SWNOVELXO Chapter 47 - A closer relationship
“……”
Upon hearing WuYue’s words from his back, YouYu didn’t immediately respond. Instead, he quickened his pace, his mind racing to process the situation.
Why is WuYue asking such a question at this moment? According to his predictions, she shouldn’t, and wouldn’t, voice this concern until her “desires” reached a peak.
Or could it be that…
“Has it come so quickly…?”
It wasn’t difficult to deduce that she had likely observed his interactions with Bai Yu a few days ago, leading her to inevitably feel a sense of “crisis.”
However, given their ambiguous relationship, she couldn’t confront Bai Yu directly; she could only stand by and watch in silence.
Thus, in an attempt to dispel her “crisis” and perhaps to justify her future actions, she sought to “confirm their relationship.”
That seemed to be the logic behind her behavior.
“……”
After reaching this conclusion, YouYu remained silent momentarily before taking a deep breath and saying, “WuYue, let’s head home for now.”
“……? But YouYu, you haven’t…”
“Yeah, I know.”
“What I meant was, let’s discuss this when we get home.”
“……”
“Alright.”
The two fell into silence, hastening their pace as they made their way home.
—
After returning home, YouYu suggested that WuYue take a shower. Meanwhile, he quietly executed a plan he had long prepared, moving all the sharp knives in the house to places where WuYue would have difficulty finding them.
Yes… although this might seem a bit excessive, he felt it was necessary to take precautions.
After all, he was still just a “mortal” and couldn’t withstand the sharpness of a blade; cuts and bleeding were certain.
If that were to happen… once a knife is used, WuYue might find it hard to turn back.
She could really “break,” and that was definitely not something he wanted to witness.
Of course, this course of action assumed that WuYue wouldn’t transform into a magical girl to confront him directly.
If it came to that, he might have to transform himself to help her calm down…
“Click.”
Lost in thought, WuYue came out from her room, freshly showered and dressed.
Her expression and demeanor were clearly not as exhausted as they had been outside; she looked remarkably well.
Moreover… there was an uncontrollable spark of excitement in her eyes.
It was as if she desperately hoped his upcoming answer would align with her expectations.
But…
“I’m sorry, WuYue…”
YouYu silently apologized in his heart, giving himself a preemptive warning.
After all, his next response might… no, it would definitely disappoint WuYue.
“Now, let’s talk about the question you asked me on the way back.”
After taking a sip of water, YouYu turned to look at WuYue, who was sitting beside him.
“……Um, YouYu, take your time to think it through before answering, okay? I understand that this question must be quite difficult for you, so you can—”
“No, I’ve already thought it through.”
Shaking his head, YouYu took a deep breath, turned to meet her gaze, and said:
“You asked me before how I see you and what our relationship is like, right?”
“Now, I’m here to tell you what I believe is the answer.”
“I think—”
“……”
“I think our relationship right now is like that of family.”
“?！So, that means—”
“That means—”
Interrupting WuYue, who was eager to respond, YouYu paused to gather his thoughts before continuing.
“That means, in my eyes, you are someone who needs help, someone who needs to be cared for…”
“A younger sister.”
“……”
“Eh?”
Before WuYue could react, YouYu seized the moment of her surprise to elaborate.
“Once, after you became a magical girl, I thought long and hard about how I should treat you. How could I help you? After much contemplation, I arrived at one conclusion—”
“That is, I would treat you as family, as someone very important to me. I would help you, prioritizing you, even if you might not notice it.”
“Because you… no, or rather, after you and the others become magical girls, you’ll likely always live in a world of battles, which will inevitably be painful.”
“I don’t want to see that. I want to help you, whether it’s in daily life or in combat; I’ll do my utmost to assist you.”
“……And although it might sound a bit embarrassing, I still want to say this: WuYue, during the time we spent together, well… should I say it was your character? Or your behavior? Or perhaps your beauty? Or maybe a combination of all three…”
“In any case, it’s these three qualities you possess that attracted me to you.”
“The more I think about it, the more I feel that a girl like you becoming a magical girl is incredibly fortunate for those suffering in this world due to an evil organization.”
“But… on the flip side, what about you? Even if you subjectively believe that having the power to protect others is a lucky thing…”
“Does that mean the objective suffering will cease to exist?”
“No, it will definitely still be there.”
“So, from that moment on, regarding this vague definition of ‘family,’ I quietly established an identity for myself… and for you.”
“……”
“As an ‘older brother,’ I will support you, help you, and when necessary… even risk my life to protect you.”
“Because if I see you as my closest kin—my little sister—I feel that perhaps I can do anything for you.”
“This is the answer.”
“……”
“So, that’s how it is?”
“To support and protect me… So that’s how you have viewed me…?”
After hearing YouYu’s response, WuYue no longer displayed the initial joy she had; instead, she was enveloped in the same profound calm as before.
“……”
“Ha… haha.”
But… for some unknown reason, when she suddenly turned her head away and lowered it, she unexpectedly… began to laugh.
However, it wasn’t a strange or broken laugh; YouYu could still tell that.
What her laughter carried was… self-mockery? Resentment? Disappointment? It was likely a mix of these feelings.
Moreover… despite not crying aloud, tears streamed down her cheeks.
“……”
Watching her emotions settle, YouYu quietly absorbed the negative feelings swirling around her. He didn’t hesitate; instead, he reached for a tissue from the nearby box and handed it to her.
But then…
“Slap!”
In that instant, WuYue suddenly grasped his outstretched hand! Turning her head towards him, she said:
“But… YouYu, the kind of relationship I want isn’t like that…”
She revealed the answer she truly sought—
“What I want is a closer…”
“Relationship.”