Outing in the Heat

(Sun Yao)

I wasn’t the “fat otaku” Sun Yao, nor the magical girl Sailuno. Right now, I was just a plain, ordinary girl being dragged out shopping by my best friend, Ziye.

“So hot! Why do we have to go out in this weather… Hey?! Why did you hit me?!”

No sooner had the complaint left my mouth than Ziye rapped me on the head.

“Come on, you were the one who said you wanted to do ‘femininity training.’ And now you’re already complaining before we’ve even left the neighborhood?” Ziye seemed exasperated with me.

He was wearing a plain white cotton T-shirt with a light short-sleeved shirt over it, and his signature sports wristband on his wrist. He looked clean and refreshing. Even though he hung around me all day, he hadn’t picked up any “otaku” habits, and his personality was always sunny and cheerful. Maybe that’s just the impression his good looks gave? If I were as handsome as Ziye, I definitely wouldn’t be a shut-in.

“But it’s really hot! This damn weather must be forty degrees today! I’m sweating all over… Ziye, I’m sweating a lot here, and I’m starting to smell…”

I pointed at the cleavage of my dress, but Ziye just rolled his eyes.

“Why are you telling me that?”

“Eh, I thought you’d want to know. Aren’t you interested in this kind of topic?”

“…I wish you had a little more self-respect,” he sighed.

“Hehe~”

He was clearly embarrassed. Because of the heat, I tugged at my skirt, trying to fan some air upward, but it was useless.

“Ahem,” Ziye coughed dryly.

I came to my senses and realized that my not-so-graceful movement had attracted the attention of several passersby. Feeling awkward, I smoothed my skirt flat. It was fine to tease Ziye, but I didn’t want to be seen as an easy “ice cream cone” by the public.

“A bunch of perverts. Am I really that eye-catching? Being a girl is way more heat-sensitive than being a guy… Oh, thanks.”

Sweat was beading on my forehead and back. Ziye handed me a bottle of water, already unscrewed.

“Stop complaining. Just a few more steps and we’ll be at the shopping district.”

“But I’m drenched! I’m going to stink!”

“Hmm? Stink?” Hearing that, he suddenly leaned in and sniffed the top of my head. “It’s fine. You actually smell nice. Not stinky at all.”

“What the hell!” I froze for a second, then shoved him away, stepping back three paces in shock. “Wha-what are you doing! How can you do something so perverted so naturally?!”

I was genuinely startled by the move, and my heart was racing. Ziye just shrugged nonchalantly.

“Besides, you’re not even wearing makeup, so you don’t have to worry about it running. A little sweat doesn’t matter, right? Or has your ‘feminine side’ already taken over?”

His words sounded reasonable at first, but I quickly caught on.

“Wait, no! Even guys hate being smelly! That doesn’t prove I’m becoming feminine! And you wouldn’t wear a sweaty, sour-smelling shirt either, would you? When I was just A-Yao, you never came up to sniff me! That’s just a double standard!”

Even though I called him out, Ziye just looked at me with amusement. “You’re getting smarter, huh? Can’t fool you anymore.”

“You jerk!”

Teased like that, I couldn’t help but raise my hand to punch his arm, just like a real girl. Considering my magical girl strength, I had to be careful with my force so I wouldn’t break his bones. Even so, he exaggeratedly yelled, “Ow, ow, ow! Fine, I’ll buy you ice cream, okay? Stop hitting me!”

“Oh! Okay!” At the mention of food, my mouth agreed before my brain could even react.

But then I reconsidered: “Wait, no, Ziye, don’t spend your money. Don’t forget, I earned a huge sum yesterday!”

After dealing with that horned-tiger monster—officially named “Thunder God”—a massive bounty had been transferred into my Association account. Magical girls really didn’t need to worry about money. As long as they stayed active, they’d never go hungry. Even if there were no monsters for a while, the Association provided a monthly living allowance to cover basic needs.

Of course, some magical girls with strong material desires weren’t satisfied with just the bounty. They took on commercials, endorsements, and other business deals… but I didn’t have any such intentions yet.

Sweat dripped down my back and trickled from under my chest along my stomach, making my sensitive skin itch. Fortunately, the shopping street was finally in sight. I could grit my teeth for that short distance.

“Sailuno, I have a question.” Ziye, walking ahead, suddenly turned around.

I had been staying in his shadow to avoid the sun, and his sudden stop made me bump into his back. I caught his scent again—a scent I really couldn’t bring myself to dislike. I wiped my sweat to hide my flushed face.

“Wha-what question?”

“Can your magic membrane insulate against temperature?”

“…You mean using my bubble as heat insulation?” Ziye nodded, and I stroked my chin in thought. “Insulation is possible, but then my own body heat wouldn’t be able to escape either. Wouldn’t that make things worse?”

“Can’t you make it one-way?”

“One-way? No. My bubbles aren’t that sophisticated.”

Ziye still didn’t quite understand the limitations of my magic. I could prevent thermal radiation from “passing through” the bubble, but that applied to both “out” and “in.” For a human body that needs to dissipate heat to maintain its temperature, wrapping it in insulating material is a terrible idea. Unless I had covered myself with insulating bubbles before leaving the air-conditioned apartment.

Though the plan wasn’t feasible, I still teased him: “But Ziye, why are you always thinking about my magic? You used to say you weren’t interested in magical girls.”

He really had said that. Every time I tried to recommend my favorite magical girls—especially Miluno—he’d show an impatient, disgusted expression. But now that I’d become one, he seemed more invested than I was.

“Idiot, I really don’t care about magical girls.” He turned around and put his hands on my shoulders. “It’s you I’m worried about.”

“Me?”

“You haven’t even mastered the basics of fighting properly. As your friend, how can I rest easy letting you go into battle?”

He cares about me. Realizing that, I felt a surge of genuine joy. It was so good to have met him in this life. Without him by my side, I don’t know what I would have become over the years.

“Hehe, you really are my best buddy.” I was definitely grinning foolishly.

“This is all I can do to help you think things through,” he muttered.

The entrance to the shopping street had a massive archway. The hundred-meter-long street was covered by a canopy, blocking the sun and trapping the cool air from the shops. It was much cooler inside, and consequently packed with tourists.

“Come on, let’s get that ice cream~” He patted my shoulder and went ahead to push open the door of a dessert shop.

I noticed that he had originally moved to pat my head, but after a brief pause, he had settled for my shoulder instead. And this kind of hesitation wasn’t the first time. Did he think my head was sweaty and gross? No… he felt that “buddies” could put their arms around each other’s shoulders, but not pat each other’s heads. If he put his hand on my head, the nature of the action would change.

Ziye still wanted to treat me like a brother, and that was only natural. Even though I understood that deep down, every time we interacted lately, some “inappropriate” thoughts sprouted in my heart. It made me feel strange. After all, I was only a “temporary” girl…

“Idiot, how long are you going to stand at the door?”

“Oh! Coming!”

Urged by Ziye, I hurried into the shop. The air conditioning swept away the summer heat, and the sudden chill on my sweat-slicked skin made me shiver.

“Ah, that feels amazing! So refreshed!”

“Go find a seat. I’ll buy,” he said.

I nodded. “Okay, I’ll pay you back later.”

“Idiot, I’m not so broke that I can’t afford an ice cream.”

“Hehe, then if you ever run out of money, I’ll earn enough to support you.”

“Hmph, being kept by you as a gigolo? I’m not that spineless.” He laughed and flicked my forehead, then turned toward the counter.

Watching his back, I couldn’t help but feel like… was this a date?

“Ehehe~” I grinned and found a seat near the AC. “But spineless? If there were a magical girl willing to support me, I’d be more than willing… Preferably Miss Miluno, hehe.”

But I knew in my heart, given Yang Yan’s obvious disgust toward me, Miluno probably wouldn’t like someone like Sun Yao either. So, it was just an otaku’s delusion about his idol.