Magical Girls Exposed!

Fang Ming looked up and saw Xiao Chun standing at the meeting room door.

Three-Year Promise

What did it feel like when a girl's feelings were made public?

At first, Xiao Chun felt embarrassed and worried, but she also held a small measure of hope.

She hoped that after Fang Ming learned of this, he would accept her feelings. She hoped that from then on, she could openly say that she liked Fang Ming.

It was because she carried that hope that, when He Xuan called her over, she personally came to the Rock City branch.

But however much hope she had felt at the time, she felt just as much disappointment when she heard Fang Ming say that he did not see her that way.

Her feelings had been known by everyone, openly placed on the table as a topic of discussion, and finally rejected in person by the one she liked.

If the magical girls in this world were the kind who turned into witches, Xiao Chun probably would not have been able to take it.

But fortunately, the magical girls of this world currently seemed to be the child-oriented kind. Forget turning into witches—even in the first few episodes, no one had died.

So Xiao Chun was only feeling down, and her magic was slightly affected. Other than that, there were no major changes.

After receiving counseling from a psychologist, Xiao Chun felt much better as well.

At least, she would not sink into a depressed mood by herself like she had just now.

Even so, when she saw Fang Ming again, Xiao Chun still did not dare raise her head to meet his eyes.

She clutched the hem of her skirt with both hands and remained silent for a long time.

In the end, Fang Ming was the one who spoke first and asked Xiao Chun:

"Want to go for a walk?"

"..." Only then did Xiao Chun look up at Fang Ming. Their eyes met, and she finally nodded.

The two of them went to the rooftop of the building.

They could have gone to the plaza outside, but there were too many people there. Both Xiao Chun and Fang Ming were celebrities in a sense now, and with the Sky Screen having just exposed Xiao Chun's feelings, they would probably draw even more attention if they walked through the plaza.

And although they said they were going for a walk, they were really going to have a private conversation.

So compared to the more conspicuous plaza, the rooftop was clearly the better choice.

After arriving on the rooftop and being brushed by the cool breeze, Xiao Chun felt much more clearheaded.

Looking out at the distant city, Xiao Chun took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and turned to Fang Ming.

"Brother Fang Ming, I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

"It's nothing. Still, I never thought someone like me would have a day when he was liked by someone."

Fang Ming said it in a deliberately relaxed tone.

But Xiao Chun said firmly:

"Brother Fang Ming, you're amazing! You're not 'someone like that' at all. In my heart... you're my hero!"

"..." Fang Ming scratched his cheek awkwardly at her words.

But Xiao Chun continued as though she had opened the floodgates.

"Maybe at first, I only developed feelings for you and came to like you because Brother Fang Ming saved me. But over these past few months, the longer I spent with you, the more I realized what an amazing person you are!

"You care about us, stay by our side, comfort us when we're upset, and point us in the right direction when we're lost.

"Every time we spent time together, every time we met again, my feelings for you grew deeper. So... liking you wasn't just a moment of impulsiveness, nor was it some misunderstanding of the debt I owe you for saving my life.

"Like means like! Brother Fang Ming, I like you!"

"!?"

A direct confession right from the start?!

For a virgin boy who had never had a girlfriend, being told "I like you" face-to-face by a beautiful girl was devastatingly powerful.

Fang Ming felt as though his heart had been fiercely jolted. If he truly had not lacked those kinds of feelings for Xiao Chun, he probably would have been unable to stop himself from nodding and accepting.

But unfortunately, for Xiao Chun's sake and for his own, Fang Ming could only reject her feelings.

Yet just as Fang Ming was about to speak, he heard Xiao Chun continue:

"But... Brother Fang Ming definitely won't accept me right now, will you? Because I'm still not mature enough, and Brother Fang Ming... you still aren't ready to accept me either... so..."

Xiao Chun took a deep breath and said seriously, "Three years! I hope... Brother Fang Ming can wait for me for three years! Give me three years!

"If I haven't changed my mind after three years, and if Brother Fang Ming has come to like me even a little by then, then... then at that time... I'll confess to Brother Fang Ming again! I hope... you can accept me then!"

Xiao Chun's face was completely red. It was obvious that she was embarrassed to the extreme.

But no matter how embarrassed or uncomfortable she felt, Xiao Chun still stared resolutely at Fang Ming and voiced the thoughts in her heart.

That made it impossible for Fang Ming to say what he had been about to say.

What could he say?

If Xiao Chun had confessed directly to Fang Ming here and waited for his response, he might have rejected her confession.

But now, Xiao Chun had cleverly taken a step back and given them both three years to prepare.

Xiao Chun was still very young. Perhaps she did not understand what it meant to like someone. But three years later, after she had grown up, she would surely understand what liking someone was and what 'love' was.

At that time, it would no longer be appropriate for Fang Ming to use his current reasons.

And whether Fang Ming would come to like Xiao Chun by then was also unknown.

Three years was far too long. Countless things could happen in that time. Especially for magical girls, a single month was enough for them to experience things others could never experience in a lifetime.

So Xiao Chun's proposal of a three-year promise was quite clever.

She understood that Fang Ming could not accept her, and she understood even more clearly that if she truly confessed, it would be tantamount to charging toward death.

So she left three years for both herself and Fang Ming.

A three-year empty period was enough for the two of them to carefully think through their feelings for each other.

"...All right, if you insist."

What else could Fang Ming say at this point?

The girl had already taken a step back and given them three years. Could he really not even wait three years?

Besides, whether Fang Ming rejected or agreed here would not affect the 'plot development' on the Sky Screen.

So for now, he would go along with Xiao Chun's wishes.

After gathering the courage to say all that, Xiao Chun finally exhausted the last of her courage.

Blushing, she said, "Sorry," then ran past Fang Ming.

In that moment... Fang Ming vaguely thought he saw tears falling from her eyes... though he did not know whether it was just his imagination.

"What a sin..."

After Xiao Chun left, Fang Ming rubbed his temples and sighed.

If he had known this would happen, he should have directly used Xiao Bai's appearance to save Xiao Chun back then. At worst, he could have just left afterward.

But because he had emerged directly from underwater at the time, and there had been quite a few people on shore—

And because it would not have looked right for Fang Ming, Xiao Chun's guardian, to be absent when she got into trouble, he had canceled his transformation midway and emerged from the water while carrying Xiao Chun.

That way, at least no one would suspect that he and Xiao Bai were the same person.

Judging from what the Sky Screen had shown, his choice back then had definitely been correct. Otherwise, his identity as Xiao Bai would probably have been exposed by now.

But... who could have expected that doing so would capture a girl's heart?

Fang Ming, Fang Ming, your sins run deep indeed!

Fang Ming cursed himself inwardly. At the same time, he raised his head and stared blankly at the Sky Screen, which was not playing anything.

So, returning to the question at hand.

What exactly was this Sky Screen?

And when... would he be exposed?

Thinking about this, Fang Ming stared at the Sky Screen for a long time without saying a word.

Benefits Always Come in Episodes Seven and Eight

Xiao Chun's matter was temporarily resolved in just one day.

Nothing else happened over the course of that day.

No 'monsters' like Toy Bear appeared again, and time peacefully reached the next day.

At the usual time on the following day, the Sky Screen lit up once more. Episode Seven of Magical Girl Xiao Qiu arrived as promised.

"It really is one episode a day now."

Fang Ming looked at the glowing screen in the sky and found it strange.

What had originally been one episode per week had become one episode per day. Coupled with the sudden appearance of Toy Bear before the change, it looked no matter how he viewed it as though the Sky Screen had begun speeding through the plot in order to reach the second season as quickly as possible.

So...

Was the person behind Toy Bear important? Or dangerous? Was that why the Sky Screen had no choice but to change the schedule to one episode a day, trying to expose that person as early as possible?

If that was truly the case, the person behind it must have been feeling anxious too.

"I hope that person behind it doesn't do anything stupid."

Fang Ming was somewhat worried.

The Sky Screen speeding up its broadcasts would allow everyone to learn sooner who had created the toy puppets, but it could also anger the mastermind.

Who knew whether that person would fear being exposed and create some major incident in advance?

So if possible, Fang Ming felt it would be better to maintain the previous pace of one episode per week, giving them time to search for the mastermind.

Although doing so would give the mastermind time to prepare, it would also give magical girls like Xiao Qiu, as well as Fang Ming himself, time to prepare.

He believed that under the power of the state, their preparations would be more thorough than the mastermind's.

But unfortunately, the principle behind the Sky Screen was still unknown. Fang Ming had no way to stop it from showing whatever it wanted.

The same was true for Xiao Qiu and the others.

So all they could do now was watch the Sky Screen continue airing the following plot.

And when Fang Ming saw the beginning of Episode Seven, he could not help freezing for a moment.

Because the opening of Episode Seven...

Was at an outdoor swimming pool.

[The scene opened with a distant shot of the pool, then the camera shifted to Xiao Qiu.

She bounced twice on the diving board above the pool, then plunged straight down into the water without any form whatsoever.

Then, with a SPLASH, countless droplets flew into the air above the pool. Xiao Qiu then sprang up from the bottom like a carp and shouted carefree toward the shore:

"Xiaoxia, Xiao Chun! Come play too!"

"I... I refuse! I'll just watch from the shore!"

Wearing a one-piece swimsuit, Chen Xiaoxia tightly gripped the swim ring around her waist and nervously shouted at Xiao Qiu.

Behind her, Xiao Chun, dressed in a two-piece swimsuit, wore a rare mischievous smile. Before Xiaoxia could react at all, she reached out and shoved Xiaoxia into the water.

"Waaaaah!!!!"

Chen Xiaoxia, who was not good at swimming, screamed as she fell into the pool. She flailed around several times before finally managing to float on the surface with the help of her swim ring.

When she realized that Xiao Chun had pushed her into the water, an anime anger mark appeared on Chen Xiaoxia's forehead. Then she shouted at Xiao Chun:

"XIAO CHUN!!! You're finished!!!!"

As she spoke, she dog-paddled toward the shore, determined to drag Xiao Chun into the water as well.

The girls cheered and played in the pool. Beside the pool, Fang Ming, dressed in swim trunks and a floral shirt, lay on a lounge chair beneath a parasol, drinking cola as he sighed:

"This is youth."

Nino did not respond. Instead, he lay on the table and let out a huge yawn, his tail casually swaying.