The grand dream of Ena that enveloped the entire Asdana Star System has come to an end.
Online, everyone is saying this is a victory for the players of Star Rail.
But in reality,
for some people, today is not much different from yesterday.
The turbulence of the outside world holds little significance for them.
Life is not all about ideals and poetry...
After waking up, they still have to pack their bags and head to work.
Golden Hour.
A woman with short black hair finally finished a cycle of work.
Her skin tone is slightly dark yellow, but her facial features are exquisitely delicate.
However,
at this moment,
her delicate face is marked with deep exhaustion.
Even in the Dreamscape,
she cannot truly find peaceful sleep.
She opens her phone and checks her memo.
[Cocona, you need to go to the warehouse in two system hours to check the quality of the new batch of goods.]
"Only two system hours of rest time..."
Cocona rubs her temples.
She decides not to bother resting.
She opens a live stream on her phone.
Recently, Robin has been very popular online.
You can see related information everywhere.
[Robin's concert "Life Like a Song" is now in hot presale!]
She clicks into the presale page.
As expected,
all the presale tickets are already sold out.
As the manager of a luxury store, she hardly has any time to look at her phone during work.
Cocona shakes her head.
Even if she had managed to get a ticket,
would she have the time to attend the concert?
At this point,
the only time she can relax
is during these brief moments of leisure, watching the storyline of Honkai: Star Rail.
Cocona, of course, has her own character account.
But because she's so busy with work, she hasn't had the time to experience it herself.
Her game progress is still stuck at the space station...
She opens the dedicated live stream for Star Rail.
Originally, she didn't want to watch Penacony, preferring to see other worlds in the universe.
However,
she is drawn to the name of one of the live streams.
[Penacony Hidden Side Quest Live Stream!]
[Current Progress: Envision a Rose Forthcoming...]
Seeing this keyword.
Cocona's heart stirred slightly!
She had once composed a song with the same title.
It was called "Envision a Rose Forthcoming"!
But this name actually originated from a poet.
"Could it be... a player with a shared interest...?"
She inexplicably clicked into it.
However!
Not knowing was one thing,
but seeing it was a shock!
At this moment, in the live broadcast.
The protagonist... was actually herself!?
"Huh?"
"This..."
Cocona was completely stunned!
This was the storyline of "Honkai: Star Rail"!
How could she appear in it?
Cocona double-checked.
If it weren't for the name clearly written above the character, she would have thought it was just a character who looked similar to her.
But the ironclad fact told her!
This was indeed herself!
Not only had she appeared in "Honkai: Star Rail,"
but she even had a storyline!
Cocona began to doubt the reality of this world!
A woman like her, ordinary and reeking of corporate drudgery.
What right did she have to appear in the storyline of "Honkai: Star Rail"?
She had no heroic history.
No unique abilities.
No unwavering will to Trailblaze.
Only a future full of scars and shattered dreams...
Someone like her...
Was she even worthy of appearing in the storyline?
Was there some mistake?
Soon.
Cocona was drawn into the content of this storyline.
The version of herself in the storyline looked slightly younger than she did now.
It seemed to be right after graduation.
Her mentor was smiling and applauding, praising, "Cocona, that was amazing!"
"Whether it's pitch, rhythm, or emotion, your singing level far surpasses your peers. Your understanding of music is particularly high. You can quickly grasp the spirit the song wants to convey... truly rare!"
"And your voice—soft as silk, maintaining a consistent tone from low to high notes, such a rare talent..."
The younger her shyly touched her head.
Saying, "Thank you so much for your guidance, teacher! I never thought such beautiful singing could come from my voice..."
"Don't thank me. Thank your own talent and hard work. To become a one-in-a-million singer... you need to find better teachers and undergo more rigorous training."
The teacher spoke earnestly,
"The competition in this industry is brutal. Only a handful of people can enjoy applause under the spotlight."
Ah...
She remembered.
Cocona felt as if a needle had pierced her heart.
The teacher's next words made that needle stab even deeper into her heart.
"Not ready yet? I understand... but one day you'll have to make a choice."
"When I was your age, I missed many precious opportunities... listen to my advice, Cocona—cherish your talent, don't make decisions you'll regret."
"Having dreams is a cruel thing—once they remain unfulfilled, the pain of shattered dreams can completely destroy a person."
"Keep moving forward, child... don't look back, you belong to a broader, more beautiful stage."
Cocona noticed.
This streamer specializes in live-streaming side quests.
The number of viewers in the stream is neither too many nor too few, maintaining a lukewarm state.
Some real-time comments are scrolling by.
...
"This teacher is a good person, easy to get along with."
"Kafka: When you have the chance to make a choice, don't let yourself regret it."
"I can only say the teacher's words came true."
"This is Cocona's memory, and now she's a salesperson at a luxury store, which shows that her dream of becoming a singer ultimately shattered..."
...
Not just the teacher.
Even her close friend from school believed Cocona was destined to be a singer.
"I always knew Nana was special! When Nana performs at the Penacony Opera House, I'll brag to everyone: Look, that's my best friend!"
"Nana is so smart, she'll excel at anything she does. I can't wait to wave glow sticks and cheer for you on stage someday. I can already imagine how beautiful you'll look then!"
Her youthful face was filled with hope.
If only everything could remain as hopeful and passionate as it was back then.
In front of the screen.
Tears began to glisten in Cocona's eyes.
These were indeed beautiful memories.
But it was precisely because of this beauty that the stark contrast with her current reality felt so harsh.
Sure enough...
What followed was the scene she least wanted to see.
Her parents stood before her.
After Cocona said, "I want to pursue a career related to music."
Her mother looked utterly shocked and immediately screamed, "I knew it… I shouldn't have let her join that student choir!"
Her father, on the other hand, wore a grave expression: "Music… singing… Xiao Na, are you too tired lately? Is that why you're having such naive thoughts?"
"You've never had formal training, and you're not particularly pretty. Your voice is just average… Xiao Na, let's choose a more practical path, okay?"
...
"Who says that! Xiao Na is so sweet-looking, and she sings beautifully!"
"LOL, are you more professional than the actual vocal coach?"
"I feel this so hard. My parents are the same, pretending to know everything when it comes to important decisions."
"Burying their daughter's dreams with their own hands?"
...
Cocona replied earnestly, "The teacher said I could take this path."
"I want to go out and study, work hard to earn a scholarship."
Upon hearing this.
Her mother instantly flew into a rage: "Study… how many more years do you want to study? How old are you already? Stop being so childish."
"Did that vocal coach trick you again? Is that why you're having these strange ideas? She's just taking advantage of your naivety to squeeze more tuition fees out of you!"
"Nana, remember, we're not like those wealthy dream chasers from the family… we're locals of Penacony. Compared to them, we don't have as many good options."
"Listen to your parents. We've worked in the hotel for so long and have built some connections with the family. I heard there's a luxury store at the Golden Hour hiring sales staff. Why don't you give it a try?"
From then on.
No matter how Cocona tried to pursue a career in music.
Her parents always found a way to steer her toward the path they wanted.
In the end, there was only one outcome.
The screen slowly faded to black.
A line of text appeared on it.
"Of course, Mom and Dad... no matter what you say or do..."
"It's all for my own good."
...
"Wahhh..."
"Honkai Star Rail truly lives up to its name. Just when I was getting all fired up in the main storyline, the side quest hits me right in the feels, as if I'm seeing myself."
"That 'for my own good' line really broke me."
"Suddenly, I felt suffocated."
"Real, so damn real!"
...