At 7 PM, Hoshimi, who had spent the whole day with Yukino, finally decided to go home.
As he was about to leave, Yukino asked quietly, "Hoshimi, what are you going to do about that Iwanaga junior?"
Hoshimi, who was changing his shoes in the entrance, paused and looked back at Yukino, who stood at the end of the hallway.
After a moment's glance, Hoshimi turned back to continue tying his shoelaces.
He had thought Yukino might resist asking about Iwanaga Kotoko, but in the end, she brought it up.
He pondered his words for a moment before speaking slowly, "It's an unreasonable and unrealistic story. If you hear it for the first time, you'd definitely think it's the plot of a bizarre novel."
"There was a girl who was kidnapped by criminals at the age of 11. These criminals were peculiar; they didn't contact the girl's parents or demand ransom. They cruelly gouged out her right eye, sawed off her left leg, and then discarded her on a random bench."
"When the police found the girl, they hurriedly sent her to the hospital and angrily condemned the cruel criminals, vowing to capture them."
"However, the case eventually became a cold case. The criminals were never found, and the girl, after waking up, could only offer vague information, merely saying 'I don't remember clearly.'"
"As time passed, the girl was discharged from the hospital with a prosthetic eye and limb, and the clueless police could only reluctantly shelve the case."
"Later, when the girl was 14, she entered a strange dream. The dream's owner was a boy of similar age, who welcomed her with a charming smile and naturally began his mischief."
"In this highly realistic dream, the girl, who was successfully tricked, didn't get angry or embarrassed. Instead, she looked at her left leg in surprise and touched her right eye."
"The boy, puzzled, asked the girl why she wasn't angry."
"The girl smiled, lifted her skirt, and thanked the boy, 'Why should I be angry? I should be thanking you. After several years, I can once again feel the existence of my left leg and right eye. It's truly moving. But there's no need for it; this is enough. Please turn my left leg and right eye into prosthetics.'"
"The boy was confused. He didn't do as the girl asked. Instead, he preserved her intact body and dressed her in an extremely short skirt to showcase her beautiful legs."
"The girl was somewhat troubled, but in the dream, she could only comply with the boy's wishes."
"In the following week, the girl entered the boy's dream every day, and their relationship grew closer through the pranks."
"At the same time, the boy was amazed by the girl's intelligence. It was rare to find a peer who could keep up with his pace."
"The boy became curious about the girl's story and asked her directly about the reasons for losing her left leg and right eye."
"The girl, calm, told the boy two versions of the story. One was the story of the criminals, as previously mentioned."
"In the other version, the criminals turned into monsters. The girl was kidnapped by these monsters, who begged her to become the 'Goddess of Wisdom' and resolve their disputes."
"Seeing the little monsters around her, the girl, with a big heart, agreed with a smile…"
"Then the girl lost her left leg and right eye, becoming the monsters' 'Goddess of Wisdom,' and was called 'Princess' by them."
"The boy, after hearing the story, asked, 'Which version is true?'"
"The girl replied, 'Which version do you want to be true?'"
"The boy: I want the second version to be true. It sounds dreamy and interesting."
"The girl: You guessed right. The second version is true."
"The girl smiled, her young round face radiating an alluring beauty."
"The boy smiled too, not paying much attention, simply thinking that the girl's 'setting' was complete."
"That's right, the boy didn't see the girl as a real person. More precisely, the boy didn't see the girls in his dreams as real humans. He only regarded them as elements of a self-entertaining panoramic galgame in his dream."
"Later, the boy, who was full of schemes, 'conquered' the girl. They held a grand wedding in the dream, with the boy creating many monsters as guests for the wedding according to the girl's instructions."
"The unbelievably grand wedding enchanted the girl. She enjoyed it greatly and told the boy, 'I will find you.'"
"The boy didn't care. He continued to enjoy his incredibly realistic 'game.'"
"Soon after, perhaps because the 'conquest' was complete, the girl disappeared from the boy's dream."
"Then, a new girl appeared. The boy didn't think much of it and continued his happy game."
"One girl after another appeared, and the boy continued to enjoy his game."
"Until one day, when the boy went to school, he was surprised to find that his seat neighbor was…"
Hoshimi stood up, opened the door, and slightly turned his head, softly saying, "Yukino, good night."
Click—
As Hoshimi left and the door closed, the empty apartment was left with only Yukino.
She leaned against the wall, her expression unclear as she gazed at the dim entrance.
So, this is your story, Hoshimi.
The boy is you, the girl who lost her left leg and right eye is Iwanaga Kotoko, and I am the neighbor at the end of the story…
So, until you met me, you didn't realize that the girls in the dream weren't imaginary?
"..." Yukino pressed her lips together, silently returning to the living room.
She lay on the sofa, her eyes wandering as she stared at the ceiling.
I'm not special. There are many girls who, like me, enter Hoshimi's dreams. They may have deeper bonds and more intimate relationships with him in the dream.
But at the same time, I am special. I'm the first dream girl to appear by Hoshimi's side and the key figure who made him realize that the dream girls aren't imaginary.
What should I do? What choice should I make?
Hoshimi, what are you thinking? Why did you honestly tell me all this? What decision do you want me to make?
Hoshimi… you're as cunning as ever...
Yukino pursed her lips, closed her eyes, and entered into deep contemplation.
...
On the other side, Hoshimi stood in front of his house, lost in thought.
When he left at 9 AM, he told Aoyama Nanami that he was going shopping.
===
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