Dream a Happy Dream II

-Chapter 5-

“So you really did let that girl in…”

It was the prior night when Haruto Kawashima was communicating with Tsukiko in a dream. The two were speaking to one another in what looked like a household living room. Just a short while earlier, Haruto had been out on a walk, when he spotted another dream taking place in this space. He didn’t check it thoroughly, but had a hunch that it was Yuko Maeda’s dream.

“It’s fine. Based on how she acted, big sis Yuko isn’t like me at all. But still, she’s very nice and pretty, so I wanted to let her have a nice dream.” Tsukiko smiled at her friend.

“’B-big sis’…? A-anyway, I thought you said not to trust anyone the adults bring in… What if they really find out about this?” Haruto maintained his worry.

“Don’t worry so much, Haru.” Tsukiko waved off his concerns. “She just gave me a good feeling, so forget what I said before.”

“Jeez, easy for you to say… I already went and told her off…” Haruto scratched his head, unsure how to deal with the new situation.

“Oh… heehee.” Tsukiko stuck out her tongue.

Haruto simply laughed it off, and before long the two got on a different subject. The rest of that dream passed as usual. Haruto watched as Tsukiko played with her parents, and he’d occasionally join in to chat if Tsukiko ever called out to him. It was a scene that’d become common in Haruto’s dreams.

This was all last night, but now it was the evening of May 20th, and Haruto was settling in for the night in his 4-person dorm room. He simply lay on the bed staring at the ceiling, paying no mind to the other boys he shared a room with, who were all engaged in a conversation about some comic they were into.

Comparatively speaking, Haruto got along decently well with his roommates. They did however see him as a bit of a loner, so they tended to give him space, whether he asked for it or not. Still, Haruto did appreciate that there were some people around who were at least trying to be considerate of him, in their own way.

After all, just a couple of years prior, Haruto had a reputation for being quite the troublemaker among his peers…

---

“Yo.” Haruto grumbled in a voice barely above a whisper as he shuffled into the classroom. It was an ordinary autumn day, several years before the current situation taking place at Central hospital.

“Haruto! You’re over an hour late! Where have you been all morning?!” shouted the frustrated teacher, Eiko Shinohara, who’d just interrupted her lecture to scold the late arriver.

“Just sleepin’! Getting up so early is such a pain.” Haruto muttered, as he sat down at his seat with a yawn, leaning his legs on top of the desk.

“Please get your feet off the desk…” Ms. Shinohara seemed about ready to snap.

“Yeah, yeah…” Haruto obliged, fixing up his posture.

This wasn’t an uncommon routine. Rather, Haruto had been a bit of a thorn in Ms. Shinohara’s side for a while now. She was still relatively new to teaching, and wasn’t sure how to deal with blatant rule breakers like Haruto.

Meanwhile, the other students all glanced Haruto’s way with looks of annoyance. In small groups like this, acting out was generally a one-way ticket to being branded an outcast. Haruto wasn’t stupid, though; he was perfectly aware of this.

“That kid’s so scary…”

“He’ll definitely beat you up if you look at him wrong.”

Whispers echoed throughout the classroom, before Haruto’s glares silenced the onlookers.

“Anyway, back to the lesson…” Ms. Shinohara tried to redirect the mood, returning to her explanation of things written on the board.

Later that day, the class was in a bit of an excited uproar.

“Yes, yes. I know you’re all excited. Today’s the day of the arts & crafts project.” Ms. Shinohara spoke up, trying to quiet down the excited class.

The kids were excited over the prospect of getting to play with all kinds of materials to make something. It was a rare day when the often dull classroom time would become something a bit more fun. Today, however, something a little different was being done.

“So, I know you kids are used to being paired up at random, but since we just had those tests recently, I figured I’d let you all pair up with whoever you want today.” Ms. Shinohara gave a small smile. “So talk amongst yourselves to decide and let me know who’s pairing up.”

“Seriously…?” Haruto, who wasn’t particularly well-liked in his class, could only groan. After all, who on earth would want to pair up with him?

He glanced around the room as the excited students all started talking at once, making the room quite loud. Of course, the popular kids all got crowded with offers, while other tight-knit friend groups were already talking about how they’d split up into pairs. Finding someone to pair with in this mess seemed way too draining, so Haruto just nonchalantly rested his head on his desk.

Before long, just about everyone had paired up.

“Let’s see… There should still be two left…” Ms. Shinohara said, scanning the list of students. “Ah, Haruto Kawashima, Tsukiko Matsuura, since you both don’t have a partner, you both shall be paired up. With that, everyone should have a partner, correct?”

“Aw jeez, some girl…?” Haruto scoffed, before rising from his seat, glancing around the room trying to find his partner.

A moment later, he spotted a timid-looking girl sitting all by herself in the corner of the room. With a sigh, he grabbed his seat and made his way over to her desk, since it didn’t seem like she had any intention of moving to his.

“Okay, everyone…” Ms. Shinohara scanned the room one last time to confirm all the groups were together before continuing. “You’re free to make whatever you want, just follow the rules on the earlier handout. You may begin!”

With that, the room erupted into a loud cheer as all the friends paired together began to excitedly plan their projects. In contrast to them, Haruto simply sat silently across from his equally-quiet partner: a girl apparently named Tsukiko.

“So, uh… What’re we makin’?” Haruto spoke up.

“… Huh? Oh…” Tsukiko’s eyes briefly met his, before returning to the table. It seemed as though she were about to respond, but her mouth remained shut.

“Um… hello?” Haruto waved at the girl.

“Oh… sorry…” Tsukiko fidgeted.

“No big deal. But we gotta decide what we’re doin’…” Haruto pointed his head towards the nearby table stacked with materials the kids could all take and use.

“R-right, um…” Tsukiko shrunk in on herself.

“I get it…” Haruto sighed.

“Huh?” Tsukiko looked up.

“I know. You goody two-shoes types hate getting paired up with someone so ‘mean’ and ‘thuggish’ like me, right?” Haruto glared at the girl. “Look, just say it and get it off your chest, I won’t bite. This is only a dumb school project anyway.”

“Um…” Tsukiko tilted her head.

“Hm? What?” Haruto blinked.

“S-sorry…” Tsukiko lowered her head as she squeaked out her voice. “I don’t know what you mean…”

“Huh?!” Haruto was floored. “What do you mean you don’t know?!”

“Hmm?” Tsukiko merely stared at Haruto in confusion with her big, teary eyes.

“Gah!” Haruto was taken off guard by such an expression. It almost made his heart skip a beat. “I-I mean, don’t you know who I am?”

“You’re… Mr. Kawashima.” Tsukiko furrowed her brow, not understanding the question.

“I, well, yes… that’s me…” Haruto wasn’t sure what to make of the simple response. “So, like… Doesn’t being paired with me bother you?”

“Why would it…?” Tsukiko tilted her head.

“Because… um… you know.” Haruto suddenly started to feel embarrassed. “Everyone thinks I’m just some punk.”

“Oh… are you?” Tsukiko asked innocently.

“Huh?” Haruto blinked.

“Are you… a punk?” she asked once more.

“… You’re weird. Hahaha.” Haruto could only laugh.

After all, it’d been a long time since another kid his own age ever spoke to him so normally, without seeming blatantly fearful or intimidated. This was especially true of people in his own class. Yet, this quiet girl he’d never even noticed before didn’t seem aware of his reputation at all. Rather, Haruto got the sense that Tsukiko probably paid little attention to anything going on around her. But still, he didn’t mind that. In an odd way, he found it kind of cute. Refreshing even, compared to the other girls in class who tended to be chatterboxes.

The rest of the day progressed smoothly, with Haruto and Tsukiko making a simple mask out of paper and cardboard. It was a pleasant experience all around, and Haruto was surprised to find himself enjoying another person’s company.

The next day during class, everyone’s arts & crafts projects decorated the classroom. It gave the room a fairly lively atmosphere, and classes felt a bit more fun despite the usual dull subject matter. Today, however, Haruto’s attention was drawn to something other than the classroom’s new decorations.

Having taken an interest in Tsukiko, Haruto couldn’t help but steal glances over to her desk throughout the day. In doing so, he really began to understand why she barely had any presence. No one else really talked to her, and she was always silent as well.

What gives…? Does she not have any friends? But she’s so nice…

To Haruto, who at this time simply saw Tsukiko as a girl who was nice to him once during a school project, it was somewhat baffling to realize that she also probably didn’t have many friends, if any.

“Hm?” Haruto noticed something peculiar. For some reason, Tsukiko was wearing her outdoor shoes, and not the regular indoor ones everyone else did.

Huh… What’s that all about?

The thought lingered in the back of Haruto’s mind as the day passed.

Before long, school was out, and the students all went about their day doing whatever. Haruto just wandered around Central’s parks, as he tended to do, not really interacting with anyone. Soon, the sun began to set and he knew he should probably get back to the dorms for dinner soon. By chance he was wandering past the school again, when he noticed a pair of indoor shoes half-buried in one of the flowerbeds out front.

“The heck…?” Haruto leaned down and dug them out.

Sure enough, the name written on them was ‘Matsuura.’

“Is this why she had her outdoor shoes on earlier?” Haruto chuckled. “Jeez, how does that airhead lose her shoes all the way out here?”

After glancing around, Haruto decided he’d take the shoes back into the school and leave them in her shoe locker for her. Of course, he got as much of the dirt off of them as he could before bringing them inside.

As Haruto entered the building, he noticed the sound of voices coming from down the all.

“No way, people are still here at this hour…?” Haruto whispered, as he made his way further in, out of curiosity.

The orange glow of the sunset beamed into the halls of the school as he made his way further into the building. Eventually, he realized the voices were coming from his own classroom. He slowly crept up and took a peek inside.

“I told you already! If you want your shoes, we already gave you a hint where to look!” a haughty voice resounded from inside.

“… But I don’t get it… S-stop being so mean…” a shaky, timid voice responded. Sure enough, that was Tsukiko.

Haruto’s eyes went wide at the realization as he continued to listen in.

“Then maybe use your head to think, dummy!”

“Hey guys, check this out, it’s that creepy mask she made during arts & crafts earlier!”

“Ew, no way. She made that? Hahaha.”

The mocking voices continued endlessly.

“… S-stop it… Kawashima helped a lot with it… I-it’s not just mine…” Tsukiko’s voice was barely audible.

“Kawashima? Seriously, you poor thing getting stuck with that loser.”

“He’s so dumb and scary, hahaha.”

“Them’s the brakes when you’re a gloomy loner like her, am I right? Trash ends up stuck with trash.”

The kids all laughed together.

Unable to stand by any longer, Haruto pushed open the door with a loud slam. That single sound cut off all noise, and for just a moment, the room was deathly quiet.

Haruto glanced around the room, dyed red in the sunlight beaming in from outside. A group of 6 or 7 kids from class were all ganging up on Tsukiko. Not to mention, Tsukiko’s desk was filled with dirt and crumpled up flowers.

Ah, I see…

Haruto realized it. The reason Tsukiko never stood out to him.

Haruto was always focused on his own persecution. He paid no mind to his classmates because he assumed they were all roughly aligned as a unit, and that they all hated him. All the while, there was another person in an even worse position: someone who was actively interrogated and mocked behind the scenes. Unlike Haruto, who was only mocked from a distance due to his ‘dangerous’ demeanor, this person didn’t have such a reputation, and seemingly couldn’t stand up for herself. It made this person the perfect target for such bullies. And this person was Tsukiko Matsuura.

“So this is how my charming classmates treat one of their own, huh?” Haruto spoke sarcastically.

“Ah, um… Kawashima, don’t worry, this is nothin’, just calm down…” one of the boys tried to wave off the situation.

“Oh?” Haruto’s glare pierced right through that boy. “You sayin’ I don’t look calm?”

“No, I mean…” this was all that the boy managed to say before Haruto’s fist met his face.

With that punch as the trigger, screams echoed throughout the classroom. Panic set in as a few of the students tried to pin Haruto down, before getting punched and kicked themselves. It only took a moment before things escalated into a full-on brawl. Some of the students surrounded Haruto, trying fight back or subdue him, while others continued screaming in shock at the scene that was unfolding. In the corner of the room, Tsukiko merely stared with a blank expression, unsure of what just happened.

Before long, some adults scrambled into the room after hearing the commotion and broke up the fighting.

The fallout from this conflict cast a gloomy shadow over the class for a long time afterwards. The homeroom teacher Eiko Shinohara was penalized for allowing her class to fall so out of control, and Haruto was suspended from attending classes or going outside for about a month. With the children realizing there were repercussions for such behavior, the bullying of Tsukiko mostly died down, but it’s not like she made any friends in the aftermath either. Throughout the school, Tsukiko remained an outcast.

On the day Haruto returned to classes, he entered the classroom on time. That morning, the other students took note of him, but didn’t say anything in particular. Even the common gossip Haruto was used to overhearing didn’t come out.

The day simply passed at a casual pace, until around lunch time…

“Hm?” Haruto turned to see someone had approached his desk.

“W-would you, um… like to go eat together?” it was Tsukiko, speaking barely above a whisper like usual.

“Heh…” Haruto couldn’t help but smirk. “Sure, let’s go.”

That was the day Haruto realized that he’d made his first friend.

---

“Haruto? Hey, Haruto!”

“Huh?!” Haruto’s eyes shot open as he bolted up from his bed.

“Woah! You okay, man?” it was one of Haruto’s roommates, startled by how suddenly he jumped up from the bed.

“Oh, uh, yeah I’m fine…” Haruto rubbed his eyes.

“I think you kinda dozed off there. I just thought I should let you know, so you can get changed and stuff. We’re all about to head to bed too.”

“Right, thanks…” Haruto nodded.

That was way too dangerous… I shouldn’t just doze off like that. Especially with old memories like that on my mind…

Due to his dreams being linked to Tsukiko, he had to be careful not to get stuck in a dream when he went to sleep. He’d always found it embarrassing to have Tsukiko come drag him out of his own dream.

Anyway, we should be meeting up with that girl tonight…

With the upcoming meeting with Yuko inside the world of dreams on his mind, Haruto went and began to get ready for bed.

---

“Thank you very much for your corporation throughout the day. I know much of it was probably quite troublesome for you, but please know it’s been appreciated.” Dr. Miyamori spoke as she bowed her head to Yuko and Yamagata.

It was now evening and the sun was setting outside, so just a few hours before Haruto almost dozed off while thinking about his past. The orange glow beamed into the office room where Yuko and Yamagata stood, as they wrapped up a conversation with the doctor.

“Oh, it’s no problem.” Yuko waved her hands, feeling somewhat embarrassed being thanked so genuinely.

“To be honest, we don’t know if the information we got today will really do much. The cause behind Tsukiko’s condition continues to elude us.” Dr. Miyamori gave a wry smile. “But trust us when we say we’ll do the best we can.”

“For now, let’s just believe a solution will be discovered.” Yamagata’s genuine smile seemed to put Dr. Miyamori at ease.

“Right…” she nodded. “Anyway, we just have one final check-up schedules for tomorrow morning and then we’ll be saying goodbye. Please enjoy the rest of your evening, both of you.”

“Yes, thank you for your hospitality.” Yamagata bowed.

Yuko also bowed in gratitude to the doctor, before she and Yamagata both left the office and decided to make their way back toward the their guest rooms. The two agreed to meet up for dinner once more, so after a quick break in their rooms, the two met up again and headed to the cafeteria in the residency wing.

As the two picked up their food, Yuko couldn’t help but take notice of the water container.

“Oh right…” Yuko blinked. A vivid memory from her dream the night before popped up into her mind.

That’s right… That place with no color must’ve been my mind linking up with Tsukiko before I actually began dreaming…

After experiencing her actual dream, her time in the colorless space had almost faded from memory, but now it was all coming back to her.

“Everything okay, Ms. Maeda? Is something wrong with the water?” Yamagata asked, looking a bit concerned.

“Huh? Oh, no it’s nothing. Don’t mind me, hahaha.” Yuko tried to laugh off the situation.

The two soon made their way to a table and enjoyed their dinner together while chatting over how their day went.

“So tomorrow we’re heading back to the eastern district, huh…” Yuko sighed.

“Indeed we are.” Yamagata gave a gentle smile. “It was nice being able to visit Central again, but in the end it’s not really our home anymore, is it?”

“It’s sad to say, but I guess it isn’t, haha.” Yuko chuckled.

“I could tell getting to see me again had Eiko feeling all kinds of emotions.” Yamagata sighed, thinking back on the time the two spent together that day. “It’s a bit cruel in a way, the fact that we’ll have to be separated again.”

“Still, I envy you a bit… Getting to see your old friend again and catch up.” Yuko stared up at the ceiling as thoughts of her old friend Aoi came to mind.

“Yes, I suppose you’re right.” Yamagata smiled at her student’s words. “After all, there may always be a chance to meet again in the future.”

“Yeah… Exactly.” Yuko spoke in a small voice, feeling hope from Yamagata’s words.

The two soon finished their meals and returned to their guest rooms. Night had come, and the two both began to wind down for the day. This would be their last night in Central, so the two were both feeling somewhat wistful in their own way.

After spending her time without doing much in particular, Yuko, now wearing her usual bunny pajamas, had tucked herself into the bed for the night. As she did so, thoughts of her interactions with Tsukiko and Haruto that day raced through her mind.

Tsukiko’s poor health is all because of this weird… dream enhancing and linking thing she can do. She keeps using that to meet with her parents in her dreams every night, but…

Yuko’s eyebrows furrowed. Even though Tsukiko is intentionally putting herself in this situation, Yuko couldn’t help but feel that something wasn’t right.

Tonight… They’ll likely come to my dream. I should be ready to see what they have to share with me.

Bracing for that very real possibility, Yuko lay in bed for a while before eventually, slowly, drifting off to sleep.

---

Darkness.

As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but an endless black void.

There was no sound, and there was nothing to see. All Yuko could feel was the distinct feeling of sinking.

Further and further, down into the dark void.

Familiar with the feeling, Yuko vaguely realized that she’d experienced a similar sensation the night before. Sure enough, she must be entering that same kind of dream world as before.

As the dark abyss neared its end, once more, Yuko turned to face behind her and saw herself. Despite the person standing there looking just like ‘Yuko Maeda’, there was a distinctly different aura surrounding her.

“Hey…” Yuko let out a soundless voice. Despite there being no sound to her voice, the intention still carried through the air, as the ‘other Yuko’ made eye contact.

“You’re the thing inside me, aren’t you?” Yuko nervously mouthed. “You’re… the Guardian.”

After a small pause, Yuko’s other self, the Guardian, returned a small nod.

Just then, Yuko fell deeper into the pitch black abyss and could no longer see her other self. Feeling satisfied regardless, Yuko let the calmness of sleep wash over her, and she began to dream…

---

“Let’s go, Yuko!” a girl with glasses said in an excited voice.

Yuko rubbed her eyes, and looked in front of her, where she saw her friend Aoi Kosugi reaching out her hand. The two were standing in the lobby of the hospital, and Aoi was at the front entrance.

“Oh, right… I get to play outside of the hospital today!” Yuko exclaimed happily.

Yuko was shorter, now the same height as the bespectacled girl reaching out her hand. With a sense of resolve, Yuko took Aoi’s hand, and the two playfully pranced out of the hospital.

Outside, a bright blue sky shined high above them. It was the weekend, and both girls were excited to spend some time together outside. Yuko’s stay in the hospital was a bit lengthier than normal this time, so getting some fresh air today was quite refreshing.

The two circled the block and made their way to a small field a little ways away from the hospital. It didn’t have any sort of playground like most of the other parks, but it was popular for its vast array of flowers spread out as far as the eye could see. Well, it was only a small park near one of the city’s edges, so beyond the field of flowers was just a long path of grass and trees until a wall to one of the districts blocked the way.

Still, to such young girls, this small flower field was like a wonderland. The two girls laughed together as they pranced through it. Yuko hadn’t moved around so much in a good while, so it was as exhilarating as it was tiring, but she didn’t mind.

“No way! Check it out! It’s a four-leaf clover!”

Suddenly, a third voice spoke up. Yuko and Aoi both looked in the direction of the third voice. Of course, their other friend was there with them. How could they forget?

“Wow! That’s so lucky!” Yuko exclaimed.

“Indeed. Quite an impressive find.” Aoi nodded.

“Are four-leaf clovers something you can make a wish on?” Yuko asked, turning to Aoi.

“I have heard they’re a sign of good luck, but I’m not sure whether they’ve ever been a common object to wish upon.” Aoi thought hard, folding her arms.

“Well, I don’t care! I’ll wish on it anyway!” their third friend exclaimed as she lifted the clover high into the air.

“Wow! So what’ll you… Huh?” Yuko was about to respond in excitement, before realizing something strange.

“Hey, um… Aoi? Was there someone else here with us?” Yuko turned to her friend Aoi and asked.

“…” Aoi simply remained standing there, smiling at Yuko.

“I mean… It’s obvious, isn’t it?” the other voice resounded, and Yuko turned once again in its direction.

Standing there was a tall high school girl with part of her hair tied up with a pink heart accessory. As she stared at this strange, older girl, Yuko slowly began to realize where she was and what was going on.

Oh, right… This is a dream… I was getting swept away by my dream again…

Yuko looked down at her body. It was no longer that of a child’s. She was back to usual height and physique. She was now wearing the same black uniform as the girl in front of her. Yuko wore a bittersweet smile on her face as she realized she’d long outgrown the period of time this memory encapsulated.

In front of her was her longtime friend who still to this day made an effort to stay by Yuko’s side. Fellow 1st-year high school student in Starlight Academy’s eastern district: Chisa Ando.

“I must say, you can be rather dense sometimes.” Aoi spoke, still standing behind Yuko.

Yuko turned around and faced her friend. Of course, now Yuko stood a head taller than the young girl. It’d been years since she last saw this girl, Aoi Kosugi, after all. Yuko had no idea how Aoi would look today. The Aoi in this dream could only appear as the young friend in Yuko’s memories.

“Obviously, I’d use my wish for you.” Chisa spoke once more. As Yuko turned back to face her, she continued. “I wish for you to get better as soon as possible! So you can come back!”

Chisa held out the four-leaf clover to Yuko. The smile on her face was earnest and true; Chisa was a very straightforward person. She was an energetic, cheerful girl who always did her best to stay by Yuko’s side.

“Thank you, Chisa…” Yuko’s eyes began to tear up.

Slowly, Yuko reached her hand out, and after hesitating for just a moment, gently grabbed a hold of it with her fingers. Holding the clover close to her heart, Yuko turned and faced Aoi once more, and kneeled down to face her eye-to-eye.

“Aoi… I truly do miss you, so much…” Yuko slowly extended her hand out and held the clover up to Aoi. Surprised, the girl in glasses took hold of the small good-luck charm, looking up at Yuko with a confused expression.

“During my most difficult days in the hospital… At the times when I felt most alone… You and Chisa would both always be there to bring a smile back to my face.” tears continued to stream from Yuko’s eyes.

“I can say confidently, if I didn’t have you two with me back then, I wouldn’t have become the person I am today. You have no idea how much your simple acts of kindness helped keep me looking forward.”

Aoi blinked, tilting her head, as if not understanding.

“I now know why Chisa was never here with us last night when I first fell into these dreams and started reliving these jumbled memories…” Yuko turned back to Chisa, who still stood behind her. “In my mind, Chisa is the girl you see standing there. She’s the same age as me, and we continue to spend our days together in the eastern district.”

Aoi’s expression began to turn just a bit sad, and she looked down at the clover in her hands.

“Of course, I do remember Chisa from the days when we were younger… But we’ve made so many more memories since then that are much fresher in my mind… Placing that same Chisa next to you… I don’t think it would work. So my mind just focused solely on you, my dear friend I haven’t seen in so long…” Yuko held Aoi close, in a tight hug.

“This place is just a dream… Even if I can come meet you here… This is just a memory of mine being vividly recreated…” Yuko’s voice started to crack just a bit from her crying.

“But that doesn’t change the fact that… getting to see you again made me so, so happy, Aoi…” Yuko choked out. “So thank you. Thank you for everything…”

The Chisa standing behind the hugging girls couldn’t help but smile with a bit of tears in her eyes herself.

“Thank you…” Yuko muttered once more. “And goodbye... Thank you for allowing me to dream this happy dream.”

Having heard those words, Aoi returned Yuko’s hug, now with a warm, tearful smile on her face as well.

And just like that, she was gone.

Yuko slowly wiped her eyes and regained her composure before rising to her feet. Turning around, she saw that the Chisa she’d dreamt of had disappeared as well. Yuko now stood alone in the field of flowers.

“Well… I guess I should go find Tsukiko and Haruto now.” Yuko gave one last sniffle before steeling her resolve, giving her cheeks a light slap, and marching forth back into town with a determined expression.

All around her, the color of the scenery began to fade away into a dull lifeless gray. The once blue sky above fading away as a flat gray surface took its place.

---

After a bit of time passed, Yuko found herself wandering around the gray, lifeless version of Central. Although still not entirely sure how it all worked, she felt it safe to assume that whatever this space was, it’s what allowed the dreams to be able to be linked together like Haruto described earlier. In which case, those two should be here right now.

Yuko made her way down the street, passing by the hospital, when she suddenly caught a small glimpse of color out of the corner of her eye. Looking that way, sure enough there was another person. It seemed to be a short boy. After taking a closer look, Yuko realized it was Haruto, and just a moment later, he also caught sight of Yuko.

“There you are!” Haruto shouted, waving in Yuko’s direction as he jogged up to her.

“Hey Haruto, I thought I’d run into you sooner or later.” Yuko smiled.

“W-well yeah, I said I’d come get you, didn’t I?” Haruto averted his eyes, feeling just a bit embarrassed.

“Tsukiko should be here too, right?” Yuko asked.

“Yeah, I can take you to her…” Haruto offered.

“Sure thing, let’s go.” Yuko nodded.

After that short exchange, the pair soon set off toward Tsukiko’s location, with Haruto leading the way. After walking down a few streets and making some turns, the duo now stood in front of what appeared to be one of Central’s four Elementary schools.

“This is the place… She’s in here.” Haruto said, hesitantly.

“A school, huh…” Yuko looked up at the building, thinking the situation over.

“Hey, um…” Haruto spoke up. “So you weren’t dreaming tonight?”

“Hm? What do you mean?” Yuko asked, tilting her head a bit.

“Y-you know… Last night you were dreaming.” Haruto tried to explain. “Like, it’s when you’re living in the dream you’re having. That didn’t happen with you tonight?”

“Oh, it did.” Yuko answered, now understanding what Haruto meant. “Just a little while ago I was in the middle of quite a nostalgic dream.”

“O-oh, so you were able to figure out how to leave on your own…” Haruto sounded somewhat disappointed.

“What? Were you planning to drag me out of my dream all on your own? Barging into my personal, private dream?” Yuko teased.

“N-no! Well, I guess since I was going to get you… B-but, I mean, it’s not my fault if you dream of anything weird! You weirdo!” Haruto suddenly got flustered.

“Haha, don’t worry, I was only joking!” Yuko giggled.

“D-don’t laugh at me…” Haruto pouted.

“Sorry, sorry…” Yuko smiled wryly. “Anyway, so Haruto…”

Yuko looked up at the school in front of them. After taking a closer look, she could see a faint light coming from one of the windows around the side. Normally it’d be unnoticeable from this angle, but due to the dull grayness of everything else, the colorful light stood out.

“If what I experienced before was a dream… Then what exactly is this gray place shaped like Central we’re in now?” Yuko asked.

“I once asked Tsukiko the same thing, and I didn’t entirely understand her explanation, but…” Haruto folded his arms, thinking hard for a moment. “She said the way she links dreams is by creating a space for the dreams to occur. She never told me how she was able to do that, but I think it’s just that anyone linked with her just has dreams happening here, and if we ever realize we’re dreaming, we can just kind of leave and wander around, or go see the other people’s dreams.”

“I see…” Yuko nodded.

It was a rather unbelievable story, but considering she was living it right now, she simply had to accept the explanation on some level. Basically, this space is where Yuko’s consciousness ended up, all while she continues to sleep soundly in her guest room at the hospital in the real world.

“Anyway, you can just ask her yourself if you wanna know more, so let’s go inside already.” Haruto pointed at the entrance with his thumb.

“Ah, right…” Yuko followed after him.

The two entered the gray, empty elementary school. Honestly, the vibe inside was kind of eerie. Yuko glanced around, taking in the familiar scenery. All of Central’s elementary schools were built fairly similarly, so a lot of the architecture reminded her of the school she attended during her time here.

Still, Yuko shook her head and decided to focus on the task at hand. She watched Haruto’s back from behind as he led the way through the hall towards wherever Tsukiko was. Yuko figured it was now or never, and opened her mouth to ask a question.

“Hey, Haruto…” Yuko asked in a rather quiet voice.

“Hm? What is it?” Haruto stopped and turned around.

“Be honest with me. You want to help Tsukiko, right?” she asked.

“Wh-what do you mean? I am helping her, by being there for her! I spend time with her in her dreams every night!” Haruto seemed troubled by the question.

“Well, of course. That’s all you can do, right?” Yuko narrowed her eyes just a bit. “But deep down, you realize it, right? That this can’t go on…”

“I-I mean…” Haruto’s eyes darted back and forth as he began to sweat.

“You told me yourself, right?” Yuko asked in a low voice, a sad look in her eyes. “Creating these dream spaces is what’s causing her body to suffer when she’s awake.”

“Y-yeah…” Haruto said, hanging his head low.

“Have you told her that maybe she shouldn’t be doing this?” Yuko asked.

“I-I can’t…!” Haruto shut his eyes in frustration. “You don’t get it! Tsukiko… she’s always been so quiet and sad-looking, ever since I met her! But now… ever since she found them again, it’s different!”

“Haruto…” Yuko whispered.

“How could I possibly say that she’s doing anything wrong, when I see her looking so happy next to her parents?!” tears started to build up on Haruto’s eyes. “I-I thought maybe it’d be okay. Maybe she’d get used to it, and she’d be able to leave the hospital and still do the dream stuff… But nothing’s changed! Sometimes, it seems like she’s even getting worse!”

Yuko had started to realize the true conundrum this boy had been facing all this time. As Tsukiko’s only friend and ally in this situation, he felt it was entirely on his shoulders to protect Tsukiko. To protect her dreams. To protect her happiness. Even if it was only within a dream; a fantasy they lived through in their minds as they slept. Yet, this same ‘happiness’ was causing an even heavier burden on Tsukiko in the real world…

“And, and… At school, Tsukiko and I were always outcasts, so… I thought maybe, she’d be happier here, away from all that…” Haruto’s shoulders trembled as he desperately rubbed the tears away with his arm. “Dammit, why am I telling all this to a stupid girl like you…?!”

“It’s okay…” Yuko placed her hand atop Haruto’s head.

“Huh…?” Haruto looked up at Yuko.

“You did everything you could. Don’t worry, I’m not blaming you for anything.” Yuko wore a gentle smile on her face. “Let’s try to talk this over with her together, okay?”

“B-but… what if she starts to hate me…?” Haruto asked in a trembling voice.

“That won’t happen… You’re important to her, right?” Yuko asked.

“… Y-yeah.” Haruto nodded, trying to convince himself.

The two took a moment in the hall to collect themselves, and then proceeded further into the school, with Haruto once again leading the way. Soon, the two were in front of a certain door. The two gave each other a look and nodded.

“Tsukiko, I found her.” Haruto called out as he opened the door.

Inside, instead of a room that looked anything like it belonged in a school, was instead what appeared to be a full living room and kitchen from some kind of house. Unlike the space outside of this room, everything inside was in full color, and a dreamlike aura filled the air.

“Finally!” Tsukiko hopped off of the couch excitedly, approaching the two in the doorway. “Welcome, big sis Yuko! I hope you like my dream space!”

Tsukiko held her arms out wide, showing off the room to Yuko, who was just closing the door behind her as she and Haruto entered.

“It’s quite the lovely room.” Yuko commented, looking around. Oddly, she’d gotten the vague sense that she’d seen the room somewhere before.

“Isn’t it?” Tsukiko smiled brightly. “And of course, we can’t forget these two… Let me introduce you!”

Tsukiko ran back toward the living room, calling out “Mama! Papa!” to the two other figures that were seated there. Sure enough, the pair rose from their seats, and turned toward Tsukiko.

“Oh wonderful, I see you’ve brought friends today!” the man said.

“Goodness, I simply must go prepare some tea!” the woman clapped her hands in glee.

“These are my Mama and my Papa! Aren’t they wonderful?” Tsukiko smiled.

“Wait… huh?” Yuko blinked.

She thought she was imagining things, but she gave the two people standing there a closer look. Sure enough, no matter how she thought of it… Yuko knew.

She had seen this couple before.

Just then, Yuko had a realization, glancing around the room again. Yes, she’d seen them before… in this very room. And then, it hit her… a memory from long ago.

“Oh no… Tsukiko…” Yuko muttered in a low voice.

“Hm…?” Tsukiko tilted her head, confused.

Haruto also gave her a look of confusion.

After hanging her head low for a moment, Yuko lifted her face toward Tsukiko, her expression now a gentle yet sad smile. With that, Yuko began to speak, in as gentle a voice as she could.

“Tsukiko… I’m sorry, but it’s time you learn the truth about your dream.”

[Chapter 5 END]