Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 44: Sleeping Together

Amid the rising steam, a hand groped through the mist and grasped the shower faucet, shutting off the hot water.

Veronica stepped out of the shower, quickly drying the moisture off her skin before letting down her hair. She gazed at the bathroom mirror.

In the reflection, a girl with long, azure-blue hair stared back at her, expressionless. Her slender and well-proportioned frame looked as delicate as a porcelain doll.

This must be the first time I’ve bathed in this body since my return, Veronica thought.

When she first became a Magical Girl in her youth, she would always shut her eyes and rush through bathing, her face burning with embarrassment. Even meeting the gaze of her unfamiliar reflection—this foreign, female body—was enough to make her tense with raging hormones, forcing her to avert her eyes.

But that was long ago. Now, as a married woman, she no longer felt any hesitation or discomfort when looking at her own transformed body.

If anything, she had long come to view her Magical Girl form as nothing more than a tool—no different from a weapon or armor. This body was both her sword and her shield, no more than a soldier’s armor, albeit one that appeared fragile and beautiful on the surface.

Yet, no amount of rationalizing could completely erase the eerie sense of displacement she sometimes felt. The magic sustaining her transformation had frozen this body in time, its appearance unchanged for over a decade. Whenever she stared at her own reflection, it was as if she were peering into the past, momentarily uncertain of whether she was still living in the present.

Unwilling to dwell on such thoughts, Veronica shut her eyes and broke her gaze away from the mirror.

She dressed in the clothes Xia Liang had prepared, rolling up the sleeves and pant legs that were a bit too long, then stepped out of the bathroom.

Xia Liang was rummaging through the wardrobe, looking for pillows.

"I’ll help you," Veronica offered, and the two of them got to work.

Xia Liang’s room only had a small single bed, so for the sake of better sleep quality, she decided to use her parents’ master bedroom instead.

Her reasoning? "It’s just sitting there empty anyway, so why not use it to accommodate a guest?"

It took about ten minutes to tidy up the bed and store away the unnecessary items. As Veronica looked at the freshly made bed before her, she found herself feeling… complicated.

She might look like a little girl on the outside, but at the end of the day, she was still an adult man. The idea of sharing a bed with a girl around the same age as his own daughter, someone he had only known for a month, weighed heavily on his conscience.

Meanwhile, Xia Liang had already returned from her room, hugging a pillow from her own bed. She stood by the bedside, looking at Veronica expectantly.

At this point, there was no turning back. Any refusal would only hurt the girl.

Veronica wrestled with her conflicting emotions but ultimately couldn’t bring herself to say anything harsh. With a sigh, she conceded, "Fine, let’s turn off the lights and go to sleep."

"Mm!" Xia Liang responded cheerfully, clearly pleased.

After shutting the master bedroom door and switching off the overhead light, the two slipped under the covers.

Veronica, still burdened by her concerns, deliberately kept some distance between them, ensuring there was no accidental physical contact.

Not that she had any inappropriate thoughts about Xia Liang—far from it. In fact, she found it impossible to see her as anything other than a child. Still, as an adult, she felt responsible for maintaining proper boundaries.

Unfortunately, what she thought and what Xia Liang thought were two entirely different things.

Veronica had barely warmed the pillow beneath her head when she suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind.

"Ahh, as expected, you're soft and smell nice... even better than a body pillow," Xia Liang murmured in contentment.

Veronica’s expression froze. She lightly pushed at the girl’s arms, but Xia Liang held on tight. With no other option, she asked, exasperated, "Can you let go?"

"Nope," came Xia Liang’s straightforward reply.

"Isn't it uncomfortable to sleep like this?"

"This is a rare chance to cuddle with my dear senpai! I’m not letting go until my arms go numb!"

"...You’re being unreasonable."

"Well, since senpai gave me permission to be ‘a little selfish’ tonight, I’m going to take full advantage of it," Xia Liang quipped right in her ear.

Hearing that, Veronica knew there was no room for negotiation. With another sigh, she muttered, "I’m starting to regret this. I really picked up a handful of trouble."

"Hehe, you remind me a lot of Xiaolu, senpai," Xia Liang giggled behind her.

"How so?" Veronica asked in resignation.

"You’re all talk but soft-hearted," Xia Liang teased. "You always say such cold things, but your actions are the complete opposite."

"I should get out of bed, then."

"No way." Xia Liang’s grip tightened slightly.

Veronica sighed yet again. Letting Xia Liang hold her for a while longer, she eventually noticed the girl still hadn’t fallen asleep. After a brief silence, she asked, "About what we talked about earlier—your parents… Should we tell White Rose?"

"No need."

"Why?"

"If I just tell her outright, knowing Xiaolu’s personality, she’d probably start pitying me." Xia Liang’s voice was quiet. "And I don’t want that. I want to build a genuine friendship with her, not one tainted by ‘pity.’ If that becomes part of our bond, I’d hate it."

"But you don’t mind telling me?"

"Hehe, well, that’s because senpai is a mature adult, right?"

Xia Liang paused, then hesitated before asking, "That’s okay… isn’t it?"

"It’s your life. Whether you share it or not is your choice," Veronica replied, her voice softening.

But as she spoke, she suddenly felt something damp on her shoulder.

She turned her head slightly, catching a glimpse of Xia Liang pressing her face against her back. Her bangs fell over her eyes, hiding her expression in the dark.

Still, Veronica could guess—Xia Liang was crying.

She didn’t know why, but she could sense that Xia Liang didn’t want her to acknowledge it. So she chose to feign ignorance, closing her eyes and letting the girl hold onto her in silence.

"…Thanks, senpai," Xia Liang’s voice finally broke through, a little hoarse.

She knew it wasn’t the time to cry. But it had been so long since someone needed her. So long since someone had listened to her, let her talk, and even told her it was okay to be selfish—just a little. All those "so long since" moments had stacked up, making her feel like she was in a dream.

"It’s nothing," Veronica answered simply. Because she knew that, at moments like this, the best response was to accept it as if it were nothing at all.

"Senpai."

"Mm?"

"For the certification exam… I’ll do my best."

Xia Liang’s voice was low, but there was a determined edge to it. "I want to get stronger too. One day, I want to stand by your side."

Veronica’s breath hitched slightly.

"…You will. You all will," she finally murmured, her voice cool but gentle.

After a pause, she hesitated before adding, "Speaking of which, I made a decision just now. I’m not sure how you’ll feel about it."

"Hm? What is it?"

"Starting next time, we’ll hold the study sessions at your house."

Veronica was still facing away from her, so Xia Liang couldn’t see her expression.

But at that moment, Xia Liang knew exactly what kind of face she was making.

Burying her face deeper into Veronica’s back, she struggled to suppress the grin forming on her lips and whispered,

"Mm. I’d be honored—really."