Refusal

The tension in the hospital room gradually eased.

Love seemed to have calmed down too. She sat quietly now, a different person from before.

There was even a faint trace of embarrassment in her eyes.

Mother leaned against the headboard, looking unbelievably well, and peppered Love with questions—how old was she, had she eaten, and where had she bought that lovely lace trim on her dress?

Love answered each question sweetly, almost meekly. Only when Mother asked where she lived did Love dodge the question with a cheerful smile.

Knight stood at the foot of the bed, watching them, her feelings too tangled to put into words.

At last, she took a deep breath and spoke.

"Love."

"Hmm?" The pink-haired girl turned around.

"On behalf of the Magical Girl Association's Local City Branch, I formally invite you to join us."

Knight's tone grew solemn. It was the most formal wording she could think of.

"The Association has been looking for you for a long time. We mean you no harm—quite the opposite. We can help you. Once you register, your personal information will be protected, and your family will receive special protection and care. At your rank, you'll get the best treatment. The people of this city deserve to know who's protecting them, too. Things are uncertain right now. Knowing a powerful magical girl is here would put a lot of minds at ease."

"I don't want a job."

Love refused without hesitation.

The room fell silent for a moment.

Knight blinked, then tried to explain.

"Love, being in the Association isn't—"

"Miss Knight." Love cut her off, her voice still soft and gentle. "Let me ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"Are the Association's rules strict? Like, would I have to report where I go every day? Would I have to write reports about what I've done?"

Knight hesitated, then nodded.

Love crossed her forearms in front of her chest in a big X.

"That won't do... I'm used to doing as I please. I don't like being told what to do. Besides, I can't resist pure love at all. If something happens, you might not be able to find me."

"I might end up making things worse."

"I know I can be a little willful, and I don't want to put anyone in a difficult position."

Knight listened in silence.

So she turned me down after all.

Love had said all she could. That was as much goodwill as she could offer.

At least she wasn't the sort to act recklessly.

"...I'll pass on what you said," Knight finally replied. "But the Association may not give up on contacting you."

"Then let them try." Love waved a hand, unconcerned. "If they can catch up with me."

She set one foot on the windowsill, then seemed to remember something and looked back.

"Oh, right, Miss Knight."

"Your mother's getting better, but—" Love raised a finger. "The miracle only opened the door for her. She has to walk the path beyond it herself. She needs to eat properly, sleep properly, and keep up with her checkups."

"And you."

Those pink, star-filled eyes looked straight into Knight's.

"You're beautiful when you swing your sword. But don't spend all your time being a knight."

"Once in a while, be her daughter again."

Knight's breath caught.

By the time she came to her senses, the windowsill was empty.

Only countless tiny points of light drifted out through the window, rising into the night sky like snow falling upward before melting into the stars.

In the hospital room, mother and daughter looked at each other.

"That child..." Mother gazed at the window and murmured, "She really is..."

She thought for a long time but couldn't find the right word.

Knight sat down beside the bed and took out her phone.

The screen lit up, her contacts list open to "Uncle Wei."

Her thumb hovered above the screen. She couldn't bring herself to tap it.

Should I report it?

What would I even report?

Uncle Wei, I met Love in my mother's hospital room. She healed my mother, and now Mom can sit up on her own.

And then what?

What would the Association do? Send people to the hospital, pull the security footage, question Mother endlessly, turn her room into an investigation office? Write up this miracle in a report, number it, file it, send it to headquarters, then bring in a team of experts to study "the mechanism and reproducibility of Dawn Rank healing abilities"?

Mother had only just gotten better.

Knight just wanted her to eat a warm meal and get a good night's sleep in peace.

But not reporting it meant concealing it.

Concealing something from her own superior, no less... There was no room for concealment in Knight's code.

She was this city's sword. A sword could not put personal feelings first.

"Qiqi..."

Mother's voice suddenly broke the silence.

Knight looked up.

Since becoming a magical girl, she had rarely heard Mother call her by her name.

Mother watched her with a gentle, knowing gaze. No one knew a daughter like her mother; she had seen the struggle on Knight's face at once.

"You're wondering whether to report what happened tonight?"

"...Yeah."

"Then let me ask you something." Mother spoke slowly. "Even without joining the Association, what is that girl doing right now?"

Knight thought about it.

Fighting. Saving people.

She was drawn by pure love, but Knight had never heard of her bothering a loving couple—or anyone else—under ordinary circumstances.

It took both danger and love to draw Love in.

At a moment like that, people's feelings came through at their purest, with no pretense.

Mother smiled.

"See? You know that yourself, don't you?"

"If she doesn't want to do something, she must have her reasons."

"You put off a meeting today so you could come see me, didn't you? Everyone has things they want to do. Being tied down would make anyone uncomfortable."

Knight looked at Mother for a long, long time.

Then she lowered her head and typed rapidly on her phone.

[Old Wei, if you snitch to my mom about me, you're dead. You're running combat training for me tomorrow.]

Me? You... Forget it. As long as you're happy.

After hesitating a moment, Knight kept typing.

[I met Love. She doesn't want to join the Association. That's all.]

What? Why didn't you try harder to persuade her?

Damn it! Answer me! Do you know what I've been put through these past two days?

Please, I'm begging you!

Unfortunately for Old Wei, his questions went unanswered. Knight had already put her phone away.

"Mom."

"Hmm?"

"Want another apple? I'll peel one for you."

Mother paused, then broke into a smile, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes brimming with warmth.

"I do. If you peel it, I'll eat every bite."

Outside the window, the night was gentle.

That night, Knight did not practice her swordplay.

She peeled an apple, cut it into little rabbit shapes, and watched Mother eat every last piece.