Three people (1)

“Hey, getting into magical girls these days, huh?”

“You Xi’s really into them. I figured I should learn more—gives us something to talk about.”

As he spoke, You Dong rapidly scrolled through the screen, trying to cram as much information about magical girls into his brain as possible.

“Now that’s dedication. Are you really this kind of guy—”

Hearing his words, Lao Jin raised his thumb in admiration.

“Well then, I won’t disturb you anymore. Wishing you smooth sailing with your little sweetheart, and a harmonious family life!”

After seeing his colleague off, You Dong let out a deep sigh and slumped into his chair.

What should he do?

That night, after receiving a few compliments, he’d gotten carried away and impulsively agreed to You Xi’s request.

But what exactly was he supposed to teach her?

He was only mistakenly regarded as some kind of “senior predecessor” due to certain unknown reasons. In truth, if you looked at the timeline of when they became magical girls, You Xi was actually his senior.

Just thinking about how he’d eventually be exposed, and how one lie would require countless others to cover it up, gave You Dong a headache.

Forget it. Time to get up and have a smoke.

With that thought, he headed to the company smoking area. It was still work hours, so the place was empty.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the great senior predecessor?”

The moment You Dong arrived, Lao Lin appeared right behind him.

“Don’t start with the jokes. I’m in no mood.”

“Gimme a smoke.”

Lao Lin extended his chubby paw, gesturing for You Dong to hand over a cigarette.

As a creature from the Magic Kingdom, Lao Lin was invisible to ordinary people—unless he chose to be seen, or unless they were the magical girl he was contracted to. So even though he strolled around openly, no one found it strange.

“…Hey, that Violet Lightning girl—can’t you reassign her to train You Xi?”

As he spoke, You Dong casually passed over his cigarette pack and lighter.

“Can’t do that.”

Lao Lin pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He returned the lighter, but pocketed the entire pack.

“The Second Ring is currently chasing an A-rank aberration called the *Nightmare Fiend*. Not to brag, but this one’s tricky—it’ll probably take a while.”

“I see.” You Dong frowned. “What about someone from elsewhere?”

“The First and Third Rings have temporarily merged into a squadron, preparing for the operation against the *Sky People*. The Fourth Ring has taken over the Third’s duties, with one team guarding the three major rings, including the Fifth.”

At the mention of the *Sky People*, You Dong shuddered. Ash from his cigarette fell from his fingertips.

“Can I join that operation?”

“Better not.”

Lao Lin took a drag and said, “Remember why you became a magical girl in the first place. Right now, the Fourth Ring is helping cover your area, but that’s only temporary. Once You Xi grows stronger and I find three more suitable candidates, the responsibility of defending the Fifth Ring will eventually fall back on them.”

“Until then, I need you to protect them. And for you, this process is also a form of growth—one that’ll help you gradually learn to effectively use that massive amount of magic power inside you.”

“That’s exactly the problem. I don’t know anything myself—how am I supposed to protect them?”

You Dong asked the core question.

“That’s not an issue,” Lao Lin scoffed. “Like I said before, once the contract is complete, magical girls naturally grasp how to use magic particles—it becomes instinctive, like eating or drinking. You haven’t forgotten that, have you? So there’s no need to worry. Just follow your instincts. It’ll be fine.”

“Follow my instincts? Can you people be any more irresponsible?” You Dong exclaimed.

“…Alright, that’s enough chat,” Lao Lin waved dismissively. “I’ve got new magical girls to recruit. Sigh, times have changed—kids these days are way too cautious about scams… Oops, didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

He gave a mischievous grin and got ready to leave.

“Wait.”

You Dong called him back.

“…You bastard, give me my cigarettes back,” he said.

****

When work ended, You Dong clocked out immediately.

Tonight, he had a meeting with You Xi—of course, as a magical girl.

He found a secluded corner and transformed into Tidal.

The world once again felt like it had been magnified through a lens. That light, hollow sensation in her body still made her uneasy.

Was she supposed to walk around like this?

No way. Absolutely not.

Tidal shook her head vigorously, banishing the idea. Blushing with embarrassment, she reverted to her human form.

…First things first—she needed to buy some normal clothes.

Considering her transformed height, after some deliberation, he settled on a children’s clothing store.

“I’ve got a distant relative’s daughter coming to stay with me for a while. She hasn’t arrived yet, so I’m getting her some clothes in advance.”

You Dong explained to the clerk, gesturing just below his chest to indicate the height.

“About this tall.”

“Any preferences for style or color?”

“N-no preference. Just whatever’s most popular—best-selling items. I’m not picky,” You Dong replied.

…Who buys clothes for a kid like that?

The clerk silently judged in her mind, though of course she wouldn’t say it aloud.

Besides clothes, You Dong also bought a small blue round crossbody bag from the adjacent luggage shop—something that matched Tidal’s image, mainly to carry her phone. In this modern society, life without a smartphone was practically impossible.

After changing into the new outfit, she headed to the meeting spot—Sunshine Shopping Plaza. This was the same place where Raging Flame had first gone solo and defeated the Bubble Man.

Upon arrival, Tidal instantly spotted her niece in the crowd.

Ignoring her occasional rudeness and rebellious personality, You Xi was, in truth, the picture-perfect ideal of a cute teenage girl.

Fair skin, delicate features, a small face, and a slender 165cm frame that could effortlessly pull off any fashion style.

Wasn’t she supposed to meet him as Raging Flame? At this thought, Tidal felt a dull ache in her temples.

“Ah, Senior!”

You Xi spotted Tidal too, and came running over with obvious excitement.

“In public, don’t use that title. Just call me Tidal.”

“…So… so cute…”

Completely ignoring the warning, You Xi’s eyes sparkled as she circled Tidal, staring left and right, until a dazed grin spread across her face.

“Hehe… so tiny…”

As You Xi examined her, Tidal took the chance to study her niece in return.

Truthfully, how long had it been since he’d really looked at You Xi’s face?

On most days, he worked late, not getting home until after seven. By then, You Xi had already retreated into her room, a “Do Not Disturb” sign hanging on the door.

In the mornings, their interactions were mostly silent—brushing teeth, eating breakfast, exchanging glances that quickly darted away like they’d been shocked.

Never in a million years did he expect that becoming a magical girl would give him this chance to truly get to know You Xi. And these experiences—this closeness—could one day help mend their real-life relationship.

The thought filled him with quiet excitement and hope.

Still, as an adult man and her uncle, being stared at like this by his own niece… was undeniably awkward.

To hide his discomfort, Tidal cleared her throat and said coolly:

“Done staring?”

“Ah, ah, sorry!”

Realizing her lapse in manners, You Xi quickly bowed in apology.

“At least behave properly in public. There’s no need to act like that—other people will find it weird,” Tidal emphasized again.

“Ah, now that you mention it, what are we doing tonight, Senior前辈?”

You really don’t listen, do you?!

Tidal screamed internally.

Yes, without a doubt—this was the niece he knew all too well.

So it wasn’t just with him. Even when dealing with others, You Xi was just as headstrong and carefree. That small realization brought a flicker of comfort to her heart.

“In any case, let’s start with dinner. Any place you’d like to eat? My treat,” she said.

“Dinner? Sure! I’ll just call my family and let them know I won’t be coming home.”

With that, You Xi pulled out her phone and began tapping the screen with practiced ease.

…Wait. Wait a second.

At that very moment, Tidal suddenly realized something.

How—how could he have made such a stupid mistake?

She wanted to say something, to stop her—but it was already too late.

The moment You Xi pressed the call button, a ringtone blared from inside Tidal’s crossbody bag.