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Rikai is perfect in every way.
She woke up at 5 a.m., as usual. Of course, the sun hadn’t risen yet, but Rikai didn’t need its light to navigate her meticulously organized room, which she knew like the back of her hand.
Every item was in its place, every corner flawless—no dust or crumbs. The brush was in perfect condition, as was its owner, and the bed was already made without a single crease.
After all, perfect magical girls should be as clean as their surroundings. After all, they say—the room reflects what’s in your head. And Rikai’s head was in order, with no stray thoughts!
Rikai was indeed perfect.
Decent. She followed the rules, lived by them, and encouraged others to do the same. She was a magical girl, protecting the world from any evil! Thanks to her, people were kind, pure, and righteous, and a pleasant atmosphere reigned at every step.
It was Rikai’s duty, as a magical girl and a proper woman, to maintain everything in such a state.
And then came Amahiko, and Rikai didn’t know what to do.
Oh, that Amahiko—no peace with her at all! Short hair, vulgar clothing, a fishnet top, breasts barely covered by roses, bright red provocative lipstick—pure vulgarity! And her personality... Terrible, just terrible.
This woman didn’t follow the usual rules in such a perfect world—she laughed too loudly, flirted with other girls, behaved in an outrageously indecent manner. Amahiko embodied all the qualities Rikai despised in others, and nothing had changed.
But Rikai couldn’t make herself hate Amahiko.
Every time she saw Amahiko, her heart raced. Her thoughts drifted to places she should never have gone—this was wrong, awful, sinful, pick any of a hundred synonyms.
This woman was vulgar, awful, disgusting, Rikai told herself. Not like her, not following the order, preferring audacity to it. But why did she feel such emotions? Why did Amahiko seem so... alluring?
Rikai’s days were filled with routine, rules, perfection, and saving everyone. But her nights were filled with thoughts of Amahiko.
Her dreams were vivid, intoxicating, thrilling, but she preferred to call them nightmares—she still woke up scared, albeit with flushed cheeks. In them, she was next to Amahiko, who wore not the usual vulgar clothes, but a blazer with a black shirt and red pants.
In these dreams, Rikai herself wasn’t the “savior-magical girl Rikai.” She was just Rikai—in a black turtleneck and a white long skirt, with the same white mascara on her eyes—and she was more open than usual with a bad rule-breaker, who was named Amahiko Tendo.
She tried to forget, to bury these feelings deep inside. After all, Rikai was supposed to be the perfect girl, the best magical girl, savior of her orderly world. But she couldn’t save her own heart and feelings.
And her infatuated heart betrayed her—like when she saw Amahiko in the hallway, clearly conversing with another, previously unknown to Rikai, blonde. Her hair was adorned with a crown, and she wore either armor or something unidentifiable. She also had short hair, but a little bit longer then Amahiko's.
"Idiot...", the stranger’s voice carried disappointment, "Did you really bring me here just to talk about some girl? Thanks, I have partner already, not interested in someone else."
"Did I ever offer her to you, Terra-san?", knowing one tactic that works on everyone, the alluring woman began to apply it, "After all, we’re best friends, aren’t we! Oh no, you'll leave me alone with my thoughts...", Amahiko feigned hurt.
"I'm more of best friends with Iori-kun than with you," oh yes, Iori Motohashi; Rikai seemed to have heard of her, highly esteemed as an oiran, but she hadn’t had the chance to meet her in live, "So, who is this girl because of who you brought this beautiful princess, that is me, here for?"
"Iori-san sure is lovely, but she has her own troubles," later Amahiko smiled as if savoring her victory over the self-proclaimed princess, who was only princess in her dream world, while Amahiko, as a great friend, supported the image of delusions, "I knew I could trust you on this."
And then everything became hazy. Rikai’s breath was cut off as she watched from a distance the bright blue eyes of the “adversary,” which were like the ocean.
Naturally, such stares did not go unnoticed—Amahiko looked her way, smiled, and waved. Rikai managed to turn away in time, pretending to head back to her room, but the blush was already on her cheeks.
"Oh my fucking God, Amahiko, seriously? You’re a human, and she’s a magical girl! You know, I’ll ask her someday to cast a spell on you so you don’t fall in love with those who won’t answer the same... You’re ruining your own life!"
But who knew that this one magical girl was losing control from foolish infatuation. That Rikai, who valued order above all, was falling apart. It seemed like now that dreamlike Rikai would step out of her dream, and no righteous magical girl would be left.
Was what she felt truly evil? Or was it something else? Something she didn’t dare to name?
Meanwhile, Amahiko decided to ask about her infatuation and how to impress her crush, from an acquaintance who was the head of the mafia (thankfully, Rikai didn’t know, or she would have caused a scandal!).
Fumiya always came up with unexpected ideas, which Amahiko sometimes chose to follow, and sometimes simply called her an incomprehending child. And it didn’t matter that Fumiya was already 19. But she definitely knew about surprises better than anyone else.
Fumiya’s voice was smooth and casual as she leaned back in her chair and casually twirled a pencil between her fingers.
"So you’re completely smitten?", receiving the expected nod, she sighed, "God... Here’s what I suggest. Do something with roses. Women love roses. Besides, they’re almost like your symbol."
Amahiko’s eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Roses, huh? And what should I do with them, make a bouquet and declare my love in poems?"
"Something simpler, genius", Fumiya said, suppressing the urge to facepalm, "Why not just hold a rose between your lips? It’s unexpected and slightly provocative. It will vibe with you."
Amahiko just laughed, but she liked the idea more than she expected.
"Alright, I’ll give it a try. Thanks for advice, Fumiya-san."
***
The day dragged on in its usual rhythm: patrols, spells, and endless striving for perfection. Rikai went through all this with mechanical precision, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Fortunately, no one could judge her—she was the only magical girl, and her only partner left her for those who had humiliated her all her life.
The presence of Amahiko in her thoughts lingered at the edge of her consciousness, constantly distracting her. By evening, exhaustion gnawed at Rikai, but her mind refused to calm down. The girl lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, and her once-perfect room felt like a cage.
She could conjure herself a sleeping potion or force herself to sleep, but she had sworn to use magic only when necessary. There had already been situations where Rikai had unwittingly created chaos out of sheer kindness... She had given her rebellious "friend" (she can hardly call this monkey-like girl her friend!) magic for a day, and that girl nearly destroyed the world, ignoring instructions! Had to fix everything herself.
Sleep evaded her, and she wasn’t sure it wasn’t Ohse who had cursed her. Although no, the demoness might seem cruel, but she deeply respects magical girls... And she clearly doesn’t specialize in love, much to Rikai's shock... Well, what she expected from demoness, who wanted to kill herself, but was immortal?
Every time Rikai tried to close her eyes and breathe calmly, the dialogue and Amahiko’s joyful expression flashed before her eyes. Oh, God, why! Unable to endure any longer, she got out of bed and went out onto the balcony.
The night air was cool, the city below was quiet and orderly. Rikai held onto the railing tightly, trying to calm her restless thoughts. It seemed like an ordinary night.
But then a slight rustle caught her attention, and she turned to see... the cause of her insomnia. Amahiko stood with a rose in her teeth, confidently smiling, right next to the garden with perfectly planted forget-me-nots.
And that sight was enough to push the already exhausted girl to the boiling point.
"How dare you...", the magical girl hissed, her voice trembling with barely restrained anger, "This... this romantic gesture. This... this..."
"Too much for a perfect lonely magical girl?", she removed the rose, twirling it between her fingers, "I thought you’d like it. Women like roses, after all. And it matches your eyes, I specially searched for one like this."
"You’ve trespassed on my territory; you think I should like it, huh!?", Rikai's red cheeks illuminated by the lantern didn’t help the situation, "I’m not like those girls you flirt with in the hallways! I’m pure, I’m orderly, and I’ll never succumb to your... your..."
"Oh, come on... Did you really think I was flirting with Terra-san? How cute," in a second, the woman realized that Rikai seemed about to turn into a tomato from anger and tried to amend the situation, "I’m not asking you to succumb. Let’s say, it’s a simple gift with a touch of surprise. Surprised?"
Rikai’s resolve wavered.
"Surprised, yes, are you satisfied!?", the girl sighed heavily in an attempt to calm down, "I’d throw you out right now, but it seems like it’s a long way to your villa", she said, her voice dropping, "You can stay... but just for the night."
"I knew you’d say that. You really are too sexy for your own good, Rikai-san."
Inside, Rikai offered Amahiko to change clothes, because the same vulgar look was getting on her nerves and shouldn’t spoil her room. Amahiko’s appearance in a purple kimono was a painfully sharp reminder of her former partner.
"Doesn’t look like something Rikai-san would typically wear. Did you buy it for someone, perhaps?"
Rikai’s throat tightened.
"For a former partner. Didn’t manage to give it to her—she left before I could do anything."
Amahiko knew that feeling, though she was more likely in the place of that partner. But she had a reason: leaving her family was simply necessary. Although they hadn’t even tried to do anything, and her older sister had completely severed contact.
"I understand, people leave. But you know, whatever happens—it’s for the best."
Rikai turned away, unable to look at the sympathy in Amahiko’s eyes. A lump stuck in her throat, as now she was being comforted by the one who had caused chaos in the perfect life of the magical girl. Putting her glasses on the nightstand, she sighed heavily.
'I don’t need your sympathy or advice... You can sleep on the floor", she said, her voice cold again, "Good night.'
"Same to you, serious madam."
The night continued, and Rikai lay in bed, but still couldn’t sleep. Every rustle from Amahiko’s attempts to find a place on the floor seemed to only fuel her anxiety. Images and the compliment about the eyes floated before her eyes.
She... really was looking for the rose that would suit the magical girl’s eyes?
And just as she was about to fall asleep, she felt the bed creak slightly. Amahiko had quietly moved from the floor and lay down next to her—with a soft smile on her face that Rikai couldn’t see.
"Can’t sleep?'
"Not anymore, thanks for ruining my sleep."
"Aren’t you going to complain like “Get off my bed, you annoying fool!”? You make Amahiko so much flattered."
"I never said that, and won't... Do whatever you want, just let me sleep..."
Unfortunately, Rikai could hear the woman’s smirk even from a distance, let alone behind her. Amahiko’s closeness—and her scent of roses—was unbearable. The world was collapsing into a chaos of emotions for which she had no place.
Rikai felt the fragile shell of her perfect life cracking. She should have rejected this intrusion, preserved her dignity. But she was so enchanted by the rare moment that she decided simply not to move.
The weight of the woman’s body, the touch of her b-b-boo... bust, that’s it!—was too much. The magical girl’s perfect world was collapsing, and she was losing control, sinking into turmoil from which she could neither form coherent thoughts nor escape.
"Now, Amahiko wished you really good night, Rikai-san."
And with the dawn, Rikai realized that she was no longer the perfect magical girl she once considered herself to be. The boundary between order and chaos had blurred—she was like in the middle—trying to reconcile the shattered pieces of her heart.
The magical girl was losing herself completely.
And the more she struggled, the clearer one thing became that there was no point in denying anymore. She had fallen in love with Amahiko, and there was no going back.
Rikai was no longer perfect in every way.