Rainwater dripped from the eaves, tapping out a delicate rhythm on the concrete ground.
The playground, largely deserted after school hours, held only a single, slender figure swaying idly on a rusted swing.
Qi An kept his head bowed, his school uniform jacket marked with patches of dark and light moisture on the shoulders, leaving it unclear whether it was from rain or something else entirely.
Footsteps approached from a distance, eventually halting before him.
The newcomer, without a word, settled onto the adjacent swing, causing the iron chains to emit a faint creak.
Though Qi An did not lift his gaze, he knew precisely who had arrived.
“Xiao, if one day I were to become a monster despised by everyone, would you still play with me?”
“Why ask such a strange question?”
“Because… they say I’m strange… they tell me not to constantly talk to myself, and they claim I’m always putting on a spectacle just to grab attention, like a clown…”
“Are you talking about… *them*? They’re deliberately trying to mock you. Have you forgotten when they intentionally locked you in the equipment room during gym class last time? Not only did they laugh, but they also asked why you didn’t get out sooner. What good words do you expect from people like that?”
“But… maybe they have a point this time… I really can’t help muttering to myself all the time…”
“Point? What point! The right way is to stand up to them right then and there! Not like you are now, forcing yourself to plaster on a smile and apologize the next day, even when you’re heartbroken! Last time, after you argued with them, you immediately went to the convenience store and bought each of them a drink—your fingernails must have been digging into your palms when you forced yourself to say ‘I’m sorry,’ weren’t they? I don’t believe for a second that you’re some kind of emotionless block of wood.”
“I’m sorry… but I don’t want to be alone again…”
“You’re apologizing again… And alone? You need to value yourself more. Not everyone is like that, you know. And no matter what, you’re not alone, are you? I’m your friend, aren’t I?”
“Then… will you always be my best friend? For life…”
“Huh? For life?”
“I’m sorr— erm… I said something strange again…”
“Barring any unforeseen circumstances, yes.”
“Huh?”
“And regarding your first question, even monsters have monster friends. People always protect their own, you know. Tomorrow, let’s go slap them together. They’ve ordered you around and humiliated you so many times; only a saint could put up with it.”
“But… I…”
“Remember this: never belittle yourself too much. After all, they haven’t paid you anything. If you can’t get along, then don’t. Don’t put the cart before the horse; isn’t living happily the most important thing?”
“Come on, let’s hurry home and change. You’ll catch a cold if you’re soaked through.”
****
“Liar…”
She murmured unconsciously, the voice from her dream, so solemnly promising, “Barring any unforeseen circumstances, yes,” still echoing in her ears, creating a cruel contrast with the cold rain and pain of reality.
“Hm? Liar about what?”
A calm, gentle, yet faintly cool female voice spoke up nearby.
Qi An’s eyes snapped open, revealing a strange ceiling adorned with starry-sky stickers.
A faint, soothing scent of lavender permeated the air.
A gentle, anime-style guitar melody, played and sung softly, flowed around her, its volume kept low as if to avoid disturbing someone at rest.
“You’re awake? The surgery was a complete success; you’re already a lovely girl.”
The female voice spoke again, a hint of teasing in its tone.
Qi An immediately sat up, glancing down at herself—the dream had become reality; she truly retained the form of a young girl.
The somewhat tattered dress she wore, stained with dried, dark smudges, reminded her that the desperate struggle on the bridge had been no mere nightmare.
‘Had her transformation not yet worn off?’
She gazed at her slender fingers and the long, multi-colored hair falling to her chest, pondering inwardly.
“Did you save me?”
She lifted her head, surveying her surroundings.
It was a small room, yet furnished with exceptional warmth, almost overflowing with various anime-style elements.
Anime posters adorned the walls, figurines lined the shelves, and a guitar stood in the corner.
Despite its limited size, the space exuded a vibrant sense of life and a certain fervent passion.
Beside a computer desk, placed almost flush against the bed, sat a young woman. She possessed long, light blue hair, as clear as a cloudless sky, with a few strands casually draped over her shoulders, and her aquamarine eyes gazed calmly across.
Her face seemed to lack overt expression, giving an initial impression of cool detachment, yet the look in her eyes was remarkably gentle.
Dressed in simple casual wear, she cradled a wooden guitar in her arms, the soothing music from moments before evidently having come from her.
“Not precisely.”
The blue-haired girl gently set down her guitar.
“Earlier, I was pursuing a demon that seemed capable of cloning itself. It used a vast number of familiars to deceive me, causing me to lose track of its main body for a while.”
“By the time I arrived at the bridge, I saw you battling its legion of familiars. The fight… was incredibly intense. After I dealt with those familiars and the hidden main body, you had just collapsed from exhaustion.”
She paused.
“Let me be clear upfront, I didn’t touch you anywhere. Your injuries… seemed to heal on their own after you lost consciousness.”
Hearing this, Qi An instinctively touched her head, which had been throbbing with excruciating pain moments before, then surprisingly lifted her left arm—it was perfectly intact, and even the terrifying memory of it being severed felt like an illusion.
The skirt, originally part of her transformation, was now tattered beyond recognition. She saw that her legs, which should have been broken and bloody, were pristine, though without trousers or shoes, her fair feet dangling in the air, barely shy of touching the floor.
“When did I get so short?”
She struggled to move to a full-length mirror by the bed. The girl reflected there was petite, her black and white princess dress tattered, conveying a sense of fragile vulnerability.
Her long hair, half as dark as night and half as pure as snow, cascaded to her waist, creating an unexpected sense of balance.
On her delicate face, a pair of large eyes, pure silver like congealed mercury, were slightly wide with shock and bewilderment.
The face still faintly bore traces of Qi An’s past features, yet it had been completely softened and refined, transforming into an entirely unfamiliar maiden with an ethereal beauty.
“This… is me…”
She touched the mirror incredulously, the cold sensation at her fingertips reminding her of the reality of it all.
“Are you surprised you’re completely unharmed?”
The blue-haired girl’s voice drew Qi An back from her daze.
“To encounter the ‘Rainy Night Wanderer’ and its ‘Smiling Cotton Ball Guard’ during your very first transformation—your luck truly couldn’t be worse.”
Qi An turned to face her, nodding instinctively, momentarily at a loss for words.
The other girl’s calm aura helped to somewhat steady her own chaotic emotions.
“From now on, you can just call me Xiyin.”
The blue-haired girl pointed to herself, then placed her hands on her hips, a soft confidence gracing her face.
“My combat title is ‘Stardust Sky.’ What about you? How should I address you?”
“I… I’m called Qi Yue’an.”
She hesitated for a moment before giving a more feminine name. Unsure if her current situation was common, she instinctively wished not to appear different from others.
“But… it seems this name might soon lose its meaning.”
She wanted to ask if the other girl would also “disappear,” if she had similar experiences, but the words caught in her throat.
Xiyin’s pale blue eyes watched her silently, as if capable of discerning the unease and fear within her heart.
Her expression remained unchanged, yet her voice softened slightly.
“Qi Yue’an, what a beautiful name. I’ll remember it well until you decide to let it go.”
These words were like a small stone dropped into a frozen lake, warming her heart.
“Thank you for saving me, Miss Xiyin.”
Qi An murmured her thanks.
“It was merely opportune.”
Xiyin shook her head.
“Moreover, you are very brave. The first time I encountered so many familiars, I certainly didn’t dare to charge straight into battle.”
She spoke plainly and naturally, her words not sounding like deliberate comfort.
“Brave…”
Qi Yue’an lowered her head, slowly savoring this word, so utterly unfamiliar to her.
“It was just… there was no other way… I just wanted to fight to survive…”
Besides, what kind of bravery was power born from such unspeakable despair and resentment?
Xiyin did not press further; she seemed to understand the reluctance to speak. She simply picked up a glass of water from the table and offered it, her movements remarkably polite, seemingly intending to avoid physical contact.
“Drink some water. Although your body has recovered, your mental energy is greatly depleted.”
Qi Yue’an took the glass; the water was at a perfect temperature. She drank in small sips, and for a while, only the gentle background music and the faint sound of rain outside the window filled the room.
“Um…”
Qi Yue’an set down the glass, finally gathering the courage to ask.
“Those monsters… and what exactly are these ‘magical girls’ and ‘demons’?”
She wanted to know what kind of future that selfish wish had dragged her into.
Xiyin was silent for a moment, seemingly organizing her thoughts. Her pale blue eyes gazed out at the still-falling rain, and her voice was calm and clear.
“They are typically called ‘demons’ or ‘familiars.’ Their origin is unknown to me. They appear in the ‘gaps’ of the world, such as rainy nights, dense fog, and other sparsely populated places where strange tales often emerge. Our duty, or rather, our unending task, is to fight them.”
She turned her head, looking at Qi An.
“This world has always had two sides. What you’re seeing now is merely a corner that has been forcibly unveiled. I’ve only been a magical girl for less than a month myself, so there’s much more we need to understand together.”
Her tone held neither fear nor excitement, only a tranquility bordering on resignation. This girl named Xiyin seemed to carry a heavy burden herself, yet chose to face it with a calm demeanor.
Qi Yue’an watched her, taking in the small yet warmly furnished room. The other girl’s lake-blue eyes shone with a courage Qi Yue’an lacked and an inextinguishable, brilliant starlight.
She was utterly different from the cowardly, bewildered reflection Qi Yue’an saw in the mirror. Though a faint, elusive melancholy and loneliness seemed to cling to her, she was far more resolute and resilient, truly like a luminous lone star.
“Hm? What are you spacing out about?”
The girl’s voice brought her back to reality. She turned, looking at the other girl with a slight apology.
“Don’t be afraid; it’s all over now. Being ambushed by a ‘Bridge-Breaker’ class demon like that is actually very rare. Usually, we only encounter low-level demons that are mindless and not particularly strong.”
“Bridge-Breaker?”
“Ah… never mind that. It’s just a term I made up. Actually, I hadn’t met any other magical girls before you, so I’m not really clear on demon rankings myself.”
As Qi Yue’an stood up, the torn fabric of her shoulder slipped down, revealing her fair shoulders and collarbones. The other girl seemed to notice this and politely averted her gaze.
She walked to the wardrobe, opening it just a crack, and pulled out a seemingly brand-new set of clothes and a long skirt. Qi An happened to notice it still had the tags attached.
“Seeing your clothes are so tattered, why don’t you put these on for now? These are my old clothes; they should fit you.”
A hint of awkwardness seemed to cross Xiyin’s face as she pretended to busy herself with something else, averting her gaze. Her usual calm expression somehow seemed a little forced.
‘Stare—’
Qi Yue’an quietly observed the other girl’s face, a faint puzzlement stirring within her. Given her current body, there shouldn’t be such a strong sense of taboo between two girls, yet the other girl seemed inexplicably shy.
“Haaah~ I’ll go now. Call me when you’ve changed. I still need to catch up on some sleep later.”
With a “graceful” wave of her hand, she slowly exited the room, appearing genuinely tired. Qi Yue’an was left alone, looking at the clothes in her hands. They seemed to carry the scent of rain and felt somewhat cold, as if they had been specially bought for her.
‘Do I… need to pay for the clothes…’
Qi Yue’an was wondering whether to call her bluff, but before she could decide, her peculiar thought process blurted out that question. However, the other girl seemed to have already walked away and hadn’t heard her clearly.