Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 103: Arcade Game Contest

Standing in front of the claw machine at the arcade entrance, waiting for Veronica to return from the counter, Xia Liang unconsciously leaned closer to the glass casing, gazing at her blurry reflection.

To her, the arcade was both familiar and strangely distant.

As someone who was once known as a “delinquent girl” at school, Xia Liang had spent plenty of time at arcades in the electronics district, influenced by her so-called “friends.” In fact, aside from occasional “odd jobs,” one of their favorite hangout spots was the arcade.

And as the designated wallet of the group, Xia Liang’s main role in coming here was to pay.

Her “friends” never asked for her opinion. They would simply inform her of their plans as if she had no say in the matter. After Xia Liang covered their expenses, they would go off on their own, laughing and playing, completely ignoring the fact that she was still there.

She knew this was a deliberate form of exclusion and neglect.

But back then, she didn’t mind.

After all, she had no other friends. The fact that these girls were willing to let her stay with them was already enough for her.

And even when she was at the arcade, she never really paid much attention to the games, nor did she understand the fun in them. Most of the time, she just stood by, clapping and cheering at the right moments to blend in.

Even back then, Xia Liang had noticed the claw machine standing right at the entrance of the arcade. It was placed in the most visible spot, yet people walked past it without a second glance.

The plush toys inside were cute enough, and the cost of a single attempt was only two game tokens, yet for some reason, no one seemed interested.

At the time, Xia Liang felt that this claw machine was just like her.

And now, months later, standing in front of the same unmoved machine, she felt a strange sense of detachment, like looking at a fragment of a past life.

A few months wasn’t a long time, but those days of darkness already felt like a fleeting dream.

As she stared at the machine, lost in thought, she suddenly felt a hand tap her shoulder.

“Xiao—”

Assuming it was Veronica, Xia Liang instinctively put on a smile and turned toward the person—only for her expression to freeze.

Because while the person was indeed familiar, it wasn’t who she expected.

It was them—her old “friends.”

—“Hey, long time no see, Xia Liang.”

A girl dressed in flashy clothing spoke first, her tone dripping with fake familiarity. “What are you doing here all alone?”

“Lonely after being by yourself for so long?”

A blonde girl behind her let out a laugh. “I heard you’re playing the good girl now? Looking at the way you’re dressed, I guess it’s true?”

“No way, seriously? You’re actually going for that? God, that’s so lame! Hahaha!”

As soon as she brought up the topic, the other girls burst into laughter, as if she had just told the funniest joke in the world—completely disregarding Xia Liang’s presence right in front of them.

Surrounded by their laughter, Xia Liang looked at the familiar yet distant faces before her and found herself at a loss for words.

Not because their words were cruel or humiliating, but because she realized… she didn’t feel anything at all.

No anger. No sadness. Not even annoyance.

If she had to describe it, the strongest emotion she felt was—boredom.

The moment she chose to become a Magical Girl, she had already cut ties with these people.

Now, these girls were nothing more than strangers to her. Their presence was irrelevant, their words meaningless.

She didn’t care what they said, how they saw her, or what they wanted from her.

She just felt… bored.

Rather than wasting time here, she was more concerned about when Veronica would return. After all, she had been at the counter for quite a while now.

The girls, having laughed enough, finally noticed Xia Liang’s disinterest. Their amusement faded into irritation.

“You know, we never even settled things with you for bailing on us last time,” the blonde girl sneered. “And now you have the nerve to show up here? I’m pretty sure Ah Qing already told you—once you’re out, you’re out.”

The name “Ah Qing” referred to the girl standing at the center of the group—the one who held the highest status among them.

At the moment, Li Yaqing simply stood there, watching Xia Liang with a faintly condescending expression, saying nothing.

Xia Liang glanced at her, then at the others. After a brief pause, she smiled politely and said,

“Sorry, I’m waiting for someone. Can you move aside?”

The group fell silent.

“…What?”

After a moment of stunned quiet, one of the girls finally processed her words.

“You’re telling us to move?”

“What kind of attitude is that? Who do you think you are?”

The girls instantly erupted, their irritation turning into outright hostility.

“Hah, unbelievable. You actually talk like this now?”

Li Yaqing raised a hand, signaling the others to quiet down. She arched an eyebrow at Xia Liang, seemingly surprised by her response. But soon, she smirked and took a step forward.

“If you’re not here for us, then I’m curious—who exactly are you waiting for?”

“I don’t see why I have to tell you,” Xia Liang tilted her head slightly, feigning difficulty in answering. “Since when did you become so clingy, Li Yaqing?”

Li Yaqing paused for a moment before the corners of her lips lifted even higher.

“Interesting. It’s like you’re a completely different person now. Much more entertaining than before.”

“But that doesn’t matter. Since you’ve shown up here again, we need to settle some old debts.”

“You ditched us last time, and that caused a lot of trouble. Shouldn’t you make up for it? Say, as old friends, why don’t you cover our arcade expenses?”

She said it with a smirk, waiting for Xia Liang’s response.

Xia Liang, however, simply averted her gaze slightly.

“I don’t think there’s anything to discuss.”

“Oh, you—”

—“What are you all doing?”

Li Yaqing’s words were suddenly interrupted by a voice from behind.

Turning around, she saw a small, blue-haired girl standing there—dressed simply yet strikingly noticeable.

“The hell? Where’d this brat come from?” The blonde girl immediately moved to shoo her away. “Can’t you see we’re having a serious conversation? Go play somewhere else.”

“Wait.”

Before she could step forward, Li Yaqing held out an arm to stop her.

“Judging by the timing… I’m guessing this little kid is the person Xia Liang’s waiting for?”

The other girls immediately joined in the mockery.

“Xia Liang, are you seriously hanging out with elementary schoolers now?”

“Is she your little sister? No way, you don’t have one. And you two don’t even look alike.”

“Wait, don’t you think she kinda looks like that shorty from Class Three? Weren’t you getting close with her lately?”

They snickered, throwing out taunts, but this time, Xia Liang didn’t react at all.

She only glanced at Veronica, then—like a child pleading for help—gave her a pitiful little wink.

Veronica, carrying a basket of tokens, looked at Xia Liang, then at the group of girls. In an instant, she understood what Xia Liang was trying to do.

With a sigh, she ignored the pointless chatter and turned her attention to Li Yaqing.

Lifting the basket slightly, she spoke.

“You want this?”

Li Yaqing narrowed her eyes. “Do you have a problem with that?”

“I could give it to you.”

Veronica moved her hand back slightly.

“But only under one condition.”

Li Yaqing swiftly navigated the menu, setting up her preferences before gesturing toward Veronica. “2P.”

But the moment Veronica stepped up and started interacting with the interface, it became painfully clear that she wasn’t even familiar with the basic controls. Li Yaqing’s lips curled into a smirk of mockery.

When it came time to select a song, she confidently picked the hardest one on the list—a Level 13 track.

The choice immediately caused a stir among the onlookers.

“That song?”

“To this day, only a handful of players in this arcade, including Ah Qing, have managed to full-combo it.”

The blonde delinquent sneered at Xia Liang. “Just watch. That brat is in big trouble.”

“…Is that so?” Xia Liang, however, merely smiled as she looked toward the dance machine in the center, her expression completely relaxed.

“You heard what I said. Why are you pretending not to care?”

Xia Liang’s nonchalant attitude clearly irritated the blonde. “That fake smile of yours is still as infuriating as ever. I hope you’re just as generous when it’s time to cough up the money.”

She received no response. Xia Liang simply glanced at her before turning her attention back to the game. Or rather, she didn’t feel the need to respond.

In fact, Veronica was thinking the exact same thing as Xia Liang.

—There was no point in dealing with a bunch of immature, rebellious kids.

If it weren’t for the fact that they had gone too far, completely disregarding Xia Liang’s past goodwill, Veronica wouldn’t have bothered with this kind of public spectacle.

Whether as an adult or a Magical Girl, picking a fight with a group of delinquents was beneath her. It was childish and a waste of time.

If it were up to her, she would have ignored them completely and walked away.

But people like these… if you didn’t establish dominance, they’d keep coming back to pester you—just like flies buzzing around your ears. And for someone like Xia Liang, who had been deeply entangled with them before, she was an easy target.

A problem had appeared. She had the ability to solve it. So, she would.

And with that, the match began.

The moment the song started, Li Yaqing displayed an impressive level of skill.

She didn’t even need to watch the screen—her feet were already moving instinctively.

This was exactly why she had chosen this song. As the hardest track available, it was nearly impossible for anyone to full-combo it on their first attempt.

For an average person, even reading the chart on the screen would be overwhelming, let alone executing the steps correctly.

To clear this song, one had to memorize all the tricky sections in advance, relying more on memory than on real-time reactions.

And in Li Yaqing’s mind, the little girl beside her was nothing but an overconfident newbie.

She was certain that Veronica would mess up, missing notes left and right. And as long as she secured an easy win, her arcade expenses for the day would be covered.

A triumphant smirk spread across her face.

But as the song progressed, she started to feel… uneasy.

A third of the way in, the song had already passed several notoriously difficult sections—yet she still hadn’t seen a single non-perfect judgment on Veronica’s side.

A nagging doubt crept into her mind. She stole a glance at her opponent… and her breath caught in her throat.

The little girl’s gaze was locked onto the screen, unblinking.

Her feet moved across the dance pad with precise, mechanical efficiency, hitting every note flawlessly.

Her short boots tapped rhythmically against the platform, producing crisp, consistent sounds—like the steady gallop of a horse.

Even her arm movements were perfectly in sync.

If anything was “off,” it was the fact that her performance lacked any actual dance-like grace—it was purely mechanical, purely optimized.

But still…

If this was truly her first time playing this song, then her level of accuracy was nothing short of terrifying.

Of course, to Veronica, this was completely normal.

With the reaction speed and coordination of a Magical Girl, this game was a joke.

It was like using a cannon to swat a mosquito.

If anything, it would be shocking if there was a song out there that could actually trip her up.

As the track entered its latter half—where the difficulty spiked dramatically—Li Yaqing began struggling to maintain a perfect combo.

Meanwhile, Veronica remained composed, executing each step effortlessly.

At that moment, Li Yaqing realized the truth.

—She was going to lose.

She knew that she had a weak spot near the song’s climax—an unstable section she hadn’t mastered.

She hadn’t warmed up properly, either. She wasn’t at her peak condition.

When that section arrived, there was a good chance she’d break her combo.

She might not be able to finish the song perfectly.

But the girl beside her… was about to land a full combo on her very first try?

That thought alone was unbearable.

As the song approached its peak difficulty, desperation took hold of her.

A wicked idea formed in her mind.

If she couldn’t win fairly, then…

She could just interfere.

A well-placed foot, a slight nudge—anything to throw Veronica off balance.

The little girl was clearly engrossed in the game, completely unguarded.

If she just moved now—

—“You got this!”

A voice rang out in Li Yaqing’s ears, snapping her out of her thoughts.

For a split second, it felt like she had traveled back in time—back to when Xia Liang used to trail behind her, playing the role of the obedient follower.

Was that Xia Liang?

Was she giving her the same empty, insincere encouragement as before?

No.

Xia Liang was cheering… but not for her.

She was cheering for the little girl beside her.

Right.

They weren’t “friends” anymore.

Or rather… they had never been friends in the first place.

Everyone in their group knew that Li Yaqing didn’t like Xia Liang.

But why?

Was it because Xia Liang was prettier than her and stole the attention that should have been hers?

Was it because Xia Liang always wore that infuriating, unreadable smile while she herself had such a short temper?

Or was it because of something else entirely?

She wasn’t sure anymore.

But she still remembered the first time they met—

That afternoon after school, when she found Xia Liang sitting alone in the courtyard, playing by herself.

That innocent smile, that lively, doll-like face—it was too eye-catching, too out of place.

Like a princess who had wandered into the wrong world.

Back then, she had already heard the rumors.

—“The murderer’s child.”

And yet, so what?

Didn’t that sound kind of cool?

Certainly cooler than her own father’s crimes—at least hers weren’t as embarrassing to admit.

In a twisted way, Li Yaqing thought she was the lucky one.

She had criminals in her family, but her secrets never became public shame.

Maybe that was why she approached Xia Liang that day.

Maybe it was out of some strange sense of kinship.

Was it “empathy”?

Or “pity”?

She didn’t know.

But before she even realized it, she had already stepped forward and started talking to the girl in the courtyard.

At the time, she had no ulterior motives.

She just…

Wanted to be friends.

The moment she realized that thought, she felt sick to her stomach.

It was disgusting.

She led Xia Liang out of the courtyard.

She introduced her to the group.

She taught her how to wear makeup.

She took her to all her favorite places, shared all her favorite things.

She showed Xia Liang everything—the real her, the ugly, twisted things she did to numb herself.

And yet, when she finally revealed it all, Xia Liang had looked at her with… disgust?

—“Maybe you shouldn’t do this, Yaqing.”

Xia Liang had gently pushed her hand away, suppressing an expression of revulsion.

—“I don’t want you to do this anymore.”

That moment, Li Yaqing had finally understood—

Xia Liang was different from them.

Like a swan among ducklings, she wasn’t just more beautiful—her very nature was different.

She was someone who deserved to be loved.

She had simply never met the right people.

But Li Yaqing?

She wasn’t worthy.

She was just… defective.

She said, “Okay.”

And from that day on, Li Yaqing never saw Xia Liang again.

No one cheered for her while she danced.

No one earnestly tried to persuade her to stop.

No one patiently waited for her with a smile, offering comfort.

It was all over.

This was supposed to be the day she had long been waiting for.

But now that it had come, it felt utterly meaningless.

Everyone in this world is insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

But to each other, people hold different weights.

Xia Liang’s departure changed nothing about Li Yaqing’s life.

And yet, it felt like everything had changed.

Xia Liang had moved on, completely forgetting about her.

But Li Yaqing still found herself secretly paying attention.

She heard that Xia Liang had made new friends—

That she was now close with Lin Xiaolu, that tiny class pet from Class Three.

She heard that Xia Liang had gotten a proper job—

That she was earning money now, a lot more than before.

She heard that Xia Liang had started acting like a good kid—

That she had stopped wearing makeup, that her grades were improving.

The traces of their time together had all but disappeared from Xia Liang’s life.

Maybe that was why, when she saw Xia Liang again at the arcade, she had felt so excited.

She laughed bitterly at herself.

Did she really think that Xia Liang had come here looking for her?

But the moment she heard Xia Liang’s voice cheering—

She knew.

It was truly over.

The noisy crowd, the blaring arcade music—

It all felt like a world away, completely disconnected from her.

She stared at the flashing dance machine screen, watching as the final storm of high-difficulty notes approached.

Then, she let out a slow breath—

And withdrew her foot.

Not for any grand reason.

She just suddenly felt… bored.

Since things had come this far, she might as well hold onto some dignity.

No need to tarnish the one thing she still cared about.

"You’re already gone."

She murmured to herself before turning to the blue-haired girl beside her.

"It seems… you really aren’t coming back."

Her voice was drowned out by the arcade’s music, reduced to an unheard whisper.

As the song came to an end and the final steps landed, the match concluded.

Li Yaqing’s score: SS, missing only one perfect note.

Veronica’s score: SSS, All Perfect—a flawless victory.

The crowd erupted into cheers. Applause thundered across the arcade. Players shouted for an encore, as if they had just witnessed a spectacular performance rather than a competition.

Xia Liang, too, stood among them, clapping lightly.

She had stood in this very spot countless times before, clapping for Li Yaqing.

But today, though Li Yaqing still stood on the dance pad—

Her applause belonged to someone else.

And with that, Veronica not only won the match—

She also shattered the arcade’s highest record.

The crowd continued celebrating.

But the delinquent girls had no reason to smile.

After Li Yaqing stepped off the machine in silence, the blonde delinquent took the lead in challenging Veronica to a new match.

The result was obvious.

No matter which game they chose, none of them could beat Veronica.

It wasn’t until every single one of them had tried and lost that they realized—

They hadn’t won a single round.

Veronica had remained silent throughout.

Only when all of them admitted defeat did she finally step forward—

Stopping right in front of Li Yaqing.

“…What?”

Li Yaqing frowned, confused by her actions.

Veronica simply pointed toward a quiet corner of the arcade.

Li Yaqing, weighed down by her thoughts, didn’t question it.

She followed Veronica into the corner without hesitation.

Smack!

The moment she stopped walking, a sharp slap landed across her cheek.

Smack!

Before she could react, another slap struck from the other side.

The sudden pain and dizziness left Li Yaqing’s head buzzing.

She instinctively raised her hands to her face, momentarily unable to comprehend what had just happened.

“The first one was for today’s provocation,” Veronica said calmly.

“The second one was for the harm you caused that child in the past.”

Her voice was steady as she looked directly at Li Yaqing.

“Xia Liang told me about the things you did to her. She may have forgiven you, she may not care anymore.

But that doesn’t mean you get to feel at peace with yourself.”

“I’m not your parent or guardian. It’s not my place to discipline you.

But I’m here to help her.

So I’ll make sure you receive the punishment you deserve.”

Still holding her stinging cheeks, Li Yaqing stared forward in a daze—

Only to see Veronica pull a small notebook from her pocket.

She flipped it open and held it up for her to see.

And there, stamped on the first page, was a very official-looking seal.

The Countermeasure Bureau’s seal.

It was a simple identity document that Veronica had obtained through the Bureau—

Nothing that gave her an official position, but the stamp itself was real.

Even someone as uninvolved in academics as Li Yaqing could recognize the insignia.

Because in many ways, that emblem represented the government itself.

“…You’re…”

For the first time, she realized how serious this was.

“Who I am isn’t important,” Veronica replied.

“But what’s important is that I want to see a sincere apology from you.”

She closed the notebook and withdrew it, staring directly into Li Yaqing’s eyes.

“I can pretend I never saw you today.

Or—

I can pass a few reports along to the authorities through the Bureau’s channels.”

“I’m sure you don’t want the juvenile guidance officers knocking on your door tomorrow, do you?”

Li Yaqing held her face, stunned—then slowly nodded.

“Good. Then apologize properly.”

With that, Veronica turned and walked away.

And so, later that night—back at the arcade entrance, by the claw machine where they first met—

The delinquent girls stood with their heads hung low.

“…Sorry.”

“…We’re really sorry.”

“Sorry…”

One after another, they muttered their apologies.

Their faces were unwilling, resentful even. But with Li Yaqing personally ordering them to do it, they had no choice but to comply.

And finally—

The last one to apologize was Li Yaqing herself.

“…I’m sorry, Xia Liang.”

Maybe her apology was partly due to Veronica’s pressure.

But there was sincerity in it, too.

“I… ended up breaking my promise to you.”

“I said I would be your friend.

But in the end, I let my jealousy take over.

I hurt you. I tried to corrupt you.”

“No matter what excuses I might have—it was wrong.”

“…Maybe I never should have spoken to you that day.”

“I thought I could be your savior, but instead… I became the person who hurt you the most.”

“I really, truly… am sorry.”

She turned to Veronica, hoping for some kind of reaction—

But Veronica only stared at her expressionlessly, offering no affirmation.

And so, she lowered her head once more.

“I’ll find a way to pay back all the money I took from you.

If you hate me, curse me, hit me—I won’t resist.

Do whatever you need to do. I deserve it.”

“…So even though I have no right to say this—

I still hope you find what you’re looking for.”

Hearing that, Xia Liang tilted her head curiously and glanced at Veronica.

“…Senior, what exactly did you say to them?”

Veronica shook her head. “Nothing at all.”

“Then I guess I don’t have anything to say either.”

Xia Liang tapped her foot lightly, then smiled.

“If it’s over, let’s go.”

"You're not going to get revenge?" Veronica asked, watching Xia Liang’s reaction.

"Revenge?" Xia Liang echoed with a light chuckle. "There’s no such thing as revenge here."

She tilted her head slightly and said in an indifferent tone, "From the moment I deleted their numbers from my contact list, they were nothing but strangers to me."

Then, she turned her gaze to Li Yaqing and smiled faintly.

"So, you don’t need to apologize to me."

"I don’t care who you are, what you think, or what you’re feeling."

"It has nothing to do with me anymore."

With that, she gently tugged at the hem of Veronica’s clothes, signaling that she was ready to leave.

Veronica understood Xia Liang’s intentions.

Without another word, she turned to the side and lifted the basket of remaining arcade tokens in her hand.

Then, she placed it down in front of Li Yaqing.

“…What’s this?” Li Yaqing asked, her gaze lowering slightly.

"A reward," Veronica replied.

"A reward…?"

"For your apology, which barely passed," Veronica said matter-of-factly. "At the very least, you were able to articulate what you did wrong."

Pushing the basket forward, she continued, "So these tokens are a reward for you resisting the urge to cheat at the last moment."

Li Yaqing stiffened.

"You were about to make a move to interfere with me during the match, weren’t you?" Veronica stated, her voice calm but firm.

For a long moment, Li Yaqing didn’t respond.

Then, she let out a self-deprecating laugh.

"…You’re really setting the bar low for me, huh?"

"That’s why this is a reward," Veronica said. "A reward for competing fair and square and for facing defeat with dignity."

Her tone softened slightly as she continued, "No matter what kind of life you've led before, I hope you remember this choice—the courage it took to accept failure."

"You may have done a lot of things wrong. You may have missed a lot of things."

"But many things… it’s not too late to start over."

"You’re all still kids. Your lives are long, and you still have countless chances to ‘restart the game.’"

"So remember this moment. Because maybe… it could be the beginning of a new life for you."

"If I ever see you again in the future, I hope you’ll be someone who’s turned things around—"

"Not just another delinquent, still wasting away in this mess."

"Otherwise…" Veronica folded her arms and smirked slightly.

"I might have to interfere a little more."

With that, she turned and followed Xia Liang, disappearing into the crowd.

Li Yaqing remained frozen in place, clutching the basket of tokens.

She stared blankly in the direction they had left, watching as their figures faded away into the bustling arcade.

Finally, when their silhouettes vanished completely—

She slowly sat down, staring at the basket in her lap, her expression complicated.

For a long time, she was silent.

Then, she murmured softly to herself:

"…Do you really think… it’s not too late?"