— — — — — —
"Tina…" Kazuma frowned slightly, watching the little blonde girl with blue eyes. "If I'm not mistaken, this one belongs to another organization."
He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "She probably wasn't just accidentally picked up by Kayano. More likely, she infiltrated us on purpose to get close and assassinate me."
"Should I just kill her?"
Kazuma's eyes lingered on the girl for a few seconds. Then, his gaze drifted toward Kayano and the others.
"Well… I shouldn't be too hasty," he finally decided. "Maybe she heard about my reputation and decided to defect. It's possible she wants to join us sincerely."
Decision made, Kazuma turned his attention to the other new girl standing beside Tina — the timid one with the hat pulled low over her face.
"This one's cute too," he muttered, smiling faintly.
"Ahem..."
"Welcome to Fairy Tail," he said aloud. "That's all for the introductions. Go have fun, get used to the place."
He waved them off, leaving Kayano and the others to help the newcomers settle in.
---
[Tina's Pov]
"My name is Tina Sprout."
"I'm a Cursed Child — an assassin. Ranked ninety-eighth among Initiators. People used to call me the Silent Killer."
"I was ordered to come here and assassinate the Guild Master of Fairy Tail… or at least, that was the plan."
She leaned against the window, watching the moonlight spill across the floor. "When I came to scout the area, this girl named Kayano found me. She looked so calm, so confident — like an older sister. Before I knew it, she'd… dragged me in."
"I was sure my disguise was perfect. But somehow, she saw through it in a single glance. I thought I'd be interrogated, tortured even. But nothing like that happened."
"Instead… I just joined. Like it was no big deal. And this place—"Her voice softened. "It's nothing like what I expected."
---
"Tina-chan! Look, it's Sailor Moon! I love this show!" Enju had latched onto Tina's hand, chatting away happily.
Tina blinked.
Enju started sharing everything she liked — TV shows, snacks, plushies — practically dumping her entire personality in Tina's lap.
"Uh-huh," Tina answered absently, glancing around. 'This place… it's so strange,' she thought.
No harsh drills. No brutal instructors. No constant shouting or punishment. Just kids laughing, eating snacks, training half-heartedly between games.
'Is this all an act? A trap to make me drop my guard?' she wondered. 'I need to be careful. I need to contact the outside world as soon as possible.'
She decided she'd sneak out once everyone was asleep. But while Tina was busy plotting, the other newcomer — the quiet catgirl in the hat — was having a harder time.
"Midori-Chan, why do you always wear that hat? Do you really like it that much?"
"…Mm."
"Midori-Chan, why don't you talk? Are you shy?"
"…Mm."
"Midori-Chan! Midori-Chan! Oiiii! Midori-Chan!"
"…Mm. Mm. Mm."
Enju peppered the poor girl with endless questions, grinning from ear to ear. The more she talked, the more excited she got, convinced they were already best friends.
Meanwhile, Fuse Midori — the cat-eared girl was on the verge of tears. She'd always been timid and soft-spoken, bad at dealing with people. And now she was trapped by this whirlwind of hyperactive friendliness, completely overwhelmed.
Kayano, sensing her distress, stepped in with her usual calm.
"Enju, that's enough for now. Midori-Chan just joined us. Give her some time to adjust."
Then she turned to Midori and gently took her hand. "Don't worry. We're all family here. You're safe with us."
Midori looked up at her. Kayano really did feel like an older sister — confident, composed, and warm. Someday, she wanted to be like her.
"Hey, Midori," said Kayo suddenly, staring intently at her hat. "Why do you always wear that? Are you cosplaying as a magical girl?"
She didn't mean anything by it — she just thought the hat looked cool, kind of witch-like.
"Um… it's to cover my ears," Midori said softly.
Everyone blinked. "Your… ears?"
She hesitated, then slowly lifted the hat off her head. Two soft, furry cat ears popped into view.
The room fell silent for a second.
"Yes," Midori said nervously. "I'm… different from everyone else. Even though we're all Cursed Children, you all look human. I have these ears, and people usually think they're weird. You probably hate them, right? You'll want me to leave."
Her hands trembled as she clutched her hat. "Don't cry," she told herself. "You're used to this. It's fine. Just don't cry, and maybe they wouldn't hate me more." But her eyes were already wet.
"This is serious," Enju said, her expression suddenly grave. Then she reached out… and rubbed Midori's cat ears.
Soft. Warm. Ridiculously fluffy.
Midori flinched and let out a tiny mewl, like a kitten. It was painfully cute.
"Yes, very serious," Kayo said solemnly — before walking over and rubbing them too. "So soft! This is important scientific research!"
"Um… could you not… touch my ears, please? That tickles…" Midori mumbled weakly, realizing something was off. This wasn't rejection, right?
"Wait, if she has ears, does she have a tail too?" Kayo asked, lifting Midori's skirt to check. "Aw, no tail. What a waste."
"Let me try!"
"Midori-Chan is so cute!"
"Hey, you've been hogging her ears! My turn!"
In seconds, the whole group had crowded around, taking turns rubbing her ears — even Kayano and Tina joined in.
"I'm a cold-blooded, heartless, professional assassin," Tina muttered to herself as she reached out and brushed the soft fur. "I'm just… gathering intel."
Midori's face was bright red, tears welling up again — but this time from embarrassment. "This isn't how it's supposed to go!"
"Alright, that's enough," Kayano said firmly. "Everyone's had a turn. I'm taking Midori to see the Guild Master — we should report this."
The others pouted but obeyed. Kayano led Midori out by the hand, her composure slipping a little as she glanced at those adorable ears again. 'So soft… I really want to touch them again.'
But she was the responsible one. The big sister. She had to stay strong.
They soon found Kazuma outside, still training. Kayano explained everything.
"This is serious," Kazuma said gravely. "Very serious."
Midori lowered her head, nervous.
Then he crossed his arms."As Guild Master… I should've been the first one to touch them. Why was I last? That's not right."
Midori blinked, confused. Before she could react, Kazuma reached out and gently rubbed her ears, smiling like he'd found treasure. "Come on, Midori-Chan, give me a meow."
"...Meow. M-meow~"
Her face flushed scarlet. She was too shy to refuse.
"So cute!" Kayano burst out, clutching her chest as if something inside her had just exploded.
Kazuma grinned. "Kayano, you're the big sister here, but you're still a kid too. Don't suppress your curiosity so much. Go on, give it a try."
He took her hand and guided it toward Midori's ears.
"They're so soft," Kayano murmured, smiling as the silky fur brushed against her fingertips.
She was supposed to be the reliable one—the "big sister." But here, next to Kazuma, she could let herself be a little selfish, a little childish. In front of him, she was just another loli.
After a while, Kazuma let go, handed Kayano something small, and waved her off. "Take Midori back for now. You'll know what to do with this."
"Kayano-neesan, what did the Guild Master give you?" Midori had her hat back on now, the brim casting a shadow over her face. Somehow, that big hat gave her courage.
"It's a secret," Kayano said with a playful smile. "You'll see soon enough."
She led Midori back to the common room where all the other girls were waiting, then began handing out the items Kazuma had given her.
Once everyone was ready, she covered Midori's eyes. "No peeking, okay? Wait until I say you can look."
Midori tilted her head in confusion but stayed still, obedient as ever.
"Alright," Kayano finally said, voice soft with excitement. "You can look now."
Midori opened her eyes.
Everyone—Enju, Kayo, Sanae, Kayano, even Tina—was standing in front of her… wearing cat ears.
"Meow~ Now we match!" they said in perfect unison, striking silly cat poses.
Midori froze. Then her vision blurred. She couldn't stop the tears from spilling down her cheeks.
For the first time, she felt what it was like to be accepted—not tolerated, not hidden, but welcomed. Maybe she wasn't an outcast after all. Maybe there really was a place for her.
Kazuma stepped forward, his tone gentle. "Little one, I know it's hard, being different. You start to think you're broken or strange. But that difference—it's what makes you YOU."
He smiled. "So be proud of it. Chin up. Chest out. Those ears are adorable, not something to hide."
He ruffled her hair, then added teasingly, "And next time I see you wearing that hat, I want to hear you say it's because you're cosplaying, not because you're trying to hide your ears."
Midori blinked up at him, startled, then smiled through her tears as he took off her hat and patted her head again.
She understood now. All of this—the gifts, the matching ears—it had been planned for her. A welcome party.
In her heart, she made a promise.
She would become braver. She'd grow from a shy, trembling girl into someone confident. And as her first goal—
"I'm going to make a hundred friends!" she whispered to herself with new determination.
"Hey, wait a sec," Enju said suddenly. "Why isn't Guild Master wearing cat ears?"
Kazuma blinked. "Huh? Me? Oh no, I'm fine. That's more of a girl thing. Wouldn't suit me."
Truthfully, the idea of himself in cat ears made him want to crawl under a rock. A grown man wearing those? No thanks.
"Nope!" Enju declared. "Everyone has to match!"
"She's right!" Kayo chimed in. "No exceptions!"
"Onii-Chan, just wear them already!" Sanae added.
Before Kazuma could protest, the swarm of little girls tackled him to the ground in a flurry of giggles. Even timid Midori joined in, caught up in the laughter.
"Alright, alright!" Kazuma surrendered, laughing. "But I'm not wearing cat ears. If I have to wear something, I'm going big!"
He rummaged through his Treasury, muttering to himself. A moment later, he pulled out a pair of lion ears, a gleaming golden crown, and a mane of lion fur—cosplaying as Simba, the Lion King himself.
This item had no magical function at all. It was just… cool.
"I'm the Lion King!" he declared dramatically, placing it on his head. "Everything is part of the great Circle of Life!"
Somewhere in the background, the faint sound of triumphant animal roars echoed—the crown apparently came with built-in BGM.
The girls burst out laughing.
Meanwhile, Tina stood off to the side, arms crossed, trying to convince herself she wasn't smiling.
"Now would be a perfect time to strike," she thought coldly. "Everyone's distracted, their guard is down. But no… this has to be a setup. They're pretending to be weak so I'll make a move."
"I'm a professional assassin. I won't fall for that."
She repeated the words like a mantra. Yet a moment later, she found herself laughing along, piled into the same group hug.
The warmth around her was… confusing. No constant training. No endless orders. No blood or fear—just laughter, snacks, silly jokes about TV shows and plush toys.
It almost felt like… a life.
Tina caught herself smiling again and quickly looked away. 'No. I can't get attached. I have a mission. That's the only reason I exist.'
Her expression hardened. She decided she'd sneak out later that night and try to contact her handlers. Upload what she'd seen here.
So she waited.
When everyone finally went to bed, Tina slipped quietly out of the dorm. She made it a few steps before someone spoke behind her.
"Tina, the bathroom's that way," Kayo said casually, still sitting outside with a book in hand.
Tina jumped. "Uh—what?"
Kayo tilted her head. "It's late. Why aren't you asleep?"
For a second, Tina's mind raced. 'She's onto me. She's been watching this whole time.' Who reads in the middle of the night unless they're keeping guard?"
"I'm a dolphin-type Cursed Child," Kayo said calmly, flipping another page. "We don't really need sleep. Technically, I'm already asleep right now—this is just me sleep-talking."
"Oh… right." Tina nodded slowly, relaxing. She was owl-type herself, nocturnal by nature. So that explained it. No surveillance—just weird biology.
"I'll… go to the bathroom, then," she said quickly.
"Mm-hm. Third door on the left," Kayo murmured, already absorbed in her book again.
Tina slipped away, heart pounding. She had barely rounded the corner when another voice startled her.
"Shh! I'm not stealing snacks, okay?" Enju hissed, crouched beside a cupboard. "These are mine. I saved them up. I didn't eat for three days so I could binge tonight."
Before Tina could reply, Enju shoved a strawberry candy into her mouth and clamped a hand over her lips.
"Mm… I was just going to the bathroom," Tina mumbled around the candy.
"Bathroom's that way. Oh, and here—take some chips. Just don't tell Kayano, okay? She doesn't let us eat at night."
Enju pressed a few more snacks into Tina's hands as a bribe, glanced around to make sure no one saw, then tiptoed away.
Tina stared down at the candy and chips, sighing. "At least I got free supplies," she muttered, tucking them away.
She took a few more steps toward the exit—only to be caught yet again.
.
.
.