Chapter 7: Unveiling Truths, Embracing Transformation

The young girl named Zhang Xiao was, at this very moment, seated at the head of her bed, her gaze fixed on He Yao.

Her eyes held a certain sharpness, prompting He Yao to instinctively want to avert his gaze. Though he wished to declare himself a victim as well, he was, after all, the one who had broken her leg.

He had heard that Magical Girl Emerald had not treated the girl’s injuries back then, fearing that the monstrous demon might reappear once her wounds healed. It was also unlikely that Emerald would make a special trip just to heal her.

Thus, her leg was currently encased in a plaster cast.

“Zhang Xiao, this is the person you wanted to see, He Yao,” Lin Han introduced. “Now, can we finally have a proper conversation?”

Zhang Xiao stared at Lin Han, seemingly lost in thought, before she finally spoke. “You truly kept your promise and didn’t deceive me. I am willing to trust you.”

She had initially braced herself to be deceived, either by her parents or by Lin Han. After all, her parents had always behaved that way in the past.

Yet, to her surprise, the other party had actually brought the person to her.

This was entirely unexpected for Zhang Xiao. Despite being merely a middle school student, she harbored a deep reluctance to trust others.

After her gaze lingered on Lin Han for a moment, she shifted her attention to He Yao, sitting up from her bed. “When you told me you wanted to be my friend, was that true?”

He Yao paused, momentarily stunned, then glanced at Lin Han.

Lin Han offered him an encouraging look.

He Yao then stated, “That was a lie.”

Lin Han seemed unfazed by He Yao’s words. “I merely wanted you to stop at the time. I thought of how I once felt similarly and believed I could move you, which is why I said those things. However, it backfired; you knew I was deceiving you.”

Zhang Xiao’s expression grew somewhat crestfallen, yet she still asked, “You’ve been through something like this too?”

“Teacher Lin told me something similar back then, but it was different. I think…”

He Yao looked towards Lin Han. “I believe Teacher Lin was serious at the time. That’s why I was moved by him. But I truly had no intention of befriending you; I only wanted to help Magical Girl Emerald.”

“Why?” Zhang Xiao pressed. “Why did you have no intention of befriending me?”

“First, I don’t particularly enjoy making friends. You can ask around my class; I don’t really have any,” He Yao stated calmly. “Second, you created a monstrous demon due to extreme emotions. I don’t believe I could get along with you. In fact, I find it incredibly troublesome. Under normal circumstances, I’d run as far as possible from someone like you.”

These words were perhaps a bit harsh, yet they were He Yao’s genuine thoughts. The previous incident had made him realize that this girl was far more perceptive than anyone imagined; she could discern a lie.

“Then why are you here in front of me? Do you fancy yourself a hero?”

“As I said, it was to help Magical Girl Emerald.”

“And the reason?”

He Yao shook his head. “I can’t tell you.”

Zhang Xiao watched He Yao for a moment longer before finally sighing and lying back on her bed. “I understand now. There’s nothing else. You can leave. Teacher Lin, you may begin.”

‘Begin’, of course, referred to the psychological counseling. It was a profound undertaking.

He Yao nodded and exited the room.

He then sat in the living room, drinking tea under Zhang Peng’s hospitality. The atmosphere was rather awkward; he and Zhang Peng had little to say to each other. Zhang Peng was clearly worried about his daughter, thus having no inclination to communicate with He Yao.

Fortunately, it did not take too long.

Approximately half an hour later, Lin Han came downstairs.

“Teacher Lin, how did it go?”

“Mr. Zhang, Zhang Xiao should grow from this experience. You and your wife must remember what I told you previously: listen more, offer fewer opinions, and try to consider things from your daughter’s perspective. As long as it’s not illegal or criminal, just let her do it. Can you understand?”

Zhang Peng quickly nodded. “We understand, Teacher Lin.”

“Alright, I’ll come back to check on her condition later. I’ll be leaving now.”

“Teacher Lin, how about staying for a simple meal…”

“We’ve already eaten before coming.”

****

On the way back, He Yao sat on Lin Han’s motorcycle. “Teacher Lin, you weren’t worried that what I said would stir up her emotions?”

“Because you didn’t lie.”

Lin Han’s speed was slow at the moment, so there was no need to speak loudly to be heard. “You two are indeed somewhat similar, yet you are also different. For her, sincerity is a rare and precious thing.”

“So, for me, it’s not like that? Were you deceiving me back then, Teacher?”

“I didn’t deceive you either,” Lin Han replied. Although He Yao couldn’t see his expression, he could almost picture his smiling face. “However, for you, sincerity isn’t quite as crucial.”

He Yao fell silent. After a moment, he suddenly asked, “Teacher, what are your thoughts on Magical Girls?”

“Magical Girls?”

He Yao felt the motorcycle sway slightly. But at what speed were they going? Only a little over thirty miles per hour. Teacher Lin’s driving skills shouldn’t be like this…

“Emerald secretly came to see me yesterday.”

“Oh? Why did she come to see you? To express gratitude?”

“She came to warn me.”

This wasn’t exactly a lie, as Liu Xingyue had indeed come to see him. “She said that protecting the public is a Magical Girl’s mission, and she wouldn’t tolerate me doing anything similar again. Even if I helped her, she wouldn’t be pleased, stating that being helped and saved by the public was a dereliction of duty for a Magical Girl, stripping away their very reason for existence.”

Lin Han also seemed puzzled by this. He appeared to ponder for a moment before finally asking, “What are your thoughts on those words?”

“I don’t understand. Isn’t mutual aid a wonderful thing? Just as you help me, Teacher, and I would invite you to dinner, helping each other makes everyone’s lives better. Why would accepting help from the public strip Magical Girls of their purpose? Are Magical Girls invincible, unable to accept assistance from others?”

He actually wanted to tell Lin Han Liu Xingyue’s true identity, but he had already made a promise. He didn’t want to break the agreement between himself and Liu Xingyue.

Moreover, it might bring significant trouble to Liu Xingyue.

“I don’t know what Magical Girls think,” Lin Han said. “After all, I haven’t had much contact with them. However… I believe your thoughts are sound, He Yao. You only need to uphold what you believe is right.”

“I thought you’d tell me not to do dangerous things like that again, Teacher, since that’s what my parents always say.”

“If possible, I wouldn’t want you to do dangerous things. However—if you believe it is the right thing to do, then, He Yao, do what you believe is right. That is what it means to be a true man.”

“…Teacher, you might think revealing a profile like that looks cool, but you’re driving right now. I hope you’ll watch the road ahead.”

“Oh.”

****

Lin Han dropped him off at his house.

As usual, his mother and father were not home.

His father was still abroad, and his mother likely wouldn’t be home today.

He was used to it.

He returned to his room.

The full-length mirror he bought yesterday had arrived today.

He unboxed the item from the delivery package and placed it in his room.

‘Teacher said to just uphold what I believe is right?’

‘Then my choice shouldn’t be wrong, right?’

‘Teacher Lin really is different from others.’

He took a deep breath, and a dark orb of light materialized in his hand.

“Magical Girl! Transform!”

A dark, inky glow enveloped him.

It coiled around her body like ribbons.

From within the darkness emerged a slender, graceful girl dressed in what appeared to be a sailor uniform.

“Magical Girl Ink Crystal!”

Gazing at herself in the mirror, He Yao instinctively reached out to touch the reflective surface.

The girl in the mirror extended her hand towards the glass in unison.

‘How vulgar…’

‘She had previously said Emerald’s crop top was suggestive, but then again, didn’t her own outfit practically expose her entire midriff?’

‘Are Magical Girls truly proper beings?’

‘Speaking of which… it feels a bit heavy…’

She lowered her gaze, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

‘Compared to Emerald, am I… a bit bigger?’

‘Should I touch it?’

‘…Never mind.’

‘The difficulty is a bit too high.’

Her hair was long and black. The outfit was essentially a sailor uniform, and her features were undeniably cute… She felt like the kind of character who would appear in rather questionable artwork.

‘My height… it’s actually similar to when I was a boy?’

‘This must be over 1.7 meters tall, right?’

‘Though shorter than Teacher Lin, she’s already quite tall for a girl.’

‘Also, couldn’t this come with stockings? Bare legs aren’t bad, but stockings would be nice too…’

As she thought this, dark power swirled, and a pair of black thigh-high stockings appeared on the girl’s legs.

“Oh~ so the battle suit can be modified to some extent? That’s not bad then.”

‘Next, a test of my powers?’

She extended her hand, and a black crystal materialized in her palm.

It then continuously transformed, finally shaping into a black longsword.

She realized she could make the sword grow or shrink depending on the amount of power she exerted.

‘A melee type?’

‘If possible, I’d prefer to be a ranged Magical Girl… Throwing skills from a distance is surely better than charging in for a direct fight, right? Emerald is a ranged type.’

‘However, to be fair, Emerald’s combat ability isn’t particularly high; she leans more towards support skills.’

‘Mine, on the other hand, seems to be geared towards combat.’

‘What exactly determines a Magical Girl’s transformation?’

She had actually been quite hesitant.

When confronted with the question of whether to become a Magical Girl.

However, after asking Teacher Lin that question today, she felt she could finally face this power.

‘After all, she hadn’t known what she wanted to do in the future anyway—being a Magical Girl for a while wouldn’t be so bad, would it? As long as she kept it a secret…’

‘No one would know she was a Magical Girl once she started working later.’