I'm so tired…
After a long, exhausting day, Manhattan Cafe collapsed onto her dorm room bed the moment she got back.
The whole website incident had just blown over, and now the Academy League was right on their heels.
On top of coordinating students from all over, Cafe also had to be on-site to handle their various issues.
By the time she finally caught a moment to herself and looked up at the sky, dusk was already falling. The fatigue that had been building up inside her all day surged forth with the setting sun.
It really drove home just how incredible Symboli Rudolf was, handling all the academy work every day and still managing to keep up with her rigorous training.
Mental exhaustion was so much harder to bear than physical tiredness.
After sending a message to thank her senior, Green Grass, for helping her deal with the local trainers' issues, Manhattan Cafe slowly pushed herself up. She took off her uniform and changed into her pajamas.
She planned to turn in early today.
"The League's been tough, huh?"
Seated in a chair, watching Manhattan Cafe change, Yukino Bijin set down the fashion magazine she was reading and spoke up.
"It's manageable," Cafe replied, buttoning up her pajama top.
It's just that lately, President Rudolf, for some reason, was rarely seen leaving her room. Her trips to the library and the Chairman's office had become even more frequent than usual, like she was wrapped up in something really important.
With her limited energy focused elsewhere, the bulk of the League decisions had fallen to Manhattan Cafe.
Sure, she had Green Grass and Maruzensky assisting her, but… how to put it? There was this indescribable tension between the two.
Whether they were talking or working, there was this subtle, crackling static between them.
Had they had a falling out?
Manhattan Cafe didn't know. But since they weren't being open about it, it probably meant they didn't want to drag more people into it.
Besides, Cafe wasn't exactly skilled at mediating conflicts. If she stepped in, she might just make things worse.
So, she simply chose to pretend she hadn't noticed and carried on with her work.
It was definitely tiring, but only to the extent of her actual duties. Most of the miscellaneous tasks weren't her responsibility anyway.
"Is that so? But being relied upon is a good thing. It means everyone has their eyes on you, Cafe," Yukino Bijin said.
"Eyes on me…"
Now fully changed, Manhattan Cafe sat on the edge of her bed.
Baffling interpersonal relationships, unwarranted reliance on her goodwill, and completely unreasonable attention.
Manhattan Cafe let out a soft sigh.
For some unknown reason, Silence Suzuka had suddenly asked her to go for a run by the river recently, leaving Cafe utterly bewildered.
Things always seemed to change without her noticing. Now, this 'Cafe' identity wasn't something she alone was using anymore.
"It's almost like taking the ending from another story and forcing it onto a narrative that was never hers…"
"What do you mean by that, Cafe?"
"Yukino Bijin, I just don't feel like I need this kind of attention. Maybe I really am just a bit tired lately."
Manhattan Cafe lay down on the bed.
"Shall I sing you a lullaby?" Yukino Bijin's ears twitched slightly. "When I was little, I'd often be too restless to sleep. My mother would sing lullabies to me then. It can help you relax."
"Please, don't trouble yourself, Yukino Bijin…"
Cafe's voice trailed off as she closed her eyes. The soft mattress seemed to soak up the weariness from her body. Her consciousness gradually drifted away, and a soft, melodic humming reached her ears.
Was that Yukino Bijin's voice?
Manhattan Cafe didn't know.
The humming was like a gentle hand, stroking her cheek, slowing her thoughts to a crawl. Her senses grew dull, and the sound became fainter and fainter.
Soon after, Manhattan Cafe, eyes still closed, fell into a deep sleep.
'I guess I'll turn in early too.'
Turning off the light, Yukino Bijin thought to herself.
Tick-tock, tick-tock…
The wall clock emitted a clear, rhythmic sound. In the quiet room, two steady breaths could be heard.
Rustle—
The chandelier on the ceiling suddenly swayed without warning, its crystal pendants clinking against each other.
Immediately after, the floor trembled slightly, desks and chairs creaking, books shifting.
In the mirror within the darkened room, a black figure, who had been waiting for a long time, stepped out.
Pretending to be asleep, seizing the opportunity during Sunday Silence's absence, the girl seized her chance and quietly slipped into Cafe's room.
Those connected by their souls could enter each other's dreams.
A girl of action, she had made her decision the very day her 'sister' mentioned this fact.
She absolutely had to take a look inside Cafe's dreams.
Tiptoeing to the bedside, the girl leaned over to look at the sleeper.
Her long bangs cascaded over her face. Cafe's eyes were tightly shut, her skin pale as snow in the pitch-black room.
What kind of scene would it be if Cafe woke up right now?
The girl couldn't help but entertain such a fantasy, but she quickly brushed it aside.
"Forgive me… for what I'm about to do without your permission."
Whispering softly, the girl followed her 'sister's' instructions, leaning slowly towards Cafe's forehead until her lips gently touched it.
And then—
The world spun.
--+--
When the girl opened her eyes again, she found herself in the sky.
No, 'sky' wasn't quite accurate.
The drifting clouds around her resembled strands of crushed and stretched lapis lazuli. The air was thick with a rich, mellow aroma, and the girl's feet were planted on a giant lily pad floating in the air.
Moving to the edge of the pad, the girl looked down. She couldn't see the ground, only a ring of rainbow, radiating neon-like colors.
This surreal, fantastical dreamscape left the girl stunned for a moment.
She was utterly at a loss.
Where am I? Where should I go? Where's Cafe?
These fundamental philosophical questions caused her brain to short-circuit for a bit. It wasn't until a whale, glittering with a gem-like radiance, swam overhead, and she heard a voice from atop it, that the girl snapped back to reality.
"'Friend'!" Waving excitedly, Manhattan Cafe, who was standing on the whale's back, jumped down. Her body didn't plummet directly onto the lily pad; it was as if an invisible hand was cushioning her, carrying her towards the girl.
"You're here! I've been looking for you everywhere!"
Landing opposite the girl, Cafe took her hand.
"Come on, quick! Dinner's about to start."
Dinner?
The girl thought, dumbfounded.
Isn't it still daytime?
Right at that moment, a dark lunar disc slowly rotated in the sky, draping over the dazzling sunlight like a curtain. Instantly, the night sky spread above them, a gentle evening breeze stirring their hair.
'I know this is a dream…'
Gazing at the sky, the girl couldn't help but think.
'But even in a dream, it shouldn't be this absurd!'
Or perhaps, for someone like Cafe, with such a vivid imagination, even her dreams were different.
In any case, the scene before her was profoundly shocking.
"Cafe, do you know where you are?" the girl couldn't stop herself from asking.
"What are you talking about, 'Friend'?" Cafe smiled. "Of course I know. We're inside a coffee cup."
As she finished speaking, the night wind suddenly picked up. A black liquid surged upwards from an unseen ground below. The lily pad beneath their feet rode the swells, drifting upon the turbulent dark fluid. The rich aroma in the air intensified, reaching its peak.
An ocean made of coffee? A vessel made of a lily pad?!
"Be careful, 'Friend'! Don't get swept away by the waves!"
Gripping the girl's hand tightly, Manhattan Cafe led her towards the only flicker of light under the night sky.
The moment they stepped forward, the feeling of the leaf beneath their feet vanished.
They stepped onto floating stairs that ascended through the clouds, and that distant flicker of light transformed into a twinkling starlight.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.