My Magical Girl System

Chapter 132: Lumy Rinne II

The van pulled up in front of a modest apartment building on the quieter side of the city. The street was mostly empty at this hour, with only a few parked cars and the soft glow of streetlights breaking the darkness. Andrey parked neatly by the curb and killed the engine.

"This should be it," Hope said, unbuckling her seatbelt. "Lumy’s place is on the third floor."

The three of them got out and made their way up the stairs. When they reached the door marked 3B, Hope knocked twice.

A few seconds later, the door opened.

Standing in the doorway was a woman with short, slightly messy blue hair and sharp black eyes that carried a cold, distant look. Her face was strikingly serious, flat and cold, like someone who rarely smiled. She wore a simple white tank top that clung to her figure and revealed a fair amount of cleavage, paired with tight black short pants. A pair of thin glasses rested on the bridge of her nose. She looked like she had been relaxing at home before they arrived.

Lumy’s eyes landed on Hope first. "Hope? What are you doing here so late—"

Her gaze shifted past Hope’s shoulder and landed on Andrey.

She froze.

For a split second, her cold, serious expression cracked into something close to pure shock. Without a word, she stepped back and shut the door right in their faces.

Lisa blinked, startled. "Eh? Why did she close the door?"

Hope tilted her head, equally confused. "I... don’t know?"

Inside, they could hear the faint sound of hurried footsteps and something being pulled open, probably a closet. A few seconds later, the door opened again.

This time, Lumy stood there slightly out of breath, now wearing a loose black tracksuit jacket zipped up over her tank top. Her blue hair was still messy, and a few strands stuck to her forehead. She adjusted her glasses with one hand and tried to compose herself, though her breathing was still a little uneven.

"...Please come in," she said, voice flat and serious again, though there was a faint awkwardness underneath.

Andrey gave a small nod. "Sorry for coming so late."

"Excuse us," Lisa added politely as they stepped inside.

The apartment was small but neat, a simple living room with a couch, a low table, and a few bookshelves. A half-finished cup of coffee sat on the table, still steaming faintly.

Before anyone could say anything else, Lumy’s eyes flicked toward Hope. She reached out, grabbed Hope’s wrist, and pulled her a few steps away toward the kitchen area, speaking in a low, urgent voice.

"Why didn’t you tell me there was a man coming with you?"

Hope blinked, genuinely confused. "Eh? I thought it would be fine... Is there a problem?"

Lumy shot a quick, sharp glance toward Andrey, who was standing politely near the entrance with Lisa. Her expression was still serious, but there was clear embarrassment and irritation in her eyes.

"I was in my home clothes," she hissed quietly, cheeks faintly pink. "You should’ve warned me. I don’t just let men see me like that."

Hope finally seemed to understand and gave an apologetic smile. "Ah... sorry. I didn’t think it would be an issue. He’s a friend."

Lumy let out a quiet sigh and rubbed her temple, clearly still flustered. She took another second to compose herself before turning back toward the guests, her face returning to its usual cold, serious look.

"...Please, sit down," she said, gesturing toward the couch. "I’ll get you something to drink."

Andrey and Lisa exchanged a brief glance but didn’t comment. The atmosphere was a little awkward, but not hostile.

It seemed Lumy Rinne was not the type of person who appreciated surprises, especially when those surprises involved unexpected male visitors showing up at her door late at night.

Before anyone could say anything, Hope stepped forward with her usual bright energy and smiled at Lumy.

"Ah, right! I should introduce everyone properly," she said cheerfully, gesturing toward Andrey and Lisa. "Lumy, this is Andrey Thompson, and this is Lisa Sadine. Guys, this is Lumy Rinne, I hope you guys get along."

Andrey gave a polite nod. "Thank you for agreeing to meet us on such short notice. I’m Andrey."

Lisa smiled warmly and bowed her head slightly. "It’s nice to meet you, Lumy. Sorry for dropping by so late."

Lumy adjusted her glasses and gave a small, formal nod in return. Her expression remained cold and serious, though the earlier shock had mostly faded from her face.

"...Lumy Rinne," she replied simply. "It’s fine. I wasn’t sleeping yet anyway."

There was a brief, slightly awkward pause before Hope clapped her hands together once, shifting the atmosphere back to business.

"Alright! Now that introductions are out of the way..." She turned to Lumy with a bright smile. "Like I mentioned on the phone earlier, I want you to find someone with golden eyes."

Lumy, who had already started moving toward the small kitchen counter to prepare drinks, paused mid-step. She didn’t turn around immediately, but her shoulders shifted slightly at the words.

"...Golden eyes?" she repeated, voice flat and serious.

She continued preparing the drinks, pouring iced tea into glasses with precise movements before glancing over her shoulder toward the living room.

"I’ve never seen anyone with eyes like that before," Lumy said as she placed the glasses on a tray. "Not in any records or reports I’ve come across. But... I’ll try to find them."

She walked over and set the tray down on the low table, then sat down on the single armchair across from them. Her cold black eyes moved between the three guests, calm and focused.

"Tell me everything you know about this person," she continued. "Even small details might help. Where was he last seen? Who was he talking to? Any other distinctive features besides the eyes?"

Andrey leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. "We don’t have much yet. But we have a starting point, Miguel Pestrine. He was seen talking to this golden-eyed man near the guild entrance about two weeks ago. After that, Miguel started acting strangely... and then disappeared four days ago. We found his body rigged as a trap."

Lisa added softly, "We’re not sure if this person is connected to the demons or something else entirely. But we need to find him."

Lumy was quiet for a few seconds after they finished. She picked up her own glass and took a slow sip, the ice shifting softly inside.

"...Understood," she finally said, setting the glass back down. "I’ll start looking into it tonight. I can’t promise quick results, but I’ll see what I can dig up from the police database and my own contacts."

Hope beamed, clearly relieved. "That’s more than enough. Thank you, Lumy."

Lumy gave a small nod, though her gaze flicked once more toward Andrey before returning to Hope.

"...Next time," she said evenly, "at least give me a heads-up if you’re bringing a man along."

Hope laughed lightly, rubbing the back of her head. "Ahaha... noted."