I Am Actually a Villainous Magical Girl, Teacher

Even so, the nightmare did not end.

The man was drunk, cursing as if talking to himself:

"Today... my luck was bad, I'll win it back next time. You... where is your money for this week?"

"..."

Sakaki Chika had no income this week.

Because Kirishima Ai had been struggling to fight alone lately, and she herself wanted to return to school to study, she had taken a temporary break from her duties.

The small amount of income she had came from managing her online account and tips from some fans, which she had just withdrawn from the bank to use as living expenses for the near future.

"I... I don't have any money left this week. Can you please stop gambling..."

She pleaded in a low voice.

The man opened his bleary, muddled eyes, leaned in a little closer, and revealed an ugly smile:

"Chika... trust me, today was just bad luck. Tomorrow I'll be able to pay everything back..."

Sakaki Chika recoiled in fear.

"I... I really don't have any money left..."

After she expressed her refusal, the man's expression turned gloomy, and just as he was about to say something, Sakaki Chika seized the moment to run away.

Sakaki Chika fled back to her room, locked the door, and slumped onto the floor, staring blankly at her long-neglected room.

If that man had been any drunker, he might have hit her.

Although she had refused to give him money, she knew that she would likely have to hand over the rest of her savings eventually.

Because the man knew the secret she could never let anyone discover.

The one who stood on stage as an idol was not actually her, but the magical girl Star Flower.

If this secret were to get out, her life would be over.

In reality, she was a good-for-nothing, timid, and cowardly loner who didn't even know how to talk to people.

Every word of encouragement she gave others and every song she sang on stage had nothing to do with her; they were all lies masked by magic.

After sitting on the floor for a while, thinking about the money she would have to pay back, she didn't know what to do, and only despair welled up in her heart.

If it came to this... she would have to go back to performing.

Should she... give up on school?

No, no...

Or maybe... she should just wait until after the midterm exams.

If her grades were good, perhaps...

Sakaki Chika wiped away her tears, searched the room for a while, and finally found the pair of scissors she often used on the desk.

She picked up the scissors and drew a bloody line across her wrist, a look of slight pain appearing on her face.

She didn't know when it started, but she had developed this twisted habit.

"What do I do... what do I do..."

Sakaki Chika muttered to herself in despair while scratching her arm, as if she were viciously trying to strike at someone.

Because she had been harmed, the Pendulum hanging around her neck began to glow.

This light was meant to help protect her as an ordinary person.

Although it could block damage from monsters, it could not stop her from self-harming.

After her hands were covered in bloody marks, Sakaki Chika felt like crying from the pain again.

Her gaze dimmed for a moment; she put down the scissors and took out the magical tool she used for transformation.

"Microphone test..."

As she spoke, the Magician bloomed, revealing the slot inside.

Sakaki Chika took off her Pendulum and placed it into the magical tool. After a burst of light, she transformed from Sakaki Chika into the magical girl Star Flower.

And the previous wounds were all transferred onto the body of the magical girl Star Flower.

Sakaki Chika was a cowardly and powerless person.

If she didn't transform into the magical girl Star Flower, she wouldn't be able to go on living.

"Ah, I accidentally covered myself in wounds again. I really am too pessimistic."

The magical girl looked at the blood flowing from her body, smiled helplessly, then sat up with nimble movements and spun around.

She swayed her petal-like, gorgeous long skirt, walked to the mirror, examined herself, and winked at her reflection.

"That won't do, Chika. What's important is a smile. When you want to cry, just show a smile instead."

Compared to Sakaki Chika, the magical girl Star Flower in the mirror revealed the most brilliant and cheerful smile, just like a carefree sprite.

Magical Girl Star Flower does not cry, nor does she despair.

She is an existence completely different from the weak, ordinary side of herself.

"Like this, smile a little..."

She reached out her slender, fair hands, slowly pinched her own cheeks, and then pulled at the corners of her mouth with her fingers, slowly lifting them upward--

"Huh, that's strange... why am I... crying?"

Magical Girl Star Flower looked at the tears in the mirror, feeling confused for the first time.

Soon after, the midterm exams arrived.

During this period, those few problem students in Teacher Haihara's class skipped class many more times; perhaps in a little while, the principal would come looking for her.

According to the previous agreement, if their grades slipped this time, Teacher Haihara would conduct home visits one by one.

Kirishima Ai's grades were excellent as always; this time she was still first in the class and in the top ten of the grade, so there was nothing Teacher Haihara could do about her.

Takanashi Shiori's grades were as lackluster as ever, but since she was also lackluster at fighting monsters, Teacher Haihara didn't bother with her either.

Only Sakaki Chika...

Teacher Haihara frowned.

Although she was very diligent in class and completed her homework well, her grades were truly nothing to brag about.

She was almost at the bottom of the class... especially in math; even if she had just guessed on the multiple-choice questions, she shouldn't have gotten such a score.

This was no longer just a typical problem student.

This required a heavy blow, a real heavy blow!

Therefore, without a doubt.

--Teacher Haihara was going to Sakaki Chika's house for a home visit in the next two days.

Chapter 22: Teacher's Iron Fist

After the midterm exam results were released, Sakaki Chika's mood had been very low, or rather, suppressed.

For a time, she felt lost, not knowing what she should do next.

She had clearly worked very hard, but the gap from the time she was away from school was simply too large to make up; she couldn't understand what the teachers were saying, and she was completely bewildered during the exams.

...Should she just give up like this?

With grades like these, there was no point in continuing school, and she didn't want to be hounded for debts anymore; perhaps it would be better to go back to work and pay off the new debts as quickly as possible.

Sakaki Chika held her head in her hands, her thoughts in a chaotic mess.

"Teacher Haihara, did she say before that... if our grades slipped, there would be a home visit?"

She stammered to herself.

Kirishima Ai, who was beside her, glanced at her and comforted her:

"You don't have to be so down; although Teacher Haihara said she would do home visits, she basically won't."

She found it hard to imagine that Teacher Haihara would actually be that motivated; visiting a student's home because of grades was at most just a scare tactic.

Hearing Kirishima Ai's words, Sakaki Chika's expression improved a little.

At least there shouldn't be a home visit...

Sakaki Chika breathed a sigh of relief.

Just like that, Sakaki Chika maintained her low spirits and depressed mood until school ended, preparing to head to the infirmary as usual, intending to stay there until the evening just like always.

But not long after she stepped out, she was called out to by a cold, neutral voice:

"Sakaki-san, where are you going?"

Sakaki Chika turned around in confusion and saw the expressionless Teacher Haihara standing there.

Teacher Haihara already had her bag on her back and looked like she was about to leave the school.

"...I'm going to the infirmary for a while."

She answered honestly.

She didn't want to go home too early today either.

But today, Teacher Haihara didn't seem as gentle or easy to talk to as before.

She just said coldly:

"Don't go to the infirmary today; take me to your house."

Sakaki Chika froze for a moment, thinking she had misheard.

"...Eh?"

Seeing her dazed look, Teacher Haihara didn't pay it any mind:

"Your grades are terrible, and as we agreed before, I need to have a talk with your parents."

"Since you didn't leave a parent's phone number before, I went directly to your house today without prior notice. Is there a problem with that?"

Today, Haihara was the cold and difficult teacher that students usually imagined; she was fine when in a good mood, but when she wasn't, she was basically like this.

Uncompromising and unreasonable.

With her weak personality, Sakaki Chika didn't know how to refuse for a moment, her eyes darting left and right, her mouth opening and closing.

In reality, her mind was currently a complete blank.

Why did the teacher want to visit her home... She hadn't told that man about this yet.

Absolutely not...

"Today... my... my family isn't home."

Sakaki Chika lied clumsily.

"I don't want to waste time, and I won't be in the mood for home visits later, so let's make it tonight."

Haihara adjusted her glasses, leaving no room for Sakaki Chika to refuse; after all, she wasn't in the mood to say much more to a problem student like this.

In the end, Sakaki Chika could only nod with a dazed expression.

Along the way, Sakaki Chika's mind remained blank, various emotions jumbled together in her head, crushing her spirit bit by bit and leaving her on the verge of a breakdown.

No... she absolutely could not let the teacher go to her house, but why was it turning out like this?

What should she do...

If the teacher saw what her home was like, she didn't know what would happen, or if she would even be able to continue attending school.

Sakaki Chika felt almost desperate.

Behind her was the expressionless Haihara, still maintaining her lazy and icy demeanor, appearing indifferent to the student's mood beside her, just looking like someone who wanted to get things over with quickly.