By the Lakeside

(Bai Ziye)

The car emerged from the mountain tunnel, the exit perched high on the mountainside. Below, Changyue Lake shimmered under the intense sunlight, its narrow surface half-embraced by crescent-shaped peaks and half-facing the great forest north of the city.

“SpiCa mentioned that proposal to me—using the experimental wormhole system to act as ‘firefighters’ worldwide… Honestly, if the Association’s wormhole technology is mature enough, I wouldn’t be entirely opposed.”

“…Not opposed? Does that mean you’re willing to cooperate?” Yin Wei stopped the car by the mountain road.

The park entrance was at the foot of the mountain, where the intercity railway station was also located. She had parked here, implying I should walk the rest of the way myself to avoid being seen together.

I opened the door and stepped out, leaning on the roof before I left. “However, the Association’s incessant probing of my limits is starting to irritate me. Concealing my identity and serving as a ‘firefighter’ are not mutually exclusive goals. I hope the Association can offer me a solution that satisfies both.”

I had essentially laid my cards on the table. Yin Wei nodded firmly. “Understood. I’ll convey this to the Director.”

“Let’s discuss it later, then. I’ll head down from here.”

Bam. I closed the car door.

(Sun Yao)

“Wow, half an hour early. I guess I was a bit fast.”

Rail transit these days was incredibly convenient—the city network was extensive, even passing through the great forest to reach the neighboring hubs. But my destination today wasn’t the next city over; it was the natural scenic area on the outskirts, the lake surrounded by mountains.

“I can’t believe Miss Miluno actually invited me out alone. I wonder if her injuries have healed.”

It was a strange coincidence—Ye Zi had gone for gua sha therapy yesterday and ended up with injuries on his back, too. Though scraping therapy shouldn’t be that serious, the timing was odd.

I stood at the entrance of Changyue Lake National Nature Park, scanning the area. Even though we had agreed to meet here, I was still thirty minutes early. I prepared myself for a wait.

“Sailuno.”

A cool, steady greeting came from behind me.

Miss Miluno stood there in casual clothes, wearing a mask. She looked like a sharp, intellectual office lady fresh out of college… but the style of her outfit seemed strangely familiar for some reason.

“M-Miss Miluno! Thank you so much for inviting me out to relax despite your busy schedule!”

She waved her hand dismissively. “No need to be so formal. I invited you, so I should be the one welcoming you.”

“Not at all! You’ve always been my idol! And yesterday, you even protected me… Mph?!”

Before I could finish, Miss Miluno covered my mouth with her hand. The faint scent of her skin entered my nose, making my face redden. It felt oddly familiar, like a scent I had encountered somewhere else recently.

“Your voice is too loud,” Miluno whispered. “I don’t want to be recognized here.”

“Sorry,” I muffled through her hand.

Though there weren’t many people around, I shouldn’t forget that this was a secret outing. Miss Miluno’s caution was admirable!

She sighed, pulling her hand away. “Apologizing at the drop of a hat is one of your biggest flaws.”

“S-Sorry.”

“You…”

“…”

Ugh, I apologized again subconsciously.

“Sigh, let’s head inside first.”

Miss Miluno had arrived even earlier than me and had already prepared the tickets. The park was surprisingly empty—aside from us, there were almost no other visitors. Just as expected, outdoor spots weren’t popular in this forty-degree heat. But this was undoubtedly a brilliant move by Miss Miluno—with no one else around, it was like we had the whole place to ourselves!

I looked up. The sky was a clear, cloudless blue. Aside from the sun, only the phase-detection airships patrolled the heights. The pure blue stretched out like a giant, shimmering curtain.

Even though sweat was already trickling down my back, I still asked, “…So, are we really going to row a boat on the lake?”

The park entrance wasn’t far from the shore. After a few steps, the vast lake and the boat rental dock came into view—but not a single boat was out on the water. Miluno looked at the lake. The extreme heat caused steam to rise from the surface, distorting the view in an unnatural shimmer.

“…No. Let’s not row a boat.”

Though known as an “Ice Queen,” Miss Miluno couldn’t actually create cold. The lakeside heat made her cheeks slightly flushed, but she remained far calmer than I was—undoubtedly due to her immense willpower! She was truly amazing.

Still, I was secretly relieved we weren’t going boating in this weather.

“Then what should we do?”

Miluno studied the park map for a moment. “Let’s walk along the lake to the mountain trail, then climb up. The temperature in the forest halfway up should be significantly lower… But before we head up, we need to buy plenty of water.”

“Okay! I’ll buy it!”

I couldn’t let Miss Miluno keep paying for everything. Since I hadn’t even covered the tickets, it was only right for me to handle the supplies. After all, Miss Miluno wasn’t registered with the Association; she acted as a magical girl out of a pure sense of duty—which was one of the many reasons I admired her so much.

She fought monsters not for money, but for the sake of the city, like the heroes in the old legends. She was a noble, righteous protector. I wanted to become a magical girl just like her.

There was a small shop by the main gate. “Miss Miluno, what would you like to drink?”

“Just plain mineral water. I don’t like sweet drinks.”

“Got it!” I ran to the shop. Miss Miluno not liking sweets is so cool!

“Three bottles of mineral water and one cola, please.”

“That’ll be forty-five yuan.”

As expected, tourist prices were a total ripoff. Carrying the cold drinks, I returned to the lakeshore—only to find Miss Miluno already sitting on the grass under the shade of a large tree.

Couldn’t take the heat anymore?

“Miss Miluno, here’s your water.”

“Thanks.”

“Hehe~”

She looked up at me as she took the bottle. “Just like that. You have a nice smile.”

“R-Really? Actually, I’m not very good at interacting with people.” I sat down beside her, waiting for my cola to cool my hands.

“Not good at interacting? Don’t you have any friends?”

“I do have friends!” I said proudly. There was one person I could say that about without hesitation. No matter what happened, I still had Ye Zi… though for now, it was only Ye Zi.

Miss Miluno downed half the bottle, then asked, “What kind of person is this friend?”

“Hehe, his name is Bai Ziye. I usually call him Ye Zi or Leaf. He’s my most important person—my best friend.” Words I could never bring myself to say in front of Ye Zi came easily when talking to Miss Miluno. “Because of some family issues, my father hardly cared for me when I was growing up, leaving me to fend for myself. Just when I was about to give up, Ye Zi walked into my life and pulled me out of the abyss…”

As the emotions surged, I noticed Miss Miluno scratching her cheek shyly. “Ahem… seems you’ve had a rough time of it.”

“I brought a lot of it on myself,” I replied with a bitter smile. Thinking of the past always brought me down.

But then, Miss Miluno placed her hand on my shoulder. “Relaxing is meant to let out emotions, not to dig up old dirt. Lift your head. Looking at the scenery can soothe those negative feelings.”

She was so kind.

The weather was still miserably hot, and I felt restless, but in front of Miss Miluno, I refused to let my unsightly side show. “Thank you, Miss Miluno.”

“First easy apologies, now easy thanks? If you do those things too casually, they lose their meaning.”

“…Yeah. I understand.”

Hearing my answer, Miss Miluno gave a rare, faint smile. She was breathtaking—more captivating than any mountain scenery.

“Since we’re out enjoying ourselves,” she said, “aren’t you going to take a picture and send it to your friend?”