Chapter 4: A Rejection and a Wish

Upon returning home, Ye Qing’s first action was to undo the constricting bind around his chest, allowing himself a moment of unburdened breath.

He was in no hurry to enter his room. Instead, he leaned against the back of the door, lost in thought, gazing up at the mottled ceiling.

He had never imagined that his reunion with Gu Xuanyu after three years would unfold in such a manner.

He wondered how she was truly faring now.

No longer burdened by clumsy fingers, she was likely much happier.

As a Magical Girl, the center of everyone’s attention, she surely wouldn’t feel lonely anymore.

Ye Qing’s thoughts drifted back to their first meeting. Back then, he had looked somewhat similar to his current self, resembling a little girl.

***

The children’s boisterous laughter, as always, repelled Ye Qing.

Were it not for the need to appear normal, he would have preferred to lie quietly beneath a tree, watching the sunlight filter through the leaves and dance upon his fingers.

‘I’m tired. Perhaps I should rest.’

Ye Qing quietly detached himself from the crowd, making his way to his usual spot beneath the tree. Just as he prepared to recline on the soft carpet of fallen leaves, he was surprised to find his spot already occupied.

‘This tree is full.’

Ye Qing scrutinized the silver-haired girl, who was as delicate as a doll. After a moment of hesitation, he finally mustered the courage to speak.

“Hello, would you mind moving? I need to sleep here.”

Startled by his voice, the silver-haired girl abruptly turned her head. Her ruby-like eyes stared blankly at Ye Qing.

A moment later, she seemed to realize that speaking to someone while seated was impolite. She hastily rose to her feet, a faint blush spreading across her pretty face.

“I’m sorry…”

Though he didn’t understand why the girl was apologizing, since she was willing to yield the spot, Ye Qing lay down and lazily closed his eyes.

The girl watched Ye Qing’s actions, her small pupils wide with immense surprise.

‘How rude.’

As if in a huff, she mimicked Ye Qing, settling herself beside him. She hugged her knees sullenly, waiting for Ye Qing to notice her presence.

However, Ye Qing’s young face appeared so serene that one couldn’t help but wonder if he had already fallen asleep.

After a long while of being ignored, the girl discontentedly shuffled closer to Ye Qing, inching along until her arm brushed against his.

Only then did Ye Qing sit upright. Upon realizing the troublesome intentions of the girl beside him, he narrowed his eyes in displeasure.

‘Ugh, I’m forced to socialize again.’

“Don’t you find it uncomfortable, squeezing in next to me?”

The girl sheepishly moved away, though a mischievous, triumphant smile played on her lips.

“Not if we’re friends.”

“But I don’t know you.”

At his words, the girl’s cherry lips parted slightly in surprise.

“But we’re classmates!”

‘Are we?’ Ye Qing paused, slightly taken aback. He vaguely recalled such a person in his class.

“Since you say so, you must know me then?”

“Of course, Mr. Big Tree, Ye Qing.” The girl stuck out her tongue and made a face. “My name is Gu Xuanyu. Can we be friends now?”

‘Friends? That sounds like a lot of trouble.’

“No.”

Ye Qing ignored the surprise in Gu Xuanyu’s eyes. He turned his back, leaving the silver-haired girl to stand there, stunned.

‘Was I… rejected?’

Gu Xuanyu didn’t think this out of arrogance. It was simply that she had almost never been rejected before.

After all, who could refuse a friendship request from such a cute girl?

Ye Qing could. After all, he was Mr. Big Tree, a kindred spirit to wood.

He had believed this would allow him to reclaim exclusive rights to his spot beneath the tree. Instead, in the days that followed, he found himself utterly entangled with her.

Whether during meals, naps, or commuting to and from school, his previously rare moments of solitude were now monopolized by the lively silver-haired girl.

And whenever he saw her clumsily picking at her food, or tying her braids into a tangled mess, Ye Qing found himself unable to simply stand by.

“What a hassle.”

Gu Xuanyu sat obediently with her knees together, back straight, not daring to move, afraid of disturbing Ye Qing.

Listening to Ye Qing’s flat complaint, Gu Xuanyu pressed her lips together, suppressing a smile.

‘He says that, but he always ends up doing it anyway, doesn’t he?’

“You’re just like my little sister.”

Thinking of the mischievous imp at home, Ye Qing sighed helplessly. His nimble fingers skillfully gathered Gu Xuanyu’s silver hair, soft as velvet, and threaded it through a hair tie.

Upon hearing the words ‘little sister’, Gu Xuanyu’s wine-red eyes suddenly sparkled.

“Then… if you don’t want to be friends, how about you treat me like your little sister?”

“No.”

Being rejected a second time didn’t surprise Gu Xuanyu. Her keen intuition told her that Ye Qing already regarded her as a little sister.

Following this rejection, Ye Qing gained the silver-haired girl’s constant companionship.

As Gu Xuanyu blossomed into a graceful, slender young woman, her closeness to Ye Qing drew the gazes that usually focused on her to him as well. These gazes carried envy, jealousy, and bewilderment.

In short, Ye Qing’s peaceful life was completely gone. Wherever Gu Xuanyu was, there would be whispers and gossip.

Ye Qing had always detested noisy crowds, and Gu Xuanyu knew this well.

Watching the silver-haired girl prepare to chase those people away again, Ye Qing, uncharacteristically, spoke up.

“It’s fine. Having a few more people around occasionally isn’t so bad.”

Ye Qing clearly remembered the look of delight that had shone in Gu Xuanyu’s eyes upon hearing his words.

Indeed, from the very beginning, a dazzling girl like her should have been surrounded by crowds, not accompanied by a block of wood.

From then on, he indulged Gu Xuanyu more often. He accompanied her shopping, traveling, and to movies. Before he knew it, Ye Qing had inexplicably gained a few friends himself.

While a solitary life was undoubtedly free, humans always yearned for warmth. Even trees needed to bask in sunlight to gradually grow into a lush canopy.

It had been a long time since Gu Xuanyu had brought up the topic of becoming friends or siblings, which troubled Ye Qing. If she were to speak up next, what request would she make? And would he still be able to refuse her?

‘He would probably still have to refuse. If he agreed, she might just cast him aside, wouldn’t she? After all, that’s how things had always been.’

On the night of Gu Xuanyu’s fifteenth birthday, Ye Qing was brought to her home by Gu Xuanyu. It wasn’t his first visit, but previous occasions had mostly been with others, leaving no profound memories.

This time, however, the sprawling villa was utterly empty. Even the servants responsible for Gu Xuanyu’s care had vanished without a trace.

Gu Xuanyu, uncharacteristically, indulged in a moment of capriciousness, asking him to help decorate for the party.

“Please, I want a candlelight dinner. Just this once, I’m begging you~”

Ye Qing sighed helplessly, nearly extinguishing the candle in his hand.

“I’ll warn you now, I’m not good at this sort of thing. If it turns out terribly, I’m not taking responsibility.”

“Then… you can take responsibility for other things.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing.”

Gu Xuanyu’s voice was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz. She nervously twirled her slender fingers, as clumsy as Ye Qing remembered her.

The cicadas of the summer night chirped outside the window, urging the deepening twilight.

The silver-haired girl sat by the window, her pale cheeks flushed crimson by the flickering candlelight, causing Ye Qing to momentarily lose himself in thought.

“Ye Qing, I’m about to make a wish. Do you want to hear it?”

“It won’t come true if you say it out loud.”

“It’s fine, you’d probably refuse anyway…”

Gu Xuanyu shyly hid her face behind her hair, taking a long time to steel her resolve.

She suddenly lifted her head, her ruby-like pupils reflecting the candlelight, gradually melting into a captivating pool of crimson wine.

“I don’t want to just be your little sister, Ye Qing. I want to be your □□□…”

Ye Qing couldn’t quite hear Gu Xuanyu’s words because, the moment she uttered that term, a dazzling white light suddenly erupted from the cake, blinding them both.

The unexpected guest was an unidentified creature resembling a small cat, quite adorable in appearance. It simply materialized out of thin air, hovering silently, obstructing Ye Qing’s view.

It interrupted Gu Xuanyu’s words with a voice as tender as a child’s.

“Do you wish to become a Magical Girl?”