Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Book 2: Chapter 49: Long time no see

Vol 2 Chapter 49: Long time no see

“Ah, speaking of which—this glasses-wearing sis, weren’t you the one who treated Moko and me to milk tea before…? Eh? What’s up with you two?”

Just as Lin Xiaolu said something shocking, Bai Jingxuan was still feeling happy about reuniting with the “nice person” from her memories. But before she and Bai Ji could even exchange greetings, Lin Xiaolu’s words abruptly cut the moment short.

“Someone who bathes in Ravager mucus”—the instant that phrase was dropped, the once-relaxed atmosphere turned weirdly tense.

Everyone's eyes snapped to her in an instant, and then inexplicably shifted to the blonde girl beside her.

“Ah, you’re the one who almost got taken out by that Caterpillar-tier Ravager…”

The blonde girl, who had just been cheerfully greeting everyone moments ago, blinked in confusion. Then, realizing what had just been said, she pointed at Lin Xiaolu and shouted, “Wait—who the h*** are you calling someone who bathes in Ravager mucus?!”

“…Wasn’t it you?”

Lin Xiaolu blinked innocently, waved her hand in the air, and gestured at the girl’s trademark golden hair and shiny forehead. “Think about it—looks like you, sounds like you, and you’re also a recently arrived Magical Girl in Fangting City. Who else could it be?”

“I never said that wasn’t me! I’m saying there’s no such thing as ‘bathing in Ravager mucus’!”

Clearly embarrassed and annoyed, the blonde girl waved her fists. “That whole thing was an accident! It happened because the Ravager exploded when it died. It’s not like I did it on purpose!”

“But your combat style is basically designed to make them explode…”

“How was I supposed to know that thing would burst open with so much nasty crap inside?!”

Just remembering it made her visibly sick. Her face turned pale as she instinctively pressed a hand to her stomach. “Could you please stop bringing that up? Seriously, if I think about it again, I’m gonna hurl.”

“Ah—sorry…” Seeing how unwell the girl looked, Lin Xiaolu realized she’d hit a nerve and quickly changed the subject, averting her eyes.

But while the two of them had come to an unspoken truce, the rest of the team certainly hadn’t run out of things to say. With their banter breaking the ice, everyone else eagerly jumped into conversation too—especially Bai Jingxuan and the girl known by the alias Bai Ji, who had already met and were clearly closer. Xia Liang, curious about Magical Girls from other cities, also joined in, and the chatter quickly grew lively.

Veronica stood nearby with her arms crossed, watching the girls excitedly talk without any intention of breaking up their fun. Instead, she leaned against the wall and glanced toward the resting room—not taking her eyes off the person she was waiting for.

Minutes passed. Just as Veronica began tapping her arm, clearly lost in thought, there came a soft “click”—the door to the resting room opened gently from the inside.

The sound drew everyone’s attention, and the chatting died down. The person who had stayed hidden in the resting room until now—Asou Madoka—finally appeared before them.

She was no longer in her glamorous stage outfit, and all her heavy makeup had been removed. But even barefaced, her presence had not faded in the slightest. With one hand resting on the doorframe, she peeked out and silently swept her gaze across the now-silent group. Her lips curled up ever so slightly.

“Mentor.”

“Big Sis.”

“…”

The three girls from Bo’an City greeted her in turn. Though one of them sounded a bit reluctant, their collective attention now centered on the woman in the doorway.

Asou Madoka’s gaze moved over each of the girls, pausing on Lin Xiaolu, Bai Jingxuan, and Xia Liang, lingering a bit longer on Lin Xiaolu. Then she looked at the girls from Bo’an one by one, before finally locking eyes with Veronica.

And Veronica looked right back.

She had rehearsed this moment a thousand times before stepping off the stage, convinced that when they met in private, she’d finally confront Asou Madoka for everything. But when it came down to it, the vibe wasn’t what she had expected at all.

She had imagined Madoka smirking mischievously, gloating over her prank. But what she saw instead was a tired, nostalgic, and strangely relieved smile.

Even twenty years ago, it had been rare to see Madoka wear such a gentle expression.

“Got anything you want to ask me?” After a short silence, Madoka was the first to break the stare.

“…Putting on that whole performance—what were you trying to do?”

Still wary of her motives, Veronica kept her face neutral. “Dragging me up on stage to be part of your act—was that supposed to be some kind of nasty prank?”

“Oh? A prank?”

Madoka looked innocent. “Is that how you saw it?”

“…Maybe a little better than a real prank.”

Veronica sighed. “I thought you were going to shout ‘This is my old friend!’ and then start some ridiculous game show antics or something.”

“Well, then that’s a misunderstanding, sis. Even I can tell the difference between a harmless joke and public humiliation. Pulling my friend on stage just to embarrass her? That’s not just disrespecting our friendship—it’s disrespecting the stage itself.”

She smiled, her crimson eyes narrowing. “Especially for the fans in the audience. If I’d declared our past relationship and asked you to speak as my ‘friend’… that would’ve meant something very different to them.”

“Different how?”

“At best, it’s ‘neglect.’ At worst? ‘Betrayal.’”

Madoka stepped out of the resting room, slowly closing the distance between them. “Whether it’s singing or holding a concert, it might be about sharing songs with the audience. But for the fans, it’s something deeper—it’s a personal, one-on-one emotional connection.”

“If I openly show that my mind is elsewhere during a concert, that’s not just neglecting them—it’s unprofessional.”

She stopped half a step in front of Veronica and tilted her head slightly. “Just like how a competent Magical Girl needs to stabilize public morale beyond defeating Ravagers, a competent singer has to move her audience emotionally on stage. The emotional experience matters. That’s why I wouldn’t do anything over-the-top at such a moment.”

Veronica stared, unsure. “…So?”

“So, asking you up on stage was just me, getting caught in the moment and wanting to mark a reunion with an old friend. That’s all it was, sis. No scheme. No hidden agenda.”

Madoka’s voice softened. “You don’t need to feel like a stranger just because a lot has happened. No matter how much has changed, what we had doesn’t go away.”

“That counts as an ‘emotional experience’ too?”

“Exactly. Call it an explanation, or an apology if you want. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Madoka sighed. “But maybe I misjudged things… or maybe your temper got worse? Sorry—I thought you could still take a joke like that.”

“It’s not anger. More like… confusion.”

Veronica frowned slightly. “You know, Madoka, it’s been thirteen years. You’ve been gone from this city for thirteen years. And now you come back all of a sudden—at this moment. I thought we’d have more serious things to talk about.”

“More serious… confused…”

The woman with crimson eyes gave her a puzzled look, then nodded as if she understood. “Ah, I get it. You think my joke didn’t mean anything.”

She fell silent, mulling something over, before giving a complicated smile. “Meaningless, huh… You really have changed.”

The comment felt abrupt, maybe even a bit out of place, but Veronica still picked up on her intent and replied.

“It has been a long time. If I hadn’t changed at all, wouldn’t that just mean I wasted all those years?”

She looked up at her old comrade, voice a little softer. “The Madoka I remember was never the type to apologize or explain herself.”

“And you explaining your actions? That’s new too. Honestly, I never thought I’d see ‘Veronica’ again in this life.”

“…Neither did I.”

Veronica paused. “But things happened recently. I couldn’t just sit still anymore.”

“I heard—Fangting’s been through a lot lately.”

“From who?”

“The Director.”

“She told you?”

“I asked.”

Veronica gave her a sidelong glance. “What made you suddenly want to ask?”

Madoka smirked. “Because I heard a certain retired teammate was back in action—showing off in my city, no less. My juniors and students learned a lot from her, you know. Guess who I’m talking about?”

“…I knew that old lady had something up her sleeve.”

Realizing who had pushed her to return, Veronica couldn’t help massaging her temples. “I never should’ve accepted her offer to return to duty.”

“Calling her an ‘old lady’ isn’t very nice. She doesn’t like that, you know.”

Unlike Veronica, who looked troubled, Madoka was clearly enjoying herself. “Anyway, the outcome’s good, right? Old friends meeting again—what’s not to like? Or are you saying you didn’t want to see me?”

Veronica pursed her lips, unsure.

Emotionally, it wasn’t a bad thing to see a long-lost friend again. But the timing definitely complicated things.

Maybe it was a little dramatic to say—she wasn’t unwilling, just… unprepared.

She had memories, parts of her life she didn’t really want to share with younger teammates or juniors. Not even Hong Siyu knew the full story, and she was careful not to pry.

But Madoka was different. She never cared how her words or actions might affect others. She said what she wanted.

This woman—Asou Madoka—wasn’t just another former teammate. She was the one who had been by her side since the very beginning, when she first became a Magical Girl. And because of that, they shared more secrets than anyone else.

From Seed-tier rookies to the Garden Defense Battle—they knew each other too well. The more they knew, the more casually they spoke.

Could Madoka tell what should and shouldn’t be said? Veronica wasn’t sure. But saying “I didn’t want to see you” now would feel too heartless. Definitely not right.

“…If I had to say, reunions like this are still something to be happy about.” After all that thought, she finally gave an answer.

“Then it’s mutual?” Madoka grinned.

“Mutual, I guess.”

Veronica gave a short sigh and looked up slightly. “Anyway… long time no see. You look well.”

“You too.”

Madoka returned the sentiment. “Actually, just seeing you here like this… you seem even better than when I left.”

She extended her right hand, forming a loose grip—an invitation for a handshake. “Maybe it’s time we worked together again.”

“Work together? On what?”

“Lots of things. City defense, the Kingdom, Aya, Su Shengzi… even you and His Excellency the Chief.”

She got serious. “You said earlier you wanted to talk about serious things. I’m guessing these qualify?”

“…You’ve been investigating?”

Veronica narrowed her eyes.

“I have. And I probably understand the situation better than anyone.” Madoka held her gaze.

“Good.” Veronica nodded, reached out, and shook her hand lightly. “In that case, let’s work together.”

“Magical Girl. Flower Card ID No. 21032. Affiliated with the Investigation Bureau. Alias: Margaret.” Madoka declared.

Veronica blinked, realizing this was a formal ritual. She followed suit.

“Magical Girl. Flower Card ID No. 41076. Veronica.”

With those words, the room fell silent. Not only the two shaking hands—everyone watching held their breath.

Then suddenly, Madoka laughed.

Still smiling, she lowered herself to one knee, keeping their hands clasped, and gently lifted Veronica’s hand as if in courtly gesture.

Before anyone realized what was happening, her lips brushed softly against the back of Veronica’s hand.

“At your service, my lady.”