Chapter 16: Strong Desire for Performance
“What are you doing, Night Star?”
“Nothing…”
Night Star feigned calmness as she pulled her hand back, feeling a twinge of guilt.
Was that little move earlier considered a chest grab, or what?
Deep in thought.
Eypar seemed completely unfazed by what just happened and continued to cling to Night Star, insisting, “Star-Chen~ I need to know your Star-Chen! If you don’t tell Eypar, my body will feel like I’ve been bitten by a bunch of ants (~￣△￣)~”
“You’re a ghost. Ants can’t bite you.”
“That’s just a metaphor! Don’t change the subject (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻!”
In the end, Eypar didn’t get a single piece of Star-Chen information out of Night Star and sulked like a little puppy.
“Is it because your Star-Chen power is super embarrassing? Like transforming into a magical girl or something?”
“What the heck? Why would I turn into a magical girl, a job with such high risks?”
“Because it sounds really embarrassing.”
“Embarrassment, my foot.”
Eypar looked utterly baffled, her little antennae twitching with confusion.
“Would you actually want to become a magical girl?”
“Ah, definitely not.”
Turning into a Loli was already a disgrace; becoming one of those flashy magical girls would probably send her into an existential crisis on the spot.
“Anyway, my Star-Chen is a secret that cannot be leaked. It’s related to a world-destroying catastrophe; fewer than ten people know,” Night Star tried to intimidate Eypar.
But Eypar’s eyes lit up with even more curiosity.
“Now I’m even more curious! (´◊ω◊｀)”
Faced with the relentless curiosity, Night Star threw her hands up in resignation, deciding to ignore her.
“Curiosity killed the cat. You’ll come to regret it someday.”
“Not gonna happen! I’m a speedster!”
“I bet you can’t outrun me.”
Night Star was pretty confident in her ability to run away.
Eypar’s antennae perked up, and a bizarre survival instinct bubbled up in her.
“Hmph, care for a race?”
“No using your ghostly intangibility to pass through walls.” Night Star suddenly remembered Eypar’s ghostly form and quickly added that restriction.
“Then that’s no fun,” Eypar’s antennae drooped.
Having immunity to physical laws was a unique advantage for Eypar; if that’s off-limits, she was basically out of options.
At that moment, Night Star glanced at the time and realized it was almost three o’clock.
“I’m heading out for a bit.”
As she stood up, Night Star got dressed right in front of Eypar, fixing her makeup along the way.
Eypar asked curiously, “Where are you going? Can I come too?”
“Nope. You can visit my house, but don’t just follow me around.”
“Oh… I get it.”
Eypar’s face fell in disappointment; her excitement for tagging along was dashed to pieces.
Once ready, Night Star addressed the floating Eypar, saying, “I’ll probably be back later. Do what you want, just don’t cause any trouble.”
“Okay, bye-bye~”
With a thud, Night Star stepped out.
Since Eypar could pass through walls, there was no worry about being locked inside.
Only the floating ghost girl remained, and she didn’t leave the little room right away.
Eypar pondered, her antennae swaying back and forth.
“Where should I go next?”
According to her usual habits, she’d be hunting for the next target for her pranks to satisfy her fun and conjuring up another great urban legend.
But now she had Night Star.
This silver-haired Loli was the first person Eypar met who actually noticed her, so most of her attention was glued to Night Star, dimming her usual mischief cravings significantly.
And there was that strong curiosity driving her to uncover more of Night Star’s secrets.
Wanting to know more, wanting to get closer, wanting to enter her body.
Uh, the proper kind of entering.
“Who would have thought I’d make a friend after becoming a ghost? Wait, but are Night Star and I even considered friends now? Hmm… I should ask her when she gets back.”
Muttering to herself, Eypar swayed happily and floated out, feeling in a fantastic mood.
Her activity range had once been the entire world, but now it was limited to this city.
At least now she had a place she could go, something like a half-home.
That being said, she couldn’t drift too far.
Or else she might forget.
…
Mo Tu sipped his afternoon tea, leisurely gazing out the window when he casually spotted a white translucent shadow floating out of a certain Loli’s house.
“Oh ho?” Mo Tu raised an eyebrow.
Now that’s a little anomaly, isn’t it?
He closed his eyes to ponder for a moment before slowly opening them again, a subtle smile gracing his lips.
“Well then, I might as well pretend I didn’t see that.”
Mo Tu silently withdrew his gaze, easing back into relaxation.
He had a feeling he might soon find himself busy.
But before that, relaxation was key.
“Speaking of which, that little one should be out by now, right? Where could she be going?”
This was a lingering question for him since Night Star and Night Lan were the two Lolis that always gave him an elusive, foggy feeling, utterly unfathomable.
But it was this very mystery that piqued Mo Tu’s interest.
…
Meanwhile, having finished her homework at home, Lianhua was now carrying her puppet box to the park.
“Is Night Star coming today…?”
Dressed adorably, Lianhua sat on the stone steps, her brow slightly furrowed, her delicate fingers intertwined as if she were waiting for a lover’s arrival.
At the same time, Lianhua felt something strange within herself.
She had never experienced such a strong desire to perform, nor had she anticipated someone’s arrival with such excitement.
For a moment, she even thought she might be broken.
“Is it because she’s my first audience? I don’t want to disappoint her; I don’t want to lose her. I want to do everything I can to keep this important person close, is that it?”
Lianhua looked at the puppet in her hands, and in a daze, she saw her mother’s gentle face, her kind eyes warm and encouraging her.
“Got it!”
Determination sparkled in Lianhua’s eyes.
She would use her puppet to become a puppet master just like her mother.
But before that, she needed her first loyal audience to make the perfect start.
At that moment, she heard someone call her name.
“Lianhua~”
Lianhua looked up to see a silvery figure running toward her, the familiar person being her very first audience.
“Night Star…”
The moment she spotted Night Star, Lianhua felt her nervous heart relax, as if a giant weight had been lifted.
Night Star really came!
What a relief!
Smiling brightly, Lianhua stood up to greet her.
“Good afternoon, Night Star! Have you eaten?”
“What’s there to eat?” Night Star tilted her head in confusion; it was only around three o’clock, after all.
Snack time, perhaps?
Night Star glanced at Lianhua and noticed she looked a bit different from the first time they met.
She seemed to have spruced herself up a bit.
Such adorableness! Definitely hit the spot for Night Star!
Loli enthusiasts do love these things.
“Lianhua, you look super cute today!”
“Really? Hehe~ Thanks!”
Lianhua blushed, shyly twirling a strand of hair as she basked in Night Star’s compliment.
Clearly, today’s preparations paid off.
She hadn’t even started performing, and she’d already captured her audience’s attention!
Awesome!
