1

Toya didn’t stay at home today. After a humiliating experience like the one he had this noon, he decided he needed to buy some stuff for himself. And what better stuff to buy than anime figurines or even some R18 doujinshi in Akihabara?

He placed his laptop back on his apartment’s low table while letting out a long sigh. Today was one of the scariest days of his life. For a moment he was completely convinced that Hitoishi would murder him – and it seemed like the only reason she didn’t do it was because he still had his manuscript to deliver.

I should avoid ending my series, just in case.

It wouldn’t do if he handed in the final volume’s draft only for Hitoishi to plunge a knife into his chest afterward to release two years’ worth of frustration.

She’s not the type to do that, don’t get yourself worked up over nothing!

He shook his head violently and went outside on the balcony. Two floors further downwards there was the hard ground of the sidewalk and street.

“I climbed.”

Toya couldn’t even begin to imagine how she did that, high heels and all. Did she seriously cling to the wall like a certain comic book character and slowly worked her way up? Why was her shirt still pristine, then? These balconies weren’t the cleanest they could be.

“Right, shopping.” He reminded himself, clenching his fist close to his heart. He went out of his front door and locked it – then he remembered that he should take some garbage with him while he was going that way.

2

The train ride to Akihabara didn’t take long, but he still abhorred being among people of the ‘normal’ kind. He found the most secluded seat at the end of the train and didn’t dare move from it for the entire ride, then he hopped off at Akihabara station, taking the west exit.

His leisurely walk to the anime merch stores was suddenly disrupted by a nearby sonic boom. He flinched and looked around, up into the sky where a faint trail of magic light faded fast.

“Damned Magical Girls doing whatever they please.” He could hear someone complaining loudly nearby.

“Do you think there’s an emergency nearby? Monsters?” someone else asked.

“No. There wasn’t an alert on my phone, so whatever is happening, it’s not here.”

Oh good, the last thing I need today would be to run into one of those freakish marionettes, or fifty large rats with guns.

Toya relaxed after the nearby conversation came to an end and hurried into one of the stores.

Most of it is Magical Girls these days.

He let out a long sigh. Inside the store entire shelves were stocked with Magical Girl figurines, Magical Girl mugs, Magical Girl keychains, Magical Girl pens, erasers, pencil cases, anything that one could print something on was carrying the face of a real-life Magical Girl – and in this particular store it was the Celestial Sisters themselves, choking out the local ecosystem of harem rom-com heroines.

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“May the light of the heavenly bodies protect you from evil!”

Their catchphrase echoed through the store as an ad for their merchandise played on the TV on the wall.

Toya decided he had enough of this and walked outside again – and then he froze in terror as he saw a familiar sight before he jumped behind a capsule machine to hide himself.

What is a stuck-up office slave like Hitoishi doing here?!

He saw the tired editor fiddling with her earring and looking around suspiciously. She was currently turned away from him, so she didn’t see him. After a while she walked off somewhere.

Okay, I will just move in the opposite direction and avoid her.

He followed her.

Curse you, curiosity! How many cats’ lives do you need to claim until we get rid of you?

He remained out of sight as best as he could, sneaking after her. Part of him really wanted to know what kind of stuff would draw in someone like her.

So, is she a fujoshi? Maybe she likes otome games? Or she’s getting something for a niece of hers? She’s at that age to have a niece, right?

Just as he entertained those thoughts, he saw her entering Maidlicious.

Huh?

3

““Moe, moe, kyun!””

He couldn’t believe what he saw. There was his editor, the bane of his existence, blissfully chanting the deliciousness spell together with two maids dressed as Magical Girls.

She had a very stupid expression on her face, and he was sure that she was about to drool at any moment now. She shoveled the omurice she was served down her gullet like she hadn’t eaten solid food in months.

A bit later she was cheering the maids performing on stage on like she had regressed to a seven-year-old girl.

He had to order some omurice himself but kept to his corner. From time to time a maid came over to do her duty and entertain him and he courteously nodded along, let them perform deliciousness spells and held idle conversation.

This isn’t so bad, actually. I am starting to understand the ‘normies’ who pay for conversations like this in Kabukichō a little better.

He looked at Hitoishi and how she kept admiring the maids. The way her eyes were lighting up when she saw the women on stage perform iconic Magical Girl attacks.

So she’s into Magical Girls. Or women. Or both.

He finished his session faster than her and left to avoid her noticing him.

Back out on the street he walked between the various anime merchandise stores while he could only think about one thing:

I will take the fact that I saw her today to my grave.