Thank you, Piccolo, for already arriving at the obvious conclusion to all of this.

Although Madoka wasn't planning on asking it as directly, really. It'd feel like she may be putting a bit too much pressure on Piccolo, which she definitely doesn't want to do. But from the way Madoka is still standing there, nervously pressing her fingers together, it's already obvious there's a little more to all of this.

"Well, I tried carefully walking over to them earlier.. And, um, they walked away.."

See the problem? Madoka can't pet them from afar! She doesn't have magically extending arms, after all.

"So I thought that maybe they don't want to? Or maybe they just don't like me.."