Chapter 485

"On one hand, I wanted to go out with you, and on the other hand, I have something I want to say to you."

The two of them stopped.

Time seemed to slow down for a moment.

Haihara looked up and glanced at Cangyue Yuri.

This tall girl, with her beautiful White Wolf -like hair piled high with snowflakes, always had a calm and restrained expression. She was somewhat similar to Kazama Kiriori, but not quite the same.

Under the streetlights, the two figures cast long, unremarkable shadows on the empty, deserted street, looking no different from anyone else's.

Cangyue Yuri felt that perhaps some groundwork was needed.

But perhaps we don't need to be so serious.

Finally, she said it lightly:

"I think I really like Haihara- san."

"Hmm? Which one?"

Haihara thought she had misheard.

Or perhaps Cangyue Yuri is the type whose expressions of affection extend beyond romantic love.

"It definitely feels like romantic love."

Cangyue Yuri spoke crisply and decisively, followed by a hint of confusion on her face:

"However, I think that more than wanting to be your lover, I prefer being with you."

"For example, I really like how you seem when you're relaxed and in a good mood, and I also really liked how you were drinking with me just now."

She felt that her feelings were probably different from those of Takanashi.

Should I call it degree?

She herself knew that this was probably just a bland, innocent first love, not passionate enough to lead to a romantic relationship.

Cangyue Yuri could calmly accept that this relationship was quietly coming to an end.

After all, there was no chance of success to begin with.

At this point, Cangyue Yuri scratched her head sheepishly, feeling that what she was about to say might be quite embarrassing.

She said, both shyly and earnestly—

"I feel very lucky to have met Ms. Haihara, so I wanted you to know that I really like the gentle and kind Ms. Haihara."

"That's all."

In that case, it seems closer to expressing gratitude than confessing one's feelings?

However, if we're talking about expressing gratitude, the gift she bought doesn't seem quite enough.

After all, Cangyue Yuri stash of savings was all R'lyeh.

After saying these words herself, Cangyue Yuri breathed a sigh of relief; she had said them more smoothly than she had imagined.

But what will Haihara- san say about this?

Cangyue Yuri wasn't quite sure, and that made her uneasy.

"Yeah?"

Haihara pinched her chin, as if considering how to answer.

Although our date at the bar ended a long time ago.

But Haihara's demeanor tonight seemed to retain the ease and casualness she displayed while drinking, and she quickly finished her thoughts.

All Cangyue Yuri saw was the woman reach out her hand and gently stroke her hair on the side, just like she would when petting a puppy.

"Well, I'm also glad I found you."

"Although I initially wanted to adopt one for my daughter, I now think it would be nice for me to raise it myself."

In other words, I don't dislike you; in fact, I quite like you.

Haihara's answer was simple and direct.

This dialogue ended faster and more easily than I had imagined.

After all, neither of them had any heavy expectations or hopes for each other.

There's nothing wrong with that.

Haihara always showed greater tolerance and frankness towards a cute dog.

At this moment, Cangyue Yuri's expression froze.

Then, under the light, she subconsciously lowered her head, as if trying to hide something.

Haihara didn't notice this.

After clarifying this topic, Haihara turned around and glanced at the street:

"It doesn't seem too late yet. There are still places I'd like to visit. Can you stay a little longer?"

"... Um."

After Haihara step, Cangyue Yuri did not immediately follow. Instead, she touched her face with surprise and blinked silently.

The temperature... seems hotter than I expected.

Could it be that she's more... than we thought?

When Cangyue Yuri noticed that Haihara- san was about to walk away, the R'lyeh Magic Academy's Head sighed softly.

It's better to be a puppy; maybe then there wouldn't be so many troubles.

Volume Four Does This Count as a Magical Girl??: Chapter 9 She's a Meritorious Little Dog, a Little Dog Who's Been Enrolled

As the date drew to a close, Cangyue Yuri of Takanashi's recent worries.

For most of her life, she has lived alone, taking care of everything on her own.

As a result, she seems to be getting used to these things lately.

Although Cangyue Yuri truly enjoyed the time she spent living with Haihara- san, this sense of disorientation from her familiar routine also made Cangyue Yuri feel somewhat panicked and uneasy.

After all, she knew very well that loneliness would be the norm for her in the future, and if she couldn't bear the loneliness because of her recent happiness, it probably wouldn't be a good thing for her.

In winter, the lights of the shops on the street go out one by one at night.

Snowflakes occasionally landed on faces gazing at the night sky, causing a slight itch.

As she was about to leave, Cangyue Yuri seemed to notice something; her gaze was unconsciously drawn to it, and her eyes blinked.

It was a music store that was already closed and the lights were off.

Through the glass, you can see a harmonica on the display case.

Cangyue Yuri raised her hand, her fingers touching the fogged glass.

After swiping up and down a few times, the fog on the glass melted, revealing what was behind it, and the harmonica became clearer.

In the dimly lit room, the harmonica also gleamed with a dull golden light.

Do you miss it?

Haihara, standing to the side, naturally noticed Cangyue Yuri's concern.

"Yes, when I was little, I was like that too. I would curiously press my face against the glass and look at the harmonicas on display like this."

"I remember that harmonica was also this gold."

Cangyue Yuri looked somewhat nostalgic, then stretched out her hand and gestured slightly at the height of the glass wall.

She gestured a very low height, very small compared to her current height.

She was probably seven or eight years old.

"I was this tall at the time, so this must have been my perspective."

"Oh?"

Haihara, holding her owl plush toy, leaned closer and thought for a moment.

What was Cangyue Yuri like when she was little?

The only two acquaintances she knew clearly what she looked like when she was a child were Kougami Kazama Kiriori.

Thinking about it this way, she quickly became curious about what Takanashi like when he was little.

"So, do you still have the harmonica that was a gift for you when you were a child?"

Haihara asked casually.

As a result, Cangyue Yuri looked slightly embarrassed.

Actually, I didn't receive that gift.

Didn't receive it?

That sounds like there's quite a story behind it.

It was already quite late, but Haihara didn't mind listening to one more story before going home.

She looked like she clearly wanted to hear more.

"What happened?"

Cangyue Yuri pondered for a moment, wondering how to explain it clearly in more detail.

However, she later decided to keep it simple.

It wasn't a particularly profound story, and even for her own memory, it was somewhat hazy.

"Back then, on the street I frequented, a street musician came along and played the harmonica. I thought it sounded beautiful, and I thought to myself, I want to be like him, have a harmonica, and be able to play it beautifully."

"So, during that time, I would often stand next to the gift shop and look at that harmonica."

That's a perfectly normal wish.

However, for Cangyue Yuri at that time, it was probably quite difficult to achieve.

And who is planning to give her this gift?

"Back then, there was an elderly couple who collected recyclables. They were really kind; they would often give me and the neighborhood kids candy to eat."

"After finding out that I really wanted a harmonica, he said he would give it to me as a Christmas present after a while."

"However, R'lyeh took me away before Christmas."

"I didn't understand anything at the time, and I didn't have a chance to say goodbye politely, nor could I tell those two elderly people that I had passed away. Looking back now, I probably... wasted a lot of their money."

"There are many others."

Cangyue Yuri's expression appeared somewhat melancholy at this moment.

There are indeed some things in the past that cannot be undone.

Now, almost ten years have passed since Cangyue Yuri was a child.

Later, Cangyue Yuri's life improved considerably, and she was able to easily possess many things she had never had before. A harmonica was not expensive, and she could buy many for herself.

Later, she received many gifts as well.

But Cangyue Yuri never wanted anything like that again.

"Sorry, it's not a very interesting story."

Cangyue Yuri lowered her head.

Aside from drinking, I was pretty boring on this date. Compared to Takanashi and the others, I probably didn't interest Haihara much.

Haihara looked at her calmly, sipping a glass of grape juice she had just bought from the convenience store through a straw.

The woman's eyes rolled slightly.

After she finished drinking, she let go of her mouth:

"Speaking of which, I was originally thinking about a gift for you, let's do it now."

"Huh?"