You call this a love game?

“They’re different.” Bai Yu gently pinched the tip of her nose. “You like Mami’s black tea and Apricot’s vitality; they’re both unique.”

Sakura Kyoko puffed out her cheeks. "What kind of answer is that...?"

Despite saying that, the corners of her mouth subtly curled up, and the corners of her eyes couldn't help but curve upwards.

Just as Bai Yu was about to tease her, the kitchen door suddenly opened, and Mami Tomoe came out carrying a plate of food.

"Breakfast is ready, Bai Yu-jun, come and eat breakfast."

Her gaze lingered on the two of them at such close range for a second before she walked over as if nothing had happened.

Sakura Kyoko jumped back as if she'd been electrocuted, grabbed the controller and pretended to continue playing the game, but the person on the screen was just spinning in circles.

Bai Yu coughed and sat up straight. "It smells so good, is it a bacon sandwich?"

Mami Tomoe placed the plate on the coffee table, her smile as gentle as ever. "Hmm, I added some cheese too. Would you like sugar cubes in the black tea?"

"Two pieces will do." Bai Yu felt a chill run down his spine for no apparent reason.

Sakura Kyoko glanced at Tomoe Mami, then quickly looked down, pretending to be focused on the game, but didn't notice that the character's health on the screen was dropping rapidly, and it looked like the game was about to end.

"What are your plans for today?"

Bai Yu picked up a sandwich, took a bite, and mumbled, "Catching up on sleep..."

"Catching up on sleep..." Mami Tomoe picked up a cup of black tea and handed it to him. "Didn't you promise Kyoko you'd go to the arcade today?"

"When did I..."

"Huh? Oh right!" Sakura Kyoko jumped up as if she had grasped a lifeline. "You didn't forget what you said last week, did you?"

Shiraha looked to Mami Tomoe for help, who elegantly sipped her black tea. "I did say that."

"See!" Sakura Kyoko shook her head smugly. "Even Asami-nee is a witness."

Bai Yu sighed deeply, resignedly taking a sip of black tea. "I'll wait until I finish breakfast..."

"It's lunch!"

Sakura Kyoko corrected, saying that she had already put down the controller and was going back to her room to change her clothes.

"Hurry up, hurry up! There's a new fighting game out recently, and I heard it has some great characters."

Seeing Shiraha wolfing down his food, Mami Tomoe gently shook her head. "No need to rush, I'll go with you later."

Sakura Kyoko's foot suddenly stopped moving. "Um... Asami-nee is coming too?"

Mami Tomoe tilted her head. "Is it inconvenient?"

"No, no, no!" Sakura Kyoko quickly waved her hand, "It's just... I thought you'd find it noisy."

Mami chuckled softly and smoothed down the stray strands of hair that had sticking up in the white feathers. "It's good to relax once in a while."

An hour later, a family sedan with five seats was packed with people and headed in a grand procession to the largest shopping mall in the city center.

The car belonged to Mami Tomoe's father. Although it had been in a car accident, the full insurance payout resulted in a total loss and a replacement car. However, since Mami Tomoe did not have a driver's license, Shiraha had to drive it.

On the way, Mami Tomoe thought of inviting Madoka Kaname and Sayaka over to play as well. Since they are all magical girls, they will most likely fight side by side in the future, so it would be a good choice to build up their relationship now.

The neon lights of the arcade were dazzling even during the day. Kaname Madoka stood at the entrance, her pink twin tails swaying gently as she looked around.

"Wow, that's amazing..." she murmured, her fingers unconsciously tightening and clenching together.

Sayaka grabbed her shoulder and said, "Come on, come on! Kyoko said the new rhythm game is super fun!"

The girl's sapphire-like eyes sparkled, fixed intently on the surrounding facilities, her gaze filled with curiosity, just like Sakura Kyoko's first visit here.

Everyone knows she's always been a good girl and has never been to a place like this, which her parents have always considered indecent. Besides, her allowance doesn't allow her to come here to play.

Sakura Kyoko rushed to the counter and exchanged a basket full of game tokens. "Come on, it's on me today!"

She shook the basket triumphantly, and the coins clattered.

She's a regular here and one of the top players in the arcades around. She's won many of the arcades' own tournaments, making her quite famous. In the end, the owner gave her a free pass, so she could play as much as she wanted whenever she came, but only if she helped them in tournaments and at least made it to the semifinals.

Sakura Kyoko readily agreed. With her strength, she could easily win the championship. After all, she was a magical girl, and it would be too embarrassing for her to lose to ordinary people. Her superb ability to predict the outcome was enough to crush a large group of professional players.

Bai Yu took the basket and casually ruffled Kaname Madoka's soft little head. "What does Madoka want to play?"

He could tell that this was the girl's first time here; her reserved demeanor was exactly the same as that of Sakura Kyoko back then.

"I...I can do anything..." Madoka Kaname's face flushed slightly as her gaze swept over the rows of flashing machines, timidly pointing to a Taiko no Tatsujin machine. "That...looks really fun?"

"Good eye!" Bai Yu smiled and led her over. "This is perfect for a beginner."

Sayaka immediately came over, "I want to play too!"

Seeing that the others had already gotten into the game, Mami Tomoe said softly, "You guys play first, I'll go buy some drinks."

Bai Yu looked up and replied, "Yes, thank you, Mami."

When she looked down again, the game had already started. A simple melody began to play, and Kaname Madoka nervously gripped the drumsticks, her palms sweaty.

"Relax." Bai Yu stood behind her, gently holding her wrist. "Like this..."

His breath brushed past Madoka Kaname's ear, making her ear tips burn. The drumstick fell with his guidance, hitting the center of the drum with a thud.

"Yes, that's it." Bai Yu encouraged, "Good sense of rhythm."

Madoka Kaname's lips unconsciously curled up, her eyes fixed on the musical notes on the screen. Gradually, she was able to keep up with the rhythm, although she was still occasionally flustered.

"Wow! Madoka is amazing!" Sayaka clapped her hands. "She's much better than me!"

Kaname Madoka lowered her head shyly, "It's...it's because Dr. Shiro taught me well."

Just as Shiraha was about to say something, Sakura Kyoko suddenly pounced on him from behind.

"Hey! Stop playing this! Come watch me play Street Fighter!"

She grabbed Bai Yu's arm and dragged him toward the fighting area.

"Wait, Xiaoyuan and the others..."

"It's okay~" Mami Tomoe returned at some point, carrying several drinks. "I'll keep them company."

Sakura Kyoko pressed Shiraha down in front of the fighting game machine, raising her chin provocatively, "Best two out of three. The loser will be doing the dishes next week."

Bai Yu shook his head helplessly, "Looks like you're going to have to wash this dish. You're not allowed to try and get Mami to wash it for you again."

"Mind your own business!" Sakura Kyoko said, blushing as she pressed the start button.

On the other side, Sayaka was frantically trying to play the dance machine. Despite her excellent motor skills, she kept guessing the wrong arrows.

"Aaaaah! Why so fast?!" she wailed, nearly tripping over herself.

Madoka Kaname covered her mouth and chuckled, then suddenly noticed Mami Tomoe's thoughtful gaze.

"Sister Mami...aren't you going to play?" she asked softly.

Mami Tomoe shook her head and handed her a strawberry milkshake. "I'll just watch you guys have fun."

Her gaze swept across the crowd and landed on Bai Yu in the fighting area.

Kaname Madoka followed her gaze and saw Shiraha laughing as he ruffled Sakura Kyoko's red hair, while the latter angrily punched his shoulder.

"Um..." Madoka Kaname hesitated for a moment, "...Mami-senpai and Dr. Shiro..."

Mami Tomoe looked away, her smile still gentle. "Would you like to play taiko again? I can teach you an even more difficult piece."

Kaname Madoka blinked and nodded obediently, "Okay, okay!"

Chapter 111 Madoka Kaname's Mother's 'Feast at Hongmen'

Happy times always pass too quickly. After playing with Shiraha and his group for two days straight, Kaname Madoka and Sayaka were already reluctant to go home.

If it weren't for the fact that they had to go to school on Mondays, they would have loved to play like this forever.

However, after their playtime ended, they were met with cruel and torturous magical girl training.

Although Sakura Kyoko said it was just for them to experience it, when she actually started the special training, she found that the two girls' physical strength was simply too weak.

Sayaka was alright; her carefree personality made her like a boy, and so did her physical abilities. She could barely keep up with Kyoko's high-intensity training for a while.

Madoka Kaname is no longer human. Her short legs get tired after just a few steps. She can't even do basic exercises, let alone the more intense activities later on. This has left Kyoko Sakura in a limbo.

She couldn't bring herself to make them train harder, but without training, their stamina would likely be quickly depleted in battle, leaving them too exhausted to even dodge attacks.

There's no other way but to take it one step at a time, even though the Witch's Night is fast approaching.

Meanwhile, at the Kaname family home, Kaname Junko, seeing her daughter who had been "strolling around" for two days finally return home, was also very worried about her situation, fearing that she had come into contact with some bad group.

Although she always says that she can let her daughter do whatever she wants, and that it's normal for her to make mistakes, she still can't help but feel worried when this situation actually occurs.

He smelled of alcohol, cigarettes, and a faint perfume. Recently, when I occasionally called him, I could hear his daughter panting on the other end, and I could also vaguely hear a male voice in the background.

She doesn't want to become a grandmother in her early thirties, so I need to remind her quickly.

So when Xiaoyuan got home, she saw her mother standing in the entryway waiting for something.

"Mom, aren't you working overtime today?"

She handed her schoolbag to her mother, skillfully changed into slippers, and followed her mother into the living room.

"No, I came back early today on purpose because I wanted to spend more time with Madoka," Kaname said without turning her head.

Kaname Madoka scratched her head sheepishly and chuckled, "Hehe, thank you, Mom."

Although this wasn't the first time her mother had expressed her love for her so openly, she still felt a little embarrassed each time. They were family, so this kind of thing should be normal, right?

Kaname placed her daughter's schoolbag on the sofa, and as she turned around, her nose twitched slightly. "Madoka, what have you been busy with lately? I heard from Dad that you come home very late every day, sometimes you don't even eat dinner at home, and you go to bed early at night. You weren't like this before."

"Huh?" Kaname Madoka was a little surprised and subconsciously wanted to lie to cover up her magical girl training. "Well... I haven't been busy with anything, have I? I just suddenly wanted to study hard recently, so I studied a little more at school."

"Study?" Kaname Junko narrowed her eyes, staring thoughtfully at Kaname Madoka. "But I asked Ms. Saotome, and your grades are still as bad as ever. She even asked if I wanted her to come to my house for private English tutoring. As your homeroom teacher, she's really worried about you failing so often."

"Um... I'm sorry, Mom... I was wrong..." Seeing her lie exposed instantly and being hurt by the fact that her grades were too bad, Kaname Madoka's mood immediately plummeted, and her little face was full of shame.

Kaname Yuuko, however, did not care about this matter. She half-squatted down, her eyes level with her daughter's, and said earnestly, "Yuan, it's not terrible to make mistakes. What's terrible is making mistakes and not knowing it. No matter what you do, Mom will always be your strong support. Please trust me, okay?"

"I trust my mother very much, and I love her very much, but I really can't tell you this. It has to be kept a secret."

"Can't even tell your mother?" Kaname Shunko's eyes were piercing.

"......Feel sorry."

“Okay, since we can’t talk about it, let’s change the subject.” Kaname gently patted her daughter’s head, poured her a cup of barley tea, and smiled. “Where did Madoka go for the weekend? Did you have fun? Next time, Mom will take Tatsuya to see it too.”

"Oh! We went to the arcade! It was so much fun!"

The mere mention of the arcade instantly energized Madoka Kaname.

"Who did you go with? Sayaka? Do you have enough allowance?"

Kaname Madoka held the teacup, the warm touch making her relax a little.

"I went with Sayaka... and the school nurse too."

"A male doctor?" Kaname Shunko's voice suddenly rose.

"No, no!" Kaname Madoka quickly waved her hands. "It's Mami-senpai and Kyoko-san! Dr. Shiro just... comes to give us guidance occasionally..."

Her voice grew softer and softer, and she spoke with less and less confidence.

Kaname Yuuko stared at her daughter's flushed cheeks, then suddenly sighed, "Madoka, Mommy isn't trying to interfere with your friendships..."

“I know!” Madoka Kaname looked up, her pink eyes sparkling. “They are all very nice people! Mami-senpai is gentle and reliable, Kyoko-san is a bit fierce, but she is actually very caring, and Dr. Shiraha is also…”

She suddenly froze, the scene of Bai Yu teaching her how to play Taiko no Tatsujin flashing through her mind—his warm hands, his breath carrying a faint minty scent, and the strong, reassuring chest behind her...

Kaname looked at her daughter's suddenly flushed face and smiled teasingly, "Does Madoka like Dr. Shiro?"

"Huh?" Madoka Kaname was stunned for a moment, then immediately reacted, her face turning bright red as she retorted, "No! I just... I just..."

Then he couldn't speak.

To say she likes him wouldn't be to that extent; she's only known Dr. Bai for about a week.

Of course, he does have feelings for her. After all, he's so handsome, and he helped her a lot with the magical girl thing, teaching her how to use magic. He even helped her heal her wounds when she accidentally fell and got injured during training. He's gentle and kind, and even when Kyoko is naughty, he only gives her a simple scolding, as if nothing can arouse his anger.

She has both the looks to fall in love at first sight and the personality to develop feelings over time. If the two of them were close in age, she might even think that he is the perfect man of her dreams.

Moreover, she asked Mami-senpai, and Dr. Shiro is still single!

In other words, she still has a chance!