward."

"...Wasn't I even more marginalized than you in those battles?"

Even my Star Crystal was stolen.

I asked again, "So, you're short of money?"

“I’ll lend her money if she needs it. Gila has nowhere to stay. She’s a foreigner renting a place in an unfamiliar area, and I’m afraid she’ll get scammed…”

Kagerou spoke for Miss Gila, but she seemed to have forgotten that she was also a foreigner.

"Where do you live, Kagerou?"

“I bought my own house, but it’s a tiny apartment, like a matchbox, so it’s difficult for two people to live there. The housing prices in Changkong City are quite high.”

Yang Yan is in a tighter financial situation than expected, which is not hard to understand. Her fire scale magic is extremely prone to causing "unnecessary damage," which is also the key to her poor reputation. A large part of her bounty is used to pay compensation.

Gila added, "I heard from Miluno that you seem to have a spare house?"

Huh? It was Miluno who recommended her?

"It's not exactly an empty house, it's just a home I can't go back to for the time being. Miss Jira, it's fine if you want to move in, my house is quite big, and there are guest rooms too."

As one of the parties involved, Yang Yan naturally knows why I can't go back.

He then said, "The public opinion surrounding 'that incident' has subsided, right? After all, the internet has no memory; everyone's been gossiping about the association lately..."

"Yao'er".

Before Yang Yan could speak, his mother, cupping her smiling face, leaned closer.

"Yezi is a good child, you should cherish her."

Come again?

I could tell from my mother's words that Aunt Linxi had the same idea.

But I also sensed that Yezi didn't want me to be a magical girl forever, so their expectations would most likely be dashed.

If it had been Yoko who confessed to me back then, instead of Miluno, I would probably be a real woman by now.

Should I take the initiative?

------

"Lady Seruno Wants Yoko to Confess"

------

After surveying the three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment and petting the golden retriever that ran out from the inner room, the mother asked, "...Yao'er, is this our home?"

"No, this is Ye Zi's house. Our house is next door."

"Oh, so you're living together?"

"It is indeed considered cohabitation, but I already explained it on the way here, right? I was at Ye Zi's house to avoid trouble... Yang Yan, don't stand at the door with such a complicated look on your face. If you hadn't paid the compensation, you could have bought an apartment like this a long time ago."

According to Ms. Gila, the number of magical girls has increased, and compensation has to be deducted. Sometimes, Kagerou earns less money as a magical girl than her father, who is a chef in Hawaii.

Therefore, compared to other magical girls, Kagerou does live a rather frugal life.

"Then, I'll take my leave."

Her face flushed, she took off her shoes and walked into the living room.

He further explained, "My magic has evolved; it won't trigger chain reactions or cause unnecessary damage. I should be able to save money afterward... Ah, thank you."

Ye Zi took a pot of cold-brewed oolong tea that she had prepared in advance from the refrigerator and poured it for everyone else in small teacups.

That included me...

No, that won't do.

"Ye Zi, please sit down. I'll take care of pouring the tea."

I stood up, snatched the glass pitcher, and forced him to sit down on the sofa.

He was surprised and asked, "What's wrong? Why so sudden?"

"Nothing much, I just wanted to help you out."

"Oh, so you don't want everyone to know that 'all you do at home is play video games and sleep, and you even leave me to do all the cleaning, cooking, and laundry'?"

Ye Zi's malicious revelations made me blush.

"Seriously, don't say it out loud!"

Miss Gila replied, "Then when shall we go to your house to look at it?"

"You all saw the paint and blood writing on the door, right? Although those guys haven't been coming around much lately, it's still best not to let anyone find out that Sun Yao has already gone back."

Miss Gila asked, "Then how do we get there?"

I snapped my fingers silently, summoned my wand, and then activated a pink halo on the load-bearing wall between Ye Zi's house and mine.

But I hadn't thought about the structure of the house.

On the other side of the load-bearing wall in the living room... is my bedroom.

Chapter Three: The Chaos Players

(Albinocotyledon)

A hole was made in the living room wall, and right across from it was Ah Yao's own room.

The bedroom walls were covered with posters and photos of magical girls, the shelves were filled with figurines and dolls of magical girls, the computer case was a custom-made magical girl style, and even the dusty bed sheets had a picture of a black-haired magical girl printed on them... well, it was a picture of Milno, the "Hayabusa under the Moon".

That is, myself.

"..."

I'd be on the verge of collapse if I watched this scene for even a second longer.

If I'm the only one who's silent, it just makes me seem strange.

But when everyone is quiet, Seruno herself is the one who feels awkward.

"Yeah, hehe, even before I became a magical girl... I... liked magical girls."

But who among these people present isn't a magical girl, except for the Golden Ship?

She looked like she was about to cry.

With a flushed face, Seruno frantically waved her wand, dispelling the pink teleportation aura and turning it off.

Then, moving two steps to the right, the portal reopened in the location of the bathroom.

"Let's go this way!"