Hosting the Magical Girl
Sophia's search began for the man who had unwittingly enchanted Ravi.
She scanned the cafe once more, confirming no other customers were around. It was a precaution against the possibility that he might be lurking out of sight.
'As expected, just these two and no one else.'
Sophia decided to start by prying information from Amber. She pulled up a stool across from her.
"Mind if I sit here?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
Amber glanced at her smartphone for a moment before pocketing it and flashing Sophia a bright smile, as if she'd materialized out of nowhere.
"Truth is, I had a little business here at the cafe. By the way, do you come here often, Amber?"
"Me? Pretty often. The owner over there and I go way back... like a close older bro vibe, y'know?"
It was a perfectly Amber-like answer. To Sophia, she came across as the quintessential social butterfly who befriended everyone.
Getting chummy with older guys was just part of her charm, no doubt.
'Still, glad Amber's a regular.'
With her friendly nature, she'd probably chatted up other patrons who came here.
'...Wait, does that mean she knows Ravi comes here too?'
Either way, Sophia expected some solid intel.
"Anyway, what do you wanna drink? They've got desserts too."
"Good idea. Let me see..."
It was rude to occupy a table without ordering anything.
She grabbed the menu from nearby and skimmed it, but—
"Hmm, so...?"
Sophia had half-expected this when she walked in, but most of the coffee options on the menu were a mystery to her. In a world where tea time to unwind from work fatigue wasn't a big thing, coffee varieties felt like bizarre incantations.
'Americano...? What's espresso...?'
Americano's origins traced back to that America, so no wonder it stumped someone from another world like her.
In the end, Sophia turned to Amber, who seemed right at home here.
"Amber, got any recommendations?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, first-timers always get lost. Coffee's got a ton of types."
The two scooted closer, peering at the menu together.
"What's this Americano?"
"Supposed to be super popular, but I didn't like it. Just bitter and tasteless."
They chatted briefly about the coffee options on the menu.
'...Come to think of it, it's been ages since I hung out with anyone besides Ravi.'
She occasionally teamed up with other magical girls, but interacting with classmates like this was pretty rare for Sophia.
After placing their orders and waiting a bit, the cafe owner brought over a tray with their coffees.
"Cafe mocha and affogato."
"Oh, we didn't order this one."
"That's on the house. It's ice cream with a shot of coffee poured over—feel free to leave it if it's not your thing."
"On the house..."
It didn't seem like some cheap ploy for tips. Maybe just a courtesy since she was Amber's friend.
"Eee! No fair, only Sophia gets it!"
"You get free stuff all the time. Order your own if you want."
"It's all about the vibe! The thrill of getting complimentary dessert!"
Turns out her claim of being tight with the owner wasn't bluffing—they bantered like old pals.
"Call if you need anything."
"Yes, thank you."
His first impression had been that of an unremarkable, low-energy guy, but his thoughtfulness and maturity made Sophia revise her opinion a bit.
She took a sip of the coffee.
"Whew..."
The warm, sweet cafe mocha melted away the tension she'd been carrying. Next, she scooped some of the coffee-drowned ice cream into her mouth.
'...This is good.'
For someone used to strict, nutrition-focused meals, it was a novel treat.
'Throat's quenched—time to get to the point.'
No time to linger on the aftertaste. She'd come here for a reason, after all.
"...Ravi's been acting weird lately. You know about that, right, Amber?"
"Now that you mention it, she has seemed down. Something up?"
Amber slurped her fresh refill as she replied.
"My guess is she's been secretly meeting some guy who comes here."
"Pfft! Cough, cough...!"
Sophia had a gut feeling.
This reaction—she knew something.
"Amber, do you know who Ravi's been meeting? We have to stop some shady guy from seducing her!"
She hadn't expected it to go this smoothly, but no backing down now.
Amber's response, though, was absurd beyond imagination—
"I do know him... but actually, Ravi confessed to him first."
"...Hah?!"
Sophia let out a voice so bizarre even she was shocked, but who cared at this point.
"Whoa, loudest I've heard you all day."
"No way—but Ravi confessed first?!"
"Nah, he's not a bad guy at all! I vouch for him. He even turned down her confession properly."
"Huh."
Setting aside the unprecedented blunder of rejecting Ravi's confession, at least he seemed self-aware about their status difference.
'Hmm, he rejected her... the confession.'
Her best friend was kind-hearted enough to understand others. She wouldn't force herself on someone who'd turned her down once.
'So... no point in coming to this cafe after all?'
She'd rushed through her magical girl duties to make time today, only for this deflating outcome.
With her goal fizzled out and time to kill, Sophia had one option left: kick back with a friend for some everyday chit-chat.
"Like, Ravi's totally indifferent to me in every way!"
"Oof, that's rough!"
Three hours after Sophia arrived, she was venting all sorts of gripes to Amber.
'She looks like she's having fun.'
She'd stormed in pissed at first, but Amber had smoothed things over.
That girl's the type who melts into anyone's good graces and gets them to open up.
"Oh, time flew... Gotta call Mom."
"Same here. Walk together partway?"
Sophia nodded twice in agreement, then held her phone to her ear.
"Yes, Mom. I'm with a classmate right now... No, heading home soon. Okay..."
I'd been eavesdropping on her stifled conversation when Amber sidled up beside me.
"Man, corrupting a good-girl type like that's got its own appeal. Her family's kinda strict."
"Totally get it from that call. Must be suffocating."
Felt like I heard "Mom" and "yes" about thirty times—made me tense up.
Sophia probably had an overprotective mom who doted on her fiercely.
Of course parents worry, but too much and it backfires, breeding anxiety in the kid.
'Wonder what Dad and Mom are up to right now.'
Couldn't see them anymore after that intense truck kiss, but I wished I could at least let them know I was thriving in another world.
"Anyway, good thing she didn't catch on to us."
"Us? Think Sophia'd figure out we're Silver Unit?"
What? Even as she shot me that baffled look, I was the one stumped.
"...You seriously still haven't noticed?"
"?"
She tilted her head like she had zero clue what I meant.
"Dude, I knew you were dense, but..."
"Hey! What's that outta nowhere? Callin' me dense makes you the dense one!"
She fired back, all indignant.
I'd thought she was a master actress, chatting casually with Sapphire without batting an eye.
'Nah, just an idiot...'
Fine, time to spell it out. Arguing with her was exhausting.
"She's like 100% the magical girl Sapphire."
"...Huh?"
Her face went blank, then twisted into a forced grin of denial.
"N-No way. Haha... Just 'cause Ravi's been here doesn't mean you jump to that..."
"......"
Call it naive or whatever, but that's all it took.
"Wait—Ruby to Ravi, Sapphire to Sophia... Oh? Eugh?!"
"Took you long enough."
"Nooo! How'd you even figure that out? That two classmates are magical girls?!"
Okay, sure, it started with looks and tells.
But watching her banter with Amber solidified the suspicion into certainty.
"Whoa... If the boss finds out we've been chummy with Sapphire, we're toast."
"If that's all it'd be, we'd be lucky."
A lowly Silver Unit grunt like me had ID'd two magical girls in no time flat.
'At this point, it's a miracle she hasn't blown our cover till now.'
Maybe not just Amber—maybe everyone in this world was dumber than I thought.
"......"
Nah, don't go there. Thinking about it hurts my brain.
Anyway, Sapphire's visit wasn't Silver Unit-related, so no need to stay on high alert.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Amber."
"No biggie. Let's go! See ya, senpai!"
As Amber waved, Sophia suddenly spun around and hurried over to me.
"Um... can I come back again sometime?"
No need for caution? Then I had just one reply for her.
"Of course—drop by anytime."
It was a heartfelt welcome.