Want to be human, but cube-like

Looking down at his beloved electronic keyboard, Xiangzi bit his lip.

She understood, of course, that she herself was the culprit behind all of this, and Xiangzi knew perfectly well that she had to apologize to everyone and clean up this mess...

However, sometimes, just because you know how to do something doesn't mean you can do it automatically.

She would still subconsciously avoid everyone, subconsciously ignore the pitiful gaze of the lamp at school, and subconsciously not respond to Su Shi's desperate attempts to contact her.

She feels afraid of meeting people.

She would repeatedly evade and postpone the decisions she needed to make.

Because whenever I think about Crychic, my heart starts to ache uncontrollably.

Ultimately, Xiangzi is not yet ready to face everyone.

Forcibly suppressing the surging, chaotic thoughts, Xiangzi took a deep breath and began to rethink the topics he had discussed with Mu that evening.

Why did they suddenly start practicing Crychic again?

Moreover... it's clearly impossible to rehearse smoothly at all...

Furthermore, Mu is actually not happy at all in Crychic these days; she's just forcing herself to be.

"Is it necessary to... form a band?"

Muttering to himself, Xiangzi hesitated over a sudden thought that had just occurred to him.

At the very least, Mu shouldn't continue to suffer because of her actions and her irresponsibility...

"Xiangzi?"

Just as Xiangzi's thoughts were taking shape, a sudden call brought her back to her senses.

Are you practicing?

It was Alex, who had finally returned to the burger shop. She stood outside the door, gently pushed open the door to the soundproof room, tilted her head, peeked in, and asked curiously.

"Yeah, I'm a bit bored tonight, so I'm killing some time..."

Forcing a soft smile, Xiangzi replied.

Xiangzi did not intend to tell Alex about the troubles he was currently facing.

That would do her no good. Alex was already preoccupied with her own feelings and hadn't been able to break free. Asking her for advice would only spread her troubles onto her.

It's fine as it is now.

"I found a witch's barrier tonight."

On the way back, Alex, who had been thinking for a long time about how to get Shoko to help her get Su Shi to work at the hamburger shop, immediately told Shoko about her experience that night.

"You fought the witch? You weren't hurt, were you?"

Although his words were out of concern for Alex, Shoko wasn't actually that worried about her safety.

Compared to Alex's mental state, her ability to resurrect infinitely as a game character makes her the safest and most invincible being in the entire world.

Since she didn't resurrect directly in the hamburger shop, but instead slowly walked back, she was naturally out of danger.

"No, it was a no-damage run."

"Shake your head," Alex said.

"And, I met a magical girl tonight."

…………

P.S. Xiangzi is currently in a state where he knows he's wrong, but he's too afraid to admit it to everyone in Crychic.

Anyway, it's better than that abstract Xiangzi from Mujica.

Volume 2: Chapter 222 Don't force her to work

"Magical girl?"

Hearing this, Xiangzi was slightly taken aback.

"Is she a magical girl who made a contract with Kyubey?"

She also thought that Cupid would never find a girl who was qualified and willing to sign a contract with it.

After all, so much time has passed since Alex first met Kyubey, yet it continues to relentlessly haunt her.

It seems they are indeed short-handed.

"Hmm, it seems to be their first time fighting a witch. They don't even know how to use magic. I need to teach them."

Nodding, Alex walked in, casually glancing around the second floor, which she hadn't visited in a long time.

When his gaze swept over the boxes covered with dust cloths in the corner, he looked away as if trying to avoid them.

Those were the instruments she used when she played with everyone before.

"Let...Alex teach me?"

Upon hearing this, Xiangzi looked at her curiously a couple more times.

She had no recollection of Alex possessing magic or anything like that.

"It's just some guidance based on experience. I've been to other worlds before with..."

Alex answered casually, but then suddenly paused.

"...When I went on adventures, I came into contact with many different systems of magic and combat, so I gave her some advice."

As if avoiding something, she paused for a moment, then continued as if nothing had happened.

"Like This……"

Xiangzi tacitly ignored the unusual tone in Alex's words and pretended nothing had happened.

She could understand Alex's reluctance to discuss certain things, just as she herself was currently troubled by the past.

"Although she's not very good at fighting, that magical girl has a nice personality, and her voice is lovely... um, she's also very pretty. Oh, right, I haven't told you her name yet, have I? She..."

As Alex shared her first impression of Su Shi with Xiangzi, she was about to reveal her idea of ​​bringing Su Shi to the burger shop.

"...Wait a minute!"

But Xiangzi interrupted him.

"Magical girls' identities are usually kept secret, right? Alex, you can't just tell other people the real name of the magical girl you know without their permission."

Although it's unclear whether magical girls in real life actually follow such rules, that's what the anime says, and it's normal for magical girls to keep secrets from others. Shoko doesn't want Alex to have any trouble with the magical girl she just met because of this.

After all, those were probably some of the few friends Alex was willing to actively make.

"...Can't I say?"

Alex blinked her large, light red eyes blankly, puzzled.

"Even Xiangzi wouldn't be acceptable?"

She doesn't seem quite used to relying on others when making decisions.

"It's best to keep it a secret until you get her consent. This is a friend you made yourself, Alex, right? There's no need for her to tell me everything."

With a helpless nod, Xiangzi instructed.

"I was thinking of asking Xiangzi to help me find a way to get her to work at the hamburger shop."

Alex muttered something in frustration.

"Why……?"

When Xiangzi heard Alex say that she was going to hire new employees, he looked at her in surprise.

"Is it because I have to go to school that the shop is too busy?"

Frowning, Xiangzi began to consider the matter.

Indeed, it's perfectly normal for a burger joint with such a high daily customer flow to have only Alex working during lunchtime. No matter how efficient she is, it's not easy to be overwhelmed.

"No, it's because of the magical abilities she possesses; they seem like they'd be very useful."

But when she heard her question, Alex shook her head.

"I want to use her magic to do all sorts of things for me."

Recalling the scene of Su Shi using magic to manipulate things, a hint of interest appeared in Alex's eyes.

Xiangzi was stunned for a moment, not expecting that Alex wanted to hire new employees just because of such a straightforward desire.

You can't force others.

She then frowned slightly and said to Alex with some seriousness.

.

Xiangzi didn't think that the magical girl would be willing to use her magical power—which was meant to be used in battle to resolve the crisis brought by the witch and protect humanity—on Alex's personal desires. If she refused and Alex kept pestering her, something bad might happen.

After all, if Alex were to act recklessly, there really wouldn't be anyone who could stop her.

Even magical girls with special powers might not be able to resist Alex.

Thinking it over, Xiangzi suddenly realized that the responsibility on his shoulders was actually quite heavy.

"...Hmm, I'll go and ask about it properly first."

Upon hearing this, Alex became slightly troubled again, and she responded softly.

When Su Shi left, the way he seemed so afraid of her made Alex feel a little uneasy.

Moreover, she ran away before she even had a chance to exchange contact information with the other party.

Whether I will ever meet her again is a matter of luck.

Unless, you go ask Kewpie?

I wonder if Su Shi will continue to go out searching for the witch these next few nights... I heard from Kyubey that she seems to have a few more uses left with that Seed of Sorrow...

That's right...! The Seed of Lamentation!

Suddenly remembering that she had obtained a Seed of Lamentation when she defeated the Banker Witch, Alex's eyes widened, and she immediately turned and walked downstairs.

That Seed of Lamentation is still kept as a decoration on the Sky Island... although Xiangzi seems to have never noticed its existence.

After all, given the structure of the Seed of Grief, it couldn't be placed stably on a flat surface. Alex just casually made an item display frame and hung the Seed of Grief on the tavern wall. She didn't think it was important and didn't tell Xiangzi about it.

"Eh?"

Not understanding why Alex suddenly ran out while she was talking, Xiangzi tilted his head.

However, Alex was also very fast. Before Xiangzi could decide whether to go out and see what she was doing, she had already run back.

"I've got it! Next time I meet S... I'll try using the Seed of Sorrow as a bargaining chip and see if she'll agree to it."

Alex almost blurted out Su Shi's name, but luckily she reacted in time and corrected herself.

"The Seed of Sorrow?"

Alex had never mentioned these things before, and Kyubey hadn't communicated with her much because she refused to sign the contract. This was the first time Xiangzi had ever heard the term.

"Isn't this... the painting you hung in the tavern?"

After seeing clearly what the item Alex was holding looked like, Xiangzi asked in confusion.

She had indeed always thought it was just a very simple painting.

"This is the egg of that banker witch."

Remember how Kyubey described Alex of the Grief Seed, he said this to Shoko.

"A witch's...egg?!"

It startled her.

…………

P.S. I'm having a bit of writer's block. I feel like I need to add something between several scenes to act as a transition, but I can't think of anything to add, so I've been stuck there thinking for a long time.

I might miss a day of updates... Waaah, but if I take another day off, I'll lose my perfect attendance bonus for the month... I don't have any more leave slips left.