Coming Clean

The Cultural Festival entrance plan was ready.

The stage, the script, the special effects to cover for him, Knight's status as a special guest—every piece was in place.

"The Greek god of connections."

That was his classmates' new nickname for him. It might not be long before they went back to calling him "Miss Yang," but it showed just how stunned they were.

Yang Chen's explanation, of course, was that saving someone in the park had earned Knight's respect.

Besides, Magical Girls attended all kinds of events as part of their work, so Knight had accepted his invitation.

Everything was ready.

But Yang Chen felt one thing was still missing.

The "big spectacle" at the Cultural Festival was for Qianqian.

Whether it was a prank, a surprise, or a shock, their relationship made coming clean that way all right.

But Uncle Chen and Aunt Su were different.

That couple had carried him home from the edge of the ruins and raised him, one meal at a time...

They didn't deserve a prank.

They deserved an honest confession, face-to-face.

So, the day before the Cultural Festival, Yang Chen made up his mind:

He would tell them first.

No special effects. No stage. He would sit in their living room like an ordinary kid who had done something wrong and finally found the courage to admit it.

After school the next day.

"Chen Qianqian." At the school gate, Celestial Star, dressed in ordinary clothes, pushed up her glasses, looking all business. "The Association needs you to come in. A few items in your ability data need to be checked again."

"Huh? Right now?" Qianqian checked her phone. "But I promised I'd go home and help my mom cook..."

"It'll be quick. An hour or two." Celestial Star's expression didn't change. "The data check is important. It affects your file rating."

"Oh... All right."

Qianqian left with Celestial Star.

After a few steps, she suddenly turned and looked back at Yang Chen, who was still standing there.

Yang Chen waved, wearing a perfectly innocent smile.

"...Weird," she muttered, then thought nothing more of it.

The Chen Family home. The living room.

"Xiaochen, you're back?" Su Wan poked her head out of the kitchen, an apron tied around her waist. "Where's Qianqian? Didn't she come with you?"

"The Association called her in." Yang Chen set down his schoolbag. "Where's Uncle Chen?"

"Watering the flowers on the balcony." Su Wan wiped her hands. "Have a seat. Dinner's almost ready—"

"Aunt Su."

Yang Chen stopped her.

"Could you ask Uncle Chen to come in too?"

He stood in the middle of the living room, hands at his sides, fingers slightly tense.

"There's something very important I want to tell you both."

Su Wan froze.

This child had grown up in her home. She knew what every expression on his face meant better than anyone—and she had seen this one only once before.

Seven years ago, on that rainy night, when his parents were buried.

Her smile slowly faded. "...Chen Zhou! Leave the flowers and come in!"

Three minutes later, the three of them sat together on the sofa, almost a family of three.

The mood was as solemn as a memorial service.

"Xiaochen." Chen Zhou set down his teacup and spoke gently. "Go ahead."

Yang Chen took a deep breath.

"Uncle Chen, Aunt Su. I should warn you first. What I'm about to say may sound a little... absurd."

"But please believe me. Every word is true."

The couple exchanged a glance.

Su Wan quietly gripped Chen Zhou's sleeve.

"Tell us. We're listening."

"Okay." Yang Chen nodded.

Then points of light slowly gathered around him.

Before the couple's shocked eyes, Yang Chen's form gradually changed.

At last, Magical Girl Love stood in their living room.

The sudden transformation left Chen Zhou and Su Wan staring, unable to believe what they were seeing.

"Xiaochen... you..."

Chen Zhou opened and closed his mouth, clearly trying to say something, but no words came out.

"Yes... I'm Magical Girl Love..."

"I know this is complicated to explain, but what I've just shown you is everything I've been hiding."

Love knew the couple had long sensed that something was on her mind.

They might have wanted to ask what she was keeping to herself, but out of respect for her, they never had.

The transformation ended.

Yang Chen stood in the living room again.

But after that transformation, his hair was longer.

And there was no need to mention the changes to his face and figure.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Chen, Aunt Su. I've been hiding this from you."

"Because I'm a boy, becoming a Magical Girl comes at a cost..."

"What?!"

Su Wan's voice rose in a shrill cry.

She rushed to Yang Chen's side, pulled him close, and looked him over several times.

"What cost? You little fool! How could you take a risk with your life like that?"

"I... I..."

Su Wan's eyes reddened at once. She raised a hand as if to smack him, but couldn't bring herself to do it.

Seeing that she had misunderstood, Yang Chen hurried to explain.

"Wait, Aunt Su! It isn't going to kill me! Every time I transform, I gradually become more of a girl!"

"Become a girl...?"

Su Wan froze at his words.

"No wonder..."

No wonder Yang Chen had grown prettier and prettier over the past year, until he hardly looked like a boy at all.

Su Wan had thought he might have developed a little quirk from keeping too much bottled up inside. Who would have guessed the truth was this?

"Yes. That's why I've kept it from you... The changes are just so strange..."

"I didn't know how to face you once I became a girl completely."

Yang Chen's voice dropped.

"I was afraid that if you knew, you wouldn't know how to look at me."

The living room stayed quiet for a long time.

Then Chen Zhou stood.

He walked over to Yang Chen and gently rested a hand on his head.

"Silly kid."

The fifty-year-old man, whose legs gave him trouble, had red-rimmed eyes and a voice as rough as sandpaper.

"The day you came to our home at seven, I told you: no matter what happens, you'll always be our child..."

"So you recognized us at the factory... I noticed your later appearances never caused as much commotion as that day... Ha! You were getting revenge for us!"

Su Wan couldn't hold back any longer. She came over and pulled Yang Chen into her arms.

"Silly kid... You really are a silly kid..." She cried as she patted his back. "What were you afraid of? What's there to be afraid of? You're our child, whatever you become..."

Held in her arms, Yang Chen felt his nose sting.

The weight that had hung over him for six months finally fell away with a thud.

Celestial Star was right.

Qianqian was right too.

No matter what you become, the people who care about you won't stop loving you.

After the tears and hugs, the mood gradually eased.

Su Wan washed her face. When she returned, her eyes were still red, but she was already bustling about, wanting to make Yang Chen an extra dish.

Except—

Yang Chen gradually sensed something was off.

The way Su Wan looked at him had become a little... odd.

It wasn't disgust or sadness.

It was an appraising, thoughtful look, with sidelong glances every so often—

A peculiar look.

"Aunt Su?" Her staring made Yang Chen's scalp prickle. "What is it?"

"Nothing, nothing." Su Wan waved a hand and kept picking through the vegetables.

Two minutes passed.

"Say, Xiaochen."

"Hmm?"

"I'm just asking," Su Wan said without looking up, as casually as if she were asking what was for dinner. "If you really do become a girl someday..."

"Will you still like girls?"

"Cough, cough, cough—!"

Yang Chen sprayed out a mouthful of soup.

"Honey!!" Chen Zhou's blood pressure shot up. "What kind of question is that?!"

"What's wrong with it?" Su Wan said indignantly. "I'm concerned about our child's future! I had a perfectly good son-in-law in mind... Now that things have turned out like this, shouldn't I prepare myself?!"

"You still can't—"

Smack!

Su Wan brought her chopsticks down hard on the table.

"Can't what?"

Chen Zhou: "..."

"No, Aunt Su, it's... I—" Yang Chen flushed bright red to the ears and stumbled over his words. "We... she... It's not what you're thinking—"

"Oh, Aunt Su knows. I know." Su Wan smiled and patted his hand. "Young people are shy. You don't have to say it."

"Anyway—"

She paused. Then her expression turned serious, and she looked Yang Chen in the eye.

"Xiaochen, no matter what you become, boy or girl..."

"There will always be a place for you at my table."

Yang Chen's eyes grew hot again.

"Oh, right." Later, Chen Zhou suddenly remembered something. "What about Qianqian? Does she know?"

The air in the living room seemed to freeze.

"Uh..." Yang Chen scratched his head. "She doesn't know yet."

"I'm planning to tell her at the Cultural Festival tomorrow."

"The Cultural Festival?" Su Wan blinked. "How?"

"Well, our class is putting on a play. I'm playing Madoka, and there's a transformation scene in the script. I'm planning to do the real thing—"

Yang Chen gave them a quick rundown of the plan.

The living room fell into another strange silence.

"..." Chen Zhou rubbed his forehead. "You kid. Even now, you're still thinking about pulling one over on her."

"It's not that!" Yang Chen protested. "It'll make the moment special!"

"Can Aunt Su come watch?" Su Wan suddenly raised her hand, her eyes shining alarmingly bright.

"Honey!!"