And so it was.
Liu Li found herself meticulously cared for by Zhou Huanan, utterly oblivious to the fact that her true gender had been revealed. His overwhelming attentiveness, she felt, was becoming rather unnerving.
‘Surely this morning’s breakfast isn’t some sort of last meal…’
With such anxious thoughts swirling, Liu Li concluded her morning. Soon after, the two made their way to the entryway, ready to change into their school shoes and depart.
Bending down, she hooked her finger into the heel of her school shoes, slipping them on, only to find them feeling somewhat too large…
Liu Li was on the verge of tears, dreading the thought of having to buy a new pair upon her return. With a sigh, she tucked a stray wisp of hair behind her ear.
Seizing the moment, Zhou Huanan took a quiet pleasure in admiring his ‘wife’s’ flawless profile. Despite his usual obtuseness, a realization finally dawned upon him.
It seemed Liu Li had only recently blossomed into such beauty.
A frown creased Zhou Huanan’s brow, prompted by a psychological impulse he couldn’t quite name.
From the cabinet suspended above the shoe rack, he retrieved a black medical mask and offered it to Liu Li, insisting she wear it.
‘Has some new strain of flu begun circulating recently?’
Liu Li, though bewildered, dutifully accepted the mask and put it on. It was only then that a look of profound relief spread across Zhou Huanan’s face.
In the living room,
From a distance in the living room, Mu Xi observed her brother’s interactions with Liu Li, noting the palpable possessiveness in his every gesture.
Unable to help herself, she bit down on her handkerchief, tears welling in her eyes, as she mentally superimposed her own image over Liu Li’s.
Only then did a measure of comfort finally settle within her.
****
On their way to school.
Indeed, just as Zhou Huanan had anticipated with dread.
Even with the mask obscuring part of her face, Liu Li’s inherent charm remained impossible to fully conceal. This, coupled with Zhou Huanan’s equally striking presence beside her, naturally drew the gaze of countless classmates and passersby, who couldn’t help but admire the aesthetically pleasing pair.
Liu Li, however, remained utterly oblivious to the stir they caused.
She simply assumed all eyes were on Zhou Huanan, given that the perpetually sunny and charming young man had been universally popular since childhood.
Yet, with every step closer to the school, and as they passed through its main gates, the whispers and discussions amongst those around them intensified, growing ever more fervent.
A collective curiosity sparked, as everyone wondered which class the beautiful girl trailing behind Zhou Huanan belonged to.
Liu Li, witnessing this overwhelming spectacle, was utterly bewildered. ‘People don’t usually react so dramatically to Zhou Huanan,’ she mused.
Consequently, the masked beauty timidly retreated behind Zhou Huanan, ducking her head and clutching at the hem of his shirt, a sight that ignited a potent cocktail of envy and jealousy in the hearts of countless male students.
As for Zhou Huanan, now thrust to the forefront, a profound sentiment welled within him.
‘This is merely the effect of me making Liu Li wear a mask…’
‘He dared not contemplate the utterly devastating impact Liu Li would unleash upon the school’s beauty rankings if she were to remove that mask.’
Zhou Huanan found himself pleasantly distressed, pondering how he would later explain Liu Li’s peculiar circumstances to the teacher: specifically, that Liu Li, despite being unequivocally a girl, had been raised as a boy by her stepmother for over a decade.
Once he had meticulously helped Liu Li resolve these myriad trivialities, and when she was awash with guilt and gratitude, he would invite her to his home. There, he would confess his long-held knowledge of her true identity as a girl, and the moment she revealed a look of stunned bewilderment, he would seize the opportunity and make his move!
‘It was time to make a fait accompli.’
‘The first time might be a touch painful, perhaps even drawing a little blood, and his wife would very likely cry.’
‘Yet, once the deed was done, he had an arsenal of comforting tactics, confident he could soothe his wife’s distress.’
‘Heh heh heh heh.’
Zhou Huanan was utterly absorbed in his delightful fantasies when the sudden ring of his phone from his pocket jolted him back to reality. Pulling it out, he saw a message from Dr. Zhuge, and a worried frown immediately creased his brow.
[The plan is about to execute its final step. Come to the base.]
“Tsk.”
‘Why, of all inconvenient moments, did it have to be now?’
Zhou Huanan quickly typed a ‘received’ on his phone, then glanced back at Liu Li, who was still timidly cowering behind him. A pang of regret tightened his features, yet he firmly grasped her wrist and pulled her forward, positioning her in front of him.
“Huh?”
Liu Li spun around, her eyes wide with alarm, staring at Zhou Huanan, who had so abruptly ‘betrayed’ her. ‘I—I can’t possibly handle all these eyes on me!’ she thought frantically.
“Something suddenly came up at home, I need to go back for a bit.”
“Sorry, you’ll have to go to class by yourself. Also, please explain to the teacher for me.”
Liu Li watched as Zhou Huanan hastily sprinted out of the school gates after delivering his abrupt message. She yearned to call him back, wondering, ‘If there’s an emergency at home, isn’t Mu Xi still there?’
Yet, a moment later, a thought struck her: this ‘something’ at home was most likely an issue instigated by Mu Xi herself.
“Alright…”
Liu Li lowered her gaze, resolving that she couldn’t always depend on Zhou Huanan. Turning, she ascended the stairs and made her way to the office, where she explained Zhou Huanan’s sudden departure to their mature homeroom teacher.
Upon receiving a sympathetic ‘Thank you for your trouble’ from the teacher, Liu Li returned to her desk, slumping weakly onto its surface.
‘Indeed, it had been quite a trying morning for her…’
Hearing a burst of laughter, she slowly lifted her heavy eyelids.
Liu Li watched the class monitor and her two friends chatting animatedly in the front row, a pang of envy striking her for their unshakeable bond. Suddenly, Unohana Ren’s expression grew solemn, and she murmured, ‘This isn’t good.’
Immediately, the three of them rushed out of the classroom in a hurry.
‘Had something happened? Surely it wasn’t a domestic emergency for all three of them simultaneously?’
Liu Li remained perplexed, yet she continued to attend class as usual. It wasn’t until a booming explosion reverberated from the distant city a short while later that she, with a distinct lack of interest, casually cast her gaze towards the sound.
A tall office building, far in the distance, was already spewing forth plumes of black smoke.
The familiar monster alarm blared through the school’s speakers. Many students in the classroom visibly brightened, thrilled at the prospect of escaping their studies. True to form, their mature teacher swiftly entered, issuing instructions for everyone to proceed to the shelters.
Liu Li slapped her book shut, then slumped onto her desk, her gaze idly fixed on the distant, burning office building. She listened as her classmates gradually filed out of the classroom, their footsteps fading.
‘After all, the Magical Girl Tri-color will take care of it, won’t they?’
It was only when the mature teacher, her black high heels clicking with a new urgency, approached her, her voice laced with concern, that Liu Li was prompted to move towards the shelter.
Perceiving Liu Li’s low spirits and sluggish responses, the normally strict homeroom teacher softened her demeanor, rushing forward with the intention of helping Liu Li to her feet.
“No need.”
Liu Li politely declined the teacher’s offer, rising to her feet and following closely behind her out of the classroom.
The corridor teemed with students, all making their way to the shelters.
Liu Li soon found herself separated from her teacher. However, she knew that simply by following the stream of students descending the stairs, she would inevitably reach the designated shelter.
As she reached the congested stairwell, Liu Li’s gaze drifted to the relatively empty stairs leading upwards. She knew she had a choice: to ascend, to embrace her destiny as a Magical Girl.
Or, she could join the boisterous throng of students surging down the stairs, heading towards the safety of the shelter.
‘Was she truly expected to follow their example, to simply cower like them?’
‘Yet, at this juncture, what purpose would transforming into a Magical Girl truly serve?’
Even if she managed to repel the monster, no one would laud Magical Girl Grey Moon’s sacrifices. Instead of praise, she would likely only invite scorn and abuse.
Furthermore.
Transforming into a Magical Girl had also transformed her into a girl, ushering in a deluge of new anxieties. While the immediate consequences weren’t yet apparent, what if, with continued transformations, her chest began to develop and grow larger?
And then there was the other matter.
Liu Li harbored a faint hope that if she refrained from transforming into a Magical Girl for an extended period, there might just be a slim chance of reverting to her former self.
Moreover.
Having waited this long to transform into Magical Girl Grey Moon, even if she were to rush to the scene now,
She would surely—
—be too late.
Given the circumstances, then.
‘Why should she still transform into a Magical Girl?’
Liu Li found her own decision to ascend the stairs rather peculiar.
‘Perhaps the rooftop offered a uniquely refreshing breeze and an unparalleled tranquility~’
Smiling.
Having distanced herself from the clamoring crowds, Liu Li felt an extraordinary sense of peace and lightness. She gazed into the distance, where the Magical Girl Tri-color were locked in combat with their foes.
Standing at the stairwell entrance, Liu Li placed a hand over her heart.
“Transform.”
Her cascading raven hair transformed into shimmering silver-grey, her slender body shrinking into that of a loli. As she opened her crimson eyes, the peerlessly beautiful and pure Magical Girl Grey Moon, her delicate high heels clicking softly, materialized on the school’s rooftop.
Magical Girl Grey Moon gazed absently at the silk gloves adorning her hands, a thought echoing in her mind: ‘This transformation offers absolutely no benefit to me…’
Never mind.
She wouldn’t dwell on it.
Magical Girl Grey Moon, who had until now maintained a façade of detached solemnity, allowed a faint, melancholic smile to grace her lips.
‘Let this be the final time.’