Raising magical girls, and leave them with eternal regret?!

“And so, the scarred young boy began living together with the girl who was as radiant as the sun.”

“And with that, the curtain rises on their youthful love story…”

“What kind of overly dramatic light novel synopsis is that?! The cringe is off the charts!”

“Sorry, sorry, I just got caught up in the moment~ Who knew human stuff could be so interesting~”

One morning, YouYu was woken up by Mamba inside his body. This snake had stayed within him all day yesterday, so their vision and information were pretty much shared.

As a result, after YouYu had spent the day intensely surfing the web on the old phone WuYue gave him, Mamba had been thoroughly immersed in the abstract information on the internet.

So, did this snake really never surf on the internet in the previous timelines? Then why did he still know how to post online??

And the explanation it gave was something like this:

“I only do things that serve my objectives.”

As for entertainment and leisure… Mamba generally didn’t engage in those. Every time it went online, it was for searching for information or asking questions.

“That really is something extraordinary.”

YouYu commented on this.

Is it that villains are the purest people? They speak normally, with clear objectives, they just simply want revenge and world destruction. It’s almost as if they’re blank slates.

“Forget it… Let’s not argue about that. You mentioned last night that you beings feed on negative emotions to strengthen yourselves, right? Emotions like jealousy, guilt, regret, and despair—all of those are included, correct?”

“Yes, that’s indeed the case.”

“Oh~ I see now.”

With that, YouYu looked down at his fists, clenching them tightly, and he started to understand what was going on.

He remembered that after he had told WuYue about his “family” yesterday, he had distinctly felt something being absorbed into his body—something that made him stronger and improved his mental state.

That something must be the “negative emotions” generated by WuYue’s feelings of guilt.

If he wanted to enhance his strength in the future, having a plan to elicit such sad and guilty feelings periodically could be pretty effective, huh?

“However, the premise is to build up affection first…”

The more affection he accumulates, the more “guilt” and similar negative emotions he can obtain. It’s just like rolling a snowball.

“Although it might be a bit unfair to you… I’ll try to be more restrained.”

With that thought, YouYu sighed, got out of bed, and, after freshening up, headed towards the kitchen.

He had made up his mind: from now on, he would do his best to help WuYue and make her feel “happy.”

After all, the poor girl had a tragic past. During dinner yesterday, she shared her story with him. She explained that her parents had disappeared when she was young, leaving her to live with her grandmother. She had lived alone ever since, with no one to help her. And the year before, her grandmother had passed away.

Now, she was left all alone in the house.

Logically, she should have looked very sad while recounting these events.

Yet, despite this, she managed to keep a faint smile and held back tears while recounting her story. Though it was clear she was on the verge of breaking down.

Moreover, she continued to perform tasks like cooking, doing homework, and applying medicine, all while maintaining a fragile facade… If she was just putting on this brave front, it was truly heart-wrenching.

Perhaps it was because she felt a sense of similarity between her situation and his that she had let him stay.

“A magical girl with such a tragic background—it’s truly lamentable.”

Even Mamba inside his body fell silent upon hearing this.

“Given this, it’s something I must do.”

With that thought, YouYu put on an apron.

He decided to start with a simple breakfast, gradually working to make her feel happy.

Then…

“Don’t forget, YouYu.”

Mamba reminded him.

“You must… You must make her live with eternal regret.”

————

In the girl’s room.

“Mmmheehee… flowers grow quickly~.”

Wearing teddy bear pyjamas and lying on the bed, WuYue murmured these dreamlike words with a perpetual smile on her face.

And, as usual, she was sleeping soundly.

“…”

And so, as before, a price had to be paid.

“Beep beep! Beep beep!”

“…Wah?! What’s going on?! Wait, am I late again?!”

Startled awake by the alarm on her phone, WuYue’s sleepiness vanished in an instant. When she quickly grabbed her phone to check the time, she realized it was already 8:00!

There were only 20 minutes left before class started, but even with a bike, it takes 30 minutes to get there!

“Ahhh! Isn’t this just like before?! This alarm clock is completely useless!”

WuYue grumbled as she hurriedly tidied herself up, skillfully changing her clothes. However, her anxiety led to a few mishaps, causing further delays.

She wasn’t sure when it all started, but it was probably about a week ago. One morning, she suddenly felt tired and extremely sleepy, and it had been the same for the following days. As a result, she had been late for school several times and even missed breakfast.

This situation has continued until now.

She thought setting an alarm for 7:00 would wake her up… but it was completely useless! It was as if she couldn’t hear it at all! Even trying to set an alarm every 5 minutes didn’t help!

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

Seeing WuYue rushing out of her room in a panic, YouYu, who had been about to knock on her door, stopped in front of her and asked:

“I’m late! I’m late! I’m so sorry, You Yu! I have to go to school now! I’m really sorry…”

As WuYue hurried past YouYu and towards the door, she was about to step outside when she seemed to remember something and came to a sudden halt.

“Wait…”

She hesitated and turned to look back at YouYu, letting out a helpless sigh.

“I can’t just leave him like this…”

After all, she could still see the injuries on YouYu, though they were much better than yesterday.

Regardless, she couldn’t just leave an injured person at home unattended. She could skip breakfast, but he couldn’t.

…Since she was already late, she might as well give up and deal with it!

“Um… never mind, since I’m already late. YouYu, you haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? What do you want to eat? I’ll make it for you right now…”

“I think you should go to school,” YouYu said with a serious expression.

“Eh?”

“As for breakfast, don’t worry about it. I can still take care of myself. I’ve already made your portion as well.”

“…Ah? Uh, thanks?”

“However, there’s no time to eat it now. Where’s your lunchbox? I’ll pack it for you.”

“…Over there.”

“Just a moment.”

“…”

Watching YouYu help her pack things up, WuYue was at a loss for words, unsure of what to say.

Soon, everything was packed, and YouYu came over to her.

“Thank, thank you!”

As WuYue reached for the lunchbox that YouYu handed her and was about to turn and leave quickly, YouYu stepped in front of her.

“Wait! I remember your bike can carry two people, right?”

“Two people? Uh, well… I suppose it can?”

“Great! Even though I’m in this state, riding a bike is still manageable for me. Let me ride you to school. It’ll be faster!”

“Ah?! But… why? Your condition really…”

“There’s no need to hesitate! Didn’t you tell me yesterday that your school expenses largely depend on your scholarship?”

“What will happen to your scholarship if your attendance falls short?”

“Ugh…”

“…Anyway, hurry up and get on.”

As WuYue’s eyes welled up with tears once more, YouYu averted his gaze and pushed the bike towards her before hopping on it himself.

“…”

Seeing YouYu on the bike in front of her, WuYue hesitated for a few seconds but eventually chose to sit in the back seat.

However, after she got on, YouYu didn’t move.

“…Hold tight, be careful not to fall.”

“Huh?! Oh…”

Realizing what was happening, WuYue’s face flushed. She carefully wrapped her arms around him.

Feeling her embrace, YouYu said nothing further and began pedalling the bike towards Rainbow High School.

Since he had surveyed the area around here last night, he knew that with a bit of speed and careful control, reaching the school within 20 minutes was definitely achievable.

“…”

Feeling the wind around her and hugging YouYu while gazing at his profile from behind, WuYue’s expression gradually grew tranquil.

She couldn’t help but ask:

“Are you really okay? We haven’t known each other for long. You don’t have to…”

“…Huh? I can’t believe you’re asking this!”

YouYu, riding the bike, smiled with a hint of resignation.

Even though they had only just met, she had immediately and without much thought offered him a place to stay simply because she felt sorry for his situation. It seemed that these “magical girl” protagonists all had their peculiarities!

So, he just needed to give a simple answer.

“You’re my lifesaver. Doing something like this for you is only right!”

“And besides, I’m just imitating you!”