“Hey, did you guys hear?
That super idol, Tachibana Airuru, put her work on hold recently—she’s coming back to our school!”
“Huh?
She was a student at our school?”
“I heard she’s in Class 1-4.
She only came for a few days at the start of the term, then she’s been performing all over the country ever since.”
“Really?
Isn’t she a mega-star?
I remember she was called something…”
“Star-in-Star-in-Star!”
Early that morning, Kaedehara High School had grown a little noisy—noisier than usual today.
Even with a teacher supervising, there was no suppressing the endless stream of whispered chatter among the students.
Teacher Haibara, as always, sat at the front of the classroom by the lectern, paying no mind to how noisy the room had gotten, simply reading through the roster in her hands to herself.
The student everyone was so eagerly discussing was precisely one of her own charges in Class 1-4—Tachibana Airuru.
And also an active magical girl.
This one was especially heavy-hitting.
Tachibana Airuru was the girl’s stage name.
You could tell just from hearing it—she was a teen idol, and a currently red-hot one at that, with quite considerable popularity among Japan’s youth.
Naturally, while she was away performing, this problem student wouldn’t affect Haibara’s teaching record in the slightest—but during that stretch right after the term started, this little brat had, one could say, taken the word “trouble” to its absolute limit.
And now, recently, this troublemaker was coming back again.
Just thinking about it, Haibara felt her future dim a little further.
Over the coming days, she would have to think carefully about how to handle this problem child.
And then take a look at the other people in this school.
First was the leader of this bunch of troublemakers, Kirishima Ai—that is, the magical girl Silver Feather.
Haibara flatly flipped a page in the roster, turning to Kirishima Ai’s section.
Kirishima Ai.
Parents divorced.
Currently living alone in a rental not far from Kaedehara High School, supported by money her mother sent and her own part-time earnings.
She seemed to have a younger sister in middle school, though the sister had gone with the mother.
Her grades were usually good, always among the top few in the class, but she was withdrawn by nature and not particularly popular with her classmates.
She seemed to have no friends, and had never been in a relationship.
At present, her absence rate was the highest of all.
Haibara lifted her head and looked toward Kirishima Ai in the corner of the classroom.
This aloof girl with short black hair was cradling a cream croissant in her hands, nibbling at it in tiny bites—she seemed not to have eaten breakfast.
Then, as if noticing Haibara’s gaze, just after biting off a mouthful of bread—cream still smudged at the corner of her mouth—she raised her head and found Haibara watching her.
Kirishima Ai blinked.
“…”
Haibara waved a hand, telling her to keep eating.
At present, as far as she knew, this school had a total of four students definitively connected to magical girls.
Tachibana Airuru and Kirishima Ai, and…
She flipped another page back, though there wasn’t much information on this student.
Takanashi Shiori was a transfer student who had come not long ago.
From the moment she arrived in this class, things had changed.
Kirishima Ai had gone from a reassuring honor student into a troublemaker who often skipped class.
Whether judging by appearance or by her magical aura, this girl was surely no ordinary person—or rather, likely not an Earthling at all.
Probably a magical girl from the Kingdom of Ruruye.
But she didn’t seem to be a particularly powerful magical girl—she didn’t even have a “Magic Name.”
Of all the magical girls in Kaedehara City, she fought the least and had the lowest presence.
And the last one…
The last person connected to magical girls actually wasn’t in Class 4, so in theory Haibara didn’t need to concern herself with her—she’d merely listed her in passing. Read this novel at novelping.com for the best experience.
Still, she’d gone ahead and written her in for now.
This person’s name was Kazama Kiriori, a third-year student.
And also this school’s student council president.
“…”
Kirishima Ai and Takanashi Shiori strolled through the hallway, catching now and then the students around them discussing the idol who was about to return to school.
“That troublesome girl is coming back, huh…”
Though they were all magical girls of love and justice who protected the city, the few of them didn’t get along lovingly like in some anime—if anything, it was more the kind of mutual dislike on sight.
Kirishima Ai, for one, could hardly cope with that flighty idol.
Likewise, she wasn’t good at getting along with the young lady from Ruruye beside her, either.
“Come to think of it, is that person from Ruruye, like you?”
Kirishima Ai looked at Takanashi Shiori.
The catalyst for her own becoming a magical girl had been meeting Takanashi Shiori, from whom she’d learned the method to Transform into a magical girl.
Tachibana Airuru had become a magical girl earlier than she had—at that time, Takanashi Shiori shouldn’t yet have come from Ruruye to Earth.
“She’s an Earthling, same as you.”
“Then how did she become a magical girl?”
To Transform into a magical girl, you needed two things: a Magic Tool and a Magic Crystal.
“The magical aura on her is quite obvious, so maybe her parents are connected to magical girls.
Earth has plenty of magical girls who don’t belong to Ruruye, and they’re all like that.”
On Earth, many magical girls had once been active.
Some of them were magical girls from Ruruye, but even more were Earthlings.
Those Earthlings might be descendants of magical girls—children of Ruruye folk and Earthlings—and some might have received an inheritance handed down from other magical girls.
And of course, there was the worst kind of all.
Those who, seduced by something like an evil god, became Black Magic girls.
“As I recall, this city should have more than just the three of us magical girls, right?
What are the others like?”
She recalled that a few years ago, there had been a senior magical girl active in this city too, though that magical girl hadn’t been seen in a very long time.
Nor did anyone know that magical girl’s true identity.
Hearing this, Takanashi Shiori pinched her chin:
“Hmm… as far as I know, there are at least three or four more people of unknown identity connected to magical girls in this school.”
She said something rather astounding with a completely flat expression.
“…Huh?”
Kirishima Ai froze for a moment.
Just as the two were chatting, a bit of a commotion seemed to stir up in the hallway again.
Quite a few people turned to look at a tall figure coming down the corridor, and following their gazes, Kirishima Ai and Takanashi Shiori looked over as well.
Walking toward them under everyone’s gaze was a tall, slender girl.
Jet-black long hair draped elegantly behind her shoulders; her eyes were beautiful and clear, like transparent lake water you could see straight to the bottom of.
She wore the school uniform meticulously, exuding grace and perfection from head to toe.
She was the kind of flawless character who looked like she’d stepped out of an anime.
Few students at this school didn’t know her.
Kazama Kiriori, student council president of Kaedehara High School, a third-year senpai—flawless in appearance and outstanding in grades, and gentle and humble toward everyone besides.
Perfect, dignified, resplendent—that was everyone’s impression of her.
She got along well with everyone, and the teachers all liked her too—though, it was said, precisely because of this, no one was especially close with the student council president.
But why would the student council president come to their first-year building?
Just as Kirishima Ai was thinking this, President Kazama walked toward them.
The people around watched curiously to see what the student council president was up to—right up until she stopped in front of Kirishima Ai.
“…May I help you with something?”
Why had she stopped in front of me…
Before this, Kirishima Ai had never met President Kazama—she’d only seen her at the opening ceremony.
Kazama Kiriori bent slightly at the waist, leaning close to the seated Kirishima Ai, and said in a low voice: Get faster updates on g.com.
“Excuse me, do you happen to know where Teacher Haibara is?
I couldn’t find her in the Class 1-4 classroom.”
Since she’d leaned in a little, Kirishima Ai could smell the faint fragrance on Kazama Kiriori—probably laundry detergent mixed with some indescribable floral scent.
So she was looking for Teacher Haibara.
Kirishima Ai thought back for a moment, then pointed toward the homeroom teacher’s office not far away:
“Teacher Haibara is probably sitting alone in her office right about now.”
Because she herself was often called to the office at this hour, she knew it well.
Kazama Kiriori nodded, and then just like that walked off.
“Lately the student council president seems to keep coming to see Teacher Haibara…”
“Was the student council president a student of Teacher Haibara’s before?”
“It’s probably just official business.
Last time I saw the president in Teacher Haibara’s office, she seemed to be saying the principal needed to see Teacher Haibara about something.”
“……”
President Kazama arrived at the door of the homeroom teacher’s office.
Because Class 4’s location was rather unusual, this office was in fact used by Haibara alone.
Before knocking, the student council president straightened her collar a bit, retied her tie, and then rapped lightly on the door.
From within came a cold, languid voice:
“Come in.”
The student council president slowly pushed open the door and saw Teacher Haibara inside, flipping through a book.
This woman wore those thick glasses as always, her expression cold and somewhat wooden, as if nothing could stir her interest—until she turned her head toward the person entering and said casually:
“Kazama, is it?
What is it?”
The student council president didn’t answer her right away, first gently closing the door.
Haibara, for her part, set the book in her hands down on the desk, her chair swiveling to follow, and rested one hand lightly against her cheek, waiting for the student council president to speak.
The student council president lowered her head and said calmly:
“The principal asked me to tell you, Teacher, that lately a few students in your class have had rather low attendance, and with Tachibana Airuru returning to school in a few days on top of that, he hopes you’ll be mindful of the impression it makes.”
Hearing this, Haibara tapped the armrest of her chair a little.
Because her eyes were slightly blurred behind the glare of her glasses, it was unclear just what expression she wore.
“Understood.”
Haibara nodded, saying nothing more.
The office fell quiet for a while.
The elegant, composed student council president remained where she stood, watching Teacher Haibara for a moment, then suddenly said:
“No one should come into your office at this hour, right?”
It was noon now; the other students were mostly out of the classrooms, resting after having just finished eating, while some had gone off on dates or to fool around.
The teacher’s office normally wouldn’t have anyone dropping by.
“No one comes by, yes.
Why do you ask?”
Teacher Haibara asked, a little puzzled.
Without answering further, the student council president turned around, reached one hand toward the latch, and with a soft click, deftly locked the door.
Not minding whether Haibara agreed or not, she then went to the window and drew the curtains, pulling them until both sides were sealed against the light, making sure the inside couldn’t be seen from outside.
Throughout all this, Haibara simply watched her, neither stopping her nor saying anything.
Once all this was done, the student council president came to Haibara’s side:
“Then, pardon my rudeness.”
She said softly, already at a distance no longer befitting that between a student and a teacher.
This ever-elegant and courteous student council president moved behind Haibara and stretched out both arms.
Then, she gently wrapped them around Haibara’s shoulders and neck.
Teacher Haibara tilted her head up a little, glancing at this bold girl.
After embracing Haibara, Kazama Kiriori lowered her head, pressing her chin affectionately against Haibara’s hair, then breathed in and revealed a tender smile.
She nuzzled her cheek against Haibara’s hair, then leaned close to Haibara’s ear and said, with a touch of doting:
“Mother.”