The first time Xia Yao met Lin Xiaojue was on a rainy day when residual beasts swept through the streets.
The rain fell steadily, washing away the scent of blood. The streets were a mess of devastation, with smashed cars scattered everywhere.
She was fortunate enough to hide in a shelter before the residual beasts ran rampant, watching as a magical girl, like a deity with a ring upon her back, descended.
Tianyu — that was her name, as Xia Yao later learned from others.
It was said that this magical girl had appeared only one year ago, yet she had already completely cleared Anyin City, which was adjacent to Guangyuan City.
Every residual beast was killed by her using strange and mysterious methods.
People admired this hero, and Xia Yao was no exception.
She felt somewhat ashamed to admit that on the day she became a magical girl, she had been a bit carried away because she knew she would be able to work alongside this Senior.
So, under a similarly drizzly sky, Xia Yao extended an invitation to the Senior, who was covered in blood after just finishing a battle with residual beasts.
“Senior, I made a headband for you.”
It was a rather simple headband. In a way, it wouldn’t be wrong to call it her debut work.
Because it was so crude, Xia Yao had learned to make it bit by bit from online tutorials, even pricking several small holes in her fingers before she managed to sew a single small flower.
She had chosen a lily.
The Senior, who looked soft and lovely, accepted it. Under the misty sky, the Senior gave her a faint smile. That smile was truly dazzling and moving, just like a blooming lily.
Fine.
At least, before Xia Yao knew the Senior was a boy, she had treated her Senior as a cute girl.
But even after finding out, although her heart had received a shock, Xia Yao was able to stabilize her spirit. She just didn’t know how to handle the gifts the Senior sent back.
Even though there had been such an awkward experience between the two of them, Xia Yao could still feel the warmth the Senior provided.
During gatherings, Xia Yao was always in the habit of shrinking into a corner. Lin Xiaojue would always find her at those times, inviting her over and over again to participate in everyone’s activities.
Sometimes, Xia Yao felt as if she were being seen through by her Senior. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to eat with others; she simply lacked the courage.
A person with few social connections and little knowledge would quickly lose their way if they suddenly entered a social circle without a qualified guide leading the way.
Fortunately, Lin Xiaojue was not only a qualified guide but also gave Xia Yao the chance to start her own topics of conversation.
Having others surround her and talk about her own topics was a feeling she had never experienced before.
The Senior also often showed a warm, radiant smile.
‘Perhaps Senior is someone as gentle as water,’ Xia Yao thought. Sometimes, her mind would wander. ‘Does Senior care more about the collective or about a specific person?’
She held hope for both possibilities, which, in the end, was nothing more than wishful thinking. ‘If Senior likes someone, I hope it’s me. If it’s not me, I hope she cares more about the collective.’
This self-contradictory logic swirled in Xia Yao’s mind for a long time.
Even now, Xia Yao kept this anxiety tucked away in her heart as she sat beside Lin Xiaojue, traveling by plane to the nearby Anyin City. The journey was shorter than she had imagined.
By the time Xia Yao woke up, the announcement was already playing in her ears. The plane was approaching the ground for landing, and the scattered housing developments magnified before her eyes.
In Anyin City, no residual beasts had appeared since it was cleared by the magical girl Tianyu. Taking advantage of this, the city had attracted countless outside talents, and its economy was booming.
The landmark of this city was the statue of magical girl Tian Yu.
After getting off the plane, Xia Yao led Lin Xiaojue out of the airport. As soon as they stepped out the main gate, they could see the figure of Tianyu standing atop a distant spire.
“Oh~ Xiao Xia, look! It’s me! Mmph…”
“Senior, you absolutely must not say such things in this place. If you’re discovered by others, it’ll be a huge mess. Do you want to be taken away, Senior?”
Xia Yao hurried to cover Lin Xiaojue’s mouth, glancing around nervously for fear of being noticed.
After losing her memory, the Senior had truly become more and more lively.
Xia Yao hadn’t noticed it before because Lin Xiaojue had always kept a serious face or shown a very reliable side. It always made one want to rely on her and lean on her.
But now was different.
Xia Yao held Lin Xiaojue’s hand as they walked into an arcade she had never seen before.
The two of them played for a while, and Lin Xiaojue would press her face against the glass of the claw machine, staring poutily as the plush dolls fell from the claw time after time.
She would act like a child, asking Xia Yao to buy a few more game coins, saying that one more try would do it.
A plush doll would definitely fall into her hands.
That was what Xia Yao thought, and indeed, the dolls came. Lin Xiaojue held a Tian Yu Doll and a doll of another magical girl with a face full of joy.
Then, she turned around, a smile blooming on her fair little face as she held out the Tian Yu Doll.
“Senior, this is…”
Xia Yao stared blankly at the magical girl doll in Lin Xiaojue’s arms. That was her — magical girl Ling Xin. Although she hadn’t used that code name in a long time, Xia Yao still remembered it clearly.
After all, the Senior had been the one to think of it for her.
“It’s for you! My favorite Xiao Xia!”
A warm smile played on Lin Xiaojue’s face as she tucked the Tian Yu Doll into Xia Yao’s arms.
“This way, Xiao Xia has me in her arms, and I have Xiao Xia in mine. We’ll always be in each other’s embrace~”
Lin Xiaojue hugged the Ling Xin Doll in her arms, intimately rubbing her chin against it.
Xia Yao didn’t say much and held her own doll close to her chest.
To onlookers, they undoubtedly looked like a couple. Even if they weren’t, they were no different from the closest of people.
But was she the Senior’s closest person?
Xia Yao couldn’t give an answer. Perhaps she was, perhaps not.
Perhaps Lin Xiaojue’s closest people were her family, but after the final battle was won, the father she often mentioned to everyone had gone missing.
Perhaps Lin Xiaojue’s closest person was Su Yaqing, but since that night, Lin Xiaojue had forgotten her.
Perhaps it was Gu Xue, her junior from university, or Sakuragawa Iku, or the other teammates…
Xia Yao thought of many people, but she could never bring it back to herself.
‘Because I am despicably possessing Senior right now.’
The weather in Anyin City was exceptionally clear. Xia Yao’s hand was taken by Lin Xiaojue again, leading her into the sunlight.
A warm, gentle softness continuously wrapped around her thoughts, making it impossible for her to think about the meaning of these actions.
Just by looking at her Senior’s smile, she fell into a fixed state of mind.
She followed as Lin Xiaojue led her into the amusement park, into the cinema, and finally to the landmark plaza to take a photo together under the spire of the magical girl Tian Yu.
“Xiao Xia, give me a smile~”
The sound of coquettish pleading rang in her ears. Xia Yao dithered for a moment before reaching up to pull at the corners of her mouth.
“Haha, not like that!”
Lin Xiaojue laughed, her voice joyful, bright like today’s sunshine.
“Like this.”
She struck a smile that was bright and beautiful; Xia Yao had only ever seen such a smile on idols on television.
Perhaps the person closest to the Senior really was herself.
She suddenly smiled.
The weather in Anyin City was so clear, the sunlight bathing the earth, and everyone felt a sense of warmth.