"You found a Witch and want to deal with it alone? I don't agree!"
"Tch! I'm just telling you. I'm going whether you stop me or not."
An extremely bizarre scene was unfolding at the gates of Mitakihara Middle School. Mami Tomoe, who always presented an "elegant lady" image at school, was currently speaking aggressively to a girl. However, because of the distance and the fact that they were both deliberately controlling their voices, no one could hear clearly what was being said.
The other girl was leaning against the school gate with her arms crossed. No matter what Mami said, she maintained an uncooperative expression. But what drew even more attention was her outfit.
A hooded windbreaker paired with hot pants—this look undoubtedly left the middle schoolers unsure of where to look. After all, a normal school required girls' skirts to be at least below the knee. Even if they had seen someone dressed like Kyoko Sakura before, most wouldn't dare to stare directly at her.
However, it was clear that when one person was stubborn and the other couldn't bring themselves to be firm, the outcome was actually predetermined.
As Mami watched Kyoko Sakura walk away from the school with her single ponytail swaying and an air of defiance, she reached out her right hand as if trying to pull her back. Unfortunately, the other girl had no intention of paying her any mind.
"Mami-senpai... was that petite girl just now also...?"
Sayaka Miki, who had been standing behind Mami this whole time, asked with a subtle expression after Kyoko left. Mami nodded with a complex look.
Instantly, Sayaka Miki already subtle expression completely soured.
"Ugh~ that kind of person is a Magical Girl too?! I thought all Magical Girls were like you, Mami-san."
"Like me?"
"Yeah~ Not only are you kind to people, but you're polite to everyone. You go out on patrol every day without complaint. Even when you know there's a Witch, you want to act together just to protect the other person. That girl, though—even though you said you didn't want the 'Grief Seed,' she still refused... Hmph!"
It was obvious that Sayaka Miki was standing up for Mami, but Mami suddenly reached out and patted Sayaka head.
"Mami-san?"
"Sayaka, you're a good girl. You don't need to get angry for me, okay? That's just Kyoko personality, and..."
"And what?"
Seeing Mami hesitation, Sayaka couldn't help but press for an answer, but the other only ruffled her hair and shook her head.
"No, it's nothing. Let's go too. Even though Kyoko will be careful about me following her, if I happen to run into her while I'm on patrol, she won't have anything to say about it."
Was it really nothing?
Clearly, Kyoko Sakura, who rarely interacted with people, had overestimated her own "acting" skills. Mami had seen through her almost instantly—she hadn't come to her just because she wanted to hunt a Witch alone. After all, if she really wanted to do that, there was no need to notify her at all. On the contrary, it felt like she was using "hunting a Witch" as a shield for something else she wanted to do.
However, Mami also knew her stubborn personality, much like a child in their rebellious phase. At a time like this, if she simply pushed forward, the other would only keep pushing back, and a head-on collision between them would naturally yield no good results. But if she backed off a little, the other would do the same.
I hope Kyoko knows what she's doing...
Despite being only one year older than Sayaka Miki and Kyoko Sakura—and even slightly shorter than Sayaka—the maternal aura Mami displayed at this moment made Sayaka instinctively choose to trust her.
Seeing that she had "convinced" Sayaka, Mami also noticed a black-haired girl who was currently pulling Madoka Kaname's hand and following behind her. She was startled for a moment, but then remembered the girl's identity.
"Are you the girl from before?"
Hearing Mami words, Homura Akemi stepped out from behind Madoka and first gave her a bow.
"Mami-senpai, thank you very much for your help!"
Looking at the nearly 90-degree bow and the girl's tense expression, Mami formed an initial impression of her: she seemed to be a shy but very serious girl.
But before she could speak, the girl looked up again.
"And although I should have thanked you formally before, I was just too tired that night. Afterward, I stayed in the hospital and didn't come to school, so I didn't have the chance to thank you..."
Seeing that cute face filled with such earnestness, Mami maintained her perfect smile but added a new definition to her impression.
Not just serious, but a girl who was a bit too serious.
"It's fine. Protecting everyone is my mission."
Although Homura Akemi's personality was a bit overly serious, Mami didn't mind too much. After all, while there weren't many people like Homura around her, they did exist. Since the other girl cared so much—
"In that case, treat me to cake when you have time~"
"Eh?! Cake? Is that all it takes?"
"That's right~ For me, cake is enough~"
Watching Homura Akemi, who had seemed somewhat forceful before, blush and look flustered before finally lowering her head and nodding, Mami knew she had succeeded.
If a child with such an overly serious personality receives help, they will certainly want to "compensate" the other party. In such cases, repeatedly saying it's unnecessary will only make them worry more. The simplest way is to satisfy them through some "easy" method.
If that's not enough—
Pat, pat~
Seeing Homura Akemi embarrassed expression, Mami gave a brilliant smile.
Serious kids really are cute, aren't they?
Looking at Homura, who was serious yet had honestly accepted her, Mami couldn't help but think of another difficult girl.
If only Kyoko could be as honest as this child.
After leaving everyone's sight, Kyoko Sakura found a plain-looking building and took the stairs to the roof. She didn't want to waste time, but for some reason, her nose suddenly felt itchy.
Could it be a cold? Didn't I stop catching colds after becoming a Magical Girl?
Kyoko couldn't help but feel it was strange. She wrinkled her nose and quickened her pace. When she arrived at the hospital, she found Lancer quite easily. Unlike during battle, Lancer didn't bother to hide his presence during normal times.
However, when she reached the outside of Lancer room, she stopped. Through the window, she saw two other people inside.
A silver-gray haired boy lying in bed and a girl with short, dark green hair.
Tch, he's working and wants me to wait for him. Oh well, observing his daily life might help with the battle later.
Thinking this, she leaned closer to the window.
At that moment, Lancer, who was supposedly "working," suddenly tilted his head toward her direction. Kyoko knew she had been spotted. However, since he didn't come out immediately—likely due to work—she simply began her "peeping" even more openly.