Living with a magical girl, but a weirdo cadre

　Hearing her boss's question, Cong Yu swallowed the fried chicken cutlet in her mouth: "Jail? How long can I go?"

　"Under the current laws here, a father who has been released from prison is unlikely to reform... A gambling father has a negative impact on a child's upbringing."

　This statement is quite clear: the goal is to eliminate "negative impacts" from the world.

　"Of course... that's just an excuse. I'm just doing a little selfish revenge, so there's no need to trouble the group."

　Amidst these whispered additions, Cong Yu, having heard something, began to thank the person who had helped her: "Thanks, I'll bring you McDonald's next time."

　Are you going to thank me with fast food?

　Amidst the BOSS's complaints, Congyu-chan hung up the phone and then moved slightly to the right, making room for him.

　"Congyu-chan! Didn't you say you'd wait for me to have lunch together?!"

　Yaochuan Guang, carrying a lunchbox, suddenly flung open the iron gate... It felt like the iron gate had suffered quite a bit of damage in the first few days of the new semester.

　It got kicked out before, and now it's almost broken... It'll break down sooner or later.

　"How pitiful, Iron Gate-san—"

　As Cong Yu spoke, ignoring the sullen Yao Chuan Guang, he muttered to himself in a normal speaking voice, "Another weird idiot has come to disturb my alone time."

　Yao Chuan Guang jutted out

　She pursed her lips, picked up her lunchbox, and sat down beside him, saying, "I'm not surprised at all, okay?"

　As always, Yaochuan Guang did not deny that he was an idiot.

　"I'm going to get my textbooks, and Congyu-chan not only won't help me, but she won't even wait for me to eat together... Humph!"

　Yao Chuan Guang hummed as she opened the lunchbox. As a gentle breeze blew by, the expression on her face gradually softened: "Wow, what a comfortable breeze."

　Cong Yu did not express a negative opinion on this point: "Yes, that's why I want to keep it all to myself."

　Yaochuan Guang: "But, Congyu-chan, don't you have the rooftop key? If you lock the door, I won't be able to get in, right?"

　"..." Cong Yu didn't want to explain, she just silently put her phone back in her pocket and prepared to focus on eating.

　"Hmm - she really is a tsundere..."

　As Yaochuan Guang said this, he ignored Cong Yu, who was glancing at him sideways, and began to shovel rice into his mouth.

　She ate almost half of her white rice before starting to pick up other dishes, while looking at Cong Yu with curious eyes—

　"By the way, Cong Yu, when I came up, I heard you on the phone, saying something about bringing McDonald's... Is it your relative's child?"

　"..."

　"It's my former boss. He sounds young, but he's actually quite old. I also asked him to help with your video editing."

　Cong Yu was telling the truth.

　Yao Chuan Guang already understood, and she nodded with a smile: "I understand. Then, Cong Yu and I will go to thank her together later."

　"..."

　"..." Yao Chuanguang: "?"

　Cong Yu: "..."

　After silently finishing her lunch, Cong Yu slowly said, "My suggestion is... you'd better not go."

　Hikaru Yokawa: "Why?"

　"You're going to die."

　As Cong Yu said this, he looked at Yao Chuanguang, who had a shocked expression, and simply added, "It's hard for me to explain."

　"Whether you interpret it as the incomprehensible work itself, or the strange workload and oppressive atmosphere..."

　"If an idiot like you goes there, you'll really die."

　"..." Immediately, in Yaochuan Guang's eyes, Cong Yu's previous work suddenly became much more sophisticated: "Could it be... mathematics?"

　"Is the workplace filled with mathematical formulas and the like that that would make me faint at first glance?"

　In response to Yaochuan Guang's question, Cong Yu silently shook her head: "This is a workplace for 'adults,' you're still young... it's not appropriate for you to visit."

　Although that's not the case at all, Cong Yu hopes that Yao Chuan Guang can understand it that way.

　"Oh, oh, oh! But that's true... Cong Yu, aren't you still young?"

　Watching Yaochuan Guang finish her meal right after her, and listening to her squinting complaints, Cong Yu simply placed her lunchbox on top of Yaochuan Guang's.

　Then, as Yaochuan Guang silently wrapped up their lunchboxes, he replied, "But my heart is old, decaying, rotten, withered, rotten, and degenerate."

　To this, Yaochuan Guang immediately smiled: "Sounds like he's gone mad! Chuunibyou! Hahaha!"

　As he said this, Hikaru Yokawa carried the package containing the two lunchboxes downstairs, then turned to look at him and said, "Congyu-chan, after class this afternoon, come with me to visit the clubs!"

　“…” Cong Yu, who had been silent for a short while, looked away and said, “I’ll stay in the classroom and wait for you… I promise I won’t leave first.”

　Yao Chuanguang: "..."

　Yao Chuanguang: "Didn't someone say before, 'I'll wait for you on the rooftop, I promise I won't eat beforehand'?!"

　Cong Yu raised an eyebrow in surprise: "Who is it? That's really going too far."

　"It's Murasame! It's Murasame-chan!"

　Cong Yu: "Ah, I have no recollection of this name at all. It sounds like the name of a knife."

　"!!!" Yao Chuanguang was shocked. She had a completely new understanding of Cong Yu's ability to pretend to be stupid without changing her expression.

　Chapter Forty-Three: Meeting the Madam Again

　"Mother……"

　The little girl asked this question as she hesitantly went to the living room after finishing her homework: "Isn't Dad coming back today either?"

　Upon hearing her words, the woman who was vacuuming the floor immediately showed a hesitant expression.

　After much hesitation, this strong woman, in the eyes of others, once again revealed a vulnerable expression in front of her child.

　"Hmm, probably..."

　It has happened countless times already.

　As a member of the family, as a crucial part of a child's growth... he consistently stayed out all night.

　No, actually, staying out all night is better than going home.

　The man had a respectable job, but in private he was an incurable gambler.

　The love and expectations she once had have completely vanished from her heart.

　Instead, fear and retreat prevailed.

　"OK, all right."

　The little girl spoke obediently, and she didn't seem disappointed by the news that her father wasn't coming home; on the contrary, she seemed relieved.

　Seeing this in her mother's eyes made it even more heartbreaking.

　He started talking.

　Even the children, even their daughter, have this attitude towards her husband, which is enough to prove something.

　However, she didn't have the courage to get a divorce.

　Even though she had already opened a decent coffee shop and pastry shop, she didn't have the courage to change anything more.

　The only thing we can do is eat dinner earlier.

　When that man gets home and sees there's no food for him, he'll definitely fly into a rage... at least by then he and his daughter will have already finished eating.

　At least my daughter can stay in her own room and doesn't have to have her dinner and plates overturned and smashed all over her.

　"Have you finished your homework?"

　"Yes, it's done."

　The mother smiled at her well-behaved daughter, and was about to praise her when the doorbell rang.

　"Ding-dong-"

　"..." To be honest, this is really not a good sign.

　Faced with this, the young mother could only put down the vacuum cleaner and pat her daughter's head, saying, "Sweetie... go back to your room first."

　This little girl, who had always been very obedient to her mother, stubbornly shook her head this time, sitting on the sofa without any intention of moving.

　"No, I want to protect my mother."

　"..." Her eyes reddened, and hearing her daughter's words, she could only suppress her tears and open the door: "Coming, may I ask who it is?"

　That's what they say, but who else could it be? It can only be…

　"???" However, she hesitated for a moment when she opened the door... because she really didn't recognize the person outside.

　Logically speaking, it should be her husband, namely Koji Nagashima.

　But standing outside the door at this moment was a person wearing a white mask... a pure white mask with no patterns on it.

　She has very long hair that almost reaches her waist, and her figure suggests she is a high school student.

　It's hard to tell if she's a boy or a flat-chested girl.

　The masked boy stood outside the door with his arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe: "Yasuji Nagashima, I have some questions for you."

　Judging from the voice, it's probably a male high school student.

　"..." Is she here to see her husband? Strange child.

　With that thought in mind, she was about to mention that her husband wasn't home when she saw the masked boy, who had been leaning against the wall, continue speaking—

　"Koji Nagashima, you are immersed in the world of gambling. The acquisition and loss of money has a fatal attraction for you."

　As he said this, the boy never glanced at the entrance behind the door: "I don't know how you balance family and gambling, so... I want to play a game."

　After delivering his opening remarks in a low voice, the masked boy turned to his blinking mother.

　The familiar figure made him freeze for a moment.

　"..."

　"..." In the silence, the young wife spoke first: "I'm sorry, Kang Zhi is not home right now."

　The masked boy, Cong Yu... had actually noticed this as well, but he was more concerned about other things right now.

　Because of the woman standing in front of him at that moment.

　Without a doubt, she is Yasuharu Nagashima's wife, and another identity is the manager of the "Echo Maid COF" café where she had previously freeloaded for a day.

　The one I rescued from the strange man.

　What should I say...

　Fengdu is indeed a small city.

　However, Cong Yu wasn't worried about being recognized, because that's just how the world is... wearing a mask makes you seem like a different person.

　Even magical girls can transform so quickly that no one can recognize them as they were before. In Congyu's eyes, however, transformation is just a change of clothes.

　This is the underlying logic of the world.

　"..." After a moment of silence, Cong Yu looked at the shop manager who was looking at her curiously: "May I ask your name, Mrs. Nagashima?"

　Despite being puzzled by Cong Yu's polite question, the store manager still introduced herself: "Nagashima Riko."

　At this moment, the little girl, who had been peeking in, realized that the person who came was not her father, and then she came to the entrance hall with peace of mind.

　Standing next to her mother, she looked up at the unfamiliar masked man, feeling a strange sense of familiarity for some reason.

　It felt like having a handful of green plants stuffed into my mouth.

　“This is my daughter, Nagashima Koki.”

　To the coffee shop manager, Riko Nagashima, who was introducing herself, Congyu nodded: "Hello, nice to meet you..."

　Something's not right! Things shouldn't have turned out this way!

　"When will Yasuharu Nagashima be back?"

　Upon hearing Cong Yu's calm inquiry, Nagashima Riko sensed something amiss: "He probably won't be coming back today..."

　As she spoke, she had already guessed the other party's purpose: "Kang Zhi owes you money, right? How much? Let me see... if I can help you pay it back."