“Eh, Wuhua’s friends are named Anna and Mo Li, huh?” Lianying said while swallowing a mouthful of food. “As her… sister, I’d love to meet them someday.”
Before they knew it, Friday had sped by and dinner time arrived. Lianying and Wuhua sat at the table chatting about friends and school.
Since no anomaly appeared today, Wuhua had simply spent the day playing with Anna and Mo Li, only returning home with Lianying a little while ago.
“What about you, Sister Lianying? You must have lots of friends too.” Wuhua picked up a piece of greens with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. “I only know Sister Qinglan.”
“Huh… for me, I guess I have quite a few friends? Though most are classmates.” Lianying looked up, thinking. “But the ones I’m really close with are probably just Qinglan and Xicheng.”
“Sister Xicheng? I haven’t met her yet.” Wuhua said.
“That’s right. She’s the one you saw in the mall that day… ah, no no!” That was actually her transformed self—Lianying quickly changed the subject, afraid she’d let it slip.
“B-but, we’ll get to meet her at the amusement park tomorrow.” Lianying said, a happy expression on her face. “She’ll meet us at the front gate.”
“Mm. I’m really looking forward to meeting Sister Xicheng too.” Wuhua nodded expectantly. “She must be as gentle and pretty as you, Sister Lianying.”
“G-gentle and all that? Not really, hehe.” Not bothering to deny the pretty part, Lianying stood up with a smile. “Alright. Since we don’t have to get up early tomorrow, let’s relax tonight.”
“Relax?” Wuhua looked puzzled. “Do you have a plan, Sister Lianying?”
“Hehe, wait just a moment.” Lianying walked into her room and then pushed out a heavy box. Inside was a dazzling array of board games and video game discs—
“Let’s play some games together!”
—
“Qinglan~!” “Sister Qinglan!”
“…What are you two doing here?”
After dinner, Lianying brought Wuhua to Qinglan’s apartment right next door. They happened to catch her just after a shower, sitting on the sofa drying her hair.
“What, not happy to see us? I went out of my way to come get you.” Lianying pretended to pout. “Even if not for me, do it for Xiaohua.”
“Haah, I didn’t say I was refusing. Give me a second.” Qinglan finished drying her hair and walked into her room to change clothes.
“No need, just stay in your pajamas. We’re not strangers.” Lianying followed her and joked.
“No way. I’m not the type to go to someone else’s place in my pajamas.” Qinglan said, glancing at Lianying, who was wearing a pink robe.
“By the way, where are your parents? I wanted to show them Xiaohua too.” Lianying looked around as if the place were her own home.
“They’re at work. They’ve been busy lately, so I’ve been having dinner alone.” Qinglan called from the room.
“Eh? Then why not come eat with us?” Lianying said.
“If you don’t mind me interrupting your mother-daughter time.” Qinglan opened the door, wearing a blouse and shorts. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail at the back, with side bangs perfectly framing her pretty face.
She was a bit more petite than Lianying, but her figure was slender. And her delicate features were a different kind of beautiful. Even without being magical girls, the two of them would turn heads on the street.
“Let’s go. While we still have plenty of time.”
—
As it was the weekend, the city—usually tinged with loneliness and autumn wind—was livelier today. Adults with children were playing and strolling around the neighborhood, or preparing to go out, mostly heading to Commercial Street, parks, and squares.
Unlike yesterday’s overcast, drizzly gloom, tonight was clear and bustling. The three girls, who rarely had time to gather, were now sitting in Lianying’s living room.
They took out all the treasures from the bottom of the box and set them aside. On Lianying’s suggestion, Wuhua and Qinglan played board games like Flying Chess, Monopoly, Fight the Landlord, and What Do You Dare?.
“I feel like Sister Lianying keeps winning…” Wuhua couldn’t help saying, glancing at the scoreboard beside them.
She wasn’t suspecting Lianying of cheating, but her score gap with Wuhua and Qinglan was indeed huge.
“That’s why I don’t want to play these with her…” Qinglan explained while tidying up. “This girl has incredible luck no matter what she plays.”
“Heh heh, come on, it’s all skill.” Lianying puffed out her chest and waved her finger dismissively. “For example, using a special method to always roll a six on the dice.”
“Th-that’s called cheating.” “Xiaohua, never let her gamble with real money.”
Happy times always pass quickly, and before they knew it, it was late at night. The city outside the window gradually quieted down, with people heading home and adults gathering for late-night snacks.
This was the first time Wuhua—since becoming small—had stayed up this late at Lianying’s place. A brand-new experience.
“Huh? Oh no, it’s already this late.” Lianying, leaning back on her hands, looked up at the clock on the wall.
“For you, it’s still early, isn’t it?” Qinglan said without looking up from her phone while lying on the sofa. “Don’t you stay up until two or three on days off?”
“I don’t mind… but kids need to sleep early to grow up healthy.” Lianying quickly started cleaning up.
“Alright, then I won’t bother you two.” With those words, Qinglan began heading back. “Goodnight, you two.”
“Goodnight, Sister Qinglan.” Wuhua watched her leave as usual.
“Ah, Qinglan, don’t forget about tomorrow.” Seeing this, Lianying quickly reminded her.
“To be precise, it’s today.” Qinglan corrected. “Don’t worry, I’ll wake up earlier than both of you.”
“That’s true.” Full of anticipation, Lianying walked over to Wuhua and draped a towel over her head.
“Let’s go. We’ll take a shower before bed.”
—
Because it was quite late, Wuhua and Lianying didn’t soak leisurely in the bath like yesterday. Instead, they quickly washed up, brushed their teeth, washed their faces, dried their hair, and then slipped into the warm, soft futon that still smelled of a girl’s scent.
Of course, that was half an hour ago.
“Mm…” Making a slightly annoyed sound, Wuhua turned over, shifting from facing the wall to facing Lianying.
“Xiaohua.” Soon, Lianying’s voice came to her ears as she lay with eyes closed.
“Huh… Sister Lianying.” Sleepy and groggy but unable to doze off, Wuhua saw Lianying leaning against the headboard, playing on her phone.
‘I guess Sister Qinglan was right.’
‘Lianying only went to bed early to keep me company, didn’t she?’
Just as Wuhua opened her mouth to say something—
“What’s wrong? Can’t sleep?” As if she understood, Lianying slipped under the covers and adjusted her position, lying on her side facing Wuhua. “Is it because you’re excited about going out tomorrow?”
As her sweet, soft whisper faded, Lianying reached out and stroked Wuhua’s head. The silver strands of hair slipped through her fingers. Watching her struggle with sleep—
“Let big sister… put you to bed.” Suddenly inspired, or perhaps driven by instinct, Lianying placed her hand on Wuhua’s back and gently hugged her from the front.
‘Th-this!?’
Wuhua, who had been drowsy, was jolted wide awake by the sudden embrace and the ticklish breath near her nose. The lullaby had the opposite effect.
“…” Due to the difference in their sizes, Wuhua’s face pressed directly against Lianying’s softness. Unlike yesterday, today there was clothing in between, and the contact lasted longer.
The soft sensation, like a natural cushion. Every breath carried Lianying’s scent. The smooth fabric rubbed against her body, and she could even hear the other’s heartbeat and feel her body heat.
‘…Even though I’ve become a girl, it still feels unbelievable.’
‘My body is so hot, my heart is racing. Is Lianying nervous too?’
“——” Perhaps feeling it wasn’t enough, Lianying hummed a tune from a popular song, gently patting Wuhua’s back in a steady rhythm.
Although Wuhua’s mind resisted the idea that a high school girl was putting her to sleep, she couldn’t deny that this routine—as if Lianying had practiced it—was remarkably effective.
Gradually, Wuhua’s consciousness drifted away with the long, soothing melody. Sleep stole the last of her awareness, along with her confusion and worry about the present—
“Well then, goodnight, my dearest Xiaohua… Is it too early to call you that? Hehe.”
A whisper almost against her ear, then a gentle peck on Wuhua’s forehead, light as a dragonfly skimming water.
And so, in Lianying’s arms, she softly drifted into dreamland.