Hop... hop? Is that a witch? It looks kind of cute? —wait, hold on, emotional reviewing, does he, no, he doesn't feel particularly suicidal? Oh wait hold on if he tries taking a picture of it with his phone does it stick?

No, his phone has no idea there's anything there.

Okay, totally a magic thing uh.

...

He kind of doesn't want to call Haru for this. It's a tiny forg! Looks like a Pokémon! He's having irrational thoughts because he feels embarrassed by the idea of asking for help with something that looks so harmless! He may be stupid!

The frog lilypad flower hops into a 24 hour konbini.

—okay that might be a problem.

Hello hello is anyone on the other side of this line, I found a Pokémon.

A Pokémon? You mean, like, a little monster wandering around?

Yeah. Looks kinda like a Lotad. Just hopped into a konbini. Is there a way for me to send coords via this or should I text you them.

I don't know what a Lotad is. There's not a map function on the telepathy but Kyubey can find you and show me, if you don't know where you are? If you do just tell me.

I was just kind of jogging and not paying attention to where I am, so he'll check his map on his phone and send Haru a live location link.

Yutaka does not like this guy. He's so fucking judgmental. Whatever Yutaka's type of marriage material is it is definitely not Swan fucking Masaharu.

Thanks. I'm on my way. You might want to get out of the area, it's either escaped from a big witch that could grab you or it's going to try to grow into one by killing some people who could also be you. Is it holding still? You could pull the fire alarm if you think you can get away with it.

I did not follow it into the konbini but I can do that.

Into the konbini he goes, where's the Lotad?

It's clinging to the wall near the cigarettes.

My teammate's closer and she'll be there first, point her to it if you would if you see her.

Roger that.

It's fine if the cameras catch him pulling the fire alarm like some prankster kid, Iwasaki-san is going to make it not have happened anyway. Actually, the thought of Iwasaki-san's face if he finds out brings a smile to Yutaka's. The old man would be so confused. But that's no reason for him to not at least try to not get caught, so he's gonna try to be cautious while looking for his mark.

It's over there. The konbini guy doesn't see him. The two customers drop what they're doing and shuffle out. The guy behind the counter doesn't move.

And in comes the indigo magical girl for a landing outside the konbini. She's more in the Sailor Moon mold, though it's not actually seifuku - there's pleats, though, in that blue-purple plaid skirt, and periwinkle-ish lavender leggings marked up with musical notes, and a ruffly blouse covered in bows and a choker necklace with her indigo jewel at her throat. Her hair's got an indigo streak in it to match. Her sword is longer than she is tall and she carries it like it's weightless.

He might recognize her.

Wh-

Yamanaka Junko-san?

She smiles at him with perfect teeth. That's me! You're Swan-kun's wish-potential classmate? Where's the familiar?

He doesn't like honorifics, Yutaka almost telepathies, but he has in fact learnt a modicum of telepathy self-control.

Inside, he says instead. Clinging to the wall.

(Yamanaka Junko? The Yamanaka Junko? Is a magical girl? Seriously??)

She flashes a peace sign, barges into the konbini heedless of the alarm, and dispatches the Lotad with the tip of her giant sword.

Haru's on the scene a moment later.

Well that was... anticlimactic? He feels extra embarrassed now.

"You got it?" Haru asks Yamanaka as she emerges from the konbini.

"Yeah, and I checked under the guy's turtleneck and he's clear, but I haven't dowsed yet."

Haru turns his glove-jewel into its egg-bauble form and starts waving it around. "If we're lucky it didn't fall far from the tree..."

And people just. Can't. See them? At all?

Hey how come I'd never seen one of these before but then the day after I almost die to one there's another one? Is it one of those things where like if you know about it it knows about you and now it's everywhere?

You know, someday he will learn to stop saying words. Especially embarrassing words. Someday.