After being repeatedly fed several pieces of meat in this manner, Liu Li himself couldn’t help but feel that Magical Girl Grey Moon was truly wicked, bad to her very core.
Zhou Huanan erupted into a hearty, satisfying laugh, his previously gloomy mood completely dispelled, leaving only the sheer pleasure of feeding Liu Li.
He had always known that sharing a meal with Liu Li was an excellent way to alleviate stress.
Indeed, Liu Li’s ravenous appearance, as if he hadn’t eaten in a decade, was enough to make anyone watching feel compelled to eat an extra bowl of rice.
“So, Zhou Huanan, why exactly do you detest Magical Girl Grey Moon with such intensity?”
Having eaten his fill, Liu Li slumped languidly into his chair, observing Zhou Huanan, who continued to grill meat and tidy up the remnants of their meal.
“Oh, it’s nothing much. I just strongly suspect that beneath her pure, icy facade lies a conniving little tart, practically salivating for male attention.”
“Hey, take this seriously!”
Under the table, Liu Li discontentedly kicked Zhou Huanan’s calf.
Zhou Huanan, realizing he had gone too far by disparaging Liu Li’s idol, offered a string of insincere apologies.
Following Liu Li’s lead, he too reclined in his chair, his voice tinged with weariness.
“Liu Li, don’t you ever think that being a Magical Girl is actually quite wonderful?”
Liu Li’s ears twitched almost imperceptibly as he looked up at Zhou Huanan, who seemed to be speaking more to himself than to anyone else.
“They can fly through the sky, which must be incredibly exhilarating! They’re adorable, they’re allies of justice, and everyone adores them.”
“Honestly, I’m a little envious.”
So that was Zhou Huanan’s true perspective on Magical Girls.
Liu Li’s expression softened, and he was about to comfort Zhou Huanan, explaining that being a Magical Girl wasn’t always as glamorous as it seemed.
However, the momentary air of melancholy around Zhou Huanan vanished as quickly as it had appeared, as if it had been nothing more than an illusion.
“Still, that Magical Girl Grey Moon infuriates me! Just look at her condescending demeanor; even if she weren’t a Magical Girl, she’d undoubtedly be some wealthy family’s spoiled young mistress.”
“She surely became a Magical Girl solely to fulfill her twisted, upper-class desire to ‘save’ the common folk.
The moment she tires of it, she’ll simply vanish.”
“Therefore, Liu Li,”
Liu Li had initially felt a surge of anger upon hearing these words, but seeing Zhou Huanan’s earnest gaze and serious expression, he found himself being solemnly cautioned.
“If Grey Moon were to suddenly vanish one day, don’t take it too hard.”
****
Liu Li couldn’t fathom why Zhou Huanan had suddenly spoken such words.
‘She wouldn’t just vanish one day,’ he thought, feeling a little muddled as Zhou Huanan ushered him into a taxi.
They waved goodbye through the car window, and Liu Li made his way home.
Just as he reached for his phone to pay, the taxi driver waved a hand, informing him that his handsome friend had already settled the fare.
Uttering a soft ‘oh,’ Liu Li exited the vehicle.
It seemed Zhou Huanan had always looked after him in this way, a pattern that stretched back to their childhood.
A faint sense of melancholy settled in his heart.
Standing by the cold roadside, Liu Li’s ears began to ache from the biting chill.
After a moment, he snapped out of his daze, wondering why he had been standing there foolishly, before turning to re-enter the self-built rental property where he lived.
Ascending the narrow stairs, he pushed open the exterior door, its paint long peeling, to reveal a bedroom barely ten square meters in size – his entire home.
There were hardly any proper appliances; all his clothes, ready for changing, could fit into a single open suitcase on the floor.
His only furniture consisted of a bed and a modest bedside table.
Beyond these, there was nothing else.
To say his home was ‘bare to the four walls’ would not have been an exaggeration.
At the very least, he had his own bathroom.
After a refreshing shower, Liu Li collapsed onto his bed.
Unable to afford the electricity bill for air conditioning, he simply opted to pile on an extra blanket.
“‘A spoiled young mistress,’ huh?”
Zhou Huanan had speculated that Grey Moon’s true identity was that of a pampered young lady.
Yet, Liu Li gazed wistfully at the stark, empty walls surrounding him, feeling the small, cold bed beneath him.
The person lying on that bed seemed particularly forlorn.
‘It seems there’s quite a significant difference…’
Liu Li pulled the blanket up to cover half his face, shifting sideways to make room for his phone.
He searched for ‘Magical Girl Grey Moon’ and watched on the small screen as news reports proclaimed the righteous Magical Girl Grey Moon had saved everyone, interspersed with children’s statements brimming with longing for Magical Girls.
“Heheheh~~”
So many people praising Magical Girl Grey Moon online—it truly was wonderful.
Liu Li happily burrowed deeper into his blanket, chuckling.
His heart swelled with renewed energy, and the courage to face tomorrow returned.
Only then did he finally drift off, his eyes heavy with sleep.
…………
“Oh no! I’m going to be late!”
Liu Li jolted upright in bed, a wave of panic washing over him.
He had slept too soundly the night before, and his habitual, half-asleep motion of silencing his alarm had been far too efficient.
Frantically, he checked his phone, only to realize how late it truly was.
Damn it, there was no time to waste! He had to hurry!
Fortunately, Liu Li’s rented room was quite close to the school.
Much like a Japanese schoolgirl, perpetually on the verge of being late, might dash out with a piece of toast clutched between her teeth.
After quickly washing up, Liu Li likewise grabbed a *mantou* and hurried out, holding it between his teeth.
And just as a Japanese schoolgirl’s toast might be slathered with jam or butter, Liu Li’s *mantou* was adorned with a special blend of *Laoganma* chili oil and thirteen-spice powder!
Rushing frantically, he barely made it into the school gates as the bell rang, then sprinted into his classroom.
Slumping into his usual seat in the back row by the window, Liu Li let out a thankful sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his brow.
He was just about to recount his thrilling morning dash to Zhou Huanan.
However, he discovered that the seat of the model student, Zhou Huanan, was conspicuously empty.
‘Strange.’
Liu Li tilted his head, a puzzled frown creasing his brow.
“Could he have overslept this morning too? That seems unlikely.
His sister certainly wouldn’t indulge him…”
Before Liu Li could ponder further, the homeroom teacher entered the classroom, preparing to take attendance.
Liu Li’s gaze drifted to Zhou Huanan’s empty seat.
He instinctively shrank back, a wave of guilt washing over him.
‘Oh dear.’
‘Someone’s certainly in for trouble now…’
He watched as the somewhat older, mature teacher, clad in black pantyhose, stood behind the podium, opening the roll call book.
She adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat.
“Alright, let’s begin attendance.
Class monitor, please lead everyone in standing.”
At this, a student in the class raised a hand to speak.
“Teacher, the class monitor isn’t here.”
“What?”
The teacher’s expression morphed into one of utter shock.
Genbu Omori, the Class 2-E monitor, hailed from a family that ran a shrine and was a thirteen-star exemplary student, publicly lauded by the principal himself.
The idea of *her* skipping class without cause was practically unheard of.
This was truly monumental news.
Before the mature teacher could even process her anger, a barrage of bad news followed.
Another student raised their hand.
“Teacher!”
“The English Committee Member and the Sports Committee Member aren’t here either!”
“What? Victoria and Unohana Ren aren’t here either!?”
The teacher pulled out her phone, checking it with an incredulous glance.
‘It’s not Saturday or Sunday,’ she inwardly muttered.
“And Zhou Huanan! He’s not here either!”
Realizing something was deeply amiss, Liu Li also spoke up, drawing the teacher’s attention.
“How can this be?” The mature teacher’s face was etched with disbelief.
How could four model students—no, Unohana Ren didn’t quite fit that category—three model students, all skip class on the same day!?
The teacher immediately recognized the suspicious nature of the situation.
She ordered the class to study independently, then exited the classroom, intent on contacting parents and the police without delay.
Sitting in the back row, Liu Li watched the teacher leave, and the classroom immediately erupted into a lively buzz.
Unlike his classmates, he felt no curiosity or excitement; instead, his face was clouded with unease as he stared at Zhou Huanan’s empty seat.
‘Nothing could have happened to him, could it?’
Just as Liu Li’s worries intensified, a city-wide monster alert suddenly blared outside the school.
The sound, reminiscent of an air-raid siren, sent many students rushing to the windows, eager to see what was happening.
‘How could monster attacks be so frequent!?’
Liu Li anxiously watched his classmates pressing in around him.
With considerable effort, he managed to extricate himself from the throng, then quietly slipped away amidst the commotion, making his way to the school rooftop.
On the rooftop.
Liu Li concealed himself behind the stairwell, placing a hand over his chest.
With a resolute expression, he uttered two words, imbued with potent magic.
“Transform!”