Yuzuki Asakura folded the admission documents and slipped them back into the manila envelope, running her finger gently along the edge of the paper to ensure everything was neatly tucked away.
Seisou was cradling Star-trail in her palms, her forehead pressed against its own, as she muttered, “Did you hear that? I'm going to a new school.”
Star-trail gently patted her wrist, as if saying, “I heard you, I heard you. Stop shaking me, I'm dizzy.”
The sight made a smile tug at Yuzuki's lips.
She recalled the day her younger sister had first been rushed to the hospital.
The red light of the intensive care unit had stayed lit all night. She had sat in the hallway until dawn, her eyes never straying from that crimson glow.
Back then, she had thought they would stand on stage together, fight together, without having to worry about each other's lives.
Only later did she realize how few things in this world truly lasted, and how easily any promise could be shattered by an unexpected turn of events.
But now, her sister was right in front of her, holding her own Contract Spirit, full of anticipation for a school she had yet to set foot in.
All those wishes she had made by the hospital bed—where she would take her once she woke up, what they would do together...
Now, she could finally fulfill them, one by one.
She glanced down at the calendar on her phone. Below the date was a memo that read: “Tachibana High School Festival (TBD).”
She had added this note on a whim a few days ago while researching the school. At the time, she just wanted to get a sense of their annual schedule to help plan her sister's extracurricular activities after enrollment.
Looking at those words now, a different idea suddenly came to mind.
“The Tachibana High School festival is in two weeks,”
Yuzuki slipped her phone back into her pocket. “You'll be starting just in time. A new school, a new class, and the first thing you get to do is participate in the school festival. Your class's booth hasn't been decided yet, but it'll probably be a maid and butler café. That's how it usually goes.”
Hearing this, Seisou wrinkled her nose and kicked her sister's knee in protest. She wanted to participate in a proper class activity, not wear some frilly outfit and call people “Master.”
Yuzuki simply smiled at her sister, having already made up her mind.
She would clear her schedule for the day of the festival. Her agency events could be pushed back, and promotional interviews could be rescheduled.
It had been a long time since she last adjusted her work for personal matters, but this time was different.
This time, the protagonist wasn't Meruru. It was Kizuna's older sister.
She wouldn't let the agency treat this school festival as a public appearance. She wanted to stand in the crowd simply as a guardian, watching her sister in her new school uniform browsing the booths with her classmates, seeing her laugh, and watching her enjoy the festival like an ordinary high schooler.
If her sister wanted, she might even go up on stage and sing a song. Not as Meruru, but simply as Yuzuki Asakura—the older sister who sang to her younger sister.
You see, as a Contract Spirit, one could always gather a lot of information.
A school festival?
Last time in the hallway, Yano Rei had been slumped over Qiluo's desk, mumbling, “What should our class do for the school festival?” A girl in the front row had turned around to suggest a haunted house, while a boy in the back row argued that a café would bring in higher profits.
In the end, someone had offhandedly mentioned a “Magical Girl theme,” and the entire class's enthusiasm was instantly ignited.
At the time, Qiluo had been keeping her head down, pretending to do homework in her notebook, while she was actually playing on her phone through Star-trail's eyes, dedicating less than ten percent of her attention to their bickering.
Heheh~ Good kids shouldn't copy this~
Unless you can conjure up a Star-trail of your own, that is.
Thinking back now, it seemed the class rep had actually written down that “Magical Girl theme” suggestion.
If the idiots from the Wings of Freedom snuck in on the day of the festival, and Mingyue, Snowrealm, and Seisou were all there too...
Then Tachibana High School would easily become the place with the highest density of Magical Girls on the planet.
All packed into a single campus...
It buried its face in Seisou's palms, letting out a muffled groan that only it could hear.
“Let's go home,” Yuzuki said, standing up and rolling up her sleeves before offering her hand to her sister.
Seisou leaped up from the bench, carefully cradled Star-trail in her arms, and took her sister's hand.
“Sis.”
“Hmm?”
“Once I start school, what about Star-trail? It can't come to class with me. I can't just make it stay on the ceiling all day.”
Leaning against the elevator wall, Yuzuki crossed her arms and gave it some serious thought.
“We can leave it at home. It doesn't take up much space anyway, and it doesn't shed. Give it a cushion, and it'll probably sleep the whole day away.”
Her gaze fell on Star-trail as she spoke, recalling how it had been in the hospital room. Letting it rest properly felt like repaying a tiny fraction of the favor.
How rude! Who are you calling a pig? You're the one who sleeps all day!
Hmph, I can always go sleep at Yuki's place anyway.
Qiluo recalled her consciousness from Star-trail, sinking back into her half-asleep body resting on the balcony's rattan chair.
Soft footsteps echoed from the glass door.
With a hint of hesitation, they paused for a few seconds before the door was gently pushed open.
She didn't open her eyes.
Yuki walked in carrying a tray laden with freshly bought pastries from the cake shop and a pot of freshly brewed black tea.
When she was downstairs, her older sister had just been heading out and had simply said, “Qiluo is on the balcony.”
She had taken a blanket from her sister.
She noticed her sister had used “Qiluo” instead of “Tian Gong,” a detail that made her linger in place for a brief moment.
Placing the tray on the small round table, she turned around.
The figure in the rattan chair was wrapped in a thin beige blanket, the edge of which rose and fell gently with her steady breathing.
Qiluo looked completely different when asleep compared to when she was awake.
When awake, her eyes always held a touch of mischief, leaving people unable to guess how she would tease them next.
But with her eyes closed, her face was a picture of pure tranquility.
Before she even realized what she was doing, Yuki leaned down, her fingers gently brushing away a few stray hairs and tucking them behind Qiluo's ear.
From Qiluo's peaceful eyelashes to the slight upward curve of her lips.
This girl was smiling even in her sleep. Just what kind of dream was she having?
Yuki squatted beside the rattan chair, her arms folded over the armrest, resting her chin on the back of her hands.
This distance was close enough to count Qiluo's eyelashes and clearly see the extremely faint, tiny freckles on the bridge of her nose, kissed by the sun.
“How much longer do I have to pretend to be asleep?” Qiluo spoke, her eyes still closed.
A sharp intake of breath came from beside her, laced with the embarrassment of being caught. “...How did you know I was back?”
“I woke up the moment you pushed the door open.” Qiluo opened her eyes, looking up at Yuki.
As Qiluo opened her eyes, their faces were closer than they had ever been. It was close enough for Yuki to see the lingering sleepiness deep in Qiluo's pupils, as well as the faint layer of amusement beneath it.
“...You were pretending.”
“Yep, I wanted to see what you'd do. But you didn't do anything, you just squatted there staring at me.”
Qiluo pulled the blanket up, revealing only half of her face, her voice still carrying the huskiness of someone who had just woken up.
“The black tea is getting cold.” Yuki quickly stood up from beside the rattan chair and turned to grab the teapot on the tray, her movements so hurried she almost knocked a cake fork off the edge.
“You were talking in your sleep just now,” she said, sitting back down in the other rattan chair and cupping her own poured tea with both hands.
“...What did I say?”
“I couldn't hear it very clearly. I only caught a few words.” Yuki looked up, her ears still flushed red. “Something about... the school festival. Did you dream about the school festival?”
Ah, so that was it.
She must have accidentally let a few words slip when she recalled her consciousness from Star-trail.
“Probably. The class has been talking about the school festival non-stop lately. I guess hearing it so much made them show up in my dreams to annoy me.”
She spun a casual lie, then took another sip of her tea.
The black tea was brewed perfectly, and the temperature was just right.
“What is your class planning to do for the festival?”
Yuki had been cradling her teacup in her hands since earlier, using its warmth to heat her fingers.
“It hasn't been decided yet, but I think someone suggested a Magical Girl theme.”
Qiluo noticed a subtle pause in Yuki's expression at the mention of “Magical Girl.”
“Are you interested in Magical Girls?”
“...A little.”
Yuki set her teacup back on the round table. “If you come to our class, you can see our booth. We're doing a café...”
“What about me?” Qiluo put her teacup down as well, tilting her head slightly with a playfully troubled expression.
“I might not even go to my own class's booth. Since you want me to visit yours, shouldn't you invite me in person, Yuki? At least tell me what kind of special treatment I'd get there.”
Having said that, she picked up her teacup again and gazed at Yuki with an amused smile.
Yuki's eyes darted away, her eyelashes fluttering as she looked down and up again. Her lips parted several times, clearly wanting to say something but feeling too embarrassed.
“...If you come to our class, I can serve you coffee. Whatever cake you order, I'll bring it to you myself.”
She paused slightly here, as if gathering her courage. “And... if I wear a maid outfit... I'll only serve you.”
After speaking, Yuki hid her face behind her teacup, her ears flushing as red as a cooked shrimp.
In her heart, the café wasn't a class event at all—it was simply something she wanted to do for a specific person.
Rate on N.U.
