Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 104: After the Rain, the Sky Clears

By the time they stepped out of the arcade, it was already close to noon.

The rain had weakened considerably, but it hadn’t stopped.

A heavy layer of clouds shrouded the sky, casting a muted gray haze over everything. The streets were sparsely populated, with only a few umbrellas drifting through the misty rain. The air was thick with dampness, carrying the scent of wet pavement and dust, leaving a lingering chill.

Raindrops dripped steadily from the roadside trees, the leaves rustling softly in the breeze, whispering secrets to no one. The shop signs along the street were streaked with water trails, their neon lights glowing faintly through the mist, casting an almost dreamlike ambiance over the scene.

Two umbrellas—one tall, one short—moved side by side down the street.

Underneath them, Veronica and Xia Liang walked in silence.

Eventually, it was Veronica who broke it. "Are you sure about this?"

"About what?" Xia Liang replied with a chuckle.

"You know what I mean."

Veronica sighed. "Why did you speak up for them?"

Back in the arcade, when those delinquents had shown up—former “friends” who had once nearly set Xia Liang up—Veronica’s first instinct had been to call the police.

Magical girls weren’t law enforcement. They had no obligation to deal with regular troublemakers. But reporting a crime? That was something anyone could do.

Even if those delinquents were just minors, Fangting City had a dedicated youth guidance team responsible for disciplining and monitoring young offenders.

But Xia Liang hadn’t wanted that.

Instead, she had kept throwing Veronica subtle signals, silently pleading for her not to be too harsh.

So, Veronica had relented.

In the end, she had only forced them to apologize. The slap and the warning? Those had been done outside of Xia Liang’s sight—because Veronica simply couldn’t stand to let them off completely.

She hadn’t asked for Xia Liang’s reasons at the time. But now, she needed an explanation.

"Oh, that?" Xia Liang said playfully. "I was just looking forward to seeing you show off, Senior."

But when she met Veronica’s steady, serious gaze, her smile slowly faded.

For a moment, only the sound of their boots tapping against rain-slick pavement filled the silence.

Then, quietly, she admitted, "If I had to put it into words… it’s because, in the end, we’re all the same kind of people."

Veronica remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"Unloved by family. Rejected by society. That’s why we clung together—to make ourselves feel stronger."

"Some of us strayed down the wrong path. Some of us gave up entirely. But we’ve all been abandoned once before—by the world, by the people who were supposed to care. And that fear of being abandoned again… it makes people fall together, spiraling downward."

"When I look at them, it’s like looking at another version of myself. The one who never found a way out. The one who never got saved."

Xia Liang’s voice was soft, but her words carried weight.

"It’s stupid, isn’t it?" she let out a small, self-deprecating laugh. "Even knowing it’s probably pointless, I still can’t bring myself to completely turn my back on them."

Raindrops slid off their umbrellas, splattering onto the concrete curb.

Veronica spoke evenly. "But they tried to hurt you."

"Showing kindness to the wrong people will only get you hurt."

"Even so, I wanted to give them a chance. Because, however brief, Li Yaqing was once kind to me."

Xia Liang’s tone turned firm. "Back when I was all alone, surrounded by rumors, mocked and isolated by my classmates, she was the one who told me, ‘That’s actually kind of cool.’ She wanted to be my friend."

"If she hadn’t been there… I might not even be here today."

"I might’ve done something reckless. After all, when I lost my parents, there was a time I seriously considered ending it all."

"And if I had gone through with it back then, I never would’ve met you, Senior."

Her grip on the umbrella tightened slightly.

"So yeah… maybe it’s selfish of me. But I want to believe she can change."

"Because we were once ‘friends.’ Because we once searched for ‘love’ together. I want to believe she can learn right from wrong, that she can walk away from that life and find happiness."

"If the youth guidance team got involved, all that would be left is punishment. No second chances."

Xia Liang’s voice trailed into the rhythm of the falling rain, her thoughts woven into the downpour.

Veronica closed her eyes briefly before exhaling. "Fine. But only once."

"I hope my warning left an impact. I hope she understands the difference between reward and punishment."

"If, after seeing both, she still refuses to change… then the fault is hers alone. At that point, there’s nothing more we can do."

"Just like magical girls."

Veronica’s voice was calm but firm. "Every magical girl starts with a pure heart—that’s why they’re chosen. But when a magical girl turns to evil, when they commit unforgivable acts, we can’t just say, ‘Oh, but she was a good kid once.’"

"Good should be rewarded. Evil should be punished. Even if the world doesn’t always work that way, we have to hold onto that principle."

Their footsteps came to a stop at an intersection.

A red traffic light stood at the crosswalk, halting their path.

Xia Liang suddenly turned toward Veronica with a bright smile. "Geez, Senior, you’re making this way too serious."

"This is supposed to be our date, remember?" she teased. "Let’s not let a little incident ruin the mood."

Veronica scoffed lightly. "It’s not a ‘date.’"

"We’re just hanging out. You’re using the wrong word for the situation."

"Ehh? But I’m totally serious about this being a date."

Xia Liang leaned in slightly, closing the space between them. "Think about it: we went out together, visited places filled with memories, and even had a classic ‘hero saves the damsel’ moment. That’s a perfect date scenario, isn’t it?"

Veronica’s eyelids lowered slightly. "Every word technically fits, but the meaning of each one has been conveniently twisted."

"What do you mean, ‘someone you like’?" she shot back dryly. "‘Friend’ or ‘teammate’ would be more accurate, don’t you think?"

"Heh, but isn’t it more romantic this way?"

Xia Liang chuckled—then suddenly tilted her head toward the sky.

"Oh—looks like the rain stopped."

Following her gaze, Veronica looked up.

Through the gap where their umbrellas framed the sky, the clouds had begun to part. A sliver of sunlight peeked through, casting a soft glow over the once-dim street.

Xia Liang closed her umbrella and turned to Veronica with a grin. "Let’s grab lunch before the next round, shall we?"

"After all, this ‘date’ is far from over."