A few days later.
At school, Liu Li, as always, was slacking off during class, scrolling through her phone at her desk.
“Aghhh!!!”
In the video, the monster’s agonizing shriek echoed over C City today, as Scarlet Magical Girl and Magical Girl Grey Moon united, delivering a crushing blow to the monsters. The two Magical Girls, despite their past estrangement, had collectively made quite a splash. News media seized the opportunity to report extensively, proclaiming it a testament to the pure friendship between Magical Girls, all to capture eyeballs.
The familiar female news reporter declared, “Scarlet Magical Girl once publicly criticized Magical Girl Grey Moon, and the two had a rift between them. This joint operation is undoubtedly a hammer of justice brought down upon the evil organization…”
‘Hehehe…’
A happy thought suddenly struck Liu Li, prompting a silly grin as she rested her head on her desk. She swiped away the video, opened her wallet, glanced at the balance that would cover her meals for years to come, then swiped past it to look at the photo booth pictures Unohana Ren had sent her from their outing that day. Then, her gaze drifted to the person she cared for, sitting just ahead. Liu Li couldn’t help but feel a profound sense of contentment; life had truly taken a turn for the better.
She looked outside; the sky was so blue, and the sunlight today felt wonderfully warm and comfortable. Lazily, she closed her eyes.
She no longer had to worry about what to eat tomorrow, no longer had to endure her manager’s reprimands, and had even gained the friendship of a fellow Magical Girl. This life felt like a dream. It seemed that ever since that day in the gymnasium, when she had finally acknowledged her true feelings, life had simply continued to improve.
A notification sound drew Liu Li’s attention back to her phone. It was a QQ message from Zhou Huanan. Like any girl harboring a secret crush, she tapped it open instantly.
[Bro, the Magical Girl Grey Moon figures go on sale today.]
[Doesn’t my silly sister love Magical Girls? She’s been pestering me to buy one for her.]
[Want to come queue with me after school tonight? I’ll treat you to a cola.]
‘Ah, so it’s today.’
Liu Li ignored the teacher’s lecture, her face resting on her desk as she typed a reply with her thumb. A student in the front row was ‘one-shotted’ by the mature teacher just for yawning, yet Liu Li’s blatant phone usage went unchecked. This was the privilege of Liu Li, the ‘King of Slacking.’ As long as her grades remained average, her teachers wouldn’t bother her.
Liu Li typed out several lines, only to find herself at a loss for what to say to Zhou Huanan. She secretly turned her head to gaze at his diligent back in the front row, a smile of inexplicable reassurance blossoming in her heart. ‘Actually, as long as I’m with him, I don’t really care what we do. I’ll be happy no matter what.’
Zhou Huanan, his phone hidden in his desk drawer, felt it vibrate. He stealthily pulled it out to check. Seeing Liu Li’s simple ‘Okay,’ his heart instantly soared with elation. It was like the national football team qualifying for the World Cup without spending a dime; he felt so ecstatic he could have jumped up and danced in public. ‘What is this? This isn’t just a simple ‘okay,’ you idiot! This is my *wife* agreeing to a date! Woohoo!!’
Devious Zhou Huanan, that wicked, ‘bottom-tier’ guy, who saw himself as Liu Li’s invincible ‘good bro-san’ in her eyes. Liu Li would never guess that he, Zhou Huanan, had been plotting this for a long time! He was setting a trap, luring the innocent Liu Li step by step into his home. Once the front door closed, Zhou Huanan would triumphantly remove his Stone Mask, revealing a sinister grin as he confessed, ‘Liu Li! I don’t want to be your good brother anymore!!! *Croak*.’
First, he would take Liu Li to a hobby store under the pretense of watching a movie. After the movie, he’d claim to have a Western restaurant coupon, though it would actually be a candlelight dinner he’d booked in advance. He even had his lines prepared. When Liu Li became a little uneasy about the restaurant being too fancy, he would seize the opportunity to say, ‘Oops, I made a mistake, didn’t I? Oh, I’m so silly. This is the kind of place you only bring your wife to. But Liu Li, you look so much like a ‘girl,’ you could be my wife too.’ Then, he would receive a delightful, bashful scolding from his ‘wife,’ which would not only help her recognize her own gender but also expose her to more of the world, preventing her from being snatched away by some little blond-haired boy. ‘Oh, just thinking about the possibilities, Liu Li might even shyly bite her lower lip and nod her adorable agreement. This is a triple win, a win-win-win! Zhou Huanan would win three times.’
Zhou Huanan savored his date plan, wondering if Liu Li would blush and call him a ‘small fry’ or ‘bottom-tier’ at the time. ‘Woohoo~’ Zhou Huanan was utterly lost in his reverie. As for the excuse he’d gotten from Mu Xi about buying a Magical Girl Grey Moon figure? ‘Sorry. Never even crossed my mind. That ‘bottom-tier’ sister of mine can do whatever she wants; getting my wife is the top priority.’
With his lips pursed in anticipation of their after-school date, Zhou Huanan remained oblivious to Liu Li’s gaze, which had never left him from behind. Regardless, the young girl was full of eager expectation.
****
They endured until four o’clock dismissal. Zhou Huanan stretched and waved goodbye to the teacher, then gave Liu Li a meaningful look. Liu Li, who had been ‘dead’ all day, sprang to life, expertly following close behind Zhou Huanan.
Everyone else in the class found such a daily occurrence commonplace. Only Unohana Ren watched Liu Li, who was following without much thought, and then saw Zhou Huanan walking ahead with a strange, mischievous grin. Unohana Ren understood everything instantly, muttering under her breath, “What a creep…”
****
Commercial Street.
Just as Zhou Huanan saw the hobby store was packed with people and suggested they go for a sweet movie date instead… Liu Li’s single sentence delivered the killing blow.
“…I want to buy a Grey Moon figure too.”
‘Miscalculated!’ Zhou Huanan cried out inwardly, kneeling on the ground in despair. His sweet freedom, all his meticulous plans, were shattered by Liu Li’s simple statement.
Liu Li tilted her head, not understanding why Zhou Huanan was so distraught. She had simply said she wanted a Grey Moon figure too; after all, she was curious to see how her own figure had turned out. ‘Wasn’t the original purpose of coming here to buy a figure for Mu Xi? Logically, my wanting one too is just a convenient addition, right?’
‘Oh…’ Liu Li’s beautiful eyes widened, her long eyelashes fluttering as she finally understood Zhou Huanan’s worries and the calculations he had been making. Liu Li’s innocent face visibly flushed with panic, and she hastily tugged at Zhou Huanan’s sleeve.
“I—I’ll buy it with my own money!”
Zhou Huanan looked down at the girl, her lips bitten, her cheeks slightly puffed out in a cute display of indignation. ‘So adorable!!’
‘No! I want to explain that’s not what I’m worried about, but Liu Li really is too cute. Forget it—’ Zhou Huanan decided to cast all his date plans to the wind.
Liu Li found herself being forcibly pulled along by his hand. As they walked down the street, curious glances came their way. Liu Li lowered her head, feeling a blush of embarrassment from being stared at, yet a thrill ran through her at the thought of being led by the person she liked. She saw Zhou Huanan’s large hand grasping her wrist, their palms brushing slightly. The point of contact was ticklish, a little funny, and a tingling warmth, like a gentle electric current, spread directly to her heart. Liu Li felt that walking like this for a little longer would be perfectly fine.
Yet, she was also afraid. Her palms had grown a little sweaty, and she feared he would let go in disgust. Thus, the timid girl, under pressure, launched a counterattack: with her other hand, she extended her index finger and thumb, using the clear, dewy tips of her nails to delicately pinch Zhou Huanan’s sleeve. Liu Li was so afraid of pinching too hard and being discovered by the man that she only dared to pinch the very outermost layer of his clothing. Once she confirmed her subtle, transgressive action hadn’t been noticed, Liu Li breathed a deep sigh of relief. ‘Now, I feel much more at ease.’
In this slightly awkward, one-behind-the-other formation, they joined the long queue in front of the hobby store. Strictly speaking, now that they had arrived, Zhou Huanan should have let go of Liu Li, but she didn’t seem to notice that this time, his grip on her wrist had shifted lower, to the point where their palms were almost touching. Zhou Huanan realized once again that what he held in his hand, soft and smooth like fine jade, was a genuine girl’s hand. He resolved not to let go until Liu Li spoke up and noticed.
****
‘If only he could keep holding me like this forever.’ Though she knew it was a foolish wish, Liu Li couldn’t help but think it. She truly, deeply loved the sensation of being held tightly, the sense of security that enveloped her. To prevent anyone from noticing her subtle grip on Zhou Huanan’s hand, or breaking their connection, Liu Li pressed very close to his back. And because she was so close, the ‘energy’ from the person in front of her transferred through heat, reassuring Liu Li, making her instinctively want to draw even closer.
Zhou Huanan felt the girl’s delicate form against his back. He dared not turn around, dared not ask, fearing that if he questioned or did anything, Liu Li would pull away. Zhou Huanan feigned a yawn, looking up at the sky, but in reality, his brave face was hiding a subtle flush that he couldn’t let anyone see. Both of them were determined to silently savor this subtly intoxicating, heart-fluttering experience of youth.
Thus, the two said not a single word to each other. When Zhou Huanan noticed an open space ahead and took a step, Liu Li mirrored his movement with the same stride, continuing to press tightly against his back. Zhou Huanan, again and again, felt with his body that the girl wasn’t wearing a bra… He had known this answer for a long time, yet now, as he physically re-learned this knowledge, his heart pounded so hard it felt like it would leap from his throat.
Perhaps for others, the notoriously long and boring queue in front of the hobby store was nothing but an tedious wait. But for Liu Li and Zhou Huanan, they wished the queue would stretch even longer. Only… as the two approached the entrance of the store, they both thought the same thing, and both felt a pang of regret. ‘If only we could truly hold hands, five fingers intertwined with five fingers, palm to palm.’