Unable to accept what Higoromo had said to him, Tsugumi was at a loss for words for a moment. But he quickly came back to his sense and voiced his denial.
“…What are you saying? I’m Hagakure Sakura? That’s impossible. Even if I have the aptitude to be a Magical Girl, please don’t make weird jokes about it.”
Even as he said this, he couldn’t hide the turmoil in his heart.
–Where did he find out? He gritted his teeth, but couldn’t think of anything at all.
In the first place, there was almost no contact between Tsugumi and Higoromo, and this was only the second time they had met in person. They hadn’t even talked about anything that would reveal Hagakure Sakura’s true identity. So why?
“I didn’t mean it as a joke. I’m serious.”
“So what makes you think that-“
“Is it easier to understand if I say that I confirmed it with Toono Sumire? Oh, don’t worry, it’s not like she’s spreading some rumors about you.”
Saying this, Higoromo smiled gently. But his eyes were looking straight at Tsugumi, and he didn’t seem to be bluffing.
Now that he thought about it, there was a section that felt suspicious from the beginning. The last time they had met face to face, Higoromo had told Tsugumi about a male Magical Girl. He was caught off guard at the topic of a male having the right aptitude, but perhaps he had been observing Tsugumi’s reaction since then. …Really, he had a bad personality.
However, the fact that he had confirmed it with Toono meant that he had already verified it. There was no point in fooling him around anymore. Tsugumi let out a loud sigh and looked at Higoromo with a scornful look.
“So, if I am Hagakure Sakura, what are you going to do with me, Higoromo-san? You don’t mean to tell me that you’re only bringing this up so I can take over the case of the great fire, do you?”
If so, it was too short-sighted. Even if he had realized Hagakure Sakura’s true identity, there would have been no need for him to expose Tsugumi like this. If he had known Toono, he could have casually offered the job through her.
Though Tsugumi didn’t intend to, did Higoromo think he wouldn’t be upset and use force? He was supposed to be a very smart researcher, but his behavior seemed too sudden and sloppy.
As Tsugumi increased his vigilance due to his distrust of Higoromo, he sighed in annoyance.
“…You have a surprisingly stubborn streak. To be clear, I’m not going to engage in any more meaningless questioning or bargaining. It’s a waste of time.”
Higoromo shrugged his shoulders as he said so.
It seemed that no matter how badly Tsugumi denied it, they were going to continue the conversation based on the assumption that Tsugumi = Hagakure Sakura.
–In that case, there was no point in being stubborn any longer. The moment Toono and Higoromo were connected, there was no way to win the argument.
Tsugumi let out a sigh of resignation and quietly sat back in his chair. At any rate, the conversation couldn’t proceed without knowing what Higoromo was thinking.
“I’ll leave it at that for now. But, depending on what happens next, I may have to take appropriate measures.”
When Tsugumi said this in distrust, Higoromo began to speak indifferently.
“You don’t have to worry about it. I have no intention of threatening or harming you in any way. Well, your data is interesting, but I have a sample of a male Magical Girls close to me. You are not that high on my priority list.”
“Close to you…?”
“Oh. You haven’t heard? –There’s another male Magical Girl in the government.”
Hearing that from Higoromo, Tsugumi remembered what Toono had talked about in the food court earlier.
–Come to think of it, Toono had said something similar. At that time, he wasn’t able to hear the details and was swept away, but she certainly said that there was a male Magical Girl other than Tsugumi. Maybe it was a fairly well-known story among the higher-ups.
“I remember hearing something like that once. I don’t know who it was.”
“I’ve called you here to talk about the fire, but I’m really here to talk about that Magical Girl. –It’s someone you know well.”
“….I know well? Me?”
At Higoromo’s words, Tsugumi tilted his head. Higoromo said that the male Magical Girl was someone that Tsugumi also knew, but he had no idea.
In the first place, Tsugumi – Hagakure Sakura – didn’t really get along that well with the government’s Magical Girls. In fact, they were a bit distant from him. The only people who talked to him properly were the members of Jukka and the staff members of the Countermeasures Headquarters.
A person Tsugumi knew within such a narrow circle of friends. If he had to take a guess, the most likely person would be someone whose profile hadn’t been revealed.
Thinking that far, Tsugumi lifted his face. Someone among the government’s Magical Girls whose identity was unclear and who was also a friend of Higoromo’s. He only knew one person who fit both of these criteria.
Yukino Shizuku-a Magical Girl of Jukka, and Higoromo’s sister. Thinking about it now, Yukino was somewhat boyish and her tone of voice wasn’t very girly either.
“–I see. I understand.”
Saying this, Tsugumi nodded with a satisfied look on his face. If it was something that related to Yukino, it wasn’t strange for her older brother, Higoromo, to intervene this way.
“Hmmm? Did you find out anything?”
At Tsugumi’s words, Higoromo opened his eyes in surprise, and with a small smile, urged him to continue.
“Yes. Your sister, Yukino-san from Jukka – she’s actually your brother, not your sister. Well, I didn’t notice that at all. That’s amazing. She just looks like a normal, pretty girl.”
“…Yes?”
Higoromo, who had been silently listening to Tsugumi’s answer, tilted his head while resting his chin. He looked as if he wanted to say, “How did it come to that?” Then, after a moment of contemplation, he began to speak in a troubled manner.
“Ah, what should I say. You look sharp, but you’re pretty dull.”
“Eh, is that wrong!?”
Tsugumi thought it was the answer that would cut straight to the heart of the matter, but apparently not. If it wasn’t Yukino, the only other person who could be a good fit was Agatsuma, but he couldn’t imagine her like that.
Then Higoromo murmured, “How do you miss it when you know this much? Is this the effect of preconceived misconceptions?” He gently rolled up the sleeves of his lab coat. Then he traced his finger to touch a little above his left wrist and let out a loud sigh.
“Well, it’s not fair that I’m the only one who’s been silent up to this point. And there’s also the main issue. It would be safer to have you take a look at it at this stage.”
Higoromo muttered to himself, then got up from his chair and turned his back to Tsugumi.
“Do you remember the story I told you before? That every male Magical Girl who has ever existed has the remnants of a twin sister who couldn’t be born.”
“Um, I do remember. It is because of that remnant that their aptitudes appear, right?”
“That’s correct. Most of the twins are dizygotic – in other words, even if the remaining male transforms, his face and body shape will be closer to the sister’s elements, and there are far more cases where the male’s face will be almost completely absent. Unlike you, who can look exactly like your male self.”
In response to Higoromo’s absurd words, Tsugumi replied, “What does this have to do with this story?” At that moment, Higoromo’s figure on the other side of the desk collapsed.
As if crumbling, Higoromo’s body became smaller and his hair turned completely white. Within a few seconds, the transformation stopped.
Slender frame and white hair. He immediately knew who it was just looking at her back. Because it was someone so familiar.
Tsugumi opened his mouth wide and muttered in a stunned voice.
“Yu-Yukino-san? Higoromo-san? Really?”
“Yeah, that’s right.. –How is it, aren’t you surprised? I am the only one of your kind.”
Higoromo-no, Yukino Shizuku laughed like a child whose prank had succeeded, as she turned around dragging her big white robe.
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