After Magical Girl Grey Moon had her fill of playing among the clouds, she descended, making her way home. Along the route, she spotted the Sparkling Magical Girl Company building. Remembering that Mu Xi’s entire collection of magical girl figures were produced by this very company, Grey Moon veered sharply and flew towards it.
As she drew closer to the building, she noticed a sign hanging outside a particular window, clearly labeled ‘Manager’s Office.’
‘Is this a specialized ‘doorplate’ just for magical girls?’ Grey Moon mused inwardly, a slight scoff in her thoughts, before gliding through the open window.
Inside the manager’s office, behind a plain desk, a middle-aged manager with sophisticated glasses was pouring coffee, his head bowed. When a magical girl suddenly flew in, his hand didn’t even twitch, as if it were an everyday occurrence.
“I’ve mentioned this before, haven’t I? When esteemed magical girls come to my humble office to discuss cooperation, it’s best to knock on the window—”
The middle-aged manager grumbled, lifting his head in annoyance. However, upon seeing Magical Girl Grey Moon standing before him in her battle-damaged ceremonial attire, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
“Holy hell! Magical Girl Grey Moon!?”
“This is truly like drawing an SSR! I presume, Grey Moon, you’ve come to our company to sell your image, to be immortalized into exquisite, peerless collectible figures for countless otaku to admire! Am I right!?”
“Yes, yes, absolutely!”
“Especially in your current battle-damaged state, oh my, oh my… not a single part that shouldn’t be exposed is, yet every part that *can* be exposed, is!”
“Torn white stockings are a feast for my eyes, a battle-damaged sacred skirt is a treat, but that exquisitely exposed abdomen? Oh, that’s a gourmet meal, a true delicacy— *sniffle, sniffle*.”
“Can we sign the image rights contract right now!? Huh? Can we? I beg you!”
‘I suddenly don’t feel like signing anymore…’ Grey Moon thought, watching the man before her whose face was alight with fervent excitement, transforming from a refined office worker into a middle-aged otaku. She began to regret her decision to stop by.
“Signing will get you three hundred thousand.”
“I’ll sign.”
Before her brain could even process it, Magical Girl Grey Moon’s mouth had already uttered an affirmative, responding in less than a millisecond. The manager, without a hint of hesitation, pulled a contract from under his desk and slapped it onto the surface.
He then produced a red-ink fountain pen and handed it to Magical Girl Grey Moon.
Grey Moon casually glanced over the contract, which she knew she wouldn’t understand anyway, and headed straight for the signature line. She picked up the pen, a flicker of indecision in her eyes.
The manager offered a timely reminder.
“Ah, that, just sign ‘Grey Moon,’ that’s all you need to do.”
‘What a lifesaver,’ Grey Moon sighed in relief internally. Happily, she wrote her name, then pressed her handprint, and handed it back to the manager. He took it, an expression of utter bliss spreading across his face.
“Now, the shelf behind me finally holds every magical girl from C City!”
He let out a long, drawn-out groan, slumping back into his chair, drool escaping the corner of his mouth as if high on some illicit substance, lost in ecstasy. It took him a long moment to realize his impropriety, and he quickly straightened up.
“My apologies. I was simply too excited to meet you just now. Please forgive my rudeness.”
“This is my business card.”
Grey Moon took the card. It bore the name Manager Tian. When she looked up again, he had reverted to his image as a high-quality, professional man.
He adjusted his sophisticated glasses and placed a silver bank card on the desk.
“This is your bank card. It’s an anonymously opened account using special methods, untraceable by the police.”
“As stated in the contract, all income from your image rights will be deposited into this card. There are already three hundred thousand inside.”
“Do you have any other questions?”
“Hmm…” Grey Moon hesitated, taking the silver card. The thought of three hundred thousand—an amount equivalent to a hundred months of her current work—made the card feel incredibly heavy.
“It’s just… is this really okay?”
“Eh?” Manager Tian looked somewhat bewildered, as if asking, ‘What are you talking about?’
“My reputation among the public isn’t very good right now, it seems. Perhaps this isn’t the best time to release figures…”
‘What if it causes your company to lose money?’ Thinking this, Grey Moon felt the bank card in her hand grow hot.
Manager Tian smiled, taking a sip of his coffee.
“That, my dear, is precisely why I adore magical girls so much.”
“You needn’t worry. Even if countless people online criticize Magical Girl Grey Moon as an undeserving victor, your peerless beauty alone will ensure a horde of ‘beauty-chasers’ will buy your figures.”
‘Why does it sound like I’m becoming a woman who relies on her looks to make a living?’ Grey Moon’s crimson eyes narrowed with a hint of resentment, but Manager Tian deliberately ignored it, continuing his monologue.
“Moreover, I believe that no matter what, there are always good-hearted citizens who genuinely love magical girls. So, you absolutely don’t need to worry about being unpopular.”
“Nor should you feel that your poor reputation might cause us trouble.”
“Quite the opposite, in fact.”
“Magical Girl Grey Moon, you seem to have no idea just how much ‘traffic’ you currently command.”
“Please grant me one week.”
A powerful aura suddenly emanated from Manager Tian, so potent that even Grey Moon, a magical girl capable of single-handedly repelling a Great Demon, couldn’t help but adopt a more demure posture.
“By then, I shall invite you to witness firsthand the power of ‘black-and-red’ marketing!”
Just as Manager Tian reached the peak of his excitement, a whimsical anime tune chimed from Grey Moon’s pocket. She mumbled an apology, and Manager Tian hastily replied, “No, no, not at all.”
Grey Moon took out her phone, seeing that the caller was Zhou Huanan.
****
Nearby, on a bustling commercial street, Unohana Ren walked, holding a crepe in one hand and scrolling through her phone with the other. Her brow furrowed as she scrolled through the sudden proliferation of online comments supporting Magical Girl Grey Moon.
Many headlines proclaimed ‘haters turned fans’ and similar sentiments like ‘I’m done being an internet mercenary.’
“Damn it…”
‘What’s so great about that Magical Girl Grey Moon, anyway?’
Consumed by jealousy, Unohana Ren immediately began arguing with those online who praised Magical Girl Grey Moon. However, a high school student was no match for professional trolls. By the time she finished her crepe, Unohana Ren had been utterly decimated in the online battle.
“Damn it!!”
Unohana Ren, on the verge of tears, turned off her phone, feeling utterly dejected.
She looked up and saw Liu Li waiting anxiously by the fountain in the pedestrian street.
“Ah~”
Unohana Ren’s heart was instantly mended by this chance encounter. ‘Liu Li is so adorable today, too.’
Unohana Ren had been interested in this adorable boy, who always sat in the corner of their classroom, for a very, very long time. If she looked at him, he would shyly lower his head; if she teased him, he would become flustered. He was endlessly interesting, and her initial interest gradually blossomed into genuine affection.
Her cheeks flushed a faint red. Then she noticed another man trying to flirt with Liu Li, and Unohana Ren’s shy blush instantly turned into a furious crimson. She had a bizarre sensation of being cuckolded. In two quick steps, she rushed over to rescue Liu Li from the situation.
“Th-thank you…”
Unohana Ren watched Liu Li thank her with his head bowed. She reached out, wanting to ruffle his hair, but Liu Li, surprisingly agile, dodged away.
She felt a pang of regret at not being able to touch him, but Unohana Ren didn’t give up. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Liu Li had become even cuter and more handsome these past two days.
“Liu Li~ Are you waiting for someone here~?”
“Or, perhaps, are you deliberately waiting for me~?”
She deliberately teased Liu Li, hoping to see his flustered reaction. But this time, Liu Li didn’t show such an expression. Instead, he quickly took a few steps, hiding behind Zhou Huanan, who had just walked over.
“I’m sorry, I… I was waiting for him…”
After saying this, Liu Li and Zhou Huanan left together.
Only Unohana Ren remained, standing alone, utterly disheveled by the wind.
‘What am I?’
‘Am I… a clown?’
Unohana Ren stood there, stunned, feeling as though she wore a large red clown nose, with everyone around her laughing. ‘Hey, you all, don’t you dare laugh at me!’