Sundae blinked, a little surprised that Yuan Qing would bring up this topic.
“I know a little,” she nodded, “but not very clearly. I didn’t watch much TV when I was little.”
“I’ve seen some videos of her from when she was a child star,” Yuan Qing glanced at the Raven on the branch. The Raven made no comment. “I always thought it was quite amazing.”
Sundae seemed to become interested. She leaned forward half a step, the plastic bag in her hand swaying a few more times. “I see! So Mr. Younger Brother is also a devoted fan of Miss Yonai?”
Yuan Qing’s reply was straightforward. “Not really. It’s more out of curiosity.”
“Huh? Is that so?”
“Yeah,” Yuan Qing’s tone and mood had remained somewhat low-key the whole time. “I saw a video of her from when she was little. On a variety show, the host asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. She said she wanted to be a Magical Girl.”
Sundae nodded. “That’s wonderful. She’s a Magical Girl now. Her childhood wish came true!”
The Raven settled on the branch, remaining silent the whole time.
“Yeah.”
Yuan Qing agreed, but his thoughts were elsewhere.
“However,” Sundae’s voice pulled him back, “people rarely seem to talk about Miss Yonai’s childhood.”
“There are still some fans who pay attention, but it’s true, there aren’t many.”
“The videos you can find online are mostly from after her debut. There are very few from her child star days. Probably because it was too long ago,” Sundae speculated.
Yuan Qing offered, “It’s also possible it’s simply because Miss Yonai wasn’t as famous as a child star as she is now as a Magical Girl.”
“True,” Sundae said very seriously. “But Miss Yonai’s journey from child star to idol, and then to Magical Girl, must have been very difficult. But she succeeded now. Everyone is talking about her. Even Kazama Senior recognizes her strength.”
“Only those who work hard can succeed.”
“Yes.”
The Raven shifted its posture on the branch, using its beak to preen the feathers on its wing. It still didn’t speak.
“By the way, do you live nearby?”
“Yeah.”
“I walk this way after work too. If you’re running, maybe we’ll run into each other often.”
“Yeah.”
Sundae seemed amused. “Mr. Luo doesn’t say much, huh? But that’s okay. I talk a lot. I can do more of the talking!”
“Yeah, thank you,” Yuan Qing said.
“You’re welcome. And thank you for being willing to chat with me for so long, Mr. Younger Brother.” After saying that, Sundae waved and turned to leave. “Can’t keep Mom at home waiting too long.”
Yuan Qing didn’t speak.
The Raven yawned on the branch.
“Ah, right,” Sundae suddenly remembered something and turned back again. “I asked you last time, but you never told me.”
“What?”
“Your name. I can’t keep calling you ‘Mr. Younger Brother.’ It’s a bit embarrassing.”
Yuan Qing was silent for a moment.
“… Luo Yuanqing,” he answered.
Sundae blinked. “Are you a foreigner?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow!” Sundae smiled. “I can’t hear any accent at all.”
“A lot of people say that.”
It was true.
“So, Mr. Luo,” Sundae’s voice suddenly became a little softer, “do you… usually watch Magical Girl matches?”
“If I have time, occasionally.”
Yuan Qing blurted out, telling a small, well-meaning lie.
“Then you could try becoming my fan too,” she waved. “Goodbye!”
“Yeah, goodbye.”
Yuan Qing also waved.
After saying goodbye to each other, Sundae turned and left. She ran off, her tap-tap-tap footsteps echoing on the street, the plastic bag swinging back and forth in her hand.
Yuan Qing watched her running figure recede. The streetlights cast a pale white light on the empty street. The night wind blew from the river, carrying moisture and a chill that seeped into Yuan Qing’s tracksuit, making him shiver.
The Raven flew down from the branch and landed on his shoulder.
“Let’s go.” For once, the Raven didn’t noisily urge him on.
When the night had deepened a bit more, Yuan Qing pushed open the apartment door. It was pitch dark inside, only the light from outside the window filtering in, painting a few grayish-white rectangles on the floor.
He changed his shoes, took off his tracksuit, and casually draped it over the back of a chair.
“I’ll shower first.”
“Okay.” The Raven landed on the windowsill and began using its beak to preen its feathers, ruffled by the night wind.
The bathroom was small. Yuan Qing turned on the shower. Hot water poured down from above, steam quickly filling the entire space, a layer of fine water droplets condensing on the tiled wall.
He closed his eyes, letting the hot water wash over his aching muscles.
“Hmm-hmm~ Hmm-hmm~“
“Why are you humming that too?” the Raven asked.
“What’s wrong?” Yuan Qing’s voice came muffled by the water and the door.
“Nothing. It’s just that Mizuho was humming this earlier too,” the Raven was still sprawled on the windowsill. “You’re much worse at it than she is.”
“I’m not an idol.”
“True. But you have to play the part of an idol. There’s no way around it,” the Raven said, changing the subject. “How was today’s run?”
“Alright.”
“Legs sore?”
“A bit.”
“Can you run again tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“I told you before. No matter how much you run, you can’t beat Hifumi just like that.” The Raven suddenly brought it up very directly.
“… Running can train my endurance—”
“I’m not talking about that,” the Raven interrupted Yuan Qing. “But if you just work hard blindly, you’ll only become a third-rate Magical Girl, you know?”
“I need a reason to persist,” Yuan Qing retorted.
“… That’s true.”
The sound of water stopped.
“I’m not that kind of half-baked talent,” Yuan Qing said as he walked out, drying his hair.
He collapsed onto the bed as if giving up entirely. A few tiny water droplets still occasionally fell from his hair, leaving dark spots on his knees.
“Regarding future arrangements…” The Raven paused. “You still need to run, but it can’t take up the time and energy for your other training. You still need to fight Monsters, and you still need to spar with the other Magical Girls. Got it?”
Yuan Qing took off the towel and casually hung it on the back of the chair. “Yeah.”
The Raven flew down from the windowsill and landed on his chest. It wasn’t heavy, but he could feel its claws through the fabric of his pajamas, a little prickly.
“If you care so much about Sundae,” the Raven looked at the now-prone Yuan Qing, “then surpassing Hifumi and becoming the strongest is the only way to live up to her expectations, right?”
“Hifumi is just the strongest of the new generation,” Yuan Qing closed his eyes. “There are many stronger opponents after her.”
“Right. So you have to keep winning.”
The Raven took two steps on his chest, found a comfortable spot, and settled down. Its feathers rustled softly against the pajamas.
The Raven continued, “I’ve arranged your future schedule. Your current training won’t beat Hifumi. It’s not that the volume isn’t enough, it’s too superficial.”
“So?”
“So from now on, besides trying every way to increase your popularity points, you also have to undergo my special training!” The Raven raised its voice.
“You’re so loud…”
“… Sorry.”
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