Misa Tachibana set her thermos on the corner of the desk, her fingers gently brushing against its surface. “When she first went to the Association registry to sign up, her test results showed that her Star Seed aptitude met the standard, and her contract crystal affinity was also high enough. She could have become an officially registered Magical Girl. But back then, there was a slight fracture in her circuit, so they said she needed to be observed for a year.”
“But for some reason, she was able to transform before the year was up, and in her very first battle, she ran into a mid-tier Erosion Body. By the time I got there, she had already won. Her circuit had cracked a bit more, and she was sitting by the side of the road crying, sobbing to me, ‘I took it down all by myself!’”
“She didn't want to make the Association regret their decision; she just wanted people to know that she could do it. A kid who wanted to tell the world, ‘Look, I can do it,’ only to find that no one turned around to look at her.”
She touched the rim of the thermos with her lips but didn't drink. “Wings of Freedom doesn't have any strict recruitment standards, but they are all wonderful Magical Girls.”
Qiluo's eyebrows twitched slightly. Fourteen? She remembered when she was fourteen in her original world, she was still secretly crying in the Royal Astronomical Observatory's trainee dormitory because she was homesick. Her mind had been entirely filled with thoughts of how to slack off in class.
Although they had practical combat classes, they were well-protected; there was no need to fight for her life against some Erosion Body.
“What about Amamiya?”
“Yu Amamiya's situation is different. She was an officially registered Magical Girl with the Association and stayed there for nearly two years. Later, she was severely injured during a mission. The Association's assessment concluded that her magic circuit was unstable, and they recommended she retire for observation. She didn't want to retire, but her appeal was rejected.”
Qiluo recalled Amamiya leaning against the armrest of the sofa, her eyes always looking half-asleep.
So the reason she couldn't stay awake every day was because of an injury?
“She didn't talk much when she first arrived. But after Kohinata came and started trailing after her every day, she began to open up a bit more.”
Holding the thermos, Misa Tachibana's lips curved into a barely perceptible smile as she recalled the three of them, but it quickly faded back into her usual calm expression.
She had thought Misa Tachibana would talk about Night Sakura first, but the Store Owner had saved her for last. The faint sound of friction from the sofa cushions came from the coffee table as Night Sakura rolled over. It wasn't very clear through the door, but Qiluo's ears still twitched slightly in that direction.
“Night Sakura was the first of the three to arrive,” she began.
“She had just celebrated her fifteenth birthday when she came. Back then, Wings of Freedom was just me. She claimed she picked up my business card in the hallway of the Association registry. Looking back, she probably made that up, because I never even printed any business cards. She most likely saw the recruitment post I made on the forums and found her way here herself.”
Qiluo silently noted this. Such behavior felt entirely in character for Night Sakura.
“And then you just let her stay?”
“It wasn't that I let her stay; she just stayed on her own. She said she wanted to hang around for a while to observe. I gave her a temporary communication frequency, and after that, she didn't initiate contact for an entire week. I thought she had regretted her decision.”
“I only found out later that during that week, she had been staking out all the convenience stores near my house in rotation. All just to figure out my shift schedule so she could show up exactly when I clocked out.”
That certainly sounded like something Night Sakura would do. But Store Owner, why didn't you stop her?! Now I've ended up getting the exact same treatment because of you!
How unsettling...
“...Did she ever mention why she also insists on staking out my spawn point every single time?”
Misa Tachibana didn't answer immediately. She simply picked up her thermos, took another sip, and said in a casual tone, “Maybe because she thinks Lightweaver is beautiful.”
“...You're the Store Owner, you shouldn't say things like that.”
But it was actually the truth. Misa Tachibana and the three kids had been at the amusement park back then. When Lightweaver descended from the sky, Night Sakura had stared at her with glowing eyes, though Qiluo had no idea.
“Let me let you in on a little Wings of Freedom tradition. When a newcomer is accepted for the first time, everyone has to be present. You didn't cry when you first came, and Night Sakura said it was a pity she didn't get any footage of it.”
Usually a motherly figure to the three kids, the Store Owner probably hadn't talked about these things with anyone in a long time, and once she started, she couldn't stop.
Misa Tachibana is their mother, and since I'm a member, does that make her my mother too? No, no, no.
“She wanted to film me crying?” Qiluo uncrossed her arms.
“More than just wanting to film it, she even came up with a title: ‘Rare Footage: The Mysterious Ace Cries for the First Time.’” Misa Tachibana chuckled softly, a rare sight. “But she said you don't look like the type to cry easily, so she'll probably have to save up for a long time to get it. When she does, she plans to edit it into the annual recap video.”
Her fists clenched. Little Night Sakura, just you wait until I get my chance. Qiluo added this, along with the stalking, to her little grudge notebook.
Huh? The Store Owner mentioned Kohinata and Amamiya's names, but what about Night Sakura's?
“...Did Night Sakura ever mention her real name?” she suddenly asked.
“No,” Misa Tachibana said, sipping her now completely cold tea. “She never mentions it. Wings of Freedom doesn't ask about pasts, so I don't ask either. But if you want to know, you can ask her yourself.”
Even the Store Owner doesn't know...
“I don't think she'll tell me.”
“You can offer your real name in exchange. She'll definitely agree,” Misa Tachibana said, her tone carrying a half-serious, half-playful tease. “She's a very principled person. She stalked you before, but if you don't want to tell her your name, she won't go looking for it either.”
Qiluo wasn't sure if Misa Tachibana was looking at her when she said this, as the latter was staring down, turning the thermos in her hands.
“...It's about time for me to head back. I have plans on Saturday morning, but I'll be here before the debut broadcast in the evening.” She stood up from the folding chair and pushed it back into place.
“The deep-sea zone at the aquarium has an event going on right now,” Misa Tachibana's voice drifted lazily from behind. “You can go see the jellyfish. That's what Night Sakura said.”
“She said if you have a date tomorrow, the lighting in front of the jellyfish wall is the best. You won't even need a filter for photos.”
“...Who told her tomorrow is a date? It's not a date. It's just that someone happened to invite me to the aquarium, she happened to buy the tickets, and I happened to be free.”
Wait, what?! How does she know I'm going to the aquarium?! Is Night Sakura also at Tachibana High School?!
Oh my god, have I really been doxxed?
In reality, she hadn't been doxxed. It was just that Night Sakura's magic was related to prophecy and analysis.
...
Pushing open her apartment door, she washed up quickly and collapsed onto her bed. Closing her eyes, she sank her consciousness into Star-trail's senses. Yuki Kurokawa was sitting at her desk, an open notebook spread out before her with a jellyfish drawn on the cover.
“The aquarium guide map... I picked it up at the station after school today. We'll meet in front of the station at nine tomorrow morning. I wonder what I should wear tomorrow...” She paused. “The air conditioning in the aquarium can be quite strong, so it's probably best to bring a light jacket.”
Hopefully, no Erosion Bodies will show up tomorrow like they did at the amusement park last time...
Rate on N.U.
