NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19 - Can I get you to stay?
After a day of shooting, YouYu walked alone on the street.
Today was Sunday; a day had passed after yesterday’s events.
Perhaps because WuYue still felt guilty, she hadn’t choose to follow today. Instead, she said, “I need to work hard studying,” and stayed home.
After double-checking a few more times to make sure she wouldn’t come, YouYu went on to finish his work alone.
Since his job was simply to take photos or videos for his clients, his superhuman skills allowed him to finish each work quickly, leaving him plenty of free time.
So now, he decided to stroll around the streets for a while, review yesterday’s events, and then head back to spend time with WuYue. Busy as ever!
“Em… Hey, YouYu, don’t you think you should create another situation like yesterday’s?”
“I saw how, after you explained things to WuYue yesterday, the negative emotions she radiated were terrifying… and you absorbed them all. Your strength must have increased quite a bit.”
“So—seriously, how about doing it again? I think the rewards are really high.”
“…You’re at it again, Mamba.”
Shaking his head helplessly, YouYu said to Mamba in his body:
“Didn’t I say many times that… one shouldn’t just focus on immediate gains; it’s important to consider the long-term future.”
“If I break her emotions and feelings too early, it would be a loss outweighing the gain.”
“…But, I think, given her ‘love’ for you, she probably won’t harm you.”
Mamba countered.
“Love from one person to another usually manifests as protection and tolerance.”
“If WuYue’s wish to become a magical girl is related to you, I think it’s even more so.”
“…She should be infinitely tolerant and protective of you.”
“So, what’s there to be afraid of, YouYu?”
“At most, it’s just jealousy, right? It’s not as if I haven’t learned about their state like this when I’ve been online with you.”
“…”
“If I really follow your advice… she might end up locking me away.”
“? Will doing this reveal your true intentions?”
“…No, I’ll show you later when we get back, alright?”
YouYu replied helplessly.
It’s not his fault for being so helpless; after all, it can’t be helped… Mamba always devised many ingenious ideas and then bombarded him with questions.
He needed to resolve Mamba’s confusion quickly and let it figure things out on its own.
“Alright then.”
After a moment of thought, Mamba agreed to his request.
Then it said:
“So when are you going to test your abilities? Or are you planning to save it for next time?”
“Oh, right! I almost forgot about that.”
Upon Mamba’s reminder, YouYu remembered that he still had one more task today: testing his combat abilities.
After all, yesterday had been a stroke of bad luck. He didn’t have the right time to test his abilities due to other problems.
He had already planned out the transformation effects, and it would be such a letdown not to use them!
So—today, he had to test it out!
Otherwise, his brilliant ideas would be wasted!
—
Thus, YouYu walked along the path he had previously chosen, a location known only to him.
However…
“…”
Halfway there, YouYu suddenly stopped and turned around to look behind him.
“…”
After looking behind him, YouYu turned back and continued on his way.
Then…
“!!”
Once again, he turned to look behind him.
This time, his eyes caught a glimpse of a blue streak disappearing from view.
“There really is no peace of mind…”
“You’re being followed, YouYu.”
“I know that, of course. But putting that aside for now, Mamba, that’s Bai Yu, right? Do you think she’s following me because she discovered my identity?”
“…It’s probably not that. If she had discovered your true identity, she would have acted by now.”
Mamba thought for a moment before responding.
“I think so, too.”
YouYu agreed with that assessment.
“Phew…”
Taking a deep breath, YouYu called out to the empty space behind him:
“Whoever you are, just come out already! What’s there to hide? Or are you following me?”
“…”
Seeing that there was no response for a while, YouYu frowned and continued:
“If you don’t come out soon, I might have to call the police. I hope you’ll…”
“No need to say more.”
As expected, upon hearing his words, Bai Yu could no longer hide and stepped out from behind a tree.
This time, her expression was not the friendly smile YouYu had seen before but one of impatience.
“…It’s you?”
Seeing her appearance, YouYu feigned surprise and said:
“You are the client I had yesterday. You left without a word… Did something happen?”
“…Heh.”
Upon hearing YouYu’s words, Bai Yu sneered and said:
“You don’t need to keep up the pretense. Don’t tell me you don’t know what happened yesterday. That WuYue must have told you everything, right?”
“About me.”
“Yeah… I do know a bit.”
YouYu nodded, acknowledging her statement.
“…I see. Since you know, then it will be easier.”
With that, Bai Yu put on a serious expression that seemed to leave no room for disagreement.
“I’m giving you this advice out of kindness: stay away from her.”
“May I ask why?”
“…Why? What I told WuYue yesterday is the reason.”
“If you two are together, you will inevitably face attacks from those guys, and as an ordinary person, you will only hold her back.”
“And in time, it could end up harming you and her. You both might get hurt.”
“Honestly, I don’t want to talk too much sense into you. It’s understandable if she doesn’t get it, but you—you’ve been through this once already, and as an adult, you should be able to judge for yourself.”
“…”
“Regarding this, I do understand.”
Looking into Bai Yu’s eyes, YouYu said:
“But I still can’t leave her side.”
“…Why?”
Hearing YouYu’s response, Bai Yu furrowed her brows and asked.
“Because she’s still just a child, a minor, suddenly thrust into the role of a ‘magical girl.'”
“Because she’s still just a child, a minor, suddenly thrust into the role of a ‘magical girl.'”
“And then, she has to fight and protect in this role.”
“She’s still at an age when she should be focused on her studies, yet she suddenly bears the responsibility of safeguarding others’ lives. The pressure is immense—heavy even for an adult like me, let alone for her.”
“So I don’t think she can do this right now.”
“To fight alone, with no support.”
YouYu said seriously.
“…That’s just because she’s too weak.”
Bai Yu replied with a definitive tone.
“As long as you promise me to let her follow me, then her strength, for sure, will become stronger.”
“By then, even if you’re separated, you shouldn’t have any worries.”
“…”
After listening to Bai Yu’s words, YouYu was silent momentarily before shaking his head in refusal.
Then he said:
“Sorry, it’s still not possible.”
“…Why?”
“Because… a reason that couldn’t be simpler.”
“She has been living with me for a long time.”
“And you, even as a magical girl, are just a stranger I’ve met once.”
“I can’t trust you, at least not right now.”
“…”
“Heh… Fine then.”
“Talking to you two fools really is a waste of time.”
Upon hearing YouYu’s response, Bai Yu, both angered and amused, turned around and prepared to leave.
“Wait!”
However, before she could leave, YouYu called out to her.
“What is it?”
“I think we could still talk.”
“No need, I don’t think it’s necessary.”
“Talking to you two is less worthwhile than going home to sleep.”
Bai Yu immediately rejected him.
“Is that so?”
Saying this, YouYu took out his phone and opened the unpaid transaction record he had prepared earlier.
“Then, with this bill, can I get you to stay?”