Toyokawa Shoko doesn't want to become a witch

Page 227

"Is this meal Yuki-senpai's idea, or Kasumi-senpai's idea?" Shoko asked with a straight face.

"Does it matter?" Yuki answered the question with a question.

“I don’t care whose idea it was,” Xiangzi said, “but I’d like to know what Yuki-senpai wants to say to me.”

"Let bygones be bygones?" Yuki picked up her water glass, took a sip, and looked up. "What do you think?"

"What do I think?" Xiangzi raised an eyebrow. "I don't believe it."

Xiangzi didn't believe a word of this.

"I don't believe it either." Yukina put down her water glass.

If you don't believe me, then why did you come to me?

Xiangzi raised an eyebrow.

waste time.

"Then we probably have nothing more to talk about." Xiangzi made a move to stand up.

"You're still able to sit here and talk to me because I've given my consent, you know that?"

"You've tacitly approved? What do I need your tacit approval for?"

"Why don't you have a wanted poster on the mission board yet?"

"Senior is truly aloof and superior."

“I have been merciful enough.”

Such kindness is not pleasing.

"I don't need to 'please' people."

"Then I'm not afraid of you."

Xiangzi even abandoned the "seniors" he always talked about.

"Haha... don't be so tense..."

Kasumi tried to smooth things over, but was met with a glare from two pairs of eyes that were similar in color.

"You two really are alike... in some ways."

Kasumi smiled wryly and shrank her neck.

She had specifically told Yukina to be nicer, but it still turned out like this.

Xiangzi was the same; the two were very similar in their stubbornness, like swans fighting until their necks were tangled together, both extremely proud and unwilling to yield to each other, but still calling for help to get out of trouble.

Kasumi sighed and whispered in Yuki's ear.

"Don't do that, we're the ones who need our help, aren't we?"

"...Hmph." Yuki snorted arrogantly.

"Xiao Xiang, we really do have something we'd like to ask you for a favor, so..."

"Hmph." Xiangzi also turned his head away, arrogantly raising his chin.

Kasumi didn't mention that Yuki was coming before she arrived, otherwise she wouldn't have come.

Kasumi's eyes darted back and forth between the two of them, then she looked at Mutsu next to Shoko for help. Mutsu looked so well-behaved, quietly drinking her juice... Wait, when did she order the juice?

Ugh, my head hurts so much.

Kasumi frowned, her brain going through a rapid process from the Big Bang to heat death, before finally snapping shut with a "pop".

Have it.

"Otherwise."

Kasumi clasped her hands together.

"It's not appropriate to talk about these things in a restaurant. This meal is on me."

Xiangzi's eyes lit up.

"Now that everyone's eaten and drunk their fill, shall we go sit in the newly opened cat cafe over there for a while and continue our chat, shall we?"

Yukina's eyes lit up too.

"Then it's settled~" Kasumi smiled and scanned the QR code on the table to order, then pushed the menu in front of them.

Easy peasy!

The Lost Tale: The Lost Child - Chapter 271 This Next Step is to Heaven

Wow, there are so many cats at this cat cafe! It's definitely a cat cafe.

Xiangzi stroked the little black cat that had jumped onto his lap, and hooked its chin with his finger. The kitten purred and rubbed its wet nose against Xiangzi's hand.

"Good~"

Xiangzi stroked the kitten's head, then let it squat beside him.

She looked up and glanced around. Mutsu had a long-haired white cat with heterochromatic blue and yellow eyes sitting in her lap, while Kasumi was squatting beside her, holding cat food in her hand, surrounded by a circle of colorful cats.

Only Yushina was alone, with no cats around.

The cats formed a small vacuum around her.

Yukina stared blankly at the coffee on the table. But Shoko could sense the resentment emanating from her, the kind of resentment that... "Why aren't any cats coming to me? I'm so sad..."

Uh......

Talk about it.

Restaurants are too noisy for chatting, so is a cat cafe suitable? This suggestion was obviously made to make Yukina give in, right? How come you're having so much fun now and have left Yukina out of the picture? Is this really okay?

Xiangzi's gaze lingered between Kasumi, who was surrounded by cats, and Yukina, who was alone with no cats beside her, their eyes almost sparking with rage.

Her gaze shifted to the little black cat nestled beside her.

The little black cat took up a cushion and slept soundly against Xiangzi, ignoring all the poking Xiangzi did.

So Xiangzi grabbed a corner of the cushion and moved it a little bit.

The black cat didn't react.

Move it a little more.

Still no response.

So Xiangzi became bold and, in a very awkward posture, dragged the cushion slowly toward Yukina until he moved the cushion next to her.

The little black cat lay on the mat between them, purring softly.

Yuki raised her hand, timidly and tiptoeing, and placed it on the little black cat.

Warm and fluffy.

The little black cat opened one eye, glanced at her, then closed it again, its purring growing louder.

When Xiangzi saw Yuxina's gaze, it melted instantly, like ice melting away.

"Ahem." Xiangzi cleared his throat. "Yuxi-senpai."

"What are you doing?" Yukina answered with her head down, but her voice was noticeably softer.

She didn't want to wake the only little one who would stay close to her.

"I should be the one asking that," Xiangzi said in a low voice so as not to wake the little black cat. "I heard from Kasumi-senpai that you were the ones who wanted to see me."

"Ah."

"Am I not a dangerous person? Not issuing a warrant for my arrest is already showing me leniency."

"Ah."

"Then why..."

"Kasumi trusts you," Yukina said softly. "I'll reluctantly trust you one more time."

As Xiangzi said, the matter of Nirvana is truly over.

She had no reason to be so hostile towards Xiangzi and his group; she just couldn't get over it herself. To put it bluntly, she was only being harsh with her words. The Reed Plain Magical Girl Gathering didn't actually have any wanted posters; at most, they only had a blacklist.

and......

“And we have no one else we can ask for help.” Yukina sighed.

"What happened?"

“PasPale is missing, in Kamihama,” Yukina said. “We need to go to Kamihama; the reed plains will become hollow.”

Her tone made it sound like she was saying this cat cafe was actually pretty good, with hardly any cat hair.

"what?!"

Xiangzi's voice suddenly rose a few decibels.

The little black cat lying on the cushion raised its head and looked at Xiangzi.

Yuki patted the black cat's head, and it lay back down.

"You, when you say you all, you mean..." Xiangzi blinked and said cautiously, "Roselia?"

“Everyone, Popipa, Roselia, Aftglow…” Yukina started counting on her fingers.

"Why do we need so many people? Shouldn't we leave a few people in the reed marshes?!"

“The problem in Kamihama is very serious; magical girls from all over the country are flocking there,” Yukina said. “PasPale lost contact there, so we need to be careful.”

“It might not just be Kamahama…” Yukina added in a low voice.

What happened in Kamihama, and what's connected to PasPale... may involve more than just one city.

"That reed field." Xiangzi didn't hear what she said clearly; she had a more pressing question on her mind.

Yuki turned her head to the side.

“Ave Mujica, is that right? Although you haven’t officially registered with the rally, you already have your own name. I heard you’re planning to start your own business.”

"Kasumi even told you this...?"

“No, I found out myself.” Yukina shook her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t agree with your plan to set up your own organization. Having another trading organization will only make Reed Plains more chaotic.”

Xiangzi's lips twitched.

How much does Yuki actually know?

"That senior is sitting here so kindly, petting the cats together. He probably doesn't intend to use any harsh methods to suppress us, right?" Xiangzi said. "Does he have any plans?"

“While we’re away, the operation of the gathering will be handled by you—Ave Mujica,” Yushina said. “Are you not satisfied with the current operating model? You can try to change it yourself.”

“Of course I think it’s definitely hopeless.” She added, “Going it alone is even more hopeless. The network of relationships with the government and major private enterprises is something you can’t build. It took us several years to get to where we are now.”

"Wait, wait, don't rush into it." Xiangzi interrupted Yuxina, "Are you leaving the rally to us few who are in charge?"

"Yes, we also have the responsibility to protect the safety of the reed marshes."

"Why do you think the five of us can do it?"

“Misaki said you dealt with an unimaginable witch in the Ryukyu waters. Her words are more credible than Kasumi's, and there is also a magnitude 7 earthquake and volcanic eruption as evidence. A witch capable of causing natural disasters is undoubtedly a Dangous-level witch.” Yukina looked at Shoko calmly, “Plus Nirvana... you have fulfilled your promise, although I don’t know what method you used.”

"..."

"In conclusion, after Ave Mujica enters the meeting place file, he will have Protagonist-level privileges."

"..."

Protagonist, the leading lady, is she?

real or fake.

"Starting tomorrow, Kasumi will show you around the work of the gathering."

"Wait, I haven't agreed yet!"

"Then do you agree?"

"..."

Xiangzi paused for a moment, swallowed, and stared at Yuxina.