But even then, the nightmare didn't end.
The man was drunk, cursing as he muttered to himself:
"Today... my luck wasn't very good. I'll win it all back next time. You... where's your money for this week?"
"..."
Sakaki Chika hadn't earned anything this week.
Kirishima Ai had been having a hard time fighting alone lately, and Chika herself wanted to return to school and study, so she was taking a temporary break from performing.
The little money she had came from running her online account and donations from a few fans. She'd withdrawn it from the bank a while ago, intending to use it for living expenses.
"I... I don't have much money this week. Could you please stop gambling...?"
She pleaded in a small voice.
The man blinked his bleary eyes, then moved a little closer and gave her an unpleasant smile.
"Chika... trust me. I was just unlucky today. I'll pay it all back tomorrow..."
Sakaki Chika took a frightened step back.
"I... I really don't have any money..."
When she refused, the man's expression darkened. He looked ready to say something, but Chika took the chance to run away.
Sakaki Chika fled to her room, locked the door, then sank to the floor, staring blankly at the room she hadn't tidied in ages.
If the man had been a little drunker, he might have hit her.
Although she'd refused to give him money, she knew she'd probably still have to hand over what she had left eventually.
Because the man knew the secret she absolutely couldn't let anyone find out.
The idol onstage wasn't really her. It was the magical girl Star Flower.
If anyone found out, her life would be over.
In reality, she was a good-for-nothing, timid and cowardly girl who didn't even know how to talk to people.
The encouraging words she spoke and the songs she sang onstage had nothing to do with her, either. They were all lies concealed by magic.
After sitting on the floor for a while, she thought about the money she'd have to pay back next, and had no idea what to do. All she felt was despair.
At this rate... she'd have to go back to performing.
Should she... give up on school?
No, no...
Maybe... she should wait until after the midterm exams to decide.
If she got good grades, perhaps...
Sakaki Chika wiped her tears, searched around the room, and finally found the pair of scissors she often used on her desk.
She picked them up and drew a bloody line across her wrist, her face tightening slightly with pain.
At some point, she'd developed this somewhat twisted habit.
"What should I do... What should I do..."
Sakaki Chika muttered in despair as she cut at her arm, as if she were angrily trying to hack at someone.
Because she'd been hurt, the Pendulum hanging around her neck began to glow.
Its light helped protect her, an ordinary girl.
It could shield her from harm caused by Monsters, but it couldn't stop her from hurting herself.
Once her hand was covered in bloody marks, Sakaki Chika was in so much pain that she felt like crying.
Her gaze dimmed for a while. She set down the scissors, then took out the magical device she used to transform.
"Microphone test..."
As she spoke, the Magician blossomed, revealing the slot inside.
Sakaki Chika took off her Pendulum and placed it in the device. After a flash of light, she transformed from Sakaki Chika into the magical girl Star Flower.
The wounds she'd had before were transferred to the magical girl Star Flower, too.
Sakaki Chika was a weak and powerless person.
Without transforming into the magical girl Star Flower, she couldn't go on living.
"Ah, I went and covered myself in wounds again. I'm such a pessimist."
The magical girl looked at the blood flowing from her body and smiled wryly. Then she sprang lightly to her feet and twirled around.
Her flower-petal-like skirt swayed as she walked to the mirror. She studied herself, then winked at her reflection.
"No, Chika. What matters is your smile. When you feel like crying, just smile."
Unlike Sakaki Chika, the magical girl Star Flower in the mirror wore the brightest, happiest smile, like a carefree little sprite.
The magical girl Star Flower didn't cry or despair.
She was completely different from the weak, ordinary person Chika was.
"Like this, just smile..."
She raised her slender, fair hands and slowly pinched her cheeks. Then she tugged at the corners of her mouth with her fingers, pulling them upward bit by bit—
"Huh? How strange... Why am I... crying?"
The magical girl Star Flower looked at her tears in the mirror, puzzled for the first time.
Soon afterward, the midterm exams arrived.
During that time, the few Problem Children in Teacher Haihara's class skipped school many times again. If things went on much longer, even the principal might come looking for her.
As they'd agreed before, if their grades slipped this time, Haihara would visit each of their homes.
Kirishima Ai's grades were as excellent as ever. She'd come first in her class again and ranked in the top ten in her year, so Haihara couldn't do much about her.
Takanashi Shiori's grades were still as terrible as ever. But she was just as terrible at fighting Monsters, so Haihara hadn't bothered with her.
Only Sakaki Chika...
Haihara furrowed her brow.
Chika paid close attention in class and did a decent job on her homework, but her grades were truly appalling.
She was almost at the bottom of the class... Especially in math. Surely she could've guessed her way to a better score on the multiple-choice questions.
This wasn't just an ordinary Problem Child.
This called for a heavy-handed approach! A really heavy-handed approach!
So, without a doubt—
Haihara would be visiting Sakaki Chika's home in the next couple of days.
Chapter 22: A Teacher's Iron Fist
After the midterm exam results came out, Sakaki Chika stayed in a low mood—or, more precisely, a repressed one.
For a while, she felt lost and didn't know what to do next.
She'd worked so hard, but the time she'd spent away from school had left her so far behind that she couldn't catch up. She couldn't understand what the teacher said in class, and she'd been completely confused during the exam, too.
...Should she just give up?
With grades like these, there was no point in continuing school. She didn't want to keep getting hounded for money, either. Maybe she should go back to work and pay off her new debts as quickly as possible.
Sakaki Chika clutched her head, her thoughts in a jumble.
"Teacher Haihara said before... that she'd visit our homes if our grades got worse, right?"
She stammered to herself.
Kirishima Ai glanced at her and offered some comfort.
"You don't have to be so down. Teacher Haihara said she'd visit, but she probably won't."
It was hard for Ai to imagine Teacher Haihara actually putting in that much effort to visit a student's home over her grades. It was most likely just a threat.
Hearing Kirishima Ai's words, Sakaki Chika's expression brightened a little.
At least she probably wouldn't have to deal with a home visit...
Sakaki Chika breathed a sigh of relief.
And so, she stayed in her gloomy mood until school let out. As usual, she prepared to go to the infirmary, intending to stay there until evening.
But shortly after she left, a cool, androgynous voice called out to her.
"Chika, where are you going?"
Sakaki Chika turned around in confusion and saw Teacher Haihara standing there, her face expressionless.
Teacher Haihara had already slung her bag over her shoulder and looked ready to leave school.
"...I'm going to spend some time in the infirmary."
She answered honestly.
She didn't want to go home too early today, either.
But today, Teacher Haihara didn't seem as gentle and easygoing as usual.
She simply said, coolly,
"Don't go to the infirmary today. Take me to your home."
Sakaki Chika froze, thinking she must have misheard.
"...Huh?"
Haihara didn't pay any attention to her stunned look.
"Your grades are terrible. As we agreed, I need to talk to your parents."
"You didn't leave a phone number for your parents, so I'm going straight to your house today without giving them advance notice. Is there a problem?"
Today, Haihara was probably acting like the cool, hard-to-approach teacher her students usually knew. When she was in a good mood, she was fine, but when she wasn't, she was basically like this.
Unyielding and unreasonable.
Sakaki Chika was so timid that she didn't know how to refuse. Her eyes darted from side to side, and she opened and closed her mouth without a word.
In truth, her mind was completely blank.
Why was her teacher going to visit her home...? She hadn't told that man about it yet.
She absolutely couldn't let that happen...
"Today... I... my family isn't home."
Sakaki Chika clumsily lied.
"I don't want to waste time, and I won't be in the mood for a home visit later. Let's just go tonight."
Haihara adjusted her glasses, leaving Sakaki Chika no room to refuse. After all, she didn't feel like wasting words on this kind of Problem Child.
In the end, Sakaki Chika could only nod, her expression a little dazed.
All the way there, Sakaki Chika's mind remained blank. All kinds of emotions tangled together in her head, slowly crushing her spirit and bringing her close to breaking down.
No... She absolutely couldn't let her teacher go to her home. But why was this happening?
What should she do...?
If her teacher saw what her home was like, Chika didn't know what would happen. Would she be unable to keep going to school?
Sakaki Chika was nearly desperate.
Behind her walked Haihara, her face expressionless and her demeanor as lazy and chilly as ever. She seemed not to care about how her student felt at all, looking only like she wanted to get this over with quickly.
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