Transform into a magical girl after getting off work

Chapter 2 The Restaurant and the Junior

Hong Siyu was a familiar stranger to Lin Yun.

They were familiar because they had known each other for a long time, in fact, they could be called old friends. They had met back in middle school when they could be described as partners.

Strangers, because they had gradually drifted apart years ago, and now Lin Yun simply couldn't fathom what was on the other's mind.

Although she had been contacting him frequently lately, seemingly wanting to rekindle their old friendship, he hadn't figured out her intentions.

Or rather, he wasn't very interested in knowing them.

"The kingdom announced the new Magical Girl card rankings last month, and there are two new rising stars."

Like now, for instance.

Amidst the clinking of glasses, the woman spoke to him with a jesting tone while holding her wine glass.

To be honest, though she was past thirty, whether it was due to good maintenance or something else, the woman in front of him still retained her charm and youthful beauty.

Upon hearing her words, Lin Yun paused in his movements but still maintained a poker face as he responded, "What's the point of talking about this now?"

The woman laughed, "Is it pointless to take an interest in our juniors?"

Lin Yun took a sip of lemon water and vaguely replied, "It's no longer relevant to me, so why should I be concerned?"

"That kind of lie won't fool one of our own, you know. You can't really detach yourself completely, can you?"

The woman then took a sip of red wine, her meaning clear, "After all, you were once..."

"Stop."

Mid-sentence, she saw a finger tapping on the center of the table.

Lin Yun extended his index finger but did not meet her gaze:

"I believe I've said that I don't want to talk about it."

The two fell into silence for a moment.

Hong Siyu stared at him, then after a while, revealed a cryptic smile:

"Fine, let's not talk about that. How about the issue with the house I bought before?"

With that, the conversation shifted back to mundane domestic matters.

Lin Yun absentmindedly picked at his food while the woman drank her wine with a smile plastered on her face.

The ambiance in the high-end restaurant was refined, and the progress of the dinner moved on with each change of the plates by the server.

However, just when Lin Yun felt that the dinner was more than halfway through, the woman opposite him suddenly threw out a topic he couldn't ignore.

"Oh, there's something else."

She was clearly tipsy when she uttered these words, so her tone became much more casual, "It's about the new Magical Girl in Fangting City; she established a connection with us today."

Across the wine table, the woman's radiant smile was enticing, "What do you think, is this related to you?"

The two sat at opposite ends of the table, creating a stark contrast in their images. The woman looked young and beautiful, while Lin Yun seemed dispirited, bearing a worldly-weary demeanor.

Those unaware of the truth might think that there was at least a decade's age difference between the two, not realizing that they were actually peers.

"I've heard a little about it, what are you trying to say?"

Lin Yun held his glass with one hand and took another sip of lemon water, continuing to feign indifference.

"Ah, you've already heard? You're more well-informed than I thought, even though I'm the one with the official position. It makes me feel kind of defeated..."

The tipsy woman upon hearing this, exaggeratedly wiped her eyes.

"If you're aware of your status as an official, you wouldn't gossip about insider information loudly in public."

Lin Yun tapped the table to stop her, "Also, don't act up in the restaurant. Haven't you noticed the strange looks we're getting from other diners here?"

"Did I hear you say thirty-five? Are you mocking lonely, older, unmarried women?" Hong Siyu's eyes widened.

"Nobody mentioned thirty-five, nor did anyone bring up your age. Don't try to create a fuss, let's get to the point."

After a day of busyness, Lin Yun was already exhausted. Listening to her commotion only deepened the throbbing in his head.

If it wasn't for her call, he could be enjoying some peace on his sofa at home instead of listening to a drunk woman cause a scene in an expensive restaurant.

"The point?"

The woman across the table tilted her head, strangely adorable for her age, "I wanted to have a chat with you?"

"...I mean the Magical Girl thing you just mentioned."

"Hmm? Didn't you already know?"

"Just because I know it doesn't mean you can skip explaining."

"Not explain?"

"Get on with it."

"You're actually scolding me? When I'm the one treating you tonight!"

Lin Yun felt his blood pressure undergoing severe fluctuations.

He knew that reasoning with someone drunk and hysterical was impossible, but the nonsense spouted by the intoxicated woman in front of him was giving him a splitting headache.

The other party was not someone he could just casually deal with at a normal dinner meeting; she was someone with whom he truly needed to communicate, making the conversation at the table extremely difficult.

"Put your untimely stubborn emotions aside for a moment, can you tell me what's the situation with the new Magical Girl? Did she just appear recently? How long has she been active? What extent have you reached in your coordination efforts with her?"

Therefore, Lin Yun took himself out of the rhythm of the other person's dialogue and took the initiative, seeking directly the information he wanted.

The "coordination" mentioned in his words was actually the city government's approach to Magical Girls.

This world possessed extraordinary powers.

Remnant Beasts and Magical Girls were both existences starkly different from ordinary people.

Every corner of the world might see the emergence of Remnant Beasts, and every city in the world might have a Magical Girl.

Thus, every city, whether overtly or covertly, had an established agency tasked with recruiting talented individuals to deal with matters related to Remnant Beasts. Simultaneously, they would reach out to the Magical Girls in the city, helping them to quickly, efficiently, and with minimal risk deal with the appearing Remnant Beasts and carry out the protection of ordinary people.

Over time, this had become a tradition.

The government agency responsible for coordinating with Magical Girls and dealing with Remnant Beasts was called the "Abnormal Strategy Bureau," or "Abnormal Strategy Bureau" for short.

The Abnormal Strategy Bureau took charge of contacting the Magical Girls within the city, extending goodwill, offering support, and achieving cooperation, which had become a standard procedure.

The Hong Siyu before him was actually a member of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.

That's why she called herself an "official personnel" and could reveal news related to "Magical Girls."

"Ah ha... what were you asking about? Magical Girls?"

Struggling to speak coherently, Hong Siyu squinted her eyes as if searching through the remnants of her rational mind, and stuttered, "Ah, right, I remember now, Magical Girls! Well, in that case, it should be starting soon!"

"...What's about to start?" Lin Yun was slightly taken aback by her words.

"I mean, the interview and report on the new Magical Girl, on the city's channel. It's tonight!"

Hong Siyu seemed to briefly regain her clarity and slapped her forehead, "Remember to watch it! Then you'll have all the answers to your questions!"

After saying this, she seemed to completely lose her strength, slumping onto the table.

Before long, even breathing sounds came from across the table. Lin Yun examined her closely and was convinced the woman had indeed fallen asleep on the dining table.

"All answers? Why?"

He asked again, but unfortunately, this question was doomed to go unanswered.

He called the waiter over, went to the front desk to settle the bill, returned to the table, and with a helpless sigh, looked at Hong Siyu who had fallen into a deep sleep.

After repeatedly calling her without success, he could only support Hong Siyu, leaving the restaurant under the strange gazes of those around him.

Finding her car keys in her wallet, he opened her car door, dumped her in the passenger seat, fastened her seatbelt, and then sat in the driver's seat, igniting the engine.

On the night roads, the car headed toward Hong Siyu's home.

The rush hour had passed, and the traffic on the streets had become smooth. Watching the night scene on the streets, Lin Yun felt his mood lift ever so slightly.

A hand rested on his knee.

"Senior..."

Hong Siyu's groggy voice resounded beside him.

"What is it?" Lin Yun glanced at her and responded.

"You say... Ayah has been gone for almost two years now, why can't you consider me for once?"

A somewhat depressed voice came from the passenger seat.

"I'm not married yet, you know. Can you imagine how hard it is for me to wait?"

Lin Yun fell silent for a moment.

He didn't really want to answer the question, nor did he know what to say.

After driving on the highway for a while, he finally decided how to express his feelings and began to speak:

"I—haven't convinced myself yet."

He paused, then added:

"I've not convinced myself to let go of her."

Nevertheless, the conclusion he had taken so long to come to was not heard by the other party. The faint sound of breathing began again in the brief period of silence, and it seemed that Hong Siyu had fallen asleep once more.

In a daze, Lin Yun thought he heard a very faint sob:

"I'm sorry."

The voice was so vague and hazy that it took him a long while to realize it actually said "I'm sorry."

Whether this voice was Hong Siyu's sleep talk or his own illusion was now impossible to determine.