Chapter 137: Reality’s Reaction
In the third round, Sakamoto Ken was completely defeated this time.
But fortunately, Hoshihara Ai had no intention of proceeding to a fourth round. According to her, in this dream, the flow of time is the same as in reality.
That is, if they slept for a few hours, the same amount of time would pass outside.
It seemed they had already been in the dream for three or four hours.
According to Hoshihara Ai, there were two ways to quickly end the dream.
The first was for someone outside to wake them up, or to set an alarm clock.
The second required stronger control over sleep, forcibly waking oneself up.
The fact that Sakamoto Ken had slept until now meant that neither Editor Kaji nor the three assistants had come to wake him.
After all, he was the studio boss, and with no immediate pressure to meet deadlines, they probably wouldn’t return until it was time for them to get off work and go home, at which point they might call out to him.
Sakamoto Ken asked Hoshihara Ai, “I didn’t set an alarm clock, and no one should come to wake me. So how do I use the second method?”
“No need for you to do it.” Hoshihara Ai sat on Sakamoto Ken’s lap, leaning against his chest, and said, “This is also a test. After I wake up, see if you automatically detach from this dream too. If it succeeds, send me a message.”
“We haven’t exchanged contact info yet,” Sakamoto Ken said.
Hoshihara Ai said, “I called your phone, but it was an empty number.”
“According to that original timeline, I changed to a new mobile phone number when I went to university because the plan was cheaper, but my number hasn’t changed now,” Sakamoto Ken said.
“Then you should remember my number, right?”
“Like the back of my hand.”
“Add me on LINE after you get out.”
“Okay.” Sakamoto Ken nodded in agreement.
“Well then…” Hoshihara Ai climbed onto Sakamoto Ken’s shoulders, the corner of her mouth slightly raised, and said, “See you~”
With that, she kissed him directly.
As their lips touched, Sakamoto Ken was about to go further when he realized the girl in his arms had disappeared.
At the same time, everything around him began to distort. In just a few breaths, his vision returned to chaos.
In the vast blackness, Sakamoto Ken still felt mentally clear. He slowly opened his eyes.
Before him was the familiar studio ceiling.
Sakamoto Ken blinked, his consciousness still a bit dazed. His nasal cavity seemed to still hold the scent of their entwined bodies.
He was still lying on the flattened ergonomic chair, covered with a thin jacket, which someone must have put over him.
He slowly sat up and slightly moved his somewhat stiff neck.
With a light click, the chair’s backrest lock sprang open, returning to the normal sitting angle.
Almost the moment he sat up straight, Kaji Keiko, Ryū Kōshin, Kaku Yuji, and Endo Tatsuya, who had been focused on their own work in the studio, all turned their gazes to him in unison.
That look… how to put it, a bit complicated.
“What’s wrong?” Sakamoto Ken asked doubtfully. “Why are you all looking at me like that…”
The four exchanged glances, and finally Kaji Keiko spoke up. “Sakamoto Sensei, were you having a nightmare just now?”
Nightmare?
Sakamoto Ken was stunned for a moment.
That hardly counted as a nightmare. It could even be called…
A quite exciting and stimulating experience.
It was just that his body couldn’t quite keep up with his mind.
He glanced at the clock on the wall and realized he had slept for a full three and a half hours.
For a nap, that was indeed a bit too long.
Sakamoto Ken rubbed his temple and casually asked, “Did I say anything in my sleep just now?”
“No sleep-talking,” Kaji Keiko shook her head, a trace of concern on her face. “But… Sakamoto Sensei, you were twitching on the chair from time to time… We thought you had woken up… Since you didn’t, we got you a jacket to cover you.”
Twitching?
Sakamoto Ken frowned slightly, thinking of the somewhat indulgent movements with Hoshihara Ai, so his real body had followed along…
Kaji Keiko continued, “But don’t worry too much, Sakamoto Sensei. It was just a bit like having a nightmare, nothing serious.”
“That’s a relief…” Sakamoto Ken let out a breath.
Kaji Keiko said with concern, “Sakamoto Sensei, have you been staying up late every day rushing deadlines and wearing yourself out? Your complexion doesn’t look great. You should rest earlier from now on.”
“It’s nothing, nothing.” Sakamoto Ken waved his hands hurriedly and said, “I probably am a bit tired.”
Fortunately, it was just some body movements, no sleep-talking, and aside from being slightly sweaty, there were no other abnormalities.
At least his pants didn’t get wet…
Speaking of which, that Mikazuki Haruna often talked in her sleep.
Her dream content was probably pretty explosive, totally letting loose, though he didn’t know exactly what she did to him.
He wondered if, the last time they entered that kind of “linked” dream, she had said anything in her sleep in reality for those around her to hear…
Sakamoto Ken shook off these messy thoughts in his head and focused his attention back on that dream.
Everything that happened with Hoshihara Ai in it, every detail, he remembered clearly.
Even the feel of her skin, the rhythm of her breathing, the warmth inside her body—all seemed to linger in his senses.
But amazingly, his body felt no fatigue or drained sensation.
If this had happened in reality, he probably wouldn’t even want to move a finger.
This was good news.
Thinking of the agreement with Hoshihara Ai at the end, Sakamoto Ken picked up the mobile phone on the desk.
He remembered Hoshihara Ai’s phone number clearly.
After rebirth in this round, since he had initially decided to stay away from them, he hadn’t proactively contacted her.
In the LINE friend add interface, he selected search by phone number.
He entered the familiar digits.
Soon, an avatar appeared in the search results.
The avatar was a starry sky, the same as the one she used in the previous life.
Sakamoto Ken sent the friend request.
Soon, a notification popped up on the screen:
「Hoshihara Ai has added you as a friend.」
Approved so quickly, meaning she was waiting too.
Sakamoto Ken opened the chat interface and tapped on the keyboard with his fingers.
Sakamoto Ken: 「Ai, it’s Sakamoto Ken.」
Hoshihara Ai: 「❤️」
She first sent a heart icon, followed immediately by another message.
Hoshihara Ai: 「『Image』」
This time it was a photo.
Sakamoto Ken opened the image.
The background of the photo was the floor-to-ceiling window in Hoshihara Ai’s apartment, with Tokyo’s cityscape outside the window.
The subject of the photo, Hoshihara Ai herself, was sitting sideways on the lounge chair by the window, her posture languid.
On her body, she was in her usual scantily clad state when alone, completely nude.
The soft indoor light outlined her graceful body curves, her skin glowing with an ivory sheen under the light.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, her eyes hazy, but the corner of her mouth held a sly smile.
She held a whiskey glass containing amber liquid and ice cube in one hand, toasting toward the lens.
Sakamoto Ken: 「Looks like everything in the dream was real.」
Hoshihara Ai: 「Of course, how could it be fake?」
Sakamoto Ken: 「What time should I come to your place tomorrow?」
Hoshihara Ai: 「Morning is fine, you pick the time.」
Sakamoto Ken: 「OK」
Two chapters first, there’s still one chapter stuck in review after two revisions… Anyway, two chapters for now… Next chapter whenever it passes, whenever it’s released…
