Living with a Magical Girl, but a Monster Executive

"Ugh..."

With a sigh, Cong Yu closed the door and looked at the magical girl and the man in a suit and sunglasses, who had already seated themselves.

"Well then, go ahead?"

Cong Yu raised a hand in invitation, and Magical Girl Shining☆ seemed to think the gesture looked cool.

So, with stars in her eyes, she began awkwardly imitating him.

Cong Yu: "..."

So what exactly were you here for?

"Mr. Cong Yu... correct?"

One of the suited men spoke as he respectfully handed Cong Yu a business card. "I am a staff member of the Wind City branch of the Central Magical Girl Affairs Office, known for short as the 'Wind City Magical Girl Agency.' Please have a look."

The other man's manners were impeccable, but Cong Yu had no business card to exchange. He simply accepted it. "I'm Cong Yu."

"Hi! Mr. Cong Yu, it's a pleasure to meet you. Please take care of me."

Though he found Cong Yu's wording and self-introduction etiquette somewhat strange, the suited man still responded seriously. "I've heard of you—the famous manga artist, CY."

Cong Yu stared at him and replied evenly, "That's no longer 'heard of.' That's 'investigated'... When will citizens' personal information finally receive proper protection?"

That was right. Cong Yu had achieved some success with his manga, such as [Shining! Magical Girl!] and "Magical Girl Connect: Re."

Netizens all knew the pen name "CY," but linking it to Cong Yu was not something one could simply have "heard of."

So he had been investigated...

Seeing the conversation heading in a strange direction, the golden-haired girl immediately pressed her hands together to interrupt. "Stop it, everyone! We're here to discuss compensation! Get to the point already!"

That was true... compensation.

As Cong Yu watched him, the man in black slowly began, "Here's the situation, Mr. CY. Our agency has a new housing development project. We have decided to build a series of 'Shelter' residences."

It was a new term Cong Yu had never heard before, but it piqued his interest, and he nodded for the man to continue.

"'Shelters' will serve as employee housing for magical girls stationed permanently in Wind City. The resulting high level of security gives them commercial value."

"The residences have already been completed. You may view them on the official website. Their conditions are far better than your current home. They are gradually being distributed as benefits to active magical girls, but the rental phase has not yet begun."

"To be frank, we believe that having someone of Mr. CY's status announce that he is moving in would be an excellent opportunity to promote the 'Shelters.'"

"..." Cong Yu more or less understood. He looked at the suited man and asked succinctly, "You'll let me live there for free?"

Seeing Cong Yu's obvious interest, the man in black smiled. "Not only that. As long as you promise not to spread negative information about the apartments and occasionally promote them according to the contract, endorsement fees will also be deposited into your account every month..."

"Deal!"

Cong Yu's words carried an almost decisive force. Without hesitation, he extended his hand and shook the black-suited man's. "Pleasure doing business."

"Pleasure doing business."

Although [Magical Girl Shining☆] did not understand why the two had reached an agreement so quickly.

It seemed that this strange young man would not upload her embarrassing past after all. That was great!

Then she saw the man in black turn to her. "Yaochuan, the housing assigned to you currently only has two residents, correct?"

The Shelter was designed for four people, with four bedrooms, a shared living room, and a semi-open-air swimming pool on the roof.

It was a well-equipped place, close to the agency and conveniently located.

Magical Girl Shining☆, who had been called Yaochuan, froze for a moment before replying, "Huh? Yes... that's right."

"..." Magical Girl Shining☆: Huh?

Cong Yu: Huh?

Could that mean...

"I'm going to live with her?!"

"He's moving in?!"

Self-Isolation

"Too cramped... It's seriously way too cramped!!!"

A tall, mature woman complained as she climbed through a tiny window into a small room that resembled a cramped shoebox.

It was an extremely crowded little room with an overall Japanese style, complete with tatami flooring, a closet, and a desk.

It looked like Nobita's room from Doraemon, except everything had been shrunk down considerably, making it feel even more cramped.

Especially with a pile of inexplicable books stacked in the corner, the crampedness became even more apparent.

Dressed in casual clothes and jeans, the tall woman glared at the pile of books and snapped irritably, "Hey! Get out here!"

At the tall woman's voice, the pile of books stirred, and then a little girl's head poked out.

Then a little girl wearing a high-tech monocle that brought to mind a "combat power scanner" crawled out from the book pile.

"Red? What is it?"

The little girl asked.

"..." The mature woman known as "Red" did not answer the little girl's question right away. Instead, she struggled to find somewhere to sit in the messy, cramped room.

Then Red let out a long breath and said to the little girl before her, "BOSS, Cong Yu called."

The little girl called BOSS paused, then revealed a gratified smile. "Haha, has he finally run out of money?"

"Cong Yu never plans his spending. Whatever he made drawing manga probably vanished in no time... When is he coming back to work?"

"..." Listening to the little girl's expectant tone, Red glanced at her and casually said, "Oh, he'll be back tomorrow. He also said he wants to marry me."

At once, the little girl called BOSS froze. "What? That's impossib—mm—"

Halfway through speaking, she realized what was happening and complained with a face full of resentment, "You're doing this again? You're full of nonsense."

The little girl looked a little angry. She had long known that Red had this habit of talking nonsense, yet she had nearly believed her lies again.

Speechlessly, the little girl buried herself deeper into the book pile and stared at Red with an expression that said, Are you going to tell me or not?

"Ah, don't look at me like that... Fine. It seems one of our monsters broke into his current home, then forgot a package there."

As she spoke, Red fixed BOSS with a sharp gaze and demanded, "Don't tell me that was a coincidence?"

"..."

"Maybe it was? Maybe it wasn't?"

BOSS said that, but her evasive gaze, unwilling to meet Red's eyes, proved she had a guilty conscience.

However, Red did not press that issue. Instead, she stared at her with an even more serious look. "Also, tell me the truth about why Cong Yu resigned!"

BOSS coughed twice. "Well, I also found Cong Yu's resignation quite regrettable."

As she spoke, BOSS pointed to the extremely tiny room. "None of you were willing to come here before. Only Cong Yu lived here with me. We ate and lived together... He even helped me clean the room."

What was this, playing the emotional card?

Red narrowed her eyes at BOSS's performance. She knew BOSS was not lying, but that did not conflict with wanting to know the truth.

"..."

"So, we were so close, and I still let him go. Why do you keep pestering me with questions?"

BOSS spoke while looking utterly pitiful.

Red, however, took a large step toward her and raised one hand in her direction as dangerous crimson magic began gathering.

Then, under BOSS's sweaty stare, Red, who looked ready to strike at any moment, explained softly, "I am the witch Cong Yu personally corrupted. Don't I have the right to know the truth?"

"If I don't know the truth, how am I supposed to call Cong Yu back?! Every one of you is the same, refusing to say anything!"

"I'm going to find Cong Yu!"

As Red shouted, the crimson magic in her hand began to distort slightly, as though it might go berserk at any moment.

"..."

"Gulp—"

BOSS swallowed, then immediately waved her hands with an awkward laugh. "Everything can be discussed, everything can be discussed... Red, calm down first."

Then, seeing Red withdraw her hand and cross her arms, BOSS sighed, lamenting how no one respected her as the boss and how she had no authority at all.

"There are very complicated reasons behind it."

As BOSS spoke, she searched around, then tossed a book beside her to Red and spread her hands. "The answer you want is in there."

A book?

Red hesitated. In an instant, many thoughts crossed her mind... There were many books in this world that held secrets, including records of hidden truths.

Books of magic, even books concerning the laws of the stars in the sky, and books of prophecy that foretold the future.

Looking at the Chinese characters on the book—or rather, the "workbook"—she made out the numbers "Three" and "Five."

This was <Three Years of College Entrance Exams, Five Years of Mock Tests>.

"Isn't this an exam prep book?"

After flipping through it, Red became exasperated. In three strokes and five divisions, she tore the book in her hands to shreds. "You can't possibly be brushing me off like this, can you?!"

But BOSS did not look away. Instead, she nodded very seriously. "It's true. Cong Yu said he wanted to study seriously and attend Wind City University afterward."

Monster... university... a senior executive of the 22nd Group... studying seriously.

How were those words supposed to fit together?!!!

Red felt she could not understand. Rubbing her head, she asked, "Why? Didn't he already become an executive?"

Though the 22nd Group was not a top-tier Monster Group, it was still part of the organizations that controlled the lifeblood of the world from the Dark Side.

He had already come this far, so why was he still thinking about going to university?!

Seeming to see Red's disbelief, BOSS sighed. "I didn't quite believe it either, but that's what Cong Yu told me... Then the higher-ups specially approved his resignation and did not make him undertake a Departure Mission with only a one-in-ten chance of survival."

As she spoke, BOSS looked at the mature witch, who was gradually calming down, and recalled the past. "Cong Yu said he wanted an ordinary... high school and university life. A normal one, without troublesome things like magical girls."

In other words, he wanted a normal experience to treasure as a precious memory? That was understandable.

Thinking that, Red recalled her life of fighting as a magical girl ever since middle school...

If Cong Yu had not saved her, perhaps she still would not know what freedom felt like.

If that was the case, then Red... truly did not know what expression she should make.

Smile? She could not smile.

"Ugh... Hm? When are you planning to get out of this dump? Are you really going to stay here forever?"

Red spoke with some disdain, and when BOSS answered by shaking her head, she wore an expression that said, You're hopeless.

Then, as BOSS burrowed into the book pile like a lady of some lake, Red also jumped out through the window.

Standing securely on the open ground, what reflected in Red's eyes was a place resembling a base.

It was a site filled with all kinds of doors and passageways.

Quite a few monsters of varied appearances walked around nearby, seemingly carrying things or fiddling with weapons.

Upon noticing Red, they greeted her one after another—

"Good morning, Lady Red. Did you just speak with BOSS?"

"Good morning, Lady Red."

"..." Red nodded in response to the greeting monsters, then looked toward... a tiny room built from thin walls and placed in the middle of the open space.

It looked remarkably out of place.

Their BOSS liked staying inside that fake room instead of using her own spacious, comfortable integrated office.

"She's really... hopeless!"

The Responsibilities of a Moving Company