You call this a love game?

"Okay, are you guys going to continue chatting? Or I'll just take a taxi home myself," Bai Yu said, pointing to the door.

"No need for that, but we happen to have some questions we'd like to ask you, Nakazawa-kun. We'd like to hear what guys think about these kinds of issues."

"Oh? What's the problem?" Bai Yu asked curiously, and sat back down in his seat.

"Actually, it's about Shizuku, Kaname's good friend's troubles. Nakazawa, don't tell anyone!"

"Don't worry, I'll keep my mouth shut," Bai Yu assured him.

“Yes, of course I trust Nakazawa-kun’s character.” Mami Tomoe nodded, then officially began the conversation: “Nakazawa-kun, what kind of confession do you think is the most touching?”

Homura Akemi, who was being helped up from the carpet by Madoka Kaname, almost fell over again upon hearing this. Shiraha quickly caught her waist, and the touch on her waist made the girl's earlobes instantly turn as red as ripe cherries, making him want to put them in his mouth.

"Confessing..." Bai Yu tilted his head in thought, his fingers unconsciously tangling around Homura Akemi's braids. "I haven't thought about that, but if we're talking about my expectations for living together in the future after confessing, I do have some ideas."

Mami Tomoe nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

Bai Yu cleared his throat, looked at the three girls listening attentively beside him, and began to speak.

"I prefer peaceful, gentle, and quiet moments to grand and dramatic events, such as the bento box I can see when I wake up in the morning, bickering over strawberries on sale at the supermarket on weekends, and an umbrella that always tilts to one side on rainy days. Even if we can always have each other's company on the journey of life, including the long years to come, long enough for us to be full of wrinkles, with hair as white as snow, and no longer able to take walks, but only able to sit together in rocking chairs and doze off by the fire, that's all."

Imagining that scene, Homura Akemi felt as if she were seeing an illusion. Cherry blossoms all over the world were blooming at the same time, pink and white flowers clustered around Shiraha. Petals swirled, the light became soft, and his eyes were brighter than ever before. The faint fragrance of flowers permeated her nose, like a feather gently stirring a very soft corner of her heart.

Even though she was just sitting quietly, she looked exhausted as if she had been exercising for hours. Homura Akemi was panting with almost groaning breaths, feeling her heart melt like cotton candy. A sweet and wonderful feeling kept spreading and seeping into every corner of her body, as if Shiraha's words had just been spoken to her. An indescribable joy spread through her.

Chapter 49 Madoka Kaname's 'Confession Plan' (4k)

Mami Tomoe got up and poured Shiraha a cup of black tea, saying slowly, "So Nakazawa-kun pays a lot of attention to everyday details."

"After all, even magical girls need to eat, let alone ordinary people like me."

Bai Yu took the tea, but when her fingertips touched the slightly hot cup, she instinctively flinched and almost dropped it on the ground.

"When people are hungry, they need to eat; when they are thirsty, they need to drink. Rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea are the things that most people have to do in their lives. If you have such a understanding and reasonable soulmate, why would you need to crave anything more?"

"That's so well said! I almost couldn't resist wanting to try out the kind of life Nakazawa-kun described," Mami Tomoe exclaimed, clapping her hands in admiration.

“Of course Mami-senpai can do it.” Bai Yu smiled, then turned to look at Kaname Madoka and teased, “But if it’s Madoka… I’d be lucky if she didn’t confuse salt with sugar.”

"Well!"

Although she really wanted to refute it, Madoka Kaname couldn't find any reason to do so.

After all, her dear father is in charge of the housework at home, and she knows nothing about it. She might really not be able to tell the difference between salt and sugar.

"What about Homura?!" Although she was still somewhat unwilling, she quickly pulled Homura Akemi, who was standing next to her, along with her.

"me……"

Faced with her friend's probing gaze, Homura Akemi stammered, unsure how to answer, afraid that a bad answer might hurt her friend's feelings.

But Bai Yu didn't hold back at all and retorted without hesitation, "As far as I know, Xiao Yan lives alone, so she must know a thing or two about cooking, right? Or do you, Xiao Yuan, think you're confident you can manage the house perfectly well while living alone?"

"It seems like...nothing..."

Kaname Madoka said somewhat uncertainly, her sullen mood gradually deflated under Shiraha's smiling gaze.

Waaah... It's not her fault, it's just that her dad is too outstanding, leaving her with very little room to shine at home. Not only can he cook delicious food, but he can also keep the house spotless inside and out, and take good care of her four-year-old brother, Tatsuya. If it were her doing it all by herself...

Uh... just taking care of my younger brother is already exhausting.

Although she really likes Tatsuya and thinks he's cute, it's really tiring!

I'm sorry, little brother, I didn't mean to say anything bad about you.

"So what kind of girl does Shiraha-kun like?" Mami Tomoe asked bluntly.

"Eh?"

The question was too direct. Akemi Homura buried her face in the cushion shyly, only peeking at Shiraha with her big, watery eyes, wanting to hear what kind of answer he would give.

Bai Yu pondered for a moment, then picked up a strawberry daifuku and took a bite. The overly sweet taste made him frown. Looking at the strawberry daifuku he had only eaten one bite of, he felt it was too sweet and wanted to throw it away, but he felt it would be too wasteful, so he had to force himself to swallow it despite the sweetness.

"The person I like..." Bai Yu suddenly raised his index finger, as if to announce something important, "First of all!"

Upon hearing this, Homura Akemi immediately held her breath and focused intently on Shiraha's lips as he spoke, as if afraid of missing a single word.

"First and foremost, you have to be cute!"

"Eh~ I thought Shiraha-kun wouldn't care about appearances." Mami Tomoe said with a slightly regretful tone, glancing at Homura Akemi who looked dejected.

Homura Akemi felt that she was not cute.

"Well... it's not necessarily about being cute on the outside, but also about having a cute personality? Or a cute way of speaking? Anyway, it's not entirely about appearance. The most important thing is that we can get along. That's just a bonus."

"What else? About personality?" Mami Tomoe continued to press.

"Hmm... I hope her personality is like a freshly baked soufflé." Bai Yu gave this answer after a moment's thought.

"Soufflé?" Madoka Kaname tilted her head, her cute little face full of question marks.

Mami Tomoe covered her mouth and chuckled: "Nakazawa-kun, are you referring to the type who is soft on the outside but warm on the inside?"

"Pretty much." Bai Yu reached out and poked the plush toy on the coffee table. Its fluffy shape looked strangely similar to Kyubey.

"Ideally, they should be a little silly, so that even if I bully them, I won't be able to get back at them."

"Nakazawa-kun is really naughty. If he has such thoughts, I'm afraid not many girls will like him, right?"

"Well, who knows? What if there's someone who likes someone like me?"

Kaname Madoka suddenly held up her sketchbook and raised her hand, asking, "What about the hairstyle? Long or short?"

She quickly drew diagrams, showing Bai Yu several different types of long and short hairstyles.

"As for hairstyles... long hair would look good, but short hair..."

Bai Yu stroked his chin, deep in thought, looking very troubled.

"Speaking of which, when you went out just now, Xiaomei was saying whether she should consider trying short hair," Mami Tomoe added at the opportune moment.

"Huh? When did I—"

Homura Akemi's question was abruptly interrupted when her friend pinched her waist, and then she was tackled to the ground by Madoka Kaname, who pinned her down so hard she could barely breathe.

"Actually, hairstyle doesn't matter. I like it whether it's long hair, short hair, pigtails, or braids."

As he spoke, Shiraha reached out his sinful hand toward Homura Akemi's braids.

"But braided pigtails seem to feel even better, though they seem a bit difficult to braid every morning."

"It wasn't that troublesome..." Homura Akemi muttered softly.

"What else is there?"

Kaname Madoka was a little anxious, holding a pen and writing something in her sketchbook.

"Ahem, Xiaoyuan, what are you asking about these things...?"

Bai Yu looked at the sketchbook in the girl's hand and couldn't help but ask.

"Uh... I just... that..." Kaname Madoka panicked a little and hid the notebook behind her back as if trying to cover her ears.

"Oh~ I get it." Bai Yu looked enlightened and couldn't help but laugh. "But Xiao Yuan is indeed very cute. Although it's a little regrettable that she can't cook, she seems pretty good in other aspects."

"Bai Yu, what are you saying?"

Now it was Kaname Mitsuru's turn to look puzzled.

"What I mean is, Xiaoyuan, you just asked me those questions and wrote them down in your notebook—you like me, don't you?"

Before Madoka Kaname could object, Shiraha gave her a knowing look and said, "It's okay. It's normal for girls to be shy. It's okay if you're too embarrassed to say it out loud, as long as you don't run away at the crucial moment. But I still hope that we can have a formal place and a more formal tone to confess. As for Madoka's confession request... I've never really cared about it. It's okay if I agree to it."

"what?"

Not only Madoka Kaname and Homura Akemi, but even the usually elegant and composed Mami Tomoe was somewhat dumbfounded.

Madoka Kaname's sketchbook fell to the ground with a 'thud,' and the pink ends of her hair drew exaggerated arcs in the air as she shook her head violently.

"No, that's not how it is!" She stamped her feet in frustration, her face turning as red as a monkey's bottom. Her mind went completely blank; she had no idea how to explain, especially to her friend.

She never expected that her plan would backfire, turning what was meant to help her friend into helping herself, and Bai Yu had actually agreed to it.

This is like getting mud on your pants; you can't wash it off no matter what.

Homura Akemi's braids were suddenly gripped tightly; she unconsciously pulled them herself. Her eyes behind her red-rimmed glasses trembled violently, and even Mami Tomoe's gentle smile froze on her face.

"Pfft—" Bai Yu suddenly laughed out loud and poked Kaname's round, puffed-out cheeks with his finger. "Just kidding, look how scared you guys are."

He picked up the sketchbook from the ground and raised his eyebrows slightly when he saw the heart-shaped drawings and the words "Confession Plan" on it.

Five seconds after Bai Yu said it was a joke, Akemi Homura finally snapped out of her shock and realized that her palms were sweaty and her school uniform skirt was crumpled into a sunflower shape.

She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but Bai Yu noticed and turned to look at her: "Xiao Yan looks even more nervous than the person involved?"

"I, I just..."

Homura Akemi was trying to come up with a reason to defend herself when she was suddenly interrupted by Mami Tomoe's cough. "Nakazawa-kun, teasing an innocent girl is a serious crime."

"That's it!"

Kaname Madoka angrily snatched back her sketchbook. Shiraha's words had startled her, and her heart was still pounding.

Although she doesn't reject the idea of ​​being in a relationship, and even longs for a sweet and beautiful romance because of her friend Hitomi's experience, she just can't bring herself to steal her best friend's crush!

"Bai Yu is so mean!"

Kaname Madoka angrily pounded the pillow in her arms, as if she wanted to vent her anger at Shiraha on the pillow.

Homura Akemi loosened her grip on the braid and realized that the ends of her hair had been pulled up. She frantically tried to re-braid it, but her trembling fingers made it impossible to straighten.

Bai Yu suddenly took the unruly strand of hair, held it in her hand, and whispered, "Let me help you."

Mami Tomoe watched the boy skillfully braiding his hair, a hint of surprise flashing in her golden eyes.

"He's clearly a boy, but I didn't expect Nakazawa to know this too."

"Is Mami-senpai being sexist? What do you mean, she's clearly a boy, can't boys braid their hair?" Bai Yu retorted confidently.

"Of course that's not what I meant." Mami Tomoe gave him a rather resentful look and continued, "It's just that there are very few boys who can braid hair, and most of them only learn it after they start dating. Nakazawa-kun, you are...?"

“Because…” Bai Yu’s fingers ran through Homura Akemi’s hair, the movements as gentle as if she were handling something fragile. “My family used to have a long-haired cat, just as cute as Homura. As for braiding hair, that’s when I learned to do it.”

Feeling Shiraha's movements behind her head, Homura Akemi's ear tips turned red at a visible speed. Even though she had become accustomed to a lot of physical contact, she still couldn't resist this level of advances.

For example, if the genders were reversed, it would be like the girl you like tying your shoelaces and tying your tie when you go out, or even gently closing the front door if you forget to close it. How could she not feel nervous or excited?

Moreover, it's incredible that Homura Akemi, a girl who considers herself very ordinary and has such an insecure and timid personality, could have so many friends.

Especially with her sweetheart braiding her hair from behind, she must have had a strong mentality not to faint.

To be honest, Homura Akemi even wants to jump right now into Shiraha's arms and boldly tell him that she likes him.

But remembering what the boy had just said about wanting a more formal setting and tone, she couldn't act impulsively. She needed to plan the venue first.

Well, I prefer a more ordinary life, so the venue can't be too extravagant. Confessing my love at a fireworks display is probably out of the question.

Then let's just stay on the way home!

That journey of a young hero rescuing a damsel in distress!

Having made her decision, Homura Akemi seemed to have untied some knot in her heart, and her mood immediately improved a lot. She felt much more relaxed, and even though Shiraha was affectionately stroking her head from behind, she hardly showed any shyness.

Tomorrow! She'll definitely succeed! She's a sure thing!

"But speaking of which... isn't the day of Witch's Night coming soon?"

The topic shifted so abruptly that Mami Tomoe was momentarily taken aback. She quickly glanced at the calendar on the wall and nodded in confirmation. "Yes, it's coming soon. According to Kyubey's prediction, it should be in the next day or two."

April 27th, the date of Witch's Night, is probably the last day of this month, which is the 30th, leaving them with less than three days to prepare.

"However, with Nakazawa's time-stopping and healing abilities working together, we are very confident that we can defeat that guy."

"Are you sure?"

Unlike Mami Tomoe's confidence, Shiraha looked completely worried.

He had witnessed the power of Witch Night before; she could easily destroy various large buildings. Even Homura Akemi, who also possessed the ability to stop time, was unable to defeat her, and it seemed that she couldn't even inflict damage.

Mami Tomoe's fighting prowess, at least in terms of performance, is completely incomparable to Witch Night; it is utterly irresistible.

"What are you worried about, Nakazawa? Why don't you tell me? Maybe we can solve the problem together now," Mami Tomoe reassured her.

"How about we go and get some reinforcements or something?" Bai Yu asked tentatively. "Mami-senpai, you've been a magical girl for over a year, so you must know some magical girls from other cities, right? Could you ask them to come and help out or something?"

“Nakazawa-kun is really cautious.” Mami Tomoe chuckled, her tone tinged with regret. “But it’s a pity, most magical girls are fighting their own battles in their own cities. Even I don’t know many people. Besides, there are only two days left, and we may not have enough time to give them time to prepare.”