Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 106: Dating (2)

“...Looks like that shop from before is gone.”

Staring at the storefront in the distance for a moment, Veronica turned around, ready to leave with Xia Liang. “Well, that’s to be expected. After so many years, it would be stranger if these shops were still around. Let’s go.”

She nudged Xia Liang’s arm, signaling her to follow, but quickly realized that Xia Liang hadn’t moved at all.

Not only that—just as Veronica was about to take another step, Xia Liang suddenly grabbed the sleeve of her coat, holding her in place, making it impossible for her to move forward.

“Come on, just give it a try, Junior.”

With a smile, Xia Liang looked up at her. “We’re already here—what’s the harm in taking a look?”

Veronica shook her head. “No, I think—”

“Hey, you two girls over there—interested in our shop?”

Before Veronica could finish speaking, a voice from the entrance of the café interrupted her. A lively-looking girl standing near the signboard had stepped forward and was calling out to them.

“We’re having a special event today! Certain menu items are discounted, and if you complete a mini-game, you can even win a prize!”

Her clear, enthusiastic voice completely cut off Veronica’s attempt at refusal, leaving the words stuck in her throat.

“Huh? Really? What kind of event?”

In contrast, Xia Liang had already excitedly run up to the entrance, chatting animatedly with the signboard girl. “I’ve never been to a maid café before—what exactly do we have to do?”

“Oh, it’s just some simple mini-games, nothing difficult! As long as you win against the staff, you can get a prize.”

The employee smiled warmly. “And even if you don’t win, as long as our staff thinks you performed well, you can still get a reward.”

“As for today’s theme—take a look.”

She gestured toward the floor-to-ceiling windows. Inside the shop, young female employees in colorful outfits bustled about, serving customers.

“Today is Magical Girl Day!”

Magical Girl Day.

The moment she heard those words, Veronica’s mind instantly screamed this is bad.

But it was too late.

Right beside her, Xia Liang’s eyes were already sparkling with excitement.

“That sounds so fun!”

Not fun at all.

Veronica silently retorted in her mind.

But today’s outing was mainly for Xia Liang anyway. Since she was interested, there was no need for Veronica to ruin her excitement. So, reluctantly, she followed her into the café.

—

As soon as they stepped inside, all the employees turned in unison and greeted them with bright, enthusiastic voices:

“Guardians of love and justice! We’re here to bring smiles to your faces—welcome to Fangting City’s Magical Girl Secret Base!”

The perfectly synchronized greeting made Veronica’s eyelid twitch involuntarily.

“Normally, we would say, ‘Welcome home, Master!’ or ‘Welcome home, Milady!’ But since today is a special theme day, we changed it up a bit.”

The signboard girl followed them in, chuckling as she explained. “So? Feels just like a magical girl anime, right?”

“It totally does!”

Xia Liang eagerly looked around, her face glowing with curiosity. “Even the wall decorations are magic wands—they look so realistic!”

“Right this way! This table gives you the best view of the whole café.”

Guiding them to an empty two-person table, the signboard girl pointed at the menu stand on the table. “You can place your order online—take your time looking through the menu! I’ll leave you to it.”

After a quick farewell, she turned and walked away.

Veronica and Xia Liang took their seats and opened the digital menu on their phones. After browsing for a while and discussing their choices, they placed their orders.

Xia Liang got a fruit tea, a small cake, and an ice cream parfait, while Veronica kept it simple with a cup of latte.

The café was quite busy—customers chatted with the magical girl-clad employees, engaging in various activities. Thankfully, the kitchen wasn’t overwhelmed, and soon enough, their orders arrived.

The server was a young woman in a blue dress, carrying their food with a bright smile.

As Veronica looked at her, her eyebrows lifted slightly—because it was the same signboard girl from before.

She had changed out of her maid uniform and was now dressed in an elaborate blue magical girl outfit, complete with a puffed skirt and a decorated jacket.

“Weren’t you outside doing promotions?” Veronica asked.

“Shifts! We rotate positions—can’t stand outside all day, you know.”

The girl chuckled as she set down their plates. “If we get too much sun, we’d get tan.”

“Right…”

Veronica wasn’t entirely convinced by the answer but didn’t press further. She took her coffee and was about to take a sip when the girl suddenly leaned in again.

“Interested in the magical girl uniforms?”

Veronica paused.

“These uniforms are based on real magical girl outfits, you know.”

The girl continued excitedly. “Each of them is modeled after a famous magical girl’s costume. For example—” She gestured to her own attire. “This one belongs to Blue Star, a well-known magical girl from Tian City in the Central North.”

Veronica glanced at her outfit again, comparing it to her memory of Blue Star’s costume.

It was indeed a very close match.

Her gaze then swept across the café, examining the other employees’ uniforms. Some looked familiar—ones she had seen on former colleagues during her time as a magical girl, others from news reports or online images after she retired.

Ignoring the fact that these uniforms were now being used for serving tea and desserts, seeing so many magical girl outfits gathered in one place was a unique experience.

Her impression of the place improved slightly.

Just as she took a sip of her coffee, another employee walked past her.

And the sight of that uniform nearly made her choke.

“Pfft—! Cough, cough!”

Bending over, Veronica coughed violently, struggling to catch her breath. She pointed at the passing employee, her voice hoarse. “That uniform… isn’t that—?”

“Oh? You recognize it? That one belongs to Sakura, Fangting City’s very own magical girl.”

The signboard girl beamed. “She’s our pride! Though she hasn’t been active for a long time, she once saved thousands in this city.”

“Ah… yeah. That sounds about right.”

Veronica exhaled slowly, recovering her composure.

She didn’t want the girl to notice how unusual her reaction had been, so she quickly averted her eyes and pretended to observe the other uniforms.

But then, her gaze landed on another employee.

And her whole body stiffened.

A navy blue Lolita dress. A large bonnet.

Just from these details alone, she knew—

That was her own uniform.

The uniform of Veronica, the magical girl.

The signboard girl noticed her reaction and followed her gaze.

“Oh? Interested in that one?”

Veronica immediately looked away. “Not really. Just looking around.”

“If I remember correctly, that uniform also belonged to a Fangting City magical girl.”

The girl continued, “She retired a long time ago. I think her alias was… Veronica?”

Veronica simply sipped her coffee in silence.

“Oh, your hair is blue!”

The girl suddenly clapped her hands together. “I bet you’d look great in that outfit! Actually, one of our mini-games today involves dressing up in a magical girl uniform and taking a commemorative photo with the staff. Want to try?”

“No.” Veronica rejected it instantly.

Before the signboard girl could persuade her further, Xia Liang, who had just finished taking pictures of her dessert, raised her head.

“Are you sure you got that name right?” Xia Liang asked, looking at the girl. “You said the magical girl was called ‘Veronica’?”

“Yup! She was a well-known hero in Fangting City. You can still find her name in old news articles.”

Xia Liang smirked slightly and shot a meaningful glance at Veronica.

“Huh. I must’ve gotten them mixed up. I thought she was called ‘Veronica.’”

Veronica kept her head down, sipping her coffee in silence.

“Well then, I’ll give it a try.”

And just like that, Xia Liang stood up and walked toward the changing area.

Under the guidance of the staff, Xia Liang quickly changed into the "Veronica-style" magical girl uniform.

According to the game’s rules, she stood back-to-back with the employee wearing the same outfit, striking a series of poses.

“Let’s see… what kind of pose and line would be the best?”

After testing a few angles, Xia Liang finally found the perfect combination. She lightly spun the blue wand in her hand, leaned slightly, and posed in a combat-ready stance with the staff member. Then, with a wink at the camera, she declared brightly:

“Fangting City's safety is in my hands!”

“Ahhh—so cute! That’s amazing!”

The signboard girl, acting as the photographer, put down her phone and clutched her chest in admiration. “It’s like you’re a real magical girl! Magical girls really do look best when they’re young!”

Her exclamation, paired with Xia Liang’s striking presence, quickly drew the attention of the surrounding customers.

Some employees and guests turned to watch, some even clapping and cheering. A few whistles rang out from the back, but they were quickly met with warning glances from the staff, making the offenders awkwardly quiet down.

Even among a group of employees all dressed in magical girl uniforms, Xia Liang’s outfit stood out in a way that made her seem almost natural in the role.

Even Veronica had to admit—the uniform suited her surprisingly well.

“You win, you win! I’ll give you a 30% discount… No! A 40% discount!”

Clearly delighted, the signboard girl excitedly declared the deal, completely immersed in the moment. “Wanna try another outfit?”

“Can I?” Xia Liang blinked innocently, as if hesitant. “Wouldn’t that get in the way of your work?”

“It might be a problem for others, but not for you!”

The signboard girl shook her head firmly. “Look! It’s not just me—everyone here wants to see you try more outfits!”

Sure enough, the surrounding employees waved at Xia Liang encouragingly—some forming hearts with their fingers, others giving enthusiastic thumbs-ups.

“Well then… I guess it’d be rude to refuse!”

And just like that, Xia Liang ended up trying on almost half of the magical girl uniforms in the store.

Most of them were replicas of uniforms worn by famous magical girls from other cities, but there were a few that belonged to Fangting City's own magical girls—including Sakura's uniform, which Veronica had noticed earlier.

Seeing it again, Veronica briefly showed a trace of nostalgia, but she quickly composed herself.

The customers clapped and cheered as Xia Liang completed her "fashion show," some even taking photos—though any improper behavior was swiftly shut down by the staff.

Veronica, on the other hand, remained seated in silence, watching the entire scene unfold.

It wasn’t until Xia Liang had finally had her fill of trying on outfits that she changed back into her original clothes and returned to her seat.

Veronica let out a quiet breath of relief.

Finally, she’s done.

Or so she thought.

Just as she was about to enjoy a moment of peace, Xia Liang suddenly turned to her with an all-too-familiar glint in her eyes.

“Junior, do you want to try it too?”

Veronica immediately put down her coffee.

“No.”

Her rejection was swift and absolute.