Is This How You Use a Self-Destruct Switch?!-Chapter 17 : Reiko: Please Enter Text

Tsuan hung her school bag on the left side of her desk, then took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
This feeling... had never existed before.
Not just Megumi beside her, not just the few classmates around her, but everyone.
Every person around her was staring at her.
Tsuan didn't really like this unfamiliar feeling, but... when others' gazes converged on her as a single point, rather than passing through her to look at something behind her...
This feeling of 'being seen' compensated for the discomfort brought by others' burning gazes.
She could hear classmates not far away whispering about her... although most were meaningless words praising her cuteness, but...
So happy!
The corners of her mouth couldn't stop turning up, her ruby-like eyes filled with smiles squinted slightly, her gaze sweeping over every classmate who looked at her and meeting their eyes at a single point.
"Hello everyone! I'm Nakana Tsuan~"
Megumi quietly took out the drawing signed by Luna from her bag and placed it in Tsuan's desk compartment.
"Nice to meet you, please take care of me!"
Although it wasn't really the first meeting, but... in a certain sense it really was the first time meeting.
Whether for Tsuan or for her classmates.
The black-haired girl smiled brightly as she said hello to every classmate, enjoying the welcome and enthusiasm brought by her cute appearance, not noticing Megumi's small actions at all, since this belated happiness was really too alluring.
Even just one taste would make it difficult to break free.
"Tsuan-san's hair is so long, you must have been growing it for a long time, right?"
Several girls carefully reached out to touch Tsuan's black hair that fell to her waist. The soft, lustrous texture made them reluctant to let go.
"Mm... I've been growing it for a very, very long time!"
Tsuan stuck out her tongue tip and made a face at them.
After all, no one at the hair salon could see me, so this is all I could do.
Just as Tsuan continued enjoying her wonderful school time, her teacher climbed onto the platform along with the ringing class bell and opened the attendance book.
Then while casually chatting with several students, she learned of the existence of 'transfer student' Tsuan from their mouths.
The teacher's kind gaze made the black-haired girl, who was somewhat nervous about whether she would be called on, feel slightly at ease. After waiting three minutes to confirm no students would be late, the teacher began taking attendance.
Accompanied by loud "Here!"s, one name after another was marked present by the teacher.
Soon, she reached the twenty-third name... which under normal circumstances would be the last name.
"Nagayasu Megumi!"
Sweat appeared in Tsuan's palms. During the brief time when the person beside her stood up and sat down, she offered a prayer.
"Here~"
Megumi's beautiful eyes kept scanning over Tsuan. She sensed her new friend's unease but didn't know what was causing this unease.
Therefore, she didn't know how to eliminate this unease, but her keen intuition as a magical girl still reminded her to take action.
The teacher hesitated whether to continue calling this suddenly appearing name. She hadn't heard anything about a transfer student in her class from the principal, somewhat suspecting this might be a small prank.
And Tsuan was gradually losing hope in this hesitation...
The teacher saw my name... will I be treated as some suddenly appearing weirdo or something?
Her gaze involuntarily slid down to the floor on her body's left side, but her palm suddenly felt a warm, soft sensation, and the next second even the gaps between her fingers were filled with this warmth and firmly clasped.
Megumi gently raised their tightly clasped hands and gave her a playful wink.
"There's also a new classmate, Nakana Tsuan!"
The teacher closed the attendance book, then walked to Tsuan's side indicating that everyone should welcome this transfer student who had appeared for unknown reasons with applause.
The friendly and enthusiastic atmosphere continued until the teacher returned to the platform and began recording on the blackboard.
Megumi also gently released her deskmate's hand at this time, instead taking out tissues she carried with her. When the students and teacher were all focused on the blackboard with no time to spare for the new student, she gradually wiped away the tears that had overflowed from the corners of Tsuan's eyes.
"Thank you..."
Tsuan's soft thanks with a slightly nasal tone earned Megumi's brilliant smile. Although she didn't know why Tsuan was crying, she could feel that there was no sadness left in Tsuan's heart now.
This also meant...
Magical Girl Luna had once again successfully helped a good friend!
However... for Tsuan, being seen might really not be a good thing.
Before, she could browse her phone during class and then sleep directly, or simply leave early to go to the supermarket to buy lunch, but now...
She looked at the simple, easy-to-understand writing on the blackboard, her arms habitually moving to the desk surface, positioning themselves as a pillow specifically for sleeping... then this instinct was forcibly suppressed by reason.
I need to study properly!
But... but I'm so sleepy... should I sleep a little? The teacher won't notice...
Megumi naturally also noticed her deskmate's lack of motivation, so she condensed a trace of cool magic power at her fingertips, then lightly touched Tsuan's cheek.
Successfully helping Tsuan dispel her drowsiness, seeing her alert appearance looking left and right, Megumi felt a sense of accomplishment.
But she also hadn't forgotten the gift she had carefully prepared last night—that drawing she had put back in its original place with a magical signature attached.
Although Ruby had complained several times yesterday that her signature might just look like some special pen's markings to ordinary people, not leading them to think about magic power at all, Megumi firmly believed...
Her new friend wouldn't let her down.
For this, she had even made a bet with Ruby wagering next month's entire allowance.
Ruby applied invisibility magic to itself, then poked its head out of the bag and activated magic vision to scan Tsuan beside Megumi.
Mm... magic power storage is quite a bit stronger than ordinary people, but it's only stronger than ordinary people. Without active guidance, it's impossible to...
It smugly burrowed back into the bag to continue sleeping and began enjoying the happy life of eating carrots every day next month.
Tsuan's shoe tip was lightly kicked. When she turned her head, she found Megumi winking at her while gently pointing to her desk surface... no, further down...
What's... here?
She put her fingers into the desk compartment, then remembered the 'art homework' she had left due to boredom during yesterday's class.
But why did Megumi...?
Tsuan immediately saw a blue signature that had appeared below her not-very-detailed drawing.
Ruby, who was rubbing around in the bag, appreciated its master's not-very-skillful acting.
'Could this be someone using some blue pen... pretending to be Luna writing it?'
Hmph, looks like Megumi-chan just simply wants to feed me carrots... then I'll also be magnanimous and let Megumi-chan only pay ninety percent of her allowance...
'This is... magic power?'
Tsuan, also being a magical girl, was naturally not an ordinary person. This strand of magic power that was identical to the magic power used for calling for help outside the Dark Moon Society's prison gave Tsuan a sense of familiarity.
"And it's Luna's magic power! It really is Luna...!"
The somewhat surprised voice made Ruby immediately stick its head out of the bag and bare its teeth at Tsuan. Although she couldn't see it under the invisibility magic, Megumi could.
"Ha!"
Ruby avoided its master's finger reaching toward it, then accused them of conspiring together to bully it, a little rabbit.
After all, this kind of thing looked too abnormal no matter how you looked at it! How could a normal person think in the direction of magic power...?!
Ruby blinked under Megumi's somewhat sympathetic gaze, then activated magic vision again, closed it and opened it again... after repeating this several times, it realized it probably hadn't seen wrong...
'Why would the magic power in her body increase so much in such a short time?'
If Tsuan's magic power was just slightly stronger than an ordinary person just now, then now her magic power quantity was already close to two ordinary people.
Although still far from a magical girl's level, this growth rate still made Ruby feel strange. However, the fact that it would be completely unable to eat any carrots for an entire month next month was more important to Ruby, so it also gave up on investigating further.
'I told you we have great chemistry, right?'
To save its carrots, Ruby burrowed back into the bag to continue sleeping and escape reality while agreeing with its master's question.
'Megumi-chan is right, meow. You two really have great chemistry, meow.'
Tsuan turned her head to look at Megumi who was smiling at her, carefully placing this drawing into her bag... then...
"Thank you for reminding me... otherwise, I wouldn't have known that Luna had discovered my drawing!"
This was an important clue.
Previously, she had already known the clue that Luna was a student at this school... although at the cost of being stepped on, it was worth it.
But the range of all students in the school was still too large, and she couldn't go ask each one individually... but now it was completely different.
She once again scanned every classmate in the classroom.
Luna was probably in her class and the two classes next to it. Only this could explain how Luna discovered this drawing.
Who could it be... but, it doesn't matter!
She hummed a tune softly with a smile, completely throwing the question of who Luna was to the back of her mind.
After all, it doesn't matter who it is anymore~ I, Nakana Tsuan, am now Luna's new companion!
Luna-senpai will come find me on her own, right~
Right?
Megumi looked at Tsuan beside her who had been coaxed into this state by just a few words from her, and tore off a note to throw over.
Of course, this time without magic power.
"Tsuan-san really likes Magical Girl Luna!"
"Of course! Not just Luna... there's also Amber, and Bo'ai from next door, and also..."
Megumi looked at Tsuan writing names on the note and also began writing names competitively.
The two wrote different magical girls' codenames and magic on the small note, completely oblivious to everything else.
This focus even made the teacher who walked to their side feel embarrassed. Fortunately, the class bell rang in time, rescuing the three people who might have faced super awkwardness.
Megumi had written to the extent of bringing out all the seniors and juniors she knew, and Tsuan was about the same... nearly losing in this 'magical girl quiz competition.'
"Megumi-san... is really amazing..."
"Just call me Megumi... and! Tsuan-san is also super amazing!"
She's just like a real magical girl.
Both had this thought simultaneously, then both erased it.
Just like that, the two exchanged names in confusion and became friends in one step.
Although Tsuan still felt somewhat embarrassed about always lifting Megumi's skirt before, since Megumi was completely unaware...
It's better not to mention it.
"Speaking of which~ what kind of sweets does Tsuan-chan like to eat?"
Tomato sauce.
Tsuan waved to several classmates passing by her.
"French fries~ They're delicious!"
They'd be even more delicious with tomato sauce.
Tsuan felt the friendship sent by the cute girl in front of her whose eyes had curved into crescent shapes, and unconsciously thought of the first person who had given her friendship.
I wonder how Reiko is doing...
-If anything happens, you must tell me.
Mm... then, making a new friend...
Tsuan opened her phone, preparing to share this with Reiko, when she suddenly realized that no matter how she described Megumi's enthusiasm, it wouldn't be as good as taking a photo of her for Reiko, since pictures are always stronger than words.
Acting on this thought, she quietly raised the camera, aiming at Megumi who was staring out the window in a daze.
Then, the screen showed Megumi turning her head and making a peace sign with a cute expression.
"Tsuan-chan~ what are you doing! If you want to take photos, how about we do it together?"
Eh... together?
The black-haired girl who wouldn't be seen by others even if she appeared in photos neither nodded nor shook her head.
And in Megumi's eyes, this was already enough. Her water-blue eyes curved into crescents again, filled with pure excitement and the joy of sharing.
Before Tsuan could react, Megumi had already moved like an affectionate kitten, her soft, warm cheek pressing against Tsuan without explanation.
"Wueh?!"
The smooth, delicate touch, carrying the slightly sweet breath of just-drunk strawberry milk and the warm body temperature belonging to a girl, pressed tightly against Tsuan like a half-melted candy.
"Don't move, don't move~ Tsuan-chan is super cute like this!"
She held the phone high with one hand, trying to find the best angle, while her other hand naturally went around Tsuan's shoulder, pulling her a bit tighter into her embrace.
Tsuan was trapped in her arms, forced to feel the faint, ethereal cool fragrance emanating from Megumi... mixed with her own sunshine-like warmth, forming a wonderful and reassuring scent.
"Tsuan-chan will be even cuter if you smile~ Like this~"
In Tsuan's red eyes looking at the phone camera, Megumi's smiling face was clearly reflected for the first time, also reflecting her own slightly forced... timid smile.
"Click!"
The phone's shutter sound rang out crisply, freezing this warm and cute moment.
Reiko, who had already sat in the office preparing to enjoy lunch, opened Line and immediately saw the message Tsuan had sent.
[Met a new friend!]
Mm, I knew someone so cute would definitely find friends.
Reiko opened her lunch box with one hand while typing congratulations to Tsuan on the screen with the other.
Picture.
Reiko deleted the congratulatory text she had just typed.