Chapter 12: The First Steps of Magic

The morning light, like an egg yolk diluted with clear water, cascaded sparsely into the park, a place where spring eternally bloomed.

Indeed, this was the consciousness simulation space, the very place where Su Xinxin first transformed into a magical girl.

Su Xinxin stood upon the cobblestone path, still encased in the magical girl attire that made her feel utterly ill at ease. The goose-yellow short skirt billowed and swayed in the gentle morning breeze, and for the countless time, she instinctively reached out to press down its hem.

“Master is looking quite good today!” Xiao Ming fluttered around her, trying to formulate a more specific compliment. After a moment of thought, only one phrase finally emerged: “In short… you’re very energetic!”

“Good spirits, my foot…” Su Xinxin mumbled softly. “I’m just an old relic crammed into a doll’s shell.”

Despite her words, she knew she had to make the most of today.

Tomorrow, during her training, she would meet her mentor, Lin Mo. Lin Mo was likely a genuine, vibrant young woman, and according to Xiao Ming, the organization employed a “one-on-one newcomer” teaching approach. Lin Mo herself was only a First Stage Bloom, essentially a junior senior guiding a junior.

Crucially, Lin Mo would certainly be unaware that a seventy-year-old man inhabited her shell. This deep-level identity, it was said, was classified with an exceptionally high security clearance; she absolutely could not expose it.

“What should I practice today?” Su Xinxin inquired softly.

“Today, let’s try moving around! Just like your morning warm-up jog!” Xiao Ming circled around her. “You need to get used to moving in this body and these clothes.”

Moving around?

Su Xinxin glanced down at her legs, the slender limbs of a young girl encased in white over-the-knee socks. These legs were fine for walking, but running or jumping…

Even more disconcerting was the unfamiliar weight across her chest. Her transformed body seemed even more voluptuous than her everyday Su Xinxin form, and it now rose and fell subtly with her breaths, stretching the fabric of her top into soft curves.

“Come on, let’s not waste time! First, try walking a few steps slowly.” Xiao Ming floated in front of her. “Pay attention to your breathing rhythm. Feel the flow of magic and your breath; once you walk smoothly, the magic will flow smoothly too. Hmm… what was that called again? Oh, right! It’s—‘Take two steps! If you’re not sick, take two steps!’”

Su Xinxin attempted to step forward, one step, then two. The skirt swayed gently with her movements, and she could feel the fabric brushing against the skin of her inner thighs. The weight on her chest also shifted slightly with each stride, its heavy presence making her cheeks flush.

It still felt very unfamiliar, but it was slightly more accustomed than the first day.

“Yes, just like that.” Xiao Ming kept pace beside her. “Imagine you’re not just walking, but rather… strolling through a garden. Lighten your footsteps, and land steadily.”

She was well-acquainted with strolling. Back when her body was still robust, she would walk two laps around her community or a park every day. Now, with younger legs, walking felt much lighter and more nimble.

“Alright, now try a light jog.” Xiao Ming quickened her pace. “Slowly get a feel for this body.”

Su Xinxin began to run. The first few steps were clumsy, and the hem of her skirt flared alarmingly, making her instinctively want to press it down again. Yet, after covering some distance, her body found its own rhythm—the angle of her knees, the lightness of her landing, the depth of her breaths… Even that unfamiliar weight seemed to merge with the rhythm of her run, rising and falling in sync with her steps.

So this was how a young body ran. Light, elastic, as if springs were embedded in her joints.

She jogged a small circle around the flowerbed, pausing with a slight gasp. It wasn’t from exhaustion, but the satisfying breath that follows invigorating exercise.

“How do you feel?” Xiao Ming flew over.

“Not bad.” Su Xinxin wiped her forehead. She hadn’t broken much of a sweat; this body’s metabolism was truly excellent. “It’s just this skirt…”

“What about the skirt? It’s so pretty!”

“It feels breezy underneath when I run.” Su Xinxin’s face was still flushed. “I’m always afraid of exposure.”

Xiao Ming sighed. “I told you, this is a consciousness space, no one can see! Besides, in a real fight, who would care about that? An ‘Erosion’ won’t go easy on you just because you’re holding down your skirt.”

That argument was undeniably sound.

“What’s next, then?” she asked. “Just running?”

“Next, let’s try ‘Jasmine Scent Guidance’.” Xiao Ming floated to the center of the open space. “This involves using the jasmine scent from your transformed state to perceive and guide magic.”

It paused. “Every magical girl perceives magic differently. Some rely on ‘seeing,’ others on ‘touching.’ For you… it might be ‘smelling’ and ‘feeling’.”

Smelling? Feeling?

Su Xinxin recalled the sensation of faint light surging from her palm that night she saved Xiao Ming. At that moment, she hadn’t thought of anything, only desperately wished for it to get better…

“Come, close your eyes.” Xiao Ming’s voice softened. “Try to ‘listen’ to the sound of the flower scent flowing.”

Su Xinxin closed her eyes as instructed. At first, there was only the sound of wind and water, but gradually, a delicate, ethereal fragrance emerged in her consciousness—carrying the coolness of morning dew and the warmth of sunlight, not contending or vying, simply diffusing quietly.

Was this the scent of jasmine? She seemed to understand a little.

“Try to make it flow to your left hand,” Xiao Ming said.

How does it flow? Su Xinxin thought of teaching her granddaughter to write—not pushing forcefully, but gently guiding along the natural momentum. She did the same with the ‘invisible flower’ in her heart.

Something passed through. It was warm and soft, like tepid water washing over her palm.

She opened her eyes and saw a few translucent, goose-yellow light petals drifting from her left hand, dissolving into specks of light upon contact with her skin. The jasmine scent in the air, it seemed… had intensified ever so slightly?

“…I did it?” She could hardly believe it.

“You did it! And it was very stable!” Xiao Ming excitedly circled around her. “Many newcomers overexert themselves the first time they guide magic—they either conjure a light orb that scares themselves, or they can’t produce anything at all. Your gentle guidance is truly rare!”

Su Xinxin gazed at her palm, that belated understanding resurfacing in her mind: so magic was such a quiet and delicate thing, like knitting a sweater, stitch by stitch following the pattern.

Perhaps… she, this old fellow, was indeed suited for this.

“So, next…” She didn’t finish her sentence.

“Grrr—”

Her stomach rumbled at an inopportune moment.

Su Xinxin’s face flushed, and the flower scent she had just perceived instantly dissipated.

“Ah, it’s already noon!” Xiao Ming glanced at the simulated space’s ‘sun.’ “Let’s go back for lunch first! We’ll continue training this afternoon!”

****

Exiting the consciousness space, she returned to her one-bedroom, one-living room apartment in Maplewood Garden. The real sunlight streamed in brightly; training time truly flew by, as it was almost midday.

Su Xinxin deactivated her transformation, changing back into her off-white, knee-length dress. She was accustomed to this dress; its length offered a sense of security. Though she still preferred wearing long pants, compared to those short pleated skirts… this was already quite good.

What a “Magical Girl Adaptation Plan,” sigh.

“Master, you’ve trained so hard today, why don’t we eat out?” Xiao Ming perched by the door. “There’s a meal allowance reimbursement, so it’s a waste not to use it. And you can’t convert unused funds into cash!”

Su Xinxin considered it, then nodded. “Alright, let’s eat out.”

She also wanted some fresh air. It had been several days since she became “Su Xinxin,” and while she was learning to adapt to a younger person’s lifestyle, some habits were hard to break—like early to bed, early to rise. She had slept around 8 PM last night and woke up at 5 AM this morning, ensuring a full eight hours of sleep.

Xiao Ming had mentioned that full-time magical girls operated on a “flexible work schedule,” which essentially meant being on call. It seemed similar to a job where one had to respond to client calls or messages, having to work. Perhaps in the future, she would have missions in the middle of the night, meaning her current routine would likely need to change.

Never mind, future matters could be dealt with later.

She tied her long hair into a low ponytail in front of the mirror. The reflection showed a delicate, gentle face, yet her eyes held a serenity that belied her apparent age.

Before leaving, she took one last look at her dress. It was an off-white dress, with a knee-length hem, and a neat burgundy bow tied at the collar.

…At least this outfit wasn’t ugly; it had a touch of youthful vitality amidst its steadiness, and it wasn’t too revealing. Perhaps having worn it for so long, she had grown accustomed to it? Looking at it now, it actually seemed quite nice.

Thinking this, she pushed open the door and stepped out.

What would it be like to meet Lin Mo tomorrow?

She didn’t know.

But at least for now, the early summer sun was pleasant, and the wind was gentle. She was going to enjoy a subsidized lunch, then return for a nap, and continue training in the afternoon.

Life always moved one day at a time. Whether a magical girl or an old person, one had to eat, and one had to walk their path.

She thought this as she descended the stairs, listening to the faint cicada song outside, her footsteps lighter than when she had first transformed into Su Xinxin.

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