Ring, ring~ Ring, ring~
The wind chime hanging above the doorway jingled as Makoto Tsukimi pushed open the door and entered the café where their meeting had been arranged.
It was the weekend.
Inside the café, which was filled with the faint aroma of coffee, numerous students could be seen gathering with their friends.
Although this establishment was called a café, and technically sold coffee, its main attractions were actually the various colorful desserts designed to appeal to middle school students.
Standing near the entrance, Makoto swept his gaze across the interior.
Almost immediately, he spotted the girl named Mami Tomoe.
Mami Tomoe.
According to Homura Akemi, she was the most powerful magical girl in all of Mitakihara.
And when it came to her most remarkable achievement in combat…
That would probably be the time she suffered a complete mental breakdown and single-handedly killed two members of her own magical girl team, only to be caught off guard and killed by Madoka Kaname.
According to the information Homura had provided, Mami was also the person who possessed the ability necessary to help Makoto achieve sensory sharing.
When Homura had explained Mami’s circumstances to Makoto, she had placed particular emphasis on the girl’s psychological vulnerability.
To put it simply—
Once Mami learned the truth about magical girls, her mind would collapse.
There was also a serious possibility that she would immediately attempt to end her own life.
What Homura wanted was for Makoto to avoid telling Mami that magical girls eventually transformed into witches.
Strictly speaking, when Makoto Tsukimi first heard Homura Akemi describe Mami Tomoe, the image that formed in his mind was that of someone extremely indecisive, a person whose emotional instability would be obvious at a glance.
However, reality seemed completely different from what he had imagined.
Seated beside the window of the café, elegantly sipping her black tea, Mami Tomoe looked nothing like the psychologically fragile girl Makoto had pictured.
She had beautiful blonde hair, styled into distinctive curls on either side of her head.
At first glance, she radiated an air of maturity and composure.
Perhaps because she was a third-year middle school student who had reached a more mature stage of adolescence, she carried herself with a distinctly more grown-up elegance than Homura Akemi and Madoka Kaname.
To put it simply, she possessed a more mature, feminine charm. New chapters come out on g.com first.
She practically radiated the atmosphere of a sophisticated older sister.
At that moment, as Makoto looked toward her, Mami also noticed his presence.
The girl lifted the white teacup filled with black tea in front of her and elegantly gestured toward him in greeting.
Makoto nodded in acknowledgment and walked toward her table.
Makoto Tsukimi: “Makoto Tsukimi, second year, Class Three, Mitakihara Private Middle School.”
Mami Tomoe: “Mami Tomoe. I suppose you could consider me your upperclassman, Tsukimi.”
The girl with the mature, older-sister-like demeanor addressed Makoto in a gentle tone.
The method Homura had used to arrange this meeting between Makoto and Mami was quite straightforward.
She had written a letter and, while time was stopped, secretly delivered it to Mami’s desk at school without leaving any traces.
However, to prevent Mami from mistaking the letter for one of the love letters boys occasionally left for her and casually throwing it away, its contents had been somewhat forceful.
They weren’t quite threatening, but they certainly carried a hint of coercion.
The general message of the letter was:
I know you’re a magical girl.
If possible, I’d like to meet you this Saturday at 5:00 p.m.
at the café on the first floor of Shizuki Department Store.
If Makoto hadn’t personally added his identity at the end of the letter and explained that he suffered from a psychiatric condition for which he wanted her assistance, it would have sounded exactly like a threat.
Something along the lines of:
You wouldn’t want everyone finding out you’re a magical girl, would you, Mami Tomoe?
Makoto Tsukimi: “You don’t seem particularly displeased about my invitation, Mami.”
Mami Tomoe: “Because there’s no reason for me to be, is there? It’s perfectly natural for a younger student suffering from an illness to desperately seek a way to cure it.”
She pushed the untouched strawberry cake in front of her toward Makoto.
A warm smile appeared on Mami’s face.
Now that she had finally met Makoto in person, she seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood.
Mami Tomoe: “Since you’re my junior, there’s no need to be so formal. You can just call me Mami-senpai.”
She spoke with the easy familiarity of someone who had known Makoto for a long time.
Mami Tomoe: “I’ve already read about your request for help with your condition in the letter.”
“Although my abilities probably won’t be enough to cure you completely, I’d be more than happy to help alleviate your symptoms if I can.”
The gentle upperclassman smiled warmly as she spoke.
She hadn’t mentioned compensation even once.
Instead, the very first thing she did was promise to help Makoto.
Makoto Tsukimi: “Then what would you like me to do in return, Mami-senpai?”
Mami Tomoe: “Oh, there’s no need for anything like that. If I demanded payment just for helping a younger student, my identity as a magical girl would practically weep with shame.”
With a pleasant smile, the girl delivered such an upright and noble declaration that she had essentially closed off any possibility of asking for compensation later.
Makoto Tsukimi: “…”
So this is what magical girls are actually like?
They’re genuinely as kindhearted as the heroines in those children’s animated shows?
The blonde girl before him seemed to notice the surprise in his eyes, and her smile grew even gentler.
Mami Tomoe: “Whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed, eating something sweet can help you calm down. That’s a little trick I’ve learned from experience as your senior.”
Even now, the girl had noticed Makoto’s cautious attitude.
With the gentle consideration of an older sister, she pointed toward the strawberry cake she had pushed in front of him.
Although Makoto was the one who had requested assistance, he couldn’t shake the peculiar feeling that the person more eager to maintain their arrangement was actually Mami, the one offering to help.