I'm a magical girl in the future

Chapter 60 Academic Performance

The scene at the dining table is typical of Shen Zixin's home.

Qin Xiaoling, He Yuran, and Shen Zixin were sitting at the dining table eating lunch.

"Xiaoling," Shen Zixin asked while eating, "How's your studying going lately?"

"Ah... well... studying..." Qin Xiaoling swallowed the half-chewed rice, her eyes starting to drift to the side, "It's just ordinary, nothing special, right?"

Hearing this ambiguous answer, Shen Zixin knew what was going on.

Shen Zixin and Lu Yue maintained a fairly free attitude towards Xiaoling's studies, basically not managing her much and relying entirely on Xiaoling's self-discipline.

On the one hand, they believe that excessive control over their younger sister, who has lacked "parents" since childhood, may damage the "family" relationship between them.

However, Qin Xiaoling is now in her final year of junior high school, a crucial time for her to get into her ideal high school. Although it's not as important as the final year of high school, she can't afford to be careless.

"In the past, I thought that studying was your own business, and as long as you took responsibility for yourself, your sister and I wouldn't interfere too much."

Shen Zixin's tone also became serious. In this situation, she still had to put on the airs of an "elder".

"But things are different now, Xiaoling. You're a ninth grader now, and you need to think about getting into a higher grade. So, I've made a decision—"

He paused for a moment, looking into his sister's eyes, which were filled with a sense of foreboding.

"—From today onwards, I will be responsible for supervising and tutoring your studies during your free time. On weekends, you must stay home obediently."

"Huh?! Why?!" Xiaoling protested in dissatisfaction.

"You failed math on your final exam last semester, didn't you?"

"Well……"

"And then there's physics. As far as I remember, you've never passed it. Plus, you'll be learning chemistry in your final year of junior high, which you probably won't be able to handle either, right?"

"I passed history, but barely. The only subject I could pass was Chinese, but it was just average."

Shen Zixin began to list her younger sister's "crimes" in her studies.

"So with your grades like this, we'll have to take some drastic measures."

"How do you remember so clearly, bro?" Qin Xiaoling complained. "Last semester, after I told you my exam results, I didn't see any reaction from you, so I thought you didn't care."

"I just wanted you to have a good summer vacation without any pressure, that's why I didn't mention these things," Shen Zixin said helplessly. "But now that you're in your final year of junior high, I can't let you be so carefree anymore."

Seeing her undeniably poor grades, Qin Xiaoling took a deep breath and unleashed what she considered her most irrefutable "trump card"—

"I... I'm a magical girl now! I'm a hero who fights against monstrous beasts and protects the peace of this world! Studying and all that... it doesn't matter anymore!"

It sounds like she's trying to justify herself, but that's really what Qin Xiaoling was thinking.

Theoretically, this is true; quite a few girls completely abandon their studies after becoming magical girls. They can easily support themselves, or even their families, with the income they earn from defeating monsters.

Therefore, in Qin Xiaoling's view, this is an irrefutable reason.

"Having magical girl abilities can certainly ensure you have no worries about food and clothing, but that doesn't mean studying is useless. Your thinking habits, social skills, perspective, and cognition are all inseparable from learning; you just don't realize it."

Shen Zixin's expression became even more serious.

"Mastering the necessary knowledge is the foundation for you to integrate into this society. If you don't study, you will become a 'broadly illiterate' person in the future, and even becoming a magical girl will be a regret in your life."

"I don't want the Civil Defense Bureau to one day ask you how many monsters you killed in their post-war report, and you have to count on your fingers and answer 'a lot, a lot' because the number is over ten."

"Hey, hey, hey, I know you're just using a metaphor, but this is going too far!" Qin Xiaoling protested. "Besides, bro, you're just an ordinary person, can you stop lecturing me like you know so much about magical girls?"

"Xiaoling..."

He Yuran, who had been silent all along, joined the conversation at this moment.

"Although saying this might make you a little unhappy... I think Ah-Xin is right."

"Becoming a magical girl doesn't mean you can abandon your life as an ordinary girl, 'Qin Xiaoling.' On the contrary, precisely because magical girl battles are full of danger and the unknown, you should hold on tightly to your 'everyday life.'"

"Protecting the world and protecting your own future are not contradictory. How can a hero who can't even take responsibility for his own life protect others?"

Caught between her brother and He Yuran, Qin Xiaoling had no choice but to give up.

She clutched her head, letting out a mournful cry of despair: "Waaah... Even Sister Yu Ran said that..."

"Then it's decided," Shen Zixin picked up her bowl and chopsticks. "Starting tonight, I will personally supervise you to complete all your homework."

Qin Xiaoling resignedly lowered her head, but then, as if remembering something, she immediately asked, "If it's just about studying, could we have another tutor?"

"What, you have a problem with your older brother?" Shen Zixin frowned. "Hiring another tutor would cost money, so why can't I teach you?"

"No, no, no, it's definitely not because I look down on you, bro," Xiaoling explained. "It's just that a very good friend of mine, Ye Han, has had a tutor hired by her family. So, could you ask that tutor to teach me too? That way, I can study with Ye Han."

"Your abacus beads are practically hitting my face," Shen Zixin said, looking at her speechlessly. "If you two, who know each other, were to get together, you could probably chat all day long. How could you possibly concentrate on your studies like that?"

"Big brother~ Onii-chan~ please!" Qin Xiaoling immediately got up and walked to Shen Zixin's side, grabbed his arm and shook it, and changed to a coquettish tone.

"I promise I'll study hard! You could check out Ye Han's tutor first! What if she's really good?"

"...Let me make this clear first," Shen Zixin said, her heart softening at her sister's expression. "If that teacher's fees are too high, I'll still have to teach her myself. Our family's budget isn't that generous yet."

Hearing this, Qin Xiaoling knew her brother had relented. She immediately pulled out her phone, her fingers flying across the screen: "I'll ask Ye Han right now what her teacher's contact information is!"