As the night deepened, Myriad Dreams finished playing games in her room, closed the screen with satisfaction, and prepared for bed.
At that moment, there was a soft knock on the door.
Yaeno Muteki stood outside, clutching her pillow, her eyes flickering slightly.
"Myriad-chan... I'm having a little trouble sleeping in a new environment. Can we sleep together tonight?"
Myriad Dreams suspected nothing and nodded readily. "Sure, come on in."
Lying in the darkness, Yaeno Muteki did not immediately hug Myriad Dreams as she usually did.
She remained silent for a while before finally speaking in a soft voice, her tone carrying a cautious, probing edge.
"Myriad-chan... during dinner, your mother said that you can't hide your habits in front of close friends... but why is it that in front of me, you've been able to hold back from chewing gum all this time?"
Her voice sounded exceptionally soft in the night, yet it harbored a hidden insecurity.
"Is it... because I'm not important enough in your heart? Not familiar enough?"
Myriad Dreams hadn't expected her to obsess over this question.
She was stunned for a moment, then shook her head.
"That's not it, Muteki."
Her voice was clear, carrying a rare note of earnestness.
"It's precisely because I value you and see you as an important friend that I feel I must respect you even more."
Yaeno Muteki's heart sank slightly.
Myriad Dreams turned over, meeting her eyes in the moonlight, her tone sincere:
"I know you don't like the smell of gum and don't approve of the habit. Since we live together, I naturally have to consider your feelings."
"This isn't about being distant, quite the opposite—"
A warm smile played in Myriad Dreams' voice.
"Precisely because you are an important friend, I shouldn't force my little selfish habits onto you."
These words were like a beam of light, instantly illuminating the fog in Yaeno Muteki's heart.
'So it wasn't distancing, but another form of thoughtfulness.'
Yet, in the face of this gentleness, the obsession in the depths of her soul felt even more exposed.
She gave a soft "Mm" and buried her face against Myriad Dreams' shoulder to hide the swirling emotions in her eyes.
'Respect... thoughtfulness...'
'But I don't want this kind of distance.'
'What I want are all your whims, all your habits, and all your truths. Whether I like them or not, I want them shown completely to me.'
This realization made her feel both sweet and pained.
She was moved by Myriad Dreams' consideration, but it only strengthened her resolve to break through this layer of "politeness."
'One day, I will make it so that you can be your truest self in front of me without any reservations, just as you are with your mothers.'
'Because by then, I will no longer be just a friend you "need to respect"...'
'But the most intimate existence in your life.'
She quietly tightened her arm around Myriad Dreams' waist, making a gentle yet paranoid vow on this night filled with the other's scent.
The next morning, the door was gently pushed open.
Her mother, Brilliant Radiance, poked her head in with a smile. "Dreams-chan, it's time to get up for break—"
Her words came to an abrupt halt when she saw the two figures embracing on the bed.
Myriad Dreams was awakened by her mother's voice.
She struggled to sit up from Yaeno Muteki's warm embrace in a daze, rubbing her eyes. "Mama... morning..."
Brilliant Radiance's gaze shifted between her daughter and Yaeno Muteki— who was still closing her eyes but whose arm was still unconsciously wrapped around Myriad Dreams' waist.
She smiled knowingly and lowered her voice.
"It seems you two really do have a great relationship. Are you often like this at school, too?"
Not yet fully awake, Myriad Dreams nodded honestly. "Mm... occasionally. Muteki isn't familiar with new environments..."
She was completely unaware of how easily this answer could be misunderstood.
"I can tell."
The smile on Brilliant Radiance's face deepened, carrying the knowing look of someone who had been through it all.
"Alright, I won't disturb you two. Get up slowly, breakfast is ready."
She gently closed the door, leaving behind a meaningful gaze.
It wasn't until the door shut that Yaeno Muteki slowly "woke up."
In truth, she had awakened the moment Brilliant Radiance pushed the door open, but she had stayed still, craving the warmth of the embrace and the secret joy of being "witnessed" by an elder.
She loosened her arms and sat up, her face wearing a perfectly measured expression of shyness. "I'm sorry, Myriad-chan. It seems... I have poor sleeping habits."
"It's fine," Myriad Dreams said with a yawn, not taking it to heart at all. "My mom just likes to make a big deal out of everything."
Throughout the rest of the New Year holiday, Brilliant Radiance and Swift Stride seemed to constantly create opportunities for Myriad Dreams and Yaeno Muteki to be alone.
They would either have Myriad Dreams take Yaeno Muteki for a stroll nearby or have them prepare New Year's dishes together.
While Myriad Dreams found it a bit strange, she didn't overthink it, assuming her parents were simply being hospitable.
Happy times are always fleeting, and the New Year holiday ended in the blink of an eye.
Due to the pressing demands of her training, Myriad Dreams had to return to school early.
Before they left, Brilliant Radiance specifically pulled Myriad Dreams aside, away from Yaeno Muteki who was waiting at the door.
With a rare, serious expression, she whispered an instruction.
"Dreams-chan, after you go back, you must treat Muteki well, do you understand? She's a rare, good girl— sensitive, and she cares about you very much. Mama can tell."
Hearing this, Myriad Dreams became even more confused and blinked.
"Of course I'll treat Muteki well. We're good friends, after all. Mama, why are you suddenly saying this?"
Looking at her daughter's innocent, completely oblivious face, Brilliant Radiance started to say something but stopped.
Finally, she just rubbed the girl's hair with a helpless yet affectionate sigh.
"Alright, alright, good friends. Anyway, remember what Mama said: Cherish the person by your side. Go on now, don't keep Muteki waiting."
"I know!" Myriad Dreams responded, only half-understanding, and ran toward Yaeno Muteki dragging her luggage.
Watching the two girls walk side-by-side toward the station, Swift Stride quietly stepped up next to Brilliant Radiance and said softly, "You saw it too?"
Brilliant Radiance nodded, her eyes reflecting a hint of sentimentality and a faint worry.
"The way that child looks at Dreams-chan... it's too obvious. It's just our silly daughter that's the problem. When will she ever understand?"
On the return train, Yaeno Muteki watched the scenery speed by outside the window, her mood vastly different from the journey there.
It felt as if the warmth of Myriad Dreams' home still lingered in her palms, and her mother's suggestive instruction echoed in her ears.
'"Treat her well"... was it?'
She tilted her head slightly, looking at the once-again drowsy Myriad Dreams beside her.
A gentle curve tugged at the corner of her mouth.
'I will. And I will make her "treat me well"... in the way I desire.'
Myriad Dreams, meanwhile, was entirely unaware of the emotions surging in the person next to her.
Leaning against the window and thinking about the heavy training ahead, she only felt that the holiday had ended too quickly.
She was already mentally calculating how to bargain with Trainer Tojo Hana to win back a little more sleep.