From Dream to Reality

Neo was surprised at how beautiful she looked. She was wearing simple clothes, nothing extravagant—shorts that weren't too short, a slightly loose white t-shirt with an orange cat on the front that looked quite comfortable on her, and sneakers that most young people wore nowadays. Neo hadn't noticed before, but she had small feet, just like her hands.

"Did I startle you?" She said with a mischievous tone, though her face couldn't have looked more angelic.

"No," he replied, cutting off the girl's attempt at humor.

She sighed, looked to the side, and said, "You're no fun."

Seeing her 'ignoring' him, Neo impulsively hugged her slowly and gently, looking directly at her face. "Am I better now?"

Saya blushed at his action, and Neo, realizing what he had done, became even more embarrassed. Before she could respond, he let go and quickly stood up. "Sorry, I acted on impulse," Neo quickly said.

"It's okay... You got embarrassed, you're really silly," Saya said, chuckling lightly.

He felt embarrassed, but he knew how to retort. "You got even more embarrassed. You're the sillier one."

"No, I didn't," she said, shaking her head.

"Of course, you did. You were quite red, and I saw it up close," Neo accused, leaving her no escape.

"No, that's all in your head. I was perfectly fine," Saya defended herself.

"Admit that you were embarrassed," Neo said.

"I wasn't," Saya affirmed.

"You were," Neo insisted.

"I wasn't," Saya persisted.

"Yes," Neo affirmed.

"No," Saya insisted.

"No," Neo asserted.

"Yes," Saya affirmed.

"So, yes. I win," he said, smiling.

"It's okay, you win," she said, laughing lightly.

They gazed at each other for a while.

"So, where are we going?" Saya asked.

Neo was lost in thought and hadn't considered it before.

"Well, I hadn't thought of anything. In fact, I don't really know this place. Where do you want to go?" he asked.

"I don't have any specific place in mind."

"Then, let's take a walk around here."

Saya then got up from the bench, and the two headed toward the shops. Strangely, before leaving, Neo glanced back with the feeling that he had forgotten something important there. However, the image of the lonely bench he had been sitting on moments ago proved that it was just an impression.

As they walked through the shopping center, Neo noticed various shops—diverse stores selling different things. There were upscale shops selling jewelry and expensive clothing, several cafes and eateries, as well as a cinema, a stationery store, an accessory shop, and more.

After taking a stroll, Saya playfully tugged at Neo's arm and asked, "What do you think about going to the movies?"

"Let's go!" he said enthusiastically.

At the entrance, they both used their school ID cards for a discount. A discount was always welcome.

They went to see a movie called 'Stellar Journey', which told the story of three siblings who dreamed of going to the moon. A wealthy businessman wanted to test a new, super-safe rocket and gave it as a gift to the students who came up with the best science project—a trip to the moon. The three siblings then embarked on the project of their lives to win this journey.

The movie was very engaging. Neo was so absorbed that he couldn't think of anything else while watching the film. Saya rested her head on his shoulder and held one of his hands as they watched, which made him nervous but also very happy.

When the movie ended, Neo was particularly impressed with the ending—it was a complete twist from the beginning, and it left his mind spinning. It affected him so much that he watched the credits, hoping for more of the movie, but it had truly ended, leaving him a little disappointed. The two got up from their cinema seats, but before leaving, they quickly visited the restroom.

Exiting the cinema, Saya held onto Neo's arm. He couldn't believe what was happening, feeling a warmth in his chest that spread through his body, especially his head, giving the sensation that everything around him was extremely warm.

Saya remembered the shops they had seen before entering the cinema and wanted to check them out, so she invited Neo to come along.

First, they entered a clothing store where the girl tried on several t-shirts and dresses, asking the boy if she looked good in them. Of course, he always said yes, not for the clothes, but because she looked beautiful in any of them.

Then, they visited a CD store with various types of music. They discussed their musical preferences—Neo loved classical music, while Saya preferred something more energetic like electronic music. Even though their preferences differed, they still appreciated what the other liked.

Next to it was an accessory shop with a variety of pendants, bracelets, rings, and necklaces. While browsing, Saya took a liking to some necklaces. However, Neo preferred the one he had received from his mother—it was clear that none of the ones in the store matched his.

It didn't take long for both of them to get hungry. A little further away, Neo spotted some lights and red stalls—it looked like a big oriental festival with lots of people. He suggested they eat there, and she agreed.

They headed toward the place, and the smell of fried food and the heat grew stronger as they approached. In the midst of the crowd, Neo spotted Yume wearing a kimono similar to the one she had worn at the cooking festival. He tried to avoid her as much as he could, but unfortunately, she saw him.

Neo plunged into the crowd to lose her and maneuvered through the people as he and Saya observed the festival. Many food stalls were selling various fried treats: takoyaki, tempura, pastries, breaded shrimp, among others. There were also stalls with games and Japanese clothing and accessories.

They crossed the entire festival and reached its end. Neo looked back, and it seemed he had managed to shake off that girl.

"What are you doing with this one?" Yume asked indignantly, pointing at Saya.

She had managed to take a shortcut and get ahead of them. Saya, not understanding anything, looked at Neo for answers. Neo knew this would cause trouble.

"Hey? I'm your wife. You should be with me, not with this one," Yume continued.