Takeoff!

(Sun Yao)

"Miss Miluno, the plane we're taking is here."

"Mm, I know."

The airport announcement sounded, and Miss Miluno, who had been resting with her eyes closed, opened them. There was no sleepy haze in her gaze.

"So you weren't asleep?"

She had not moved for over an hour. I had thought she was sleeping.

She stayed on high alert at all times. So cool! She was practically like a super soldier!

But she retorted, "What's so surprising about that? You weren't asleep either, were you?"

"I'm too excited to sleep, knowing I get to travel to Hawaii with you, hehe."

Besides that, the snacks in the lounge had been delicious. I had taken a lot without realizing it, and to avoid wasting them, I was already full.

"Come to think of it, why did the Association arrange for us to go to Hawaii?"

Supporting her delicate pointed chin with a raised index finger, Miss Miluno questioned the Association's arrangements as usual.

"Uh, wasn't it to verify whether we attract Monsters?"

"If that's the case, sending us to No-Man's Land would be more appropriate. Is there really a need to take an eight-hour flight to an archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean?"

"Well, Hawaii has a better environment. Miss SpiCa arranged it this way because she was thinking of us."

"But Hawaii isn't No-Man's Land."

"Uh..."

I did not know what Miss SpiCa was planning either. I could only ask Miss Yin Wei after boarding... though she probably did not know either.

To ease the atmosphere, I tried changing the subject.

"By the way, for a spontaneous trip like this, don't you need to let your family know, Miss Miluno?"

She had not made a call during the entire trip from the Association's Sky Branch to the airport... Come to think of it, I did not think I had ever seen her take out a phone.

"It's fine. They hardly go home themselves. By the time I return in five days, they probably won't even know I went to Hawaii."

The "they" Miss Miluno mentioned probably referred to her parents.

She stood up, raised her hand, and swirled her wineglass before tipping her head back and draining the red wine in one gulp.

Judging by how practiced she was at drinking, Miss Miluno was probably older than me. And she lived with her parents, too...

Hmm! Her true identity might be a college girl on summer break!

"Let's go. It's time to board."

"Oh! Okay!"

Miluno headed toward the boarding passage, and I hurried after her. Before I could catch up, someone called out from behind me.

"Ah! Miss Ceruno! Please wait!"

The attendant who had recognized me earlier ran over with a small notebook in hand.

"Huh?! D-Do I have to pay for all those snacks from before?"

Was that notebook a bill?

I had eaten quite a few cakes. I wondered how much it would cost... Would the Association reimburse expenses before we even reached Hawaii?

"No, no, no. Everything in the VIP lounge is included with the ticket. I just have a small personal request. Could I trouble you for an autograph?"

The female attendant held out her notebook, with a pen tucked inside.

I had only debuted as a magical girl a few days ago, yet I could feel burning enthusiasm coming from her.

But did I, someone who had become a magical girl to atone for my sins, really deserve to be popular?

Miss Miluno patted my back.

"Go on. Living up to a fan's expectations is also a magical girl's duty, right?"

Encouraged by Miluno like that, I managed to gather some courage.

But...

"I haven't practiced signing autographs... I'm sorry."

Although magical girls seemed to be becoming idolized, they were not actual idols. Hardly anyone would practice autographs, right?

"You don't need to apologize, Miss Ceruno. I was being thoughtless..."

Seeing my discomfort, the female attendant took out her phone.

"...Then could we take a photo together?"

"Of course."

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

She happily leaned close.

Then she shoved Miss Miluno away from my side with her butt.

"Huh?!"

(Bai Ziye)

I felt like I was doing a rather poor job as a magical girl.

I had sat in the lounge for over an hour without being recognized at all. Was I just not popular enough?

Guided by a flight attendant, we passed through the long boarding bridge and entered first class directly.

"Miss Miluno, come look! It's so spacious! There's even a bed! Is this barely large enough to count as a double bed?"

The first-class layout was practically like a luxury hotel suite, though somewhat smaller. Space on a plane was precious, after all, but the sheer luxury of the furnishings still exceeded my expectations.

The bathroom by the entrance was small, yet fully equipped;

Then came the dining area and bar, where a male bartender worked to meet the first-class passengers' drink requests;

Further ahead, eight first-class seats were divided into four private cabins. Each cabin had a television and surround-sound system, while the seats could be lowered into beds. The excited Ceruno was already rolling around on one of them.

Sigh, this was my first time flying too. Why was she even more excited than I was?

She rolled to one side and gave me half the bed, so I lay down beside her.

"Not bad."

This sofa bed was so soft that it felt as though it would swallow me whole...

Ceruno leaned close and whispered, "Miss Miluno, I looked up the ticket price. First class on this flight costs sixty-seven thousand per ticket! Miss SpiCa really spent a lot this time!"

For a global organization like the Association, two plane tickets were hardly much money.

"You should get some rest first."

"Hmm? Aren't you going to adjust to the time difference, Miss Miluno?"

Ceruno lay on her side as she asked, her little eyes glinting from the shadows as they stared at me and blinked.

Did this count as sharing a bed?

Even when we were at home, I had never slept beside her like this.

A strange feeling arose within me, but I did not show it. I merely raised my hand and tapped her little pink head, making her let out that signature silly laugh.

"Hehe~"

"You ate your fill in the lounge, but I'm still hungry."

"Oh? You didn't touch anything in the lounge because you wanted freshly prepared airplane food? Miss Miluno, you're so sneaky... I really can't eat another bite."

As she spoke, she pouted pitifully.

I did not know whether she was aware of how cute that little gesture was.

Compared to when she was with "Bai Ziye," she seemed more girlish when she was with "Miluno."

Was it because she no longer had the mental burden of "we're brothers"?

"Once the plane takes off, I'll go to the restaurant in the back and get something to eat."

"I want to eat too!"

She tried to sit up, but I pressed her back down.

"You should sleep first and eat breakfast when you wake up."

About ten minutes later, the plane finally took off.

There was a sense of increased gravity during the climb, which was not particularly comfortable, but it was nothing difficult for a magical girl's physique to handle.

Sure enough, Ceruno fell asleep during the ascent.

"Mm..."

Perhaps the double sofa bed was simply too comfortable, or perhaps the morning battle had exhausted her. Her elementary-schooler excitement before a field trip did not last long. Her expression was peaceful now, as though she were having a wonderful dream.

"Good night, dummy."

Suppressing the fatherly urge to kiss her forehead, I quietly got up and left the cabin, heading toward the first-class entrance.

I was not going to the restaurant.

Passing through the automatic door between cabins, I went from first class into business class.

Yin Wei, seated in the first row, smiled at me.

"Ceruno fell asleep?"

The seat beside her was empty.

Like first class, business class was not full either.

"Yeah. She's the type who's hard to wake up once she falls asleep."

I sat in the empty seat beside her.

"And shouldn't we talk about the next part of the plan?"