Chapter 14: A Magical Girl’s Dilemma: Diapers, Kisses, and a Boy Named Hayato

I wonder if any of you have ever experienced the thrill of a trip scheduled for the very next day.

If that youthful memory has faded, perhaps you can recall the feeling of finally deciding to purchase a long-coveted item online.

The most crucial detail, of course, being next-day delivery.

At this moment, I am utterly delighted.

It’s akin to rushing to the courier station and snatching a package directly home.

Delivery? Unnecessary; I simply couldn’t wait.

My friend, Watanabe Hayato, was currently cradled in my arms.

Magical Girls truly possessed incredible strength; though I was significantly shorter than him, I managed to lift him effortlessly into a princess carry.

Didn’t dramas often feature such scenes?

The male lead, holding the female protagonist, weaving through the chaos of battle.

While our current circumstances were somewhat amiss, the form itself seemed perfectly fine.

Perhaps next time, I could let Hayato try holding me this way.

With a light push off my toes, I could cover a considerable distance.

As we soared away from the area where the monster had appeared, the surroundings grew quiet.

A jet-black crow perched on a rooftop, seemingly puzzled by our unusual duo.

Before I could even greet it, our view had already shifted to the next location.

Little Black Cat Lingling lay nestled on my shoulder, and even without words, I knew he could perceive my thoughts.

This was an overly convenient ability: only he could actively hear my inner voice when we made physical contact as contracted familiars, yet I could not hear his.

If only I possessed a similar power, my progress in capturing Hayato’s heart would surely accelerate.

Beyond friendship, of course, lay love.

Such was the narrative in countless stories.

I intended to be with Hayato for the rest of our lives.

Therefore, to achieve this goal, I absolutely had to make Hayato fall in love with me.

Yet, to this day, I had never witnessed Hayato in a romantic relationship.

Though love letters appeared in his shoe locker almost every week, I had never once seen him respond to any.

Why was this the case?

He was, after all, a perfectly healthy sixteen-year-old high school boy.

Shiraishi Kisa, the student council secretary, stood at the apex of the school’s social hierarchy, a manga club president, and the immensely popular Magical Girl Sakura Tsui—truly a formidable rival.

Kato Eri, the student council president, was rumored to be the daughter of a company CEO and Hayato’s alleged girlfriend; many at school spread such gossip, and in some respects, she did seem quite compatible with Hayato.

But no, absolutely not, none of them would do.

When it came to who knew Hayato longer, if I said I was second, no other ‘cat stealing fish’ (TL Note: A Chinese slang term referring to someone who tries to snatch away another’s love interest.) would dare claim first place.

Our bond, you see, went back to the days of diapers.

Furthermore, no one in the world understood Hayato better than I did.

Not even Auntie Chinatsu (TL Note: Referring to Watanabe Chinatsu, Hayato’s mother.), Hayato’s own mother, could claim that.

For I alone knew precisely what types of movies lurked within the hidden folders of Hayato’s computer.

This was a small point of pride for me.

No hacking was involved, merely a bit of simple social engineering.

However, coming to know Hayato so early in life also presented two significant problems.

Firstly, Hayato had always regarded me as a boy.

Secondly, Hayato might never develop romantic feelings for me.

Wasn’t there a scientific theory about this?

On a physiological level, to avoid issues of incest or ethical dilemmas, it was difficult for boys and girls who knew each other from a young age and grew up together to develop romantic attraction.

Hayato, in all likelihood, now saw me as family.

Back then, the very moment I first fell in love with Hayato was when he promised I could become part of his family.

He was just so cool.

How could someone so young utter words with such a protagonist-like aura?

But now, he no longer harbored such feelings towards me.

Even though he was currently held in my embrace, he showed absolutely no reaction.

Incidentally, just now, Hayato had touched ‘that’ spot of mine.

This, undeniably, was a monumental victory.

Despite his apparent lack of excitement, he should have at least gotten a nosebleed, right?

Why wasn’t Hayato blushing even a little?

‘Could it be that he had transferred his feelings for “Aoyama Ren,” the boy, onto me?’

A hint of regret began to surface; perhaps I should have kept my identity hidden from Hayato for a while longer, allowing him to fall in love with me before revealing the truth.

This was a strategic misstep, sacrificing the overall picture and long-term development for a fleeting reward.

I reflected deeply on my actions.

A faint, pleasant scent wafted through the air.

Carried by the morning breeze was the subtle, elusive fragrance of Hayato himself.

Perhaps it was due to his recent exertion, for his body felt incredibly warm.

A sheen of sweat also beaded on his forehead.

My left hand, pressed against Hayato’s back, could even feel the pulse of his blood within him.

How to describe it? It was a peculiar sensation.

I inhaled deeply.

At that moment, overwhelmed by excitement, it was perhaps understandable that I had been so eager to claim my triumph, wasn’t it?

It was, after all, only human nature!

“Ren, were you hurt just now?”

Mid-flight, as we leaped through the air, the previously silent Hayato suddenly spoke.

He refused to meet my gaze, likely because being held by a girl in such a manner would wound his pride.

But there were no trains home nearby, you know.

“No, that monster didn’t even graze my clothes.”

My confidence, perhaps, was not unfounded.

As I gripped the scythe, I had seen distorted cracks appear across the monster’s body.

It seemed that by striking in that particular direction, no matter how terrifying the foe, I could effortlessly cleave them apart.

They would be torn, limb from limb.

In that instant, the world appeared as fragile as a single-layer wafer cookie.

The ground, utility poles, walls, even humans—everything seemed ready to shatter at a touch.

I wondered if this was my unique ability, or if other Magical Girls could also perceive such sights.

In any case, I could quite easily deal with D-class monsters.

Considering this, Shiraishi Kisa, an A-class Magical Girl, must have handled the E-class monster that destroyed the sports field yesterday with absolute ease.

Her combat was both magnificent and graceful.

Her pink attire, fluffy and girlish, likely made anyone who witnessed her battles exclaim, “This is what a Magical Girl truly is!”

No wonder Sakura Tsui had the most fans in the media, followed by Maihime.

Though I had once considered myself a fan of Sakura Tsui, when it came to matters of principle, I would not back down.

‘Wait a minute, according to shojo manga tropes, shouldn’t I be feigning weakness at this point, then collapsing into Hayato’s arms?’

“That’s good.”

Hayato’s voice sounded somewhat low.

‘Why was that?’

‘Was he worried about me? Yet I was completely unharmed.’

The bedroom window remained open, wide enough for one person to enter.

Standing outside the window, I first allowed Hayato to go in, followed by Little Black Cat Lingling and myself.

The air inside the room, predictably, felt heavier than outside.

I glanced at the alarm clock on the desk: 6:06 AM.

This meant that from departure to return, only about fifteen minutes had passed.

Back in the familiar surroundings, I noticed Hayato’s shirt was soaked through, both front and back.

It was impressive that Hayato had managed to keep up with me.

Unlike my leaps across rooftops, Hayato likely had to take a more circuitous route on the ground.

He had probably been running at his fastest speed for those few minutes he spent chasing me.

Hayato panted softly, sweat trickling down his cheeks.

‘Oh, so this was why those girls enjoyed watching handsome boys exercise.’

‘I finally understood a little.’

Little Black Cat Lingling returned to perch by the window, where gusts of breeze gently pushed aside the white curtains, causing them to sway.

The sky was growing steadily brighter.

“Ren, don’t you need it?”

While I was admiring the scenery, Hayato suddenly asked me.

‘Need? Need what?’

‘Wait, I hadn’t given him any strange looks just now, had I?’

‘My plan to capture Hayato’s heart wasn’t fully formulated yet; I couldn’t risk scaring him off with a rash move.’

‘As for yesterday’s kiss, that was purely an accident.’

‘Besides, hadn’t I already explained it thoroughly?’

‘Now, I could brazenly use such excuses to demand kisses from Hayato in the future.’

‘Well done, me.’

Inadvertently, Hayato’s scorching body heat drew closer and closer.

‘Sniff, sniff.’

‘I was no perverted otaku.’

Before I could fully process what was happening, Hayato placed his hands on my shoulders.

‘…?”

A familiar sensation bloomed on my lips.

My breathing hitched abruptly.

Dizzy, lightheaded.

‘Oh no, not again, fainting from over-excitement or something.’

‘Just a little longer!’

‘I had clearly intended to use my tongue!’

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