"E-exit... e-exit... e-exit...!!!"
The single word kept stalling on Eriri's flushed face, and she couldn't get the last two words out, looking quite distressed.
"There's no one else here; you don't have to act so innocent."
Utaha took the small, neatly wrapped package from Eriri's hands and put it back in her drawer.
"W-who's acting? I'm really just a bit surprised!"
"It's hard to believe that a hentai artist would stutter and freeze up at seeing such a thing."
"Considering how often you've probably drawn these, it's likely your count is well over a hundred by now."
"Who would draw such things?!"
"Oh, sorry, I forgot you're into humiliation and not really into drawing safety products. I don't recall you ever having Chisato use them in dreams; you always just let him go straight in."
"Stop...! Don't say such things out of the blue! Aren't you embarrassed?!"
Eriri's face turned red as she almost spat out a curse word.
Utaha, crossing her arms, continued to dig up old issues,
"It's not me who was tied up and blindfolded with a ball. I was just a bystander. Why should I be embarrassed?"
"It was just a blindfold! No ropes! And NO BALL!!!"
Facing the agitated Eriri, Utaha calmly covered her ears.
"Shout louder if you want. It'd be great if my mom heard our conversation and then mentioned it to your mom when they meet next time."
"You...!"
Eriri stomped her foot in frustration and then went to sit at the edge of the bed, crossing her legs.
"Your skirt's damp. Don't sit on my bed. There's a chair over there."
Utaha's comment made Eriri huff and then plop down in the middle of her bed, rolling around twice in a dramatic fashion.
"Immature."
They both exchanged a glance and sighed in unison.
After a moment of silence, Eriri asked,
"Was that thing you showed me really brought by Chisato?"
"Yeah. It wasn't put away properly and fell onto the sofa, which I noticed."
Utaha walked to the window and looked out at the gloomy sky.
Eriri's face still had a flush of red. Utaha's response made her think about it more.
"What did Chisato say when he came to see you?"
"I know what you're trying to find out, but you don't need to be so indirect. He didn't mention you."
"Hmph."
"What's important is not that but that his situation is a bit different from ours."
"Different? What do you mean?"
Eriri sat up on the bed.
"To put it simply, he's missing some parts of his dream."
"He knows us and has an idea of our interactions in the dream, but he's completely unaware of specific details, like the small things of our daily life together."
"…"
"In short, our relationship with him could be summed up in one phrase: the most familiar stranger."
Utaha didn't turn around.
Eriri stood up and walked to her side, looking at her with suspicion,
"That sounds so suspicious. Are you up to some trick?"
"I knew you'd react like this."
Utaha returned to her desk, picked up her phone, and tapped a few times. Eriri's phone then pinged with a notification.
"It's pointless to say more. I've already sent you Chisato's LINE account. It's better if you ask him directly for details."
Eriri stared at her phone screen. The fact that Utaha had said so much made her start to believe the information, despite her reluctance.
She still hoped that Chisato would remember things about their dream life just as clearly as she and Utaha did.
Reuniting in reality with memories of their dream life and fulfilling regrets would be romantic and wonderful.
For example, visiting places they had never been, holding hands and showing off, having more than one child, or even three...
"When I first learned about this situation from him, I was surprised too, but I quickly came to terms with it."
Utaha's comment, while looking out at the steady rain, brought Eriri out of her thoughts.
"What do you mean?"
"Appearance, figure, scent, habits, gaze, walking style, smile, taste in food…"
"Except for being less proactive, everything else feels completely the same. I know he's still him, and that's enough for me."
"...Are you trying to comfort me?"
"No, I'm just sharing my thoughts honestly. But if you can, it would be best if you voluntarily left the group."
"You know that's impossible. Why say that?"
"Some things become clear with just one meeting. Hiding it doesn't make sense."
"...Well, thanks anyway."
Eriri gave her a sidelong glance.
Utaha shrugged, "Consider it an apology for my past misdeeds. Don't worry about it."
Eriri sighed and lay back on the bed, burying her face in the soft pillow.
This was an instinctive action.
The impression from the previous dream had made her less averse to Utaha's things. After all, they had shared a bed for a lifetime in the dream.
Of course, they wouldn't sleep together. They would always be holding onto Chisato's arms, one on the left and one on the right.
Utaha didn't say anything further about Eriri's actions. She sat at her desk and opened the novel she had been reading.
"Hey, Utaha."
"What is it?"
"Did you really mean what you said about Chisato? About the feeling he gave you?"
"Yes, without a doubt. Even his aura, which is something intangible, felt incredibly familiar."
"...I really want to see him too."
"Go ahead."
"But my feelings are so mixed right now. After hearing what you said, I don't know how to face him or what to say when we meet."
"That's the trouble of a young girl. It's not like someone who's had a child. You should know that in reality, Chisato might lack many memories compared to us. Do you know what that means?"
"What does it mean?"
Eriri raised her head.
Utaha sighed lightly,
"It means your IQ might not be quite enough. All those years of experience as a mature woman seem wasted. It's better for you to take the initiative to leave the group this time."
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