The man sized up the “young girl” before him, eventually letting his gaze rest on the shopping bag in her hand, which bore the logo of the Curtain Call Hotel.
“Um… do you know how to get to the Curtain Call Hotel, Miss?” the man asked tentatively.
The “girl” smiled sweetly. “Of course. If you keep walking in the direction I came from, you’ll find it. There will be staff inside to receive you.”
“If there is nothing else, I will take my leave first. I have to pick up my sister from school soon.”
“…Alright, thank you, Miss.”
The man watched her departing figure and fell into deep thought.
By his estimation, she was about half a head shorter than him, with beautiful shoulder-length hair and an elegant, pretty face. Her deep blue uniform wrapped around a physique that sat perfectly between youthful innocence and maturity, and the calves beneath her light gray stockings looked healthy and athletic.
More importantly, that direction… was the VIP passage of the Curtain Call Hotel…
He wondered which prestigious family this girl belonged to. Although he occasionally attended high-society banquets in Satellite City, he had never seen a girl who suited his tastes so perfectly.
It seemed she hadn’t recognized his identity, either… Regardless, if they were fated, they would meet again.
For now, he had to focus on official business.
—
“Boss, this is the list of applicants from other cities for the Star-Dark Grade Hunter promotion this year. Including the three well-connected individuals who padded their merit records, there are six in total.”
A black-haired man pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to Hong Yeqiu, who was leisurely scrolling through short videos.
“Oh, six… As an Honorary Hunter, don’t I have one recommendation slot as well?”
“Yes, Boss.”
“Use that slot to fill in a Hunter named Ye Xin. ‘Ye’ for night, and ‘Xin’ for heart.”
“The little Hunter you’re mentoring? She’s already reached Midnight Grade… is this for…”
“It’s just to give that little thing a taste of the world. Don’t overthink it; she definitely won’t be able to outplay the old fogies backing those other guys… Speaking of which, Qian Sui, what happened to make you look so happy?”
The man paused and gave an embarrassed smile.
“I ran into a girl on my way here…”
“Oho, have you finally found a girl you like?”
Qian Sui’s face turned red. “I wouldn’t say that. I don’t even know her name.”
“So it was love at first sight? I didn’t expect a guy like you to be so pure-hearted. Are you really the head of the Satellite City Hunter Union?”
“Stop teasing me, Boss. Just consider me in a good mood because I saw a fine lady.”
“What did she look like?”
“Um, cough, black hair, looked like a student, but had a gentle and mature aura. She didn’t seem very old, and her fashion sense was quite unique… I happened to run into her just as she was coming out with a hotel bag…”
Hong Yeqiu shifted her almond-shaped eyes toward Qian Sui and blinked in confusion.
“The girl you’re talking about, she wasn’t wearing a deep blue uniform with gray stockings and small leather shoes, was she?”
“Yes! Does Boss know her? Which socialite’s daughter is she? Can you introduce us?”
Qian Sui’s eyes lit up, and he displayed an unprecedented level of flattery toward Hong Yeqiu.
Hong Yeqiu’s mind whirled for a long time. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t connect that eccentric, slightly manipulative “Ye Xin” with the words “gentle and mature.” Her expression became somewhat strange.
She looked at Qian Sui and said hesitantly, “If things go as expected, you’ll have a chance to meet soon. I’ll introduce you then.”
“Thank you, Boss! Then I shall take my leave! I look forward to the day I meet that lady!”
Qian Sui was immediately beaming with joy, completely shedding his usual calm demeanor as the head of the Satellite City Hunter Union.
Watching Qian Sui leave, a strange smile curled on Hong Yeqiu’s vermillion lips.
‘I wonder what kind of expression this guy will have when he sees what Ye Xin is really like? I’m truly looking forward to it.’
—
Satellite City Sixth High School.
“Xiao Ling, is your brother picking you up today too?”
“Yeah, my big brother made dinner and is waiting for me to come home and eat.”
Ye Xingling nodded somewhat apologetically. The girl in the neighboring seat looked at her with a hint of envy.
“Must be nice… having a brother and all…”
“…Tell me, what’s so great about it?” Ye Xingling pouted as she packed her schoolbag.
“Hmm… I don’t know, I don’t have a brother. But… Xiao Ling’s brother is quite handsome.”
“That part is true.”
“Hey, Xiao Ling, does your brother have a girlfriend?”
“Why, do you have a crush on my brother?” Ye Xingling glanced at the girl, who was currently lost in her fantasies. “You should just give up. My brother is probably on very good terms with Sister Shiyue who lives next door.”
“That’s only ‘probably’ on good terms, right? If I work hard, maybe…”
“What is there to be so unwilling about? Really, you… Forget it, I’m leaving. See you next week!”
—
Ye Xingling walked out of the school gates with a bounce in her step like never before.
Ever since she was chosen by a Magic Gem to become the Radiant Grade magical girl “Frost Flower,” she felt her physical condition was better than ever.
Unlike espers, magical girls gained physical attributes corresponding to one rank below their current stage upon promotion. For example, “Kira” was a Midnight Grade magical girl, so her physical fitness was equivalent to that of a Dream-Entry Grade strength-type esper.
As a Radiant Grade magical girl, Ye Xingling’s physical fitness had already reached the level of a strong adult male.
However, strength-type espers also possessed specifically reinforced body parts as their abilities increased, and magical girls possessed unparalleled magical talent. These factors had to be calculated separately.
‘Magical girls, these idealistic things, are the most troublesome.’ — Or so the Human Alliance said.
While thinking about random things, Ye Xingling walked out of the school gate, her brisk ponytail swaying.
Seeing her brother’s thin figure in the distance, a sense of inexplicable pride rose in Ye Xingling’s heart.
‘My dear brother, you have no idea, do you? Your sister has already become a magical girl who protects Satellite City from the shadows. I even get a salary for it…’
“Hehehehehe…”
“What are you thinking about that’s making you so happy?”
Ye Xingyao, who had switched back to male clothes at a safe house midway, walked over to his sister and asked curiously.
“Heh heh… Big Brother, do you know about magical girls?”
“That depends on whether you’re asking about the ones in anime or the ones in real life.”
Ye Xingyao nodded.
Come to think of it, Ye Xingyao’s impression of the magical girls in Satellite City was quite good. After all, they had stepped in to help him hunt monsters a few times, and they didn’t even try to take a share of the loot afterward.
Ye Xingyao wasn’t the type to care about those small profits anyway, so he often gave the magical girls small items from the monsters’ bodies. Over time, “Ye Xin” and Satellite City’s magical girl organization leader, “Kira,” had become somewhat acquainted.
“Of course I’m talking about the ones in real life. Big Brother, what do you think of magical girls?”
I heard there’s some mysterious traffic at 5:00 PM meow.
How many times is the hotel going to change it’s name?
I have fixed it, apologies for the constant change. Thank you for reading.