Pocky and Soulmate (Akuma no Riddle / Madoka Magica - Crossover Fanfic)

Chapter Five - Part One

      After a long, long day at the construction site, Haruki forced herself to turn away from the inviting front door of her house. She had a job to do, and if she didn’t finish it, her pride as an assassin would be at stake. 

     …Though now, Haruki wasn’t completely sure that she cared for that kind of pride.

     Enjoy the life I saved. You don’t deserve it.

     Kyouko’s words echoed again and again through the assassin’s mind.

     Oh, Haruki thought as she walked down the street towards the house from last night. There’s a box of pocky on the ground.

     For a moment, Haruki smiled at the thought of the delicious snack, but then she remembered that she hadn’t had any pocky since the Witch attack. Somehow, she cared enough about the total stranger Kyouko to be hurt by the Magical Girl’s rejection.

     Total stranger. That was all she was, really. So why was she the only thing Haruki could think of? Red hair and that elegant fighting style.

     Haruki stopped walking. Kyouko meant more to her than a complete stranger would, she realized.

     Was it the fact that the redhead had saved her life? Or something else?

     Haruki didn’t know for sure, but she did know that she had to do something about this. If Kyouko was going to mean this much to her, she wouldn’t be able to stand the fact that the Magical Girl hated her guts.

     I need to find Kyouko, she thought. And then what? Haruki thought for a moment. Kyouko hates me because I’m an assassin, she considered, so if I stop being one…

     Yes. That was it. Haruki had to stop being an assassin. Maybe Kyouko wouldn’t care, maybe she’d still hate Haruki. But it was a risk the pink-haired assassin was willing to take. She’d wanted a reason to quit assassination, anyway.

     The only problem was money. Currently, Haruki paid for most of her family’s expenses with assassination money, and saved up for education with the construction site pay, but without the assassination, she’d need more work.

     Is it worth it, she thought?

     An easier life, or a slight chance of earning Kyouko’s forgiveness? Two days ago, that choice would have been easy. Easier life, obviously. But now…

     I won’t do it, Haruki thought. I won’t kill that man. I’m done with assassination.

     And with that thought, she turned around and started walking back, this time, in the direction of the shopping district. Without assassination, she’d have to get a second part-time job.

     Today, Haruki would look for another job. Tomorrow, she would try to find Kyouko. Chances of being forgiven were low, but Haruki didn’t care. Kyouko was important to her, no matter what she told herself, so she was going to do her best to get the Magical Girl’s forgiveness.