LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 62
Ding dong
As I opened the café’s front door, the sound of the bell rang, a reminder of when the Master went to Denmark in his youth and brought it back.
‘This bell sound is truly unforgettable.’
For me, that dull chime was a trace of the daily life I had experienced over the past two years.
A sound that automatically made you turn around when a customer arrived.
The sound that turned the abnormality of being reborn in another world into the everyday.
Hearing that sound, Yuki seemed to recall something too, a hazy yet warm image flowing through her mind.
“…It’s been a while.”
“Right?”
I smiled at Yuki, who was facing me.
The night view of Yokohama port spread out like a Milky Way outside the café window, and the soft light of the ceiling lamps warmly enveloped the laid out dishes.
“Wow! There’s so much delicious food, Hikari-chan!”
Hana sat in front of a large table piled high with various dishes, wagging her side ponytail like a puppy’s tail.
“Thank you for your hard work on this long journey.”
“Hoho, it’s fine since Shirogane-chan is coming.”
Mr. Sato and the Master were exchanging greetings and end-of-year plans, while Ichika casually browsed the food with her hands tucked into her Skajan pockets.
“Leader, leader! I have something to show you!”
Kyoko poked me and flashed a mischievous smile, pulling out an omelet that had been left on the counter for a moment.
“Hey, wait a minute…?! You’ve already reached that level…?!”
“Fufufu… I didn’t know I had such talent in cooking.”
Kyoko waved her orange bridge hair and cut right into the middle of the omelet with a knife she retrieved from the shelf.
Drip drip
The perfectly cooked yellow omelet flowed out, like starlight, filling the empty part of the plate with an elegant display.
Perfect temperature.
Perfect timing.
Perfect technique.
A special omelet completed only when the three elements align.
I had only just managed to make one for the café lunch set this spring.
“…I can do that too! Anyone can do that!”
“Fufufu, the Master told me. The success rate is below 20%.”
“…I succeed two out of five times.”
“Ah… was that success just burning it to a dull color?”
“… …”
Kyoko beamed proudly. And it poked at the pride I had built up over two years.
‘To lose to a rookie after going through all these hardships.’
I had inverse causality.
Wait, rookie.
[Magical Girl of Deception]
Inverse Causality
I was about to grab the frying pan and pull out a green apron, but the Master called out to me incredulously from behind.
“Why are you igniting a sense of competition? Kyoko will do better anyway.”
“No way! I’m really good now!”
“Hahaha! That’s truly funny! Just an excuse from the weak!”
“…Hikari. Stop doing unnecessary things and go eat.”
“…But just once…”
“Puhahahaha! I’m sure you’ll end up frying everything, just bring rice and make egg sushi!”
Hearing Kyoko’s words, the Master smirked and headed for the table set with food, taking off his apron.
“Ahh~ If I have some time next month, I should learn how to make sushi too!”
Kyoko strutted with a proud smile, swishing her skirt as she walked, her slender legs moving confidently and cheerfully.
Clack clack
“… …”
I stood there for a moment, dazed in the café, holding a frying pan and apron.
“Hikari-chan! Kyoko’s omelet is super delicious! Come eat!”
“…I can make that too.”
Pffft.
When the Master heard that, he finally burst into laughter.
“Hmm…? Is that the ‘rolled egg’ made by the leader?”
“Pffft, hahahaha!”
It was rare to see the Master laugh so heartily.
Master, you traitor!
“P-Please don’t laugh, Master! But I’m still a senior!”
“Ha, hahaha!! What? A senior? Hahahaha!!”
“Hmm… I don’t remember having a ‘senior.’”
Kyoko squinted and smiled seductively, crossing her legs. Her alluring pose, showcasing her healthy thighs…
‘What’s with that? Why does she look so confident? How is the less competent Kyoko appearing as a pretty girl?’
Always lacking confidence and speaking in a silly manner, Kyoko was now exuding a strangely confident smile.
‘Well, her silly speech hasn’t changed.’
Kyoko’s bragging rights were her cooking skill and…
Ah, this girl.
“Did you bloom? No wonder you suddenly cook so well.”
So it was blooming for her. No wonder she couldn’t have been so easily beaten by me.
“Fufufu…! Actually, my blooming is… no, I’ll just show you!”
Wink
Kyoko winked at me and stood up, shouting.
“Transform…!”
“Eat first, eat first.”
“Ahh, yes…”
And she quietly sat back down at Ichika’s words.
“Here, Hikari. I saved some for you.”
Yuki beamed, handing me a plate with portions of food.
“Thanks. Yuki.”
We enjoyed the serene atmosphere of the café as we began our meal.
Clatter
Ichika quietly nibbled a sandwich in one hand, sipping her aid.
“Now, this is a special menu just for our café regulars.”
The Master melted a large raclette cheese with a hot knife and slid it over the potatoes and meat in front of Sato and Hana.
“Fufu, thank you.”
“Wow… thank you.”
“… …”
Yuki gazed with moist eyes at the scene inside the café and the still brilliantly shining nightscape of Yokohama.
“Thanks for the meal!”
We finished dinner in the café and briefly stepped out, walking along the darkening streets of Yokohama.
“The adults will enjoy some leisurely time, so you kids go for a walk.”
The Master had come back with some fine wine and jerky.
“Don’t go too far~”
The Sato couple, having joined the party after work, seemed to be ready to enjoy the wine, leaving the car in front of the café.
Whoosh
Yuki, Ichika, Kyoko, Hana, and I strolled along the chilly winter breeze by the evening sea of Yokohama.
Shimmering beads and colorless magical power flickered against the darkening sky.
The sound of waves rolled in from a distance.
Soft lights illuminated our path.
When I turned around, Ichika was giggling at a flustered Yuki while Hana and Kyoko were babbling about something fun they had spotted in the garden.
“… …”
Ah right.
“By the way, Kyoko. You said you bloomed, but what ability do you have?”
“Oh right, the transformation!”
Bam!
With a burst of orange light…
Born 1-Star [Cheerleading] Magical Girl
Kyoko
Kyoko had transformed, now clad in an orange cheerleader outfit reminiscent of a cheerleader, holding a large orange flag.
“My dream is to be a reliable supporter who supports the leader! The captain! Everyone!”
Thump!
As she slammed the flag down, orange light sparkled around us, empowering those present.
It was magic resembling support-type magic like Laura or Lee Meirin.
“How do you like my dignified appearance?”
She wore white boots that reached her ankles beneath a skirt fluttering with orange lace, with a daring sleeveless cheerleader top that exposed her belly and shoulders.
In a word…
“It looks super cold.”
“Yeah. Kyoko, aren’t you cold?”
“Ew… Kyoko, you pervert! Too much skin!”
“… …”
Disappointed, Kyoko eventually reverted to her waitress outfit.
…Huh? It wasn’t a production-type ability?
“Wait a minute. So what about cooking? Coffee? Isn’t that something you can’t do?”
“…Huh? No, I’m just good at that.”
Liar!
“Stop lying!! [Cheerleading] is cooking-related ability!!”
“Hm? What do you mean? Are you saying that the Magical Girl of [Start] is jealous of my talent?”
Hmph.
Kyoko narrowed her eyes, provoking me.
“Let’s go again! Omelet! This time, I can really succeed in one go!”
“Hehe, Leader… that might be a bit embarrassing.”
“Hikari-chan… were you hurt in your pride?”
“No, I wasn’t.”
“Though it was shocking to find out Kyoko has surprising talent in cooking.”
“Captain?! What do you mean ‘surprising’?!”
Tap tap
Suddenly quiet Yuki, who had been silent, started tapping my shoulder and whispered in my ear.
“Uh, that flag… isn’t it what the [FLAG Captain] carries around?”
“…What?”
The flag.
Ichika leads the rebellion group of Magical Girls.
It should have been born after Sumire’s first bloom by now…
‘Oh no.’
The illustration of Volume 1 had an orange flag.
So the group name is FLAG.
‘That’s right, Ichika’s flag of freedom wasn’t just a metaphor.’
…But Kyoko wasn’t supposed to be there.
Yet Ichika was holding Kyoko’s unique weapon. With the fiercest expression.
‘Could it be…? At this point, Kyoko should have…?’
A chill ran down my spine.
“… …”
“… …”
Yuki and I were momentarily left speechless.
“What’s wrong, Leader? Shikishima looks all tense as well.”
“…It’s nothing.”
“Yeah. Just had something to say for a moment.”
“Really?”
Ichika resumed talking to Kyoko, and we continued our walk through Yokohama.
“Christmas is soon.”
“Yeah.”
“Indeed.”
“…We should do something, right?”
“What?”
I looked at Ichika for her sudden remark. She grinned, swinging her hands.
“Christmas party!”
“Oooh!”
“Oooh!”
At Ichika’s remark, Kyoko and Hana suddenly cheered.
“Let’s gather together for another party at our apartment! We’ll invite everyone we can!”
“Yeah, yeah! Sounds great! I want to go too!”
“Captain! Leave the food to me!!”
“Let’s buy a cake too!!”
“Waahhh!!”
The kids are really lively.
But I preferred seeing them having a party at a friend’s house rather than being confined in a research facility.
“What about you, Yuki?”
“Huh? Me? Can I want to go too?”
“Of course. You’re my friend.”
I absently adjusted Yuki’s scarf as it had loosened a little from the sea breeze.
‘Oops, that habit of taking care of Hana.’
I glanced at Yuki. It was a natural action stemming from a habit of looking after Hana, but Yuki just watched quietly.
“…Yeah.”
“Then all the Magical Girls here will participate?”
Ichika clenched her fist.
“Well, I guess.”
“Waahhh! Christmas party!”
“Oooh, let the flames rise!”
“Cake cake!”
“…This is my first Christmas party with friends.”
As I watched their bright smiles, I sent off a tragedy that might have happened into the depths of my heart.
It was a past that only Yuki and I knew in this world, and now something that could be forgotten.