Thus, Wuhua, who had become the nominal daughter of the magical girl Lianying, left the orphanage accompanied by Lianying and her friend Qinglan.
“We’re back—” Using the electronic key to open the door, Lianying stepped into the house first.
“This is my home.” Standing at the entrance with her arms spread, she introduced with a full smile. She looked extremely happy.
“…”
Wuhua, feeling a bit at a loss, stood at the doorway and tentatively looked inside.
“From now on, it’s your home too. You don’t have to be so, um, reserved.” Lianying took the initiative to hold her hand and then closed the door.
“What would you like to drink? There are lots of drinks in the fridge.” Lianying took off her shoes while observing Wuhua.
“Then… just give me a glass of water.” Wuhua replied simply while constantly looking around.
Perhaps due to her professional habits, she looked like a curious kitten at this moment.
‘This is the home of the magical girl Lianying… it doesn’t seem particularly special.’
‘It should be a standard three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment with all the usual furniture, and a fresh scent in the air.’
‘A bit surprising. I thought it would be more extravagant. Or is it because she lives with her parents?’
Wuhua thought to herself, gaining a new understanding of magical girls.
Bang bang, bang bang bang. Just then, Lianying, who had been rummaging through the cabinet for some reason, seemed to have finally found what she was looking for.
“Ahem, th-this is it.” Lianying washed the prepared container and filled it with purified water. “Here, drink.”
“Mm… thank you.” Imitating a little girl’s tone, Wuhua thanked her somewhat ingratiatingly.
Then she looked at what was in her hand—a bottle with measurement markings on the side. Probably a baby bottle for one- or two-year-olds. She was at a loss for a moment.
“Th-this is…” Wuhua asked in disbelief.
“Mm? What’s wrong? This is one I used before. Good thing I kept it until now.”
Lianying, not seeing any problem, nodded confidently and added:
“Don’t worry, I’ve thoroughly washed and sterilized it. All functions are normal.”
“Eh, ehh…” Wuhua scratched her head in embarrassment.
‘Sometimes having no problem is the biggest problem…!’
‘With my current appearance and body, I don’t look like I’m at the age for using a baby bottle.’
‘Does this girl have absolutely no knowledge or concept about this…’
At this moment, Wuhua belatedly realized that the other party was just a fifteen-year-old girl—it was normal for her to lack understanding of the difference between infants and children and common knowledge.
“Ah, I know!” Just then, Lianying clapped her hands in sudden realization.
Just when Wuhua thought Lianying had noticed something wrong, she instead sat on the sofa and patted her thigh.
“Come on, don’t be shy.” She smiled and invited Wuhua.
‘…What does that mean?’
Unable to follow her train of thought, Wuhua still chose to do as she said to avoid revealing her true identity.
“Mm…” Wuhua obediently lay down, tentatively observing Lianying’s reaction.
Then Lianying gently lifted her head onto her own lap.
‘Th-this soft touch, the warm body temperature, and the heart-penetrating fragrance…’
‘That thing is clearly gone, so why do I still have this urge!…’
Feeling Lianying’s every breath up close, Wuhua looked through the curve of her chest and had a clear view of the girl’s face: two side ponytails on each side, peach-colored long hair sliding down her cheeks and resting beside her. At this age, a delicate face that was both cute and beautiful, mixing innocence and sexiness. A body still in development but already showing its charm. And always a bright smile on her face.
To Wuhua, it felt like the younger sister next door had transformed into her own older sister. Very subtle.
Just as Wuhua was in a daze, experiencing an unprecedented situation and a dreamlike scene before her eyes,
“Open wide, ah—drink more water to grow up healthy.” Soon, Lianying held that baby bottle to Wuhua’s lips.
Before she knew it, the two had assumed a feeding and being-fed posture. And from an outsider’s perspective, there was no sense of incongruity.
‘…I’m being treated completely like a baby.’
Wuhua stared intently at the bottle, looking as if she were facing a formidable enemy.
Then, her eyes accidentally met Lianying’s, and the other party responded with a radiant smile.
At this moment, Wuhua was very clear that she had no choice but to drink this water today.
She opened her mouth slightly and put the nipple in her mouth. She sucked a few times, letting the slightly cold water flow into her mouth.
‘Gulp. A feeling of shame and strangeness spread throughout my body.’
‘By the way, if this bottle was used by Lianying, does that mean she and I are indirectly…’
‘No no no, it’s been so many years. The bottle aside, at least the nipple would have been replaced, right?’
Wuhua thought while trying to divert her attention, until the water in the bottle gradually ran out.
“Good job, good job. You drank it all.” Lianying praised in a gentle tone.
“Eh. You’re getting along pretty well.” Suddenly, another woman’s voice sounded in the room. “Looks pretty convincing.”
“Of course… mm mm mm?” Lianying looked up abruptly and saw her friend standing at the entrance. “W-why are you here?”
“H-hello, um…” Wuhua greeted the guest while still lying down.
“Just call me Qinglan. I forgot to introduce myself on the way.” Saying so, the girl named Qinglan squeezed a smile onto her face.
She was about the same age as Lianying, also a magical girl, a teammate in the same team, and a friend in daily life.
“Mm, mm. Nice to meet you.” Wuhua sat up and said thoughtfully.
“Don’t leave me out. You haven’t answered my question yet.” Lianying said with a pout.
“No. I just came to check on things as ordered.” Qinglan said, turning around and waving. “I won’t disturb you. I’ll go report back first.”
“Eh… ah. Please give my regards to your parents. Sorry for worrying them.” Lianying remembered something and watched her leave hesitantly.
Not long after, the sound of a door closing came from nearby again.
“Hm? That was—” Wuhua looked toward the entrance in confusion.
“You mean Qinglan? She lives right next door to us.” Lianying answered with a smile. “We’ve known each other since we were kids.”
Saying so, she stood up and gently patted Wuhua’s head.
“Alright. I should start preparing dinner.” Lianying walked toward the kitchen on the right side of the entrance.
“Wuhua, just watch some TV or look around. I’ll call you when dinner’s ready.”
…
Taking advantage of Lianying being busy and not paying attention to her, Wuhua, intending to get a clear picture of the house, bypassed the living room and came to the hallway leading inside—on the left were two rooms side by side, on the right was a separate bathroom. The end of the hallway seemed to be a storage room. Through a slightly open door crack, Wuhua could see what should be Lianying’s room.
“…It’s about time.” Muttering words only she could hear, Wuhua turned and entered the bathroom, locking the door behind her.
“I remember it’s placed—found it.” Then from her coat pocket, she took out a metal piece similar to a badge.
“Hey hey, Mingji. This is Wuhua. Can you hear me?” Wuhua spoke softly toward the position of the pin on the back.
Not long after, a rustling noise that could only be heard with an ear close by sounded, then—
“This is Mingji. Yes, I can hear you clearly. Then, briefly report the current situation, Wuhua.”