Magical Girls Exposed! Chapter 35

"Are you going to keep going hungry, then? Or start scavenging through trash? I don't really mind, but... you haven't bathed in three or four days either, have you?"

Black Rabbit calmly spoke to Song Niandong while grooming the fur on her paw with her tongue.

Song Niandong hesitated for quite a while. In the end, she took a deep breath and raised her wrist, about to summon her Magical Armament.

But at the critical moment, a hand suddenly reached out from beside her and grabbed her wrist.

"!!!!"

Startled, Song Niandong abruptly turned to look beside her.

Black Rabbit's fur stood on end as well, her scarlet eyes fixed on the newcomer.

He was a young man with short black hair.

He was also wearing a hoodie, though its style and color differed from Song Niandong's.

He also wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses, enchanted with magic that interfered with cognition.

It was Fang Ming.

The magical girls' cousin!

Realizing this, Song Niandong was about to transform immediately and flee.

But to her surprise, Fang Ming quickly released her hand, took two steps back, and raised both hands.

"Sorry. You looked like you were about to use magic, so I came over to stop you. But I don't mean you any harm."

"..." Song Niandong did not answer, merely watching Fang Ming warily.

However, she did not transform either.

Having depended on her grandmother since childhood, having often been bullied ever since she was little, she was extremely sensitive to the kindness and malice of others.

Especially after becoming a magical girl, that sense had been strengthened even further.

Therefore, she could tell that Fang Ming truly meant her no harm.

As though he was not worried in the slightest that Song Niandong might ambush him, Fang Ming turned around, took some loose change from his pocket, and tossed it into a vending machine. At the same time, he asked Song Niandong, "What do you want to eat? Bread or instant noodles? For drinks, soda or bottled water? Hmm... you're still growing, right? Do you want some milk?"

Fang Ming's kindness came flooding toward her like a tide, leaving Song Niandong deeply uncomfortable.

She did her best to put on a cold expression and said, "I don't nee—"

Grumble—

Her stomach growled, cutting her off.

The girl's face immediately turned red at a visible speed. Even her exposed hands were tinged with crimson, making her seem like a little red person.

Fang Ming smiled at the sight, though there was no mockery in it. He turned and pressed a few buttons on the vending machine. It began operating, and soon afterward, numerous items dropped into the collection tray below.

Bread, instant noodles, ham sausages, some other snacks, two bottles of water, and a carton of milk.

After buying everything, Fang Ming brought it all over to Song Niandong and asked, "Your stomach is protesting, so... are you sure you don't need any?"

"..."

Song Niandong remained silent.

But Black Rabbit spoke from the side. "Dongdong, no matter what, you should eat something. Humans need food to survive, don't they?"

Hearing Black Rabbit say that, Song Niandong wavered a little.

Fang Ming, however, became slightly more guarded and looked toward Black Rabbit beside Song Niandong. "This lady... should be the 'magical creature' by Miss Song's side, right? Forgive my rudeness, but do you know Nino?"

"Nino? Hehe, that perennial bottom-ranked student? Of course I know her well. After all, she's the only one who comes in last every year yet stubbornly refuses to leave the academy."

Black Rabbit narrowed her eyes and smiled as she revealed Nino's embarrassing past.

Such a "Kidnapping"

Magical creatures had academies too.

This was Fang Ming's first time hearing about that.

However, after hearing Black Rabbit say that Nino had always ranked last, Fang Ming felt it was understandable that Nino had never mentioned it.

After all, if it were Fang Ming, he would not tell others about his own embarrassing school stories either.

But... since Black Rabbit knew Nino and had mentioned a school, she truly was a magical creature who had come from another world.

No wonder Song Niandong could transform into a magical girl.

Fang Ming led Song Niandong to a bench in a nearby park and watched as she nibbled at her bread like a kitten.

Only then did Fang Ming ask Black Rabbit, "Was it your idea to make Miss Song run away?"

"Oh my, what else could I do? Who knew certain people would be so underhanded, reporting things to the authorities at the slightest disagreement? To keep Dongdong from being caught, I could only make her flee overnight."

As Black Rabbit spoke, a hint of amusement appeared in her red eyes. She said to Fang Ming, "So Dongdong ending up like this is entirely certain people's responsibility."

"I can't take the blame for that." Fang Ming calmly said, "I was only suspicious, and joining the authorities would not necessarily be a bad thing for Miss Song. At the very least... she could receive their care."

"Hehe, care? Does the care you mean refer to the guardian who stole all her money? Or perhaps the teachers at school who watched Dongdong get bullied and turned a blind eye?

"If that counts as care, then I can only say that you humans have a truly novel understanding of 'care.'"

Black Rabbit had a sharp tongue.

But Fang Ming could find no point to refute.

He had read Song Niandong's file.

After Song Niandong's grandmother passed away, she should originally have had a temporary guardian by her side.

But not long after this guardian came into contact with Song Niandong, he took the last of her family's assets and vanished without a trace.

Although, after learning that Song Niandong was very likely the fifth magical girl, the authorities had found this guardian in the shortest possible time.

The money he had already spent, however, could not be recovered.

Of course, if Song Niandong was willing to cooperate, the authorities might not necessarily refuse to take care of her.

But when Fang Ming thought of the authorities' attitude toward Song Niandong today, he could not bring himself to say that.

It was not that Fang Ming had any particular objections to this world's authorities.

But... the Investigation Department had only begun acting after the matter involved a magical girl. That delay made Fang Ming begin to disapprove of how the authorities handled things.

That was precisely why, even after seeing Song Niandong now, he had no intention of reporting it upward.

If he had wanted to report it, he would have done so yesterday. The authorities had failed to seize that opportunity. That was their problem, not Fang Ming's.

After all, Fang Ming had already done what he was supposed to do.

They could not possibly expect an "ordinary person" like Fang Ming to search for magical girls, could they?

After remaining silent for quite some time, Fang Ming finally asked Black Rabbit, "Then has making Miss Song into a magical girl changed anything?"

"Yes." Black Rabbit immediately replied, "At the very least, those people who bullied Dongdong received the punishment they deserved."

The punishment Black Rabbit referred to was the Nightmare Curse Song Niandong had inflicted upon those bullies after becoming a magical girl.

Those who had once bullied Song Niandong had been having nightmares every night for the past few days.

But because they were merely nightmares, and there was no magical aura on them, the authorities had simply overlooked it.

Even Toy Bear's appearance that day had been because one of the bullies had been at the mall.

Song Niandong had magically transformed Toy Bear partly to test her true strength, and partly... to take revenge on the bully who had tormented her.

Yet the Investigation Department had overlooked that as well.

So what exactly had your Investigation Department been investigating?

The air?

Fang Ming's liver hurt just thinking about it. How could magical girls be properly managed with a bunch of vermin like this around?

But when he thought of the house assigned to him by the Investigation Department and the steady monthly salary, Fang Ming sighed inwardly.

Forget it, forget it. At least I'm getting paid...

Besides, that was not what Fang Ming was talking about now.

"But isn't Miss Song still living rough?" Fang Ming once again pointed out Song Niandong's current situation.

Black Rabbit shot back without yielding. "Exactly. So whose fault is that?"

"..."

Fine, blame me for sticking my nose in and calling the Investigation Department yesterday, all right?

While Fang Ming and Black Rabbit were arguing, Song Niandong, who had finished her bread and was now drinking bottled water, suddenly spoke softly.

"...It's okay."

Both Black Rabbit and Fang Ming looked at her.

Song Niandong raised her head, met Fang Ming's gaze, and said seriously, "It's okay. Even if I went home... it would only be an empty house."

An empty house was not a home. It was merely a place one could live.

Looking at Song Niandong's calm expression, as though she had already grown used to everything, Fang Ming found himself unable to speak for a moment.

He hesitated, then finally scratched his hair in irritation and asked Song Niandong, "Do you have somewhere to stay tonight?"

"..." Song Niandong shook her head.

After thinking for a moment, Fang Ming said to Song Niandong, "If you trust me, then come with me."

"?"

Song Niandong lifted her head to look at Fang Ming, confusion in her eyes.

At a loss, she looked toward Black Rabbit beside her, only to hear Black Rabbit say, "It's fine, Dongdong. Go with him for now. I'm here, after all. I won't let anything happen to you."

As she spoke, Black Rabbit also used magic to privately transmit her voice to Song Niandong.

Besides, don't you think this is an opportunity? He's the cousin of those magical girls. If we can kidnap him... perhaps those magical girls will hesitate and won't dare interfere in our affairs.

"Kid... kidnap!?"

Song Niandong cried out in alarm.

Fang Ming, who had nearly been turned into a hostage: "...?"

Song Niandong's cry not only stunned Fang Ming, but also made Black Rabbit helplessly slap her cheeks with both paws.

Fang Ming's gaze turned dangerous as he looked toward Black Rabbit. "Who are you planning to kidnap?"

"...You heard wrong."

Black Rabbit looked away and lied without even blushing.

Song Niandong, meanwhile, avoided Fang Ming's gaze, and her reaction was enough for Fang Ming to confirm the target of her kidnapping.

It really was Fang Ming himself!

Seeing this, Black Rabbit simply decided to go all in and directly said to Song Niandong, "Forget it, stop hesitating, Dongdong! Do it now!!"

"..."

"..."

A cold breeze passed through.

Nothing happened.

Fang Ming gave Black Rabbit a profound look, then looked at Song Niandong, who raised her hand, lowered it, then raised it again, looking utterly conflicted.