Where Are You, Star-trail?

“...You like her?”

“It's possible~” Qiluo replied in her usual tone. Yuki Kurokawa really couldn't tell if she was joking or being serious.

But Yuki could see that Qiluo's eyes were filled with admiration for Snowrealm.

“She saved me, after all... Even though the 'hero saving the damsel' trope is cliché, experiencing it yourself is actually pretty heart-fluttering. I even know her name now. If I meet her again next time—”

Yuki Kurokawa had already automatically filtered out the rest of Qiluo's words.

With every word of praise she uttered, Yuki's heart skipped a beat.

She didn't know that the Magical Girl was her, and she couldn't tell her.

This feeling of being split in two was too bizarre. One half of her was so happy she was practically floating from the praise, while the other half was jealous of the self that was being praised.

Wait, what did she say in her last sentence?

She hadn't finished. Did she mean she would ask for her contact information the next time they met?

Would she confess? That wouldn't do...

If she really went looking for Snowrealm, then what would Yuki Kurokawa, standing right in front of her, be?

But then again, maybe it was fine...

A Magical Girl's identity was a secret. This secret didn't belong to her alone; it was also tied to the Association's regulations.

If she let Qiluo know, would she drag her into danger too?

Now was not the time to come clean.

Just because it wasn't the time now didn't mean it wouldn't be in the future.

In the future, once everything settled down and the threat of the Erosion Bodies was eliminated, she would tell Qiluo everything herself.

Then she could stand before Qiluo as Yuki Kurokawa,

and say, “The Magical Girl you like has liked you since the very first day.”

But what about now? Right now, she just wanted to do something much simpler.

Yuki took a step forward, reached out, and gently hugged Qiluo.

Her movement was very gentle. She didn't tighten her arms, only loosely wrapping them around her, as if confirming her presence.

Her chin brushed against Qiluo's shoulder. The scent of hospital disinfectant still lingered on her school blazer, while the scent of shampoo in her hair was carried away by the gentle breeze.

“I'm so glad you're okay... If you meet that Magical Girl again next time,”

Yuki's voice was muffled against the crook of Qiluo's neck, carrying a faint, barely noticeable nasal tone. “Don't fall in love with her too quickly.”

This carried a trace of Yuki's own selfish calculation.

It was completely normal to hug a friend after finding out they were out of danger, right...?

Qiluo froze for a moment but didn't pull back. She gently rested her chin on top of Yuki's head.

She had already done too many things today that weren't like Qiluo Tian Gong.

“...If not too quickly, then how long is appropriate?” she asked playfully.

Yuki's body visibly stiffened. Her arms tightened slightly around Qiluo's shoulders before quickly letting go, as if realizing she had been hugging her for too long.

She lifted her face from the crook of Qiluo's neck, her ears burning hot.

Qiluo took a small step back, feeling like she might have gone a bit too far.

Yuki was actually getting jealous of herself.

“Just kidding. You're right. You can't fall in love too quickly after being saved. At least wait until she saves me one more time.”

“No! There can't be a next time.” Yuki's expression instantly changed the moment she heard those words.

Another time would mean Qiluo would be in danger again!

Absolutely not!

“Okay, okay~ There won't be a next time. I won't put myself in danger again, I promise.”

Yuki stood in place, her lips pressed into a thin line. She wanted to say that this kind of promise wasn't something Qiluo could control.

But Qiluo had made that promise in earnest.

“...It's not your fault. I didn't mean to blame you. I just—”

“You just don't want me to be in danger, I know.” Qiluo curved her lips. “Then I won't get into danger. I'll listen to whatever you say, and ignore the Magical Girl.”

“Okay.”

Yuki tried to hold back her smile but failed.

She adjusted the strap of her shoulder bag and turned to walk side by side with Qiluo toward the station.

The wind, carrying the lingering dampness after the rain, blew from the other end of the street, gently lifting the damp strands of hair on her forehead.

She walked very slowly, much slower than when she had run over, as if trying to stretch out this walk.

Halfway there, Qiluo stopped.

Yuki paused. “What's wrong?”

Qiluo shook her head. “Nothing... It just feels like I forgot something.”

Oh well, forget it.

...

Night fell on the top floor of the inpatient department on the other side of the city.

Yuzuki Asakura stepped out of the elevator, carrying a convenience store plastic bag containing her younger sister's favorite pudding and a fresh change of clothes.

The corridor was long, and her footsteps echoed softly in the empty hallway.

There had been an emergency meeting at the agency today, making her nearly an hour later than usual.

Yuzuki gently pushed open the door to the hospital room.

The light from the corridor cast a long, narrow shadow through the gap in the door. She habitually slipped inside sideways, keeping the door from opening too wide to prevent the hallway light from disturbing her sister in bed.

She quietly placed the convenience store bag on the bedside table, trying to make as little noise as possible.

Then, she took off her coat, draped it over the back of the chair, and leaned down close to her sister's ear, whispering in a low voice just like she had countless times before.

“I'm sorry, I'm late today.”

She prepared to use magic to try and wake her up, just as she had done for over a year.

But today...

She heard a response.

The voice was very raspy, like someone who hadn't spoken in a very long time.

“...It's okay.”

Yuzuki Asakura snapped her head up.

On the hospital bed, Kizuna Asana was looking at her with open eyes.

Those eyes looked exceptionally clear in the dim glow of the bedside lamp. Her pupils, which appeared larger due to her gaunt face, reflected her older sister's stunned expression.

She had lost a lot of weight, but the smile on her face was just as it used to be.

“Big sister...” Her voice was still very weak, requiring a pause to catch her breath between words.

“I think I had a very long dream. In the dream, someone sang to me, and there was another very gentle voice, like a star.”

Yuzuki stood frozen in place, her fingers tightly clutching the sleeve of the coat she had just taken off.

She wanted to speak, but her throat felt as if it were on fire.

She wanted to walk over, but her legs were shaking uncontrollably.

In the end, she could only shuffle to the bedside step by step, slowly sitting down on the edge of the mattress. She reached out and gently touched her sister's cheek with her fingertips.

It was like carefully testing a soap bubble, terrified to pop it.

Confirming it was real, yet fearing it wasn't.

She took her sister's hand in her palm, lowered her head, and gently pressed her forehead against the back of her sister's hand.

Her shoulders trembled slightly, but her voice did not shake, as if the two years of waiting had never happened.

“...Welcome back.”

Kizuna Asana's other hand was still hidden under the blanket.

A small, silver-white creature was curled up in her arms, huddled into a tiny ball, the starlight in its fur almost completely extinguished.

...

Back home, Qiluo curled up, scrolling through videos while eating the incredibly expensive dinner Yuki had bought for her.

But why did this beef taste a bit strange?

Oh, it was too sweet, cloyingly so.

Wait a minute... why was it sweet?

The last bite was savory...

Wait, I finally remember what I forgot!