THIS AIN'T WHAT YOU WANT (EPISODE END)

"You sure you don't need my help...?"

"More than sure-- It'd look more suspicious if you were the one carrying this. If you can hold the door open, though..."

"R-right!" I hold the door open to me and Rifa-sensei's apartment, hanging my head low in embarrassment. After a bit of time, she makes her way in... bags of anime merchandise in tow.

In her defense, some of it is mine, some of it is hers.

She sets the bags aside, sighing to herself. "I'll sort through this later. You want something to eat?"

"Oh, uh. If you could make some instant ramen...?" I'm not in the mood for anything big, and well. Instant ramen is most of what we have to eat, anyway.

"Ah, my specialty." She laughs a bit. "On it. Throw on the TV, if you can? Put on whatever you want."

"Gotcha." I slide my shoes off, making my way to the couch. Then, I turn on the TV.

"-of a rogue Witch who refers to herself as a 'Magical Gi-'"

...I'm not interested in live TV right now.

Rifa-sensei usually puts on the news to keep alert to anything of interest-- any monster attacks that we could help out in, and all that. But, since the advent of the Anxi last year, all the stations have become one note.

Whatever. I'll just, uh... throw on a livestream, I guess. I think that one green cat I like streams around this time, anyway.

After some time, Rifa-sensei comes in-- instant ramen and soda in tow.

"Thank you...!"

She nods, getting to work on her noodles.

"...You ever find this weird?"

Huh? I don't understand. "What do you mean?"

"How you tend to prefer games that came out before you were born, I mean."

"Ohhh, right. I mean... I guess? I just... like Y2K stuff a lot. It all seemed so hopeful, y-you know?" I shrug.

"Aside from the doom and gloom about the millennium bug, of course." She chuckles a bit to herself. "You'd think the world was going to end."

"Maybe it was?"

"Maybe. Feels like small change compared to five years ago, though."

"True..." I retreat to my meal, not wanting to press further on the matter.

"You have any idea what you want for Christmas?"

Uh oh. The worst question to hear for someone as indecisive as me. I always push it off, since I don't ever know what I want, honestly. I don't want to be a bother and ask for something too expensive, but nothing really comes to mind aside from things I can't afford. Gift cards and money are boring too, but they're more practical. God, coming up with an answer is always so hard...

!

Oh, I mean... well... If I had to say something...

"I-I'd ask for a S██ D████, but that might be too expensive-- especially with all the games and accessories I'd need to be able to actually use it. Like, I'd need at least one VMU, right? I'll... get back to you on that, I guess."

"Mm-hmm."

"What about you? What do you want?"

"Eh, it doesn't matter much. Maybe a CD reader for the computer, or something. I miss having a drive for that. Some records would be nice, too; my player's been collecting dust, unfortunately..." Much quicker response than me-- though I suppose she likes collecting things. So, it makes sense.

"Ahh, gotcha gotcha." I... don't really make any money, but I'm sure I could make ends meet. Maybe I'll take a part-time job. I'd love to treat her to something, honestly.

Ahh, but right now... I feel exhausted. I let out a big yawn, signing contentedly at my finished meal.

"We should get to bed, I think. It's getting late." She stands up, stretching and yawning. "Shit, almost forgot-- I've got some stuff to do on the computer, can you put this stuff away, please?"

"Oh! Alright." I stand up, giving a bit of a stretch myself, before moving to throw away the cups and cans, wash the silverware, that sort of thing. Nothing too terribly interesting.

After getting distracted by the livestream for just a bit longer, I head over to the bedroom, ready to change into my sleepwear of choice-- one of Rifa-sensei's shirts that she's no longer using. Speaking of, she's already changed into her comfortable clothes-- or lack thereof, given she just sleeps in her undergarments. She's sitting at her desk, typing away at her keyboard-- I think it's some sort of correspondence? She's a busy woman, even when off-duty.

I'll just get in bed now; she'll join soon enough.

Oh, right. We share a bed together. Out of necessity, really-- there's only one bed in this apartment, but I don't feel weird about it. We both sleep with our backs together so we don't end up making it weird by staring at each other until we fall asleep, but yeah. It's no big deal.

Just as I get cozy, I notice she's slipping in her wireless earbuds, sliding off her glasses and taking her melatonin gummies-- ready to head to bed as well. As she gets in bed, I can hear her snuggling up to her body pillow. I think it's got a portly blue dragon on it, Narce, something-or-other? I don't get the appeal, but I'm not one to judge.

...

...

...Before she falls asleep, I should probably ask.

"Hey... Rifa-sensei."

"Mnnnh.... We're not on duty." She tiredly mumbles. "It's fine to use our chosen names, Chisaki. I've told you that before." There's a tinge of disappointment in her voice.

"S-sorry..." To be honest, I feel weird not using code-names. We've known each other for probably a few months, but I first met everyone when they were on duty-- it's what makes the most sense to me. Using any other name seems too... personal. But... she's probably right. I don't want to seem like I'm trying to keep things only professional, or whatever. They're my friends and family, I should treat them that way. "Then, uh... Fueko-sensei."

"Yes?"

"You going to be busy tomorrow?"

"Other than working on some commissions, no. I don't plan on livestreaming much this week either, why?"

"I-I was just wondering if you wanted to play any games tomorrow? I was gonna ask today, but it was getting late."

She chuckles a bit. "Oh, sure. That sounds like fun."

"Cool."

...

...

"Hey... F-Fueko-sensei."

"Hmm?"

"Do you enjoy being a magical girl?"

"...Where's this coming from?" Concern mounts in her voice..

I shift my posture a bit, lifting my head as if to look slightly over my shoulder. "It's stressful, tiring, and we're always on a knife's edge of death or arrest. I-I was just curious... if you actually enjoy doing any of it."

"Well," she pauses, sighing, "It's stressful, yes. But... I'd like to leave this world a better place than when I'd entered it. That's how I see it, I guess."

"That makes sense, yeah."

"I can't deny it's fun, though, getting to live out my chuuni fantasies and make the world a better place while doing it."

I snort. "Yeah, I get that. I'm... I'm the same way, I think. It's all so scary... but I really do want to make the world a better place, too."

She pauses, as if to contemplate her follow-up. "So... you don't regret it, then? Becoming a magical girl, joining me and the others...?"

I mull it over, thinking about where I am now versus where I was before meeting this group of Witches.

...

"No, not really."