“Hey, Wuhua meow. As a Magical Girl, you shouldn’t tell anyone your True Name. It’ll cause a lot of trouble if your identity gets exposed, meow.”
Miao Ke only offered this belated reminder from inside the pocket after Wuhua had already introduced herself.
“Huh… right, right!” The warning snapped Wuhua out of her obliviousness. She clutched her head, showing a regretful expression. “I totally forgot I’m a Magical Girl now.”
“Cat, if you hadn’t said that, Wuhua might have been able to bluff her way through.” Ruibi also poked her head out of the pocket to share her opinion.
“That’s none of my business, meow. You’re the rabbit who didn’t teach your Contractor well, meow. What a negligent fairy, meow.” Miao Ke continued to make snide remarks.
“You two, it’s too late to say any of that now. Ah—sorry.” Realizing she’d left the girl hanging, Wuhua quickly pressed her palms together in apology and made a pleading face. “Could you pretend you didn’t hear what I just said? If it gets out, I’ll be in big trouble.”
—
The girl had disheveled, deep purple hair that looked like it hadn’t been trimmed before leaving the house. Her long bangs covered the upper half of her face. She wore a cat-ear-shaped hair accessory, and her hair, which reached her waist, hung loose down her back, untied.
She was dressed in a luxurious, dark-colored gown, but her demeanor was far from graceful or composed. Instead, she resembled a frightened cat, curling her body inward. Her hand rested on her chin as she cautiously peered at Wuhua through her bangs.
After glancing around and thinking for a moment, the girl realized she and Wuhua were the only ones there. The other person was speaking to her.
“I, I’m… um, my name is…”
The girl’s voice was so faint that even Wuhua, standing right in front of her, could barely hear it. She spoke in a halting, stammering way.
“D-don’t rush. Take your time.” Affected by the girl’s nervousness, Wuhua grew tense herself. To ease the tension, she began to observe the other girl.
‘She probably got scared from being close to the Anomaly and can’t speak properly.’
‘Good thing I made it in time. If I’d been any later, the consequences would have been unthinkable.’
‘Come to think of it, her dress is really different from the style around here. It looks like something you’d wear to a ball. Compared to that…’
Wuhua glanced at her own Lolita-style outfit, which looked like it was meant for a casual stroll or shopping trip, and silently compared the two.
“M-Miss Wuhua, you…” Noticing Wuhua’s attire, the girl’s tone held a hint of surprise. “You’re a Magical Girl… right?”
“Ah… yeah. Well, no other girl besides a Magical Girl can fall from a high place, kick a monster to death on the way down, and land safely without a scratch.”
Since she’d already been seen and heard, Wuhua decided to just admit it outright. She expected the girl to be confused or delighted, but instead, the girl placed a hand over her chest and let out a relieved sigh—
‘Huh? Something just bounced!’
At that moment, the girl stopped curling into herself. From Wuhua’s perspective, her fairly full chest suddenly came into view without warning.
“Th-thank goodness. I mean, thank you…”
Wuhua’s attention had been diverted so much that she didn’t even catch the girl’s inexplicable thanks.
“Hello. My name is Qianhan… I’m a Magical Girl too, just like Miss Wuhua. B-but my embarrassing performance just now didn’t look like one at all.”
It wasn’t until the girl mentioned a certain keyword that Wuhua’s gaze returned to her face.
“Qianhan, huh? That’s a lovely name… You’re a Magical Girl too?”
In just a few seconds, surprise was written all over her face.
‘Now that I think about it, a girl wearing a dress would only show up where there’s an Anomaly.’
‘I can’t think of any other explanation besides Magical Girl.’
No proof needed—Wuhua chose to believe Qianhan’s words. Besides, she seemed like a kind girl who thought of others.
“Yes. As compensation for accidentally overhearing your True Name, I’ve told you mine.” Qianhan explained.
“I see. That puts my mind at ease. Since we’re both Magical Girls, it doesn’t matter if you know.” Wuhua imitated her and let out a sigh of relief.
Just as the two fell into a brief silence over the false alarm, Qianhan spoke up first.
“U-um, Miss Wuhua. I… there’s something I’d like to ask you.” Compared to when they first met, her somewhat lost gaze now held a hint of determination.
“Huh? What is it?” Her posture was so intense it looked like she was about to confess her love. Wuhua asked in confusion.
.
.
“Please…” The words were on the tip of her tongue. Qianhan hesitated for a moment, then mustered her courage.
“Please teach me how to become a true Magical Girl!…”
It was like she’d thrown caution to the wind. As she spoke, Qianhan closed her eyes.
The moment the words left her mouth, Qianhan bowed deeply to Wuhua in a respectful manner. Startled by the sudden gesture and force of her demeanor, Wuhua couldn’t help but take a step back.
“What is this kid saying, meow? I don’t get it, meow.” Miao Ke looked at her with a strange expression.
“Probably a lost girl without a Contractor,” Ruibi said thoughtfully.
“A lost girl…?” Wuhua had never heard that term before.
“Literally. Without our fairy partners to assist and guide them, if someone awakens as a Magical Girl on their own, they’ll naturally get lost on this path and run into obstacles everywhere.” Ruibi explained.
“I see… B-but asking me to teach you doesn’t seem right, does it?” Wuhua, aware of her own shortcomings, rubbed her head awkwardly.
“I-If you find it troublesome, you can just refuse! I mean, it is a selfish request…” Qianhan obediently showed a regretful expression and looked away.
“Just now, seeing Miss Wuhua in action made me envious and admire you. It opened my eyes. So Magical Girl power can do things to that extent. Compared to me…”
As if overwhelmed by shame, Qianhan clasped her hands and slowly lowered her head. Then she suddenly lifted it again.
“Oh, right! I haven’t even expressed my gratitude to Miss Wuhua yet. Thank you for risking your life to save me at that critical moment.”
“But that Flying Kick from the sky… was too dangerous. Even if you’re a Magical Girl, please be more careful and take care of yourself.”
“O-of course, I know. A verbal thank-you like this isn’t sincere at all. Mhm! Mom and Dad always said that in times like these, you should give a gift that everyone would gladly accept.”
After rambling on with a lot of words that Wuhua could understand but not follow halfway, Qianhan turned around and started fumbling around in her dress.
Maybe out of nervousness, it took her a bit of effort. From a hidden pocket—one that Wuhua might not have been able to find if she tried—Qianhan pulled out a rectangular black leather wallet.
She reached inside, opened the compartment filled with various credit, debit, and bank cards, then looked at Wuhua and said:
“Miss Wuhua. How much money do you want?”