“No Kei again?” I commented, noticing the absence of the town gossip once again.

“I have her phone number, I’ll message her after class is over, see if she’s alright.” Said Mai, her tone carrying slight concern. “By the way, what’s up with you?”

The addressee of her question was Saki, who was uncharacteristically quiet. Even more surprising was the bags under her arms, something rarely seen on someone as health-conscious as our resident athletics nut.

“Let’s just… let’s just say I had a long night and leave it at that,” replied Saki, looking utterly exhausted.

“I feel you there, I had a long night too.”

“Mai, I had a long night because I couldn’t sleep, not because I was trying to catch an acute case of teen pregnancy.”

“Well at least your wit still seems to be in working order. You gonna be alright to spar this evening?” I asked.

“Think I’m gonna pass tonight, sorry Sora. I’m helping Hana with writing her speech later anyway.”

“I-I could help with that too, i-if you’d like…”

“Thanks Nao, but it’ll be fine. Don’t worry about helping.”

Mai and I exchanged a quick glance, confirming that we were both wondering the same thing. Had something happened between those two? Normally they were joint at the hip, but now Nao seemed more timid than before and Saki was outright rejecting her help.

I considered asking about it, but I assumed they wouldn’t want us prying too much if it was a personal matter. It was blindingly obvious to Mai and I that the two of them were into each other, but for some reason they seemed to be avoiding making it official. I was starting to feel like those annoying shippers online that yell ‘just kiss already, dammit!’ when two characters have a slow romance.

Mai seemed to also think dwelling on the awkward atmosphere was a bad idea, so she brought up a new topic of conversation.

“By the way, Sora, have you told your guardians yet? About… y’know… the end of the world and stuff.” She whispered that last part, but she needn’t have said it. It was obvious what she meant.

“Actually I’m planning to do so tonight. You guys have any advice?” I addressed all three of them, mostly out of desperation. I had resolved myself to tell Genmitsu and Kandai about all the magical girl business, but I had no idea how to broach that subject. Convincing them I was a magical girl would be easy. Convincing them that we were at war with both God and the Devil? Significantly harder.

“Honestly I think all you can do is rip that plaster off hard and fast. No amount of cushioning the blow is gonna make a parent content about their child risking their life at war.” Saki’s words reflected what I had thought myself but didn’t want to hear. There would be no easy way to do this.

“I-I think you just need to trust them to take it well. There’s not much else you can do.” Nao echoed that sentiment too.

“Genmitsu is strict, but he really does care about you. He’ll see things your way, I believe that at least.” Mai, who had come to know my guardians reasonably well, helped to reassure me.

Mai’s words helped steady my nerves, but there was little any of them could do to advise me on how to proceed. That much, I would have to do alone.

***

“You sure you don’t want me to hang around? Help take some of the pressure off?”

“I appreciate it, really, but this is something I and I alone have to do. Just knowing you’re by my side when I need you is enough.”

“Alright, if you insist. Just invite me along when you decide to tell them about our engagement. I wanna see their reactions for myself.” Mai wrapped me in a quick hug before leaving through the train doors. My own stop would be soon, but I still had some time to think over what I was going to say.

A sinking feeling grew in my stomach. There was just no possible way to predict their reactions. Today would be a turning point in my relationship with Genmitsu and Kandai. Fake or not, they were the only family I truly had, and the last thing I wanted to do was spit in the face of everything they had done for me.

Before long, the announcer voice called my stop and I began the walk home from the station. Every step made my sinking feeling worse, but I was resolute. I couldn’t keep hiding things from them anymore.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

As I reached the front door and turned my key, I was met with a sight that was familiar. In fact, it felt too familiar for what was about to happen. The ordinary sight of the hall in front of me, the sound of Gen and Kandai chattering in the living room, the smell of whatever Kandai was slow-cooking, it felt too normal.

“Shin, you’re home. Welcome back.” Kandai greeted me as I entered the living room, but both she and Genmitsu must have immediately spotted the discomfort on my face, as they looked between each and then back at me with concern.

“I have something I need to talk to you both about.” I took a seat looking toward them, trying to find my next words.

“Whatever it is, we’re all ears. What’s on your mind?” Genmitsu spoke in a soft tone, reminding me once again that he was just as caring as he was strict.

“I’m… I can… I have… fuck it… I think it’s easiest if I just show you.” Unable to find the right words, I resorted to my backup option. I clicked my fingers in front of my face, and vanished without a trace. Kandai gasped and put her hand to her mouth, while Genmitsu’s eyes widened in surprise. I clicked my fingers and reappeared, before continuing: “I’m a magical girl. I’d like to tell you what I’ve been through.”

The sinking feeling in my chest only continuing to grow, I recounted the details of my near-kidnapping and numerous assassination attempts at the hands of Flame of Time. All the while, my guardians simply looked on in silence, clinging to my every word.

“Eventually, the four of us managed to wear that person down and put him out of commission. The remnants of his shady operation fell apart not long after. That was where the girls discovered my identity, and where we vowed to use the powers we had to undo that person’s wrongs…”

I trailed off, unsure whether to continued speaking or not. Luckily, the decision was made for me moments later.

“That person you keep mentioning, the one in charge… it was the Director, wasn’t it? You were the one responsible for bringing your parent’s killer to justice?” Gen asked, his unwavering expression making him difficult to read.

“Yeah… yeah, that’s right.”

“And after saving those people from his grasp and beating him, do you feel like you’ve gained any closure on their deaths?”

“…yes. I think I have.”

To my surprise, Gen stood up from his seat and wrapped me in a hug. Kandai followed suit seconds later.

“I’m proud of you, son.” Genmitsu spoke softly to me, the way a father would speak to his son. “I’m proud of the man you’ve become, and I believe your mother and father would have said the same thing.”

“You’re… not mad? That I’m throwing myself in danger, after all you’ve done to protect me all these years?”

“To tell you the truth, I am quite annoyed. All of this started over a month ago, and we’re only just finding out now? I wish you wouldn't keep things like this from us.”

It was far from the reaction I was expecting. No anger at my recklessness. No scolding for my irresponsibility. Just the unconditional love and support of a parent.

“Shin, can I ask you something?” Kandai stepped back and looked me in the eye. “Why did you wait so long to tell us? Why did you think we’d be angry?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but no words came out. It was a question I struggled to answer myself. This whole time, I’ve used Genmitsu’s strictness as my excuse. The idea that he would try to stop me over concern for my safety. But I think I realised a while ago that that was truly just an excuse.

The real reason was far more pathetic.

“I… I didn’t want to lose the two of you. This family life we’ve built up, this home I’ve grown to love, even if it’s all a facade for the sake of my protection, it’s precious to me. I didn’t want you both to leave me.” I had to actively stop myself from sobbing to get my words out. I hadn’t expected such a rush of emotion to overwhelm me so quickly.

“Leave you? Why did you ever think we’d do that?” Kandai asked incredulously.

“This whole life, it was all built for my protection. If you knew that I was not only putting myself in a danger you couldn’t possibly protect me from, but also that I was strong enough to fight back on my own, there would be no reason for you to stick around.”

It was a truly ridiculous reason to have been so wracked with anxiety, but it was the truth. This lie of a family life we had developed, I wanted to cling to it, no matter the cost.

“You silly fool.” Genmitsu’s sharp tongue momentarily snapped me out of my weepy state. “Did you honestly think this whole time that this was no more than a job for us?”

He looked at Kandai, who seemed to understand what he was thinking and went to open a cupboard full of paperwork. From within that cupboard, she withdrew a small stack of paper and brought it over to us. It was a government document, and the top line made a lump rise in my throat.

Official Adoption Application.

“Legally speaking, there might not be much point to it since you turn 18 in half a year anyway, but we still wanted to make it official. We could never be true replacements for Dr Tadashi and Dr Yasashi, but if you’ll have us, we would love for you to officially become our son.”

I stared at the document in disbelief, feeling a handful of tears roll down my face. All this time I had believed that Genmitsu and Kandai saw this whole ‘family’ business as part of their job and nothing more. And yet, here they were, offering to become my real legal parents, to become a real family.

I had no words left to say. I simply stood up from my seat and wrapped the both of them in the tightest hug I could hold, unable to stop myself from breaking down into tears.

After all this time, all these years after the death of my parents, I had a real family again. Not a sham maintained to protect me. Not a facade used to keep up appearances. A real, honest to god family.

It was a feeling I’d forgotten a long time ago.

After what felt like a very long time spent hugging and crying, I eventually pulled back and wiped my eyes clean. There was still more I had to tell them.

“Mum. Dad. Even though the Director’s plan failed and the people who kidnapped us were defeated, we’re not out of the woods yet. In fact, our biggest threat is yet to come.”

Gen and Kandai looked at each other, nodded as if reading one another’s mind, then turned back to me.

“What do you need us to do?”