Chapter 204: Chapter 10: The Apology (Bonus Chapter for 200 Power Stones)
In class, Madoka couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. She kept sensing Homura’s gaze from across the room.
"Akemi-san, no spacing out, please. Come up and solve this problem."
"Okay."
But the moment the teacher called on her, Homura answered the material just covered in class flawlessly.
Perhaps because she’d dreamed of Homura the night before, Madoka still didn’t believe she was a bad person. If anything, after yesterday’s events, she couldn’t even dismiss that dream as just a dream anymore.
At noon, she and Sayaka headed to the rooftop. Mitakihara Middle School was enormous, with rest spots scattered everywhere, so only the two of them sat on the bench up here, eating their bento.
"That cat didn’t come to school with you? Have you figured out what wish you’d make?" Sayaka asked her friend.
"Not yet. She turned into a little girl at my house last night—then Mama gave her a room, and I never got a chance to talk to her alone about it."
"She can turn into a person too? Still, if we’re talking about fighting those monsters, even if you don’t sign a contract, I totally get it."
Sayaka leaned sideways, resting the back of her head on Madoka’s shoulder. "I didn’t get to visit Kyosuke yesterday."
The person she was talking about was her childhood friend—a boy from a well-off family, also the boy she liked. A violin prodigy, but an accident had injured his hand. He couldn’t play anymore, at least for now. Word from the doctors wasn’t encouraging about a full recovery. She’d gone to rent music cassettes for him yesterday because he liked listening to them, hoping to lift his spirits however she could.
"Then this afternoon—"
"Help me..."
"Huh?"
Just as Madoka was about to suggest something, she heard the same cry for help as yesterday. She stood up, startled.
This time it was Kyubey again, but the moment it appeared, Homura dispatched it.
Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have launched an attack on Kyubey near a school—let alone Mami’s school—or anywhere this crowded. But this time was different. Madoka still hadn’t encountered Kyubey directly, and the creature had wandered into an isolated area on its own.
Although yesterday’s events had annoyed her, the cat had at least inadvertently done something useful.
"Peeking."
Having walked straight past the guard booth because she was too short for anyone to notice, Yimi pressed herself against the wall outside the PE equipment room, peering inside.
"Come out." Homura’s cold voice found her.
Yimi tucked her hands into her sides and shuffled out.
"Who are you?" Homura pointed the barrel downward.
"Yimi." The little cat announced herself without hesitation.
Homura hadn’t bothered remembering her name, but the voice combined with the cat-ear hat jogged something loose.
"You’re that cat?"
"Mm." Yimi padded closer, hands still tucked.
"Stop right there." Homura raised the gun at her again. "Why did you come find me?"
"I’m sorry."
"Hm?"
The ears inside her hat drooped. "I’m here—to apologize."
Because of the little cat, the Black One had been misunderstood.
"..."
Homura lowered the barrel once more. "Just for that?"
Yimi thought she wasn’t satisfied with the sincerity, so she leaned her head forward. "Here—you can pat my head."
Normally, she only let people pat her head when they were feeding her something.
Homura started to lift a hand, then let it drop. "It doesn’t matter. I wasn’t bothered by it."
After countless loops, she was used to being misunderstood. None of it mattered as long as Madoka didn’t hate her. Only that one thing mattered.
But receiving an actual apology—that, she genuinely hadn’t expected.
Yimi’s ears perked back up. She looked at Homura hopefully. "Then can I see—your Soul Gem?"
"..."
Homura leveled the gun at her forehead again. "You did have ulterior motives. For a split second there, I almost thought you were a good kid."
Yimi swatted the hand away.
If you don’t want to, just say so. No need to be scary about it.
Seeing Yimi’s thoroughly aggrieved expression—still looking like she knew absolutely nothing—Homura closed her eyes.
She glanced at the Soul Gem on her hand, currently in its ring form. "What do you want it for?"
"To learn how to make Magical Girls." The little cat answered just as honestly as ever.
"..."
Homura grabbed her by the collar, pulled her in, and began rubbing the flat side of the gun barrel against Yimi’s neck as if venting her frustration.
"Ngh!" Yimi grabbed at Homura’s hand.
"Akemi-san!" Madoka’s horrified voice rang out.
"..." Homura looked down at Kyubey’s remains, then at Yimi—who currently appeared to be getting choked.
Did you have to show up at exactly this moment?
"No way—she killed a kitty!" Sayaka clasped her hands over her mouth in shock.
Madoka rushed over and snatched Yimi back, shielding her. "Please don’t do this! If there’s some kind of misunderstanding, we can sit down and talk it out!"
"Homura."
"Huh?"
"You can call me Homura." She holstered the gun without defending herself.
"First you kill a kitten and then you’re rough with a little kid, and now suddenly you want everyone to get all chummy and call you by your first name? Are you some kind of pervert?" Sayaka rubbed her arms, creeped out.
Homura glanced at her, then walked straight past Madoka.
Madoka clutched Yimi tighter.
"Madoka—just stay the way you are. Don’t try to live differently from the life you’ve always had. Don’t think about becoming a Magical Girl. That’s the only way you’ll truly be happy."
"Homura—you weren’t really trying to hurt this child, right?" Madoka asked in a small voice.
"What are you talking about, Madoka? She killed a kitten! Could that have been the Kyubey that Mami-senpai’s been looking for?" Sayaka pointed at the spot where the corpse had been—only to find nothing there.
Of course not—that was important cooking material. Yimi would never let it go to waste.
"But if she really wanted to hurt Yimi, that wouldn’t be the way she’d hold her..."
Homura looked down, noticing the vanished Kyubey as well.
Come to think of it, because of this cat, Kyubey hadn’t managed to approach Madoka at all.
She shot Yimi a faintly appreciative glance, and the tension in her brow eased slightly. "I merely killed a Witch-maker. That’s all."
With that, she left. Experience across multiple timelines told her that staying longer only invited more accusations from the quick-to-judge Sayaka. Any attempt at explanation only made things worse. In almost every timeline, she and the blue-haired girl had butted heads.
"What was that even about?" Sayaka looked down at Yimi. "Was she bullying you just now? Because if she was, I can call a really strong big sister to get back at her for you."
"Sayaka, this is Yimi—last night’s kitten." Madoka explained, then rubbed Yimi’s head to comfort her. "Yimi, is what Ake—Homura said true?"
She meant the claim that Homura had killed a creature that manufactured Witches.
"Seems like it." Yimi bit down on her finger, vaguely recalling that Homura had told her something along those lines. But compared to Witches, Yimi was far more interested in Magical Girls.
The little cat planted both hands on her hips. "I need to research Magical Girl contracts. Only one step left. Need help."
"Ooh, impressive little go-getter. Whatever you need, just say the word." Sayaka’s interest flared, then she pointed at Yimi’s hand. "Wait—did you just wipe your finger-slobber on your own clothes?"
Yimi didn’t answer. She grabbed Madoka’s hand with that very same hand and marched toward the school gate.
With two aunties backing her up, her confidence soared. Time to go confront that shop that sold Soul Gems!
Comments