Case 29: Payday.
'...Well, this is awkward.'
Moeka was not an idiot. It was exponentially hard not to notice Himeko's earnest admiration for her, especially when the girl had all the thoughts practically written on her face. Of course, Moeka was flattered, having an adorable junior wanting to court her. The problem was... she was already taken. The idea of betraying Fumiko to mingle with Himeko did not cross her mind at any point.
Moeka also found it difficult to separate her relief job from actual intimate flirting. Despite having a girlfriend, she still needed to accommodate these magical girls to some extent. She was afraid of leaning into it too much, making it look and feel as if she was cheating on Fumiko.
And worse yet... when Moeka imagined herself with these Alpha girls, she did not mentally reject them before her rationality emerged. For the moment, Moeka decided to chalk it up to biology. It was said that AO couples with great chemistry would be naturally attracted to one another after intimacy. Being around the other person would help soothe their physical and psychological needs as well.
'Speaking of which, I should visit the lab soon...'
Fumiko was Moeka's Alpha. Knowing her partner was under immense stress, she thought she could help alleviate some of it by accompanying her.
Nevertheless, dealing with the matter at hand was more urgent.
Moeka cautiously glanced at Himeko, who was starting to realize what she had just suggested. The girl blushed, her lips shyly pursed, yet those azure eyes were determined, as if refusing to back down. It reminded the Omega of what happened between them when Himeko's heat cycle first started. For just a brief moment, Moeka wondered if she would be 'devoured' if this landmine of an Alpha was pushed to her limit again.
Moeka could easily gloss over this topic, and Himeko would not likely pursue it, though such an approach would only delay the potential consequences, if not making them harsher. So, she addressed it directly, ''I don't want to trouble you. I'd rather you contact Miko for me.''
Unexpectedly, Himeko did not back down, ''It's not troubling at all! I'm more than happy to help you, senior!'' She earnestly said.
Stunned, Moeka could only reply, ''But I have a girlfriend... it wouldn't be appropriate.''
''I don't mind!''
''But I do...?''
''...''
''...''
Only after that strange string of exchange did both of them stop to consider what had just transpired. Then, choosing to spare the other person's sanity, they set the topic aside. Although the mood between them had become somewhat awkward, they still cooperated smoothly to complete the magical defenses around the house, of course, with the help of their mascots.
Late into the night, Himeko returned to her room, burying her head into the pillow, groaning.
'What the hell did I do...?!'
She was nearly tearing herself apart over the reckless words she had uttered prior. Was it jealousy that propelled her to bulldoze forward so boldly despite having so little leverage? Or the Alpha's possessiveness had kicked in, making her take that approach. Perhaps both. Still... there was little Himeko could do when she was this infatuated with that Omega. Thankfully, Moeka was kind and soft-hearted. She would still give the junior a little chance despite the hiccup... maybe.
Keeping a positive outlook for herself, Himeko soon fell asleep.
In the other room, Moeka was a little less restless, though she could not ignore Himeko's feelings further. She had thought everything would flow according to moral standards when she got herself a girlfriend. The girls would stop hitting on her, and once the suppressants were ready, she could peacefully date Fumiko.
But reality was vastly different from her imagination. Who could have thought these magical girls were so persistent? Well, it was only Himeko who expressed herself so directly at the moment, but Moeka had a premonition regarding the others.
''Hah...''
Thinking too much actually induced a headache out of nowhere. Moeka decided to put aside everything and fell asleep. The next day, she woke up to a conspicuous notification on her phone. It was from her bank.
She yawned, rubbing her eyes as she read it, ''Transfer... huh?!''
Moeka could not believe her eyes at first. A copious amount of money was transferred to her bank account, almost ten times as much as what she received monthly from The Federation. It was the kind of money that could cover all of her college expenses at once. Accompanying that transfer was Miss Casey's message:
[The payment for this period's relief job. Tell me if you received it.]
''...''
It was not a scam.
Moeka had indeed read the contract when she agreed to this job, though the wording on that hastily prepared paper was not so clear. Only 'generous' compensations and 'exclusive' benefits were promised to her for instances of work done. At that point, with pressure coming down from the entire system, Moeka thought she did not have the leverage to negotiate her price, only trusting Miss Casey to make up for her well enough. But... this type of salary was enough to rival even the top magical girls' earnings!
Granted, most top magical girls were born with golden spoons anyway.
Nevertheless, Moeka was overjoyed upon receiving her first payment as a relief magical girl. And, for better or for worse, she began unconsciously calculating this job's potential.
'It's been barely a few weeks...'
If she kept this up for a year, the Kisaragi household's financial situation would dramatically improve. She could even allow herself to be unemployed and live leisurely for years after retiring from her magical girl job.
''...Ah.''
Yet, she belatedly remembered—this would all end when the suppressants inevitably became available. A little bitter, though, considering everything, this was a good development. She did not want to juggle with these Alpha magical girls while trying to settle down with Fumiko.
The first thing Moeka did after celebrating on her own was to tell her mother, who was, expectedly, happy for her. Yet, knowing Moeka's circumstances, Yuzuki could not help but express her worries, ''Don't push yourself too much,'' She said, ''It's fine if you want to take a step back from your work sometimes.''
''Mom...'' Moeka was a little embarrassed as Yuzuki stroked her head.
But then, the mother's expression suddenly became mischievous, ''But my daughter,'' She leaned in, whispering, ''Be careful when you hang out with these girls. If you want to have them all... you don't want to upset them.''
''W-What?!''
Moeka was not certain what misunderstanding Yuzuki had. Before she could interrogate, however, the sound of Himeko's footsteps descending from the second floor was heard.
''Good morning~!'' The girl energetically greeted, ''Today's weather is so nice!''
''Good morning.'' Moeka silently sighed.
Then, she suddenly felt her mother nudging her from the side, grinning, ''Nice weather indeed. Since school is canceled anyway... how about you two go out on a date together?''
''M-Mom?!''
''A date?!''
Moeka was instantly caught between two sparkling pairs of eyes.
'This... is hard to refuse...'