Chapter 6 Let me see if you are developing normally
On a spring day in April, the sky appeared particularly gloomy, with sunlight scattering lazily, alternating with tree shadows above.
Perhaps due to the orange wind warning after ten years, there were particularly few pedestrians on the street, and only the drifting willow fluff was desperately trying to squeeze into every gap.
But some people are destined to be the center of attention, not having to worry about going unnoticed wherever they go.
Just passing by quickly can attract frequent glances from others, and casual comments online stand out as unique.
“Alright, we’re almost there; come out from behind.”
Miti turned around and looked at the Wooden Mouse, who was using her as a shield, and let out a helpless sigh.
Hearing Miti’s words, Sumu cautiously peeked her head out, confirming that there was no one around, then she finally relaxed.
That segment earlier was one of the most excruciating experiences of her life.
The charm of this outfit lies in the fact that when she lowers her head trying to avoid the gazes of L and Miti, she looks like a prisoner being escorted.
But if she stands tall and looks up… she probably won’t seem like a normal person.
She felt so embarrassed that Sumu even thought of emulating a certain socially anxious girl with the same pink hair, blue eyes, and D-cup, putting a mature mango over herself.
“Damn it, if I had known, I would have just wrapped myself in a coat outside.”
Sumu muttered in embarrassment, but her almost inaudible voice was caught by L.
She couldn’t help but furrow her brow, feeling puzzled.
Is this person really the kind of species that is reckless online but a socially anxious invisible person in reality?
Shaking her head to toss out the chaotic thoughts, L reached out her hand to feel the flow of air.
On such a clamorous windy day, it was a pity that there were no monsters; now, her hands were itching.
“This is the Magical Girl Association of City B.”
Sumu lifted her head, looking at the somewhat nostalgic old street scene on both sides, her eyes slightly dazed.
The rusty bicycles parked by the roadside, the mottled square stone bricks underfoot, and the swaying tree shadows in the wind seemed to recall the echoes of the last century.
But the Western-style building in the center of her view appeared particularly abrupt, almost breaking the time filter cast over the old street.
“Doesn’t it look just like a café?”
“The first floor is a café, and various drinks and desserts are provided for free inside.”
Pushing open the clean glass door, Miti subtly gestured to the chestnut-haired woman behind the bar and then led Sumu downstairs.
“Why here?”
Miti shrugged slightly.
“You’d have to ask the boss about that. Anyway, we usually don’t stay long at the association; most of the time, it’s just a meeting point.”
Far more casual than Sumu had imagined.
After all, a city with only a handful of magical girls had no reason to establish a large and systematic management facility.
But considering the status of magical girls in people’s hearts, the budget must not be lacking; it was probably all spent on the exquisite decorations around.
Turning around the wooden staircase corner, a warm and cozy living room came into view.
The thick carpet underfoot felt exceptionally soft, and under the gentle lighting, the well-placed sofa and TV seemed to be inviting people in.
Just breathing the air here made one’s heart instinctively relax, completely unlike the tense, serious, and technological atmosphere Sumu had imagined.
“By the way, the boss you mentioned refers to—”
“Naitou.”
Now, every time Sumu hears the word “rabbit,” she feels a chill run down her spine. The absurdity of transforming the association into a café most likely stemmed from that person.
“So where is she now?”
“You’ll see her soon.”
Next to the living room was a long corridor; Miti walked straight to the end and opened the door.
Curious, Sumu looked inside, her eyes gradually adapting to the dimness of the room.
As she moved forward, her foot bumped into something, and looking down, she saw a red gaming console.
Not just one; various styles of gaming consoles and discs were neatly stacked into a small mountain in the corner.
But the most eye-catching was the silver-haired girl sitting in an e-sports chair, her back to the others.
Wearing headphones, she was intently controlling a game controller, maneuvering the character on the screen, the Knight, skillfully dodging various traps.
Her hand movements were minimal, and the character’s movement paths were not exaggerated, yet she managed to perfectly avoid all threats, smoothly reaching the end under the intricate design.
As the game entered the scoring page, the girl took off her headphones and stopped looking, and without a doubt, it was an S rank.
She had already sensed the arrival of the others before the door was pushed open.
“Yo, you’re here.”
“Yes, boss, is there anything else? If not, I’m leaving.”
Miti seemed to be in a bit of a hurry, unsure if being around the silver-haired girl made her uneasy or if she had other matters to attend to.
“Nothing, thanks for today, Miti.”
Miti nodded, quickly disappearing at the doorway, while L did not leave but wore a look of hesitation.
“Little L, there are no monster incidents to deal with at the moment.”
Before L could speak, the girl seemed to predictively answer the question she had in mind, causing L to instantly show a look of disappointment. She waved her little fists in the air, then glanced back at Sumu before leaving the room.
When the girl saw Sumu’s outfit, her eyes narrowed with a slight grin, obviously pleased with the result.
“Irina-chan, congratulations! You’ve appeared before me entirely intact; how about a coffee to celebrate, or perhaps milk tea? I heard that young girls like those.”
The annoying Gray Bunny ID belonged to the carefree silver-haired girl in front of her, and thinking that all her recent experiences were orchestrated by her made Sumu feel bitterness rising in her throat.
“Those are irrelevant; at least explain why you went through so much trouble to bring me here.”
Right now, Sumu truly felt exhausted. Although her body hadn’t been harmed, the mental turmoil had been too substantial.
Experiencing a horror movie from L’s perspective, being forced to transform into a Magical Girl, and wearing this outrageously poor outfit…
“Before discussing that, let me first check your body.”
The girl picked up a cold cup of coffee from the table, took a sip, and snapped her fingers. The next moment, the door suddenly closed by itself, a gust of cold wind blowing against Sumu’s back, causing her to shiver and instinctively wrap her arms around herself.
“Quick, take off your clothes.”
The girl spoke aggressively while slowly approaching Sumu, her wicked little hands grasping the air, resembling a villain cornering a fragile girl.
Surprisingly, she only came up to Sumu’s eyebrows, making her actions appear somewhat… cute?
However, in Sumu’s eyes, who had already been through so much, this seemingly harmless silver-haired girl was no different from a smiling devil.
“What… what are you going to do?”
“Hehe, of course, I want to see if you are developing normally~”
