Chapter 157
After the Maple Plain Festival, amidst another Monster incident, the news of the return of the Magic girl Phantom Wind, who had been missing for many years, immediately ignited the internet. On that day, the top headlines and trending topics on major news and social media platforms were almost all about the reappearance of this strongest Magic girl.
There are, of course, many, many debates surrounding this.
For example, why did the Magic girl Phantom Wind suddenly reappear after being missing for so long? Does she know the active Magic girls? And why hasn't she ever acted with other active Magic girls?
Of course, these are not the most popular discussions.
Currently, the most discussed topic in Maple Plain City is "Which is stronger, Magic Girl Phantom Wind or Magic Girl Fate Kite?"
"Look everyone, this is the result of Fate Kite and Phantom Wind's most powerful punches to date."
"Fate Kite's punch shattered a building, and the force of the punch affected two adjacent buildings, causing the windows on both sides to dent and shatter. It didn't even collapse. Imagine if that punch had landed on the ground; at best, it would have been incredibly weak. I can't say whether the punch's force would have exceeded fifty tons."
"Previously, this was Phantom Wind's classic street-smashing ultimate move, a kick weighing nearly 100 tons—its greatness needs no further explanation."
"Here, I conclude that Phantom Wind will definitely Fate Kite instantly???"
After this issue arose, the fans of Phantom Wind and Silver Feather almost had a huge argument. They argued from day to night, bringing out all the existing videos and battle records to compare their strengths.
"In terms of battle record, Phantom Wind can be called the God of War of Maple Plain City. He has defeated countless Perfect Form Monster. Fate Kite is still too inexperienced."
"Then why don't you mention the mysterious Bird-type Monster that Fate Kite defeated when it first appeared? Just that Monster alone, no matter how many Perfect Form Monster there are, they can't compare to defeating it, right?"
In short, although there are more fans of the Phantom Wind today, in terms of actual achievements, the Fate Kite Wind fans definitely outnumber the Phantom Wind.
Moreover, until now, Phantom Wind has never cooperated with the active Magic girls, which is completely different from the close relationship that Magic girls usually have during battles.
Some people, after Phantom Wind appeared, remembered the Magic girl who fought alongside Phantom Wind in the past.
"Does nobody remember Color Feather? I really liked her back then, I thought she was even cuter than Star Flower- chan?"
"Color Feather? A child I don't recognize." (No concern)
"Come and get Dark Magical Girl Dark Feather as a meal replacement, anyway they all look pretty much the same, although it seems like it's been a long time since she's last appeared."
"Yeah, what about Dark Feather? I was really looking forward to seeing how she did."
While most people are discussing these two main Magic girls, some are also thinking about some relatively less popular Magic girls.
And right now, lying in bed listlessly scrolling through these comments, is none other than the evil Magic girl, the Dark Feather Transformer, Ms. Kuroki Yuka herself.
"Now, not only are we unable to defeat Silver Feather, but even a Magic girl of Phantom Wind's caliber has reappeared...?"
Kuroki Yuka turned off her phone and placed it on her forehead, partially obscuring her eyes. However, since the room was already dark at night, she didn't feel any darkness.
Since the summer vacation ended at the local high school, she has been staying at home, except for secretly training against Monster to increase her strength.
Her life didn't change much after she moved to this city.
Rather, it would be more accurate to say that her life became even more decadent and disorganized after she was left unsupervised.
Day and night are reversed, meals are irregular, and garbage accumulates.
It's completely different from when I was in school.
Although her Aunt often wanted to come and take care of her, Kuroki Yuka didn't want her Aunt to see the state of her home.
In this monotonous life of living alone, Kuroki Yuka a little curious about her neighbor, Haihara.
Miss Haihara is a young office worker. She doesn't know much about her specific job, but she gets off work early and seems unhurried when she goes to work in the morning.
This woman gave off a somewhat aloof and gloomy impression Kuroki Yuka n't sure if Haihara was like this in front of acquaintances, but he certainly hadn't seen Haihara smile.
Based on Kuroki Yuka's observations so far, Haihara- san probably doesn't have a boyfriend and lives alone like herself.
Every time I happen to see Ms. Haihara carrying her briefcase alone, returning home coldly and closing that door that shuts her off, Kuroki Yuka thinks this woman seems kind of cool, and can't help but wonder, what does Teacher Haihara do when she's home alone?
Kuroki Yuka thinks that people with a temperament like Teacher Haihara might read books.
They might also listen to some very niche but stylish rock music.
But... a cold, single woman like this, living alone, spending every day alone in her room, must sometimes feel very lonely.
That contrast inexplicably bothered Kuroki Yuka.
However, Kuroki Yuka's thoughts later changed slightly.
Starting one day during summer vacation, a woman began to visit Haihara- san regularly.
She was a woman with a languid air and long, unkempt gray-black hair. Although she always appeared unkempt, her bust was particularly impressive, and her lazy demeanor had a touch of sensuality.
At first, she thought they were just Haihara's friends or something.
Generally speaking, even friends wouldn't frequently stay at an adult same-sex friend's house for an entire night.
When I woke up the next morning and saw Ms. Haihara and that slovenly woman, they both looked a little tired but satisfied.
For some reason, Kuroki Yuka felt a pang of sadness.
What's even more bitter is that this apartment building is almost empty; no one lives on this floor or the floors above and below it, yet the apartment she lives in is right next to Haihara's.
Even the balcony.
Occasionally, she would quietly walk to the balcony to listen to the sounds from her neighbors' houses. If Haihara was doing something in a room close to the balcony, she could faintly hear Haihara's melodious voice, as well as another woman's suppressed, joyful voice.
Therefore, she inevitably knew that the slovenly woman was Haihara's girlfriend.
As a teenage girl, Kuroki Yuka inevitably had mixed feelings after learning about the older woman next door's indulgence in sensual pleasures. She didn't want to hear these sounds, yet she couldn't help but listen to them.
Although she didn't harbor any special feelings for Haihara- san, she still felt an indescribable bitterness every time she heard the noises from next door at night.
Objectively speaking, Ms. Haihara did not intend to disturb her neighbors.
Therefore, Kuroki Yuka always had to lie down on the balcony and listen carefully to hear it.
At times like these, Kuroki Yuka would blush deeply and listen with a pounding heart.
Day after day, this gradually became a part of her life.
After Kuroki Yuka turned off her phone, her room became completely dark, and even the moonlight from outside the window could hardly penetrate.
She started thinking about many things out of sheer boredom.
Can she really defeat Silver Feather, gain power, and atone for her sins?
Or is this all just a hoax orchestrated by that Monster, who only wanted to use her from the beginning?
If she didn't have to think about these things in her life, what would she be doing right now?
What is Haihara- san doing right now?
Before she knew it, besides feeling empty, she felt hungry.
Because she hasn't eaten anything proper since she woke up in the afternoon.
Even instant noodles require boiling water.
Ordering takeout requires going downstairs, as takeout delivery services are unlikely to be able to be brought upstairs, and the remote control for unlocking the door is broken.
Just as she was thinking this, she heard a knock on the door.
She was confused; who would come looking for her so late at night?
Kuroki Yuka struggled to get out of bed, glancing nervously through the peephole. She was terrified that her Aunt had come to see her, and there were a bunch of things in her house that her parents couldn't see.
Fortunately, it wasn't her Aunt.
After carefully opening the door, a tall, slender woman stood outside, simply wearing a black wool sweater, glasses, and expressionless, giving off a slightly gloomy impression.
It's Miss Haihara.
Miss Haihara was holding a plate with several baked shortbread cookies. The cookies were steaming hot, and the melted syrup inside was flowing out of the crispy crust, giving off a rich caramel aroma.
"I'm making shortbread, and I can't finish it all by myself, so I thought I'd share some with you."
Her tone was neither warm nor cold.
Kuroki Yuka a little hungry after smelling the aroma of hot sugar, and unconsciously twitched her nose.
Seeing that the room was completely dark, Haihara glanced around casually and said calmly:
"Recently, there's been a lot of trash piling up in the room."
"..."
Kuroki Yuka lowered her head, a blush of embarrassment and shame spreading across her face.
Her house is indeed dirty and messy now.
She cleans about once a week, but she creates trash very quickly, and lately she hasn't been going out much, making this place less suitable for others to see.
Just as she was about to explain further, perhaps because she had just smelled the aroma of food, her stomach growled at an inopportune moment.
"---Gurgle..."
An awkward silence fell over the apartment hallway.
Kuroki Yuka and Haihara- san just stared at each other in bewilderment.
Chapter Ninety Familiar
Haihara's home wasn't exactly tidy, but it still had the composure and cleanliness of an adult. Although the atmosphere of daily life was as plain as Haihara herself, it unexpectedly made Kuroki Yuka feel a sense of familiarity.
Originally, Kuroki thought that most people would be quite different from what he imagined, but Haihara's house gave people a feeling that was consistent inside and out.
If there's anything unexpected, it's that Haihara's family keeps snakes as pets.
But this also suits Haihara- san's temperament quite well.
For some reason, this reminded Kuroki Yuka of Miss Lily, because Miss Lily also seemed to really like snakes, and she and Haihara- san probably had a lot in common.
After hearing that she was hungry, Haihara invited her to her house for dinner.
This surprised her a little.
She had thought that Haihara was the kind of person who would naturally keep her distance from others, but this kind of friendly, older sister-like behavior actually happened to Haihara.
However, shortly after entering this place, Kuroki Yuka felt a little disappointed.
Tonight, Haihara's girlfriend is also at Haihara- san's house.
According to Haihara- san's name, the woman with gray-black hair who dressed like a stereotypical female scientist was surnamed Kougami, hence Miss Kougami.
Miss Kougami was wearing loose-fitting pajamas at Miss Haihara's house tonight, but even so, her figure was still very noticeable, the kind that shouldn't be seen by outsiders.
The two of them were like lovers who had been living together for a long time, with a bittersweet scent like rotten oranges.
"Lily, is this the child who lives next door?"
When Ms. Kougami saw Kuroki Yuka, she spoke to Ms. Haihara very kindly.
The way Kuroki was called Lily bothered him a little.
Miss Haihara and Miss Lily are not only similar in temperament, but even their names are similar.
"Yes, we just happened to have some leftover ingredients from today, so I'll have her taste them for me."
Haihara's expression showed little emotional fluctuation, but Kuroki Yuka felt that she was probably in a pretty good mood.
This was Kuroki Yuka's first time visiting someone other than her family. The different atmosphere and furnishings made her feel very fresh and new, and even the smell was different.
Of course, I'm not saying that Haihara's house has a strange smell.
But perhaps it's because this place has Haihara- san's unique scent; just smelling it makes you feel a little cool, but staying here for a while can also make you feel a little itchy.
Miss Kougami said with a hint of jealousy:
"I tried it for you too."
Upon hearing this, Kuroki Yuka casually glanced to the side.
Before I arrived, Miss Kougami must have already eaten the meal prepared by Miss Haihara.
Haihara's expression didn't change much.
"You only praise me; I have no idea what I did wrong."
Oh, I see.
Soon, Haihara started cooking. Although she lived alone like me, Haihara seemed to be a very good cook. She skillfully prepared the ingredients, put them into the pot, and slowly simmered them.
The aroma of the hot food was so strong that Kuroki Yuka could smell it from her living room; it was the smell of potatoes and beef.
Her throat bobbed; she felt a little thirsty.