Chapter 498
But is it a pity or a stroke of luck?
In the end, Kuroki Yuka herself was not spared either.
Surprisingly, their small Year Four, Class Four had quite a few Dark Kite fans who firmly demanded the addition of this additional warrior from the Maple Plain City Magic Girl Squad.
And so, the four Problem Child were chosen to play the Magic girls.
This result is quite interesting.
As for the remaining students, let's wear the masks commonly seen on Magic girl apprentices or budding Monster to create an immersive atmosphere.
This perfectly satisfied Haihara's perverse sense of humor.
Just as Haihara was about to happily announce that the Magic girl-themed cafe event was officially decided... a classmate who seemed to have an amazing little idea raised their hand again.
"Explain."
In a good mood, Haihara naturally encouraged the students to speak freely.
She was eager to hear what other creative ideas and fun these students could bring.
Haihara lowered her head, holding her pen, ready to continue taking notes on the students' thoughts.
As a result, she heard the female student say in a very enthusiastic manner---
"How about Teacher Haihara dresses up as Witch on that day? It would be even better if Teacher Suzuki did too!"
Immediately, all the students in the class heard the sound of the pencil tip breaking in Haihara's hand.
The classroom fell silent for a moment.
The four Problem Child, who had initially only expressed protest and resistance, suddenly looked at the woman's face on the podium with a hint of anticipation.
Not long after, he raised his previously icy gaze in confusion:
"... ah?"
Volume Four Does This Count as a Magical Girl??: Chapter 21 The Girl, the Materials Room, and Drunkenness
Time always silently chases after the tail end of youth.
It may not seem to have any profound meaning, but the theme of school days is indeed related to youth.
Some are mundane, while others involve saving the city as Magic girls.
But it's all part of youth.
Before the School Festival, during the daytime, each class was busy with their own decorations.
The classroom was certainly lively.
Some were making costumes, making plans, and assigning tasks for the day; others were responsible for decorating the classroom, turning it into a themed café.
Kirishima Ai stood on a stool and decorated the ribbons in suitable places.
She often took on various jobs and was adept at this kind of odd job. In comparison, the student on the other side of the blackboard looked rather clumsy.
After finishing, she carefully walked down, admired her work, and then looked around at other places.
Some students were putting up posters and picture frames of Magic girls.
She also saw Sakaki Chika and Takanashi making handmade masks. To her surprise, Takanashi Shiori, who always seemed lazy and useless, was quite skilled at making masks. The crude masks made by the other students were incomparable to hers.
She naturally moved closer and asked:
"You can make this too?"
Takanashi Shiori out a soft hum, a hint of pride in her voice.
"In the R'lyeh Early Education Seedling-Boosting Class, I was undoubtedly the top student in the entire grade in the field of handicrafts."
So, Kirishima Ai remembers that at the beginning, Takanashi did mention that, aside from combat ability, Takanashi's achievements were basically all among the best at the R'lyeh Royal Magic Academy.
It's been quite a while.
She blinked, then realized that this was another side of the other person she had known all along, something she had only noticed after spending so much time with them.
Or perhaps, it wasn't that long?
"Ai, come sit with me?" Sakaki Chika invited Kirishima Ai to sit next to her while she was engrossed in making a mask.
"Okay."
Kirishima Ai nodded slightly and naturally sat down next to Sakaki Chika.
She seemed to have gotten used to the small figure beside her.
Afterwards, she rested her cheeks in her hands, listening to the cheerful laughter of her classmates, while others stood quietly and attentively before her.
And so, Kirishima Ai drifted into a daze, her gaze listless, her thoughts wandering to random things.
In the past, she sometimes felt that although she was always in a crowd, she was detached from the people in front of her.
Her words will be silently drowned out, like pebbles thrown into the sea.
No one would mention her specifically, and no one would even look at her; everyone was busy doing things that had nothing to do with them.
Has things changed a bit now?
But Kirishima Ai doesn't understand at all what has changed about her compared to a few years ago. Her bad points from the past are still there. If she could go back to the past, she would probably still be all alone.
Did I encounter something lucky at some point?
If that's the case, she might end up alone again when she gets to second grade.
It was as if Cinderella's Magic had suddenly vanished.
Magic.
Come to think of it, it's been quite a while since she's transformed into Magic girl.
Because the Black Death Cult haven't appeared for a long time.
That's a good thing.
However, Ai Kirishima Ai also had a feeling that as this magical year came to an end, her lucky Magic and her time as Magic girl would also come to a quiet end.
Like teenage rebellion?
While everyone else was chatting and laughing softly, Kirishima Ai sat in the crowd, sighing silently to herself, revealing a slightly melancholy expression that went unnoticed by anyone. The melancholy was not too noticeable, like the light on a cloudy day, plain and quiet.
It's just a little bit of confusion and helplessness that girls experience during their adolescence.
It vanished in a flash.
She quickly forgot about those things and returned to the world around her, where the voices of the people around her became clearer.
"Huh? Kirishima, why did you make such a cool face just now? You looked like you didn't fit in with everyone around you."
A delicate and sweet girl's voice came from beside my ear.
"..."
Kirishima Ai fell silent.
When she looked up, she saw Kuroki Yuka with an expression of both ignorance and curiosity.
Why is this guy so perceptive only at the strangest of times?
Back when Kuroki Yuka hadn't cleared her name, she really should have been toughed down and given him a few more punches.
Kirishima Ai thought to herself, "This is what I'm thinking."
At this moment, Sakaki Chika, who had painstakingly and carefully completed her mask, glanced enviously at the mask made by Takanashi Shiori, then blinked and asked:
"By the way, where did Teacher Haihara go?"
This little girl, because she basically stalks Teacher Haihara every day, is always quick to spot problems in that area... Just kidding.
Actually, Sakaki Chika wanted to show the teacher the mask she and Takanashi had made, only to find that the teacher wasn't there.
As for the other students, it's quite normal that Teacher Haihara isn't there at this time.
On the one hand, the teacher's involvement in these joyful, hands-on, collaborative learning opportunities can make students feel uncomfortable.
On the other hand, Teacher Haihara doesn't seem to be the type to be interested in these kinds of things and would readily become a hands-off manager.
At times like these, they're probably in their own offices.
The students quickly reached a similar conclusion, so no one bothered Teacher Haihara about it.
Kirishima Ai left the classroom alone.
The School Festival decorations are still ongoing, and every part of the teaching building is still bustling and dazzling.
Sometimes, some people might momentarily lose sight of her because of her appearance, but most people will eventually focus back on what's in front of them.
No one knows what Kirishima Ai did after she left; perhaps she was assigned some kind of work?
It was still daytime, and school was far from over, yet Kirishima Ai went to a familiar place at this unfamiliar time.
At this time of day, compared to other parts of the teaching building, this place seemed quite quiet, because it was rather secluded and far from the other classrooms.
She looked at the sign for the Materials Room above the door. It was very quiet inside, and she could hardly imagine that anyone would be inside at this time.
Only Kirishima Ai knew that a drunken angel would occasionally appear in the Materials Room or the infirmary.
Like a ghost, or an angel in a dream.
But you can only usually run into them when you go after school, and even then, it's not always possible.
Lately, it's become increasingly difficult to see that angel lady.
It's as if, because Kirishima Ai's life gradually returned to normal, with fewer and fewer worries and more maturity, she stopped dreaming.
She seemed to have a little reason to be happy about it, but also a little sad.
When you're about to wake up from a dream, and you realize it's just a dream and you won't be able to come back, how much pain and sorrow do you feel?
Isn't this a bit too complicated and an overthinking?
With these random thoughts in mind, Kirishima Ai opened the door to the Materials Room.
The health care room was still very dark, because the curtains were drawn, so you couldn't see the sky or the sunlight. There were only all sorts of strange and incomprehensible bottles, jars, and specimens.
She searched for a while as usual, without much expectation.
But then, she saw it.
A sliver of sunlight peeked through the gap in the curtains, forming a cool white line that outlined the objects.
A tall, slender woman, seemingly quite naturally, leaned against a shelf, leaving Kirishima Ai with a solitary profile.
She possessed a misty, rain-like quality, and a gentle, moonlight-like warmth; she was a strikingly beautiful, aloof woman.
Her long, silver-gray hair was unique, and her deep purple eyes shone like stars.
Today, the other person was also quietly and languidly holding a bottle of wine, exuding the smell of alcohol. In this place where there was no one else, they were staring blankly at a corner, as if they were thinking about something.
This Drunken Angel, perhaps unaware of Kirishima Ai, didn't display her usual silly grin when drunk.
He just looked quite deserted, decadent, and melancholy, with his eyes wandering.
Kirishima Ai felt she recognized that look; she felt like she'd seen it somewhere before.
She blinked, and inwardly called out with a touch of joy—
"Miss Lily."
Soon, the woman also came to her senses and noticed Kirishima Ai's presence at the door of the Materials Room.
At first, she seemed lost in thought, gazing at Kirishima Ai's face for a moment. After a while, she regained her composure and quickly replied:
Ah, it's been a long time.
Then, a smile, tinged with the smell of alcohol and a hint of intoxication, appeared on his face.
Volume Four Does This Count as a Magical Girl??: Chapter 22 The Interpretation of Dreams
It wasn't dusk or night; the curtains blocked out the still bright sunlight, and the burning alcohol lamp occasionally illuminated the woman's thin silhouette and pale face.
This was the first time Kirishima Ai had met Miss Lily at this time.