Chapter 221: Watching Anime with Mirajane

Chapter 221: Chapter 221: Watching Anime with MirajaneMagnolia, Fairy Tail Guild

A flash of golden light flickered at the guild's entrance, and Nate reappeared instantly.

The guild was typically quiet at night. The outdoor café tables and chairs had been neatly put away, and the small shop selling guild merchandise was closed.

It's worth mentioning that the shop clerk was Max Alors, a mage specializing in sand magic. The shop offered a wide range of items at affordable prices: a T-shirt with the guild emblem for only 3000 J, a pleated skirt for 2500 J, and a towel for 1000 J...

In addition, they sold pillows, wristbands, mugs, scarves, snacks, natural lacrimas, various magical potions, and crystal items bearing the guild emblem. The most popular items, however, were the figurines—especially Nate's, which was the best seller. Rumor had it that a certain "Rain Woman" had once cleared out the entire stock of Nate figurines in one go.

Nate had nothing to say about it—Juvia always found unique ways to spend her money.

Entering the guild hall, Nate found it just as quiet.

Using his Six Eyes to trace the flow of magic, he sensed Mirajane's presence on the second floor. He skipped the staircase and floated up, finding the guild's receptionist busy in an office.

The door was open, and Mirajane sat at a desk under the soft glow of a magic crystal, reviewing the guild's monthly income and expenses.

"Busy?" Nate asked.

Mirajane looked up, her smile warm and gentle.

"Almost finished. Take a seat and relax for a bit, Nate."

Nate walked over to a nearby sofa and poured himself some tea, sipping as he watched Mirajane work. As the guild's receptionist, her duties went far beyond serving drinks. She managed purchasing, auditing, accounting, and more—all by herself.

Fairy Tail couldn't do without Mirajane. She was as essential to the guild as Tifa was to a certain anime or Jerusalem was to the West. Compared to her, the guild master seemed hardly necessary—any guild master really just needed to be good at writing apology letters!

"Phew... finally done," Mirajane sighed, setting the completed report aside to hand over to the master tomorrow.

She walked over to Nate, smiling brightly.

"Thanks for waiting! Would you like something to eat?"

"For a movie night, some snacks would be nice. And maybe some juice if you have any," Nate replied casually—he hadn't eaten dinner yet.

"Sure, just wait a moment; I'll go grab some," Mirajane said, quickly leaving the room and returning with a plate of fruit and snacks.

"I picked all your favorites. So, where's this movie?"

Tonight, Mirajane was dressed in a white dress, looking elegant and composed. She placed the fruit platter on the table and sat beside Nate. Gracefully, she smoothed her dress, crossed her legs, and leaned her knees subtly toward Nate, showing warmth. With wide, curious eyes, she gazed at him, waiting expectantly.

"It's not a movie; it's an animation," Nate corrected, activating 'Arc of Embodiment' to conjure a magical image crystal. A beam of light shone from the crystal, creating a floating screen before them.

The first episode of 'The Original Series' began, opening with the classic theme song—one of the most famous in the 'Pokémon' series, which Nate knew by heart.

"It's so good!" Mirajane exclaimed, her face lighting up with delight.

The melody was upbeat and joyful, with lyrics full of energy. By the halfway point, Mirajane was humming along with the subtitles, smiling as she watched. Nate smiled too—her singing was pleasant.

When the song ended, Mirajane asked, "What's the title of this song?"

"'Mesaze Pokémon Master,'" Nate replied.

"This is my first time hearing it. I only know the 'Gotta catch 'em all' song," she added, chuckling.

"Did you write and compose it, Nate? It's wonderful!" Mirajane asked with a playful smile.

"Well, not exactly..." Nate answered vaguely, not wanting to take credit for someone else's work.

"If it were shown in theaters, I think it would become a hit across the continent."

"Do you like going to the movies?" Nate asked.

"Not really—it feels a little odd going alone," she replied with a hint of playfulness.

"Though Qiangji does—he's always at the movies whenever something new comes out. Almost all his income goes toward movie magic crystals."

"Who's Qiangji?" Nate asked, confused.

"Wang Qiangji—the one who's usually quiet, wears a jacket and sunglasses. You probably haven't seen him often," Mirajane laughed. As the guild's receptionist, she knew all the members well.

Nate genuinely didn't recall him. With three or four hundred mages in Fairy Tail, most of the regulars at the guild were familiar faces, but with online job requests now, some members hardly ever showed up.

(Bleam: Probably a Fandom Meme, or something. There's a result in Chinese but not in English. Here: 王·强吉)

"Next time there's a new movie release, let's go see it together," Nate said, remembering Mirajane's hint.

"Sure," Mirajane smiled. "When does this 'Pokémon' movie come out?"

"This isn't a movie; it's an animated series," Nate clarified, explaining the upcoming "video streaming site" feature on the magic net.

Mirajane was amazed. "We'll be able to watch it on the Magic Net?"

"Yes, with an early-access pay-per-view system. Users can pay magic coins to watch the latest episodes sooner," Nate explained.

The setup was simple: release a set number of episodes for free, then shift to a pay-per-view model. Free episodes would still be periodically released so viewers could catch up over time.

The 'The Original Series' arc would have 271 episodes, enough to release over about half a year.

"It's a shame we won't see your animation in a theater," Mirajane sighed regretfully.

"Well, not necessarily—we could make a feature film version someday," Nate replied, gently taking Mirajane's hand and pulling her closer.

"Anyway, for now, let's just enjoy the first episode."

Mirajane smiled, resting her head on Nate's shoulder as they settled into the story. The first episode was straightforward: Ash, the main character, gets his first Pokémon, Pikachu, and sets out to become a Pokémon Master.

Mirajane was captivated by the story. When Pikachu appeared, she felt an immediate connection, especially since she had her own Pikachu in the game. She also learned about the "Starter Pokémon," the three creatures new trainers could initially choose.

At the episode's end, Ash caught a fleeting glimpse of one of the legendary Pokémon, Ho-Oh.

"What's that Pokémon?" Mirajane asked excitedly. "Let's watch the next episode—it's so fun!"

Just then, her magic ring lit up with a message from her sister, Lisanna.

Lisanna: "Mirajane, are you still out? Working late? It's almost ten. ??"

Mirajane noticed Nate peeking at her messages and gave him a playful glare. "No peeking!"

After hesitating for a second, she quickly replied.

The Departing Traveler: "Lisanna, go ahead and sleep. I might not be back at the dorm tonight." Sёarch* The nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Lisanna: "Huh? Is work really that busy?"

The Departing Traveler: "A bit, yes. Goodnight!"

Lisanna: "Hmm... something's up. Who stays out for work this late? ??"

Lisanna: "Mira, are you out on a date with Nate? I haven't seen him around all day!"

Mirajane blushed at how accurately her sister had guessed.

Lisanna: "Wow, staying out all night, sis? ??"

It's just watching a movie—no, an animation! Mirajane thought, flustered.

Lisanna: "Go for it, sis! When you're back, tell me what it's like... you know, being with a guy! ??"

What does she mean by "that"? What kind of books has she been reading? Mirajane, ever the protective older sister, felt a twinge of concern about Lisanna's reading material.

Then she remembered Nate was sitting right beside her and felt her cheeks heat up even more.

~~~

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