Case 42: Therapy date – II
Moeka ended up on a date with Yurika.
'Of all people...'
The Omega did not know how she had even agreed to such an invitation. Was she momentarily shaken by the devil's encouraging words? Perhaps. But at the end of the day, even if Yurika was a pervert and a devilish devil, she still held the title of a magical girl. Surely, her company could not be that bad...
Sighing to herself, Moeka decided she would stop worrying over spilled milk and indulged herself fully in the date.
As an Alpha, Yurika naturally took the lead. The girl was surprisingly well-versed in City-O's cityscape, as if she were a native. Moeka did not even realize some of the places she introduced existed.
''I've been here and there since coming here.'' Yurika said, ''Being called to move from the capital so suddenly was a shock, but I enjoy this town's peace.''
''I see.''
Because neither of them knew the other person well, they ended up mostly wandering around. Even then, the leisure sightseeing was not bad either. And as they talked, Moeka gradually came to realize something—this girl was far more mature than she had expected.
''You had a terrible experience the other day, right? I'm so sorry. If you don't mind, Miss Kisaragi, you can always talk to me. We're colleagues, aren't we?''
From the way she tried to soothe Moeka over her kidnapping.
''Hmm... I find doing mundane but peaceful things effective for healing my mind. The world is filled with grimness and unseen tragedies, but at least we can be with ourselves every now and then.''
The way she expressed her view on mental health.
''Feeling lost is natural. People change, but so does the environment they are living in. No one can predict the future, so I see no problem with stopping sometimes and reconsidering our paths.''
To the way she thought of overcoming obstacles in life.
Despite possessing a deviant side, Aikawa Yurika was surprisingly... reasonable—granted, only on matters unrelated to sexual desires. Plus, the girl seemed to have an excellent awareness of her surroundings, so accompanying her was indeed comfortable.
The two leisurely walked on the streets of City O, sometimes shopped casually, sometimes got themselves snacks, all the while sharing their personal stories to an appropriate degree. As the hours passed, Moeka found herself wanting to have a deeper conversation with the silver-haired girl, who was two years younger than herself.
There was little mental rejection before the decision was made. After all, Moeka did not discriminate based on age or appearance. Besides... she was somewhat moved by what Yurika had said in the café.
Early afternoon.
The two were lounging near the town's plaza, seeking shade to escape the scorching sun. In their hands were various desserts, ones that Yurika had brought generously for both of them to enjoy.
Realizing it was her chance, Moeka spoke, ''...What do you think of Omegas?''
Yurika pondered for a moment, ''They're people.'' She shrugged, ''But I know there will be those who don't see them that way.''
''...''
Even in fiction, the concept of Omegas as inherently 'weaker' and facing societal discrimination is often explored. Past the initial chaos, Moeka could already notice seeds of this same problem sprouting in real life. In this world of many conflicts, the 'gender' war was looking to bloom more spectacularly than most, like a flower of hell.
After all... no one was spared from the differentiation process. Some gained advantages, while some lost theirs. And when interests were involved, nothing could stay peaceful forever.
'It's unreal now that I think about it...'
All of this happened because of one person's selfishness and delusions. Aloe Mochizuki... her true identity must not be simple—Moeka thought.
Seeing the Omega staring ahead blankly with an ambiguous gaze, Yurika continued, ''Well, no matter what I say here, it won't change the fact that Omegas will be looked down upon, right? It's sad but true—equality is something we need to fight for nowadays.''
''Mhm.'' Moeka nodded bitterly. ''There are those who'll have much harder times than I have.''
A brief pause.
As if wanting to cheer up Moeka, Yurika gently leaned on her, smiling prettily, revealing her cute fangs, ''I think Omegas like you are very cute, Miss Kisaragi. How about this? Would you want to let the world witness your charms?''
Moeka was a bit dizzy from the sudden approach, ''Um... what?''
''You don't know how uniquely powerful your position is, Miss Kisaragi.'' The Alpha chuckled, ''An Omega magical girl—the only one among hundreds. Delicate but never powerless—a beautiful heroine who fights evil and saves the day. You could totally become the role model for every Omega!''
''That's...''
Truthfully, Moeka had never thought about becoming a public figure. Even when she inevitably did, she considered it but a mere aspect of taking on this job. So for herself to try to consciously inspire others... she needed to think about it. Though, admittedly, what Yurika said ultimately made sense.
The girl then continued, her enthusiasm unconcealed, ''Truth be told, my family owns a media company, Miss Kisaragi. We are very interested in talents like you. How is it? Do you want to try working with us?''
''Uh... talents? I'm just a magical girl.'' Moeka shook her head.
''Personality, looks, and quirks—you have all of them.'' Yurika held her head high, ''I have good eyes for scouting people, you know?''
As the proposal was quite spontaneous, Moeka was naturally still reluctant, ''I mean, what would I even do...?''
''Whatever you're interested in. Acting, streaming, idol works... there's no shortage of entertainment industry professions for someone as appetizing as you, Miss Kisaragi.''
Yurika added, ''And by 'appetizing,' I mean both your charms and your prospects.''
Although she could sense some personal motives brewing behind those last words, Moeka quickly understood her situation. Just by being so unique in circumstances, she was bound to be sought after, whether for her 'functions' or general appeal. As soon as her Omega status became public in the near future, countless agencies would approach her relentlessly. At that point, it might even be better to join under a capable firm just to avoid being harassed.
With that possibility in mind, Moeka replied cautiously to Yurika's proposal, ''...I'll keep it under consideration, Miss Aikawa.''
Yurika, having pitched her idea, was immensely delighted, ''Great!''
Truthfully, a third of the reason why Yurika had so much interest in Moeka was because of her potential appeal. Considering everything, this endeavor was a monumental success.
Although... Yurika's ultimate goal just had to be Moeka herself as a woman. One doesn’t need many reasons to be drawn to someone, and for the Alpha personally, the more she learned about this Omega, the stronger the attraction. Even this imminent polyamorous relationship that Moeka was building... it was rousing Yurika's perverted side.
Nevertheless, by the end of the afternoon, the two had finished touring several areas in City O, successfully bringing the impromptu date to a close. Moeka had to admit—she enjoyed it quite thoroughly. And since her mood was good, she readily followed the silver-haired girl to her apartment.
Unaware of what she was about to be subjected to.