Reborn as Madokas Twin Brother

Kyoko flinched at his words. Something in the way Manaka spoke—so direct, so knowing—made her chest tighten. Her fingers curled into fists on her lap, her soul gem darkening ever so slightly as the emotions she had been suppressing clawed their way to the surface.

"I'm not a coward," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Manaka tilted his head, his sharp crimson gaze never leaving her. "Aren't you?" he asked, his voice almost mocking but laced with something else—concern, maybe, or something deeper. "You ran away from your past. You tell yourself you don't care, but your soul gem says otherwise. You're on the edge, Kyoko. You're teetering between magical girl and witch, between hope and despair. So tell me… are you really Kyoko Sakura, or have you already become Ophelia, waiting to drown?"

Kyoko's breath hitched, and for a moment, she saw herself reflected in his eyes—her trembling form, the way she gritted her teeth, how she refused to meet his gaze. The weight of her past, the futility of her wish, and the crushing loneliness that had plagued her since that day threatened to pull her under.

Then, suddenly, she let out a dry laugh, bitter and sharp. "You really don't hold back, do you?" she said, finally looking at him with a smirk that didn't quite reach her eyes. "You act like you know everything, like you've got it all figured out. But tell me, Manaka—if I'm so close to falling, why do you care?"

"why wouldn't i care for someone i like. i mean it wont really matter at the end" Manaka's voice wasn't heard at his last sentence.

Kyoko blinked, her smirk faltering for just a second. "Hah?" She tilted her head, staring at him like he'd just grown a second head. "The hell did you just say?"

Manaka simply shrugged, looking away as if the conversation no longer interested him. "Nothing important," he muttered, but the slight tension in his shoulders betrayed him.

Kyoko narrowed her eyes. "No, no, no, I definitely heard that first part." She leaned in, a teasing grin forming as she poked his arm. "You like me? Since when?"

"The day you thought i was a witch and you transformed right in front of me so a few days ago when we first met but don't misunderstand, i have one more person i like too and i haven't talked to her, she became a magical girl after mami was decapitated by a witch, it's a girl named sayaka"

Kyoko's playful smirk vanished in an instant. Her fingers twitched slightly, as if resisting the urge to clench into fists again. "Sayaka?" she repeated, her voice quieter, almost unreadable.

Manaka nodded, his expression calm, unfazed. "Yeah. Sayaka Miki." He exhaled, as if merely saying her name carried some weight. "She made her wish for a boy who'll never love her back. A knight who doesn't realize her armor is made of glass."

Kyoko clicked her tongue, scoffing as she leaned back against the railing. "Tch. Figures. That idiot's gonna crash and burn just like the rest of us."

Manaka hummed in agreement but said nothing.

A strange silence settled between them, heavier than before. The air felt colder, the distance between them somehow wider. Kyoko wasn't sure why, but she felt irritated—like an itch she couldn't scratch, a frustration she couldn't quite place.

"So what?" she said suddenly, more forcefully than she intended. "You're just gonna sit around watching her, waiting for her to break too?"

Manaka turned his gaze toward her, studying her reaction. Then, after a moment, he smirked. "Why? Jealous?"

Kyoko stiffened, the heat rising to her cheeks before she could stop it. "Wh—hell no!" She turned away, crossing her arms with an irritated huff. "Why would I be jealous? You can do whatever you want. Go simp over Miss Hero all you like."

Manaka chuckled, a low, amused sound. "I never said I was simping."

"Whatever," Kyoko muttered, tapping her foot against the rooftop. She wasn't sure why she was annoyed, but she was.

After a moment, Manaka leaned in slightly, his voice quieter now. "Kyoko."

She hesitated but glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

"If Sayaka falls, I'll stop her from becoming a witch. Just like I would for you."

Something in his tone made her chest tighten again, but this time, it wasn't out of anger or frustration. It was something else.

She swallowed hard, forcing herself to sound nonchalant. "Tch. You make it sound like we're doomed from the start."

"Eh you would be surprised. Now lets go find a witch and purify your soul grm lest you want to become a witch yourself, think of it as our first date together" Kyoko nearly choked on air. "Our what?" She whipped her head toward him, eyes wide with disbelief.

Manaka smirked, clearly enjoying her reaction. "A date," he repeated smoothly, standing up and stretching his arms over his head. "You know, two people spending time together, fighting monsters, making sure one of them doesn't turn into a mindless abomination—pretty romantic, don't you think?"

Kyoko scoffed, standing up as well and shoving her hands into her jacket pockets. "Yeah, real romantic," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "Taking a girl out on a witch hunt instead of, I don't know, a normal date like getting food or something."

Manaka glanced at her, his smirk widening. "I can buy you some taiyaki after we're done, if that helps."

Kyoko tried—really tried—not to let the thought of free food tempt her. "Hah? As if I'd let you bribe me that easily."

"Then think of it as a bonus." Manaka turned away and started walking toward the edge of the rooftop. "Come on, we're wasting time."

Kyoko stared at his back for a moment before sighing and following him. "Tch. If this is your idea of a date, you've got a weird way of showing affection, Manaka."

He glanced at her over his shoulder, his crimson eyes gleaming in the night. "And yet, you're still coming with me."

Kyoko felt her face heat up again, and she quickly looked away. "Shut up."

Manaka was happy he was able to convince Kyoko not to go onto the self destructive path.

He was also amused that she became jealous when he mentioned sayaka, Manaka also felt happy Kyoko found him as a good anchor. Amd speaking about some interests he should probably also comfort Sayaka tomorrow since if he remembered from his vision, kyoko would trash her with her barrier strings. That is if he future did;nt change with his interference