Preparations and Misgivings

(Bai Ziye)

The next morning.

Having carefully styled her hair with gel—my gel—and changed into a new outfit, Sailuno suppressed the flutter of excitement in her heart as she stood at the entrance. Although she wasn’t wearing any makeup, her mood made her appear radiant. Her “date” with Miluno had her putting in the highest level of effort—clearly, even I, her “brother,” had never received such treatment.

“Ye Zi! I’m off!”

“Oh. Take care.”

Click-clack—

The sound of the lock clicking shut was like a starter’s pistol in a referee’s hand. The second she was gone, I sprang up from the sofa, transformed into Miluno, and pulled out my phone to call Yin Wei.

“Sailuno has left.” I got straight to the point as soon as she answered.

“I saw. Wait until she’s farther away, then come down… Are you two really living together?”

“That’s none of your business. How sure are you about today’s plan?”

“At least ninety percent,” Yin Wei answered decisively. “Many magical girls have tried this strategy before. Hiding identities and eliminating suspicion—that’s exactly what we liaison officers are trained to do. Please, trust me.”

“Impossible. I can’t trust you.”

“I’m only helping you out of personal conviction. I’ll prove that to you over time.”

Conviction, huh?

According to Yin Wei’s plan, she had impersonated me when calling Sailuno to eliminate any suspicion directed at me. It actually made sense; if Sailuno received a call from Miluno while she was physically with me, she would never suspect that I was the real Miluno. Last night was the critical moment where I was almost discovered, and Yin Wei’s call had literally saved my life—or at least, Miluno’s secret.

But that alone wasn’t enough to make me trust a liaison from the Association. Every action of hers felt calculated.

“Sailuno is clear. You can come down now.”

Upon receiving the signal, I dashed down the stairs at three times my normal time flow and slipped into her mini-convertible within a minute of real time. Yin Wei was visibly caught off guard.

“…As expected of Miss Miluno. Your speed is even more astonishing than I imagined.”

“Your car is quite retro. You don’t see these much anymore.”

“Thanks. It’s my personal car.” The design was reminiscent of a classic Beetle, but the interior was cramped. Yin Wei started the engine, the electric soft top slowly covering the roof as she pulled away. She handed me a cloth bundle from the back. “The wrapping is a bit shabby, but everything you need is in here.”

What I had asked for was women’s clothing. Inside was a short-sleeved shirt with a floral collar and black flared pants. The outfit would be a bit stuffy for boating on the lake, but I had to wear it. It wasn’t appropriate to wear my own private clothes for a “date” with Sailuno, and brand-new clothes would look suspicious. Yin Wei had found these relatively worn items to make it look like “Miluno’s” everyday wear.

“Are these your own clothes?”

“Mm. I’m giving them to you. Change before we reach Changyue Lake.”

One of the basic functions of the Star Crystal was to store multiple outfits and allow for instant “one-click” costume changes. However, the front windshield was transparent, so I waited. Along with the clothes, she had provided a phone. If I wasn’t mistaken, it contained the SIM card she had used to call Sailuno yesterday.

“Do you intend for me to play two roles long-term just to interact with Sailuno?”

“It is the best way to eliminate her suspicions. If you feel you can’t manage it, I can impersonate Miluno’s voice for you.”

“…I’d better do it myself.”

“You can keep that phone in your pocket,” she added. “When you cancel the transformation, it will be stored together with your Star Crystal. That’s what most professional magical girls do.”

“I know that.” Yin Wei still felt the need to remind me of the basics, despite my year of experience.

Beside the phone was a stainless steel flask. “…What’s this?”

“It’s a specialized recovery tonic, created by a magical girl affiliated with the Association. It accelerates metabolism at the wound site, helping the injuries on your back heal faster. Due to low production, it’s usually unavailable to unregistered magical girls like you.”

It seemed I owed her another favor.

“Sounds like alchemy. There are magical girls who do that?”

“Not all magic is suited for combat. Under the Association’s arrangement, these girls take on support roles. They don’t earn bounties as high as yours, but they don’t have to risk their lives on the front lines. It’s much safer… Honestly, the same could be said for Sailuno. Since she lacks offensive abilities, it’s important for her to choose a path that suits her.”

If Sailuno didn’t have to fight on the front lines, it would be a massive relief. Her gentle personality and magic always made me nervous whenever she went into battle.

“Did you ask her about it?”

“The Association is humane. We don’t force magical girls into combat if they aren’t suited for it. That would go against our founding principles.”

“But she refused, didn’t she?”

“Mm.”

I sighed inwardly. The “ideal” magical girl in that blockhead’s mind would never be a supporting character working silently behind the scenes.

“If I may ask,” Yin Wei said as she navigated the car. “Since you are such close friends with Sun Yao, why are you so determined to hide your identity from her?”

Probing again. This was why Association staff were so exhausting.

“I don’t want to discuss this.”

“…I understand. Tell me when you’re willing.”

“That time will never come.”

Sector E2, where Changyue Lake was located, was in the northern suburbs. Although it was just diagonally above Sector D3 on the map, the roads were winding. Sailuno was taking the rail, so she might actually arrive before us.

“We’ll arrive once we cross this mountain. Please leave your personal phone behind at that point.”

I understood. She intended to reply to Sailuno’s messages as “Bai Ziye” while I was acting as Miluno.

“Thank you for your cooperation. Also, there’s a tunnel ahead; you can change your clothes in there.”

Before she even finished speaking, we drove into a dim tunnel. There were no cars in sight—it was the perfect opportunity. I used the Star Crystal to instantly swap into the shirt and flared pants.

“Miss Miluno, I know you don’t trust the Association,” Yin Wei said, essentially talking to herself now. “And I know you don’t understand why I’m helping you personally. I joined the Association to help magical girls. If my status as an official bothers you, I am happy to cooperate with you on a purely personal basis.”

“You’ve said that many times.”

“But you still don’t trust me, do you?”

“Trust earned through words is cheap. I only hope the Association will respect my privacy and my freedom.”

“The Association just hopes you can realize your full potential. Your power can protect more than just one city sector; you could save countless lives.”

Round and round we go. It always came back to them wanting me to accept their patronage.