Chapter 77 | This Magical Girl Is a Bit Strange

Rin Kurokawa’s fingers froze on the first button of her collar.

She had clearly confirmed just moments ago that Qiluo Tian Gong was fast asleep.

She had only wanted to do something very simple.

Take off her white coat, drape it over her, and return to the break room before she woke up, completely unnoticed.

But now, Qiluo Tian Gong was looking up at her, her eyes still misty from sleep, clearly catching her frozen in this awkward posture.

“...You were asleep.”

Rin lowered her hand from her collar, but the speed with which she shoved her fingers back into her white coat pockets betrayed her.

“This isn't a break area. The floor is very cold.”

“So you were going to cover me with your coat, Doctor?”

Qiluo looked down at the can of red bean soup on the floor, bent over to pick it up, and lightly ran her finger around the rim. “And here I thought Dr. Kurokawa was trying to do something to me while I was asleep.”

“No—I wasn't—” Rin's ears began to burn, the collar of her white coat slightly askew from her sudden movement.

“I just thought you'd catch a cold sleeping here...”

“I'm just joking~” Qiluo placed the red bean soup on her lap, the corners of her mouth curving slightly. “I know. Thank you, Doctor.”

Rin's lips parted, wanting to say something to salvage her image from their first proper meeting.

But with the girl in front of her, if she had kept teasing, Rin could have taken the out and pretended it was all just a harmless misunderstanding.

Yet now she was thanking her so sincerely, as if the joke from before was only to ease her embarrassment, and the gratitude was what she truly meant.

Qiluo pulled the tab on the red bean soup and handed it to her.

She held it out. Rin didn't take it immediately. Her fingers were still hovering near her collar, as if someone had pressed pause on her.

Qiluo pushed it forward a bit more, the aluminum can lightly brushing against the back of Rin's hand.

A chill spread from the point of contact. Rin flinched reflexively, but as she snapped back to reality, she slowly opened her hand and took the can.

“...Thank you.”

As her palm pressed against the surface of the can, she realized her own hand was actually colder than the chilled red bean soup.

Yet the spot where Qiluo Tian Gong's fingers had just touched was gradually growing warm.

“No need to thank me. This one is cold, so it doesn't count. Next time, I'll buy you a hot one.”

She waved her hand dismissively, turned, and pushed open the fire door. Her footsteps echoed down the stairs, gradually fading away at the end of the corridor.

Rin stood there alone, listening to the footsteps recede floor by floor until they vanished completely.

The tab was already pulled open, leaving a faint mark on the rim of the can.

Had Qiluo Tian Gong taken a sip herself only to realize it was cold, or had she handed it over right after opening it, before she even had a chance to drink?

Rin wasn't sure, but she raised the can anyway, carefully avoiding the spot with the mark, and took a sip.

What she didn't know was that the mark was simply where Qiluo had pressed her thumb.

It was all just a product of her overactive imagination.

The wind blew from the direction of the station, carrying a scent of damp earth and asphalt after the rain.

Qiluo stood beneath the bus stop sign outside the hospital. She shifted her schoolbag to her other shoulder and looked down at her phone.

On the screen was her chat window with Yuki.

The messages had arrived two minutes ago, three in rapid succession.

“You weren't at school this afternoon. Ms. Tanabe said you went to the hospital. Are you feeling unwell?”

The third message had been unsent and replaced with a much shorter one: “Are you done with your checkup?”

She had probably felt the third one was too wordy.

Leaning against the metal post of the bus stop, Qiluo tapped her fingers on the screen and replied.

“Done. It was just a routine checkup. Because of what happened yesterday, the teacher suggested I get a mana residue scan. Everything's fine.”

The moment the message was sent, the read receipt lit up.

Yuki's reply came almost instantaneously.

“Where are you right now?”

“At the bus stop outside the hospital, about to head back.”

“Wait for me. I'm coming to pick you up.”

It was a rare departure from her usual polite phrasing—just a direct, blunt declaration of action.

Qiluo leaned against the metal post, the phone screen dimming and lighting up in her palm.

Yuki's replies were uncharacteristically brief; she was likely typing while walking, not even having time to add punctuation.

Today's examination had indeed shown nothing wrong. But to Yuki, after the convenience store was attacked by an Erosion Body last night, Qiluo had been in close contact with such a creature.

Now that she was visiting the hospital alone for a checkup, there was no way Yuki could feel at ease.

Buses pulled up to the hospital entrance and departed. Occasionally, patients in hospital gowns were wheeled out of the outpatient building by their families.

As she was staring blankly at a dry crack in the sidewalk tiles, a dark blue figure caught her eye, running toward her from the distance.

Yuki Kurokawa was wearing the Tachibana High School uniform, the hem of her dark blue blazer fluttering in the wind as she ran.

The light blue ribbon at her collar was crooked and loose, clearly showing she hadn't had time to properly adjust it.

Her leather shoes kicked up tiny splashes of water on the sidewalk, which hadn't completely dried after the rain.

Her shoulder bag swung back and forth against her side.

“Have you been waiting long?”

Yuki stopped in front of Qiluo, her breathing significantly heavier than usual. Her chest heaved, and the bangs on her forehead were slightly damp with sweat, clinging to her skin.

Instead of bending over to rest her hands on her knees, she stood straight, her hands at her sides, trying her best to steady her breath.

“No, you didn't have to run,” Qiluo said, pulling a pack of tissues from her pocket, taking one out, and handing it to her. “Your hair is all messy from running.”

Yuki took the tissue but didn't wipe her forehead.

She looked down at the tissue, folding the edge slightly, before looking up at Qiluo with that gaze Qiluo had already grown familiar with.

“...How were the checkup results?”

“The doctor said everything is fine. The physical report will be sent to the school in a few days.”

What she actually wanted to ask wasn't this.

“...What happened yesterday? Ms. Tanabe said you encountered an Erosion Body while working at the convenience store last night. Did it touch you? How did you—”

She cut herself off because Qiluo was tilting her head to look at her. It wasn't a look of annoyance from being questioned.

It carried a hint of a smile.

“Why are you so tense?”

Qiluo tilted her head at Yuki. “It's already over. I was working at the convenience store last night when an Erosion Body suddenly attacked. But very quickly, a Magical Girl rushed in and blew it away.”

Qiluo described the most thrilling part in a light, casual tone, downplaying the danger.

Unaware that the Magical Girl was the very person standing in front of her, she even mimed a lunging motion, saying the girl's sword was incredibly fast—so fast she only saw a flash of light.

“...Then she stood in front of the counter and asked if I was hurt. I said no, and she left.”

“The Magical Girl... saved you,” Yuki repeated.

“Yes, a Magical Girl with a sword. Her skirt was dark, and her weapon had chains and ice.”

“Oh, and her hair seemed to be dark—though hair color changes after transformation, so that might not be accurate. Anyway, she was so cool. It was the first time in my life seeing a Magical Girl fight up close.”