A Magical Girl’s Principles and an Unexpected Treat

Standing at the base of Building 63, Su Mu scanned his surroundings. Seeing no one, he decided against heading upstairs just yet.

He pulled out his phone and called the landlord, informing them of his arrival at Building 63.

The landlord promised to arrive shortly, prompting Su Mu to shrug in resignation before lowering his phone.

“Little Sister Ruoruo, aren’t you heading home?”

“My home is right inside this building!” Bai Ruoruo declared, giving a firm thumbs-up. “Besides, Sister Lily always says that when you encounter someone in need, you can’t just ignore them. Once you decide to help, you have to see it through to the end—that’s what ‘seeing a Buddha to the Western Paradise’ means!”

“I wouldn’t exactly call this a ‘difficulty,’ but thank you anyway,” Su Mu said, rubbing his cheek. He looked at Bai Ruoruo, a thought blooming in his mind: ‘Could this child awaken on her own to become a Flower Seed Maiden, even if she’s still just a seed at the moment?’

“Uncle, what do you like most about Sister Lily?”

“Her kindness, her gentleness, her sense of responsibility. It’s like a magical girl from the cartoons I watched as a child has stepped right into reality.”

“Were there magical girls in cartoons when you were little, Uncle?”

“Of course! Back then, magical girls were the epitome of beauty and purity—righteous, lovely, kind, and always thinking of others…”

“It’s nothing like today’s magical girl stories. They’re either dark, gritty, and tragic, or completely consumed by romance, with far too many adult themes. Perhaps this is connected to magical girls appearing in reality, transforming from idealized symbols of girlish beauty into mere humans.”

“And if they’re just human, they shouldn’t be perfect. It’s only natural for them to have selfish desires, which is supposed to make them feel more ‘real.'”

Su Mu crossed his arms and let out a disdainful scoff. “But do they ever stop to consider,” he challenged, “if these characters lack noble qualities, what right do they have to be called magical girls?”

“What’s more, they don’t just pursue realism; they overdo it to an extreme. When I see magical girls portrayed as a bunch of petty drama queens, overly sentimental, suffering from princess syndrome, and constantly whining, my childhood effectively comes to an end.”

“Uncle…”

“Little Sister Ruoruo,” Su Mu explained, “what truly matters for a magical girl is her character, her unwavering commitment to upholding beautiful ideals, not merely her strength. Otherwise, would just any woman with powerful superpowers and flashy clothes, who commits all sorts of evil, truly deserve to be called a ‘magical girl’? Surely not, right?”

“Mhm! Mhm! Exactly! Uncle, you’re absolutely right, I wholeheartedly agree!” Bai Ruoruo exclaimed, pumping her fists. “Oh, and Uncle, the bad guy you’re talking about—that’s Su Mo, isn’t it? That big meanie!”

“……”

The scene was anything but static.

“Eh? Su Mo?”

“That’s right! She’s a big meanie! She might be almost as cute as some, but she’s a big, evil villain who does all sorts of terrible things! She even petrified several of the sisters at ‘Lucky Garden’ before! If Saint Lily hadn’t intervened, it would have been truly dangerous!”

“Ha~ah…” Su Mu awkwardly rubbed his cheek. “Well, um… Su Mo doesn’t exactly wear flashy clothes… never mind.”

[Host, refute her! We absolutely cannot stand for this undeserved slander!] Su Xiaoqian urged, placing her hands on her hips.

‘?’ Su Mu thought, ‘When I type out this question mark, perhaps it’s not because I think I have a problem,’ he mused, a wry expression on his face.

Approximately ten minutes later, the landlord arrived, riding a small electric scooter.

The landlord and Bai Ruoruo clearly knew each other well, exchanging greetings as soon as they met.

Little Ruoruo’s incessant ‘Jiejie’s’ were incredibly sweet, melting the hearts of anyone who heard them.

However…

Su Mu mused that he was still of an age where he might call the landlady ‘Jiejie,’ yet this little girl was calling *him* ‘Uncle.’ ‘Isn’t that unfairly taking advantage of someone?’ he thought. ‘It’s a generational gap, isn’t it?’

‘How could this be allowed?’

‘Therefore, this time, if she doesn’t change her address to ‘Big Brother,’ I simply won’t let it slide.’

……

****

Upon inspecting the room, Su Mu found everything quite satisfactory. Compared to his previous living situation, this felt like a significant upgrade; he genuinely couldn’t find any faults. ‘Is this the kind of treatment one gets for paying a few hundred extra each month?’ he wondered.

He could only manage a series of ‘mhm’s and ‘ah, um’s, resulting in Bai Ruoruo taking over the negotiations with the landlord.

She meticulously clarified water and electricity prices, tested daily appliances like the air conditioner and water heater, ensured the Wi-Fi connection and speed were adequate, and even inquired about kitchen usage.

‘There are so many details to consider?’

‘I’ve learned a lot today, truly!’

“There’s truly nothing else available; this is the last room here. If you want to finalize it, then for Ruoruo’s friend’s sake, it’ll be 750 a month. No need for a three-month deposit; one month’s deposit and one month’s rent will suffice! How does that sound?” The landlady, unable to resist Bai Ruoruo’s adorable charm and pleading, finally laid out her best offer.

“Oh!” Su Mu thought, clearing his throat. ‘Is this my chance to shine?’

[Host, Host, fight! Fight! You can do it! ٩(๑^o^๑)۶!] Su Xiaoqian cheered from the sidelines, waving invisible pom-poms vigorously.

“Mhm, I have no problem at all,” Su Mu replied. It was a perfectly executed conclusion.

‘Truly flawless,’ he mused. ‘As expected of me!’

……

“Uncle, I live just upstairs in 401. Come find me to play whenever you have time~”

“Ah! Mhm…” Su Mu blinked, hesitating slightly as he looked at the set of keys in his hand. “Ruoruo,” he began.

“?”

“I’m planning to head to the supermarket to pick up some daily necessities, and I also want to get acquainted with the neighborhood, find some places to eat. As a token of my gratitude, how about I treat you to some milk tea and ice cream?” Su Mu truly disliked owing favors, even to a child—especially to a child.

“Uncle…”

“What’s wrong?” Su Mu asked, a hint of nervousness in his tone. Having spoken, he couldn’t help but feel anxious, wondering if he might be misunderstood as some pervert with ulterior motives.

“I want both milk tea *and* ice cream!” Bai Ruoruo declared, her face utterly serious as she first raised one finger, then another.

“Eh? Oh, of course, that’s perfectly fine!” Su Mu replied, a moment of surprise giving way to an amused nod of agreement.

“This is wonderful! ヽ(⌐■㉨■)ノ♪♬”

“I’ll just run home and say hello to my sister, then I’ll be right back down~”

“Oh, don’t rush! Run slowly, and don’t trip!”

Su Mu uttered helplessly, then chuckled softly, shaking his head as he watched the child’s retreating figure.

[Host~~~~~] A shiver suddenly ran through Su Mu.

“What was that?”

[You’ve grown up, you’re actively making friends now. Little Qian is so pleased~(˘̩̩̩ε˘̩ƪ)]

“……”

‘Are you my mother?’ he thought, then added, ‘Well… she wouldn’t care anyway.’

Su Mu waved a hand, rubbing his cheek. “How should I put this?” he mused aloud.

He paused, gathering his thoughts for a moment. “Little Qian’er~”

“?”

“Perhaps,” Su Mu began, “and I mean perhaps, this world isn’t quite as terrible as I’d imagined. The interactions between people aren’t always superficial. After all, there are individuals like Saint Lily and Ruoruo, who actively extend kindness and are willing to offer help…”

[Host, what did I think you were going to say?]

[You’re also one of those people, Host~] Su Xiaoqian declared, hands on her hips. [My Host is the absolute best! And super gentle! The very best person in the whole wide world!]

“……” Despite knowing that no one else could hear this grand declaration, Su Mu still felt a blush creep up his neck. He covered his face, bewildered by how earnestly the little sprite spoke, as if it were the absolute truth.

……

“Milk tea 🎶~ Ice cream 🎶~”

“Jiejie! I’m home!” Bai Ruoruo called out as she pushed open the door. Receiving no reply, she couldn’t help but puff out her cheeks. “Mmm~ Didn’t she say work was finished? Why isn’t she here again?”

“Honestly,” she grumbled, “now that I have ice cream and milk tea, I won’t even share it with Jiejie~”

Bai Ruoruo sighed, then tore a sticky note from the table and quickly scribbled a message.

[‘Jiejie, I went with the Uncle from the third floor to get ice cream. I’ll be back later to make dinner~’]

She stood on tiptoes to stick it on the refrigerator, then surveyed her handiwork with a satisfied nod.

“Done!” she chirped. “This way, Jiejie will see it right away when she comes back!”